Dr. Ralph Ford, chancellor of Penn State Behrend, talks with Bishop Dwane Brock, the founder and chief executive of the Word of Faith Development Corporation, about the college’s new partnership with the Eagle’s Nest Leadership Corporation.
Dr. Ralph Ford, chancellor of Penn State Behrend, talks with Bishop Dwane Brock, the founder and chief executive of the Word of Faith Development Corporation, about the college’s new partnership with the Eagle’s Nest Leadership Corporation.
I'm Dr. Ralph Ford, Chancellor of Penn State Behrend and you're listening to Behrend Talks. My guest today is Bishop Dwane Brock, the founder and chief executive of the Word of Faith Development Corporation. In addition to his ministry, he leads the Eagle's Nest leadership Corporation, which provides educational and career development programming to at-risk youth in the Erie Community. Welcome to the show today.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Thank you so much for having me. It's great to be here.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, looking forward to a far ranging conversation. But before we go further, I'm going to talk a little bit more about your background and all the great things you've done in our community. You've been a pastor for more than 30 years. You clearly have a great commitment to helping others and you've been a fixture in this community for quite some time, representing a lot of the issues that we really need to address on race equity representation. So much so, that your voice is so central to the effort that the Erie Times-News has called you Erie's CEO of social change. And, you know, I just wanted to start with, you know, how did you end up in Erie, Pennsylvania? You didn't grow up here?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Oh, well, no, Ralph, I did not. I've been in the ministry since age 10. An interesting story. I was traveling, and I was in Miami Beach, Florida. My godmother who taught me a lot about church ethics and etiquette, her and I went to Miami Beach, Florida, at the great Fountain Blue Hotel. It was there where there were eight or nine thousand people there for a church convention. And I saw one of the bishops of the denomination sitting there right there on the fountain. And, of course, I was scared Dickens and my godmother knew him personally. And very interesting story. So my godmother, she said, hold my ... she had a coat on. She said, hold this. And I did. And she walked over and talked to the bishop. And then of course, introduced me. And Bishop Charles Herbert Fogy. And that name is very significant because he was chairman of the NAACP, in Pittsburgh, personal friends with Thurgood Marshall and many of the civil rights leaders of our country. But nevertheless, he was there and they should focus that. Well, son, get me over to the other side of this hotel. I'm late for the bishops luncheon. I don't want anybody to pause me, I don't want anyone to stop me. Hold me over there. That was it. So I'm scared. But I took the man by the arm and we walked. Now, if you know anything about the Fountain Blue Hotel is one of the largest hotels around. And so it took us 20 minutes to get to the other side of the hotel. So we're walking, we're walking, I'm walking fast, and so on and so on. And so I get into the lunch and eventually, and then I pulled the chair out for him. Put him in the chair, you know, asked said, you know, do you need anything else, sir, etc, etc, all those type of dynamics? He said, no, but I like you. He's gonna remember you. Little did I know that in three years. He would ask me to be his driver. And he would appoint me to a church called First Good Samaritan AME Zion Church in a city called Erie, Pennsylvania. I was the youngest appointment of any pastor in the AME Zion Church at that time. That was back in 1980. My first day in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Wow. And you gave your first sermon at age 10. Is that my understanding?
