Charles A. Wiley

Charles A. Wiley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 22, 1962, the youngest of 10 children. He grew up in Lincoln Heights, Ohio, graduating from Princeton High School and from Live Oaks Vocational school in 1982. From there he went on to attend Cincinnati Technical College from 1982-1984. Charles founded Black Positive Brothers and Sisters in 1993. Black Positive Brothers and Sisters was a non-profit organization established to help educate and enhance African Americans. In 2003, he founded Black Positive Brothers/Motivating Youth. Through BPB/Motivating Youth, his annual "Youth Unity Extravaganza Scholarship Awards Banquet" was established. He also sponsored the "Stop The Violence Summit Truce," which was instrumental in a significant decrease in territorial violence among youth in Greater Cincinnati. Charles has received numerous awards and recognition for his tireless work within our communities and with the youth in Cincinnati. 

He is the recipient of: the "Citizen Of The Week" award, the "WIZF-FM Unsung Hero" award, the Applause Magazine "Image Makers Emerging Leader" award, St. Mark Catholic Church's "Martin Luther King Jr. Keeping The Dream Alive" award, the "Profiles In Courage" award and was he was given the key to the city of his hometown, Lincoln Heights. Charles started his own remodeling business in 2001 called Quality Home Maintenance of Cincinnati, which he owned until 2008. In January 2017, Charles ventured out to start Y.P. Home Technician Remodeling Company, a very successful business he still owns and operates. In 2003, Charles wrote and self-published his autobiography, "To God Be The Glory, We Must Never Give Up," for which he has received several awards and honors. Almost two decades later, Charles re-released his autobiography with a new subtitle, "This Is My Story Growing Up Black In America," along with a redesigned front and back book cover. Charles is also a diversity motivational speaker, who has spoken nationally at different functions and on national radio talk shows. Charles is not only a community leader, activist and mentor, but he is also a husband, father of two, grandfather of three, and a foster parent for more than 20 years. Charles is highly regarded and deeply loved by his family, friends and community.