Connect with us

People & Blogs

Why I’m Building Libraries Inside Prisons | Reginald Dwayne Betts | TED

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…

Published

12 hours ago

on

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. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 16, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #SocialChange

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. @Gudness22

    October 15, 2026 at 11:08 am

    You will find what you look for hittts different 👌🏻

    Reply

  2. @ritageraghty3261

    October 15, 2026 at 11:09 am

    He is such a great speaker that he can talk his way out of prison. I wish I have his confidence.

    Reply

  3. @ilovescotland777

    October 15, 2026 at 11:13 am

    I’ll crack a light joke yeah prison can do that to you 😂

    Reply

  4. @nowelleUSA

    October 15, 2026 at 11:21 am

    Books for prisons. Yes. Ty.

    Reply

  5. @ab_1808

    October 15, 2026 at 11:22 am

    ❤❤❤

    Reply

  6. @dhruva.skowshik7880

    October 15, 2026 at 11:25 am

    These idea has already implemented in india.
    For best version watch movie called birathi ranagal

    Reply

  7. @pierrejordan2433

    October 15, 2026 at 12:04 pm

    Proud of you my friend

    Reply

  8. @BigT-000

    October 15, 2026 at 12:30 pm

    Dude made his entire persona about jail…sad.

    Reply

    • @floralcailini01

      October 15, 2026 at 1:25 pm

      @BigT-000 When something affects you in a lot of ways, like his experience, he wants to help the experience be better for the people that are going to be going through it. You saw his TedTalk about prison. Therefore you only know he’s talking about prison. Don’t call people sad when they’re trying to help the system. Please look at yourself and be happier. You need to fix your outlook on people and first you gotta fix how you see yourself. I pity you and I hope you get better.

      Reply

  9. @Thewhippedhippie

    October 15, 2026 at 12:35 pm

    Comfort in prison?
    Who is the next contestant?
    Who wants to read daily?
    Who wants to come to my prison?
    This just looks immature. You don’t advertise comfortable prison settings. 😂

    Reply

  10. @michaelkatz4068

    October 15, 2026 at 12:53 pm

    Oh wow that March 4th line was incredible.

    Reply

  11. @michaelkatz4068

    October 15, 2026 at 12:57 pm

    Excellent video, excellent lesson, excellent story. Thank you for your service, sir.

    Reply

  12. @janberger2339

    October 15, 2026 at 3:37 pm

    This is the kind of good old TED talks I remember, not the other new social media propaganda bullcrap or toxic productivity they have been airing recently.
    More of this please!❤

    Reply

  13. @Jasonxbr

    October 15, 2026 at 3:54 pm

    Well why not- better yet just give them a E-reader and save on the cost of books. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 just subscription it

    Reply

  14. @doubleuenbeeeh

    October 15, 2026 at 4:54 pm

    Bro just rambling but no one notices because his delivery is polished

    Reply

  15. @shar1ngthemusic

    October 15, 2026 at 6:30 pm

    ❤❤❤

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

People & Blogs

How the Wealth Gap Is Reshaping Politics | Xochitl Gonzalez | TED

Wealth inequality gets talked about as an economic problem. Writer Xochitl Gonzalez makes the case that it’s a civic one, too — a slow, quiet threat to democracy. Drawing on her research into the psychology of social class, she shows how growing up with (or without) money changes how we experience politics, community and society.…

Published

2 days ago

on

October 13, 2026

By

Wealth inequality gets talked about as an economic problem. Writer Xochitl Gonzalez makes the case that it’s a civic one, too — a slow, quiet threat to democracy. Drawing on her research into the psychology of social class, she shows how growing up with (or without) money changes how we experience politics, community and society. (Recorded at TED Democracy Philadelphia on June 13, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Psychology

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

The original cosmic hit #TEDTalks

What sound came after the Big Bang? Astronomer Mark Whittle takes us back to the infant cosmos, where massive sound waves pulsed through primordial gas in a pattern that’s still traceable across the universe today. Working with sound artist Ander Mikalson and composer Caroline Shaw, he turns those ancient tones into a glorious, awe-inspiring choral…

Published

3 days ago

on

October 12, 2026

By

What sound came after the Big Bang? Astronomer Mark Whittle takes us back to the infant cosmos, where massive sound waves pulsed through primordial gas in a pattern that’s still traceable across the universe today. Working with sound artist Ander Mikalson and composer Caroline Shaw, he turns those ancient tones into a glorious, awe-inspiring choral work.

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

Why We Blew Up Four Dams — and Saved a River | Amy Bowers Cordalis | TED

For thousands of years, the Klamath River in Northern California was home to one of the continent’s great salmon runs, creating abundance for the native Yurok Tribe … until a series of dams and a century of extraction nearly destroyed it. Indigenous advocate Amy Bowers Cordalis helped lead the fight to take down those dams…

Published

3 days ago

on

October 12, 2026

By

For thousands of years, the Klamath River in Northern California was home to one of the continent’s great salmon runs, creating abundance for the native Yurok Tribe … until a series of dams and a century of extraction nearly destroyed it. Indigenous advocate Amy Bowers Cordalis helped lead the fight to take down those dams — the largest removal of its kind in US history. She offers a roadmap for communities everywhere working to protect and restore the places they call home. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 14, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Conservation #Nature

Continue Reading

Trending