Chicago pastor brings hundreds of men together to reclaim South Side block
A Chicago pastor rallied hundreds of men on the city’s South Side on Sunday in an effort to reduce violence and take back a neighborhood once ranked among the city’s most dangerous.
Pastor Corey B. Brooks and Project HOOD hosted a “1000 Men Unity Gathering” at the nearly completed Robert R. McCormick Center for Leadership and Economic Opportunity at 6620 S. King Drive; here organizers declared the area a “100% violence-free zone.”
“This is bigger than a building,” Brooks said. “This is about creating a culture where men stand together to protect families, mentor young people, reduce violence, and build something that will outlast us.”
“We declare that this community deserves peace, opportunity and hope,” he added.
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Hundreds of men gathered outside the nearly completed Robert R. McCormick Center for Leadership and Economic Opportunity during Pastor Corey B. Brooks’ “1000 Men Unity Rally” on Chicago’s South Side. (HOOD Project) (Credit: Corey B. Brooks)
The event brought together pastors, fathers, mentors, activists, business leaders, former gang members and residents from across Chicago in what organizers described as a unified effort to promote safety, accountability and opportunity on the South Side.
Brooks told Fox News Digital that about 750 men attended the meeting, where community members were committed to preserving the neighborhood as a peaceful environment for families and children.
“We declared that this would be a peace zone, a non-violent zone, a violence-free zone,” Brooks said. “So young children can come to the center and have peace of mind knowing they don’t have to worry about their safety.”
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Chicago police are on the scene. (Getty Images)
The Robert R. McCormick Center for Leadership and Economic Opportunity is designed to address violence and poverty through workforce development, mentoring, training, entrepreneurship, job training and education. community involvementAccording to Project HOOD
Attendees got an early look inside the facility Sunday as organizers outlined plans for the center to serve future generations on Chicago’s South Side.
The neighborhood surrounding the center was once considered one of the most dangerous areas in Chicago, Brooks said.
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Project HOOD founder and Pastor Corey Brooks in November 2025.
“In 2014, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an article saying this was the most dangerous neighborhood in Chicago, and this was the block,” Brooks told Fox News Digital. “So we decided to transform it, and that’s what happened.”
The area is no longer among Chicago’s 35 most dangerous blocks; Brooks attributed this to ongoing community investment and outreach efforts.
He founded Project HOOD (Helping Others Achieve Their Destiny) to reduce violence and poverty on Chicago’s South Side through mentorship, faith, workforce training, and economic development initiatives.
Brooks said he hopes the project will serve as a national model for urban communities seeking long-term change.
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“I think this center will be an example of what we can do in urban areas across America,” Brooks said. “If we don’t wait for the government and take responsibility ourselves, we can change the course of these neighborhoods and urban centers.”
