Ronald Moten—Community Voice
Ronald L. Moten is a fifth generation Washingtonian who attended Roosevelt Senior High School. He received his GED from the state of Connecticut while incarcerated in Danbury Federal Correction Institution (FCI). Mr. Moten also attended Park Community College, in Danbury Connecticut, where he majored in History.
His college experience opened his mind to the power of change and activism through the example of great leaders such Kwame Ture (Stokeley Carmichael), of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Winnie Mandela who he had a chance to meet and receive words of wisdom upon his release. Through their leadership, Mr. Moten began to practice the principles and practices of the non-violence movement and observe the struggles of the African American community.
Immediately upon his release from Danbury FCI, Mr. Moten began his work as the Spokesperson and Outreach Coordinator for Cease Fire Don’t Smoke the Brothers. He has traveled around the country promoting peace and devising strategies to positively engage young people. Mr. Moten is a skilled trainer in conflict resolution and has negotiated many truces between both male and female gangs and crews as he helped broker over 40 truces in Washington, D.C. as co-founder and CEO of the Peaceoholics. Mr. Moten also helped send over160 at-risk youth to college and many have returned to become active in their communities as active ANC Commissioners. He has also assisted the city in developing numerous initiatives to combat violence such as:
(VIP)Violence Intervention Partnership, Saving Our Sisters, and Rebuild the Village Model in Washington DC at a time when violent crimes such as homicides decreased for five consecutive years after many years of negative increases.
Mr. Moten has trained many local youth service providers, government and local and national leaders on the best practices and strategies to develop programs that support moving young people toward success. He has also served as an advisor to government and national leaders to strengthen and deepen the work to move young people from a life of violence to peace; from despair to hope; and from no skills to self-sufficiency.
Currently, Mr. Moten is a youth program developer and violence prevention specialist consultant for several service providers and has been a consultant with the Jack Kemp Foundation over the last 6 years focusing on leadership and empowerment of local at-risk or impoverished youth. With over 25 years of experience Mr. Moten success continues to be successful with as he is credited with transforming leaders of the local gay gang “Check It” from wrecking havoc and chaos in Gallery Place and the DMV, productive citizens with their own business “Check It Enterprises” in S.E. Anacostia, Washington DC where they are partnering to open the Go-Go Museum late Spring 2020.
Mr. Moten is also co-founder of the Don’t Mute DC movement which has broadened its mission after he and Howard University professor Natalie Hopkinson created the petition that collected over 80,00 signatures which helped bring back the music to 7th and Florida Ave. N.W. This movement has sparked a revolt against gentrification worldwide.