Instrumental in developing the program for her visit and for tonight speak it. So thank you, molly. [applause] i also want to thank all of my colleagues for the work on this forum and on some other events throughout the year. Id like to acknowledge what the dozen cosponsors of tonight event. There are too many to name individually but but i still wo recognize them. Its gratifying so Many Organizations from across the university joined us to support this event. It demonstrates the concern and commitment of so many students, faculty and staff for the issues will discuss with two nights guessed it where to stand these are challenging topics that touch on difficult, personal experiences. I want to encourage you to support each other and to seek support from offices like care and others at tufts are well prepared and committed to dealing with these issues. As you saw in introductory video were celebrating our 20th anniversary. That in 2000 purpose of dancing top university. Our mission then and that was to ensure all tufts students across all schools and academic disciplines acquire the knowledge, the skills and the values to become leaders and problem solvers in their communities near and far. Kish calls begin with a single Student Program now known as the tisch scholars. Are there any kish scholarship tonight . Give them a shout out. Today we offer and support dozens of initiatives for students in and out of the classroom come on campus and around the world. We also are home to a nationally recognized Research Center that studies use of voting, Civic Education and other aspects of civic and democratic life. And our Community Partnerships always the center obit of our work have evolved and expanded to encompass moreom communities and broader impact. Thatat distinguished Speaker Series began seven years ago with a visit by senator elizabeth warren. A bit of irony today. Today, other Tisch College events have grown to match i didnt mean that we were honored to host her here. But today other Tisch College events have grown to match the breadth and scope of our work. Work said about this years line up of visit and guest speakers. Yesterday we hosted a lunch about the black Power Movement with professor rhonda williams. Later dispute wheelhouse congressman joe kennedy. Congressman Eric Swalwell to talk about impeachment, veteran journalist this wallace, political strategist Scott Jennings and many other scholars and leaders whose work will inform our views, child in some of our beliefs, and encourage our participation in civic life. With this diversity of speakers we want to highlight different ways by which people can impact issues they care about and help build a a more just and equitae world. Tonight asked personifies that idea and remind us that from humble beginnings, far outside the halls of power, all of us can learn from our lived experiencesur and use them to become a force for change. Cyntoia alone brown is an author, activist and advocate for criminalut Justice Reform ad for victims of human trafficking. She was born to a young mother who struggled with a call abuse and who was a victim of sex trafficking. As a teenager cyntoia became a victim of trafficking herself, and at 16 she was arrested for killing a man who solicit her for sex. Tried as an adult and sentences for life without pearl. She said it was a personal transformation in a documentary called me facing life, is our story, and her experiences and as a result many celebrities, clergy and others began advocating on her behalf. The free her went viral. On august of last year, after 15 years behind bars, cyntoia brownlong was released from prison and since then shes become a powerful advocate for criminal Justice Reform and especially for women and children in american prisons she published a memoir and her search for redemption which she wrote was she was incarcerated. She and her husband jamie founded the foundation for Justice Freeman murphy and in january of this year they recognize her as one of the best of Justice Reforms on race. And she was also a 2020 nominee for the ndebele cp award. Enjoy your guest on stage tonight, is professor hillary, a College Senior fellow and a founding directory of the Prison Initiative at fish college. I mentioned earlier this college has expanded the scope of this Educational Programs and is one of our newer initiatives that we are especially proud of. Filtering management manages the College Degree program at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute in concord which is a partnership between Bunker Hill Community college toward an associate degree two group of incarcerated men in the program. As part of the Prison Initiative also runs an inside outside course the maximum security prison in massachusetts to which these students incarcerated individuals take a course to the other korean hillarys Current Research is in the field of Higher Education and in incarceration and shes a senior lecturer with a phd in english and she also directs the program in womens gender and sexuality. And she is a strong advocate to the importance of bringing Higher Education to into prison and we are grateful that she joins us tonight in conversation with our guests. Pretty please join me in welcoming professor hillary and her distinguish speaker and cyntoia brownlong. [applause]. I want to start by thanking you again it is such an honor to be here with you in such honor to have you here and some first and have the first of many. Hillary i also want to thank you for your beautiful book and sharing your journey with us and educating us on his use of criminal justice system. In your particular journey and on face. I think for people who have a name yet read her book, i want to start by acknowledging have recently your free. August right. 