Three middle school students embodying these qualities visited our recording booth for the first time. In addition to helping our visitors record stories, StoryCorps volunteer Amelia Bower and I led the girls in listening and storytelling games and gave them a tour of the WABE/PBA studios to meet the staff and learn how public radio and television work. Although uncertain about what to expect, the girls jumped into recording with enthusiasm and curiosity.

Carla Malone used her time in the booth to talk about building clubhouses with friends in her neighborhood.  She said the best thing about being in the booth was “talking in the microphone and sharing how you feel,” and Megan Quiller agreed. “I’m honestly coming back and bringing my sister,” Megan said. “Interviewing Carla and how she interviewed me reminded me of how I like to share stories with my sister, and it is so much fun.”  For Megan, the importance of StoryCorps is to “have a memory for your children or their children and have them look back and know something about you.”

Cierra Currin, another Girls Inc. participant, had this to say about her interview experience: “StoryCorps is very fun, and if you’re nervous, don’t be because it’s fun, and it’s a good way to get to know something about someone.  I’m sure I’ll come back with my mom and stepdad.”

Holiday Simmons, Lambda Legal’s national community educator, travels the country to inform people of LGBTQ issues.  In his trainings for law enforcement officers, healthcare providers, and teachers, he uses audio from the Trans Tell Your Story Project to bring voices of trans and gender non-conforming individuals into each session.

Lambda Legal recently hosted an event to share some of the stories they’ve collected and to encourage others to share their own. After listening to excerpts from the conversations, A.J. Jones, the project’s coordinator, invited  several participants to share their experiences of recording their stories.

The panel began with participants describing why they decided to record with StoryCorps and the Trans Tell Your Story Project. “Our community does not get the respect and acknowledgement deserved,” Cheryl Courtney-Evans answered.  ”It’s 2012, but most people haven’t been introduced to a transgender man or woman, that they know of. In order for there to be services, police, and legislation [for our community], there needs to be more representatives of the trans community. People need to get an idea of our numbers. I’ll be one voice, part of the number.”

Tracee McDaniel participated in StoryCorps to “debunk the over-the-top stereotypes from Jerry Springer.” She added, “I want others to know that isn’t who we are as a community.”

Others decided to participate because they also do not see images in the media that reflect who they are. “Growing up, I didn’t have anything relatable,” reflected Kendall Brown. “I don’t encounter a lot of images of gender queer communities of color,” said another member of the panel, who preferred to remain anonymous. “I want our narrative pushed to the front so people can see there’s not one way of expressing masculinity or femininity.”

Like the Trans Tell Your Story Project, StoryCorps Atlanta hopes to educate more people about the experiences of trans and gender non-conforming individuals by recording and sharing these stories. In return, people who identify as trans and gender non-conforming will begin to hear more stories that reflect their own life experiences.

Click here for the story of Lee Rushing, a transgender man who tells his partner of what it was like to “realize his physical body didn’t match who he knew himself to be on the inside.” This segment was edited by Atlanta’s WABE and was broadcast during Morning Edition and City Cafe.

The church has come far since its humble beginnings in 1862, when congregants met in a boxcar because they did not have funds to buy land. Both Morehouse and Spelman Colleges held their first classes at Friendship. And Atlanta’s first African-American mayor, Maynard H. Jackson, Jr., was not only raised in the church; his father was one of only six pastors who have served the community in its history.

Many of the church elders remember all of the pastors except the very first, Reverend Frank Quareles, who served until 1881. One important event  for the anniversary committee will be the dedication of new tombstones for Reverend Quarles and his wife, whose unmarked graves were discovered at Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery.

The anniversary committee  is also collecting oral histories of the church, and Vanessa Brown, a member of the Anniversary Committee, invited church elders to record their memories of Friendship Baptist Church and its leaders with StoryCorps Atlanta. 

Clyde Sutton remembers Reverend E.R. Carter who served as pastor for over 60 years and during Clyde’s childhood. Clyde told fellow deacon board member, Charles Hawk, of how he and another Boy Scout would remember Reverend Carter, sitting in his chair in the the pulpit. While Charles never met Reverend Carter, he served as principal of E.R. Carter Elementary School.

Clyde Sutton and Charles Hawk

Florence Harris and Samuel Bacote shared memories of each of the pastors they remembered. Samuel summed up his experiences in the church by saying, “I look forward to coming to church every Sunday. I feel I belong here.”

Florence Harris and Samuel Bacote

Henrietta Antoinin has fond memories of the third pastor, Reverend Maynard H. Jackson and she shared them with his youngest daughter, Carol Ann Jackson Miller. Henrietta remembers seeing Carol Ann’s parents hugging at a church picnic. As a child, she found the pastor’s public display of affection a fascinating example of how loving a husband should be towards his wife.

Carol Ann Jackson Miller and Henrietta Antoinin

Check out an excerpt of Henrietta Antoinin and Carol Ann Jackson Miller conversation here. The segment was edited by Atlanta’s WABE and broadcast during Morning Edition and City Cafe.

