Be Someone – Georgia Trend Magazine

When he was 13, Orrin Hudson was in and out of foster care. Lacking direction, he was a member of a gang and was headed for trouble.

A teacher sat him down at a chessboard, though, and gave him six words to ponder: “Take time to think things through.” Chess, after all, teaches forethought and fosters impulse control. One must strategize.

Hudson went on the become an Alabama State Trooper and was the two-time chess champion for Birmingham, Alabama, in 1999 and 2000, earning the nickname “Checkmate.”

“I learned to pray, proceed and prosper,” he says.

In 2000, after leaving his police job and relocating to Atlanta, he saw a news story about seven employees who were killed in a robbery in Queens, New York for around $2,000.

“That moment ignited my ambition to be a difference maker,” he says. “I made a boss move to start [the nonprofit Be Someone] to combat gun violence and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.”

He transformed his home into a “chess oasis,” where he has taught more than 100,000 students how to play the challenging game. Be Someone is celebrating 25 years in business.

“I train students to think before they act, and my goal is to reach 1 million,” Hudson says. “Through my program, young people learn that the most powerful weapon they possess is their mind. I teach them to ‘Think it out – don’t shoot it out [and] brains before bullets. The only way to fight is to use your head.’ My message is bold but necessary: Man up. Stand up. Pull your pants up. Make your next move your best move.”

Sometimes a simple game in the park can save a life, he says.