Riccardo C. Lucas, author of Programmed for Murder S.O.S., delivered a keynote presentation entitled “A Million Reasons for Reform” at “Inside the Criminal Justice System: Characteristics, Challenges and Opportunities on Thursday, April 9, 2015 in Plaster Student Union. Mr. Lucas’s story, a story of overcoming the odds that statistically should have left him in total despair, dead or thrown away with little to no redeeming value to our society. He chose not to accept the statistics or what society says about a young incarcerated African-American male from an inner-city urban environment. He turned his life around and sought to turn things around in his community while dishing out some truth telling along the way. Mr. Lucas is now highly sought out by those who want to be elected and those who have trouble navigating urban inner-city communities. As he helps these entities needing his advice, he reminds them of where you start in life is not indicative of where you will finish. Mr. Lucas’ point of view will not be for the faint of heart or for those who strive for political correctness. He simply tells it like it is.
Currently, Mr. Lucas is a certified Housing Development Finance Professional and President / CEO of N. Stride Development, LLC, where he utilizes economic development projects to promote wealth creation, elimination of blight and decay in urban areas. He is a graduate of Park University with a BA in Human Services, a Community Advocate in Kansas City, MO, and is a prominent among local politicians for grassroots consensus building. His work has taken him many places, including China, South Korea, Egypt and Cuba. Before his journey to the Great Wall, he sat behind “The Walls!”