Bishop Dwane Brock:First sermon. I was young and dumb, and gave my first sermon, then it lasted a whopping three minutes. And at that time, our sermons could not be given it was called a trial sermon. It could not be given to the entire congregation, but representatives of the congregation. These were the elders of the congregation. And they were called class leader. So there was 12 of them. I had So you had a calling by age 10, to do what you wanted to do? to stand in front of them. And give the sermon. And I can see their faces right now. And understanding that within the black tradition, there's always call and response, call and response, and whatnot. There was none of that at all. They looked at me with the stern look and they had to actually judge to see whether God had called me into ministry or not. So I was on trial. I was always fascinated with church. I was just fascinated with church and I didn't hear a an audible voice from heaven and And you grew up in Cincinnati? all of that type of thing. But I just it was just a knowing on the inside that this was something that I had to do. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dr. Ralph Ford:And what was that like?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Oh, it was wonderful. Snowing, and everyone knew me in the city as a young minister, and I had opportunities to go to so many different churches and preach the respective of those denominations. And from that point, I was able to travel and, gosh, by the time I was 26 years old, I had literally ministered in every state in the country, except Hawaii and Alaska. So I've been around pretty good.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Wow. Well, I mean, Cincinnati, you know, I think most people know it's really the South. It certainly feels like it to me when I go there. Great city, transforming. But it must have been different in those days. And what was it like? What were race relations like?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Well, it was, it was a great city. You didn't see the violence like you see today, the shootings. And obviously, we are suffering from a cultural shift today. But it was great. I had wonderful opportunities. While I was in high school, I was also taking college courses at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. And I have a background of music. I tell people, people say well, I look like the tough guy. I hadn't room and whatever. But I played the violin for 30 years. Classical music. And so I was able, you know, I had some wonderful opportunities. We went on tour throughout the country, Cincinnati Youth Symphony Orchestra made a couple of albums with the orchestra. Then I sung with the Cincinnati, Ohio City Boys Choir. So I had some phenomenal opportunities growing up. My parents were really strict. And we had to learn chores to do the chores before we could go out. And you know, we didn't know what it was to use a mop on the floor. We had hands and knees. Remember that hands and knees? You know your hands and knees and do the floor. You know what, at our time to wash dishes and etc, etc. But it was a good wholesome upbringing. I'm very thankful for that.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, so good. You learned so much from all of those things you hated while you're doing it. Now, just that one last thing we got Cincinnati before we move on. But you know, when I try there, I noticed there are a lot of signs that make it really clear as you're driving here that it's a religious place. I think religion plays a large place of that city.
Bishop Dwane Brock:One of the I've had opportunity to meet in my in my youth, Archbishop Joseph Bernadine. And of course, he was also Archbishop of Chicago. And he's passed on now, but that was a very great experience for me.
Dr. Ralph Ford:So you came to here, you then we're told hey, go to Erie in 1980. Go to Erie, he was a pretty different place.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Oh my gosh, it was amazing. When I came to Erie, I thought I was in the deep south because there were no sidewalks where the church was at. And I can remember I'm thinking, tearing it down in my mind when I got here. And understand that the church that I was assigned to back in 1980, it was a sheet metal building. They call it a butler's building. Now this is okay. They weren't able to make the modifications on that now, but think back in 1980, it was a warehouse building. But it was a church there. And my responsibility was to rebuild that church. We built a congregation and get things rolling, raise money, etc, etc, etc. And that's what I did.
Dr. Ralph Ford:And where where was it located?
Bishop Dwane Brock:32nd and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Okay, so not far from where you're at now.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Precisely.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Okay. So what were the challenges people were facing? What did you find in the community when you got here?
Bishop Dwane Brock:I found a intellectual, and spiritual, and economic stagnation. That people were by and large satisfied where they were at. And that angered me. And that anger became the foundation of what I do today. That I want better, so I can do better and so I can be better. And that better began to become contagious. And so you have to be able to pry people from the conditioning of stagnation. And so I've had to teach people how to handle their money. You know, learn to put money up within the African American community. That financial literacy is just, you know, it's more needs to be. Yeah, it really is. And back then, for an example, when I came to town, they were keeping the church money at home. The gentleman was keeping the church money at home under his mattress and never forget that. And he got out of return with me that made them open up bank accounts, etc, etc. But they didn't have to do that at all. So there's been a stagnation, people have become satisfied, where they were at. And then they defended the satisfaction. So I had to fight against that. I remember you won't believe this. But I remember in the sanctuary now in the butler style building, they had the old style pews, wooden pews that were varnished. Okay? Think about it. In the summertime, it was sticky with sweat. So the women of the church would sit, you know, their nice Sunday, best dresses sit down on those sticky pews. And then the varnish would rub off on the dresses, and they would come and I had to pay for that. I had to pay for people's cleaning bills and dresses, etc, etc, etc. To the point that if you go there, today, you will see a new entirely new structure that I was able to rebuild the church. I designed the sanctuary, and new pews, new altar, new everything there. But it was tough. But they were satisfied with that, instead of coming together said, we have to do something about this, because this is our central place where we worship God and etc, etc. But they had become satisfied with it. And I've had people that were satisfied on welfare, they were satisfied getting a monthly check, they were satisfied not going to work. I had to go in and change that dynamic.
