Born in Oakland, Darris grew up between Berkeley and El Cerrito, California in the mid 60’s and early ’70s, where he witnessed first-hand the Berkeley riots of 1967 and 1971, members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense dressed in their signature black berets and black leather jackets, and police brutality against Black and white demonstrators alike. Those childhood scenes stuck in his mind and would eventually shape his life toward service and activism, first as a police officer and later as a counselor and advocate.

The year 1985 marked a pivotal turning point in Darris’ life. He was hired by the Richmond, California Police Department at age 23, and was voted as Vice President of his police academy class. Six weeks into field training he was unjustly terminated from the department. Shortly after his life morphed into drug addiction and incarceration. His drug addiction eventually led to a 20-year prison sentence in 1998.

Paroling from prison in 2012, Darris completed his Bachelor of Addiction Counseling through the Association Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors Institute and received certifications in the domestic violence and youth violence prevention counseling. In 2014, he began his organizing and advocacy career with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights where he championed criminal justice reform. In 2018, he began working for the Urban Strategies Council leading their Boys & Men of Color policy table. Working to prevent youth of color from being caught up in the criminal justice system is his passion.