318 in the morning. So im wondering if you want to share with us a kind of first all of the first night you get to experience like that first meal. Or something. Cyntoia everything is pretty much at first. My first meal actually is a can of ravioli. Hillary how was that. Cyntoia at 318 in the morning, great. Hillary said before we Start Talking about your story i wanted to ask you if you can reflect on what its been like telling your story. I can only imagine going over some of the really difficult details can be hard where maybe also very helpful noise. Cyntoia definitely been a blessing to be able to sit and talk about my story. Coming from my background, phone a lot of us dont have a voice. Our experiences, they dont count. Sitting have the opportunity to sit and talk about that is incredible. And tell everyone, my testimony and what god did for me each and every time its just a blessing. Hilary you talk about one point in your book about your trials and being kind of a battle, narrative of a not really about telling the truth. But he was telling the better story. I wonder if there is a way that you getting that kino kind of final word here shipping your story. Cyntoia ive come to find that out. A lot of times when youre in the court system you think that i just explain this and let them know what happened, this will is what will take place. I just present this case law, to this court they will rule my favor. But that is not what happened. What happened was whoever has the best narrative, whoever can put in the best performance in the courtroom, that is who wins. Nine times out of ten it will be the prosecution. So that was a very hard hurdle to overcome. Select said, i serve a god who always has life. Hilary one of the things that you do so powerfully in the book is convey the sense of yourself as a child particularly in the early part of the book. And as a teenager, and someone who was left was living in searching for love and independence just like all teenagers do. As a job. Can you also talk about ways that he repeatedly were victimized and how long it took you, i think until 2017, ten years into your sentence, he had not really identified for your experience work as victimization. And as trafficking of the victim. Rather than the teen prostitute that the media was presenting use that as. If you can talk about why you think it took so long. For you and so many women i imagine experience that horrible reality. He was in the same, about people of had their childhood taken away from them. Cyntoia i dont think we know the mainspring for me, i had several adults who i was ron who put me in this position. I had grown women were teaching me that my body was a commodity. It was a means to get something for men and is completely unacceptable. And to expect in return for my companionship for something of that nature. An evolved around pleasing a man. I was 13 years old. That is really what started me on my trajectory to be more vulnerable to being exploited. I was told to be or these things were normal. So my world had be reshaped. This is how relationships work between men and girls. I was a little girl not a woman. But thats how the skills so that by the time met a man who convinced me that we were in a relationship, meant that i would go out and have with men for money and bring it back to him. I thought that was normal. In society that i was in at that point, do not call me a trafficking. I was called teen prostitute. These were my choices made of my own and there was never any conversation about the adult that it taught me these things the world view that have been skewed to do these things and not from the people i was around, not from the court system. A long time for that understanding just might really have a lot of work now still. I cannot tell you just how many times i was told that i was bad. And that i was just hot instead of, the fact that i was a child. And i was being misled. Hilary the media trail of his early years and willing incarceration, was pretty horrific. Given since how the media might handle this situation better. It sounds like you do. But healthy or have things gotten better the last 15 years or so for ten years. You think. Cyntoia my particular case, they have definitely shifted. When i first was arrested, was painted as a monster. The media referred to me as a teen prostitute. And i think it was a dangerous individual and obviously now things have changed. Some idiot refers to in some cases about child prostitution, and its sexual exploitation. It is changing but there is still work that needs to be done. In terms of the criminal justice aspect of it. I dont see much has changed. Me personally, it is change for think a lot of times young kids, the pictures are posted up on the news and they are painted as is horrible individual. Maybe some of the circumstances that they may have been involved in at the time, its a rush to judgment. I think that is unfortunate. We limit country where we are supposed to be innocent until we are proven guilty. Hilary im not sure any of us expected but in theory, one is incarcerated or entered into the system and the rehabilitation begins. Cyntoia sounds good. Hilary it was wondering if you could talk about the reality. In the traumatizing effect of getting caught in the web of the system and whether there are specific ways and how that impacted your self and your ethic and to see. Cyntoia the reality was that from the time that we set foot into the facility, we were treated as we are there to be warehoused. When a nurse embedded strict control, roles everything a day. The only time our rehabilitation was an issue, was when there was a federal grant at stake some kind of funding that was going to human but as part of receiving the funding there had to be certain programs in place. Even then, is how much was ever necessary to get by and to comply with whatever standards that they had set for that grant. We definitely need to work more on treating people from the time they walk into the door as we need to be focused on how we get them to the other side of this. And to become the best self. What can we do to make sure that this person has a successful reentry into society. Hilary as we talk about the processes going through the multiple trials in preparation for various trials, you also described you are working with light red to was really on your side and try to help splitting and in that case, did not want you