If you’ve ever wondered how Freedom Reads libraries seem to appear across the country with care, precision, and soul, chances are David is somewhere in the middle of it all.
As Library Coordination Manager, David’s days resist routine. One morning might begin in conversation with a department of corrections, shift into planning an Inside event with an author, and close with a Zoom book discussion alongside readers on the Inside. Each day unfolds differently, and that constant motion is part of what makes the work feel special.
What David loves most about Freedom Reads is simple and profound: reading with others. Whether alongside coworkers, prison librarians, or patrons on the Inside, these shared reading experiences feel like a childhood dream realized. Conversations about books open doors to understanding others, and just as often, to understanding himself.
Ask David about his favorite book in the Freedom Library and his answer comes fast: We the Animals by Justin Torres. After finishing Blackouts, shortlisted for the 2025 Inside Literary Prize, David picked up We the Animals on instinct and read it in one sitting. The book captured the essence of his life with rare honesty, giving language to experiences often left unnamed. Brave, genius storytelling that lingers long after the final page.
Outside of work, David is devoted to caring for his bulldog, Rubble, and to something just as important: rest, healing, and self-care. After what he describes as a marathon of the last two years since his release, this season is about working, dreaming forward, and allowing space to breathe.
David is passionate about Caribbean history, particularly the Indigenous and African roots of the Antilles. He is fascinated by how Taíno, African, and European influences shaped Caribbean cultural traditions and identity, and by how much of that history has been overlooked or mistranslated. Learning and preserving these stories deeply matters to him. If you have one to share, he definitely wants to hear it.