MEET PEACE PORTRAITS HONOREE
NEKENYA HARDY
Story: Sue Cardenas-Soto | Photography: Kelcey McKinney | Photo Editor: Isabel Miranda | Video: 5 by 12 Films | Producer: Camille Travis
Peace Portraits, presented by the Illinois Peace Project, is a visual series dedicated to spotlighting the incredible individuals making a difference to create or maintain peace in Illinois. Five honorees were selected after a review of more than 30 submissions and a rigorous judging process. These individuals embody the spirit of Peace Portraits, as they work tirelessly to strengthen their communities, empower residents, and inspire change.
When Nekenya Hardy first started out as an outreach worker with CeaseFire in 2004, he was called all sorts of things.
"The police." A "backstabber." Now, with over 20 years in violence prevention, Hardy is known by a new name: "Human Resources."
Hardy was born and raised in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, where life was anything but easy.
"I have so many friends and family that I lost to the streets, to the justice system, that I lost count. […] As I matured, I realized that wasn’t the life we had to live," Hardy said. "I realized I had a passion to give back to my community, because I knew I was once a problem of the community."
Hardy was approached by CeaseFire when it was a boots-on-the-ground, word-of-mouth initiative.
"They really came and got people based off their street credibility, or LTO, which is license to operate. I was still involved in the streets, and I had a lot of influence over the young men in the Austin community," Hardy said. "We were stopping the violence and the shootings off the strength of our relationships that we had in the community."
At first, Hardy said he was met with mistrust.
"It wasn't a good feeling, but I stuck to it, and continued to push for what I believe in. And now they see the vision the way I see it."
Now at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC), Hardy serves as the Associate Director of Outreach and Intervention for the Austin, West Garfield, Back of the Yards, and Brighton Park communities. His method for violence intervention is replacing violence with opportunity. His signature initiative titled "Trade in the Streets for a Trade Degree," or "Trade for a Trade," was born out of his observations of participants in INVC’s workforce development programs.
Even if Hardy was able to find jobs for participants, they were often overworked and underpaid. Through independent research and listening to the community, Hardy found a solution: the trades. Now through this program, he assists participants in choosing and completing licensures in a union-eligible trade like HVAC, CDL, and construction. He does this with zero funding, just grassroots networking.
"You could put someone in a temp service and snatch them off the streets, and that's still opportunity. But is it real opportunity? Would they be able to set up a career from working at a temp service for ten dollars an hour? No. It's just something to get them off the streets, where they won’t be able to get harmed," Hardy said.
"The more they drive the truck and focus on work, the more their mindset changes from the streets. That's real opportunity."
"I can take someone off the streets who could potentially be the next perpetrator or victim of gun violence, and I could get them certified and driving trucks. You can't hurt anybody while you’re on the road driving trucks, and nobody can hurt you. […] The more they drive the truck and focus on work, the more their mindset changes from the streets. That's real opportunity."
Over 70 participants have received professional licenses since its inception. And after six months on the job, Hardy also provides participants with financial literacy training, so they can start their own businesses and eventually work for themselves.
For Hardy, as of May 2025, he will have earned a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and Change through College Unbound. He hopes to secure vital funding for his programming and expand "Trade for a Trade" to other Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) organizations.
"Calling me 'Human Resources' or 'Dr. King' is a joke, right? But it’s kind of a compliment. It really means a lot to me. It shows that they respect me for what I'm doing. […] I know they see the impact I’m having in the community. I love it," Hardy said.
"The community I see now, even the blocks I used to stay on, the elder people on the block who always looked at me like a little bad kid […] give me my respect now. They see the work I do for the communities. […] It's like they couldn't believe the person to come back and help the community would be me."
The Illinois Peace Project is an initiative supported by partner organizations with a shared vision for reducing gun violence in Illinois.
NEXT STORY: Meet Peace Portraits Honoree Dr. Vanessa Perry DeReef >>