The Kettering Foundation’s Dayton Democracy Fellowship is a program that supports innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in our wider world. This series of articles about the Dayton Democracy Fellows highlights their robust work and the powerful narratives that drive the advancement and defense of democracy. 

Dayton Democracy Fellow Robert Mackey II has two pillars of strength at the core of his life: faith and gratitude.

Faith helped him survive more than two decades in prison. At 17, Mackey was sentenced to 38 years in prison without the possibility of parole for a nonviolent drug offense, caught up in a movement in Ohio and nationwide to try juveniles as adults.

Gratitude has been his touchstone, especially since he gained his freedom four years ago, after Ohio abolished life without parole for juveniles, paving the way for his release. The two qualities guide him as he raises his late brother’s son, 10-year-old Elijah, and spurs on his desire to make the community stronger.

Mackey works as the lead youth advocate and program coordinator for Sunlight Village’s Connections for Success Youth Leadership Program, where he helps at-risk youth make positive choices. When he is not there, he volunteers with the Montgomery County Office of Reentry, which he credits with helping him adjust to life outside prison walls.

Mackey wanted to work on reducing gun violence for youth, too, so he began an effort called Cease Fire, Peace Fire. He felt an urgency rooted in his own experience: Just before he went to prison at 17, he was shot in the abdomen, a wound that took years to heal.

“Just by what I went through, I always vowed that when I got freed, that I will do everything in my power to make sure that what happened to me did not happen to another youth,” Mackey said.

The work can be demanding as it is not an easy task to reach teenagers, he pointed out: “It is about relationship building and them trusting you. And, you must be real. They know if you are faking. They know if you are a hypocrite.”

Most of the young people he works with at Sunlight Village are involved with the justice system, some with gun charges. He works to prevent others from getting in trouble.

He teaches all the young people leadership skills that include helping them advocate for themselves and understanding their place in our democracy and in the community. “They are going to be the next voters. They are upcoming leaders in the community. But whatever they have, they owe to a larger world. They have a duty to give back to the community,” Mackey said.

Poverty is at the root of much of the violence the young experience, he said, noting that many of them have misguided ideas that are going to lead to trouble. He tries to help them change their thinking. “[You hear] the bad idea, the bad perceptions, and try to replace it with the right ones. Getting them to be able to see it.

Telling his story is a big part of the process. Everything he went through helps him reach the kids. We must invest in them, he said.

This autumn he will be working with 2024 Dayton Democracy Fellow and community organizer Destiny Brown to help young people understand how vital voting is. “We are hoping to get youth involved with that process, and with democracy. And just teaching them how politics works, and the branches of the government. . . . I am a believer that we must grow our next leaders.”

One of his goals someday is to continue his work with youth through his own nonprofit organization. It is one of his dreams, he said.

Mackey said he never believed in his heart that he would spend 38 years in prison. When someone asked him when his time would be up, he would simply reply, “Any day now.”

“God took me through everything I’ve been through to be here to do this work,” he said. “All I can do is give it to the higher power.”

Maura Casey is a former editorial writer for the New York Times and has worked with the Kettering Foundation since 2010.