Ohio Institutions Focus on Black Male Achievement: ...The Bell Resource Center is just one of several initiatives that help African-American men succeed in Ohio. All the programs focus on individual needs, individual achievement, positive role modeling and the acquisition of leadership skills.
The center was founded in 2004 as the African-American Resource Center out of a growing concern over the retention rate of Black male students at OSU, which was well below that of the general student population. Bell, a former All-American defensive back at OSU, had a “deep concern for the plight of African-American males,” says the center’s director, Dr. James L. Moore III.
Bell worked in the Office of Minority Affairs after his pro football career and saw a growing need to provide a stronger support network for Black males at OSU. After Bell’s death from heart disease in 2005, the center was named after him.