Dr. Ralph Ford:So how did you change it? What do you do? What were the steps you took?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Preaching was number one. I used my platform of preaching, which I still do today. And I'm very pointed, very pointed at one of my great friends who has passed on. He used to be the Director of Housing Authority, John Morgan would say that he had been to different services several times, he's a man you go, you go into the phone booth come out, like Superman. But I think it's very important that at that moment that we become very relevant in ministry, and be able to reach people where they are, instead of talking about the pie in the sky, that's going to take care of itself. But again, to be better, to have better, so we can do better. And live that's been kind of my personal mantra.
Dr. Ralph Ford:And lightning, practical advice.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Got to do it. Ralph, think of the kids who don't have fathers at home. We have over 2 million people in prison in this country. Over half are African American males. Who's at home? Who's teaching Johnny how to throw a baseball? Who's teaching Johnny about the birds and the bees or whatever? So he learns from television or learn from the street. And that's why we see this cultural decline today. And so it's been my mission, personal mission to change that dynamic where I live right here in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, and we're going to get to a lot of those changes and talk about the corporations you've built. We're going to talk about the partnership with Penn State Behrend. But before we do I, you know, I like to continue along the evolution. How did you? How did you see yourself becoming a community leader? So you had your congregation did you start to find role models out there to? Was this something intentional in your mind?
Bishop Dwane Brock:There are people I believe that, that God will place people in your life to help you develop and help you be who he wants you to be. And I have found that to be true. I remember one gentleman who's alive today. He told me, there was Fred Rush.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Oh, yeah, I know, Fred. I do.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Fred said to me, this was way back way back. 40 years ago, Fred said to me, he said your success is not based upon your intelligence. Your success is based upon your relationships. That has been with me every day since then. So people say I have I have the strongest, largest network in the city. Well, I've been pastoring for 43 years in this city. So I've had time to develop this network of relationships. And that's where you learn, you know, people like yourself or relationship I have with you. I'm learning when you think about it, I'm learning from you. My antennas are always up. I'm observing. I'm learning opportunities of chief executive officers all over the city, I'm learning from them, I sit on the board and Erie Bank and UPMC, and the Housing Authority and M&M Foundation, relationships. I'm learning. I never saw myself as a CEO of social change. I never saw myself with that. I just saw myself with having a relevant ministry, and helping people and helping eradicate this demon of self-satisfaction.
Dr. Ralph Ford:While you're so right, in my experience, I mean, you can be the smartest person in the room. But that doesn't always help. And I know I'm not that person. The thing that young people don't understand that, frankly, it just takes experience is that idea of building a network in relationships. And I think they, they look at us, you know, more mature people and say, yeah, that just sounds like something my parents talk about, they go to all these functions and events, but anyways, you hit the nail on the head. It is, you know, you have to build these relationships with people who can help you. And you can learn from.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Always in a learning mode. And our young people need to understand that we don't live in a microwavable society. And they want instant gratification and have not put the work in and have not developed, which takes time to do so. So, you know, those are lessons of life that I learned across the years.
Dr. Ralph Ford:So generally speaking, there are no overnight success, oh, my God or not. You know, let's talk about some of the board service that you mentioned just a moment ago. You were chairman of the board for the City of Erie Housing Authority. I'd like to hear more about that. The housing crisis in this country, it's a real issue.
