Stop trusting political parties to save urban America. It's time for us to rise and rebuild

Urban America needs timeless principles over political parties, that's what I see from my Walk Across America as I see communities trapped in dependency cycles.

We don’t need any more of this Republican vs. Democrat talk. What Urban America needs are principles: the timeless, universal values of faith, family, agency, ownership, discipline, safety and accountability. Pastor Corey Brooks, known as the "Rooftop Pastor," is the founder and Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and the CEO of Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny), the church's local mission. He gained national attention for his 94-day and 343-day rooftop vigils to transform the notorious "O-Block," once known as Chicago's most dangerous block, into #OpportunityBlock. Learn more at ProjectHOOD.org.

We don’t need any more of this Republican vs. Democrat talk. We’ve done it to death, and we cannot afford to succumb to false promises any longer — not when our communities have only worsened. A man once told me that progress can only happen the moment we stop lying to ourselves. It is far easier to believe in false promises than to look at the cold reality of where most of urban America, including my South Side Chicago neighborhood, stands — at the bottom of the American totem pole.

In my Walk Across America, which is now taking me through the Cotton Belt in the Deep South, I have seen many urban communities. In far too many of these areas, I’ve met people whose dreams have been dimmed by a cycle of government dependency that saps dignity and stifles growth. These people have been cut off from the greatness of America.