Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago-born musician, actor and philanthropist Vic Mensa joined the Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI) and Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) Thursday night as they celebrated the newest round of Chicago community violence intervention (CVI) graduates from the Metropolitan Peace Academy (MPA). The MPA is the Metropolitan Peace Initiative’s premier multi-disciplinary training program designed to provide skill building and professional development to the individuals who support the field of community violence intervention (CVI). The Academy provides intensive and robust gun violence prevention training for street outreach workers, case managers, victim advocates, trauma recovery specialists and Chicago police officers. Mensa served as keynote speaker. Relaying a message of peace, he urged attendees and graduates alike to embrace love and hope, despite facing systemic and personal challenges. “I’m grateful to be recognized for this commitment to fostering true, healthy communities,” said Mayor Johnson. “Of course, I cannot do this work alone. I accept this alongside the entire city of Chicago, including you all. You all in this room are activating a mission to ultimately build a better, stronger and safer future for posterity.” To date, over 550 individuals have graduated from the MPA.