Book CLUB

Welcome to the TRF Book Club

The Trauma Research Foundation invites you to Book Club, a free event open to all members of the TRF community, aims to provide a space to connect, discuss, and share the work of leading experts in the field of trauma. We seek to amplify the voices of both new and established authors and expand our organization’s reach to all members of the public interested in trauma and healing.

Registration is free and open to everyone. TRF will host a discussion panel of up to 8 selected Book Club Members each week. The meetings will be broadcast live on the TRF YouTube Channel and FacebookLive. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with each other and the panel via the live chat.

2023 Book Club Lineup

Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women by Susan Burton & Cari Lynn

The second season of the Book Club will meet to discuss Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women.

Susan Burton and Cari Lynn’s social justice memoir, Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women, follows Burton’s journey from a prison inmate to a leading campaigner for justice system reform.

Register once to attend as many of these sessions as you are able. Recordings will be available for any missed weeks.

Meeting 1: Family & Early Life | Thursday, June 8th @ 4:00 - 5:30 pm ET
Meeting 2: Mass Incarceration | Thursday, June 15th @ 4:00 - 5:30 pm ET
Meeting 3: Recovery, Re-entry, & a New Way of Life | Thursday, June 22nd @ 4:00 - 5:30 pm ET
Meeting 4: Live Q&A with author Susan Burton | Thursday June 29th @ 4:00 - 5:30 pm ET

Praise for Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women

Winner of an NAACP Image Award and named a “Best Book of 2017” by the Chicago Public Library, here is an unforgettable book about “the breathtaking resilience of the human spirit”
― Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness).

“Miraculously inspirational…Becoming Ms. Burton is most of all a book about trauma, fair justice, inequality, healing, resiliency, and selfless humanity.”
― Vivian D. Nixon, executive director of College and Community Fellowship, in the Los Angelos Review of Books

“Susan Burton is a national treasure . . . her life story is testimony to the human capacity for resilience and recovery . . . [Becoming Ms. Burton is] a stunning memoir.”
― Nicholas Kristof, in The New York Times

“More than just a memoir, this account provides an intimate glimpse into the problems that plague the U.S. prison system. Also recommended for those interested in prison reform and the race, gender, and socioeconomic issues relating to criminal justice.”
—Library Journal

Meet Your Discussion Leaders

Achara Tarfa is a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach-Supervisory Level with the International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaches. She is a board member of PATH, a program to recover from addiction and its underlying trauma utilizing an IFS-informed approach.

As a trauma survivor herself, Achara founded Compassionate Coaching for Complex Trauma to support other survivors and serves as a two term elected district supervisor where she brings a Self-led trauma-informed voice to local policy. She enjoys spending time eating the food of her mother’s country Thailand and is always up for an adventure.

Dr. Keisha Siriboe is the CEO of Dr. Keisha Cares Consulting & Coaching and specializes in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Consulting and Trauma-Informed Mindset Coaching. With a passion for racial literacy education and leadership development, she brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and global perspective to the table.

Dr. Keisha’s accomplishments have made her a prominent figure in the realm of public scholarship. Through TEDx talks, Instagram, Youtube, international conference lectures, published academic works, and programmatic initiatives, she has emerged as a catalyst for change, championing racial literacy and inclusive leadership. Boasting over 20 years of experience, her scholarly pursuits and advocacy work have garnered a discerning global perspective on educational research and diversity.

Embodying the essence of perseverance and dedication, Dr. Keisha Siriboe has made history as the first African-American to obtain a master’s degree from Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China, and the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong. These achievements exemplify her unwavering commitment to academic excellence and her determination to transcend cultural boundaries.

Dr. Keisha Siriboe’s leadership journey epitomizes her devotion to education and its impact on society. She has held pivotal roles within prestigious organizations, such as the American Education Research Association (AERA) and the World Education Research Association (WERA). Furthermore, she has contributed to the development of global policy during her three-year tenure with the Education 2030 Project.

Become a Panelist

SHARE, REFLECT, AND DISCUSS

Book Club Members are invited to be a panelist and play an active role by asking questions and sharing reflections.

There are no requirements to be a panelist in The Book Club. Each week we will be selecting a diverse array of participants, all are welcome to apply.

Panelist applications are OPEN!

Receive a Complimentary Study Guide

A complimentary study guide for Becoming Ms. Burton will be made available closer to the start of the Book Club.

Registration is free and open to everyone!

The meetings will be broadcast live on the TRF YouTube Channel. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with each other and the panel via the live chat.