Director of Community Organizing from Chicago
I talk about: Bridging Divides, Community Building, Community Safety, Criminal Justice, Education, Elderly, Faith & Spirituality, Family, Health, Homelessness, Personal Development, Politics & Civic Engagement, Youth
Growing up in Chicago as a Black teen, Charles Perry thought drug dealing was a path to status and success. He was all in… until he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He spent the next 19 years and 29 days on a journey to find a better path, the one he was meant to take. Instead of tearing apart his community, he now builds it.
In prison, he earned a GED, two associate degrees, and certifications in computers, business, and personal training. As he neared release, he realized he couldn’t just start over. He had to repair the damage he had done.
Perry now spends a lot of time with kids in his old neighborhood as a violence interrupter and a leader with the Kindness Campaign. Everyone seems to have his cell number and whenever tension rises, calls flood in. He has worked with gangs, people living on the streets, and those leaving prison, while also being a loving father to five children under ten and one now adult. He helps distribute food and clothing because it gives him an excuse to talk to people who are hurting.
Perry has worked with the Chicago police, city and state officials, and for the Westside Health Authority. He has received awards from the Safer Foundation and the Illinois Department of Corrections. He often talks to student groups, educators, public officials, and law enforcement professionals. He has been featured by media, including an interview on public radio’s 1A with David Brooks.
You can hear Charles share his story in this CBS News 60 Minutes interview, as well as in this Weaving in 400 Seconds presentation.
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