Chicago’s South Side became ground zero for a mass gathering of men coming together to declare a “100% violence-free zone.”
Pastor Corey B. Brooks hosted former gang members, fathers, mentors, and hundreds of men, along with Project H.O.O.D., for the “1000 Men Unity Gathering” on Sunday.
“This is bigger than a building,” Brooks said at the gathering held at the Robert R. McCormick Leadership & Economic Opportunity Center. “This is about creating a culture where men stand together to protect families, mentor young people, reduce violence, and build something that will outlive us.”
(Video Credit: ABC 7)
“We are declaring that this community deserves peace, opportunity, and hope,” the Chicago pastor added.
“Violence does not own our neighborhoods. Hopelessness does not define our future. Division does not have the final word,” he wrote in a social media post. “This gathering is about unity. It’s about leadership. It’s about accountability. It’s about protecting the next generation. We are building more than a center on O’Block. We are building a culture shift. Join us as men from across Chicago stand together and declare this area a Violence Free Zone focused on peace, mentorship, workforce development, entrepreneurship, education, and opportunity.”
This is bigger than a meeting.
This is bigger than a building.On Sunday, May 17th, 1000 men are coming together inside the nearly completed Robert R. McCormick Leadership & Economic Opportunity Center to make a public declaration:
We are taking our communities back.
Violence… pic.twitter.com/PNdlJPnR3Y
— Corey Brooks “RoofTopPastor” (@CoreyBBrooks) May 12, 2026
“In 2014, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an article saying this was the most dangerous neighborhood in all Chicago, and it happened to be this block,” Brooks told Fox News Digital. “So, we decided to transform it, and that’s what’s been happening.”
“I think this center is going to be an example of what we can do across America in urban areas,” he said of the nearly completed facility. “If we don’t wait on government and take responsibility for ourselves, we can change the trajectory of these neighborhoods and urban centers.”
The center, which is scheduled to be ready by October, will reportedly include a swimming pool, dance studio, theatre, a basketball court, and even a trade school.
“We declared that this is going to be a peace zone, a nonviolent zone, a violence-free zone,” Brooks said, according to Fox News. “So the young kids can come to the center and have peace of mind knowing they don’t have to worry about their safety.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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