District politicians and residents alike are highlighting the legacy of Talib Shakir, a longtime community leader, who died on Oct. 9 death after a fatal e-scooter, while furthering his commitment to public safety in the nation’s capital.
“Through his work in public service, most recently leading the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs (ORCA), Talib was committed to creating opportunity for D.C. residents,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “In Talib’s own words, his mission at MORCA was clear: ensure returning citizens feel connected, valued, and included in D.C.’s future. We are so grateful for the energy and love he poured into doing just that for the city where he was born, raised, and served.”
Shakir, 50, spent more than two decades of his adulthood in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting a store clerk in 1993. After serving nearly 26 years, the native Washingtonian dedicated his career to uplifting his hometown, and particularly a community for which he knew and cared about deeply: returning citizens.
“Talib made the most of his second chance and dedicated himself to helping others do the same,” Bowser continued. “He loved to mentor young people and to prove to them that their city believes in them.”
For Shakir, who was raised in Northwest D.C., engaging with the community was critical in working to improve outcomes across the District.
“As director of ORCA, Talib championed a comprehensive approach to public safety and economic opportunity for D.C. residents,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement. “He dedicated his career in public service to … empowering D.C. residents to transform their lives.”
After starting his career at ORCA in December 2025, Shakir spent his day-to-day championing the rights and futures of returning citizens.
During April’s Second Chances Month, the director joined Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes to highlight a personal calling and year-round effort to ensure formerly incarcerated individuals in D.C. come home to opportunities that contribute to their integration back into society and overall transformation.
“It’s important for us to help them access jobs … housing and employment and to ensure that people have what they need to set themselves up for success,” Shakir said during an episode of “Let’s Talk,” The Informer’s digital program. “It’s a community, and it’s a community of people. And I think that we thrive well when we’re part of a community.”
In the final months of his life, Shakir helped curate citywide events and backed initiatives to boost resources for returning citizens, including hosting job fairs and Welcome Home expos, assisting with vital record identification and credit score education, plus other ORCA in-reach services to meet people at their needs.
Among his proudest moments, he reflected on the Mayor’s Office’s recent successes reinstating programs and creating safe spaces and partnerships that allow formerly incarcerated individuals, and particularly women, to build community around shared truths and lived realities.
“It’s important for us to think about how women are reintegrated into society, [how] families are reconnected after incarceration. It’s important for us to focus on mental health access and making sure that that’s robust and that that is meaningful,” Shakir told The Informer in April. “So while there may be 65,000 [returning citizens in D.C.], we see at least between 5 to 7,000, and I think we’ve been pretty successful in reaching some of our goals and connecting people with the right resource … to become part of the community.”
As authorities continue to work to uncover the details leading to the Friday night death of Shakir, who collided with another e-scooter on 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE, District leaders and residents are working to keep the ORCA director’s legacy alive.
“We are forever grateful for his great contributions to our city,” Schwalb said. “D.C. needs more leaders like Talib.”
