Author • Educator • Restorative Justice Practitioner
Roderick “Rudy” Bankston writes, teaches, and builds spaces for healing.
Rudy’s work moves between literature, restorative practice, music, education, and community transformation. Through I AM WE Classics, he turns a hard-won life story into books, workshops, and conversations centered on justice, trauma, resilience, and belonging.
About Rudy
A story of survival, education, and restorative practice.
Roderick “Rudy” Bankston is an educator, entrepreneur, author, and music producer. His story includes surviving the school-to-prison pipeline, being wrongly convicted at 19, and spending 20 years incarcerated before winning his freedom on appeal.
Since returning home, Rudy has worked in education, restorative justice, coaching, mentoring, and community-centered initiatives that invite people to imagine a more accountable and connected world.
Books by Rudy
Poetry, fiction, and reflections shaped by lived truth.
Explore Rudy’s published works, including haiku collections, poetry born from incarceration, and fiction grounded in struggle, discovery, and humanity.
Workshops & Speaking
Restorative learning for schools, teams, and communities.
Rudy’s presentations connect personal narrative with systemic analysis, helping audiences examine exclusion, racial justice, leadership, and the daily practice of repair.
Restorative Justice
Sessions that connect accountability, empathy, healing, and relationship repair.
School-to-Prison Pipeline
Talks that examine how punishment-centered systems shape students and communities.
Writing & Storytelling
Creative spaces for reflection, voice, authorship, and meaning-making.
Events & Appearances
Talks rooted in justice, learning, and belonging.
Upcoming dates can be added here as they are confirmed. The current timeline highlights recent public presentations and themes already associated with Rudy’s work.
2020
Finding Justice in a Broken System
Eastern Michigan University, Star Lecture Series
2019
Breaking Through Disproportionality
National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference, Denver
2018
Leading for Learning Through Restorative Justice
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Leading for Learning Institute
Books • Beats • Culture
I AM WE Classics connects storytelling with sound and community.
Rudy is also a music producer, and the new site includes a dedicated Beats Store for audio work alongside books, workshops, events, and reflections.
Latest Reflections
Writing for educators, readers, and community builders.
The blog can carry Rudy’s ongoing notes on literacy, healing, restorative practice, and cultural reflection.
A reflection on the power of welcome at the beginning of a school year.
Creation as refuge, resistance, and a practice of returning to self.
A cypher on rest, reflection, and the work of seeing ourselves clearly.
Connect
Bring Rudy’s story and restorative practice into your room.
Use the contact page to request workshops, speaking, collaborations, book inquiries, or community conversations.