Tanika L. Nicholas

Tanika L. Nicholas joined the Southern Center for Human Rights as the Justice Reform Partnership Strategist in April 2022. As a formerly incarcerated woman, Tanika strives to be the catalyst for change to overcome the stigmas and stereotypes associated with formerly incarcerated people. After serving over ten years in prison, she observed firsthand the many shortcomings of the criminal legal and correctional systems. She seeks to transform these systems by using her “lived experience” as a link to reshape public policy reform.

Tanika has over 20 years of experience working within the nonprofit sector serving and empowering marginalized groups. Within the correctional system, she supported and assisted administrative staff in developing and implementing programs to increase re-entry success for the formerly incarcerated. She is a member of Women on the Rise, a grassroots organization that focuses on supporting, educating, and healing formerly incarcerated women. Tanika is also a Fellow in The Ladies of Hope Ministries (LOHM) Pathways 4 Equity Career Fellowship Program designed to engage, empower, and elevate women to the next level of their career pathway.

Tanika is a graduate of Grambling State University where she obtained her B.A. in Psychology and Troy University where she obtained an M.Ed with a concentration in Counseling. She currently resides in her hometown of Lagrange, GA where she enjoys sitting on the front porch with her grandfather appreciating the simplicity of life.