On February 28, 100 seniors from Auburn Senior Center, Dogwood Senior Center, Northside Shepherd Senior Center, Southeast Center, and New Horizon Senior Center gathered at the central library to hear twelve storytellers share their experiences.

One storyteller was Louella Fluker, who was one of three African Americans hired to work at the Sears Roebuck at West End Mall after Reverend Hosea Williams led a boycott to protest that there were no blacks working there. Once hired, though, Louella still faced discrimination. For example, if a black employee made a sale, a white manager might void the sales slip and credit the sale to a white employee. But Louella developed her own strategy for dealing with people who gave her a hard time.  “I would say I was Hosea’s niece to get more respect,” she laughed.

Sidney Johnson Smith, another storyteller, grew up in Birmingham, Alabama during the time of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. She was friends with Cynthia Wesley, one of the four girls killed in the bombing. “I’ll never forget. I saw her on Friday and told her she needed to do something with her hair, and the bombing was on Sunday.”  Worried for her safety, Sidney’s father told her not to participate in the marches, but Sidney would sneak off to participate until she was knocked down by the police’s water hoses.

Irvin Cox had a different experience growing up in Harlem. “I didn’t understand what the South was going through,” he reflected. “I had everything you could want up in Harlem. I found it impossible to believe in the South people were denied these things.” Moved by the situation down south he participated in the March on Washington.

Other highlights included 96-year-old poet Lexie Carlisle, who wowed the audience by reciting a poem, and Reverend Gaither Varner, a retired Methodist minister who remembered taking his daughter to see Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

StoryCorps Facilitator Anthony Knight presented each storyteller with a copy of his or her recorded experiences. These recordings will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. as part of StoryCorps Griot. Their stories will continue to live on in these national archives and in the memories of all those who experienced them.

A number of StoryCorps alumni were invited to share their stories and to talk about why they came to StoryCorps. (Use the links to listen to their stories online.)

Theresa Nguyen came to the United States after the fall of Saigon. She and her daughter, Stephanie, described how the intimate conversation they had at StoryCorps has helped bring them closer.

Sara Takele fled her home country of Ethiopia decades ago. She has spent more than twenty years now navigating this country, not only as an immigrant, but as the mother of a special-needs son. After playing her story, Sara explained she thinks it’s important to speak out as a mother of a son with autism.

Representatives from the Global Village School, which provides an enriched education to teenage girls whose formal education has been interrupted by war and refugee camp experiences, described the day that StoryCorps recorded at their school.

Laura Murvartain, who came to the U.S. from Mexico as child explained that she recorded her story to honor her parents. She feels that her success is really her parents’ success.

Sara Totonchi brought her parents, Emil and Louise to StoryCorps. Emil is from Iraq and Louise is from Ireland. At first, neither of their parents were happy with them dating a foreigner. They told Sara how their families began to overcome their prejudices. At the event, Sara reminded us that these personal stories help humanize the issue of immigration.

You can watch a video of the event at Atlanta Forum Network. Thanks to everyone who came out to the Auburn Avenue Research Library for listening, and to our StoryCorps Alumni for sharing their experiences.

Kerrie Cotton Williams, Archivist and Manager of the Archives Division at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History and StoryCorps alumna discussed the importance of archiving our stories.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Representatives of two community partner organizations, Touching Up Our Roots and Lambda Legal, spoke about the work they are doing with StoryCorps Atlanta.

Dave Hayward from Touching Up Our Roots is recording stories with pioneers of Georgia’s gay rights movement. He brought several of his storytellers with him to share their experiences.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Connor Gillis described the work Lambda Legal is doing to record stories of trangender individuals.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’d like to thank the sponsors of Out & Outloud: Atlanta Pride Committee, The Phillip Rush Center, Radial Café and WABE 90.1.

The evening began with opening remarks by John Weatherford, Chief Operating Officer of WABE, and a special message from Dave Isay, Founder and Executive Director of StoryCorps.

We listened to several StoryCorps Atlanta stories that evening, starting with the very first story that aired a year ago, a conversation between mother and daughter, Joyce and Errin Haines.

City Council member and StoryCorps Alumnus Kwanza Hall talked about his experiencing interviewing his mother. While he had known about his father’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, at StoryCorps, he learned about his mother’s role.

One participant, Kiplyn Primus, has interviewed ten friends and family members, including her father, mother, aunt, sister, friend, classmate, and best friend.  She spoke about why she keeps returning to StoryCorps and encouraged everyone to bring a loved one and record their story.

Cindi Johnson, Executive Director of Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse, described her experience working with StoryCorps Atlanta as a Community Partner.

Then we switched gears to pay tribute to Lillie Love, our beloved Facilitator who passed away this summer. Her co-worker, Anthony Knight spoke of their first meeting and how they grew to be friends. Lillie’s very first pair of participants, Aqualyn Laury and Randy Walls, described how Lillie was able to encourage Randy to open up and tell his story. “Lillie was able to pierce his defenses with encouraging words,” she said.