Bishop Dwane Brock:And Housing Authority, I've been a member of the board for 25 or 26 years. I'm chairman of the board now. And what has happened, the housing authority, our theme is it's all about people. Public housing should be a platform, okay? To do better, to be better, and to have better a platform, it should not be a permanent place. For an example, one of my great friends who happened to be the former governor of our state, the first Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, was in public housing. And there are other people who have been in public housing, but they used it as a platform. But again, we see a cultural shift. There are people that will go to public housing, and look at it as a lifestyle. And it shouldn't be a lifestyle, it ought to be again, a platform to do better, to have better and to be better. So all of the ancillary programs that we have, with the housing authority is designed to teach them financial literacy to teach them. And first-time home buyers, you know, what does it take to build your credit, to buy a home, recreational programs, cultural programs, different programs designed to enhance the quality of life for individuals. And so it is unbeliever not, if you look at the statistics, the public housing is the safest place in the city of Erie. We have the Quick Back unit, which is our own police force. And they are absolutely phenomenal because they understand the dynamics of community policing. So they will walk around play with the kids. And they can call the kid by name. Okay, and okay, Johnny, watch it. And they develop a sense of respect, then they can go into a home where and of course, they understand that domestic violence is on the rise, etc, etc, especially throughout, you know, the COVID season. So they've been able to develop a sense of respect in the community, and where the residents respect the police, but yet the police respect the residence. And that's been one of the great things that we've been able to do with public housing.
Dr. Ralph Ford:And what I think I'm hearing you say is, that's not true in every city. That's not true everywhere.
Bishop Dwane Brock:No, so Erie is small enough, but yet has enough resources where we can make a difference. And everything that we do here is not like Cincinnati, or Cleveland, or Pittsburgh or Philly. So again, we're small enough we have the resource and enough resources for an example. You have this amazing institution called Penn State right here. A city within a city and so, so many people are not aware of that. I'm amazed. I'm not just saying it. I am amazed when I come up here. And I had to tour and see the phenomenal work of plastics manufacturing plant, on campus. On campus. The 3d printers, I mean, that will capture the attention of every young person on the street today. All of these opportunities that people need to know is right here in our backyard and city within the city, Penn State Behrend. So I mean, this is great.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, we appreciate that.
Bishop Dwane Brock:I mean, that is the truth, though. I mean, that.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well thank you. And you know, one of the things that I came to Erie 30 years ago, myself, so I'm up, and you grow a lot of affinity for the community. But it's parochial. And there's a lot of, you know, people haven't been out even sometimes in their own city to see what's going on. But we're changing that. And before we talk about our partnership, there was just one thing that when we're talking about housing, and just your philosophy that always comes through to me in our conversation. So as you make really clear, it's about you know, character and having the right values and the right work ethic. But part of that is actually, I hear you say financial literacy, wealth building, owning your own home, they're important to you.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Very much. So we live in a capitalistic society, let's not kid ourselves, it's about the money. You could not do what you have done in this city called Penn State without some type of financial resources. So there are young people that understand that, but they don't understand how they understand that they need the money. And so in many cases, they invent ways to get the money in illegal ways. Whether it's selling drugs or, or stealing, or manipulating this, or whatever the case may be. So I tried to teach people how this thing works. We have a lot of people that are not bankable. So they get a check. And they go to some type of check cashing store, which costs, you know, it's going to cost them money to cash, their check, etc, etc. And they don't have a paper trail. So when you go to buy a home, or whatever the case may be, you don't even have a paper trail does that tell them in essence, you don't even exist. So I try to teach young people, you know, the American dream is that everybody would own their own home, and you can own your home. But it's a process. Let's get started in the process. If you have $10, it doesn't mean you spend $10, if you have $10, spent $5. And put another $5 up or whatever, you know. So what you have, and I teach people, you don't let money dictate to you. You dictate to the money is a discipline. I tell them I can put, you know, whatever, two or three hundrend dollars on the table, let it sit there for six months and not touch it. There was a time I couldn't do that. But I had to learn and develop the dynamics of that of understanding how money works, so that I can. Here we go again, do better, have better, and be better.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Absolutely. And it's just the necessary thing. It's not about becoming, you know, rich. But owning your own home, knowing how to manage money, they change your life.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Absolutely.
