Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre Harris.
Hi Andre, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Andre Harris, and I grew up in Kansas City, MO. I wasn’t always this person you read about today. Before I sold drugs from 14 until I was 25 years old. I banged 12 Street the whole time. This wasn’t a life that I chose. I fell into the trap, like many young boys my age at the time. See, the streets don’t tell you what you will lose. It only shows you what you don’t have. And it’s not until you’re deep into that life that the streets start showing you the true price of that life. And it’s life for life, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and an eye for an eye. But by then, you’re so deep into it that you just say aye, it’s what comes with it. Death becomes a normal part of life. Just another day at the office, though our office was the streets. You learn to cherish the moments because death comes quickly in the streets. We started off 26 deep, and as of today, it’s only four of us alive. That’s a price I wish no have to pay. Am 40 years old today, and I have been to as many or more funerals. I hate to say it, but after ten funerals, you stop counting because it doesn’t help to remember. I did things to survive. At some point, you must stop feeling anything to live and to stay alive; feelings get you killed in the streets, and your conscience is your enemy. To live that life in that life, both must be turned off, and you must live a life of no regret and no remorse. Pain gets masked behind drugs. I found myself popping nine pills a day and drinking a whole fifth of Vodka in the name of having fun, yet I was carrying so much pain. Drugs took it all away. Sleeping with multiple women for the sake of just breaking hearts. Hurt people do hurt people, because allowing someone makes you forget about your own hurt. I was so tired of being tired, I just didn’t know that 11 years of non-stop pain and drama would kill a man mentally for real. One day in 2011, I woke up, and while lying down, I committed that I would never sell drugs again. I was so serious about that that I went and turned myself in to get all my warrants off me. While I was in jail, my baby left me because I gave up that lifestyle. When I got out of jail i was homeless, and for three years I would remain homeless, sleeping on people’s couches and asking for a loan. I went from being the man. It was a point in my life when I was the weight man. Now I’m just a nobody, people feared me and respected me because of that fear, now I am the laughing stock and made a mockery of. Yet to grow, I knew I would have to let go of my pride and ego, and man did God test this guy. March 15, 2012, Christ came into my life and saved me on purpose. Still homeless. still without a job. And I would still be jobless until Jan 6 of 2014. Once I got a job, I was thankful. First job, I was making 7.25 an hour. I was happy, not because it was a lot of money, but because for the first time in my life, I was making honest money. I remember when they gave me a 10-cent raise, I was bragging as though it might have been a ten or 20-dollar raise. I slept better, no worries, not being robbed or sent to prison. I smiled more. I worked that job and learned everything I could, then moved to the next job and went for 7 to 15 an hour. Gained me a skill in commercial doors and windows, and I was making great money then. Yet in 2020, something caused me to look deeper; it was the death of LeGend. Murdered in his father’s home while sleeping. For some reason, that death rocked me. I felt for the father; I saw how all the attention was going to leGend’s mom, and my heart went out to his dad. So I did some searching once I found out Ralph wasn’t a shoot ’em up kind of guy or a gangsta. But I was a working man, I went home and told my wife, now we have to create something for men who lose children to gun violence, and Dads Against Crime was born.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road. When my wife, Nikita Harris, and I started Dads Against Crime, I honestly thought the church and the community would fully embrace it. But what we were doing was different. There really wasn’t a lane for a nonprofit focused specifically on men — especially one dealing with mental health as a root cause of violence. That made things difficult. Receiving grants and funding has been a struggle because there’s still a stigma around men in this country. Men are told to be tough, not cry, not show emotion. We’re taught that emotions are weakness and vulnerability is only for women. That mindset is a lie, but many people — even men themselves — still believe it. So when Dads Against Crime stepped onto the scene, it created uncomfortable conversations and challenged people’s way of thinking. It’s not that we don’t care about women and children — we absolutely do. But if we truly want safer women, safer children, and safer communities, then we must address the people hurting them. We must help the broken men. Too often, people overlook the importance of that work. We’ve been turned down for grants simply because our focus is on men. But helping men helps the entire community. When you heal a broken man, you help heal a broken home. And when homes begin to heal, communities begin to heal too. So the question becomes: if fixing broken men can help fix broken communities, why wouldn’t we invest in that?
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m Andre Harris, founder and president of Dads Against Crime, a nonprofit based in Kansas City focused on helping fathers and men impacted by violence, trauma, and crime. What makes my story different is that I didn’t learn this work from a textbook — I lived it. I came out of the streets myself. I know what it feels like to carry pain, trauma, anger, addiction, and hopelessness. I also know what it feels like to lose people you love to violence and poor choices. After turning my own life around, I made it my mission to help other men heal before pain destroys another family or another community. At Dads Against Crime, we specialize in working with fathers and men who are often overlooked. We provide mentorship, counseling, therapy resources, felony expungement assistance, job placement, and emotional support for men dealing with grief, trauma, and violence. Our focus is not just stopping crime — it’s getting to the root causes behind it, especially untreated mental health struggles in men.
One thing people know me for is speaking openly and honestly about men’s mental health. I challenge the mindset that men have to suffer in silence. Too many men were taught to hide their emotions, never cry, and carry pain alone. I believe that mindset is one of the reasons violence continues in our communities. When men heal, families heal. When families heal, communities heal. What I’m most proud of is seeing lives transformed. I’m proud that Dads Against Crime has helped men find jobs, receive counseling, clear felony records, and rebuild relationships with their children and families. I’m proud that men who once felt forgotten now have a brotherhood and a support system. According to our organization’s impact reports, we’ve counseled nearly 200 men, helped with dozens of felony expungements, placed men into jobs, and hosted community outreach events throughout Kansas City. What sets me apart from others is authenticity. I don’t speak from theory — I speak from survival, redemption, and purpose. I can sit across from a man coming out of the streets, addiction, prison, or grief, and genuinely understand where he’s been because I’ve walked that road myself. My goal isn’t to judge people. My goal is to reach them before they become another funeral, another prison sentence, or another broken home. Dads Against Crime was born out of pain, but it continues because of purpose. We’re building stronger communities one man at a time.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I can’t speak for the whole nonprofit sector, but for Dads Against Crime nationally, then globally.
Pricing:
- Our services are free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dadsagainstcrime.org
