It all started on a crumbling, dilapidated roof on the south side of Chicago. I had climbed to the top of a fooled by the crime, who had led to protesting against the violence that had led many lives and stolen the dreams of far too many individuals. I stood there and promised that I would fight against the massacre that our communities tore apart.
I never dreamed of the impact I would have or the connections I have made throughout America, especially with those who are confronted for mine-the challenge to reverse the damage that liberalism caused our neighborhoods after the 60s. That mission that started on the roof now brings me throughout America – step by step – for every forgotten block in this country that has been written off.
On September 1, 2025, I will get my hiking shoes in New York City for a trek of 3,000 miles to Los Angeles. This is not only a walk-it is a rebellion against the soul-insured handle of government dependence and the overall decline of our culture that has been eroded from America.
Pastor Corey Brooks: I build hope on the infamous south side of Chicago
They are not just blacks. It’s all of us. The statistics do not lie. More of us depends on the government than ever. The marriage rates are falling. Households from single parent are increasing. Education is an immoral free fall. Tribalism and racial departments are still piping. And the belief in God has been pushed to the margins. We lose our backbone and we have to learn again in one way or another how they can be high.
Pastor Corey Brooks at Project Hood (Project Hood)
So how do we reverse all this damage? The recovery of merit, the principle and the value of merit is our only hope. If you look at what the collective left -wing has consistently attacked in the last 60 years, it is merit. You didn’t build that. You didn’t do that yourself. You can’t do that because of racism. And on.
From neighborhoods such as ming to schools to the workforce, America is nothing without merit, and therefore the left wants to destroy it.
A daring step to save the youth of Chicago from left -wing dependence
Merit is the glue that unites individuals of talent without taking into account unchanging characteristics or economic status, because they pursue their version of the American dream.
Merit is diversity. Merit is recording. Merit is progress. Merit is freely thinking. Merit is failure. Merit is success. Merit is freedom.
Above all, it is merit why we are Americans.
That is why my marching throughout America is all about recovering from merit and the American dream.
Let’s really be with ourselves. This walk is crucial because, even with President Donald Trump, our cities are still being suffocated by the policy of the Democrat that holds us. Their PlayBook delivers one thing: a permanent underclass. They tell us that our children are theirs. They mock our faith. They mock our belief in the American dream. They reduce us to our skins. Trump cannot do everything and to be honest, I don’t think he has time. But we should never wait for him to help us. That is why we have to get up and take our fate with our hands.
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Don’t believe me? Look at New York City, once a Badass city, and is now about to choose a socialist mayor. Socialism, people – that is the underclass life. Every day I see socialism on the south side and believe me, you don’t even want it. That is why this walk is a battle for the soul of America. We have to come off from these chains, participate in the American Dream and stop being pawns in the game of the left – intended as proof of a “racist” America. They use our struggles to distribute us, and we are done with it.
Every step I take is to collect the finish funds- all private donations- for our 90,000 square foot leadership and economic opportunity center on the south side of Chicago a national model for transformation. We are launching a Christian school to inform and guide boys from single -parent families who live in poverty, train young men for real jobs and break through the cycle of violence. We will set up a National Office to replicate the headlower of project hood in highly needed communities throughout America. And we will create a generation of gift to ensure that this mission thrives long after I get gone. But make no mistake – this is larger than one building. It is about recovering merit to this country.
This trip is a statement: we no longer need blown up bureaucracy or the sorry for Washington. We need grit, responsibility and the vision given by God to see ourselves as more than Sofi numbers or skin colors. We are Americans, built for opportunities, self-reliance and faith-not reduced standards or endless welfare controls.
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From DC to Dallas, Jackson to Tulsa, I will hit 50 anchor cities to collect communities, to strengthen stories about merit, resilience and restore the fire of faith. We will mention this nation back to his foundation: God, family, opportunities and sacrifice. When we met Chicago in June 2026 for our return home, I want to look my city in my eyes and say, “We did it.” I want to prove that the heart of America is still correct – and it is hardest when we move like one.
If you believe in merit and in the American dream, participate. Our children, our future – they count on us. Let us put those million steps together and release the grip of the left that stops us. The soul of America depends on it. I know because I see the rot every day.
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