to tell your story and was essentially silencing you. That really struck me is not really personal, is something systemic about entering the system and been kind of obliterated. Cyntoia the entire nature of the court proceedings, trial proceedings, so adversarial and its all about strategy and its all about this is what they have and this is how were going to spend it. Yes, i understand that this is what the truth is and this is whats happened. George is going to go with this. And doesnt always happen with the defendant, happens a lot with the victims pretty soon of victims who both of the process and at the end they think they are going to get some sort of closure, some sense of vengeance and theyre left with the defendant in the game. There is no real restoration, note the building of what has been done. Hilary just so much, your stories thriving against all odds pretty can you turn to some of the more positive things that happened once you were in the system. Specifically thinking about your college experience. I was telling you earlier, very moving for me and i think many of us on involved in that work is tough. To hear you talk about with the role in the University Program was in your life. Can you share some of that in the students with the rules and the students will they like. Cyntoia absolutely. Those inside out program. Hilary you are working with a lot of university students. Cyntoia is part of their salt. Which is serving and learning together. So does the Program Initiative and i was four years and to starting my sentence when the opportunity presented itself to be part of the program. And to jump through a lot of hurdles. Im so glad that in it. I was expecting the bible further my education and get something that will look good like a before the court and before the governor and really looks good on paper but once i got into the class, what i realized as i had been into another community. I was in a place that all throughout my early life in public school, my own community, and always been made to feel that because of things that i had through, because of things that i had done, i was just written off. I was no good. The court process, just amplified that some for me to just be welcomed into this community of people they didnt see any of that. They just on me. They loved me. That was redeeming beyond anything that experience. They saw something in me that was was worth salvaging and investing in. It helped me to believe in myself and i started excelling in everything that i put my mind to. I ended up getting a fourpoint oh every single class. [applause]. Four. Oh. All away. [applause]. And prior to be in the program, the highest level of education was seventh grade. Hilary what you think the students, he talked about being accepted for those interactions like. I dont know if theres a specific example of a moment when they treated you a certain way. So the university itself. Cyntoia a lot of affluent people send their children there. [laughter]. Lot of these kids compared very privileged backgrounds. Although they were the same age as me, they were completely different from my own. You go into it thinking youre going to expect one thing but what i found was we had more in common than i had ever thought. It was really cool to be able to sit and have these conversations, tennessee that they were interested in learning how life was for my perspective. How can they be more respectful of that of my experience. How can they be more helpful of changing the prison system. And whenever they walked out of there, they left knowing that this could happen to me too. So those that much more invested try to change things. Hilary do you see as a result of that experience or you see a role without a new future. Cyntoia i thought about law school. When will i have time for it. Lets come out and speaking with people. I love education. It is very rewarding. Hilary you are educating and arguing already. I wanted to ask you also about the really powerful role as you quite in the booklet you are your adopted mom, in your life and in your journey. I wonder if you could talk about that. How was she part of it. Cyntoia so my mother adopted me when i was just eight months old. The only mother i had ever known. I always thought to really just giving the life of any mom would want to give a child. Even when i struggle, she was always there. Try to figure out how can i help. She would always ask me what to do. And obviously the gave her no answers that were helpful. But she tried. She tried very hard. And she was there. So when i was arrested, and it so that all of the people that i was hanging around and teaching me all of these things that now 16 yearold girl should never learn. They were nowhere to be found. The only person left standing was a mother. She been my best friend from that moment. She came to visit me every other week in prison and we are still close. Her and my husband, on the closest things to me. Hilary she got to know your husband before you got out i was very struck by but everything goes wrong in their life, their mother may not even know what about it. And you just at least at this point, and as you read the book, have such a loving relationship with your mom. There was very powerful moments when your talk about when he to the max and you were behind plexiglas and he felt not angry the guilty. I dont know. You were an incredible child and you are an incredible person. Cyntoia always. [laughter]. Went through a lot of those things, i think everybody in their fields like that. Your parents dont understand. I thought my mom was ancient. She could not understand what life in school was like for me when i told her things that i was going through. I felt like she was really not listening to what i was saying. Soy started keeping things from her. She really couldnt be there is always needed to be. That positive role model in my life. So i spent time in my life pushing her away. But as a time when is there sitting in jail, and indent everything under the sun to try to push my self for their way for my mother but there she was Still Standing and she was