Cedric Frison

Cedric Frison currently works in social service with a number of community agencies, organizations, and community stakeholders. He has worked with the Institute for Non-Violence Chicago as an Outreach Specialist for the READI Chicago Anti-Violence initiative, Haymarket Center, and HousingForward.org, among others. Cedric’s role as an outreach professional involves recruiting members of street gangs—and members of communities at large plagued with violence—in efforts to ultimately help save lives via this initiative. Cedric is very passionate about his work as a community activist, male mentor, and non-violence advocate.

Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and raised on Chicago’s west side in the Austin Community, Cedric admits to having a traumatic past with gang violence, drug abuse, family dysfunction, and prison stints. However, Cedric now uses his “transformed platform” (as a result of transforming his own life and thought process) to not only promote peace and non-violence in the city of Chicago but speaks out on the dangers of drugs and is certified in Restorative Justice and Overdose Prevention. Cedric also works as an Illinois Certification Board-certified Substance Abuse Recovery Coach.

Cedric’s career path is currently being developed in nonprofit organizational leadership, demonstrated by starting his own consulting company, Urban Community Unity Solutions LLC (U.C.U.S.) and his affiliation with the National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated (N.A.E.F.I.). As a returning citizen himself, Cedric is also a board member with the Fully Free Campaign to end permanent punishments and mentors young men and women about the importance of obtaining an education and is leading by example as a current undergrad student at Northeastern Illinois University’s Center for Urban City Studies.