someone like me.

This survivor story episode covers manipulation, grooming, societal pressures, and broken expectations. Cyntoia Brown is a name you may have heard in 2019 when social media hashtag #freecyntoiabrown was shared by Kerry Washington and Kim Kardashian while Cyntoia served a life sentence for killing a man who had purchased her for sex when she was 16. Cyntoia has been on 20/20, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Today Show, her story has been featured in a Netflix documentary, and she even wrote an autobiography. You can learn all of the details about her case and trial with a Google search. Cyntoia will share about • Her transition out of prison • How trafficking became a part of her story • How she didn't identify as a trafficking victim at first • How she came to realize she was trafficked while in prison. There are so many parts of her teenage experience that are incredibly important when we seek to understand how youth vulnerability plays a huge role in trafficking and how to work to prevent it. As always, we want to hear from survivors about hope and what's next for them. Since 2019, Cyntoia has gotten married, has started the JFAM Foundation, which has spurred The G.L.I.T.T.E.R. Project and The Y.E.S. Council, both of which you'll hear more about in this episode. We were blown away by Cyntoia's strong faith in God, despite all the difficult parts of her personal history, and the ways in which her completely unique experience has so many parallels to those of the youth Marissa works with daily.

Most of our survivors tell stories of being vulnerable as children, which led to a trafficker taking advantage. This is in stark contrast to the myth that children are being kidnapped and sold into sex slavery, and it's just simply not the truth. Today, we break this down even more, we talk with Stasia Freeman, founder of Epic Girl, who works with the court system to screen runaways and youth for signs of trafficking and exploitation, and then works with direct service providers like End Slavery Tennessee to rehabilitate these kids. When we talk about risk factors for trafficking, you'll hear us refer to a temperature tool that Marissa uses with the youth she works with his tools available for download on the End Slavery Tennessee website, you can see what sorts of things leave children vulnerable to being exploited.

Introducing End Slavery Tennessee's brand new socially-distanced-friendly awareness event! Dine at one of the on-site food trucks, check out our special partner booths, and settle in for a screening of I Am Jane Doe. Tickets available now: endslaverytn.org/drivein

Our first survivor interview of the season is a profound and powerful story of hope. Trish's story is a great example of how direct service organizations work together in Middle Tennessee, as she spent time in the Thistle Farms program in tandem with End Slavery Tennessee on her healing journey. You'll hear about familial drug use, late-in-life trafficking, the loss of guardianship of children (and regaining that guardianship), and what it looks like to heal and thrive after trauma.

The National Foster Youth Institute reported 60% of child trafficking victims recovered through FBI raids in 2013 were from foster care or group homes. When we look at vulnerability and its role in trafficking, talking about prevention is to consider foster care and the kids who are in it. So today's episode features a conversation with Bethany Christian Services in Middle Tennessee, a private foster care agency who works with the Department of Child Services here in Tennessee to recruit and train foster families. Their partnership with End Slavery Tennessee has brought an idea for a new program specifically for training families to care for trafficked youth.

Trafficking survivors may not have had opportunities to build work experience, so offering ways to gain this experience is essential to their healing and thriving. In this episode, Stacy and Leslie talk with Lauren Carpenter, co-founder of Branded Collective, an employer of many survivors from End Slavery Tennessee. Branded Collective not only sold jewelry that helped fund survivors and their healing journey, but provided jobs for survivors, to ready them for the workforce. If you're a business owner, or looking for creative ways to help in the rehabilitation of survivors, listen closely to this episode, it'll give you some important takeaways for developing opportunity for these women. Then stick around after our conversation with Lauren to hear from previous employees of Branded Collective who have special messages from their time there. As a content warning, this conversation has references to subjects that may be triggering or difficult for some, so please use your discretion when listening.

When we talk about serving survivors, even if you aren't working directly with them, it's important that we know why Trauma Informed Care is essential in fighting human trafficking. You'll hear about the principles of Trauma-Informed Care and specific examples of how ESTN utilizes them in the organization. Thanks to Jones Legacy Group for their exclusive sponsorship. Subscribe now to never miss an episode.

Season 2 kickoff for Someone Like Me with this live launch originally broadcast March 12, 2021 on Facebook Live. Leslie Eiler Thompson hosts with executive producers Marissa Brownell and Stacy Elliott and producer Gregory Byerline, including live Q&A. Thanks to Jones Legacy Group for their exclusive sponsorship. Subscribe now to never miss an episode.

This is a special bonus episode where we honor the legacy of our founder ... Derri Smith. She tells her own story and also how the plot developed into what we now know as End Slavery Tennessee, going beyond sound byte answers and taking us on a grand journey – from Derri's personal trauma to her dedication to serve the survivor community to organizing strategically and intentionally as a faith-based organization to the trauma-informed care staff and safe house currently in full operation – all contributing to Tennessee's ranking as the #1 state in the nation for fighting trafficking of minors. Thanks to Jones Legacy Group for their exclusive sponsorship. Subscribe now to never miss an episode.

Here's the full recording of live Q&A from August 28 with Derri Smith (founder of End Slavery Tennessee), Margie Quin (CEO), Leslie Eiler Thompson (host), and Gregory Byerline (producer). We wrap season Season 1 with this live finale discussing impactful moments and answering listener questions to continue educating supporters and busting common myths about human trafficking. Survivor stories. Busted myths. Lives changed. Resource links: • Know the Red Flags • Ways to give • Volunteer opportunities Thanks to Jones Legacy Group for their exclusive sponsorship. Subscribe now to never miss an episode.