INFLUENCERS
Meet Nickie Davis : Her Mission to Keep Families Connected Through MOMS LOVE FOREVER
Nickie Davis is a powerhouse television executive, producer, and philanthropist, currently serving as the Director of Development for unscripted projects at Cedric the Entertainer’s A Bird and a Bear Entertainment. She is also the founder and President of Moms Love Forever, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the bonds between children and their incarcerated parents. With an impressive career spanning from founding 8th Wonder Entertainment to partnering with Akon to develop talent in Africa, Nickie has been at the forefront of groundbreaking media and humanitarian efforts. A Princeton graduate with a business certification from Columbia, she continues to use her platform to create meaningful change in entertainment, criminal justice reform, and community development.
Nickie, can you tell us about the moment you decided to create MOMS LOVE FOREVER and what inspired you to take action?
When I knew that I might have to spend some time in prison away from my daughter, I looked for programming to support and help my daughter. I found a few programs but none of them were based in Los Angeles so I decided to start one that would help children separated from their moms in jail to maintain that relationship. It was all about helping children and moms stay connected and making sure that the children feel loved during the period of incarceration. There was a need and so I decided to take that step to make a difference.
How has your personal experience influenced the mission and activities of MOMS LOVE FOREVER?
My personal experience of being separated from my daughter and knowing how painful that was for me and for her is what drives me everyday to want to continue doing more to further the mission and activities of moms love forever. Our personal experience informs the work we do.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered while establishing and running MOMS LOVE FOREVER?
There have been some prisons that don’t want us to come in and do family days for children and their parents because of my criminal record. That’s sad and frustrating. It’s only happened a very few times but when it does, it’s super deflating.
Can you share a particularly memorable or impactful story from one of your events uniting children with their incarcerated mothers?
Literally, every family that is united and experiences joy at our events brings tears to my eyes! I am a crying mess at every event and so are the volunteers that come with me! Each and every family makes it worth it.
How does MOMS LOVE FOREVER partner with the CENTER FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, and what synergies have you found in working together?
The Center for Restorative Justice Get on the Bus Program is headed by a wonderful woman named Liz Rios and we partnered with them on the first events we did at women’s prisons and we continue to help each other with resources for events. They do amazing work and have amazing people and we share a common passion to help families unite so it’s a great working relationship. They have been around a long time so they can guide us and they do. It’s a beautiful thing and I am very grateful.
What are your long-term goals for MOMS LOVE FOREVER, and how do you envision the organization evolving in the future?
I want to expand our family day programs to more prison facilities and I also want to incorporate a mental health community supported program for the children that have parents incarcerated. In addition, I’d like to put together an annual conference for all those organizations that are committed to criminal justice reform so we can learn from each other and work together. I also want to have our organization be a touch point for families that are trying to bring a mom home using the First Step Act and help them to navigate that through the justice system so that moms are brought home when they are supposed to be released.
In your view, what are some of the most effective ways society can support children who have incarcerated parents?
Try to find ways to bring nonviolent parents home as soon as possible. Generally, courts and judges do not consider the children in sentencing, but it should be considered. I would like to see it listed as a factor in sentencing. Many children don’t have someone to be with after a mom (or dad) is taken away so what do you think is going to happen to that child that is put into child protective services? And how often do you think that child is brought to visit his/her mom or dad while in foster care by his/her foster parents? So, then we create a vicious cycle where that child will most likely end up in the prison system eventually too. How is that good for society?
How do you balance your roles as an entrepreneur, producer, philanthropist, activist, and mother? What strategies do you use to manage your time and energy?
I write down a list of all the things I want or need to do every day and refer back to this list constantly. This makes a huge difference. On the days where I don’t have a chance to do this because the morning just starts too fast, I am always way less productive. This is a game changer that I started to do when I went into middle school, and I wholeheartedly believe it was what took me from an average student to a straight A student.
Given your diverse background in entertainment and philanthropy, how do you leverage your previous experiences to benefit MOMS LOVE FOREVER?
Relationships that you build, no matter what industry or charitable work that you do, are what are most valuable as you continue to move forward in life. You need people to get things done and the more people you know, the more you can get done. I reach out and I try to connect with people I have met with similar interests and see how we can work together.
What advice would you give to other women who are looking to start their own nonprofit organizations or become involved in activism?
Determine what it is that you want to do or what you are passionate about and see what organizations exist that you can get involved in. If there isn’t one, then maybe you want to start one, but just be realistic about what that entails in terms of time commitment and fundraising. Identify a specific goal or event that you can do and work toward that. Make sure that you are realistic in that first goal because that will be the foundation upon which you will then go on to do bigger and bigger things. The world needs people like that – who want to do good. It takes a certain type of person, and I commend anyone and everyone who wants to do something to help others. It’s community. It’s love. It’s what makes the world a better place.
