Portia Taylor speaks on the TEDx SIUC stage about how communities need to support each other through all endeavors. In this talk, Portia shares her personal journey as the daughter of an incarcerated father and draws from her research on the ripple effects of parental incarceration on communities. Inspired by the book What We Owe Each Other, she highlights how individual struggles impact society as a whole, creating “love and hope deserts” when we fail to support one another. Portia challenges the audience to restore the village mentality of collective care and responsibility, showing how rebuilding these connections can heal communities and foster resilience. Born in Chicago, IL, and living between Bolingbrook, Carbondale, and Chicago for most of my life, Portia was raised in an environment steeped in service, making her pursuit of social justice a natural path. From a young age, Portia aspired to attend law school and practice law, a passion sparked by her father's incarceration when she was just six years old. However, as she grew older, she realized her true calling lay in advocating for families affected by a loved one's incarceration, much like her own. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx