Unshackling Our Stories brings together people from around the country who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, such as those in re-entry, family members of people in prison, and those working directly with the incarcerated through projects taking place in prison. Facilitated by Herstory’s founder and executive and creative director, this online writing circle welcomes people who are serious about producing book-length projects or shorter pieces meant to engage an audience in thinking deeply about freedom, justice, forgiveness, reparation, and the need to break the cycles of violence, retribution, and revenge. 

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A unique feature of this workshop is that participants record their weekly readings and the “conversations that dare you” that take place during each session, with the goal of sharing their insights and reflections with an ever-expanding network of new facilitators and new writers producing memoir writing behind bars. Through disseminating these recordings, they also inspire new forums to generate similar probing discussions in the larger community. Participants also write for website publication, public presentation, academic study, and policy advocacy. 

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Herstory asks community members interested in joining Unshackling Our Stories to submit a 750-word essay about what draws them to the project, how they envision using their personal story for justice, and their organizational or academic connections. 

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​Current Fellows:

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Shamah ShaRize: Artistic Director of Time Out of Joint

Shanequa Levin: Founder and Director of Women’s Diversity Network

Graham Reside: Vanderbilt Divinity School, works with men on death row in Tennessee

Amber Darkins, Junior Fellow: Recent graduate of Adelphi University