Who is Miquel Powell?
I came across his profile on LinkedIn one day and became intrigued when I learned he ran an organization dedicated to reentry and giving back to his neighborhood: my childhood neighborhood! We even attended the same schools. I was surprised that I had not known of Mr. Powell’s efforts prior. This executive director thrives on social action; from his youth summer camp, to reentry and substance abuse support groups.
I wanted to learn more about this individual that had turned his life around and is now serving the public, from motivational speaker, to social worker and activist. This man does it all!
I asked Powell to share about himself. He replied,
“I grew up on Scio Street on the Northeast side of the city. I have a lot of great memories about my childhood. I went to #14 elementary school, Monroe Middle School, and ended dropping out of school at East High. After dropping out of school, I unfortunately started getting in the streets from age fourteen to twenty-one. This ultimately led me to prison at the age of twenty-one in which I spent six years in the New York State Department of Corrections. During my incarceration I earned a GED and numerous trades, wrote six books, (two of which are published), and I made the decision not to return to a life of crime.”
I came across a post on Facebook where Mr. Powell's quote on willingness read;
"The first step of reentry is for one to have the willingness to change. Nothing can be done until then..."
Being an avid reader and learning he's also a poet, let's just say that Love & Pain: Feelings of A Man is sitting in my cart at this very moment. I can't wait to get started on it! R.O.C. Hard is also on my list of must reads. Mr. Powell is also the founder of MPowellBooks, "Changing lives one word at a time."
Powell went on to say,
“I was released from prison in 2008. I decided to dedicate my life to my family, education, and giving back to my neighborhood. I graduated from Monroe Community College with an associate degree in human services, a bachelor’s degree from Brockport in Social Work, and I’m a current student at Brockport studying for my master’s degree. I work full-time as an addiction therapist at a well-known hospital in the Rochester area.”
Being in reentry work myself, I was interested in learning how Mr. Powell got started in his role as executive director. He explained how he founded the Reentry & Community Development Center, Inc. in 2017 as a way to give back. He added,
“Luckily, I was able to find a location in my old neighborhood on North Street.”
North Street; another major part of my life; my family lived all along that street throughout the years.
“Based on my background as a substance abuse therapist”, Powell added, “I implemented substance abuse support in addition to our reentry services.”
When asked what he would like people to know about him, Mr. Powell stated,
“I am the father of three wonderful children.”
When I inquired as to what his hobbies were, the answer was not surprising. He shared,
“I love to travel, spend time with my children, and help out in the community when I can.”
It’s obvious in all that Miquel Powell does, that he naturally cares, evident in his life’s work and what he stands for.00
I see Powell’s posts frequently sharing about not only his work in reentry, but also his work with the children that live and play in the same streets, and how these neighborhoods deserve to be invested in.
If you are familiar with these neighborhoods, you know a lot of the streets reflect neglect; abandoned houses, empty lots. Mr. Powell's presence and voice in the heart of it all breathes an air of hope back into the streets.
I love to see that someone knowledgeable has become the voice of these streets; his and mine! I commend his genuine investment in community and the people that many times are overlooked because of where they reside. Mr. Powell’s honorable approach to giving back made me wonder…
What are his hopes for the future? I posed this as my favorite coaching question and asked specifically, if you had a magic wand that could grant you anything, what would it grant you?
“…I would use it to make the world a better place to live; especially for the most vulnerable populations.”
As I had hoped, Mr. Powell did not reply with, “I don’t believe in magic.” This confirmed for me, that he chooses optimism, where another sees the opposite.
Thank you Miquel Powell for all that you do for the community, and most of all, for being present.
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