Youth Change Agent

I met a true public servant leader when I met Keith Strickland. God wants our lives to overflow with mercy, love, and compassion–the marks of His kingdom. We have a choice: respond to the unsettling realities of this world with fear and avoidance or respond to the greatest needs of the people in this world with love, hope, and tender loving care. God encourages us to imitate the Faithful Servant, and Keith Strickland shows us how to be that faithful servant through his service to youth and those who are incarcerated. Keith Strickland shows us how to truly love each other even when we do not really know each other. Keith uses his time, energy, attention, affection, resources, and money to care for and love others. When we are blessed to be connected with a servant like Keith Strickland, we must know that as much as he cares for others, we need to care for him. 1 Corinthians 13: 13 (NIV) says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Keith is the greatest example of love. –Natalie Hall Fulton County Commissioner

Keith Strickland’s book is a superb teaching tool to show how how adults can provide guidance fostering education, preparation, affirmation, and dedication tohelp youth empower themselves as they transition into richer lives. Many young people are confined by mental chains. For some, that state of mind is just as devastating as being behind bars. The author is an authority on the subject matter. I am proud to acknowledge that my mentee, as an ex-offender, has written a detailedroadmap to help our children navigate life. –Karla Winfrey Emmy Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist

The power of true leadership is very rare in times like these. Keith Strickland is an altruistic, charitable, and generous humanitarian. Keith fights for the opportunities for the have-nots to have. As a legislator in the Georgia General Assembly and as the chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Keith has worked with me for years to ensure successful legislation that has helped underserved Georgians. I am thankful to know Keith, and Georgia is blessed to have such a magnanimous servant. –Carl Gilliard State Representative, Savannah, Georgia

Collaborating with Keith Strickland has been one of the paramount highlights of my tenure as a chief school superintendent over the past decade in several school systems. Witnessing Keith’s mentorship, weaving hope into the lives of our most vulnerable middle and high school students, evokes a profound awe. His reservoir of extraordinary compassion, interwoven with humility, and his artistry in sharing the narrative of his own life capture the minds and hearts of young adults who want to become a part of his life. Keith is one of the most critical levers of life transformation for the students I’ve served, and his story must be told and read by as many others as possible so his impact can extend far beyond its current boundaries. –Scott Taylor Superintendent, Township of Union Public Schools

As the district attorney for Rockdale County, I have had the honor of working with Keith Strickland on the implementation of our youth intervention and diversion programs. When Keith and I first met as strangers years ago, our faith, passion, and purpose of saving our youth from the troubles of crime and incarceration immediately connected us. Keith represents the hope and promise of all youth currently wrapped up in the criminal justice system. The fulfillment of his calling underscores the duty of those of us with the platform and power to do so, to invest in the future of who are youth can be–not in the past mistakes they have made. Keith’s experiences, insight, and life’s work will surely be an inspiration and a call to action to anyone who reads his testimony. I am proud to not only know Keith but to call him a friend. –Alisha Adams Johnson District Attorney, Rockdale Judicial Circuit

Keith Strickland is the founder and CEO of Making the Transition, Inc., a behavioral modification and life enrichment agency working with inner-city youth and young adults. He has dedicated his life to preventing youth from taking the wrong paths he took. Strickland has developed courses that are taught in schools across the nation, impacting the lives of more than 100,000 youth and young adults. He has consulted for three presidential administrations: Obama, Trump, and Biden. Strickland holds an honorary doctorate from Carver Bible College for his community work and dedication to the advancement of youth. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lucas L. Johnson II is a former reporter for the Associated Press, where he worked for more than twenty years mainly covering politics, education, and prison reform. He is the author of Finding the Good and coauthor of Youth Change Agent. Johnson works in higher education and has taught high school and college students. A freelance writer and communications strategist, Johnson lives in Nashville, Tennessee.