Rejuvenation, rebirth, and a new chance; all are monumental stages in life that every wronged person looks forward to. What transpires out of these are the possibilities to tell the world your story. Every person toppled by the staggering injustices has prayed for and yearned for this chance. Sadly, not everyone has the privilege of acquiring it. Ricky Kidd, an exonerated man, is now working to pave the way for those who have been the victims of wrongful convictions.
Kevin Strickland is a name that shall be among the many poignant names plastered on the tombstone of justice in the United States. It belongs to a personality Ricky has resonated with. Kevin was wrongfully convicted for first-degree murders in 1979 at the age of 18. It took more than 43 years for Kevin to find his redemption. Recorded as the longest wrongfully convicted case, Ricky believed in Kevin in a time when no one did. He continued to do so even after his own exoneration.
Ricky was the ray of hope that Kevin had spent 43 years looking for. He had assisted him, lit a candle for him, and found a home for him in an unknown world. Rejuvenation. Similarly, Ricky has helped people fight the system that has wrongfully accused them of crimes they did not commit. He started hiscompany, I Am Resilience, to help those left behind in a whirlpool of what-ifs. Through his work, Ricky has taken the first step to help change the justice system for the better.
Other than conducting various workshops and proper training programs, Ricky has also become a prominent member of various organizations speaking out against the atrocities committed by the Justice System. Ricky has also been appointed as an advisory board team member for The Jackson County DA Office. After coming face-to-face with the officers responsible for his wrongful conviction, Ricky’s commitment to helping others like him strengthened, enabling him to now help shape and guide decisions made by the office.
Ricky is also the elected executive member of the Innocence Network that reaches out to every crevice in the United States. Through his hard work, Ricky also testified before the Missouri lawmakers where he emphasized the importance of providing compensation to exonerees. He has been appointed as a key speaker by the American Speaker’s Bureau from where he has given several speeches. Ricky has developed a new CLE-credited training program that focuses on educating prosecutors. Through this medium, he plans to eradicate the loopholes that lead to wrongful imprisonment. Ricky’s dedication has led him to become a prominent figure as a social activist. He is on a mission to assist numerous Kevins, who have been wronged by the system. As the world around us all darkens, Ricky has picked up the lantern to light the way.
