
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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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...

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...

Friends Stephanie Richard [no age given] and Susie Baldwin (54) discuss how they were able to impact the anti-trafficking field as an attorney and physician, respectively.

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.

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...

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.

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,...

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.

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...

Amy Richard (55) talks with her friend and colleague Alyse Nelson (47) about the evolution of her work in anti-trafficking. She recalls her work in the early 90s conducting interviews with human trafficking survivors through a fellowship, and explains how...

Colleagues Elizabeth "Elise" Hopper (48) and Rachel Niemiec (37) discuss their work in the anti-trafficking field. Elise talks about entering the field as psychologist and how she manages secondary trauma. Rachel shares about her work as a sexual assault nurse...

Friends Luis C. deBaca (54) and Maria Echaveste (66) discuss their early careers and arrival to labor law, share about some specific cases of labor abuse they worked on, and reflect on the larger global factors that contribute to labor...
Karmen Howard (29) and Mackenzie Moore (26) discuss their experience working with the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 2021-04-30 18:09:20

Friends Nathan Earl (46) and Shanika Ampah (41) discuss how they each came to the anti-trafficking field, their individual stories of being trafficked, what they hope to see in the ant-trafficking field, and how they would like to pass on...

Friends and colleagues Karen Countryman-Roswurm (40) and Ashley Garrett (47) discuss how their lives have been different than what they expected, their impact on the anti-trafficking field, and what the future holds for them.