How quickly can a gang leader turn his life around? For Antong Lucky, it began the moment he was sent to prison.

Lucky grew up in East Dallas and from a young age, he was exposed to gang culture and drug dealing. When he was sentenced to seven years in prison at age 21, he knew that something had to change in his life. Upon his release, he began working with Bishop Omar Jahwar, founder of Urban Specialists. On this path of redemption, Lucky worked to break the school-to-prison pipeline and bring peace to his neighborhood, and eventually to communities across the country.

Lucky recently published his memoir, “A Redemptive Path Forward,” and is now the president of Urban Specialists.