What happens when we really try to integrate the theory of speaking our truths and the practice of humanizing dehumanizing situations? Listen as a feminist academic, a social justice activist, and a formerly incarcerated recovering addict describe the challenges of the arts program, Telling My Story, their struggles, and their productive collaboration. It is a raw and emotional glimpse into the process of recognizing our shared humanity. Ivy Schweitzer is Professor of English and past chair of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Dartmouth College. Her fields are early American literature, American poetry, women’s literature, gender and cultural studies, and digital humanities. She is the author of several scholarly works and editor of several anthologies, including the Heath Anthology of American Literature. She is the creator of The Occom Circle, a digital edition of works by and about Samson Occom, an 18th century Mohegan Indian writer and activist, and co-producer of the full-length documentary film entitled It’s Criminal: A Tale of Prison and Privilege, based on the courses she co-teaches in and about jails. In 2018, she blogged weekly about the year 1862 in the creative life of Emily Dickinson. She is currently organizing screening and panels for It’s Criminal, working on the second phase of The Occom Circle, and transforming the White Heat blog into an e-book.

Pati Hernández is the creator and facilitator of Telling My Story and adjunct professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Dartmouth College. After arriving in North America from Chile in 1983, she worked with the Bread and Puppet Theater of Glover, VT for over 20 years. She has directed Dance and Theater productions since 1988 in Puerto Rico as well as productions with FOMMA in México and University Settlement in New York. She started developing Telling My Story in 1995 at the University Settlement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In 1999, she began using the Telling My Story approach to create a platform for self-empowerment through listening and speaking with populations in crisis, including inmates, people on parole, victims of domestic violence, and recovering addicts. In 2007, the program was developed as the academic course Telling Stories for Social Change at Dartmouth. Currently, Pati is training facilitators to offer their own versions of the program.

Charlotte Rankin was a participant in the Telling My Story class while the documentary It's Criminal was filmed. Since her release from the Sullivan County House of Correction in 2010, she has been consistently working with Professors Pati Hernandez and Ivy Schweitzer. Currently, Charlotte is a TA for the class at Dartmouth College and sits on the Board of Directors of Telling My Story. Since Charlotte's release from the county jail, she has worked her way up the corporate ladder to become an industrial production supervisor. Charlotte is now able to provide the opportunity of gainful employment to other convicted felons. She has been able to get her company to ban the box asking about criminal background and give convicted felons the opportunity to explain their circumstances. Charlotte is working hard in her community to raise awareness about addiction, social inequality, prison reform, and, most importantly, the connections between mental health illness and addiction. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx