Voice of Witness

Oral history nonprofit illuminating human rights issues via community storytelling projects & education program.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

NEWS: We have moved to BlueSky!

Our handle is @voiceofwitness.org

We will continue sharing insights on oral history, ethical storytelling, human rights education, and more.

Join us there for genuine, meaningful conversation and community building. 👋🦋

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

The Storyteller Initiative is fueling vital projects, from documenting the impacts of corporate fishing to uncovering the fight against water privatization. With stipends, mentorship, and editorial support, fellows have the resources they need to bring urgent stories to light.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

There are still available spots in our upcoming session of Ask an Oral Historian! We hope to see you on September 25th to dive deep in to a conversation on Narrative Editing.

Support programs like Ask an Oral Historian by donating at https://t.co/ZedMAHraSO.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

This September, we’re raising $5,000 to expand VOW’s editorial programming.

Donate at https://t.co/ZedMAHraSO to join us in making an impact. Become a monthly donor and receive free access to Ask an Oral Historian sessions for as long as you give!

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

📢 Our new storytelling course is now open!

The Community Voices Initiative is an interactive, multi-week course taking a deep dive into oral history and ethical storytelling.

Get all the details and register here:
https://t.co/gEpDqk6NEH

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

What actions will you take for #RightToReadDay & #NationalLibraryWeek?

✅ Send a thank you to your library
✅ Contact your representatives
✅ Report censorship
✅ Attend a library or school board meeting
✅ Share a Voice of Witness book or lesson plan with students and educators

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

🎙 At a time when cultural erasure, silencing, and harmful narratives are on the rise, authentic first-person storytelling can document human impacts and build narrative power for justice.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

📢 Our new storytelling course is now open!

The Community Voices Initiative is an interactive, multi-week course taking a deep dive into oral history and ethical storytelling.

Get all the details and register here:
https://t.co/gEpDqk6NEH

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

📝 You’ll finish the course with a completed oral history narrative ready to share, insights into ethics-driven practices, and a road map for documenting more stories and incorporating these strategies to support your movement, community building, fundraising, or advocacy work.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

@mcsweeneys 👏

[McSweeney's @mcsweeneys]

Our friends at @voiceofwitness have an excellent lineup of guest speakers who will share insights from their oral history work. Click for more info. https://t.co/mvIavYdBm2

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

🗨 The oral histories in this collection share narratives from refugees, immigrants, & generations-long residents in Appalachia, highlighting the ways that communities resist & complicate stereotypes and create spaces of belonging, home, & connection.

https://t.co/Pb3FugOlFX

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

🗓 The Library of Virginia is hosting a talk on our #oralhistory book Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia. Tell your local friends!

[Library of Virginia @LibraryofVA]

LVA's 1st Weinstein Author Series event for 2025! Apr 10, 6pm - author & prof Katrina Powell, editor of “Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia,” a collection of Appalachian oral histories. #Booksigning Register https://t.co/ZAW13mJzBc
#VirginiaHistory

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

📢 We’re excited to introduce our inaugural Storyteller Initiative Fellows! This new program supports fellows to document oral histories from their communities and contribute to movements for justice.

Get to know Kristal and Feini and their projects:

https://t.co/D8Rng3eN9e

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

Thank you @UnlockTheBoxNow for uplifting our oral history collection Six by Ten: Stories from Solitary alongside these vital resources.

Lesson plans, discussion questions, and ways to take action are available here: https://t.co/XUNUsuH719

[Unlock The Box Campaign @UnlockTheBoxNow]

📚 This #WorldStorytellingDay, the UTB team has compiled our favorite recommendations for books about solitary confinement and mass incarceration. These stories are informative and deeply moving – they inspire us to stay strong and united in the fight to end solitary confinement. We hope they inspire you too.

1. Hell Is A Very Small Place – Voices from Solitary Confinement, edited by Jean Casella @casellaj4, James Ridgeway, and Sarah Shourd @SShourd: an "elegant but harrowing" (San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle) collection of first-hand accounts from solitary survivors.

2. Flying Kites – A Story of the 2013 California Prison Hunger Strike by Standford Graphic Novel Project: a remarkable example of the power of human resilience, hope, and solidarity. Learn more about this true story in the award-winning documentary The Strike @StrikeFilm available to stream for free on the PBS YouTube channel until May 3.

3. Six By Ten – Stories from Solitary, edited by Taylor Pendergrass and Mateo Hoke @mateohoke: thirteen intimate narratives exploring the mental, physical, and spiritual impacts of solitary confinement.

4. How To Abolish Prisons – Lessons from the Movement by Rachel Herzing and Justin Piché @JustinPicheh: an incisive guide to the abolitionist movement and strategy.

5. No Human Contact – Solitary Confinement, Maximum Security, and Two Inmates Who Changed the System by Pete Earley @peteearley: examines the brutal experience of isolation through the story of two men condemned to the severest punishment.

What stories have helped you to understand the reality of solitary confinement? Let us know below.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

➡ Liberation Stories + Public Art (with Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz,) on 4/23

➡ Participatory Storytelling Exhibitions (with Mark Menjívar) on 5/7

➡ Documenting Refugee Stories (with Diya Abdo) on 5/21

Links to register here:
https://t.co/fl2XgUG5t2

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

📢 Registration is now open for our 2025 Oral History in Practice event series.

What goes into community-rooted storytelling projects and what are the outcomes? We're hosting a series of virtual conversations with #OralHistory practitioners.

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

Ready to join VOW's amazing network of collaborators and work with us on governance, strategic planning, fundraising, and outreach?

📩 We'd love to hear from you! Share with friends and reach out to us. More info on the opportunity here:

https://t.co/tnBSAwQhw4

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

📢 OPEN CALL: Voice of Witness is looking for dedicated individuals to join our Board of Directors & contribute to our impact.

Interested in supporting community-based storytelling, oral history, and education for justice?

#NonprofitBoard #BoardofDirectors #NonprofitLeadership

[Voice of Witness @voiceofwitness]

For #WomensHistoryMonth, our publisher Haymarket is offering 40% off this reading list celebrating radical women who make and record our histories and fight for liberation from gender-based oppression.

[Haymarket Books @haymarketbooks]

40% Off Haymarket Books for Women's Liberation
https://t.co/vYHPr3noTN