Pastor Corey Brooks** is leading a transformative effort on the **South Side of Chicago** through Project H.O.O.D., a grassroots initiative building a **Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center**. This ambitious project, nearly **40% completed**, aims to dismantle systemic inequalities by providing local youth with access to **STEM education, arts training, entrepreneurship programs, and financial literacy courses**. Brooks, a minister and community leader, describes the center as a **symbol of hope** in a neighborhood historically plagued by poverty and neglect.
Brooks’ initiative is rooted in the belief that systemic failure has left the South Side in a state of **economic stagnation and social decay**. He attributes much of the community’s decline to decades of **liberal policies** that prioritized welfare over self-sufficiency, resulting in a cycle of dependency. The South Side, once a thriving working-class neighborhood with small businesses, has seen many of its institutions abandoned, with places like **McDonald’s and Walgreens** vacating the area over the years. Neighborhoods previously filled with working-class families now host **gang-controlled territories** under names like **O-Block**.
Despite these challenges, Brooks and his team have managed to construct what he calls a **‘street-level revolution’**, a debt-free enterprise funded entirely by **private donations**. The **Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center** will provide a wide range of resources, including **job training, trauma counseling, trade schools, and a private Christian school** for boys who have been overlooked by the system. Brooks stresses that the project is not just about creating jobs—it’s about fostering a **culture of opportunity and self-reliance**.
Brooks also highlights the growing community engagement around the project. He reports that **families and children** are already coming to watch the construction, with many expressing excitement about the center’s eventual opening. This sense of civic pride, he argues, represents a **break from the cycles of despair** that have characterized the neighborhood for decades. In a recent op-ed, Brooks noted that the center’s completion would be a **testament to the power of collective action and faith-based solutions** in rebuilding a community.
Brooks’ vision extends beyond the physical structure of the center. He believes the project will inspire a new generation of young people to see their futures as defined not by poverty or violence, but by **ambition and self-reliance**. As he puts it, “This is not just steel and concrete. It is proof that when people gather around a purpose, **poverty can be pushed back**, **violence can be replaced** with a purpose, and **despair can give way to destiny**.”