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
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.
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...
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...
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 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.
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...
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...
Robert Lung (50) and EleSondra DeRomano (54) remember their first meeting, share about the work they do with survivors of sex trafficking, and talk about their own healing processes.
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...
Hanni Stoklosa [no age given] talks with her friend, Katherine Chon [no age given] about how her upbringing and faith influenced her decision to become a doctor, and how she has expanded on her role as a doctor by incorporating...
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...
Colleagues Benjamin Adriano [no age given] is interviewed by Katherine Chon [no age given] about his work in the Human Trafficking Leadership Conference, his experience as a survivor of labor trafficking, and his plans for his career.
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...
Paul Chang (48) is interviewed by his colleague Lauren Devine (33) about his childhood and moving from China to the United States, starting his career in the Department of Labor, and some of the cases he has worked on throughout...
Friends and colleagues Beatriz Menanteau [no age given] and Caroline Palmer (53) talk about their shared work at Safe Harbor in Minnesota and how they got involved with anti-trafficking work within the public health sector. Together, they discuss the implementation...