85: Ken Nwadike Jr. on His Journey From Growing Up in Homeless Shelters to Becoming Known As The “Free Hugs Guy”

Send us a Text Message. Kenneth E. Nwadike, Jr. is an American documentary filmmaker, motivational speaker, and peace activist popularly known as the Free Hugs Guy. Ken is the founder of the Free Hugs Project, which gained popularity as he made major news headlines for his peacekeeping efforts and de-escalation of violence during protests, riots, and political rallies. In today’s episode, Ken shares some insight into his upbringing, from playing with his favorite toy, a Lamborghini Countach Micro Machine, to sleeping in homeless shelters to a full track and field scholarship, and how he came to recognize the power of his story to inspire others. Tuning in, you’ll learn how he managed to shut down Hollywood Boulevard for 10,000 runners, why he believes that it was fate that he missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by just a few seconds, and the story behind the viral moment when he hugged a white police officer in riot gear at the Charlotte protests following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in 2016, plus so much more! Ken’s courageous work as a peace activist is helping to heal and narrow the social, political, and racial divide that exists throughout the US and his energy, passion, and love are changing individual behaviors and group interactions for the better. His story is an example of how every single hardship that we face, almost without exception, will one day come into play when we eventually find our purpose, so make sure to tune in today to learn more about the Free Hugs Guy and the power of love in the face of fear and hatred!