Another participant, Renea Winchester read the letter that she sent to StoryCorps upon hearing of Lillie’s passing. “It’s rare in this hurried world to encounter someone who instantly makes you feel significant,” she read, “Lillie Love was that kind of person.”

The StoryCorps Atlanta staff presented Lillie’s sister, Alberta Love, with a plaque commemorating Lillie’s contributions to StoryCorps Atlanta.

After the program, guests mingled and enjoyed desserts provided by Marjan Yavari,, owner of Tasty Pastry. She and her daughter, Leila, recorded a StoryCorps conversation at the Atlanta International School. Thanks to our attendees and to everyone who has helped make StoryCorps Atlanta a success in its first year!

Members and their caretakers recorded their stories  Although the members can’t remember the details of their accidents, they clearly remembered their lives before the accident.

Husband and wife Bisi and Deborah Alabi immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria. They were on the way back from a family friend’s college graduation, when they skidded on ice.  After the crash,  Deborah, a nurse, could tell that her husband was alive, though badly injured. Now years later, they talked about how happy they are. Bisi can’t work due to his traumatic brain injury, but that seems quite alright with his wife. Before the accident, he worked three jobs as a pharmacist (a day job, a night job and one on the weekends). Now he spends more time at home with his family. Since he volunteers in the kitchen at Side by Side, he’s started helping his wife out in their kitchen (something he never did before the accident). And every day he Skypes with his grandchildren in Las Vegas.

Doctors did not think that Marc Baxley, now 35, would ever walk or talk again after his motorcycle accident. But his mother, Cathy Dinning, never gave up on him. She brought him home and took charge of his recovery. Today, if you met Marc, you wouldn’t guess that he suffers from a traumatic brain injury. He recently moved into his own apartment and has a job at a local gym, where he feels he can inspire people with his story. Marc is an avid cook and is frustrated because ever since his accident, he hasn’t been able to remember the secret to his marinara sauce.

Frank Ford was a typical college student. He was social chair of his fraternity and had a 4.0 GPA.  However, everything changed when his immediate family was in a car accident in 1987. Frank suffered from subdural hematoma and his parents have been taking care of him ever since. In his conversation with his mother Claudia, they talked about the impact his injury has had on both of their lives. They also talked about some of his favorite hobbies. An excerpt of their story was edited by WABE and aired during Morning Edition and City Cafe on June 29, 2010. Listen to that broadcast at www.wabe.org/storycorps.

Despite the traumatic injury that changed the lives of these StoryCorps Alumni forever, everyone exuded joy. They were all thankful that they were alive and grateful for their loved ones.  I’m grateful we had an opportunity to hear and record their stories.

Hear Me Today: The Voice of Today’s Teens is a Sagal Radio Services program created by Clarkston high school students who intern with the International Rescue Committee over the summer.

This summer, I visited Sagal Radio Services, where interns, Nawal Abdirahman from Somalia and Ram Koirala and Tara Powdyal from Nepal interviewed me about StoryCorps. After my time in the hot seat, I invited them to return the favor and visit us at the WABE studios to learn how we create StoryCorps. They toured the Atlanta StoryBooth, met WABE on-air personalities, asked questions of the News Director, Michael Fields, and saw how producer, Kate Sweeney edits a story.

At the end of their visit, we showed them how to use the StoryKit to record their own stories. Over the next week, they interviewed each other about their experiences as refugees. During her conversation, Nawal talked about her father, “My most important person in my life is my father. My father died when I was like 1-years-old. I haven’t seen him, but I heard a lot of great things about him.”

They compiled the interviews to create an episode of Hear Me Today all about their experience with StoryCorps. You can listen to this episode on their website.

“I think StoryCorps is about… kind of people only listen or read or talk about famous people, we are more important than famous people,” Newal says during their show.  “I believe everyone in this world has a story to tell.” And as they told their stories through StoryCorps, they all agreed that they learned something new about each other.

Chaplains Mary McQueen Porter and Lynn Bledsoe visit isolated elders to sing, play harp, and provide human and canine companionship. In their own way, they exemplify the StoryCorps motto, “listening as an act of love.”

Mary and Lynn are now incorporating StoryCorps interviews into their senior outreach visits. To date, they have recorded over a dozen interviews with elders using a StoryKit.

StoryKits are portable packages that include professional recording equipment and a User’s Guide to record interviews in the comfort of your own home. Individuals can rent a StoryKit for a week and we also loan StoryKits to community organizations to do their own recordings.

In February, they interviewed New Beacon Hospice patient, Mildred Oyston, and her son Bill. 90-year-old Mildred talked about serving her country during World War II as a riveter on a B-17 Bomber.

Six weeks after the interview, Mildred passed away. The family said it meant a lot to them to have the recording to share as they remembered, celebrated, and mourned.