Brian Miller
”I was a gangster, but I wasn’t a fool…I joined The OK Program.”

By the time he was a ninth grader in 1991, Brian Miller had encountered more challenges than most people face in a lifetime. Abandoned at 4-years old by his drug-addicted mother, Brian had a juvenile record and was headed back to court to face another robbery charge. He was also a proud member of the 29th Street Crips, a local gang.

Unfortunately, like too many young Black boys, Brian was teetering on the precipice of a life of crime, but that all changed when he met Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy, Donald Northcross.

Deputy Northcross - aptly known as Dep – had grown tired of seeing the criminal justice system gobble up Black boys. After lamenting over the absence of people – especially Black men – stepping up to help Black boys overcome the challenges that impact them disproportionately, he decided to do something about it.

While still a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy, Dep founded OK Program to reduce the high rate of homicide and incarceration of Black men and boys.

The day after meeting Brian, Dep found himself in court speaking on Brian’s behalf. Dep said to the judge “Your Honor, I can’t promise you that I can change him, but if you see fit to give him probation, and make joining OK Program a condition of his probation, I promise you that I will work with him.” The judge looked at Brian and said, “Brian Miller, I will give you two choices today. You either go back to jail or join OK Program.” To this day, Brian often tells people, when sharing his story, “I was a gangster, but I wasn’t a fool…I joined OK Program.”

OK Program helped Brian turn his life around. Instead of incarceration, his life took another direction including graduating from high school and earning his bachelor’s and master’s degree from West Virginia Tech University.

Today, Brian is CEO of Positive Touches LLC, which is an educational agency focused on recruitment, engagement, retention, and leadership. He is quick to state that OK Program changed…if not saved his life.

Marlow Rockwell
From Struggle to Success
The OK Program Way

Marlow Rockwell still remembers the details of a life-changing moments that happened when he was in the 10th grade. It was the knocking on his first-floor bedroom window that got his attention. Several of his friends had assembled to present to him with what they thought was an inviting proposition.

“They told me they were on their way to steal a car and wanted me to go with them. I was at the point where I was tired of running the streets and engaging in some of the crimes we had done. It just wasn’t me anymore. So I didn’t go. Plus, I had just been to a meeting about the OK Program and although I hadn’t fully engaged, I think me not going that night and later becoming fully involved in OK was God’s timing and his way of getting me to turn my life around.”

According to Marlow, his teen years were pretty tough times. In addition, to hanging out with the wrong crowd, he also had family challenges. His father was not in the home, and although two uncles supported him and were there for Marlow, their lifestyles were wrapped around what he describes as the “street life.” His frustration was so great that he would often come home from school, change clothes, and disappear to friend’s houses for two or three days to avoid a troubling home environment. “This was a period when the male role models in my life were not the best.”

As a 10th grader at Rancho Cordova High School, in Rancho Cordova, California, where he excelled in football and basketball, Marlow had another life-changing experience which also would impact the rest of his life. He was not impressed after attending the OK introductory meeting. “I was use to people making promises to me that they never kept. I thought OK would be more of the same. But I started hearing from my friends who were attending the Saturday KIC’IT* sessions how much fun they were having hanging with the mentors, discussing interesting topics, playing sports, and eating some really good food. I wanted some of that.”

So Marlow started attending the sessions as well, sometimes walking long distance to make sure he got there. He began listening to and learning from the founder of the OK Program, Donald Northcross, who at the time was a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy. Better known as Dep, Northcross had grown tired of seeing the criminal justice system gobble up Black boys. After lamenting over the absence of people – especially Black men – stepping up to help Black boys turn their lives around, he realized that it was not only his calling, but also his responsibility.

Marlow explains it best. “High school was tough for me, but the OK Program help turn it around. Dep and other mentors in the program showed me that they really cared about my well-being. When I was playing basketball, I’d look up in the stands and they were always there. It was the first time that I felt like I mattered. The positive reinforcement I got from the OK program was great.”

After graduating from High School, Marlow attended American River College, a community college in Sacramento, where he was an All-Conference basketball player. His playing time was cut short, however, when he dropped out of school and began working three job so he could take care of his younger siblings. Understanding the life-changing power he had experienced with the OK Program, Marlow made sure during this period of time that his two younger brothers also got involved in the program.

With his family stable, Marlow returned to American River College and graduated. He then attended Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, where he played football and basketball and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. He later received a Master’s in Sports Management from American Public University. Currently, Marlow is the Women’s Varsity Head Basketball Coach at Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock, Arkansas. He also serves the college as Assistant Athletic Director and Adjunct Instructor.

“The values I have today, I learned from the O.K. Program. Dep remains a mentor and has been like a father to me over the years. My mother believes that one of the best things she ever did was move us to Rancho Cordova where we got involved in the OK Program. She is extremely thankful for all that the program and Dep has done for our family.

“It was because of him that I was able to get my current job and coaching position. And many of the brothers I met in the OK Program are still my best friends today. My job puts me in touch with low-income at risk youth who are the first in their families to attend college. I feel comfortable passing on to them much of what I experienced and learned from the OK Program.”

*Every Saturday, KIC’IT (Kids Interacting Communicating Immix Teammates) sessions bring together OK Program police officers and Black men to develop a strong relationship and share life experiences with young African-American males.