WBGO resident reporter Tia Ryans is the Founding Executive Director of F.O.R.T.E. (Forcing Out Recidivism Through Education) House.
Ryans says she is not the only neighbor you have passed that has re-entry experience. In her role at F.O.R.T.E. House, Ryans provides a healthy and stable living environment for formerly incarcerated students transitioning from incarceration through post-secondary education. Ryans got her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Rutgers University-Newark.
Her new series is called "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Neighbors You Never Hear From". The series will take you on the journey of re-entry through first-hand experiences.
Tia sat down recently with Nelson Gonzalez, who served a 17-year prison sentence and was released in November of last year. In this in-depth interview, we hear about Gonzalez’s journey of what he described as “becoming a man.” From childhood sexual abuse, gang involvement and his love for God….Gonzalez reveals in this interview... how he weaved through all of that as an impressionable young man.
The interview is part of the Newark News and Story Collaborative made possible by grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Victoria Foundation. The Newark News and Story Collaborative, headed by WBGO Community Engagement reporter Brit Harley, is committed to elevating community-driven storytelling to fill information gaps in both local and national media. The Collaborative trains community members in storytelling, media making and other creative art forms to share and amplify their experiences. It’s laying the groundwork for a collaborative network that will address longstanding information inequities in Newark, New Jersey. For more information, you can go to newarkstories.com.
