Poetry, Reflections and Articles by Jordan Vilchez

Jordan Vilchez became a member of Peoples Temple as a teenager when her family joined. She was in Georgetown, Guyana on November 18, 1978, but her sisters and nephews died in Jonestown. She was on the Planning Commission and is familiar with many inner workings of the organization. She can be reached at jordanvilchez@gmail.com.

Recognizing Toxic Leadership: The Similarities of Jim Jones and Donald Trump (2021)

White Nights, Black Paradise: A Commitment to Understanding and Justice (2020)

A Letter to My Nephew Jamal Patterson (2020)

Caught Up In Living A Lie (2018) 

Going Home to Guyana (2018) 

A Letter to Clifford Gieg (2018) 

Remembering My Mother (2016)

Honoring Sherwin Harris (2016)

A Trip I Thought I Would Never Take (2015)

Threads of Legacy: The Continual Integration and Sharing of the Temple Experience (2013)

My Sister Cynnie (2012)

The Book That Wasn’t (2012)

To All Who Died in Jonestown (2011)

Remembering Liane (2011)

Human Journey (2010)

Sharing the PT Story (2010)

Returning to Jonestown (2009)

Sweet (2009)

The Strength to Ask Questions (2008)

For Sherwin (2008)

Insight and Compassion: Vestiges of Peoples Temple (2007)

In addition to writing the articles above, Jordan Vilchez appeared as a speaker during the Griot Institute of African Studies lecture series entitled Jonestown: 35 Years Later at Bucknell University; her presentation appears here.

Jordan’s address on November 18, 2018 at the 40th Anniversary Memorial Service at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California is here.