Our Stories Matter

Syrian-Lebanese/German activist Rawan Osman, Founder of ArabsAsk, a forum meant for Arabs to ask questions and challenge preconceived notions about Judaism and Israel, and Chairwoman of PostOctober7, describes how she navigates hatred and criticism throughout her activsm. In addition, she provides insight into how to combat misinformation and polarization on college campuses and how to have produc...

Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern shares her writings, her collection of poems related to the October 7th massacre. She is inviting you, our listeners, to send in your poems relating to a traumatic event in your life. Calling all poets.

Natalie Sanandaji, Public Affairs Officer at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, shares what it was like to narrowly survive the Nova festival massacre on October 7th. Hoping to find an escape within the music festival, Sanandaji describes the trauma that actually came from it. In addition, she describes the idea of a "choiceless choice" and how this ultimately allowed her to escape. Using...

Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern shares her writings, her collection of poems related to the October 7th massacre. She is inviting you, our listeners, to send in your poems relating to a traumatic event in your life. Calling all poets.

Susie Hess, Associate Professor of Practicum Education at USC Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work and Co-Founder of Trauma Informed LA, and Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern, Director of the Intensive Outpatient Program at The Boston Child Study Center and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, reflect on the circumstances surrounding their introduction to each other. Sharing intimate and vulnerable stori...

Since the October 7th attack, false narratives have intensified tensions and prejudice, in academic settings. Drawing from their own experiences of war, Dr. Bar-Halpern and Associate Professor Susan Hess recognize the urgency of sharing stories of hope and resilience. Our Stories Matter Season 5, We Will Dance Again, strives to dismantle these harmful narratives, strengthen unity on college campus...

Our Stories Matter Season 4 Finale Bonus Episode! Father Greg Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Detailing the origins of Homeboy Industries, he reflects on powerful moments and stories that shaped his journey. He discusses the importance of unwavering compassion, the intentional act of loving, and dares to...

Damon Cooke is the co-founder and CEO of the Uncuffed Project, a non-profit organization that aims to change the narrative inside the prison system and reduce recidivism. Damon is a vivid example of resilience and determination, and what is like to bring change within the carceral system that is set up to oppress BIPOC communities. In this episode, Damon along with Susan Hess, who is a  Associate...

Dr. Daniel Siegel is a Clinical Professor in the Psychiatrist at the UCLA School of Medicine and the author of the book IntraConnected where he explains the concept of MWe (Me + We) as the integration of the Self, Identity, and Belonging. He describes how culture, especifically in the United States, has taught society that identity is an individual and separate concept unrelated to the collective...

Stephanie Lane is an example of resilience and determination. She recounts how every struggle and trauma she experienced allowed her to grow into the woman she is today: fierce, independent and full of purpose. Stephanie also indicates the powerful impact that Homeboy Industries had in her life by providing employment and professional opportunities. She now leads a women's focus group where s...

Gonzalo Alvarado discusses his relationship with violence, how that shaped him and isolated him as a young man, and how that eventually influenced him to join a men's group in prison dedicated to finding solutions for the senseless violence inside. He discusses the power of the written word and how sharing his words with other people incarcerated created an unspoken bond that transcended raci...

Tyler Lord shares his journey as he transitions from a 32 years to life sentence to becoming a firefighter for FFRP. He discusses his battle with addiction and now, over 16 years clean and sober, he expresses a newfound love for life. As he talks about the lessons he's learned and the support he's received post-incarceration, Tyler hopes to be a beacon of light for others as they start t...

Benjamin Fowler embodies what it means to be resilient. Detailing the hardships he faced transitioning from incarceration to the reentry community, Benjamin describes how the Fire Camps and the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program gave him a second chance at a new life. Benjamin recounts the struggles and rewards of what it means to be an inmate firefighter, and how the love for his children and...

From living in anguish thinking that a lifetime in prison is all that was left, to getting another chance at life with freedom through SB 1437, Ivy shares about the role that Homeboy Industries played in her life to overcome challenges that came after being released. Ivy faced obstacles with employment, housing, and navigation of different patriarcal systems that oppress women and limit their abil...

Brandon Smith is the co-founder and CEO of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program. Brandon exempifies what is like to be relentless, innovative and passionate to bring opportunities to become a firefighter not only for himself, but to formerly incarcerated folks who complete fire camp and are in search of a similar career. Brandon recounts the different challenges that he experienced after his...

Fabian Debora has always placed art at the center of his healing. As Founder and Executive Director of Homeboy Art Academy, Fabian describes in detail how his upbringing influenced his relationship with art and healing. Using the knowledge he knows now, Fabian is using his cultural influence to highlight the facilitation of art and its healing powers. Through art, Fabian is changing the paradigm o...

In partnership with Homeboy Industries and Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, Our Stories Matter Season Four  shares the stories of folx reentering the free world through radical resistance and activism. Prisons and many organizations in the free world complement each other as two sides of the same coin, as they continue to oppress and shackle folx coming home. Our Stories Matter engages in di...

Public defenders have often gotten a less-than-honorable wrap when it comes to providing services for those who need it the most. In this week's episode, Brendon Woods, Alameda County's first Black Chief Public Defender, challenges that bad reputation as he shares his passion and advocacy for the liberation of victims of mass incarceration.  Brendon talks about how he is leveraging his p...

Naima Ramos-Chapman is an activist and filmmaker. Her powerful story highlights ways she has used filmmaking to promote her own healing and the healing of others from complex and systemic trauma. She discusses how she leveraged film to give light to perspectives and experiences that are often dismissed and overlooked. Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @T...

While law in the US has a history of perpetuating systematic racism, Summer Lacey has utilized it to advocate for the most marginalized amongst us. Summer’s life embodies the transformational mission of using the law to resist and dismantle systems of oppression. Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsle...

Romarilyn is a black feminist prison abolitionist scholar working to interrupt criminalization at the intersections of race, gender, and education. Her fierce advocacy as the Program Director of Project Rebound at Cal State Fullerton has helped establish the John Irwin Memorial House, the first collegiate housing initiative in the nation that provides a residence, holistic support and academic car...

Claudia Peña and Bryonn Bain are trailblazers in their work with UCLA's Prison education Program. The two are using their background in everything from the arts and literature to working in the legal system to invest in the education and healing of those who are incarcerated. In this episode, Claudia and Bryonn share their efforts to promote transformative justice and healing through collabor...

 “We’re just human beings trying to live our lives in a system that is oppressing us.” This episode’s storyteller speaks on the challenges that come with not only being an undocumented immigrant in the United States, but also being a Black man in America.  Tune in to this week’s episode to learn how Aly Wane is using his experiences to advocate for the humanization of Black and immigrant communiti...

“We are the ones that can best support each other coming home. Because we know what that feels like. We know how much we want to give back and how sorry we are for what happened in our lives”. Instead of systems of oppression being erected to stifle our reconnection to the community, women survivors of the American criminal punishment system can be empowered to be the healers our communities need....

ACTIVATION WARNING:   This entire episode discusses multiple forms of trauma, including graphic descriptions of intergenerational trauma, sexual trauma, physical trauma, emotional trauma and carceral trauma. If activated, TILA recommends to incorporate healing practices such as move, walk, journal, run, push against a wall, connect with people who are supportive empathetic and remember to breathe....