A Little About CJ

I was born and raised in Washington, D.C., a proud product of the inner city. I lived and grew up in Anacostia and later in Fairfax Villiage in Southeast D.C. until early adulthood. I graduated from McKinley Tech Senior High School - School of Communications in Northeast, D.C. Tech gave me the opportunity to frequent Howard University Football games, where I was a part of a youth production team that filmed their games for The Broadcast Factory – a video production company run by Harry Davis, a videographer from NBC 4 Washington.

My mom and dad separated early in my life; both parents did their best. Living with my mom, grandmother, and uncle, domestic violence was unfortunately frequent in our home between my mom and uncle and uncle and grandmother. My mom also fought a long, difficult battle with drug addiction – sometimes, the addiction would win. My grandmother provided balance for me; being able to talk to her gave me much-needed normalcy in my life. We all managed to get through our struggles together. Because of these challenges, I was exposed to plenty of police presence, either at home or during the adventures occurring in the community. I was offered a picture of law enforcement that would be different from what others observed; it would be enduring.

After graduating from high school, I joined the workforce to help pay bills. My first real full-time job was working for Wilson-Powell Lincoln Mercury in Temple Hills (yes, the one with the cougar in the parking lot). After that, I decided to fulfill a desire and become a police officer right after the tragedy of 9/11 with the Metro-Transit Police Department in Washington, D.C. I had become a police officer so that more people who look like me could be in that role. After spending roughly three years with Metro Transit, I joined the Howard County Police Department, where I spent 15 additional years. While in Howard County, I would become so proud of the work that I had done. I was awarded the second-highest accommodation (the Silver Star) for my actions of saving a person’s life after he had been stabbed and without using deadly force. While in patrol and other positions, I would be awarded plenty more accolades throughout my years, from Police Officer of the Month to exceptional dedication to service. In my assignment in the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, I helped bring to a successful conclusion a multitude of cases that involved the exploitation of children to the most violent of crimes. This assignment was the most rewarding out of them all.

In 2018, my career in Howard County would come to an end after nearly 20 years of slowly falling severely ill and choosing to ignore it. I began having difficulty working, which I would later find out stemmed from cancer complications. I had ignored my symptoms for so long (hoping they would go away) that I was unable to physically get out of bed to go to work; my diagnosis would reach stage 4 – a diagnosis that is often terminal. Consequently, I could not adequately perform my duties, but many lessons were learned from this. Personal health awareness, self-care, and healthcare affordability became extremely important to me after this experience. It is my hope that when more people hear my story, they get help sooner and without fear or barriers. Later in 2018, I became in complete remission. After I recovered from cancer -- filled with new life and a new mission.

I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Coppin State University; graduating Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into the National Criminal Justice Honor Society (Alpha Phi Sigma). I have a Masters in Public Administration from Bowie State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude and was inducted in the International Public Administration Honor Society. In November 2020, I was honored to be selected as a Fannie Angelos Scholar from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

I currently serve as Chief of Staff at the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, working for the constituents of the 26 and 23rd Legislative Districts. I have the privilege to work on many projects, including drafting bills and making recommendations for the betterment of the State of Maryland and Prince Georgians. Some of those projects include a Route 210 traffic safety overhaul – an initiative very dear to me; increasing access to health insurance for the disadvantaged in Maryland; environmental justice initiatives, and tackling the permanent damage caused by landfills and powerplants. I’ve authored bills that addressed reforming Maryland’s expungement process (shortening the time when expungements are eligible) and removing the capability of Maryland colleges and universities from rejecting someone admission into their institution solely based on one’s alleged criminal background. It is truly a blessing that I have the opportunity to effect real policy change in our current system, with criminal justice reform, access to mental and physical health, and explore greater economic opportunities for Prince Georgians.

Aside from my 20 years in public service, I’ve also refereed basketball in my spare time for the last 20 years. Ten of those years were for the NCAA at Divisions II and III levels. I referee high school basketball at its highest levels for both public and private schools in the DMV. I am a member of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Fort Washington, Maryland – previous of New Macedonia Baptist Church in Southeast, D.C. I’m a member of the Prince George’s County branch of the NAACP, serving as Chair of the NEXTGen Committee, and previous on the Communications, Press, and Publicity committee. I also served as a Delegate to the 81st Annual NAACP State Conference Convention.