← TED Talks Daily
Why I’m building libraries inside prisons | Reginald Dwayne Betts artwork

Why I’m building libraries inside prisons | Reginald Dwayne Betts

TED Talks Daily
14:55
Play episode

Show notes

At age 16, Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison. He turned to books to help hold onto his sanity — and developed a belief that we find what we look for, even in the toughest places. Now a lawyer and poet, he's opened hundreds of Freedom Libraries inside prisons across the US, putting books he once dreamed of reading into the hands of incarcerated people. In this profound talk, he makes the case that hope is something people pass on to one another. "We put millions of people in prison. I would put millions of books inside," he says. Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from this show

More
  1. Why the future is human ... plus AI | Sal Khan and Esther Perel

    As AI reshapes work, school and love, what part of being human can't a machine take over? In a wide-ranging conversation, psychotherapist Esther Perel and TED's vision steward Sal…

    23:39
  2. The three words that saved my life | Blake Mycoskie

    On paper, Blake Mycoskie is a glowing success story: he founded TOMS Shoes, building a global brand that has given away more than 100 million pairs of shoes to children in need. Ye…

    18:48
  3. How imaginary worlds help kids learn | Anna Rainio

    All children develop at different paces — so why do schools expect every student to learn the same way? Early education researcher Anna Rainio introduces "playworlds," a learning a…

    17:42
  4. What my politically divided family teaches me | Tami Pyfer

    Tami Pyfer has five kids who belong to five different political parties, and sometimes family conversations get heated. Drawing on her work as a former policy advisor to the govern…

    14:03
  5. The wonder of weightlifting | Jaime Seeman (re-release)

    With humor and hard science, obstetrician and gynecologist Jaime Seeman reveals why building muscle is one of the best ways to combat women’s top health risks. Learn the truth behi…

    13:05
  6. The secret to lasting love | Eli J Finkel

    Social psychologist Eli J. Finkel has spent decades studying what makes partnerships successful. In a practical talk drawing on lessons from pop culture, he explores why so many of…

    15:32
Now Playing