Dr. Ralph Ford:So let's talk about the Eagle's Nest Leadership Academy. So at some point, you created this partnership with Hamot Health Foundation, UPMC. And you're delivering workforce training. How did you end up in that business?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Well, so my second church, I'm building my second church. I'm literally carrying bricks. So an older minister who had retired, Perry Keys, on this day. Perry Keys is probably was 83, 84, or 85 years old. And I seen him, hadn't seen Reverend Keys in quite some time. But as I'm carrying these bricks, he drives up in an old beat up Chevrolet. He parks, he gets out the vehicle walks over to me and he says, he said it was Reverend Brock, and he said Reverend Brock, God told me to tell you that you are an eagle. He gets in his vehicle back in his vehicle and drives off. That was the conversation. But from that point on, I've received some type of epiphany, it something happened. Something happened to me. And at that moment, I became instantaneously fascinated with eagles. So I went and got a book and Chuck Swindoll is one of my favorite authors. And the name of this particular book of his was Living Above the Level of Mediocrity. And on the picture of every chapter, it's a picture of an eagle. So my gosh, you know, it was God saying to me, that I did my research on Eagles, and I preached 1,000 sermons on eagles, you know. And from that point on, I said, our responsibility is to nurture young adults to teach young adults and stir the nest. They can't stay there in the nest, but stir the nest and teach them how to fly. And then they can pass that on to their little eagles. So I met the board, I met the board meeting one day, UPMC board meeting. Jim Fiorenzo, who was the president at the time. And I'm thinking and my mind goes off to remember the old candy stripers back in the day. So I said, boy, it would be great if we had that same thing. Candy stripers, we can take young people off the street, give them opportunity, show them a culture that they otherwise would never see. So I met with one of the officers there, jumped on Lee, who was the chief nursing officer. And from that point, I gave him an idea what Fiorenzo gave him the idea. And it started from that point on of choosing young people, young adults in the community and letting them go through a crash course with me a boot camp with me, and then go to work in the hospital. And that's what happened out and interesting thing about that is UPMC would pay. Okay, direct deposit. That's how they paid direct deposit. How can these kids get paid the right bank accounts? So again, we had to go back to the financial literacy, we had to go back to that whole dynamic, and teach them about financial literacy. Teach them about character, it's not going to hurt you to go into work and say Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am. It's not going to hurt you. Number two, everybody's not going to like you, everybody's not going to celebrate you, that's like, you're not going to change that. Keep in mind, your goal is to go to work, and bring a paycheck home, provide for yourself and your family showing interest when you go on the actual interview. All right, they know within three minutes, whether they're gonna hire you or not, the interview may last 20 to 25 minutes, but they know. So your responsibility is to sell yourself. So I mean, and so we've talked about going to work going to work on time, you got to have a plan A, plan B, plan C, you have to be able to go to work and show yourself as an asset to that company. And the day you become a liability is that day that you're out the door. So those are the lessons that we've had to teach as far as Eagle's Nest is concerned.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Now, how many people have gone through?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Oh, about 200?
Dr. Ralph Ford:Wow. So then that wasn't enough. You decided you had to start an elementary school.
Bishop Dwane Brock:I started school at the start of school. And I'm excited over the school I went to. I promised the school district that I would not do a charter school, because that actually takes funds away from public schools. But what we'll do, we'll stay up under the jurisdiction of the school district. And Brian Polito, Superintendent, he has been absolutely phenomenal. Just great with us. And so we have 77 kids. Now, we're going to add, we have kindergarten, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. So next year, we're going to have kindergarten, first grade, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. So we're going to add a grade and solidify that gap. So it's been great challenges. Yes, absolutely. I went to one of the, I think it was a seed school to vote more than went over to one of the other schools over in Cleveland just to take a tour and etc, etc. And the fact that very successful schools, they said Bishop is going to take you 13 years. It's going to take you 13 years to get to think about it. I'm telling you, I say oh no, I don't have that time. Oh, no. I don't think it is guy was right when he told me that because there are challenges. And it's not because I believe in what I call the learning triangle. You got us around the child, and we call them scholars, but you got to surround them with the parent, the teacher and a mentor, the parent, the teacher and the mentor we're working on of course we have to teachers working on mentor area. Assurance has been in there. Just as God said, and they've been helping us with mentors and whatnot. And it's been challenging to get the parents involved in the education of their own children. That's the fight that we're fighting right now.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, if you go down there, you know, and I've been down a few times. What you see is, is really different than you might see in other schools. And all of the kids are dressed in uniforms. But they've got a creed that you go through. And I think it's really interesting to hear that.
