What if the place that was supposed to shelter you became the very thing you had to survive?

In this unforgettable second episode of The Pemberton Podcast, Steve Pemberton revisits the house on Arnold Street, where he first learned that love could be conditional and protection could come with a cost. For the first time, he speaks the name he once kept hidden, offering clarity to a story long veiled in silence.

This episode is not just a recollection; it’s a reckoning. Through quiet moments of reflection and extraordinary perseverance, Steve reveals how even the smallest act of compassion, like a box of books on a porch, can ignite the will to keep going.

He speaks to anyone who’s ever been mislabeled, underestimated, or told to stay silent. And he offers proof that identity is not assigned but reclaimed, and that you can rise, not in spite of your story, but because of it.

For the visionary who feels deeply and the achiever who fights to be seen, this is your reminder: your past does not disqualify you. It prepares you.
This isn’t just about where you come from. It’s about who you choose to become.

Host: Steve Pemberton

Produced by: David Alexander

Special Thanks!

Paul Dagnello
Assistant Director of Media and Technology
Boston College
Office of University Communications