Victorious Voices Podcast – Hosted by Arthur Soriano
Victorious Voices is a dynamic podcast that elevates the perspectives of individuals working in justice reform, trauma-informed care, and community advocacy. Hosted by Arthur Soriano, the show features a wide range of guests, including formerly incarcerated individuals, credible messengers, mental health experts, and leaders dedicated to creating change.
Each episode explores crucial topics such as reentry, youth empowerment, systemic inequities, and the impact of trauma, offering real stories and practical solutions. Through honest conversations, Victorious Voices highlights both the struggles and victories of those working to transform lives and communities.
From addressing the flaws in the justice system to fostering healing and resilience, this podcast serves as a platform for dialogue, education, and empowerment. Victorious Voices: Where stories spark change.
Victorious Voices Podcast – Hosted by Arthur Soriano
EP: 31 | Victorious Voices | Breaking Cycles, Trauma, & Rebuilding Communities | Niki Martinez
EP: 31 | Victorious Voices | Breaking Cycles, Trauma, & Rebuilding Communities | Niki Martinez
In this powerful episode of Victorious Voices, host Arthur Soriano is joined by special guest Niki Martinez from Sista Warrior to dive deep into the realities of trauma, incarceration, and the fight for a better future. Together, they explore the pain, struggles, and triumphs of those impacted by the justice system—especially the youth who find themselves caught in its grip.
Arthur shares his own experiences, from reentering the community after incarceration to the failures and hard lessons that shaped his path. He reflects on the journey of creating Youth Empowerment, building a movement that helps young people on probation and in detention facilities like East Mesa, as well as supporting adults reentering society. He speaks candidly about the long road to stability—years of volunteering, struggling to find steady work, and eventually building relationships with nonprofits, community leaders, and system stakeholders.
But the episode doesn’t shy away from the raw, personal moments that define his journey. Arthur opens up about the night he got the call that changed everything: "Your kids have been shot." The shock, the paralysis, the overwhelming trauma—it’s a moment that still brings him to tears. And yet, through the pain, he continues to fight for change, knowing firsthand the devastation that cycles of violence and incarceration bring to families.
Niki Martinez brings her powerful voice to the conversation, challenging the idea that incarceration is the only answer. As a dismantlist and abolitionist, she pushes for new approaches—ones that don’t rely on cages but instead focus on healing, support, and community-driven solutions. They discuss the hard questions: Does everyone deserve to be locked up? How do we break free from anger and pain? What does true justice look like?
From young people facing life-altering decisions behind bars to the mentors struggling to guide them, this episode is a gripping testament to the power of resilience, redemption, and the belief that no one is beyond hope. Arthur and Niki remind us that healing is a process, justice must be redefined, and real change starts with those willing to do the work.
#youthempowerment #traumainformed #livedexperience #inclusion