Bishop Dwane Brock:They have to do a creed, do the pledge at a creed every day. That kind of keep that instilled in them. And I want, but I want them to grow up and be kids. And I gotta understand that boys are going to be boys, you know, they got testosterone and they're going to you know, they're going to, you know, I don't want any fighting. I don't tolerate the fighting, but they're gonna push up every now and then. I don't let them know all that, but I understand. And when they see me coming, oh, my God, you're an intimidating figure. Yeah. Why is Darth Vader, you know? They can tell from and then the so what I'll do, I walk by and I slap the young boys in their in their midsection. That's, my love language to them. And then they'll rub my head. You know, stuff like that. Now, they want to wrestle me and they want to play me in basketball, which I am terrible at basketball. I just all I know that the ball is round. That's about it. But but we have relationship. And I appreciate that. And, but I'm really looking forward to some great things coming out the Eagle's Nest school.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, I was about three or four years ago that you and I met. And it was because, you know, a mutual friend, Tom Hagen told me, You should go meet Bishop Brock. I want you to do that. And I remember, actually might even been in the pandemic, by the time I made my first visit there. And just being really, you know, piqued by what you were doing.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Tom Hagen is one of those. Of course everyone knows him as a philanthropist and etc, all that type of thing, owner and chairman of the Erie Insurance fortune 500 company, but I've had a relationship with him that really, that was not about the philanthropy at all. My relationship with Tom Hagen has been the philanthropy of his mind. I've wanted to pick his brain. And I've had the opportunity to sit down and have candid conversations and pick his brain. And from that point, we've just become very close. He's a very close friend of mine, I'm very protective of him. And love the ground he walks on. People, they don't know him. There are people that think they know him. But they don't know him. And he is a phenomenal man.
Dr. Ralph Ford:He's an amazing individual for all he's done. cares about the community. You know, we go on and on.
Bishop Dwane Brock:So semper servientes are the words that adorn his his coat of arms, which means always serving. And he's, he's kind of instilled that in me about always, sir. Yeah, it's gonna be tough. Yeah, it's gotta be hard, but always serving. So that's the story.
Dr. Ralph Ford:That's life is hard. It doesn't owe you anything. If you think otherwise, it's going to teach you for sure. Well, let's fast forward in December of this year, we announced a partnership and I think we surprised a lot of people in a good way. Penn State Behrend at Eagle's Nest and why don't you tell people about what it is we're doing in this partnership?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Well, this is one of the highlights, I believe, in Erie, Pennsylvania, to have this noted, great institution, to actually come to the inner city and have a presence and helping the marginalized of our city. That's absolutely phenomenal. As we have talked, I've said that if you expect members of the African American community, Hispanic community to come up here, it's just not going to happen. So why not come down there? And then you tell for crying out loud, you took the challenge, and you say, We've got to make it happen. You moved. You moved with lightning speed to make this thing happen. And you have to understand I'm so excited. about that, because think about this row. Think how many folks that I've met with in boardrooms across the years and 43 years. And how many people use a lot of pious platitudes, that's just about it. And then you leave, and you never, you never see any results or anything. But you say, we'll make it happen to you. I mean, you got right on this thing with deliberate speed. And so it is giving our scholars an opportunity that they would otherwise never have. The kids came up here, I think, was a couple of weeks ago, or last week, or the week before we were talking about it, you know, the drum there was, you had some fascinating drummers up here.