the one who was there for me. And that made me realize that, well, i have this wrong. Hilary is it fair to say that not all women serving time have a person like that in their life. Cyntoia that is very fair. A lot of people in prison, they do have any family, or children, it is very hard to maintain a relationship. You pretty much have a relationship over a paid phone call when you can afford it. It is very hard to parent or play a role in your family over telephone friday thats a lot of peoples experience. It very hard for a lot of families to be able to afford to do you can drive up to the prison. If you dont get hassled and somehow future visitations, the restricted by the administration so there are a lot of barriers. And they serve to break up families when it comes to the prison system. Many women do not have that, and especially as long as my mom there for me. Hilary decreasing number of visitors. I was wondering if you would share a little bit, i will say just working in prison for the last seven years or so, has brought me to question like nothing else in life up to this point and know that has been in normas part of your journey. And i wonder if you could talk about the role of faith in your journey. Cyntoia toy speaking with a group of students earlier and i was asked that same question. Psychical them, faith is the only reason that i am sitting here with yall today. Ive tried everything one is trying to get out of prison. But my faith and my attorneys. Very experienced attorneys and each time, that failed. I look back i thought im must have lost faith in man. And then i met my husband who told me hudson you are getting out of prison. This is a time when all of my prayers had been denied. He said are you going to trust what man says that god says. I said you know what, im going to try trusting in what god says pretty introduced me to jesus. As introduced me because although i had been told about jesus, ive been told about someone who died on the cross and if i believed in him, i would have life. I never really knew him. I never really got to know him. I never knew what having a relationship with him meant. I never really understood his own journey as he went through things. And it really got to know him from a whole different perspective and it changed everything. Having a relationship was different about anything else even growing up in a Baptist Church about faith. As i said that is been my faith was truly born was then. Hilary and as a christian, Christian University . Cyntoia i went to Christian University, any talk about god, i was so angry at that point. I spent so much time praying to god to free me from prison and a southerner was still sitting there and i had prayed that in not given life in prison but i was. But i was kindness as an adult i can praying. And i kept thinking god is not real. There is no one who is listening to me. And i went around and until that to anyone who would listen. The cub was not real. But i was proven wrong. I saw that just because we think things are supposed to go a certain way, some things that we see, do not lineup. It does not mean that he does not have a plan. He always has a plan, a plan for each and every one of our lives. You cant see floridas leading us but i promise you implants for good. The role for our lives is good pretty made a believer out of me. Hilary we talked about seeing gods community. Talk a little bit about that. Cyntoia this is an attorney, so when i talk about my faith. It has not always been that way. Gives a long searching process. And it can thinking this must be what this is. But when i was really got into the community of believers, the first time that had really had an interaction with people who professed to believe in jesus where my experience was completely different. But they look to me, how jesus walked around and look at people. They were considered to be the lowest of the low. And thats who he wanted to talk with and have dinner with. Youre no different than this guy over here. Like i love you just the same and they treated me that way. It was a completely different experience to see that, i do belong to a community. I am not an outcast. I dont need to be thrown away. That was powerful. Hilary you kind of alluded to this earlier but it seemed like your personal growth, your relationship to love, particularly romantic love in your relationship with your faith into god. They were all kind of intertwined. As a moment when in the book where you describe something into her husband jamie said and you describe it as, do not put me on a pedestal. It is not me who should be on a pedestal. Cyntoia in very different version of love than what you had experienced as a child. Hilary you talk about the intertwining of love and god printed. Cyntoia speaking earlier about how i was told that everything about my existing was involved to please a man. And i was supposed to put them in their needs on the pedestals. I was always taught that that was not what i was supposed to do as a woman. And then i met jamie. And he said wait a minute. Thats not what this is. You dont live your life for me, you live your life for christ. And thought wow. That is completely different. He showed me the difference of being with someone was led by their own ambitions was led by how they feel they should treat other people and being with someone is live led by their love for christ. It is completely different. That is what really showed me that god but this man in my life. All the time i was looking for a man, i was looking for my on ideas about what relationship was but he gave me the person who was created for me. And it was completely different than anything that i have ever encountered. Some with my best friend and partner rated this is my husband, he is everything. Its awesome. Any here. Hilary i wonder if you could talk a little bit about what you are doing now. You did a lot of work as you sort of in some instance that your vendor freedom before you were released. I even knew you were going to be free. And you started working on juvenile sentencings laws, a reform bill into the safe and having