From Drug-Dealers to Community Leaders: The Impact of Violence Free Zones

Lindsey Burke / November 17, 2009

A young, African American male would have had a better chance of survival descending from a landing barge in Italy during WWII than he does getting off a Greyhound bus in a major U.S. city today. This according to Bob Woodson, president of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, which has created Violence Free Zones that are having dramatic effect turning around some of the most dangerous cities across the country. These Violence Free Zones (VFZ) have changed the lives of children, many of whom were involved with gang activity, sold drugs, and pushed their education to the back-burner prior to encountering VFZ

Yesterday, in a summit on youth violence held in Washington, D.C., Woodson and his team of youth mentors explained what makes their approach so effective, and what differentiates them from other programs. The Center for Neighborhood Enterprise partners with community-based organizations – groups that are already well-established in a community and know the local players – and then provides those organizations with the information they need to stamp out the violence plaguing their neighborhoods. Woodson notes: (more…)