Pastor Corey Brooks, senior pastor of New Beginnings Church and founder of Project H.O.O.D., joined Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft to weigh in on the Chicago Teachers Union’s commemoration of Assata Shakur and to update listeners on his Walk Across America fundraising effort.
Brooks called the CTU’s decision to honor Shakur—who was convicted of murdering a police officer before escaping prison and fleeing the country—deeply troubling. He argued that celebrating Marxist figures and revolutionary movements runs counter to the values most Chicago residents hold. According to Brooks, many in his South Side community would reject such ideas if they understood their origins, and he urged voters to hold city leaders accountable.
On the issue of public safety, Brooks said his neighbors overwhelmingly want safer communities but are divided on how to achieve them. While there is broad support for enforcing immigration laws through ICE, he noted that attitudes toward the National Guard are more mixed. He blamed political leaders such as Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson for spreading the message that deploying the Guard is a hostile act rather than a measure to restore order. Brooks emphasized that crime prevention is essential to neighborhood stability, economic development, and job creation.
The pastor also addressed political realignment in Black neighborhoods, saying more residents are reconsidering their loyalty to the Democratic Party after years of unmet promises. He pointed to local candidates like Christian Maxwell, who is running against Congressman Jonathan Jackson, as examples of conservative voices emerging from within the community. He argued that homegrown leaders who share the lived experiences of their neighbors are best positioned to shift political dynamics.
Brooks concluded by updating listeners on his Walk Across America, a fundraising effort aimed at completing Project H.O.O.D.’s $47 million community center, launching a boys’ school, expanding neighborhood-based initiatives across the country, and creating an endowment to remain independent of government funding. One month into the journey, he has raised $750,000 toward his $25 million goal and continues to highlight the urgent need for safe, thriving communities.