After resigning from office for misusing campaign funds, Kacie Starr Long found redemption in advocacy, prison ministry, and sewing.
I equated success and perfection with being loved from a young age. This led me to work really hard in school while participating in extracurricular activities, believing my family would applaud me if I did. I ended up graduating high school with honors.
After high school, I earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, but I didn’t stop there. I also earned a master’s degree in international relations. From there, I interned on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and even worked for a member of Congress.
I also had my own political ambitions. My grandfather, John Bass, was a Missouri state senator before becoming the first Black comptroller of the city of St. Louis. With his decorated history in mind, I ran for a seat on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. I was only 26 at the time, but I proved the critics wrong and became one of the city’s youngest ever elected officials. I was also the first Black woman to represent my ward.
THE LOSS OF A DREAM
However, there was still a hole in my heart. I felt that I needed to earn people’s approval. A newspaper article described me as the “best dressed city politician.” I felt like I had to live up to that title, and I decided to misuse campaign funds.
The theft lasted a couple of years, and nobody knew. But Jesus did, and He used my mom to bring me back to the faith I knew as a child.
While I was spending lavishly on a lifestyle I couldn’t afford, my mom gave me a magazine that contained a specific prayer. It was about being filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I said that prayer in my dimly lit apartment, and the Spirit convicted me of what I had done. I recognized the media coverage would be intense if I came clean, and I might even face prison time. But I knew everything would be all right with the Lord at my side.
I ended up avoiding prison but did pay restitution. I also resigned from the board of aldermen. My future dreams of becoming mayor and running for Congress were gone.
BEAUTY FROM ASHES
I had risen to prominence so quickly only to have it all come crashing down. Finding a job after confessing to the misuse of campaign funds was hard. This led me to look at my family’s past to see what might be in store for my future.
Sewing had always been a hobby for me, as it had been for my great-grandmother and grandmother. It was now a lifeline. I opened the Sew Hope Community Sewing Room in March 2022. We began offering sewing classes for kids and adults along with embroidery services. I’m even developing programs for formerly incarcerated men and women. Sewing has meant so much to me; it has brought redemption. God has used sewing to pull me from the ashes and transform my situation into something beautiful.
My resignation also led to me finding love. After seeing me on the front page of the newspaper, my now-husband Alfred contacted me through Facebook. We went on a date and talked about prison ministry, an area he’s been active in for more than 40 years. It took us only six months to get married. Proof, once again, that God makes beauty from the ashes.
BECOMING A JUSTICE AMBASSADOR
My husband and I now lead a St. Louis prison ministry. When the COVID pandemic kept us from being able to visit with people inside of prison, I began thinking about how I could continue serving the currently and formerly incarcerated. That’s when I signed up to become a Justice Ambassador for Prison Fellowship® and underwent training to share my story. This training provided me with a place where I could sharpen my advocacy skills and use my story to bring about change within the laws that govern our country. It also surrounded me with a community of like-minded individuals whom I could advocate alongside.
Part of my story also includes the tragedy of my father dying inside a jail in Washington, D.C. I was shocked but heartened by the outpouring of support I received when he passed. I have since gone back to Washington, alongside other Justice Ambassadors, to urge lawmakers to pass the Federal Prison Oversight Act which would ensure prisons are regularly inspected so that incarcerated men and women can serve their time in safe and humane facilities.
I’m blessed to be part of the Justice Ambassador team. We pray for one another. We come alongside each other as life events happen. I have also received financial support for a mission trip. Most importantly, we get to do the work that God has called us to do and make lasting change within the public square.
I have been on the mountaintop and deep in the valley, but God has been with me every step of the way. My journey shows God takes what the enemy means for evil, and He turns it into good.
My story is proof you’re never too far gone.
RAISE YOUR VOICE!
We encourage Christians who are experienced in advocacy, looking to learn more, or interested in increasing their involvement to apply to the Justice Ambassador program. Justice Ambassadors' voices can be an effective tool to inspire the Church, change the culture, and advance justice that restores.
Become a Justice Ambassador with Prison Fellowship today!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE?
Make sure you don' t miss out on any of our helpful articles and incredible transformation stories! Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, and you' ll get great content delivered directly to your inbox.
Your privacy is safe with us. We will never sell, trade, or share your personal information.
