Maureen and Roy Roberts - Philanthropist

Maureen and Roy Roberts - Philanthropist

"We have four kids, six grandkids," said Roberts. "When they come back twenty-five years from now, what are they going to see, and what will it say about us? [The gift is] a way for us to teach our grandkids to get the best education possible, work as hard as you possibly can, and when you get a little more than you need to take care of your family, you give back." Roy Roberts

Detroit, MI - Detroit Institute of Arts - Maureen and Roy Roberts recently donated a 7-figure gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts/DIA. They are the first African Americans to donate a Million dollars to the DIA - A gallery will be named in their honor. Their total gift was not disclosed - it is at least $1 million.

Maureen and Roy live in Bloomfield Hills - about 20 miles from Detroit. The average house income is $170K. The medium family income is $200K. Roy retired in 2000 as the highest ranking African American in the car industry as GM group vice president for North American sales, service and marketing.

"My father told me as a youngster, 'When you go through life, you feel like you're juggling a lot of balls, remember that some of them are crystal and some are rubber.' Crystal balls are your religion, your family and your work. Everything else is rubber. You can drop them and they'll bounce back. This museum is a crystal ball, and this community dare not drop it."

For more, go to:
http://www.freep.com/article/20110504/ENT05/105040326/DIA-gallery-renamed-big-benefactors-Ex-GM-exec-Roy-Roberts-wife-Maureen-