A Nike executive who was once in jail is now advocating for second chances for formerly incarcerated people.
Currently, Larry Miller serves as the head of Nike's Jordan Brand. Throughout his career, he has progressed through the ranks at various corporations, including Campbell Soup, Kraft Foods, and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.
He kept a dark secret: In 1965, at age 16, Miller pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of another teenager in Philadelphia, serving four and a half years in prison. Shortly after, he served another five years in prison for a series of armed robberies.
Despite being publicly identified in the Philadelphia Daily News after pleading guilty to the murder charge, Miller remained unnoticed as he entered and progressed through the corporate world. It wasn't until October that he and his daughter Laila Lacy announced they were co-writing and publishing a tell-all memoir, “Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom.”
Last month, a memoir was published, which Miller said was freeing. He also stated that his main goal in writing it was to prove that formerly incarcerated individuals can achieve rehabilitation and success.
Miller emphasized the importance of recognizing that formerly incarcerated individuals have the potential to contribute positively, and their past mistakes should not define their future prospects.
In his 70s, Miller stated that he had met some of the most creative, intelligent, and smart individuals in prison. He lamented that all of their talents and abilities were being wasted within the jails.
During his time in prison, Miller obtained an education with the help of Pell grants designed for inmates. Afterward, he attended college through a day-release program. On Sunday, Miller shared with CNN that this experience helped him believe that he could transform his life.
He graduated from Temple University at age 30 around the same time he was released from prison. Despite being an interview away from landing a job at a major accounting firm, he decided to disclose his criminal background, which resulted in not getting the job. He spent the rest of his career hiding his previous incarceration.
Sports Illustrated reported that Miller never lied on an application, but he often found loopholes. Most applications only required him to disclose any convictions from the past five years, he stated. However, as his success grew, he began experiencing migraine headaches and nightmares.
He expressed to CNN the constant anxiety and dread that the revelation of something would ruin all his efforts up until that point.
Lacy persuaded Miller to write the book after years of urging him to relieve the tension, while Miller sought advice from a group of close friends and colleagues, including Michael Jordan and Phil Knight, before making the decision.
The Sports Illustrated article that publicly named the victim of the 1965 Miller murder, then-18-year-old Edward White, caused controversy among the teenager's family before the book's release.
In December, Miller had a meeting with White's sister, Barbara Mack, and his two children, Hasan Adams and Azizah Arline. Mack and Adams expressed their forgiveness towards Miller to the New York Times. However, Arline stated that she required more time to come to terms with the situation.
The Times reports that Miller is in talks with the family to establish a perpetual scholarship foundation to aid White's descendants and possibly others in attending college or trade school.
Last month, on CNBC's "The News with Shepard Smith," Miller stated that the most significant outcome from the book for him is knowing that, despite the pain and harm he inflicted on their family, they are willing to forgive him.
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