Day 197: Joined the Project H.O.O.D. Walk

What if I told you that there was a greater likelihood that you would be shot and killed on the streets of Chicago than if you were a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan?  You would think I was lying, but the statistics don't lie.  That is why I have no qualms with referring to the place I call home a "war zone."  When I turn on the Sunday evening news it is not "if" but "how many" homicides happened in Chicago over the weekend.  It isn't cool to be from the murder capital of the U.S. but that is our unfortunate reality.  This has to change, and luckily, there are people like Pastor Corey Brooks who are leading that change.

Pastor Corey Brooks is tired.  Tired of having to comfort grieving mothers on too routine of a basis after their children have been murdered.  Tired of having to speak at the funeral of yet another Chicago youth who has had their life taken far too soon.  Tired of having the place he calls home be known not for its' greatness, but for the never-ending stream of homicides that have taken it over.  Although he is tired, he isn't someone who is just going to sit around and watch these things continue.  As I detailed back on Day 50, Pastor Brooks previously lived on a roof for 94 days in an effort to tear down the abandoned motel across from his church that was a haven for drugs and gun violence.  However, Pastor Brooks has greater aspirations.

In early June, Pastor Brooks started the Project H.O.O.D. Walk in New York City.  His goal is to walk across the country from New York to Los Angeles to raise money to build a community center on the former grounds of that motel, all the while raising awareness about gun violence from coast to coast.  This past Friday, Pastor Brooks made his way home to Chicago.  Before continuing on his journey, Pastor Brooks is going to walk through the city along with Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Governor Pat Quinn to help shine a light on the ever growing problem here in Chicago.  So today, for my random act of kindness, I am going to join Pastor Brooks and many others on the Project H.O.O.D. walk.  By the end of this walk, although his legs will be weary, hopefully Corey Brooks no longer has a reason to be tired.