She’s married to one of the biggest names in comedy and hangs with Hollywood hot shots. But to the kids at a Brooklyn community center, she’s just Malaak. Over the past year, Malaak Rock, wife of comedian Chris Rock, quietly has taken 30 teens from the Salvation Army Bushwick Community Center under her wing. They go to dinners and movies, on college tours and trips to South Africa, New Orleans and Washington. Malaak Rock, 40, was drawn to the center because it’s the same neighborhood spot where Chris Rock hung out as a kid – and sometimes still shows up with his wife. “[The kids] either call me Mom, Ma or Auntie. I’m there for everything,” Malaak Rock said. “I believe in these kids. I’ve gotten to know them. I know their innermost secrets.” When one of the teens was jumped by a group of kids near his school, Rock was right there, along with the boy’s mom, to persuade the teen not to retaliate and instead change schools. “I told him, ‘You have to keep your eye on the prizes.’ He did it. He changed schools.” Malaak Rock chose the kids – who range from 11 to 15 – through essays, recommendations and interviews. (more…)

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