James is a storyteller and a bridge between worlds — and as Freedom Reads' Communications Associate, he brings that gift to life every day through content, storytelling, and connection. From reading and responding to letters from our library patrons to writing essays and capturing photos and video on the road, his days are full and rarely go as planned. Whatever the task, James keeps the people Inside at the center of it all.
When asked what he loves most about his role, James doesn't hesitate. "It is powerful to see someone succeed when they were once in your shoes," he says of the chance to go Inside and talk with the Sisters and Brothers still behind the wall. Having once been in their shoes himself, James knows how rare and inspiring it is for them to see someone who found a way back. He's grateful to now be that same source of hope for others that others once were for him.
Off the clock, James stays just as busy, working part-time for another nonprofit in New Haven and picking up consulting work when he can. His favorite books in the Freedom Library are Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and Swan Song by Robert McCammon — two stories he says he could never choose between, a fitting note for a storyteller who believes every voice deserves its full telling.