Truth-Teller Speaks is a newsletter from Brittany Friedman, debuting on January 7, 2025.

When I was a kid I used to get in trouble for pointing out things about people and places that I thought were obvious. As I grew older, I realized many people are uncomfortable with the truth because it tends to disrupts their way of life.

Truth-Teller Speaks is a place to have conversations about truths wherever they may arise. Our voices are our greatest liberation.

This is what I aim to do with this newsletter.

Each month, I will use this space to tell stories that I find interesting, have conversations with people whose work pushes important boundaries, and shine a light on different perspectives in our world. These features will cover topics such as art, love, and healing, while also speaking on politics and the most pressing issues of our time.

“Truth-telling as method is a practice of discovery, of rebuilding that which has been attacked, and of digging in the dark corners of our society to reveal the hidden.”

And while this is true, truth-telling is also a practice of transformation and creativity, weaving together a new reality based on joy and peace one truth at a time.

Join Truth-Teller Speaks, a community of people who love to think differently about the world.

About me.

I am a writer, professor, and intuitive herbalist and artist. I was born just outside of Columbus, Ohio to African-American parents who grew up in the rural southern tip of Missouri known as the Bootheel. Though I now live in Los Angeles, I also call Jefferson City, Missouri home as that’s where I was raised.

Something that gives me peace, always, is that my ancestors are always with me no matter where I am. From those that came before me, I learned the meaning of resilience, to practice gratitude daily, and to express love to the land, animals, and mother earth.

Writing and speaking are also at the forefront of my passions.

My first book, Carceral Apartheid, will be released January 7, 2025 and I am currently working on my second. My writing and research has also appeared in places such as The Washington Post, The Associated Press, ABC News, The Untold Story w/ Jay Ellis, and Jacobin Magazine, to name a few.

Truth-Teller Speaks is a place for me to be free, speak my mind, and let loose. I hope you’ll join me.

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Weaving a new reality one truth at a time.

People

Writer, Professor, & Intuitive Herbalist and Artist. New book - Carceral Apartheid: How Lies & White Supremacists Run Our Prisons