Ernest Levert Jr. used chess to teach kids about life
The nonprofit started by the 2013 graduate relied on the game to share lessons about wisdom, wellness and community.
Chess was the conduit Ernest Levert Jr. ’13 used to connect with and guide Columbus youths through the Royal Oak Initiative, a nonprofit he founded in 2014. “The message was bigger than chess,” says his wife, Ivory Levert ’16 MA. “It was using chess to teach leadership and life skills and to build community.”
Levert, 34, died on Jan. 8 of complications from a brain aneurysm. He is survived by Ivory and their two young children, Zamya and Zenith. “His legacy is his family and the Royal Oak Initiative and the youth he impacted,” Ivory says. “He touched so many people and now, when I connect with his friends, they tell me Ernest inspired them to become more involved in their communities.”
Levert grew up in Texas, the son of two Buckeyes, Ernest Sr. ’82 and Rhonda Hagey-Levert ’81. After graduation, he worked in financial services before shifting into the nonprofit sector. He said the motto of the Royal Oak Initiative was “chess for wisdom and wellness.”
The group grew steadily under Levert’s leadership. “He partnered with Columbus schools and libraries and a few local community centers,” Ivory says. “When he walked into a room, you could feel his presence, and he could connect with anybody.”
