In the 1960s, some gangs tried to shed their criminal identities and mobilized young people for social change. The Conservative Vice Lords incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and received funding from major foundations to organize youth, protest unfair housing policies and working conditions, open small businesses, and fight for peace and racial equality.

The museum collaborated on the exhibition with former members of the 1960s-era Conservative Vice Lords (CVL) led by Bobby Gore, the gang's former spokesman; and Benneth Lee, co-founder of the National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated and former "violence interrupter" for the UIC-based CeaseFire violence prevention program. Visitors were invited to meet former CVL members, listen to intimate audio interviews, and view an evolving selection of photos and artifacts.