The Council for Unity was founded in 1975 by Robert J. De Sena, an English teacher at John Dewey High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

Confronting the violence of six gangs terrorizing a community, Bob De Sena risked bringing their leaders together to confront their racial and cultural divisions. Those six gang leaders became a band of brothers and left a legacy that has inspired others to follow their example. From that improbable beginning, the Council for Unity was born.

Since 1975 and going forward, Council for Unity (CFU or Council) has partnerships with law enforcement agencies, schools, correctional facilities, justice departments, religious institutions and their respective communities.