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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In recognition of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Katherine Chon, Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Julie Cordua, CEO of Thorn, spoke about the evolution of Thorn’s...
Nichole Terrett, 32, and Suzanne Lewis-Johnson, friends and colleagues at RAHAB Ministries discuss how their lives brought them into the work against human trafficking, truth & justice and how healthy relationships are one of the most important change-makers for victims...
Colleagues Christopher Bidorini (33), Erin Williamson (40), and Yvette Young (44) discuss their anti-trafficking work and the role that race plays in the human trafficking space and the movement to end it.
Friends Alexandria Dean (51) and Barbara Amaya [no age given] share their experiences as survivors of sexual trafficking, discuss their work writing about their stories and helping other survivors, and also discuss the importance of empathy.
Friends and colleagues Rev. Marian Hatcher (59) and Dr. Michael Shively (59) talk about their work in the anti-trafficking field, the need of dealing with buyers, and the importance of having survivors on the front lines.
Evelyn Chumbow (35) talks with her friend and mentor, Martina Vandenberg [no age given], about her experience as a victim of human trafficking. She remembers how her lawyer encouraged her to share her testimony and fight for other victims, and...
Samantha Vardaman (49) talks with her dear friend Linda Smith (71) about how they met while combatting child sex trafficking.
In this interview, conducted on June 15, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. LC Myles Jr. (73) interviews his wife Ambassador Dr. Sharron J. Brown (51) about her childhood in the city of Memphis and her journey though Human Trafficking. She...
In this July 2021 conversation, Katherine Chon in Washington, DC interviews her colleague Cynthia Cabot in Guam, "where America's day begins." Cynthia recollects early family influences of accompanying her parents in their education, public safety, and other community service and...
Friends and former colleagues Jean Bruggeman (50) and Beatrice "Lindsay" Waldrop (43) talk about the work they shared as employees of Office for Victims of Crime, such as starting survivor forums where survivors could share feedback about responses to human...
Friends and colleagues Stephany Powell (64) and Eleanor Gaetan (60) talk about their respective roles in anti-trafficking work. Stephany reflects on how she came to understand trafficking during her time in the LAPD, and Eleanor discusses the increasing prevalence of...
Shandra Woworuntu (44) talks with her friend and mentor, Katie Ford (65), about her decision to find work in the US so she could escape the violence in her home country of Indonesia. Shandra talks about how her new job...
Friends and colleagues Staca Shehan (44) and Melissa Snow (42) talk about their work in the anti-trafficking field, reflecting on childhood memories that show where their interests in the work sparked. They remember first meeting each other, share their experiences...
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.
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 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.
Colleagues Sherri Harris [no age given] and Sharon Becker [no age given] reminisce on their collaborative effort assisting victims of human 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,...
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.
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...
Two friends and co-founders of an anti-trafficking organization talk life, partnership and legacy.