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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Keisha Head (41) and her daughter Diamond Blount (25) talk about their relationship and how they have grown through Keisha's experience adapting to life after prison.
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.
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...
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...
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.
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,...
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....
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...
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.
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.
Marga Fripp (47) interviews her friend Fainess Lipenga (42) about her experience being trafficked, what it was like returning to Malawi after ten years, are her work in the anti-trafficking field.
Kimberly Casey interviews her colleague Ana Cody about her efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking among youth who are experiencing homelessness.
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...
On the 20th anniversary of passing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Representative Chris Smith (68) speaks with his colleague in anti-trafficking work, Katherine Chon [no age given] about his role in writing and passing the bill. He talks about how...
Friends and research colleagues Dr. Meredith Dank [no age given] and Dr. Amy Farrell (48) talk about the complexities of anti-trafficking work and the discoveries they have made in their research on human trafficking. They talk about the methods used...
Wade Arvizu (aka K.D. Roche) and Elizabeth Scaife candidly discuss the evolution of the anti-human trafficking movement and the importance of survivor leadership within every aspect. They reflect on the humble beginnings of their friendship and their hopes for future...
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...
Kate Keisel (35) has a conversation with her colleague Cristal Mills (38) about their work, their friendship, and the importance of resilience.
Kaleilani Grant (38) talks to her best friend, Nicole Farmer (39), about her faith in God through many life obstacles. She talks about the period of life that she was forced into sex work and talks about how she is...
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.
Friends and colleagues Chris Ash (45) and Erin Albright (39) talk about first connecting with each other through finding common beliefs they share on social media about human trafficking and sex trade. Together, they discuss some of the opinions they...