passed the first time, the baby continued that. The design is juvenile facilities, really thinking about the protocols about how to work with juveniles who get caught in the system. He also talked about your project for experience is developing glitter, gosh. I think i am forgetting something. Cyntoia exploitation. Hilary did you hear that. I am wondering if you could talk about the importance of your speaking. And sort of how you see your role as an advocate, and activist, and the world going forward. Its only been a few months but youre already involved. So like you said, the begin wave in prison. Cyntoia i went to the life program, and they help me to understand that this is that is given this in life in prison it does not mean that my life is over. I can choose how i would live my life rated for me, i wanted my life to have meaning. I did not want to just lay there and be done. So when i saw that there was things needed to be changed, i wanted to see what i can do about it. And so thats what i started doing. I started having conversations with people on the next you know im sitting in the prison with a state rep. Talking about a bill that is going to present on my behalf. To change the sentencing law to juveniles. I was in tennessee. Very conservative state. Not very keen on reform. As yet to pass. We are still working and is been five years in the making. So many opportunities like that, design and redesign the juvenile facility for Davidson County has yet to be built in it will be built soon. Being able to put myself out there and being or feeling empowered. I have a voice and what i have to say matters. I can have a seat at the table two. Is made all of the difference. Hilary thank you for all of that. I have so many questions and was just signaled though that that was the last. So i will open it now to the audience. I will ask people to be sure youre asking a question, not repeat questions and be concise. If you would just raise your hand, will have a microphone brought to you. Guest first, thank you for coming here. It is wonderful all youve done. You have gone through quite a transformation that happened. With their help along the way to address what that would look like. If you have spiritual advice. Was it something that just happened without it. How did that understanding come about. The understanding of god for you. Cyntoia this really good question. In my own encounter. I didnt know what it was. I had these dreams i started having. Prophetic dreams where i would dream something it would happen i cannot explain that with my usual explanations that this is not real. This does not exist and there is nothing going on here. So i spent a lot of time thinking, weight minute. And that really just sort of planted the seed. A lot of seeds were planted. God has taken me through a lot of processes for those seeds to grow. A sentiment husband along to moderate. It really helped my faith to be born but it was definitely a long process in a long drawn out process. We all have our own journeys. Now go through phases. We may be trying to figure out, who is god. Is god real. In some of us struggle with getting angry. I struggled with being angry. He definitely has a plan when i had the opportunity to sit and be still. And really focus my eyes on him, he will speak to you. He spoke to me and he will speak to you too. [background sounds]. Guest firstly, thank y first, thank you for sharing your story and for the transmission of work youre doing and the ways this is shaping the Tufts Community tonight. I briefly introduced before our initiative this offering associate degrees through the community college, a cohort of 21 men in the mens medium security prison in concord. The initiative is working to offer a bachelors degree through tufts with an major in civics studies in the school of arts and sciences. Our students want of a positive impact on their communities while theyre still in concert and as they are released and this gives them the tools to do that. The tufts Mission Statement says tufts is dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge providing Transformative Experiences for students and faculty at it includes a collaborative environment, to distinguish students as active students of the world. Having heard this and having done education in prison and understanding the profound impact they can have on someone, how to understand that Mission Statement or role and upholding that Mission Statement in the context and the role of education in general . I think everyoi university tt seeks to try to better their community, that tries to equip young people to be successful like you have, you have to acknowledge the of the population. You have to acknowledge population of people who are there as part of your community as well. They are deserving of education, too. So what about them . I know my own experience, the small group of people who brought the program into the person had to fight for it. They apparently to receive in defending from the actual university, that will go a long way for universities to stand up and say hey, we know there are these conversations about reform and about reentry. We know equipping people and giving them the tools they need to succeed is good for all of society, not just these individuals and want to be part of the solution. Were going to go in the prisons and educate these people and help, do our part. That goes a long way and its in keeping with the Mission Statement. So the question is, how committed are they to that statement . [applause] i became completely engrossed industry on twitter last year i think. Its nice to see it in person. I wanted to know historically black and brown bodies have been policed in a different way in america that other bodies. Theres a disproportionate amount ofue black men and women who are in prison compared to white men and women. I want to know how you thought your experience was in incarceration system . As woman of color and add you think, like influence complex relationship you have with your attorneys or judge or your specific joe. I came to see that it wasnt just what