The Real World of Work: Charles’s Story

To be resilient is to be able to withstand or recover from very difficult conditions. I can’t think of any Free Minds member who has demonstrated more resilience than Charles. At the age of 20, Charles was charged and convicted of a crime he did not commit. Charles is now a leader in our reentry community, who helps to co-facilitate our weekly “Build Up” book club sessions when he’s not working. I recently met up to speak with Charles in a quiet basement lobby of the Martin Luther King DC Public Library, where he has now worked for two years, about how he maintains his resilience in the face of challenges.

Discipline, determination, and attention to detail: three values that have made all the difference in the success of Free Minds member Deontae’s work in quality assurance and his prospective career as a therapist. I had a chance to connect with Deontae and get to know more about his work life as a junior supervisor at a meal kit and food delivery company, a job he obtained shortly after he returned home in October 2023. Deontae’s strength of character and purpose truly shined through our interview as he gave insight into his leadership role and future plans.