Rising Stars: Meet Jeremiah Curry of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremiah Curry.

Hi Jeremiah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in South Central Los Angeles during the crack cocaine era, which unfortunately caused harm to my family dynamic. My mother became a crack cocaine addict, and my father left the household when I was five years old. There was a lot of physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse and verbal abuse going on in my household that caused me to be removed by the Department of Children and Family Services. McClaren Children Center was my very first placement, which I experienced more abuse than I ever experienced in my household. My maternal grandmother got temporary custody after being at McClaren Children Center. I was in my maternal grandmother’s custody for a year, and my mother got back custody because my mother fulfilled her obligation of completing a drug rehabilitation program and parenting classes, I always loved my mother, and I always wanted to live with my mother, but my mother could not get off crack cocaine. I experienced a lot of bullying growing up in South Central Los Angeles because I was biracial with a White Father and a Black Mother. I always had to fight for my respect and not become a victim. The gangs were around and I did gravitate towards that subculture being as though I lacked the guidance of a positive male role model. I really did not like school and I only gone to school because I was obligated to go to school. I had some great teachers, and I had some horrible teachers that told me I was not going to be nothing. I always had dogs and cats as pets, which was kind of my support system growing up as a child. As a teenager I was staring to rebel more and my mother’s crack cocaine addiction was at an all-time high. I did make it through middle school and my second year of high school, I was put out of my mother’s house, which caused me to go back to my maternal grandmother’s house and the Department of Children and Family Services grated my maternal grandmother full custody. About a year later my mother passed away and my life had spiraled out of control. I tried to commit suicide multiple times, and I was struggling with my self-esteem. High school was hard because the students tried to run me out of the high school because I had come from middle school in a rival gang area. I still managed to graduate from high school on time and walk the stage. I did not know what direction my life was going in and I did attend community college at Los Angeles Southwest College, until I was arrested for a felony crime that I did not do. I was hanging out with the wrong crowd and I was guilty by association. The case was originally dismissed and refiled within a year of the statute of limitation. I had taken a plea deal and served time in the Los Angeles County Jail and I got three years probation. I did get out of jail, and I did go back to LASC to take classes, but I committed another crime and I had got sentenced to thirty-two months with eighty percent in a California State Prison. In both criminal cases, I spent three years of my life incarcerated. At this point in my life, I knew that I had to make a positive change for the betterment of myself and my life. I was blessed to go to a work furlough program at one hundred twenty days from parole, which prepared me to re-enter society. I worked at a twenty four hour restaurant as a dishwasher/busboy making only minimum wage an hour. I did parole from the work furlough program and I kept my job at the twenty four hour restaurant, I returned back to Los Angeles Southwest College and I graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in Administration of Justice. I met with a Transfer Counselor that mentored me and I had taken more college classes to become California State University General Education Certified. I transferred to California State University Los Angeles as a Social Work major because I wanted to always help people that been through struggles and adversities in their lives. Majoring in Social Work was great, until I was stopped from getting an internship because of my past criminal background. I was no longer on parole, and I had discharged parole in thirteen months. I had to threaten to file a lawsuit to get an internship, which set me back a year from graduating. In the extra year, I minored in Pan African Studies to learn about by my Black Culture. I did graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and Minor in Pan African Studies. I worked for Partnership Academic Learning Success and Educational Opportunity Program as a student worker at CSULA, which allowed me to attend CSULA as a full time student. I got married, I had a son and I was raising a daughter, while I was a student at CSULA. After graduating from CSULA it was very hard to get a job as a convicted felon, even though, I had a BA in Social Work with a Minor in Pan African Studies. In being persistent, I managed to get a job in the non-profit sector of the social services field. This resulted in working with the Chronically Homeless Population in Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County for the past twenty years as a Case Manager, Intensive Case Manager, Lead Intensive Case Manager, Program Manager, Mental Health Specialist and Resident Services Coordinator, which motivated me to go back to school as a graduate student at Pacific Oaks College. I welcomed a daughter during this time. I attended Pacific Oaks College, and I graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Human Development with an option in Educational Leadership and Social Services in one year, after finishing classes and writing a master’s thesis. My goal at this point was to become a college professor, which motivated me to pursue a doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership. I was accepted into the Chicago School of Professional Psychology as a Doctoral Student. The Doctor of Philosophy program in Organizational Leadership was great at first in passing all of my classes, which I learned a lot of new things from the faculty and adjunct faculty. As I advanced into taking the comprehensive examination and writing a doctoral dissertation, I endured a lot of prejudice, racism and bigotry as a student pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership. I was taken to the student commission to be expelled from school because I exceeded the number of times in taking the comprehensive examination. I won the student commission case that was filed against me. I had to pay out of pocket to take the comprehensive examination, which the same person that taken me to the student commission was a grader on my comprehensive examination and failed me, due to a personal bias against me. I had complained being as though it was a conflict of interest and I was allowed to retake the individual presentation part of the comprehensive examination with the online Organizational Leadership department. I passed my individual presentation part of the comprehensive examination, and my comprehensive examination grade was officially changed from No Credit to Credit. I finished writing my dissertation and I successfully defended my dissertation, after being denied by the Institution Revue Board numerous times for not liking my dissertation topic. It had taken me almost eight years to complete my doctorate degree and I graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Organizational Leadership in 2024. Since graduating from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Organizational Leadership, I have done guest lectures at Pepperdine University in the Graduate Clinical Psychology department, Westcliff University in the Graduate Business Administration department, East Los Angeles College in the undergraduate Sociology department, and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in the Doctorate of Philosophy Organizational Leadership department. I continue to apply for college teaching positions, and I have not had any success. I am still working in the Non-Profit Social Services field with the Chronically Homeless Population. I had one of my felony convictions reduced to a misdemeanor through Proposition 47 and I got a Certificate of Rehabilitation for one of my felony convictions back in April 2016. I am still awaiting my official pardon from the Governor of the state of California. I am also currently writing a book about my life and how I was able to turn a negative life into a positive life. I am just trying to live my life as a man, husband and father of two grown children and one minor child. I got to where I am at today by staying motivated through the hard times of life and seeing the hard times as being temporary.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been very rough and rugged being as though I had to endure a lot of physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse and sexual abuse. This caused me to try to commit suicide numerous times, which was unsuccessful. Today, I suffer from PTSD and Major Clinical Depression.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have worked in the Social Services field in the Non-Profit Sector for the past 20 years. I work with Chronically Homeless individuals that are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, Substance Abuse etc. I am known for being passionate and compassionate in doing my work as a professional practitioner in the Social Services field. I am very proud that I have permanently housed individuals and families throughout the years that are still permanently housed today. I am set apart from others because I was called to be a Social Services professional practitioner.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is defined by working hard and seeing the results of your hard work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: jeremiah.curry.5
• Facebook: Jeremiah Curry
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-curry-phd-95a9462a3/