A STORYCORPS STUDIOS SPECIAL COLLECTION

As part of the Voices of Freedom initiative, the Office on Trafficking in Persons partnered with StoryCorps Studios to collect oral histories through conversations with those who have informed, shaped, and contributed to the successes of the anti-trafficking field over the past two decades.

To learn more contact: [email protected]

Creating social change on entrenched issues like human trafficking takes decades and often requires sustained vigilance across generations.  Our collaboration with StoryCorps provides a platform for survivors and allied professionals to pause, reflect, and share their personal journeys towards progress over the last 20 years.  Just as legacies of historical injustices contribute to human trafficking today, these stories reveal the influences and lessons learned from intergenerational struggles for justice.

— Katherine Chon, Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons

All Voices of Freedom Interviews

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42:51
Suleman Masood and Robert Lung

Suleman Masood (27) shares motivation for his pursuing an education in law based on a lived experience in labor trafficking with friend Robert Lung (50).

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44:49
Marissa Castellanos and Saul Cristobal Tellez Escobedo

Marissa Castellanos [edad no dada] habla con su colega y amigo Saul Cristobal Tellez Escobedo [edad no dada] sobre su crianza, sus logros, y lo que quiere que los demás sepan de él. [Marissa Castellanos [no age given] talks with...

Andy Hall and Katherine Chon talk about forced labor in the global healthcare supply chain

In recognition of Labor Day, Katherine Chon, Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Andy Hall, a Migrant Worker Rights Specialist, spoke about forced labor in Malaysia’s rubber glove...

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31:39
Jess Torres and Susie Baldwin

Jess Torres (35) talks with their friend, colleague and mentor, Dr. Susie Baldwin (54), about their work in anti-trafficking and the vision they have for how the work should evolve. Jess talks about some of their mentors, shares proud moments...

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42:54
Ronny Marty and Bukola Oriola

Ronny Marty (45) and his friend and colleague Bukola Oriola (44) talk about Ronny's upbringing in the Dominican Republic and the memories he has of his father. Ronny shares about his experience being labor trafficked out of the Dominican Republic...

Sarah Spear with Desirea Stott-Rodgers and Rob Morris of Love146 discuss 20 years within the anti-trafficking movement

Sarah Spear speaks with Love146 Co-founder and Board Member Desirea Stott-Rodgers and Love146 Co-founder, Board Member, and CEO Rob Morris about how they first engaged in anti-trafficking efforts. They speak about what compelled them to get involved and what keeps...

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47:00
Florrie Burke and Susan Champlin

Susan Champlin (60) interviews her friend Florrie Burke (78) about her experience working with the deaf community as a teacher and clinical psychologist and later working in the anti-trafficking field.

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52:55
Kimberly Murphy and Alexis Polen

Alexis Polen (38) interviews her colleague Dr. Kimberly Murphy (44) about her working in the anti-trafficking field, her doctoral research, and Region 3's anti-trafficking efforts.

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38:51
Iona Rudisill and Ben Abell

Colleagues Iona Rudisill (50) and Ben Abell (61) discuss the creation of the Araminta Freedom Initiative, an organization against child sex trafficking. They reflect on faith's role in the organization's creation, vision, and values.

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40:10
Katherine Chon, Kum Chon, and Michael Chon

Katherine Chon [no age given] reflects with her parents, Kum Hee Chon [no age given] and Michael Chon [no age given], on the years that have passed from career choices to family history, and so on.

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27:06
Christine Buchholz and Carla Bury

Christine Lee Buchholz (47) interviews her former colleague, Carla Menares Bury (54), about her work in the anti-trafficking field. Carla reflects on her experience from attending the first white house summit on human trafficking in 1999 to negotiating a United...

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35:25
Keisha Head and Diamond Jasmanae

Keisha Head (41) and her daughter Diamond Blount (25) talk about their relationship and how they have grown through Keisha's experience adapting to life after prison.

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01:00:52
Gina Agulto and Kevin Koliner

Gina Agulto (48) talks with her friend and the attorney in her case, Kevin Koliner (45), about her experience being labor trafficked from the Philippines to the United States. Gina talks about how the new position in hospitality was presented...

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45:36
Holly Gibbs and Melissa Snow

Holly Gibbs (43) shares how life experience led to present work within the anti-trafficking movement with friend and colleague Melissa Snow (42).

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41:04
Katherine Chon and Kimberly Casey

Colleagues Katherine Chon [no age given] and Kimberly Casey [no age given] talk about their work in human trafficking, reflecting on important lessons they have learned along the way, proud moments in the work, and hopes for the future.

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46:24
Roxanne Murdock and Carolyn DeFord

Carolyn DeFord (47) speaks with friend and colleague, Roxanne Murdock (36) about how she got started in anti-trafficking work, working with MMIW (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women), the strong connection to domestic violence, & the need coordinated community effort in...

Tamarra Clark and Marlena King

Tamarra Clark: 2021-06-28 14:34:58 A discussion on being new to the Human Trafficking field, how to engage BIPOC communities, and What we've learned during the year of COVID.

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56:04
Jeri Jimenez and Elizabeth Pfenning

Jeri Jimenez (60) speaks with her colleague Elizabeth "Beth" Pfenning (34) about the experiences that have led her to become a voice for change for survivors of human trafficking. She shares about her experiences of sexual abuse in childhood and...

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34:56
Santiago Perez Navarro and Estela De los rios

Estela De Los Ríos (66) entrevista a Santiago Pérez Navarro (54) sobre su experiencia como víctima de la trata de personas, cómo ha cambiado su vida, y lo que le gustaría que otros supieran sobre la trata de personas. [Estela...

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42:00
Neha Misra, Janie Chuang, and Anne Gallagher

Colleagues in the anti-trafficking field, Neha Misra (51), Janie Chuang (47), and Anne Gallagher (57), all share their "lightbulb moments" of memories that shifted their perspectives in their work. They discuss the complexities of human trafficking and how it's understood...

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41:59
Lisa Williams and Sharon Cooper

Lisa Williams (56) talks with her colleague Sharon Cooper (68) about her work in the military and the federal government, and how that influenced her work at Living Water, which provides refuge and resources to women and girls who are...