By Elizabeth Hall– 

Quintez Brown, a political science major and Louisville Cardinal opinion editor, was one of 22 students selected from across the country to attend a community service event in Oakland, California.

The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance which was launched in 2015 by President Barack Obama. Brown will attend the first gathering of the non-profit organization designed to address the lack of opportunity that young men of color face and supply them with the resources to become successful.

The alliance seeks to encourage communities to increase support and opportunities for young boys of color through innovative approaches.

Brown, 18, is a Martin Luther King and Porter scholar. Brown’s dedication to bettering his community led him to become a fellow for Louisville’s Youth Violence Prevention Center.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to make life better for everyone,” Brown said. “In Louisville there are people who have to deal with violence and the consequences of violence on a daily basis, rather that be a lost of a loved one or them trying to stop themselves from violent behavior because they’re poor. The violence prevention center is my way to make a change in my community.”

Obama is expected to attend the exclusive, invitation-only event, called MBK Rising on Feb. 18.

“They have brought young men of color and boys from across the country to meet and basically celebrate the progress that we’ve made and accomplishments and all the successes that they’ve made in various cities,” Brown said.

Brown submitted a 60-second video that described the work he does for his community. In his video, he explains his work for YVPRC. “YVPRC is a partnership of community activists, researchers, youth and community organizations working to find ways to reduce youth violence in the west end,” Brown said.

Brown also uses his voice  for The Cardinal where he is the opinion editor. He became interested in opinion writing in high school where he wrote about the March For Our Lives and racial incidents that happened in his school.

“Journalism and opinion writing are a great way to not only share your story, but also uplift people who don’t have the same opportunity to write as you. When I write an opinion, I not only try to get my message out, I also try to get the message of people who are not heard out,” Brown said.

Brown hopes to learn new ways to further improve his community at MBK Rising.

Photo by Sam Combest/ The Louisville Cardinal