race you are that mattered. Whether you get the money to pay for justice. It mattered who you knew, where you came from. There was somebody different factors that were used to just the great people, put them ina lower class. Classes of individuals. I saw that a lot. I saw that with a lot of the women in the hispanic population there at the prison. They didnt get access to educational services. They were kind of expected to learn english. They were not given any kind of resources. They were not given translators for medical services. The list goes on and on. There were white women who came from situations who had abusive husband who happens to be police officers, and their stories were never told and they were given life sentences for defend themselves. Whether youre a woman, whether youre poor, soit many different factors used to put people down and make them undeserving of justice, and thats unfortunate. Because everybodys life matters. Everybodys voice matters. Like its ridiculous. Justice for all, not just for some. Thank you again so much for coming tonight and for sharing your story. An earlier question about the Mission Statement and upholding in regards to the bachelors degree at the Concord Prison in massachusetts. We have been talking distance and faculty cost the university to try to answer, figure out some of the questions that they might have in doing this potential expansion of the program. Although the topics of this inequality and achieving social change are brought to us in an abstract way, what about the billy of currently and firmly incarcerated people. Having worked as a teachers assistant at this program and with you the students i see firsthand that often surpass what i or my nonaccredited classmates can do. And it is with a great appreciation and dedication to education than i see here. With your own experience, how do you think the experiences of our students at the concord campus and those of similar stories and backgrounds would further the academic abilities here . I see what you are doing. [laughing] like you said, the professors will all say, like they saw that we were working harder than some of the outside students. They did just enough to get by. A lot of them are like im only did this because my parents wanted to do it. I feel t like i have to to do. T really dont feel like i would go to school. For those of us who denied it, we had no stimulation in the prison and this is just really our ticket to do something better, to something more. A lot of the women programs, there were the first ones in the film to have ever gone to college come to take college classes. They were always told it wasnt for them, that they were not good enough they couldnt afford it. It was never an option. You were that much more hungry for it. What i found was we could encourage the outside students and outside students had told was like, wow, i took this for granted. The learning experience, just been going inside the prison, having that real world experience, seeing things from beyond a textbook, from beyond the lecture, it was far more rewarding for them. I mean, i love what you are doing. I would love if all you could go out and advocate for the program, just how youre doing, continue speaking that truth and continue calling it out. Thank you so much for sharing your testimony, and what an amazing story of breakthrough and boldness and bravery you do have, so thank you for sharing that. I wanted to ask the question more of the system of trafficking. You mentioned your traffickerr wasnt arrested. E could you give us all a bit more about the surprise atit the endg of trafficking given it is 1 billion industry and and theres a lot going on and operates like aan business. What are your suggestions . What you think about in terms of partnering organizations and solutions to dismantle the trafficker from the top down . What does that look like and what are some ways that we can support and help in in a way tt we can decrease the demand and really work through this sexually broken world and see it restored . You said a word when you said supplied the event. Theres lot of talk about decriminalizing the buyingg of sex. Whenever it is open season like that youll see evenn more peope being motivated to exploit young girls. Vulnerable populations. Its a definitely not supporting that. Its a definitely not saying were not going to punish the people who are purchasing. No, they are part of the problem. I i cassette, supply and demand. What a lot of people dont know is under federal statute that only people who encourage young girls to go out and sell theirnd bodies, but the people who purchase young girls for sex are legally traffickers as well. Johns, they are traffickers. Continuing to talk about that come educating people and that, that something ive personally committed to, i t grassroots initiative, is committed to dialogue that talks about that because i saw a correlation between a lot of the things we understand as normal and okay, all the social norms that i grew up and that i see now, that contributed to my false understanding of what was all right for me as a young girl to do withe men. Thats the conversation we need to be having. We have movies that glorify the commodification of womens bodies. Thats a conversation we need to have. Is glitter a tennesseebased at this point, or can we talk about your expanding it in some way . Its definitely going to be expanded. We are actually working on that. You know, glitter, the grassroots initiative, that means you can leave here tonight and you could talk to someone about something that you learned. You can read this book a talk about something that you learn to someone else. Its about educate one another because thats the only way we can change social norms. Thats the only way we can reprogram the understanding of whats okay in our society. I started the glitter project when i came across a study that said 57 of men reporters thought certain girls would prostitute themselves. If these individuals are on the front lines of defending young girls from being exploited, like, yeah, like thats the problem. Thats