Beyond the cliff | Laura van Dernoot Lipsky | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
In this talk, Laura offers us a window into the cumulative toll that can occur when we are exposed to the suffering, hardship, crisis or trauma of humans, other living beings, or the planet itself. Held within a larger context of systematic oppression and liberation theory, we’ll dive into what gets hard and how to work toward reconciling it both individually and collectively. Laura van Dernoot Lipsky is the founder and director of the Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others. She has worked directly with trauma survivors for 28 years, including survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, acute trauma of all kinds, and natural disasters. Laura has been active in community organizing and movements for social and environmental justice and has taught on issues surrounding systematic oppression and liberation theory.
The me you don’t see | Tiffany Williams | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Tiffany wishes prison could be more like fractals, even though prisons do have routines.At 17 Tiffany was incarcerated and that is where her life began. A lot of her previous life’s memories are vague and lost. She really wants to be known for the good things she has done in her life, instead of the bad. A few years ago, Tiffany was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which has given her a deeper understanding of herself.
Jarocho Ensemble | Veracruz Dance | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
The traditional Jaracho ensemble is proudly worn by Veracruzana women. This ensemble recognizes their origin and traditions. Their beauty amazingly shines while dancing Fandango to Jarocho rhythm. Maria was born in Veracruz, Mexico. She is an avid soccer fan and a new fan of the Seattle Seahawks. Her inspiration to dance comes from her older sister. Maria dances for herself and for her son.
Poetry and expression | Poetic Rhythms of Life | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Reality is shared through the dance of poetry and song. Poetic Rhythms of Life are poets and offenders at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington.
Cracked sidewalks | Tonya Wilson | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
No one blames a badly planted tree for cracking the slabs of sidewalks. Tonya blurs the line between habilitation and rehabilitation, and how it relates to society. Tonya’s life revolves around words. Love of books, learning, and family has shaped her connection to the world. Tonya believes that human understanding, connection and acceptance create change. Understanding that every life has intrinsic value adds passion to her pursuit of nonviolent academic excellence. Using her varied street, prison and educational experiences, Tonya intends to promote change in her community.
I've been set free | Jasmin and Tammy | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Tammy and Jasmin collaborated for this event and created an original musical piece entitled, "I've Been Set Free." Both of these women were raised in the Pacific Northwest. Separated by age, they share a deep love of music from all walks of life that has helped them to bond, forming a long-lasting friendship. This experience is a stepping stone to a better life outside of these walls. Music has inspired change in their lives and their hope is to inspire positive change in others, too.
Northern Cree Women's honor song | Broken Wing Circle | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
The drum is the heartbeat of our people. Drumming honors the four directions, representing our four walks of life: red, yellow, black and white. As a group, we represent our respective tribes and all nations. Songs and dances are prayers made visible with each footstep of the dance. These songs are passed down from previous generations and will continue to be shared with our youth. The Broken Wing Circle are Native American drummers and offenders at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington.
Closing drumming | Broken Wing Circle | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
The drum is the heartbeat of our people. Drumming honors the four directions, representing our four walks of life: red, yellow, black and white. As a group, we represent our respective tribes and all nations. Songs and dances are prayers made visible with each footstep of the dance. These songs are passed down from previous generations and will continue to be shared with our youth.
Prisoners are college students | Tanya Erzen | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Dr. Erzen believes that prison should be a place of departure and beginning. She passes her passion for education to those she encounters and instills a desire to apply learning to success. Tanya Erzen is an Associate Professor of Religion at University of Puget Sound and the executive director of the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound, a college program inside the Washington Corrections Center for Women. In 2014, she received a Soros Justice Fellowship from the Open Society Foundation to finish a book about religious programs in American prisons. She is the author of the books Straight to Jesus, Fanpire, and co-editor of Zero Tolerance.
Why would you put a baby behind bars? | Soledad O'Brien | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
One in 10 women are entering prison while pregnant. Scores of others have children left behind. What happens when a child is serving a sentence for a crime they didn’t commit? Soledad explores solutions to America’s broken prison families, including a program at Washington Corrections Center for Women that keeps mothers and babies together while they both grow — in their separate ways. Could this be the answer to the problem of broken families? Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning journalist who founded the Starfish Media Group in 2013. SMG is a multi-platform media production and distribution company, dedicated to human stories that sometimes tackle divisive social issues. O’Brien was previously an anchor for CNN, where she hosted two shows, numerous specials, covered breaking news around the globe, and created the documentary series In America. O’Brien and SMG continue to produce Black in America for CNN. She also reports and produces documentaries and segments for Al Jazeera America, HBO Real Sports, National Geographic and others.
Everybody includes you | Starr Lake | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Starr identifies giving as way to touch a life and lend a hand, no matter where you are in the world. Just imagine! Starr is actively working toward her associate degree through the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound. She works in the Braille Program and is involved in many other activities. To Starr, life is about living the best life you can and being the best you can possibly be regardless of where you are and what the circumstances. Life is not just about you, but about the connections you make with others.
