A Legacy of Trust

Pastor. Civic leader. Community activist. Tireless advocate for social justice, who worked to ensure equality in housing and education. Bishop Arthur M. Brazier let nothing stand in the way of the work he felt called to do.

Bishop Brazier’s determination, foresight, leadership, and ability to gain trust and bring people together were instrumental to his achievements in helping to revitalizing Woodlawn—the neighborhood of his youth and the community anchored by his church, the 17,000-member Apostolic Church of God. He was the spokesperson and leader of The Woodlawn Organization, a powerful coalition of neighbors, block clubs and church groups formed in 1960. The group effectively fought for housing solutions and better city services, and later expanded to provide job training, business development and social services. He was founder of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation, organized in 1987 to combat disinvestment in Woodlawn and to catalyze redevelopment and revitalization for the benefit of long-term residents.

Through his work on this very local level, Bishop Brazier gained national and international recognition as one of this country’s most effective and forward-thinking community activists and organizers. In his later years, after retiring from pastoral ministry, he further expanded his community work. In 2008, he worked with the University of Chicago and LISC’s New Communities Program to establish the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community, an initiative that today works to radically improve the trajectory of children’s lives in Woodlawn.

“Improving my community isn’t a job,” Bishop Brazier said in 2008. “It’s been my whole life.”

Bishop Brazier’s hard work and commitment brought positive change and a spirit of hope to Woodlawn, laying the foundation for today’s citizens to continue the transformation to a community of choice and opportunity.