We recently had the chance to connect with Raymond Hicks and have shared our conversation below.
Raymond, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Ms. Kristen, good morning ma’am.
I stood up when others stayed silent. I spoke out against police brutality, corruption, and the planting of drugs on Black men who never had a fair chance. I refused to turn my back while young Black men were being beaten to the ground like their lives didn’t matter. I stood alone when I exposed the unthinkable: my own department cooking crack cocaine on the 7th floor of the courthouse. The place where justice was supposed to live had become a crime scene. For telling the truth, I was punished, targeted, and thrown into a nightmare I did not deserve.
But God does not abandon the righteous. Today, State Prosecutor Harold Pryor has publicly acknowledged what I was condemned for exposing 24 years ago. I confirmed that 2,600 criminal cases must now be overturned because of the corruption I tried to stop. Everything I said back then, everything I was destroyed for, is now being proven true. I paid for my integrity with my freedom, my reputation, and my life as I once knew it. But I never bowed. And now, after all these years, the truth is finally standing up for me.
Respectfully,
Raymond Hicks
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Raymond L. Hicks, and my journey has been anything but ordinary. I am a highly decorated former Broward Sheriff’s Deputy who devoted my life to service, integrity, and protecting my community. My story is one of resilience, truth, and unshakable faith. After being wrongfully accused more than two decades ago, of Trafficking 350 kilograms of cocaine worth 750 million dollars. They had no drugs no money nor any mention of drugs and money it was all fabricated to silence my request for justice. I fought relentlessly to clear my name, and today, with new evidence and public revelations, the truth is finally rising to the surface. Beyond my law enforcement career, I’ve built a life centered on leadership, education, and empowerment. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree with a 3.97 GPA, received the African American Achievers Award for helping young people earn their diplomas, and hold an Honorary Doctorate in Theology. I’m also a certified Life Coach, speaker, and advocate who uses my story to inspire hope, courage, and justice. My brand is rooted in truth, accountability, and transformation. I believe God doesn’t create warriors in comfort, and everything I’ve endured has prepared me to serve others on a greater scale. Right now, I’m actively working on reopening my civil rights case, sharing my testimony, and developing powerful projects that shine light on corruption, champion justice, and motivate people to rise above adversity. My mission is simple: turn pain into purpose, and truth into impact. In closing, I have a nonprofit organizations The Raymond L Hicks Foundation LLC L17000061770 that help underprivileged kids and families.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment that changed how I see the world was the day I was wrongfully accused and taken into custody. In an instant, everything I believed about justice, loyalty, and truth was turned upside down. I had served my community with honor, yet I saw how quickly a good man could be targeted and stripped of everything. Those 16.5 months in federal prison opened my eyes. I saw the pain, the injustice, and the brokenness that so many people face. But I also discovered my own strength, my faith, and my purpose. That moment didn’t make me bitter, it made me awakened. It taught me that truth is powerful, that God works through every trial, and that sometimes the hardest moments are the ones that define who we truly are.
Respectfully,
Raymond Hicks
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me how to depend on God and His protection.
When I was wrongfully accused and everything in my life collapsed, I learned that the only foundation that cannot be taken from me is my faith. In the darkest moments, when my name was attacked, when I was sitting in a cell for a crime I didn’t commit, when the world turned its back, God never did. He became my strength when I had none, my clarity when everything felt confusing, and my shield when I was surrounded by lies and corruption. That experience changed me forever. It taught me that God doesn’t create warriors in comfort; He shapes them in fire. And every storm I walked through revealed His protection, His purpose, and His promise over my life.
Respectfully,
Raymond Hicks
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I deeply admire my wife, Patrice, mother Bernice, my brother Bobby Hicks, and my children Martrice and her husband Terrence, Rayven and her husband Eric, Raymond Jr. my friends Chief Jarrett his wife Mrs Kelli, and their friend Jimmy, Sgt, Booker, his wife Yolanta, daughter Aaliah, Ms. Fagan, Coreen, Margaret, Sgt. Clarke, Sister in law Gerry and her husband Tony, Mr. Spath and his Wife Mrs. Marlene, Darryl Allen and wife Antionette, Ms. Martha Moffet, Ms. Claire Shore, the late Mr. Dick, Kulpa, my Cousin Jack McBorrows,
for standing by me throughout my incarceration.
Their love, loyalty, and strength carried me through a season that could have broken me. When the world turned its back, they never did. They prayed for me, believed in me, and held on to the truth when everything around us felt uncertain.
Their support reminded me that real love doesn’t disappear in hard times, it becomes stronger. I am the man I am today because they refused to let me walk through that darkness alone, and I will honor their sacrifice for the rest of my life.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I was a man who stood for truth, no matter the cost. That I refused to let injustice, suffering, or corruption break my spirit. That even after being wrongfully accused and imprisoned, I never stopped fighting for what was right, not just for myself, but for others who didn’t have a voice.
I hope they say I loved fiercely, my family, my community, and the people God placed in my path. That I used my pain to lift others up, and my testimony to give people hope. That I walked with integrity, courage, and faith, even when the road was dark. Most of all, I hope people say I left this world better than I found it, that my story inspired someone to keep going, to believe in justice, and to trust that God can turn the hardest battles into a purpose that outlives you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.raymondhicks.net
- Instagram: I’m Still Standing by Raymond Hicks
- Linkedin: Raymond Hicks
- Facebook: Raymond Hicks
- Youtube: Raymond Hicks videos
- Soundcloud: Through It All God brought me home
- Other: My character is built on integrity, resilience, and unwavering faith.
I am a man who has walked through injustice, adversity, and loss, yet I refused to let those experiences harden my heart or change who I am. I stand firm in my values, even when it costs me. I believe in truth, accountability, and doing what is right, not what is easy. I’m loyal to the people who stand with me, and I protect those who can’t protect themselves. I carry myself with humility, strength, and compassion, because I know what it feels like to be misunderstood, mistreated, and targeted. My character has been tested in fire, and instead of breaking, it became stronger. I strive to be a man of honor, a man of purpose, and a man whose actions speak louder than his words.
