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
Featured Voices of Freedom Interviews
Kimberly Chang, Allison Chang, and Jocelyn Chang
Daughters Kimberly Chang [no age given] and Allison Chang (48) discuss with their mother Jocelyn Chang (75) the topic of human trafficking and how their family history as Asian/Native Hawaiians overlap with this issue.
Harold D’Souza and Katherine Chon
Katherine Chon [no age given] interviews her friend Harold D’Souza [no age given] on his past experiences being a survivor of human trafficking to now being an outspoken advisor on the subject.
Shannon Sigamoni and Wilnisha Sutton
Shannon Sigamoni (28) interviews her friend and colleague Wilnisha Sutton (33) about Wilnisha’s work in the anti-trafficking field, her advice to people wishing to join the field, and how she thinks the field has progressed over the past 20 years.
All Voices of Freedom Interviews
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Survivor Megan Lundstrom talks with her close friend Angie Henderson about her experiences in commercial sexual exploitation, and her journey to healing. They both share their experiences in fighting commercial sexual exploitation, in particular how meaningful it has been for...
Aria Flood, 34, and Daniella Alvarado Perez, 28, co-workers at Love146, spoke about what brought them to the work, their passion for public health and prevention, and the ways in which they approach their work with joy.
Margeaux Gray (41), Bakita Empowerment Initiative (BEI)Advisory Board Member, talks with Amy Nace-DeGonda (43), BEI Assistant Program Director, about the power of resiliency in her life.
Jose Alfaro (30) talks with his colleague Shannon Sigamoni (28) about coming out to his family, getting kicked out of his home, and searching for acceptance. He discusses how he found resilience in himself while he was forced into sex...
Michelle Sauve [no age given] talks with her colleague Katherine Chon [no age given] about her childhood, her family, and how her childhood memories and family roots in Native American communities led her to pursue a career supporting Native American...
Katherine Chon [no age given] interviews her friend and colleague, Helen Wong Taylor [no age given], about how she arrived to the anti-trafficking field, what she has learned from her work, and how parenthood has impacted her work.
Jesse Leon, author of I'm Not Broken: A Memoir, talks with Carolyn Hightower, Deputy Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about the importance of sharing his story and the...
Friends Laura Coleman (57) and Howard Collins (60) discuss their work in battling child sex trafficking, and highlight the ways our society and culture contribute to the continued exploitation of children.
Friends and colleagues James Dold (37) and Karen Stauss (46) discuss how they met, their respective work at Polaris, and the progress of the anti-trafficking movement in the United States and internationally.
Monica Habia (30) talks to her friend and colleague Bukola Oriola (44) about Bukola's work in the anti-trafficking movement, Bukola's own history with labor trafficking, and her hopes for the anti-trafficking movement.
Julissa Ponce (38) speaks with her colleague in anti-trafficking work, Katherine Chon [no age given], about her family's experience with labor exploitation, the impact of her parents' advocacy in her life, and the loss of her father this past year....
Colleagues Madeline Hehir (33) and Nina Aledort (55) discuss how they started working in anti-trafficking, share how the work has developed over time, and reflect on what changes they hope to see in the future.
Marian Hatcher [no age given] shares with her friend Kara Doan (46) details of her journey within the anti-trafficking movement and how she made incredible use of a second chance after being a victim of domestic violence and trafficking abuse.
Colleagues and friends Melanie Thompson (24) and Taina Bien-Aime (62) talk about Melanie's lived experience in sex trade. They discuss the systems -- racism and misogyny -- that influence the sex trafficking industry and talk about how partial decriminalization offers...
Co-Executive Directors Audrey Morrissey (58) and Lisa Goldblatt Grace (53) of My Life My Choice remember their first meeting, reflect on the growth of their organization My Life My Choice, and discuss the importance of uplifting the voices of survivors...
Colleagues Sherri Harris [no age given] and Sharon Becker [no age given] reminisce on their collaborative effort assisting victims of human trafficking.
Dr. Makini Chisolm-Straker [no age given] discuss her role as a ER physician and her pathway towards serving trafficked individuals within the healthcare community with colleague, Katherine Chon [no age given].
Coworkers Rhonda Sanco (60) and Laura Coleman (57) talk about the work they are doing at Araminta Freedom Initiative to help vulnerable children and end child sex trafficking.
Gonzalo Martinez de Vedia (33) talks with his friend and colleague Kathleen Sexsmith (36) about his work advocating for farmers' rights and immigrant rights as it relates to human trafficking work. He talks about how he came to the work,...
Two friends and co-founders of an anti-trafficking organization talk life, partnership and legacy.
Bella Hounakey (27) talks with her friend Laura Hassan (42) about her upbringing in Togo and the memories she has from her childhood in her village. She talks about being trafficked out of Togo at 8 years old and talks...
In celebration of Public Service Recognition Week, Carolyn Hightower, Deputy Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, speaks with Katherine Chon, Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons, about...
Sandra Myles (74) interviews her son Bradley Myles (41) about his work in the anti-trafficking field.
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).