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 (June 25, 1980 – May 18, 2011 ), 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, in a drug-related shooting.

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 Preparatory School, a private middle and high school. 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. While at Yale, Peace earned over $100,000 selling marijuana. Peace graduated in 2002, with honors. One of his roommates was Jeff Hobbs, the author of Peace's biography.

Career and death
After graduation from Yale, Peace taught biology for five years at the private high school he attended, winning a Teacher of the Year award. Meanwhile, he expanded his marijuana marketing and personal use of marijuana, alcohol and possibly other drugs. He then left to work as a baggage handler at a major airline. He and several old friends pitched money together to purchase 50 pounds of marijuana, which Peace was to convert to "designer weed" in his basement. He was murdered, aged 30, in a drug-related shooting by someone who broke into the basement.

Rob Peace (film)
A film adaptation of Peace's story entitled Rob Peace was released in 2024. Filmed in Newark, New Jersey, it is written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor with a cast including Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, Camila Cabello and Michael Kelly.

Awards

 * Runner up for the 2015 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction
 * Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest in 2014