The Walkies Story

Education through lived experience

Walkies was created to inspire a paradigm shift in those who have embraced street life. Every story features individuals with the shared lived experiences of poverty, trauma, crime, incarceration and ultimately success, used to provide a roadmap to transition out of the criminal lifestyle.

The series is designed to enhance a deeper understanding of the human experience. Connecting professionals to the communities they serve is critical in establishing the foundation to a better society for all. Including those communities most impacted by the criminal justice system.

Shuja Moore is a fourth-generation West Philadelphian, raised in a family of community leaders. Yet, at the age of 22 years old, he found himself immersed in Philadelphia’s violent drug culture, eventually landing him in prison for third-degree murder. During his 12 years of incarceration Shuja went on a journey of personal transformation and reflection. Now, his mission is to change the same violent culture that he was once a part of.

While on the inside, what Shuja saw portrayed on television did not match his personal experience nor what he witnessed from others. He found that people ended up in prison because they were hurting in some capacity, people who never truly knew who they were. He witnessed people working hard to discover themselves and self-educating on how to return back to society as a productive citizen. Realizing the power of media and the need to educate others on how to transition out of crime, upon his release, Shuja set his intentions on creating a documentary series. His vision was to create a show which could’ve helped steer him in the right direction when he was struggling as a young man. Recognizing that he can never fully account for his past decisions, Shuja sees this endeavor as one step towards serving justice to the people that he has hurt in his past.