Le’Taxione is a full-time student at SFCC and the vice president of our school’s Black Student Union.  He’s an author, concrete activist and a member of the Executive Board NAACP-Spokane Branch, with a very important story and message to share with the students of SFCC. Le’Taxione is originally from Fresno, California, where he was one of the founding members of a gang.
“In 1997, I was given life without the possibility of parole in the state of Washington,”’ said Le’Taxione, whose given name is Ernest Carter. This was under the three strikes law for Washington state. He was however awarded clemency in 2015 by Gov. Jay Inslee after serving 22 years of a life without the possibility of parole. Since his release, he has dedicated his life to impacting and creating change in today’s youth by founding and being involved in several organizations surrounding gang violence prevention
“I am the president of LETAXIONE INC. nonprofit,” Le’Taxione said.
He also founded N’STEP, which according to their website is the Nine Steps to Empower Process, is an innovative, non-traditional and effective approach to gang violence prevention.  He also speaks at schools and mentors and advocates for justice and social change. He says the time spent in prison was used to enlighten and better himself so he was able to focus his attention on creating change and giving his voice to those who may be experiencing gang violence.
“Thoughts that I entertained during my 22 years in the prison industrial complex were for the most part centered upon purpose-spiritual enlightenment-socio-economic and political justice and change and of course my complete liberation from that form of oppression.’’
While incarcerated, Le’Taxione wrote 15 books and published 10, three of them children’s books. He also wrote curriculum “Addressing youth/gang violence, self-image and self-worth-ACE’s-environmental trauma and its effect on the psyche,” Le’Taxione said.
Now out of prison, he used his voice both on and off the written page to spread his knowledge and guidance to those finding themselves in similar and different situations then his own, offering support to youth affected by gangs. When asked why he will be speaking here, he said “I am enrolled in college, so naturally this experience is to be both realized and actualized and in doing so growth is mandated.’’
Le’Taxione believes it to be the most important thing to have these programs and people out there helping today’s youth in the world we live in.
“It is imperative for there is a lack of both two-parent homes and opportunities for youth that have been impacted by ACE’s-trauma-discrimination of all kinds-homelessness, etc. Our youth’s voices must be heard directly from our youth’s mouths and we as both individuals and organizations/institutions must create an atmosphere wherein we can make available a community support system of healing,” Le’Taxione said.
He will be speaking to CCS students at the Impacted Youth Forum from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Feb. 29.
“If you want your challenges and desires to be heard — attend this Impacted Youth Forum for free and make your voice heard,” Le’Taxione said.
An important thing you can take away from this event, according to Le’Taxione is that your destinies are your own, and must be pursued in the face of adversity. If this is done, he said, there is nothing that can stop your success.