I Am Not My Charges: Rewriting the Narrative of Redemption

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 Part 6 of the Second Chance Chronicles

By Chaddrick Thomas



They look at my record and think they know who I am.


40 years in the state. 51 more in the feds.

Murder. 2002. Colorado.

That’s all some people need to stop listening.



But here’s what they don’t see:


I’m a military veteran.

I’m a father of four.

I’m the CEO of a successful e-commerce brand, Global Hair 4U.

I’ve spent over two decades behind bars building, healing, growing.

And I am not my charges.




They Gave Me a Number. I Built a Name.


They sentenced me to 40 years—and then added 51 more like I was disposable.

But even inside, I refused to be invisible.

While the system tried to bury me, I was creating a future from the concrete.


Global Hair 4U didn’t come from privilege. It came from purpose. From vision. From long nights strategizing when I could’ve given up.

Because I knew my life wasn’t over.

Because I knew my story had more chapters.


“I’m fighting every day to rebuild my brand, my legacy, and myself. I’m not who I was. I’m who I choose to become.”

— Chaddrick Thomas



A Charge Doesn’t Define a Soul


People see “murder” and stop there. But redemption isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about transforming the future.

I’ve done the work. I’ve faced the guilt. I’ve taken accountability.

But I refuse to let the worst decision of my life erase all of my life.


We live in a society that wants to keep people locked into their pasts—even after they’ve changed. Especially when they’re Black. Especially when they’re system-impacted. Especially when they dare to rise.


But I’m rising anyway.



Redemption Is a Daily Rebellion


They say I’m serving time—but really, I’m serving purpose.

Every letter I write.

Every move I make for my business.

Every lesson I try to pass to my kids.


That’s me reclaiming my humanity.

That’s me saying, you don’t get to define me by the worst headline attached to my name.



CALL TO ACTION: See the Man, Not the Mistake


1. Support System-Impacted Entrepreneurs

Back businesses like Global Hair 4U and others built behind the walls.

We’re not waiting to be saved—we’re building our own tables.


2. Challenge the Labels

When you hear someone say “felon,” ask them: “Do you know his story?”

Because behind every charge is a life—not a statistic.


3. Fund Redemption Work

Donate to programs that help incarcerated people turn ideas into empires. That’s real freedom.


4. Share Our Stories Loud

Post, speak, and elevate the voices of those who’ve done the time and the transformation.


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