About Us

What is Peace In The Hood?
Historical Background of the Organization


The Coalition for A Better life (D.B.A. Peace In The Hood, 501©3, is a non profit governed by a Board of Directors), is a grassroots organization that has been in existence in Cleveland, Ohio for over twenty years with an extensive and well documented history of successful facilitation, convening expertise on a local, state, and national level since 1987.

In 1987, Khalid A. Samad, the Late Omar Ali-Bey and other community leaders formed the Coalition for A Better Life, which addressed the myriad of challenges facing urban America: racism, drugs, gang violence, police corruption, mis-education and an absence of leadership, just to name a few.

The Coalition For A Better Life was recognized as a national model for crime prevention and intervention. In 1987, Coalition for A Better Life designed and implemented five monumental projects that were nationally acclaimed.

These projects were: Community Empowerment Drug Patrols which were 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and involved street engagement of violent drug dealers as well as assisting them to cross over into productive life styles by dealing with dealer addiction issues;

         Rites of Passage.
         Mentoring (Project A.D.A.M.), Action Strategies for the Development of All Mankind.
         Entrepreneurship (Project Ujima).
         Cultural Empowerment (Hip Hop Exchange).

The Coalition also conducted Drug Patrols in the notorious gang infested King Kennedy Housing Estates, which was averaging 3 homicides and shootings a week. The efforts of The Coalition for a Better Life sparked a multimillion dollar infusion of improvements and services into the housing estates in Cleveland. These initiatives formed Cleveland’s first Community Empowerment Project.

The Coalition for A Better Life, itself was a broad based coalition which involved Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hebrew Israelites, liberals, conservatives, civil rights activist, community leaders as well as cultural nationalist. The coalition brought together leaders of indigenous non traditional organizations that have historically been denied a seat at the table, along with faith and community based leadership from more traditional organizations.

In 1993, following the first Urban (Gang) Peace and Justice Summit in Kansas City, Mr. Samad and Mr. Ali-Bey were inspired to form Peace In The Hood of Cleveland, Ohio, which has been serving the youth and families of Cuyahoga County and its surrounding cities and towns consistently since that time. The Coalition for A Better Life began organizing drug patrols, Peace Makers and Peace Keepers in 1987 and Peace In The Hood continued to organize mentors, street and drug patrols, Peace Makers and Peace Keepers. Project Community Empowerment- A Call to Action and Mobilization is an extension of those efforts.

Peace In The Hood is dedicated to Peace, Justice and Empowerment, and is a youth violence, prevention, intervention and educational organization that promotes personal responsibility, empowerment and self sufficiency. We provide young people with structured programs, activities from a holistic culturally specific perspective.

These provisions include:
         Rites of Passage instruction
         Job readiness
         Entrepreneurship
         Job shadowing
         At risk behavior education
         Conflict mediation training
         Tutoring
         Gang prevention and intervention and values education.

Peace In The Hood also provides crisis intervention mediation services to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, serving as mentors to “at risk youth,” adults and families of those who are incarcerated in correctional institutions throughout the State of Ohio.

Peace In The Hood has sponsored several summits on youth violence and gangs, as well as the Brother to Brother Breakfasts and other community empowering. Bereavement counseling and support services in the wake of tragedies and candlelight vigils and rallies are also provided. Peace In The Hood also assists in helping find missing and exploited children and adults.

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