Devan Sandiford
Devan Sandiford is a published writer and award-winning storyteller. His stories have been featured in the Washington Post, The Moth Podcast, Speak Up Storytelling, Love Hurts Podcast, The Womanity Project, and Writing Class Radio. Devan’s story, The Loudest Whisper, was selected to accompany a story told by Rev. Al Sharpton for Black History Month 2020. Devan is also the founder of Unreeling Storytelling, a New York City-based personal storytelling show that provides a platform for the repressed perspectives of people of color, women, and other under-represented populations. Devan tells many stories from his struggles as a black man growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood in Southern California, moving to New York City, and traveling internationally in Europe and Asia. After a reserved childhood, Devan found his way to the stage where he learned sharing his truth lightened the burden he felt while carrying his pains alone. He draws on his experience as a 3x Moth StorySLAM Champion and 3x Runner-Up to teach storytelling workshops with a focus on creating space for people to be heard and seen. Devan believes even the smallest stories can have a big impact, and he joins Roots ConnectED to empower families to share their stories and deepen their connections.