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
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,...
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...
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.
Eric Harris [no age given] talks to his friend and mentor, Kate Kimmer [no age given] about the realities of being a survivor of trafficking and engaging in anti-trafficking work. The two talk about the importance of including survivors in...
Karmen Howard (29) and Mackenzie Moore (26) discuss their experience working with the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 2021-04-30 18:09:20
Erik Gray (30) and friend and colleague Robin Miller (49) have a conversation about how they met, their work within the anti-trafficking community, the sense of value in their chosen field and gaps in service provided to those violated in...
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...
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...
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...