Haki Sekou
​COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER

Haki Sekou is one of two of our Community Health Workers at the Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT). He is also formerly incarcerated himself. He spent 41 years, 7 months, and 10 days at Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary. Like countless others, incarceration was extremely traumatic for Haki, his family members, and close friends. On July 25, 2018, he was released from Angola into a transitional housing unit run by VOTE's partner organization, The First 72+. Filled with excitement and high expectations, he couldn’t wait to fly.

Haki hit the ground running, trying to find employment and housing. Because he had finished his time, he expected equal opportunity, but what he encountered made him realize that his expectations for reentry and its reality were not the same. Legal discrimination by business owners and landlords turned his excitement into confusion. A lack of stable housing, employment, and social support filled him with doubt and despair, as well as stress and depression. He encountered illogical rules enforced by housing authorities such as needing to be home for at least two years before one can be approved for a decent place to live. 

Knowing that such rules and legal oppression defeat the purpose of reentry, Haki began organizing with the FIP Peer Support group and VOTE. Shortly after, he joined our team as a Community Health Worker, providing direct services for and advocating for the medical rights of people with convictions.