High school students reflect on hearing survivor stories
Sean Tyler speaking to a group of students at John Hancock High School on January 18, 2023.
The Chicago Torture Justice Center partners with the Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Teachers Union Foundation, and Chicago Public Schools to support educators in bringing the curriculum to their classrooms. CTJC also coordinates a Speakers Bureau where survivors and family members share their personal testimony about their experiences and perspective regarding incarceration, the reparations campaign, and the ongoing work at the Center.
There was an audience of 167 students at John Hancock High School. While Sean Tyler spoke, the lights went out, prompting students to pull out their phone flashlights so that Sean could continue sharing his story uninterrupted.
Students shared some of their reflections after hearing Sean speak. We hope these reflections move you as much as they moved us!
Something that Mr. Tyler said that I admired was when he told us that talking about his trauma was his way of letting it go and letting it off his chest. I admired this because it is hard for me to talk about my feelings to people, especially people that I don’t know so I admired his bravery. I also felt inspired when he said that anything we encounter in life, no matter how hard it is, we will always be able to do something to better ourselves in the future and persevere through it. Listening to the perspective of voices that are often unheard allows us to put ourselves in their shoes and learn their side of the story and their experiences and feelings throughout it. It also makes you feel like you want to do something to change the world and the bad people that live on it.
After hearing Mr.Tylers story, I am left with many new insights about the injustice that goes on in our system. I have learned that many victims are genuinely innocent, and spoke up thinking they were doing the right thing. But, left with traumas and not being believed. Many horrible things happened to them because our justice system is messed up. Something Mr. Tyler said that inspired me was that us teenagers can have the strength to persevere and push through terrible times just as he did. That nothing can be an obstacle in our life if we just keep going. This will stick with me because his problem was terrible, so if he could get through it, then so can I. The value of listening to this advice and his story is that we can be informed about how many negative things can happen to good people. We can learn to stick up for those and realize the justice system has a major part in this ongoing issue. With more and more people listening to these stories, we can continue to grow and fight for a fair justice system and hopefully put a stop to these harmful ways.
After hearing about Mr.Tyler’s experiences, I admired the attitude he held about what happened to him. No matter how traumatic his story is, he has not let it get him down. I admired how he said that you can’t let what you’ve been through get in the way of your future. Hearing this first-hand account is important to me because it’s something you can’t get online or through articles. Mr.Tyler told a powerful story and through his words, I can see how he has made it this far. He has not let the injustice done to him get in the way of his dreams. He started his own clothing line, wrote 6 books and furthered his education. This encourages me to pursue the future that I want no matter what happens.
After hearing Mr.Tyler’s experiences it helped me understand the true humanity and aftermath of victims. I admired that he knows that he didn’t do anything wrong and that he would have done it again but with more preparation. I also admired how he doesn’t hold resentment towards anyone that wasn’t involved in the case, and how he encourages us to do the right thing and to speak up about the things that happen in our communities but to never be alone while doing so. I think that after hearing his experiences it helps us as students learn that these victims aren’t just a story in a book; they are real people with real lives that persevere even after being in difficult situations.
In Mr. Tyler’s reflection what stood out to me the most was how he enjoyed speaking out about his experiences because it's a way for him to release a part of that trauma. He believes it's important for people to learn about the injustice that has occurred because most people don’t care enough to do so. He hopes to leave a part of his story everywhere he shares it and that perhaps someday (after many times of sharing) he will have gotten rid of everything he went through. I also admire his motivation to keep moving forward. Writing books and starting his own clothing line show us how he hasn’t given up and will continue to preserve and enjoy his life now that he is free.
Hearing his story inspires me to achieve better, give it my all, and refuse attempts by people or things to knock me down. Because not everyone is capable of doing that, his ability to recover from the trauma and improve himself is truly inspiring. This demonstrates how empowered one is and how they can do anything, especially with the help of a community.
After hearing Mr. Tyler's experiences, I was able to better understand the battles and hardships he had to overcome. Hearing how, after so many years in jail and all of the things he lost, Mr. Tyler was still able to come back and do something great. How he went back to school to get his GED and then created his own clothing brand is very inspiring. He later told us to never give up and to keep pushing. He took his own horrible experience and showed us something positive. I admire his strength and his attitude towards this. Mr. Tyler is an image of growth and overcoming. He is someone to look up to.
