"The big challenge we face is how to make common sense commonplace again."

For more than four decades, Robert L. Woodson, Sr. has promoted the principles of self-help and neighborhood empowerment and the importance of the institutions of civil society. After joining the Airforce, he earned his GED, a college degree, and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an honorary doctorate from Colorado Christian University and the University of Cincinnati. Dedicating his life to helping low-income people address the problems of their communities, Woodson founded the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise. He is the author of Youth Crime and Urban Policy, A View From the Inner City; On the Road to Economic Freedom: An Agenda for Black Progress; A Summons to Life, Mediating Structures and the Prevention of Youth Crime; and The Triumphs of Joseph: How Today’s Community Healers are Reviving Our Streets and Neighborhoods.