License to Operate

In this conversation, Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham talk with J. Sweet, a community violence intervention specialist, discussing the innovative use of sports, particularly paintball, as a therapeutic tool for at-risk youth. They explore J's personal journey from investment banking to community service, the importance of mental health care, and the role of sports in fostering identity and belonging among young people. The discussion emphasizes the need for culturally competent mental health systems and the potential of sports to create a strong community and reduce violence within it.

In this episode, Peter Cunningham and Kanoya Ali discuss the significant decline in gun violence in Chicago in 2025, attributing it to community efforts and collaboration among various organizations in Chicago. They explore the importance of community violence intervention (CVI) programs, the need for skills training, and the impact on youth and emphasize the importance of education and community support in creating a safer environment for future generations.

Dr. Lance Williams, scholar and author of several books on Chicago's street organizations, brings a unique perspective to understanding gang culture through academic research combined with personal connections. As the son of an original Vice Lords founding member, Dr. Williams traces the historical evolution of Chicago's street organizations from the Policy Kings of the early 1900s through today's horizontal gang structures. He explains how the elimination of Policy Kings by Italian organized crime created a power vacuum that led to the emergence of Black street gangs in the late 1950s, and how groups like the Vice Lords, Disciples, and Black Stone Rangers became involved in civil rights and political movements. Dr. Williams discusses the transformation from vertically organized gangs with clear leadership to today's fragmented cliques and crews, arguing this shift was an adaptive response to federal prosecutions that targeted gang leaders. He offers sobering analysis of current community violence intervention efforts, questioning whether the scale of investment matches the magnitude of the problem.

Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Aaron Rivas, an outreach leader with New Life Centers, serving Chicago's Little Village community. Aaron shares how a life-changing moment at a funeral, seeing his own name on a young victim's casket, led him from church pews to street corners. He discusses the remarkable 75% reduction in shootings his community has achieved, the challenges of working with heavily armed teenagers who trust him enough to call at 3 AM, and the success stories like a former mentee who went from near-death experiences to directing his own organization.

Aaron explains how the Latino community's unique dynamics differ from other neighborhoods, the importance of having "roots in the ground" rather than just "boots on the ground," and how the SC2 initiative has expanded their team from 6 to over 30 staff members. Through candid discussions about trauma, the peacekeeper program, and the ongoing struggle to get local businesses to invest in their own community's youth, Aaron demonstrates how authentic love and consistent presence can transform lives in one of Chicago's most vibrant yet challenged neighborhoods.

In this episode of License to Operate, hosts Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with former Chicago Police Sergeant Vivian Williams about her transformative 30-year career serving the same South Side community where she lived and raised her children. Vivian shares her philosophy of policing with dignity, the hidden trauma affecting officers, and how authentic community relationships can break cycles of violence. From paying a family's rent to prevent eviction to facilitating historic peace treaties between rival gangs, Williams demonstrates what community policing can look like when officers truly care. She discusses the evolution of police training post-George Floyd, the mental health crisis among law enforcement, and her current work with Chicago CRED helping young people choose different paths.

In this episode of License to Operate, hosts Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Sadiq Ali, co-founder of Muslimatic University and owner of Baahir Imports. After converting to Islam in 2005 following his own journey through gang life, Sadiq has become a transformative force in Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods, including O-Block. With over 700 new Muslim converts in the past 18 months, his grassroots movement is creating unprecedented change among at-risk youth. This conversation explores how Islamic principles of peace, forgiveness, and brotherhood are breaking cycles of retaliation, turning former enemies into spiritual brothers, and contributing to Chicago's significant reduction in gun violence. Sadiq's authentic, non-missionary approach demonstrates how faith-based intervention can serve as a powerful tool in community violence prevention.

In this episode of License to Operate, hosts Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Dr. Chico Tillman, Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago. Tillman's natural leadership skills and street credibility have made him uniquely effective at interrupting cycles of violence. He was instrumental in securing $3.7 billion in federal funding for Community Violence Intervention programs nationwide.

This conversation explores the professionalization of CVI work, the economic argument for violence prevention, and how Chicago's 40% reduction in violence correlates directly with increased CVI investment.

In this episode of License to Operate, hosts Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Lil Cuz, a 28-year-old content creator and psychology graduate from Chicago's South Side.

The conversation explores how he uses different characters to reach various demographics, and the powerful influence of social media on today's youth. Lil Cuz offers candid insights into why some young people are drawn to street life, the role of music and social influence in shaping choices, and what it takes to provide positive alternatives.

Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham are joined by Cleopatra "Cleo" Cowley, founder of Hadiya's Promise and mother of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old honor student who was shot and killed in Chicago in 2013, just days after performing at President Obama's second inauguration.

Cleo shares her profound journey of loss and transformation, describing how tragedy unlocked her voice and propelled her into advocacy work she never imagined doing. She speaks candidly about "meeting forever" - her powerful phrase for the permanent reality of losing a child - and how that experience reshaped her understanding of how trauma from gun violence ripples through families and communities.

Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Abdul Haqq, also known as Dontay Banks or Big Durk, who served 26 years of a life sentence before becoming a life coach and curriculum specialist at Chicago CRED. As the father of one son lost to gun violence, and another son, rap superstar Lil Durk, facing charges, Abdul shares his journey from the streets of Englewood through federal prison, where his transformation through Islam changed his life completely.

The conversation explores his childhood in poverty with nine siblings, his path into street life after seeing his family evicted, and how a federal drug conviction led to a life sentence. Abdul discusses his mentorship with Larry Hoover, his conversion to Islam in prison, and how faith gave him the discipline and conviction to change. He also addresses his son's recent legal troubles and the growing influence of Islam in reducing Chicago's gun violence through non-aggression principles.