Ubaydah Baa’ith is one of thousands of formerly incarcerated Americans[1] who found greater financial security thanks to bitcoin, since employment, banking and housing discrimination[2] against returning citizens is widespread across the United States.
“I come from generational incarceration. My grandmother and uncle did time, here I am years later with armed robbery,” Baa’ith said. “I learned about bitcoin when I was in a halfway house in 2018.”
When Baa’ith entered the halfway house, he met Clovia Lawrence, co-founder of Project Give Back To Community[3], and immediately got involved with educational programs that focus on low-income communities of color. Some studies[4] estimate that more than half of African Americans have had a family member incarcerated at some point, which has a significant impact on housing access and food security. Former inmates are far less likely to receive loans[5] or job offers[6], and the disparity is even greater among Black and Latino communities.
“It’s common for people coming out [of prison] to face homelessness. Their family members may have died or not have a place for them,” Baa’ith said. “There can be no bitcoin without beds. First and foremost we need to get someone coming out of incarceration food and shelter. Now I’m a project manager with Project Back To Community. We have 35 people at a time and have helped hundreds of people through seven reentry houses.”
Overall, Project Give Back To Community is a nonprofit focused on helping prisoners and returning citizens in Virginia become a positive force in their local communities, rather than feeling ostracized. As project manager, Baa’ith deals with the nitty gritty operations that help bring those programs to life, tasks like scheduling meetings and leading
