Manny Mejias, Red Flags

It was nearly two years ago that Manny Mejias stepped onto the Odyssey stage for his public service announcement, which, to paraphrase the man himself, blew our hair back. One of the most singularly powerful stories in Odyssey history, Manny spoke to us about his journey, advised us to listen to kids and give them what they need, and reminded us to love one another. From Manny's Odyssey bio:

Manuel "Manny" Mejias serves as a Reentry Coordinator for Pima Prevention Partnership where he works with the Fortaleza Reentry Collaborative.  Manny is responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the Fortaleza Programs. Manny has more than 20 years of experience working reengagement projects with high risk multicultural offenders.  Manny's volunteer experience includes public speaking and presentations of his "Choices" and "Manny's Story" videos.  Manny serves on the Safety and Justice Challenge Steering Committee and is a volunteer board member for the Primavera foundation.

This story was performed and recorded in front of a live audience at Sea of Glass Center for the Arts in Tucson, AZ, on August 2nd, 2018, and was curated by Sharon Schneiderman. It was originally released on August 31st, 2018, as part of the episode August 2018: Red Flags. For more information about Odyssey Storytelling, please visit www.odysseystorytelling.com.