Surviving Justice: America’s Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated
After spending years behind bars, hundreds of men and women with proof of their innocence- including 120 from death row- have been released from America’s prisons. Finally free, usually after more than a decade of incarceration, they re-enter society with nothing but the scars from a harrowing descent into prison only to struggle to survive on the outside. Their stories are spellbinding, heartbreaking, unimaginable, and ultimately inspiring. After reading these deeply personal accounts, you will never look at the criminal justice system the same way.
Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath
In the late summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, leveling entire cities and leaving others under vast amounts of water. Thousands of Americans were stranded on rooftops and in dangerous makeshift shelters. Stranded in a city submerged, the narrators of Voices from the Storm survived the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina only to find themselves abandoned- and even victimized- by their own government. These thirteen men and women of New Orleans recount, in astonishing and heartrending detail, the worst natural disaster in American history.
Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives
They arrive from around the world for countless reasons. Many come simply to make a living. Others are fleeing persecution in their native countries. Millions of immigrants risk deportation and imprisonment by living in the U.S. without legal status. They are living underground, with little protection from exploitation at the hands of human smugglers, employers, or law enforcement. Underground America, the third book in the Voice of Witness series, presents the remarkable oral histories of men and women struggling to carve a life for themselves in the U.S.
Out of Exile: The Abducted and Displaced People of Sudan
Millions of people have fled from conflicts and persecution in all parts of this Northeast African country, and thousands more have been enslaved as human spoils of war. In this book, refugees and abductees recount their escapes from war, from political and religious persecution, and from abduction by paramilitary groups. They describe life in the major stations on the “refugee railroads”: in the desert camps of Khartoum, the underground communities of Cairo, the humanitarian metropolis of Kakuma refugee camp, and the still-growing internally displaced persons camps in Darfur.
En Las Sombras de Estados Unidos: Narraciones de Inmigrantes Indocumentados
Millones de inmigrantes arriesgan deportación y encarcelamiento simplemente por trabajar y vivir en los Estados Unidos sin estatus legal. Viven en la clandestinidad, con poca protección contra la explotación a manos de contrabandistas de personas, empleadores, y autoridades. En las Sombras de los Estados Unidos presenta las historias orales de los hombres y las mujeres que luchan por tener una mejor vida en los Estados Unidos.
Hope Deferred: Narratives of Zimbabwean Lives
The fifth volume in the Voice of Witness series presents the narratives of Zimbabweans whose lives have been affected by the country’s political, economic and human rights crises. This book asks the question: How did a country with so much promise- a stellar education system, a growing middle class of professionals, a sophisticated economic infrastructure, a liberal constitution and an independent judiciary – go so wrong?
Nowhere to Be Home: Narratives from Survivors of Burma’s Military RegimeDecades of military oppression in Burma have led to the systematic destruction of thousands of ethnic minority villages, a standing army with one of the world’s highest number of child soldiers, and the displacement of millions of people. Nowhere to be Home is an eye-opening collection of oral histories exposing the realities of life under military rule. In their own words, men and women from Burma describe their lives in the country that Human Rights Watch has called “the textbook example of a police state.”
Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 InjusticeA groundbreaking collection of oral histories, Patriot Acts tells the stories of men and women who have been needlessly swept up in the War on Terror. The eighth book in the Voice of Witness series, Patriot Acts illuminates these experiences in a compelling collection of eighteen oral histories from men and women who have found themselves subject to a wide range of human and civil rights abuses—from rendition and torture to workplace discrimination, bullying, FBI surveillance and harassment.
Inside This Place, Not Of It: Narratives from Women’s PrisonsInside This Place, Not of It reveals some of the most egregious human rights violations within women’s prisons in the United States. In their own words, the thirteen narrators in this book recount their lives leading up to incarceration and their experiences inside—ranging from forced sterilization and shackling during childbirth to physical and sexual abuse by prison staff. Together, their testimonies illustrate the harrowing struggles for survival that women in prison must endure.
The Power of the Story: The Voice of Witness Teacher’s Guide to Oral HistoryVoice of Witness is delighted to present The Power of the Story: The Voice of Witness Guide to Oral History, a free companion resource for teachers using titles in the Voice of Witness series. This comprehensive guide allows teachers and students to explore contemporary issues through the transformative power of oral history, and to develop the communication skills necessary for creating vital oral history projects in their own communities.
Throwing Stones at the Moon: Narratives from Colombians Displaced by ViolenceFor nearly five decades, Colombia has been embroiled in internal armed conflict among guerrilla groups, paramilitary militias, and the country’s own military. Civilians in Colombia face a range of abuses from all sides, including killings, disappearances and rape—and more than four million have been forced to flee their homes. The oral histories in Throwing Stones at the Moon describe the most widespread of Colombia’s human rights crises: forced displacement. Speakers recount life before displacement, the reasons for their flight, and their struggle to rebuild their lives.