Undefinable relationship | Michelle Gunderson + Sheila Pessinguia | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Life is a journey that constantly changes and can shift direction at any time. How we handle the changes along the way can significantly shape our future. I once heard a saying that defines a time in my life that really did take an unexpected shift in direction: “Stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone.” It is something that I try and remember each and every time I am faced with challenges in life. Michelle Gunderson is 34 years old. She was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up loving the outdoors. Camping is one of her favorite pastimes. Michelle is competitive and finds great joy while playing sports. She is a nationally certified Braille transcriber. She is a leader, a problem solver, and a motivator. Michelle is a warrior. She has the ability to persevere through any circumstance. Sheila Pessinguia grew up in the Pacific Northwest, completed my bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the University of Arizona and my master’s degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. I am currently employed as a Juvenile Probation Supervisor.
Coming to a neighborhood near you | Marriam Oliver | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Marriam points us to the essential qualities of a good neighbor, and challenges communities to reevaluate their preconceived notions. Marriam had an active childhood playing basketball, volleyball, and taekwondo. One of Marriam’s greatest achievements is receiving two AmeriCorps scholarships, and she’s currently working on her associate degree through the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound. Marriam also uses her incarceration to speak with teens about making positive choices. Marriam believes our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
Just sayin’ | Laurel Rayburn | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
My talk emerged out of my years of experience teaching college courses inside the prison. I address the assumption that so many hold about our students — that their status as “prisoners” is the most crucial aspect of their identities, arguing instead that we are misguided as long as we think of our students inside the prison as fundamentally different from our students on the outside. My vision for my students is that they be taken seriously as academics, that no one is to question them otherwise, and that their identities as students become a way for them to rupture the bounds of the selves they thought they knew. Laurel Rayburn received her doctorate in English from Brown University in 2012, where she completed a dissertation on 20th century American lyric poetry. She teaches academic writing for the Harvard Extension School and Freedom Education Project Puget Sound, a college program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. She is also a dedicated yoga teacher and practitioner.
Power and destiny | Mary Yu | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Justice Yu encourages us to identify our barriers and the stepping stones to overcome. She believes failure is not an end but a means to reach our destiny and that we all have the power to change and develop as full human beings. Mary I. Yu was appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court by Governor Jay Inslee on May 1, 2014, after serving 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she was the Deputy Chief of Staff to King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng and the Director of the Peace and Social Justice Office for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Justice Yu earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, a master’s degree in Religious Studies from Mundelein of Loyola University in Chicago and her law degree from the University of Notre Dame. A frequent speaker for legal education seminars, Justice Yu is also active in a variety of community and professional activities.
Wait a minute man, what you trippin’ for? | Ashly Eli | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
This speaker believes we can change our world by moving beyond our masks and talking about peaceful resolutions. Ashly acknowledges violence is never the answer. Born in Butte, Montana, I was a “Cinderella” child, caring for my siblings and household chores. At age 14 and 18, it was fun to be Mommy, but difficult to be a teenager. We did well and purchased our first home, yet I ran from my problems. My life motto was optimism. I live spiritually and morally, working hard. My goal is to persevere in helping all.
Everybody out of the box | C. Carroll | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
This speaker talks about transcending the traditional gender boxes, which are a foundational portion of the consensus reality map of Western culture. I am an idealist. I believe people are basically good and do the best they can with what they know. I have worked as a manager, a therapist, a consultant, a trainer and a coach. I found people had the same basic needs to love and be loved and have purpose in their lives, with similar experiences of sadness, loss and joy. I am also a philosopher. I believe that we see the world that we believe in, and our mind map of reality is created by our early life experiences and our society.
What’s the difference? | Chris Hubert | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Chris Hubert talks about his professional experiences and acknowledges the differences in working with male and female offenders. He promotes a shift in thinking. In a little over 27 years of public service, I have seen many shifts in philosophy, training, and implementation. I’m excited to see the Washington State Department of Corrections continuing to innovate in the area of gender responsiveness by embracing the best research and practices so that our department remains a recognized leader in evidence-based corrections. I was born in Texas almost 57 years ago. I have traveled a lot, mostly in America. My experiences range from a fairly well-off upbringing to being homeless, more than once, to being rich now. I consider myself rich because I have a family I love and who loves me as well as a home and career I really like and take pride in. I love my pets and enjoy hobbies such as reading and woodworking with reclaimed lumber. Having had times in my life when I had almost nothing, I am all the more appreciative of what I have now.
Summon your courage! | Cathryn Cummings | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
I am telling a bit about my story: being one of the first woman ministers and the obstacles that presented; also being defrocked by the church for being gay, and how I responded to that challenge. I am asking the audience to summon their own courage to be all they are meant to be! Cathryn’s favorite pastime is eating popcorn while sharing deeply with someone. She lives in Gig Harbor, Washington, with her life partner. She graduated from Whitworth University and Princeton Seminary. Her two grown kids are amazing and live in Washington, D.C. and California. She loves life.
The hard stuff | Felice Davis | TEDxWashingtonCorrectionsCenterforWomen 2015
Felice Davis proposes that being authentic and talking about who we truly are, without fear of our secrets, assists in creating a trusting world. She suggests we can help victims become survivors by providing a place where it feels safe to share our secrets. Felice has worked for the Washington State Department of Corrections in a wide range of roles and is currently the Associate Superintendent of Programs at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. Davis has worked in both sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy and has a well established rapport with stakeholders in the Pierce County area. This includes nonprofit organizations, law enforcement, other government agencies and private businesses. Her drive to help at-risk populations extends to her volunteer activities as well. Davis is an active community volunteer who has dedicated time to serving people experiencing homelessness. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from the University of Washington, which provided her with a thorough understanding of the social issues that may cause incarceration and the impact of recidivism on local communities.