Formation 2009; 8 years ago (2009) Location United States:
San Francisco, California
Scottsdale, Arizona
Carbondale, Illinois
Boston, Massachusetts
New York City
Memphis, Tennessee
Virginia
Seattle, Washington
United Kingdom:
London | ||
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. They are a part of the Real-life superhero movement.
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. 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), patrolling on longboards and donning bulletproof vests as part of their activities. They were profiled in the HBO documentary, Superheroes.
Since 2009, additional Initiative "branches" have been formed across the United States, including California, Washington, Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and the United Kingdom.