Dr. Ralph Ford:We have the Music at Noon series.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Oh, that's what has, that's what changes the trajectory of people's lives, when they can see. And you open up a world of possibilities to them, is phenomenal. So Penn State coming down, and providing teaching and sharing and engaging with these young people. And we're planning now even to bring their parents in too. It's just a lovely, loving relationship, because we'll be making the major announcement within just a couple of weeks about Erie bank going to 10th and Parade, which is, you know, my project. But I was just talking to the president of the parent bank, C And B bank about Ralph Ford and Penn State, and how we're going to build this Training Center. And they're going to actually make the announcement Training Center is going to be built on 10th and Parade. And we'll have Penn State right there. Penn State is going to have a significant presence in the inner city. And here in Pennsylvania. I mean, I'm just I'm just tickled pink over it.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, you've gone on, but I will, you know, I appreciate the very kind words. But I'll tell you this, though, the reality of why I think we could move with lightning speed and why it works. So well, I think we were just philosophically aligned from the beginning. And then our team here was in...when I say team, not just the leaders, we had senior leaders here on campus step up and say, Yeah, we're in we'd like to do that. We have a lot of faculty and staff and students who were, again, it was once we told them what we're thinking, they also know we're going to do that. And we already do a lot of outreach in the community. And I think you hit the nail on the head, in that we bring a lot of students here we do go into schools, but in Midtown and your school haven't been in your neighborhood, and what's different is, this is persistent. We're there three days a week, right now delivering programming. And so far knock on wood, we seem to be able to deliver and, you know, it's people are excited to be there, and they go down there, and they're, you know, in a way, volunteering their time. So it's, it's a real testament, I think, to your organization and are so it just fits so well.
Bishop Dwane Brock:It's a great fit. And again, we go back to relationships, because, you know, Tom Hagen, I call him, you know, the big guy is what I call him, but he was able to bring us together. And without him, who knows, maybe we would have never met. And we wouldn't have this relationship? Probably not. And probably not, because we have two or two different worlds for crying out loud. But now we've come together. So I'm really excited over that.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Let's talk a little bit about the actual how's it going? And, you know, are we living up to the promise so far? I haven't even asked our team, but we've been there for a month. And what's your take? And how will you know when it's successful?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Well, when you say young people start to dreaming. When you see them, their language began to change. And they start talking about opportunities and the possibilities, and you will open the door of possibilities for them. And when you see that, that you know, you're hitting grand slams every day is a process. Yes indeed. But it's a process that is necessary for us to take advantage of. And this is great. It is beyond...my words cannot really express because I've been there. You have to understand I bury buried more kids in this city than all the other local pastors combined. Can you imagine how many? I buried kids who were shot, kids who were shot and killed, kids that died of drug usage, and drug overdoses, and violent deaths. I've had to identify bodies. And I mean, you know it's been. so I get to the point You know, I see the same people at the same funeral. What do I say? What do I say different? So that's why ministry is so important to me of developing a sense of opportunity for young people, irrespective of their race, color, creed, to change their trajectory. I was amazed that I went to my first meeting at you know, sit on the board of Erie Bank. So we had a big retreat, and parent company at Erie Bank. So you got about 75 bankers there. I said, What the heck am I doing? What am I doing here? You know, I walk in the room. Here's a white young lady runs up to me. I saw your name on the program gives me the biggest hug in the world. You taught me in school? Wow. She's one of the vice presidents of the bank now. What a moment. Oh, my gosh, it that, you know, it was just, I just did I told I drove down to Clearfield. Okay. And I mean, this is this is so significant. I drove down to Clearfield for Black History Month, they wanted me to give a presentation. So I have I have the the Chief Executive Officer of the bank at my right, and I have his Vice President about them. So we're getting out of giving black history presentation, so and so on, and so on, and so on. And so, and we get to go and I didn't know this thing was being broadcast all over, all over and didn't know, till we get into it. I mean, it's very got to be very emotional and very positive way. And so I walk out, I walk out, and people have their tissues, and handkerchief shedding tears. And the same young lady that in our office was there, she came out and said, I told you, oh, I told ya.
