Meet the Team
Reverend Judie S. Gore
Program Manager
LaKisha Johnson Evans
Lead Credible Messenger & Family Engagement Specialist
Amari Brantley
Peer Mentor
Tamia Allen
Administrative Assistant
Curtis Brantley
Family Engagement Specialist
Carolyn Robertson
Family Engagement Specialist
OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGERS
Shawn Lucas
Senior Credible Messenger
Tamika Coffey
Credible Messenger
Tariq Cunningham
Senior Credible Messenger
Shannon Battle
Credible Messenger
Clifton Barrett
Credible Messenger
Tashima Barnes
Credible Messenger
Wendell Watson
Credible Messenger
Our Movement
The Credible Messenger movement is a restorative justice approach where Credible Messengers—individuals with unique connections to justice-involved youth—help transform behavior and strengthen communities. InnerCity Collaborative Community Development Corporation, a leader in social justice, was chosen in 2016 by DC's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to implement this strategy in challenged neighborhoods. Based in Marshall Heights, Ward 7, InnerCity fosters hope, community outreach, and service through its mentoring philosophy.
Our Vision
To develop lifelong authentic relationships between justice involved youth, their families and their communities that reduces incarceration and recidivism by engaging the whole person in connections of lasting change, investing in community-based supports, and changing the way that government and society view the redemptive value and potential of justice-involved people.
Our Impact
Through community-based mentoring, we’re reshaping juvenile justice reform. Transformative Mentoring connects justice-involved youth with “credible messenger” mentors—adults who share similar life experiences and serve as living examples of change. At InnerCity CDC, these mentors lead cognitive behavioral group sessions and offer 24/7 one-on-one support, working alongside care coordinators, judges, and lawyers to guide youth toward better choices, education, and employment. This partnership-driven model not only reduces recidivism and strengthens communities, but also promotes economic mobility—and it's gaining national attention.
SUCCESS STORIES
For three years, J.M. has been mentored by Curtis Brantley, a Credible Messenger and Family Engagement Specialist. Despite family and housing struggles, J.M. stayed resilient—working with organizations like InnerCity CDC and Covenant House, earning recognition at UDC, and even visiting Africa, an experience that shifted his outlook on life. Now a proud father with a home and a career in security, J.M. is determined to pay it forward by launching “The Problem Child,” a peer mentorship program for marginalized youth in D.C.
For three years, M.C. has been mentored by Curtis Brantley, who first supported him and his twin brother after the loss of their older sibling. While his brother’s involvement was brief, M.C. thrived under consistent mentorship, shifting his goals from the DC Fire Academy to workforce success. With Brantley’s guidance, he progressed from a job at Five Guys to a contract role with DC Water, and now prepares for fatherhood and long-term stability. Their mentoring relationship now centers on family, career, and purpose—while M.C. continues to grow as a musician, writer, and young leader