The Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth is set to host a talk by Alice Marie Johnson on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 3 p.m. The event, titled “From Prison to Promise,” is free and open to the public.
A live audience and reception is scheduled to be held in the Louise S. Barry Auditorium at NDSU’s Richard H. Barry Hall, where hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Virtual attendance is available on Zoom at ndsu.edu/challeyinstitute/events.
Johnson’s story received worldwide attention when Kim Kardashian West advocated for her release from a mandatory life sentence without parole. After almost 22 years in federal prison for her first and only conviction in a nonviolent drug case, she was granted clemency by President Donald Trump in 2018 and received a full pardon in 2020. She has since become a renowned leader, speaker and luminary in the criminal justice reform movement.
“We’re delighted to welcome Alice Marie Johnson to NDSU. Her story is inspiring, and it has led many to call for a more serious look at criminal justice reform in America,” said Scott Beaulier, Ronald and Kaye Olson Dean of Business at NDSU. “As an Institute focused on opportunity for all, we hope Alice’s message of never giving up – even after 21 years in prison – will encourage our students and community.”
Johnson is the founder and CEO of the Taking Action for Good Foundation. She was honored as a “Women’s Right Defender” at the United Nations on International Women’s Day in 2019. She is a published author with her memoir, “After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom.”
The first 50 attendees in-person will receive a free copy of her book.
The presentation is part of the Menard Family Distinguished Speaker Series, which invites world thought leaders to share their ideas with the NDSU community on big questions that explore ways to improve the human condition and create economic opportunity.
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