It was an evening of sharp fits and stylish attire underneath the Brooklyn Bridge because the Brothers Redefining Alternative Expertise Basis (B.R.O. Expertise) celebrated its 2025 Extraordinary Males Awards (EMAs), honoring good women and men of shade from throughout the neighborhood.
“Once I take into consideration my youthful brothers and all of the issues that they must expertise, all of the statistics they’ve to beat, and all the narratives which are painted on them earlier than they will even outline their very own selves,” mentioned the B.R.O. Expertise Founder Barry Cooper, on the awards ceremony on Thursday, December 11, 2025. “Someplace somebody informed them that they gained’t graduate, or due to the communities they arrive from, they might solely ever be lifeless or in jail. And all we do each single day in our work is defy that narrative.”
A former barber in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Cooper grew his youth empowerment group from a number of easy occasions to a protected haven centered on serving younger males of shade from ages 8 to 24 within the borough’s most uncared for space. Cooper’s mantra is to handle points like psychological well being, violence, and academic gaps with emotional intelligence and academic alternatives. The B.R.O. Expertise has distinctive programming, like Behind the Bars, a singular music-centered cognitive-behavioral group curriculum for center and excessive schoolers, and the Daddy & Me challenge, which is a six-week fatherhood program that helps younger dads.
Through the occasion, neighborhood leaders and attendees poured into the DUMBO Lofts close to Downtown Brooklyn as Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble carried out for friends.
Ariama C. Lengthy images
Honorees for the night time included President & CEO of The Eagle Academy Basis (EAF) Donald M. Ruff, Jr., who gained the Henry Pete Pearson Affect Award; entrepreneur Tameek Floyd, who gained the Resilient Visionary Award; Government Director of the Social Justice Fund Gregg Bishop, who gained the Boundary Breaker Award; psychological well being advocate Raul Espinoza, who gained the ‘Be Properly Bro’ Award; Dr. Dennis McKesey, who gained the Academic Advocacy Award; Gents’s Manufacturing facility founder Jeff Lindor, who gained the ‘I Hear You Bro’ Award, and Brooklyn Org President Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, who gained the Extraordinary Neighborhood Associate Award.
Ruff, who primarily grew up with Cooper, mentioned that he was past honored to obtain an award from his long-time pal and brother-in-arms. “I’m truly kinda shy about these items, but it surely’s Barry. You’ll be able to’t say no. We got here up collectively.”
Floyd spoke about how particular it was for him to obtain the resiliency award and thanked the help system of devoted pals he had as a justice-impacted youth. He determined to turn out to be a sports activities entrepreneur to pour again into his neighborhood and be the illustration he usually didn’t see on and off the sphere. “I served 10 years in state jail. I went from being a collegiate athlete on a full scholarship. However inside 10 months, I used to be in Miami State jail,” mentioned Floyd. “At my darkest instances, I didn’t know what to do. I used to be drowning in failure, and I didn’t know tips on how to cope with adversity. I spent a number of years with no hope, however I had a pal that for 10 years visited me.”
“Companions and brothers which are on the market creating change in our communities that’s a lot wanted,” mentioned Espinoza. “And so, to the BRO Expertise, you may have an ally, you may have a brother, you’ve received a fellow comrade in reworking our communities with the work that we’re doing. I see you.”
“It began out as a coworker area. As I actually noticed that there weren’t areas that had been designed particularly for Black males to simply be,” mentioned Lindor. “And there are such a lot of areas that we’ve got to slot in, however there aren’t any areas that match us.
Different performances to cap off the night time included spoken phrase artist Cyrus Aaron, musician Greg Banks, DJFame BK, and saxophonist John Robert Bonhomme.
