Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Roosevelt “Bliss” Arrington was raised by his grandparents until their passing. After six years of service and an Honorable Discharge from the US Army, Bliss returned home to live with his mother, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Taking on the responsibility as caregiver and provider, Bliss found it difficult to obtain employment. Falling into negative situations, Bliss was arrested in 1985, and incarcerated for various cases until the 2000s. While in prison, Bliss became a hugely influential and important mentor to younger people incarcerated at the same place. When released in October 2017, he began working and enrolled in Columbia University’s Justice in Education program. Today, Bliss is a mentor and a speaker at New Dawn Charter School and other mentoring spaces, impressing the importance of education. However as he seeks a full-time mentoring job, He continues to be blocked by background checks from NY’s ironically named Justice Center. His deep and urgent hope is that the centers and policies that do background checks stop blocking people like him who are trying to move on with their lives and contribute.
Additionally, he is planning to start his own mentoring organization for youth and for returning citizens.
Learn more about The Healing Project at YBCA at ybca.org/event/the-healing-project
Roosevelt “Bliss” Arrington was raised by his grandparents until their passing. After six years of service and an Honorable Discharge from the US Army, Bliss returned home to live with his mother, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Taking on the responsibility as caregiver and provider, Bliss found it difficult to obtain employment. Falling into negative situations, Bliss was arrested in 1985, and incarcerated for various cases until the 2000s. While in prison, Bliss became a hugely influential and important mentor to younger people incarcerated at the same place. When released in October 2017, he began working and enrolled in Columbia University’s Justice in Education program. Today, Bliss is a mentor and a speaker at New Dawn Charter School and other mentoring spaces, impressing the importance of education. However as he seeks a full-time mentoring job, He continues to be blocked by background checks from NY’s ironically named Justice Center. His deep and urgent hope is that the centers and policies that do background checks stop blocking people like him who are trying to move on with their lives and contribute.
Additionally, he is planning to start his own mentoring organization for youth and for returning citizens.
Learn more about The Healing Project at YBCA at ybca.org/event/the-healing-project
