The Initiative Collective

The Initiative Collective
Formation 2009
Location

The Initiative Collective (sometimes truncated to simply "The Initiative") is a group of organizations located in cities throughout the United States and internationally whose goal is to promote personal safety through neighborhood watch activities, self-defense classes, and other forms of outreach.[1][2]

Founded in New York City in 2009 by "Zero," "Tsaf," "Lucid," and Zimmer Barnes, the group's initial goal was to patrol the streets of Greenwich Village to stem a rising tide of anti-gay violence.[3][4][5] The New York Initiative (NYI) members started by taking on superhero-like personae to attract attention when talking to the media (though not on the streets),[6] patrolling on longboards and donning bulletproof vests as part of their activities.[3] They were profiled in the HBO documentary, Superheroes.[6][7] Although the NYI still retains the pseudonyms and bulletproof vests, they no longer employ gimmicks, seeking to avoid negative press as well as difficulty in de-escalating tense situations.[6][8]

Since 2009, local Initiative branches have been formed across the United States, including California,[9][10][11] a separate group focused solely on Los Angeles, Washington,[1] Virginia,[12] Illinois, and the United Kingdom.[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Free Self-Defense & Awareness Classes for Seattle Neighborhoods". Central District News. 26 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Belonsky, Andrew (4 June 2013). "NYC Superheroes vs Anti-Gay Criminals". Out.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gifford, Kelly (4 June 2013). "Superheroes Step Up to Fight Anti-Gay Crime". New York Observer.
  4. ↑ Shaer, Matthew (7 August 2011). "The Amazing Superheroes of New York City". The Daily Beast.
  5. ↑ Krulos, Tea (13 July 2010). "Brooklyn’s Own Superheroes". New York Press.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Isla, Frater (14 July 2013). "Don’t Call Them Superheroes: An Interview With Zero and Dark Guardian of the New York Initiative". disinfo.
  7. ↑ "Superheroes (2011)". IMDB. 2011. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  8. ↑ Brownstone, Sydney (19 June 2013). "Night Angels: A Different Breed of Crime-Fighter Responds to Anti-Gay Violence". The Village Voice.
  9. ↑ Smiley, Lauren (14 December 2011). "The Real Life Superhero Files: Rock N. Roll". SF Weekly.
  10. ↑ Fezzani, Nadia (29 April 2012). "The women of Real Life Superheroes". Metro News.
  11. ↑ McEnroe, Colin (26 January 2012). "Colin McEnroe Show: Being A Real-Life Superhero". Your Public Media.
  12. ↑ Jasek, Marissa (4 June 2013). "‘Superheroes’ fight crime, help the needy in Hampton Roads". WKTR.
  13. ↑ "The Initiative Collective". Retrieved 11 July 2013.

External links