Chicago native Ajani Crenshaw, a Tougaloo College junior, and his father are fans of the NFL’s Bears, but they will be at the Super Bowl on Sunday in Santa Clara, California, to watch the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots clash.
Things have only gotten better since Crenshaw received free tickets to a Bears-Lions football game at Soldier Field in Chicago for him, his father and his brothers.
The tickets were a gift from Students Demand Action, the student branch of gun violence prevention organization Everytown. Crenshaw is part of Everytown’s Survivor Fellowship Program for Students.
Four days before the game, they literally jumped for joy after learning they’d get free parking. A few days after that, they learned they had gotten passes to be on the field.
“At that point, we just didn’t know how to react,” Crenshaw recalled. “We thought it could never get better than this.”
It could, and it did.
The day of the game, they met Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey and Kate Rackow, the team’s player and alumni relations manager. Rackow took them to the field to take pictures, then brought out former Bears running back Tarik Cohen. Cohen commended Crenshaw for his work in gun violence prevention before sharing the big surprise: two tickets and an all-inclusive trip to Super Bowl LX.
The moment was captured on video and posted to the Bears’ social media pages. Crenshaw and his family jumped and screamed in pure excitement at the news.
Crenshaw said he also recieved on-field passes and a free Bears running back Kyle Monangai jersey. He plans to attend the Super Bowl with his father, who he describes as a “great influence” and a “diehard Bears fan.”
In addition to his work at Everytown, Crenshaw is the founder and chief executive officer of Capitol Dreamers, a nonprofit dedicated to gun violence prevention through education, advocacy and community action.
“My goal is to work with young people to not only help them understand the policy that goes into gun violence prevention, but also how to use their voices in their own way, and how to be a part of the solution rather than just being a statistic and being a part of the problem,” he said.
In his time as an advocate, he has hosted firearm safety forums, partnered with gun and pawn shops on a suicide prevention initiative and more. He previously worked as a legislative intern for Illinois state Rep. Joyce Mason and was part of the 2024 cohort of Stanford Law Scholars.
At Tougaloo, Crenshaw majors in political science with a double minor in pre-law and public policy administration. He is president of the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and a member of the Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Society. He has also worked on voter registration efforts and addressing food disparities.
Growing up in Chicago, gun violence was always a prevalent issue. Crenshaw got involved in social justice and politics as he got older, which helped him realize how prominent gun violence was across the country.
“You see the headline, you know, ‘Multiple killed over the weekend in Chicago.’ You know we see it. We hear it,” he said. “But what we don’t see in the headlines is all the grassroots organizers and all the policies that are being put into place to decline this violence in our communities.”
He added, “Being from the Chicago area has really influenced me not because of the violence I see, but because of the progress I see.”
Crenshaw chose Tougaloo for its pre-law program and its rich history of civil rights activism. During the Civil Rights Movement, the campus was a safe haven for activists and organizers and a hub of student activism.
“We are incredibly proud to see one of our students recognized by the Chicago Bears for work that not only honors our legacy of advocacy, but actively shapes a safer future for communities across the nation,” Allilia Price, Tougaloo’s vice president of institutional advancement, said in a press release.
Tanesha Wade, the Chicago Bears’ chief impact officer and executive vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, said: “We are proud to provide this opportunity to Ajani in recognition of the leadership, courage and impact he continues to make as a gun violence prevention and education advocate.”
In a statement, Moms Demand Action’s Executive Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala praised the Chicago Bears for their support for the gun violence prevention movement. “To see them honor Ajani in this way, in recognition of his leadership and tireless work, is truly special,” she said.
Crenshaw plans to prepare for the Law School Admission Test and wants to attend law school. His ultimate goal is to become a civil rights attorney.
“You don’t need a title, you don’t need much money and you really don’t need permission from anybody to make a difference in your community,” he said.
“All it really takes is consistency and a willingness to serve your community.”
