“An idle mind is the devil’s playground. Add trauma and a troubled heart, and that playground becomes an amusement park.”
That line from Terry Mathews aka Terry Roseland has been floating all over timelines, and this week it hit even harder after Terry Matthews, Supervisor for the School-Based team at GRO Community, broke down the real reason after-school programs matter.
Matthews recently hopped on WGN’s People to People segment, where his sound bite about Chicago youth instantly went viral. With a video circulating of a Chicago mother and her kids being attacked by a group of children, Matthews didn’t sugarcoat anything—our boys are struggling, and structure is the difference between direction and destruction.
He explained how after-school programs give young men something many of them don’t naturally have:
consistent support, accountability, and connection.
It’s not just about keeping kids busy—it’s about keeping them safe, grounded, and seen.
On top of the work he does with GRO, Terry Matthews is one of Chicago’s leading podcasters, known for his hit show “Roses Are Dead” where he dives into real conversations around manhood, healing, accountability, and the culture. Beyond the mic, he’s building impact on the ground through his youth mentorship and personal development program “The Village.” The Village is currently seeking six high school seniors for its professional development cohort running through August 2026, where students will be exposed to Black industry leaders across whatever career path they want to pursue. The mentorship side—separate from the professional development track—is open to boys ages 12–19, giving young men a space to work on physical, mental, and emotional health, character building, and the everyday challenges they face growing up in Chicago.
On November 22, 2025, GRO’s Executive Director Jerry Davis, along with Matthews and fellow therapist Patrick Daniels, sat down again to offer guidance for parents and educators trying to navigate moments like this. After months of bullying reportedly led up to the attack, their message was clear: community intervention can’t wait until harm is already done.
You can watch Terry’s full interview here:
▶️ https://youtu.be/39cR5apuUEY?si=HBThmswqxWT0AEBT
For more info on their work, visit grocommunity.org — the organization doing the frontline work most people only repost about
