Life isn't a fairy tale. I'm Joe Jenkins, aka Citico Joe, and I've seen life's grittiest corners in Chattanooga. Buckle up because I'm about to take you on a ride through the dark alleys of my past—a journey that birthed The B.R.A.V.E Effect.
Imagine being 27, standing in a church crowd flaunting their pops while yours is MIA, not dead, just gone. That's the void I carried. That's the void a lot of young men where I come from have. Sometimes by choice, addiction, or incarceration. Hustling became my anthem, survival my only game. I was smart and had the opportunity to go to private school. I hate being teased and purposefully blew my exam so I wouldn't be an outcast in my neighborhood. I wanted to fit in at all costs. I had skills; hell, I was the guy working on cars and doing bodywork, but diapers and formula for my baby girl required more than just skills—it demanded a choice. I chose the streets and fast money.
Fast forward to 2002, and that's when I started to pay the steep price for my lifestyle. I graduated in the streets, moving from the corner to selling wholesale. Even though I've changed, I built a name that still gets respect on the roads. I was also putting myself on the radar of law enforcement. I would go in and out of jail, then prison on short stents, slowly but surely sliding down the inevitable slippery slope of losing time behind bars to putting people I loved in the ground. Towards the latter of these years, I started having a serious relationship with the Lord. I finally asked God to turn my situation around, and boy, did I not know how he would answer me, just not how I would desire.
2013—the year my life hit the fan. A major case that publicly labeled me as one of "The 32 Worst of The Worst" hit the news, and a mandatory life sentence hung over my head. Fight or sink. I fought through tears and cried on those cold nights in Bradley County. There, in the isolation of prison, I realized I'd forgotten I was smart. I dumbed myself down for so long that I didn't read or apply information as well as when I was a boy. The prison library became my war room. Every book was a weapon I could use to fight for my freedom. I started helping others with their cases, chipping away at their sentences.
Leslie Cory, an attorney, saw beyond the labels and affirmed my intellect. I spent two years in Bradley County and then went off to Arkansas. Surrounded by entrepreneurs and white-collar individuals, I fought my case to a plea for five years. Amidst the struggle, something remarkable happened—I began to write down plans and goals for a future where I vowed never to return.
But here's where the real story begins: the birth of The BRAVE Effect. A mission born out of adversity, a determination to change lives and break the cycle. It's not just about me anymore; it's about everyone who needs a second chance and redemption.
So, buckle up because this journey is far from over. The streets might have labeled me the worst of the worst, but I needed someone to see the intelligent, articulate black man beneath the surface.
Stay tuned for the next chapter, where The B.R.A.V.E Effect transforms lives, one redemption story at a time, because everyone deserves a chance to rewrite their narrative.
By Joe Jenkins
Founder, The B.R.A.V.E. Effect
