The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace


The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace is a biography by Jeff Hobbs about an intellectually brilliant young African-American man, Robert DeShaun Peace, who left Newark, New Jersey to attend Yale University, but fell back into the streets when he returned to Newark and was murdered, aged 30, "face down, knees bent, in a drug-related murder".

Early life

Born to Jackie Peace and Robert Douglas, Robert Peace grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, which borders Newark. His parents didn’t live together, and his father sold drugs. Rob’s father was involved in his son's life, but Rob lived with his mother and her family. His mother worked long hours at low paying jobs and sacrificed to send Peace to St Benedict's Prep a private middle and high schools. When Rob was seven, his father was arrested and charged with murder, convicted, and sent to prison. Rob visited him often in prison until his father’s death there, when Rob was in his mid-20s.

Yale University

After high school, Peace was sponsored by Charles Cawley, a bank executive, to attend Yale University, where he majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, and worked in a cancer and infectious disease laboratory. Peace graduated in 2002, with honors. One of his roommates was Jeff Hobbs, the author of Peace's biography.

Awards

Runner up for the 2015 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction.