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Special Projects

ABJ Peace-building & Public Safety Advisory Committee | Street Hospitality Patrol

The Original Men in Black (OMIB) is one of ABJ’s key partners for peace-building and restorative justice practices. Pastor Victoria Brady (community doula) helped steer the rebirth of the OMIB, which is an intergenerational group of Black men that conducts weekly street hospitality patrols. The OMIB is dedicated to protecting women and children of the community and promoting positive Black male leadership, kindness, respect, and self-care.

ABJ Blocks of Beauty In Collaboration with 003 District Chicago Alternative Policing Strategies (CAPS)

ABJ Blocks of Beauty is a beautifully designed project that provides youth with opportunities to interview Block Club Leaders and share the beauty of their block. Youth turn those interviews into works of art. Mini-conventions of Block Club Leaders allow youth to reconnect with the Block Club Leader they interviewed for a special art exhibition featuring their art. Fascinating stories behind community gardens, murals, historic landmarks and families have been brought to life through the creative eye of teens.  This is a rarely seen phenomenon on Chicago’s South Side. The project originated through funding from the African American Legacy Grant of The Chicago Community Trust and is now integrated as an ongoing project through our After School Matters program. This intergenerational experience “Celebrates the Beauty in All of Us.”


Chicago Stories, Led By Port Ministries | Disrupting Cycles of Violence, Supporting Creativity

ABJ is one of several organizations involved in Chicago Stories, a multigenerational, cultural, gender immersive visual art and storytelling program that addresses the social-emotional challenges of young people in our community. The program teaches, validates and encourages youth by documenting their unique stories. These stories are then turned into music and murals. ABJ youth produced music and a mural that was installed in the South Shore community. Chicago Stories is a bright example of what is possible through coordination, collaboration and the pooling of resources.

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ABJ Civic Arts Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

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CONTACT US

PO Box 19542

Chicago, IL 60619

P: 773-209-4586

info@abjchicago.org

Pastor Victoria Carol Brady is an Arts/Community Activist, Playwright, Singer,

Artistic Director, and Humanitarian.   She is the second generation President/CEO of Annie B. Jones Community Services, Inc. (now ABJ Center of the Arts), in Chicago, IL that was founded as a Child Welfare Agency by her mother, Dr. Vivian R. Jones.  Under Pastor Victoria’s leadership, ABJ has transformed into a unique center for cross-generational Arts-Entrepreneurialism, Culture, Peace-Building, Activism, and Community Empowerment.  She holds a Master of Arts degree in Applied Professional Studies from DePaul University and BA degrees in Music/Theatre from Columbia College and Biblical Studies from the International College of Bible Theology.

She has worked in the non-profit community for more than 30 years and is an expert in youth engagement. One of her key goals is to help develop a new generation of global leaders.  She recently launched the ABJ Civic Arts Circle Training which is an arts-leadership training model to help emerging leaders become change agents in their communities.  Pastor Victoria is a member of the 003rd District Clergy Sub-Committee which focuses on building a positive relationship between The Chicago Police Department and the community.    She is a board member of The United Black American Progress Association UBAPA.She is very pleased to serve as a Community Advisory Board/Think Tank Member of Our Black Truth which is a 100% Black owned social media platform.  She is also a member of the Faith Social Justice Advisory Committee established by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Faith Engagement Office.

 One of Pastor Victoria’s greatest joys is serving as a visionary leader and connector for the further development of the African Diaspora community and mankind.  Her burning desire is to bring a “Ray of Hope” to the next generation of leaders as they take their rightful place in society.  Pastor Victoria is a servant leader at heart and the co-founder of Big Mama Movement Chicago.  If anyone can move and shake things up while developing relevant solutions to life challenges, it is Big Mama.  

As a singer/creative artist, Victoria has performed nationally and internationally.  She has written, produced, directed and performed in a number of plays.  Her performance credits include “Dreamgirls,”  “From Man to God, The Mitty Collier Story,” “The Wiz,”   “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “Ain’t Misbehavin.”  Her directorial works include “Great Nitty Gritty,” “Pieces of a Shattered Dream,” “That’s Love,”  “I Cry – HipHopera,” and “Blair’s Story.”

She is the Founder/Pastor of Restoring Hope Ministries International.  She believes in the power that the remnant has to spark change. She has adopted the phrase, “People count numbers; God make numbers count!!!”  She whole-heartedly believes in the POWER of the ARTS and UNITY.