During an August 29th interview, Pastor Corey Brooks, the South Side minister known for his unconventional activism and bold community vision, revealed plans to take on his most ambitious mission yet — a walk across America. Brooks, who has spent more than a decade fighting poverty and violence through his Project H.O.O.D. initiative in Woodlawn, said the trek will begin September 1 in New York’s Times Square and end in Los Angeles after more than a year on the road.
The pastor said the effort is designed to raise $25 million to complete Project H.O.O.D.’s 85,000-square-foot community center in Woodlawn and expand the model nationwide. “We want to build our center debt-free, start a school we can fund for the first several years without stress, create an endowment to remain independent of government support, and plant Project H.O.O.D. in other cities,” Brooks said. “What better way to raise funds and spread our message than a walk across America?”
Brooks has a long history of dramatic action to shine a light on violence and neglect on the South Side. In 2011, he climbed atop a rundown motel across from his church and lived there for 94 days through the winter, raising millions to buy the property and begin building a center for local youth. That protest, streamed online and covered nationally, made Brooks a prominent voice in debates about urban violence, community responsibility, and faith-based activism. Since then, Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny) has grown into a sprawling operation, providing mentoring, workforce training, violence prevention, and family support programs. Brooks sees the walk as the natural next step in a lifetime of ministry. “The model that has been created in our community over the years has not worked,” he said. “We have to focus more on merit, responsibility, families, and hope.”
The community center now under construction in Woodlawn is 60 percent complete. The roof is finished and the shell is nearly enclosed, with interior work expected to continue through the winter. Brooks said a grand opening is planned for June 2026. The facility will house a wide range of amenities and programs, including a swimming pool, two basketball courts, three restaurants, a bank, a health and wellness facility, counseling offices, a trade school, a STEM lab, a theater, a rooftop meeting space, a music studio, a dance studio, and a golf simulator. Brooks said the goal is to provide opportunities and resources within the community that rival those found in more affluent neighborhoods. “When the walk is complete, I hope people will remember that Pastor Brooks did exactly what he said he was going to do with the money he said he was going to do it with,” he said. “We want to build this center debt-free, and we want it to stand as a beacon of hope for generations.”
Brooks said he has already lost 80 pounds to prepare for the walk and has adopted a regimen of diet, treadmill training, and weightlifting. “Walking across the country is no small feat,” he said. “Mentally, you have to keep feeding yourself positive messages.” He will be joined by a team of eight to twelve people, including walkers, drivers, a PR staff, a camera crew, and a social media team. A donor from suburban Barrington provided a bus that will serve as a mobile base, sparing the group from nightly hotel stays. The bus is being wrapped with decals promoting the walk and will meet Brooks and his team in New Jersey after they begin in New York.
The route is designed to avoid harsh winter weather in the Midwest. From New York, Brooks will walk south along the East Coast to Atlanta, then through the Deep South — Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas — before heading west to Los Angeles. He plans to walk 12.5 miles each day, Monday through Friday, with weekends reserved for rest, worship, and speaking engagements at churches and nonprofit organizations. The entire trek will take one year and 19 days. Brooks said he has arranged for his son and two young staff members to manage the church and Project H.O.O.D. while he is away. “They’ll be fine,” he said. “This is about expanding what we’re doing and giving it national reach.”
For Brooks, the walk is about more than money. It is about sparking a conversation across the nation about what truly strengthens communities. He emphasized the importance of hard work, personal responsibility, and rebuilding the family structure. “I’ve seen firsthand how detrimental it is when fathers are absent and when families break down,” he said. “If we don’t get our families in some type of repair, we’re in serious trouble.” He also pointed to hope as a vital tool. “It’s easy to get depressed and frustrated and want to throw in the towel,” he said. “I want to inspire people to believe you can do it, you can achieve it, and stay hopeful.”
Voices Support for National Guard in Chicago
In addition to his walk, Brooks addressed the Trump Administration’s recent decision to send the National Guard to Chicago, a move strongly opposed by Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. Brooks voiced support, saying that while murders are down compared to past years, “it’s not down enough.” He argued that people on the South and West Sides still do not feel safe and that government’s primary duty is public safety. “The number one priority of government is to make sure all of its citizens are safe,” Brooks said. “Bringing in the National Guard is temporary, but it can calm some of the crime down so organizations like ours and other not-for-profits can get in and start doing the real work.”
Brooks rejected the idea that the deployment should be viewed as political. “It could be seen that way, but all people have to do is look at my track record,” he said. “I’ve done 18 funerals of young Black males this year who didn’t even belong to my church. This is about the community, not politics.” He also addressed concerns about militarization. “Some people will take offense, but my question to them is, would you rather be offended or murdered? I’d rather be offended,” he said. “The National Guard should partner with local police and local officials. They don’t mentor kids or teach financial literacy, but they can help bring calm so we can do that work.”
Brooks linked youth crime to broader social breakdowns. He cited three key factors driving violence: the absence of fathers, lack of spirituality, and lack of education. He described younger groups, often cliques of teenagers, as a growing problem. “They are violent, criminal-minded, and we have to do something to help transform them,” he said. He also called for more police officers and more detectives to solve cases. “Detectives are overworked and overwhelmed,” he said. “We need both more police and more investigators. Just like DCFS needs more social workers, our police need more help to solve cases.”
Throughout the interview, Brooks returned to faith as the foundation of his journey. “Faith means everything because I know I would not be able to do it without faith,” he said. “I wouldn’t even attempt it if I didn’t have faith that God is going to work everything out.” He added that his family will join him at key points along the way, creating opportunities to blend the challenges of the journey with family memories. “Even though I’m walking, it’ll still be a great moment to create memories for my grandkids and my family,” he said.
Project H.O.O.D. is promoting the journey as a 3,000-mile campaign of hope, faith, and opportunity. Literature distributed after the Times Square kickoff highlights the symbolism of carrying “hope across America,” emphasizing that if O-Block in Chicago — once known as one of the most violent blocks in the nation — can begin a comeback, then any block in America can rise again. The organization describes the walk as a movement to finish the Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center, launch a boys’ school, and build a national endowment. Supporters are being invited to follow Brooks’ daily livestreams, share updates on social media, sponsor miles, and donate to help complete the center. During the first week of the walk, a donor has pledged a $500,000 matching gift, doubling contributions up to $1 million by mid-September.
As Brooks set off from Times Square, he did so with the weight of Chicago’s struggles and the hopes of his community on his shoulders. Whether or not he reaches Los Angeles on schedule, Brooks said his ultimate goal is clear: to leave behind a debt-free community center in Woodlawn and a model that can be replicated across America. “We want to create something that works in every neighborhood, whether urban or rural,” he said. “And we want to prove that communities don’t have to wait on anyone else to change things. They can do it themselves.”