an issue. Thats really what i would like to see changed in order for us to change where to Start Talking about what the h truth is. Thank you for coming tonight. I really appreciated hearing your story. In terms of how the talk about social media make sure your story went viral. I want and how did it feel to get out and see your story being told to social media . What was a level of accuracy and how can use social media in the future for advocacy work . Good question. Social media isnt always 1000 accurate. I think we all know that. But for me what was important was that there were people having the conversations. P it wasnt for me and about me personally, but i thought abot all the young girls who were currently going through, are currently going through what i went through. I think about the women who are still in prison. People just forget about them and their experience. And the men, people who write those expenses off. When us also talk about my own situation i said wow, yes, they are shedding light for them. That has the potential to create change. Like a suggested take it a step further than just having that conversation, like jeff to ask the second question, which is what can i do to help . And that actually do it. For me it was really promising and really helpful, and i really hope that theres a lot of the things we see people going off about on social media when itys comes to the system and what it comes to individual cases that translate into changes in the law, to changes in the practices that can benefit the people who you dont necessarily see their names. Last question. I was going to follow up. Is a someone else . Great. Ive been following your story for like years, but i buti cant even imagine like the devastation, receiving a license in prison and and i was just wondering, like how did you not fall into the cycle of bitterness and how did it feel like giving up and how did you turn this horrible situation into light advocacy for self and other people . Thats a great question. It was devastating, devastating to be told that my life is going to be over before i had ever had a drivers license. I had never been to a prompt or a homecoming, and all of a sudden they are telling me my life is done. Lately devastating. But there was something in me that was just defined a set im not about to allow these people to come my life is over. Im not done. Im not done. Im going to continue fighting and of going to keep fighting. So definitely that resilience. That comes from the lord, like i did note at the time that that was of the lord pushing the on and keeping me going, but it was definitely have because when i look back, i cant tell you all how i i consider to be of sound mind and be able to just not have that bitterness. Its nothing but him. Him and forgiveness. In your acknowledgment, you end with that, before god come to name some of the people who were in your Community Insight and are still inside i assume. Im wondering if you could Say Something about the complexity of freedom, given that. So for me, a lot of people when they talk about being free, when i was in concert to talk about what theyre going to do and the things i wanted to be. For me i felt a sense of responsibility, and this is something that god h has lobbied to duterte put me in this position to help them, to shed a light. So when you look at me, like i want you to think of the other people who have beenn written off, who people think that they have done this and, indeed, to be sent away for x amount of years. Theres nothing that could be done for them. No, god could turn anyone around. These are people, mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, and they can b be sittg here having a sin conversation just as light. So which really just putting a face to them and a face to their experience. A lot of times what weveve seen is they hade been demonized. They had been painted in the worst possible light. At the end of the day they are people, just like me and you. If you ever get the opportunity to go in to the present program, i highly advise it because it will completely change your life. Im not saying that because im biased. I am saying that because thats what ive been told time and time again by students, by judges who sat on appellate courts, by my own former district attorney. Theres something that completely changes when youre able to put a face to someone and really see the humanity in them. Thank you so much cyntoia for being here and sharing your stories with us, for your beautiful book, which thank everybody here for come out and hope you will read cyntoias book. It is world book day. World book day, so a good day to do it. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] as the coronavirus continues to impact the country, heres a look at what the Publishing Industry is doing to address the ongoing pandemic. The spring book festival season has been canceled with book fairs in san antonio, annapolis, maryland, and charlottesville, virginia, opting not to reschedule. The Los Angeles Times festival of books originally set to take place in april has decide told there festival in october. North americas largest Publishing IndustryConvention Book expo has decided to push back their scheduled dates to july. Bookstores around the country are working to provide Remote Services for the customers through online sales, curbside pickups and local deliveries. Many like politics and prose in washington, d. C. Are offering virtual author events through the Online Platform crowd cast. The country Book Publishers are currently still fulfilling their schedules with new publications but may delay the release of certain titles. Booktv will continue to bring in new programs and publishing news. You can watch all of our archived programs anytime at booktv. Org. Theres a look at what you will see tonight on booktv in prime time. At 6 30 p. M. Eastern we take a look at recent books about the trump administration. The origins of the republican party. Whitecollar drug addiction. Harriet tubman, claire bartman, Harriet Beecher stowe and other women affected the civil war