'The stakes are high': Nonprofit on Murchison Road invests in Fayetteville teens
A former Fayetteville barber now spends his days helping teens learn discipline, accountability and responsibility.
Kevin Brooks, 53, a father of four who’s lived in the city for more than two decades, started the Build Your Self after-school program in 2020, but has long been an advocate for kids.
For 15 years, his nonprofit, The Group Theory Inc., has hosted the Gotcha’ Back School Kickoff, which distributes backpacks and school supplies to hundreds of kids each August. The event sprang from an everyday conversation at the barbershop he once owned in Bronco Midtown shopping center on Murchison Road, Brooks told The Fayetteville Observer in 2017.
Now, in a building across Coley Drive from Bronco Midtown, he works alongside a small team of teachers and therapists to deliver support to about 25 kids ages 12 to 18.
Brooks said it was important to him to do the work in Fayetteville’s historically Black corridor.
“They’ve been good to me,” he said. “I owe that community.”
Kids come to The Group Theory via referrals from schools, the courts and community members, Brooks said, and families don’t pay a dime for kids to participate. A mix of city and county dollars fund the program, he said.
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The group meets about two to three times a week, with instruction, events and recreational activities throughout the year.
The crux of the lessons that Brooks said he and his team impart to the youth is that they are in control of themselves and their behavior, and their actions determine outcomes.
“We use critical thinking to address the consequences of negative behavior and replace it with positive,” he said.
The investment in the kids leads to improvements in behavior, academics and confidence. Perhaps most importantly, Brooks said, it helps keep kids out of jail.
“The stakes are high,” he said.
What’s next for The Group Theory?
Brooks says he has plans to grow the afterschool program to serve more kids in a bigger space along Murchison Road, the location of which is yet to be announced.
He said he plans for the nonprofit to be part of the corridor's revitalization through the Murchison Choice Neighborhood Plan and has submitted a proposal to partner with the city on the project.
Whatever comes next, Brooks said, he’s proud to support kids using a proven model that is tailor-made for the Murchison community.
“We are doing the work in the trenches,” he said.
How to get involved
People interested in volunteering, donating or learning more about The Group Theory's services can email thegrouptheoryinc@gmail.com, call 910-500-3606 or visit facebook.com/thegrouptheory.
Reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Kevin Brooks with The Group Theory Inc. invests in Fayetteville teens
