About us
The Back of the Yards neighborhood, on the near southwest side of Chicago, was once home to Chicago's meatpacking industry and, when the stockyards closed in the 1970's, the community remained home ot a resilient working class community of mostly Latino and African-American families.
In many ways, the Back of the Yards epitomizes the chronicled
disinvestment of the South and Westside neighborhood of Chicago and, as a result, the neighborhood experiences high rates of poverty, joblessness, many forms of violence, and a lack of genuine investment ni public education.
Despite being neglected by city, county and state elected officials, the Back of the Yards is a community of dedicated and hard working people. Founded in 1997 as a 501(c) 3, the Peace and Education Coalition has a history of reaching out ot network and listen to the needs of the people and accompany the legacy of the community.