Dr. Ralph Ford:You know, that's the great thing about ministry teaching as well, we get to see and sometimes it's so surprising. 20 years later, someone shows up in our lives that, you know, we really had an impact. When talking about one more thing is we're getting close to the end. And that is the Eastside renaissance and this whole project of, you know, Penn State or Penn State Behrend at Eagle's Nest as part of that. But this is a big vision. And you and other people, community leaders are really trying to make a change. What is the idea?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Well, I had again, I'm going back to Tom Hagen, I added, we were talking one day, and we were talking about doing some things through the Housing Authority. And then, and Erie Insurance, creating relationship and taking the idea from 6th and Parade up to 12th. And Parade because Parade street used to be the main artery within Erie, Pennsylvania, and very wide street, but now it's the gateway into the African American community. And by and large, and it's been neglected across the years. It's just become dilapidated bottom line. And so I had an idea of investing in Parade Street and bringing various companies into parade street doctors offices, and banks, and stores and retail outlets and all of that. And I talked to, again, the big guy, Mr. Hagen, and he said, Let's make it happen. So they have been, your insurance has been, they were able to, or however they do what they do, but they were able to purchase, I think it was close 18 properties, and then turn them over to my nonprofit. And then they turn around, and you won't believe this. But they gave me a $2 million line of credit to fix these properties up. Now, with that, of course, I have a fiduciary board and we have to go do our due diligence and etc, etc, etc. But they've given me complete access administratively to whatever I need from that company. To get this thing together. I have two partners, Mark Zack Wilson and Matt Harris that helped me to get this thing rolling. So again, so we're excited because in just a couple of weeks, the formal announcement will be made. That Erie Bank will be building on 10th of the array. We're working on over the Hemet Health Foundation. And we're hoping that there'll be another announcement a couple of weeks right after then about them doing some things right there on parade street. So with the bank coming, what we want to do is develop this first time homebuyer ship program. We need Penn State's program Then come in there, and to run that, and to teach these young people about what it takes to buy a home, what it takes to manage your credit to build good credit, etc, etc, etc. So it's almost like the stars are aligning that make these things happen. And so, Erie bank, Penn State Baron Erie Insurance, right there is the site ruinous, I chose the name. And because I've been somewhat of a history buff history teacher, and I'm very familiar with the Harlem Renaissance, and how it was a rebirth of culture and rebirth of that area. So I said, let's do the same thing. Right here in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, so many great partners, so much, you know, hope and I will say, you know, great fit with our Center for Financial Literacy in the community. So, again, a perfect fit. Well, we are, are pretty much at the end of our interview, what gives you hope, looking forward?
Bishop Dwane Brock:Relationships again, because I believe that with these relationships, they are purpose driven. And it was not purpose driven. Why have the relationship, if that kind of makes any sense? So it lets me know that it can change? Why would God put us together? If it can't change? Why would God put a Penn State and a Eagle's Nest and a bishop, Ralph Ford and Dwayne Brock, come together? If God did not have expectations for something good to happen? That's kind of the way I'm looking at it. So I think, I think that great things are rising. And, you know, our congregation, local congregation, I'm telling you about that something good is about to happen. And I mean, that we're not just going to be idling, but we're going to put the vehicle to drive and shift gears no more status quo better. No, it, you better know. And so I'm very grateful for this forum. I'm very I want I want everyone, I want all the listeners to know that I'm very grateful for you. Because you have been over backwards to make some things happen, that otherwise would not happen within our community. And I want to say thank you to you publicly.
Dr. Ralph Ford:Well, I will say that you're welcome and the right back at you in that. Boy, I think we've hit it off really well. From the moment we met. And I think we found the right way to work together. And we're just excited about this. We're excited always about the future of Erie, Pennsylvania and its people and it does come down to its people and that's what matters. Again, thank you so much. Bishop Brock for being my guest today. I'm Chancellor Ralph Ford and you have been listening to Behrend Talks. A really special episode today. Thank you so much.
Bishop Dwane Brock:Thank you, sir.