Young New Yorkers (YNY), a ten-year-old nonprofit that
uniquely combines the arts and criminal justice reform, today named a new
executive director, Bobbie Brown.
Camilla Velasquez, chair of the YNY board of directors, said, “We are thrilled to
name Bobbie as our new executive director. One would be hard-pressed to
imagine someone better qualified since she has a legal background, is a
youth educator and an artist, and has extensive experience working with New
York City institutions. We all look forward to the continued expansion of YNY
under her leadership.”
Bobbie Brown, who assumes her role on August 11th, said, “I am very honored
to join the YNY team. YNY has a resilient approach to art-based diversion
work. After all, art is a form of cultural communication, a way for us to teach
young folks how to bend their voices to amplify their experiences and to be
seen within their full spectrum. YNY taps into the vulnerability of art making
and pressurizes it with the challenges of a criminal justice record, to help
young people learn through their mistakes. This is exciting work and I look
forward to leading YNY in this new era of reform.”
Ms. Brown is currently an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City
Law Department. She brings over 10 years of experience in community
development, criminal justice, and education, including her recent role as the
Associate Director of Community Partnerships for the Brooklyn District
Attorney’s Office. Ms. Brown has held directorial positions with the Harlem
Children’s Zone, Brooklyn College, the New York City Department of
Education, and the charter school network, Success Academy. She holds a
B.A. from Johnson C. Smith University, an M.A. in Government and Politics from St. John's University, and a J.D. from the CUNY School of Law. She is also a
visual artist.
Young New Yorkers was founded in 2011 by artist and architect Rachel
Barnard, who served as executive director of the organization until 2021. YNY
provides arts-based diversion classes for young people who have been
arrested for misdemeanors in New York City. Upon successful completion of
the YNY class, the young person’s criminal case is sealed and dismissed. YNY
also provides a variety of paid advocacy, leadership, and art-making activities
to graduates of the diversion programs.
YNY’s current work is focused in Brooklyn (where it was founded) and in
Manhattan, but it serves young people in all five boroughs, as the only arts
diversion program available to young people throughout New York City. YNY
reaches 400 young people aged 16 – 25 every year and has an annual budget
of $1 million, and growing. More information about YNY’s history and
programs can be found on its website: www.YoungNewYorkers.org.