Though we’re a young organization, our model draws on over a decade of direct work in settings ranging from public high schools to public housing to the gang units of Rikers Island.

Our theory of change:

We are helping close the Black male mental health gap by giving young men of color the emotional tools they need to redefine who they are, develop healthy responses to what they experience, and transform their relationship between self and community.

While racism harms all Black youth, Black boys struggle more in school, are less likely to graduate, less likely to attend college, and will earn less than their Black female peers. And while Black youth are twice as likely to die by suicide than white peers, Black boys are 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide than Black girls.

The B.R.O. Experience is the only program of its kind in NYC specializing in the cognitive-behavioral health of young men of color, and our transformational education teaches meditation over violence, coping skills over self-harm, and resilience over hopelessness. We unlock one of humanity’s most powerful forces: emotional intelligence.

The BRO Experience works with boys aged 8-24 using the tools of Social-Emotional Learning and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We deliver these methods in the form of one-on-one mentoring, small group workshops, recreational activities, father/son programming, music therapy, mindfulness/meditation, and other modes. Our programming emphasizes positive values and thought processes that counteract tendencies toward low self-esteem, passivity, emotional repression, narrow definitions of life success, and restrictive concepts of masculinity.

We guide our participants through perspective shifts that build our ABC values:

Authenticity (clarity of self-worth and honesty about personal challenges)

Bravery (the courage to be vulnerable and confront the complexities of inner and outer self)

Connection (the ability to share insights and emotions with peers, mentors, loved ones, and community)

Young men who are provided the guidance and space to cultivate these values experience substantial benefits. They have reduced likelihood of committing or being victims of violence, they do better in school, are less likely to engage in dangerous behavior or harmful substance use, have better economic prospects, are more engaged members of their communities, and lead happier lives.