One only values freedom when it is taken away from them. Being constrained and restricted for a crime you did not commit eats away at your soul. You yearn for the time you spent with friends and family. However, a person with unwavering zeal would never let that restraint corrupt their mind. Ricky Kidd, a figure who was deprived of physical freedom, did not let the injustices shackle his mind. He rose from the ashes and transformed into a person dedicated to earning his freedom and bid the unjust system goodbye.
Ricky spent 23 years in a prison cell where time stood still. Ricky was robbed of the memories that he should have been a part of. He was wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit and as his punishment, he lost time with family and friends. While testifying in front of Missouri lawmakers, Ricky mourned over not being able to spend time with his grandmother and stepfather.
Now a free man, he has been making up for lost time and is fighting for a cause that requires as much attention as possible. Rather than looking for a platform, he created his own. He reaches out to individuals suffering and confined within their own minds. With the help of his poetry book, plays, and awe-inspiring oratory skills, Ricky has reached out to people to change their lives for the better. Being a part of the American Speaker’s Bureau, the same organization that represented Martin Luther King, Jr., Ricky is becoming a potent figure in the world.
Time came under Ricky’s control when he pushed himself to believe that “it’s not where you are Ricky, it’s where you are going.” He minimized his distractions, got back on his feet, and worked to create “I Am RESILIENCE.” This platform helped him grow as a person. Soon after, he developed CLE-credited courses for prosecutors and joined the Jackson County DA Office Advisory Board Currently, Ricky is reaching out to teenagers, university students, and parents to further his cause.
Ricky Kidd is currently suing the Kansas City Police Dept. and the city of Kansas City for his unlawful conviction. Alongside, he is working on platforms, traveling all over the United States to voice his experiences. As opportunities grow, Ricky is working for the Innocent Network, and assisting many other exonerees in the States.
Despite having lost time and valuable moments that make a person’s life worth living, Ricky has remained resilient and resolute. His faith in the truth and himself never wavered. Struggle after struggle, Ricky is now living a life not just as an activist but also as a husband and a father. Evoking the same sense of resiliency within his loved ones, Ricky is on a path to becoming a “voice for those who are voiceless.”
