Council For Unity

Council For Unity is a United States nonprofit organization founded in 1975 at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, New York. It began as a school-based effort led by teacher Robert J. DeSena to address gang conflict and violence by bringing student leaders from different racial, ethnic, and neighborhood groups into a cooperative forum. The organization’s founding approach treated young people not simply as recipients of discipline or social services, but as participants in resolving the problems affecting their school and community. The organization initially focused on mediation. At John Dewey High School, leaders associated with African American, Latino, Asian American, Jewish, and Italian American student communities were brought together to reduce violence, establish relationships, and promote respect across cultural lines. A 1979 racial conflict near the school became a major turning point. Although Council For Unity helped mediate the immediate confrontation, the incident demonstrated that crisis response alone would not address the causes of recurring violence. DeSena wrote a play, A Lifting of Hands, about the event, and its performance brought together students, civic figures, business representatives, and community leaders. Interest generated by the production contributed to requests for additional Council chapters. Following this period, Council For Unity broadened its purpose from responding to conflict to preventing it. The organization developed what its source material describes as the Four Pillars of Council for Unity and expanded from John Dewey High School into elementary schools, junior high schools, and other high schools. Its model combines relationship-building, cultural understanding, student responsibility, democratic problem-solving, and structured efforts to address violence before it escalates. The organization provides curriculum and youth-development programs in schools, as well as programming in correctional facilities and community settings. Its anti-gang and violence-reduction work is designed around young people’s needs for family connection, safety, self-esteem, responsibility, and constructive belonging. By helping alienated students identify and address local problems, Council For Unity seeks to reduce the appeal of antisocial peer groups and strengthen participants’ capacity to become productive members of their communities. Council For Unity also applies a unity model in situations involving racial or ethnic tension. The model emphasizes agendas focused on shared problems rather than personal attacks, and asks participants to identify outcomes that serve a common good. This places the organization between education, conflict resolution, youth services, and community development rather than within a conventional commercial brand category. The organization’s network has been described as comprising approximately 60 schools and community centers in New York City and Long Island, along with programs connected to Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Texas and California. It has also had a college chapter at the University of Vermont and an international chapter at Balti High School in Balti, Moldova. The available reference material does not provide current staffing, budget, legal-entity details, or a complete account of present-day operations, so the size and scope of the current network should be treated as requiring verification.

Council For Unity was founded in 1975 at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn by Robert J. DeSena, a teacher who sought to reduce conflict among student groups associated with different racial, ethnic, and neighborhood communities. The organization’s first intervention brought leaders from African American, Latino, Asian American, Jewish, and Italian American communities into dialogue. Their cooperation helped stop violence at the school and created relationships that extended beyond the immediate mediation effort. The organization’s direction changed significantly after a racial confrontation in 1979 involving Italian American and African American young people near the school. The conflict injured several people and raised fears that the violence could spread to John Dewey students. Council For Unity helped mediate the dispute and restore peace, but the episode also showed that mediation after an incident was insufficient. The group therefore began looking for preventive methods that could address prejudice, alienation, and group tensions before they produced violence. DeSena wrote A Lifting of Hands, a play based on the 1979 incident. The production was presented in the school auditorium for an audience that included students, community and business leaders, and politicians from the surrounding area. Its reception generated requests for Council For Unity chapters in other schools and helped demonstrate how cultural expression and public discussion could support reconciliation. The organization subsequently articulated the Four Pillars of Council for Unity and expanded its work beyond the original high school. Expansion reached elementary schools, junior high schools, and additional high schools. The organization’s model developed into a combination of curriculum, student participation, mediation, cultural understanding, and community problem-solving. Rather than relying only on punitive responses, Council For Unity’s programs aim to meet young people’s needs for safety, belonging, self-esteem, family connection, and responsibility. The intended result is to reduce the pressures that can draw students toward gangs or other antisocial peer groups. Council For Unity has also worked in correctional facilities and community centers. In environments affected by racial or ethnic tension, its unity model directs participants to define shared problems, avoid attacking individuals, and seek solutions that benefit all sides. In violence-affected communities, its anti-gang and violence-reduction programs encourage young people to identify local challenges and participate in solving them through democratic and values-based methods. The organization has been described as operating through a network of about 60 schools and community centers in New York City and Long Island, with additional connections to Boys & Girls Clubs of America programs in Texas and California. It has also had a chapter at the University of Vermont and an international chapter at Balti High School in Balti, Moldova. The available source material does not establish the organization’s current number of sites, leadership structure, financial position, or exact legal status beyond its characterization as a national nonprofit organization.

1. 1979A racial conflict prompts a shift toward prevention

   After a confrontation involving Italian American and African American young people, Council For Unity mediates the dispute and concludes that longer-term violence-prevention work is needed.

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2. 1979A Lifting of Hands is performed

   Robert J. DeSena’s play about the conflict is presented at John Dewey High School, attracting broad community attention and contributing to requests for new Council chapters.

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3. 1975Council For Unity is founded at John Dewey High School

   Teacher Robert J. DeSena establishes Council For Unity in Brooklyn to bring student leaders from different racial and ethnic communities together and reduce gang-related conflict.

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4. Programs expand beyond the founding school

   Council For Unity extends its work into elementary, junior high, and other high schools, and later into correctional facilities, community centers, college settings, and an international school chapter.

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A nonprofit education and youth-development organization positioned around violence prevention, cross-cultural cooperation, student leadership, and community-based conflict resolution.

• Council For Unity curriculumEducational curriculum

  A school-oriented curriculum focused on cooperation across racial and cultural groups, student responsibility, democratic problem-solving, and the prevention of violence and gang involvement. The curriculum is part of a broader model that encourages students to address problems affecting their own communities rather than treating them solely as discipline issues.

• Anti-gang and violence-reduction modelYouth intervention program

  A customized program for schools and community centers affected by violence. It seeks to strengthen safety, family connection, self-esteem, and personal responsibility while giving young people constructive ways to confront local problems and resist antisocial peer pressure.

• Unity modelConflict-resolution program

  A framework for addressing racial and ethnic tension by shifting discussion away from personal attacks and toward shared problems. Participants establish agendas, identify common interests, and pursue solutions intended to benefit all involved groups.

• A Lifting of HandsCommunity arts and educational project1979

  A play written by founder Robert J. DeSena about the 1979 racial conflict near John Dewey High School. Its school performance brought students and community stakeholders together and helped generate wider interest in Council For Unity’s work.

• 1979A Lifting of Hands

  Brooklyn, New York

  Council For Unity used a theatrical production based on a recent racial conflict to create a public forum for students, civic leaders, business leaders, politicians, and community members.

  Outcome. The performance drew strong interest and contributed to requests for Council For Unity chapters in additional schools.

  Source

1. Council for Unity
2. Council For Unity official website