The Pioneers for Peace program began as a result of an extreme increase in admissions of spinal cord injuries due to gun violence. In 1989 the leading cause of spinal cord injuries nationally were due to automobile accidents. In Detroit the leading cause of spinal cord injuries are due to gun shot wounds! In 1987 the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan produced a video documentary titled ”Wasted Dreams’ featuring six young men who had sustained spinal cord injuries due to gun violence. The documentary went on to win several awards including one at the Sun Dance Film Festival. Five of the young men featured in the video began making appearances in person all around the Detroit Public School system. This was the model that would later become Pioneers for Peace.

In 1996 the Rehabilitation Institute began to see another tremendous spike in admissions of spinal cord injuries due to gun shot wounds. Phyllis Graham, a RN on the spinal cord unit familiar with the video ”Wasted Dreams“ got with some former patients who were paralyzed by gun violence and they came up with the name Pioneers for Peace. The first five years the program conducted over 100 presentations and reached more than 10,000 students. Over the last five years under the leadership of current Pioneers for Peace President and Program Director Weusi Olusola the program has reached over 25,000 students. Ironically Weusi was one of the young men featured in the award winning documentary ”Wasted Dreams“. Weusi Olusola is a survivor of 4 nearly fatal gun shot wounds he sustained at the age of 16 as an innocent bystander. At that time in his life Weusi was an All American High School Basketball Star in the city of Detroit looking forward to pursuing a collegiate and possibly professional basketball career. Weusi was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the injuries he sustained. What seemed to be a terrible tragedy Weusi would later turn into Triumph!!!