Nicholas Buckingham

Nicholas Buckingham is the co-executive director of Michigan Liberation, dedicated to the leadership development of formerly incarcerated people and creation of effective campaigns to advance racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice in the Wolverine State.

After spending seven years incarcerated for armed robbery—where he led a successful boycott with the aim of reducing the staggering cost of phone calls—Nicholas decided to focus his attention on higher education and raising his voice for criminal justice reform. Born and raised in Oak Park, Michigan, Nicholas graduated from Oakland Community College and then completed his bachelor’s in social work with a concentration on criminal justice at Oakland University. Later, he earned a graduate degree from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Nicholas has served as a board member with the Detroit chapter of the Nation Outside, is an alumnus of the 2017 Just leadership USA “Leading With Conviction” cohort, and is a leading voice for the fair chance ordinance for the city of Detroit.