Legal Prep’s Peace Warriors Foster Change and Nonviolence

Jessica Rule, 18, began her journey at Illinois State University focusing on musical theater. Javon Phillips, also 18, left his Austin neighborhood for Northern Illinois University to pursue computer science. Both stood proudly outside their former high school, West Garfield’s Legal Prep Charter Academy, wearing red shirts with ‘Peace Warrior’ printed on them, ready for new chapters in their lives. Rule and Phillips represented two of the 46 members of Legal Prep’s Peace Warriors last year. This group forms a part of the school’s student-led restorative justice program.

The program, led by Pastor Gerald Smith, seeks to teach students how to resolve conflicts. Smith, known as Pastor Peace, aims to instill a practice that extends beyond the school environment. ‘It’s a lifestyle,’ said Rule, who joined the Warriors to make a difference in her school. Phillips joined for personal growth. Previously, the school saw about three significant fights a week. Principal Marquan Morrison, a Legal Prep alumnus from the class of 2016, praised Smith for changing the school’s atmosphere.

“I’m asking their friends: Why did this person have to die? What was the issue?” Smith said.

Pastor Smith, with over three decades in ministry, was motivated to start Peace Warriors after experiencing too many youth funerals. He observed, ‘School is a place where you can incubate a transformation of thinking.’ Beginning in 1992, he started mentoring and tutoring young people, becoming attentive to their behaviors. ‘You’ve got them for hours each day; your focus can be on grief over loss or pouring love and kindness into hearts and minds,’ he stated.

Peace Warriors are trained in the principles of nonviolence advocated by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Their task is to shift school and community mindsets. They voluntarily manage and de-escalate conflicts both in and out of school. Before Smith’s tenure at Legal Prep, he ran a similar program at North Lawndale College Prep High School in 2008.

An average day for a Peace Warrior begins with arriving at school, playing music to welcome students, and observing interactions to spot potential issues. They keep an eye on social media to prevent online conflicts from spilling into school. With a proactive approach, they support peers dealing with personal issues, offering small gestures like candy and words of encouragement.

During lunch, they might mentor struggling students. If tensions rise, they intervene, conducting peace circles to mediate conflicts without confrontation. These sessions allow students to voice concerns and find resolutions, as explained by Rule.

In the event of a fight, involved students work with trained staff to reflect on their actions. They write letters of accountability and read them before peers to rebuild trust, Smith explained. After this process, they seek acceptance back into the school community, often receiving an approving round of applause from classmates.

“Most Peace Warriors have experienced some form of physical altercation or bullying beforehand, and they’re drawn to this alternative approach,” Smith noted.

The Peace Warriors’ impact last year was significant, achieving a stretch without physical conflicts. Samuel Finkelstein, Legal Prep’s founder and CEO, described the experience as transformative. The nearby Institute for Nonviolence Chicago and the New Mount Pilgrim MB Church assist with school dismissals to ensure students’ safety, with Warriors adding extra vigilance.

‘As Dr. King said, we’re building the beloved community,’ expressed Sam Castro, the institute’s director. ‘We are here to help, and it has proven effective.’ Morrison, the principal, anticipates more students and staff training as Peace Warriors this year, alongside fortified community partnerships.

Rule previously avoided disruptions but now embraces the role of an ‘upstander,’ advocating for involvement and community improvement. ‘Once a Peace Warrior, always a Peace Warrior,’ she affirmed. ‘We involve the community and continue striving for a significant impact. Change starts with youth.’

Finkelstein plans to expand partnerships to a nearby elementary school. This aims to allow younger students to learn and adopt the Peace Warriors’ practices. ‘We often tell kids what to do, but the strength of this program lies in empowering student voices and leadership,’ Finkelstein shared. ‘Opportunities like this address societal teen trends, creating positive spaces.’

Almethia Franklin, a researcher on teen trends, highlighted how young people gravitate to spaces for community once traditional environments close. ‘They find new places to connect and create community,’ she said, emphasizing the need to address the lack of accessible and robust youth spaces and opportunities.