Devon Player ‘23 Participants in Dismantling Systems of Mass Incarceration Oppression With the Freedom Project in Renton, WA

Healing, Community, and Collective Brilliance

This summer, the Whitman Internship Grant has allowed me to join the Freedom Project, WA team. I don’t think words can describe the love, growth, and empowerment I’ve gained from this group and the work they do.

Freedom Project is a community-centered organization that aims to not only dismantle systems of oppression (in particular, that of mass incarceration) but also heal from the harm those systems have already inflicted. Going into this summer, I knew I’d learn a lot about the US carceral system, its deeply unjust and harmful impact, and what it looks like to engage in community-centered anti-oppression work, but I had no idea I would reflect so much on how important personal healing is to systemic change.

Freedom Project is a small (though quickly growing) organization based in Renton, WA. The team is made up of 23 people, most of whom are people of color and have been directly impacted by incarceration. Freedom Project is a flat organization, meaning everyone holds the same value regardless of position/title, and everyone on the team receives the same pay. These characteristics of the organization are intentional and important components of their aim to model the type of systemic change they are working toward. One of the most important questions I’ve learned to ask myself from my time here is: how are we supposed to dismantle systems of oppression when the way we lead, make decisions, legitimate and prioritize certain types of knowledge, and work is rooted in those same harmful institutions and social structures?

On my first day when folks introduced themselves to me, I remember Jermaine saying, “get ready because they’re gonna pour a lot of love into you” — and that could not be more true. That same day, Lauren and Youngblood emphasized to me that strong relationships and personal connection are at the heart of everything this team does. While every member of the team has a personal stake in the thriving of the community in which they work, they also each have a personal stake in their own well-being as individuals and as a team.

While this is true every day, it was illuminated for me through their “Healing the Healers” retreat week that I got to participate in. This week was an acknowledgment that the healing work they do with community members is healing work we all deserve and need to commit to in our own lives as well. If you are investing all of your emotional and physical energy in showing up for the healing of others, how are you supposed to show up for yourself? And further, how can you effectively sustain and contribute to that healing in your community?

I got to spend three beautifully intense days working with healers and therapists to learn about trauma, healing, and team building with the rest of the group. Though I didn’t know going into the summer that this opportunity would be a part of it, I am so grateful to have gotten to be in space with the team on these days.

One of my biggest takeaways from that week was a much deeper understanding of what collective brilliance means. Sometimes because of the trauma and the dominant culture that we have all internalized in some way, it is difficult to see the beauty and brilliance that is within each and every one of us. I realized it’s a lot easier for me to recognize and celebrate greatness in others than in myself and that is just one example of the way I have internalized (and must work to heal from) dominant culture. Listening to the conversations that emerged from the group throughout the week, it became very clear to me that part of the love and sense of community that is what makes the Freedom Project team a family is a recognition that our lived experiences are what make each of our perspectives important, our knowledge valuable, and our collective understandings brilliant.

Though I learned valuable skills in volunteer coordination, large group facilitation strategizing, grant writing, and developing and implementing an anti-oppressive lens, I think the most meaningful and impactful thing I learned so far from my time at Freedom Project was that when I undervalue the brilliance in many and overvalue the brilliance in some, it makes healing extremely difficult. This is important because personal and community healing is not only crucial for our collective well-being but are also necessary component of systemic change.


Experiences like Devon Player’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at nonprofit, some for-profit, and government organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long grants at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, contact us at ccec_info@whitman.edu.

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