My Journey From Addiction to Advocacy
Authored by John Bowman, Senior Campaign Organizer
After battling with substance abuse disorder for 24 years and being entangled in the “justice” system since the age of thirteen, the work I do as Dream.Org’s Kentucky Senior Campaign Organizer is deeply meaningful and has provided a pathway for me to turn my personal pain into purpose. Throughout my life, I have lost more close friends and family members to the disease of addiction than I care to count. My experience and the experiences of those close to me have made me committed to helping others avoid the same struggles that I endured. While I may have lost many, if I can help change the life of just one person, then everything that I have been through from incarceration to losing a child will not be in vain. I didn’t always feel that way, but I came to realize that my future had two options: I could let the pain and suffering I’ve experienced fester inside me, or I could harness it for good and help others who find themselves victims of today’s devastating opioid crisis.
Over the past year and a half, I have had the pleasure of leading our Public Health is Public Safety campaign throughout Kentucky. During this five-city tour, we have brought together unlikely allies such as law enforcement, directly impacted Kentuckians, public health specialists, youth advocates, victims groups, business leaders, faith community leaders, and everyday people to advocate for people-first policies. Each participant came with a different perspective and opinion, yet were willing to come together to have difficult discussions to solve one of Kentucky's and America’s toughest issues — drug addiction and criminal justice. Together, we discussed alternatives to incarcerating folks dealing with substance use and mental health issues, the need for harm reduction, youth prevention related to incarceration and substance use, and the lack of resources in rural areas.
In Kentucky, we have seen some major legislative battles in recent years. From working to legalize fentanyl test strips to trying to stop the “Safer Kentucky Act,” each battle is unique. To pass one bill, we might become allied with groups that we find ourselves at odds with to pass or stop the next. That is the nature of common ground and compromise, we have to work with the same legislators and interest groups we disagree with on most issues to jointly work on criminal justice reform bills that could better our community. When it comes to moving the needle forward and creating change, alliances may shift, but respect for the other should never waiver.
Working on policies that can not only change lives but save lives is a big lift. While doing this work, there are a lot of uphill battles but I am grateful that I don’t have to do it alone. I get to work with amazing people not only in Kentucky but across the country. Many of the people that I work with normally wouldn’t cross paths in their day-to-day lives. But that is what makes the work so important. Being in a room with so many people from so many different walks of life at one time is something beautiful to witness.
As someone who is both justice-impacted and in long-term recovery, working closely with law enforcement was something I never thought that I would be doing. Luckily for me, I have gotten a chance to meet some law enforcement officers who were willing to try something different. They have witnessed first-hand that incarceration doesn’t do anything to combat addiction. That has inspired them to learn more about the disease and innovative methods of harm reduction offered by experts with lived experience. Working with them during this campaign has opened my eyes to the fact that we don’t know what we don’t know, and if you are willing to take a chance to work with uncommon allies then you can do some amazing things.
Not everyone is going to be comfortable with working with people they don’t normally associate with, and that is okay. I wasn’t comfortable with it at first, but I was eager to grow and to do that I had to be willing to get uncomfortable. I learned how to be a bridge to bring different groups together and give them a safe space to work and move forward in harmony. I have learned that just because I don’t always agree with you, doesn’t make you my enemy, it means that you are someone I can learn from and hopefully you are open to learning from me too. When we are willing to put aside our differences and leave our pride and egos at the door, there is no limit on what we can accomplish.
When you are working to change people's lives, you never know who is going to be that unlikely ally that you didn’t expect and didn’t know you needed. The truth of the matter is that people do want to help, but most don’t know how or where to start. This is where the people with lived experience come in. We have been down these roads and we know what works and what doesn’t. We need others, outside of that sphere, who are willing to listen to what we have to say and bring us to the table where important decisions that impact us are being made. I believe that we have earned a seat at this table and we have the type of real-world education that money can’t buy. We want to – and must be – involved in shaping the policies that will affect our communities.
After every single one of the Kentucky Public Health is Public Safety events, I have left with my cup overflowing and a boost of energy to keep fighting and finding solutions to the issues that mean the most to me. The conversations from these gatherings have been so powerful that it’s difficult to put into words, but it shows that a common ground approach to challenging –even divisive– issues can lead to successful outcomes. This work is too big and too important for anyone to go at it alone. I’m proud to do this work with Dream.Org and am even more committed to creating safe spaces to truly listen to what each other has to say so that we can build a safer and healthier future. As the Kentucky motto states, united we stand, divided we fall. Let us all do the work to stand together.
