Mary Mitchell (l) and Betsy Saunders (r) took action to remember entrepreneur Lewis Ginter

The phrase “last will and testament” evoke a lot of different feelings. Beyond the finality of death, there’s the desire to carry out those last wishes. When Mrs. Betsy Saunders and Mrs. Mary Mitchell learned about philanthropist Grace Arents’ will and that her intention to have gardens planted in memory of her uncle, entrepreneur Lewis Ginter, had yet to be carried out, the women were spurred to action. We met Betsy and Mary onsite of an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal awardee, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia, when they participated in StoryCorps.

LGBG sits on an historic property of over 50 acres of beautiful gardens, but the organization brings more than beautiful nature to it’s community: LGBG is a place to volunteer, somewhere to listen to music with the family, and even a good afternoon picnic spot. Its public programming educates the community on gardening and horticulture, allowing youth to realize that, yes, they eat plants.

That’s LGBG today, but back in 1981, 13 years after the city of Richmond took possession of the property, the land looked quite different.

In telling the story of LGBG, Mary and Betsy also recalled learning about estate law, how they searched for a lawyer, and the cocktail parties thrown to recruit others for the cause: plant the seeds for a local botanical garden.

Soon enough, Betsy, Mary, and other locals, including botanists and horticulturists, incorporated to uphold Miss Arents’ last will and testament. There was a lawsuit, and consequently a settlement. It took three years, but in 1984, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden became a reality.

According to Betsy, in their quest for the garden, the one thing they tried to avoid being was “just these two ladies in tennis shoes,” because they wanted to make sure that their cause was taken seriously. Looking at the vast and beautiful gardens today and the innovative ways it has become involved with the Richmond community, I’d say beware of ladies in tennis shoes – they mean business.

Richmond's Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden today

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)  awards The National Medal to five libraries and five museums for extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions to their communities. This award is the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries, and StoryCorps is proud to record the stories of these distinguished institutions. Click here for a full list of this year’s winners.

Tierra S. Jackson and John Horan

Facilitator John White and I visited North Lawndale College Preparatory Charter High School‘s Collins campus in Chicago, Illinois, to collect stories for StoryCorps’ National Teachers Initiative. The school’s president, John Horan, and alum Tierra S. Jackson joined us for a conversation.

Tierra has an easy smile, and if you struggle with pronouncing her name, she’ll simply say, “Think of a tiara.” If that word has you thinking of royalty and princesses, such a life couldn’t be further from Tierra’s while she was in high school.

During her freshman and sophomore years, Tierra and her younger brother lived with their aunt and cousins in a Chicago homeless shelter. She remembers sharing a large, open area with her relatives and the hour-long bus ride to school each morning. Tierra was often seen running, trying to make it to class on time, and quickly earned the nickname “FloJo.” Now 22 years old, Tierra remembers herself as rebellious and seeing school as a respite from a world without privacy.

Tierra attempted to keep her home situation private until teachers sent her home with a list of school supplies she knew her family could not provide. The next day, Tierra’s aunt sent her to school with a note explaining things to her teachers. Tierra remembered the shame she felt and a strong desire to not be pitied.

Teachers quietly provided Tierra with school supplies, however, they made it clear that she was expected to do her schoolwork. For Tierra, this was an eye opener: There were no excuses. Although it took her a while to turn her rambunctious behavior around, she studied hard and set goals for herself. She also helped out at home, baby-sitting her brother and cousins.

During those years, “FloJo” and another student who was also homeless at the time gave John a nickname: He became Tierra’s “Godfather.” Tierra says she had to give him a name for being someone who will always be like family to her. “That’s a Godfather, no?” she asked him.

At a time when some of her former classmates are about to enter the post-collegiate workforce, Tierra attends college and works part time. She continues to care of her little brother, who is now a freshman in high school, and cares for her disabled mother. She looks forward to transferring to DePaul University in the fall and has kept the same goals she had in high school: She hopes to serve in the Peace Corps before working for the United Nations.

It was obvious during their conversation that John was proud of his “goddaughter” and of how hard she has worked against poverty and homelessness to create a life for herself. “I wouldn’t have been able to if I’d attended another school,” Tierra said, recognizing that in addition to her desire to triumph, the key difference between her and the many other promising children in her neighborhood was the wealth of resources she had at her disposal.

As they left the library – John to return to work and Tierra to take a test – they said their goodbyes in the way one does when you know you’ll see each other again soon. To me, the true success is Tierra’s smile, still arriving easily, and her ability to leave high school with a great education and a larger family.

Read more about our visit to North Lawndale College Preparatory Charter High School here, where Administration President John Horan describes a typical morning at the school (Hint: It involves a rousing game of tag!)

A Thursday morn did Everet Martin

and his wife come in,

to have their story, now recorded

in the Library-

of Congress, that is.We met Everet and Barbara last month in Weippe, Idaho, when they participated in StoryCorps and shared their touching love story.

Have you ever heard of Weippe? Located on the Gold Rush Historic Byway, it’s the place where the Lewis and Clark expedition first met the Nez Percé in September 1806.

The city is remote, with breathtaking mountains surrounding it, and is home to an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal awardee: Weippe Public Library and Discovery Center.

A warm welcome: camas and smoked fish

On the day of our arrival, Friends of the Library welcomed Facilitator Mariel Gruszko and me with offerings of camas and smoked fish, the same meal the Nez Percé shared with the Lewis and Clark expedition upon their arrival over two hundred years ago.

A valuable resource to the city, the library and discovery center provides the residents of Weippe with not just reading material but a place for community meetings and research, as well. For the youth in town, this is a place to unwind and enjoy each other’s company, and many times, it also becomes a classroom: When inclement weather proves problematic, teachers shuttle their high school students to the discovery center, where they can safely learn until it’s okay to leave.

Longtime residents of Weippe, the library and discovery center has been a place of enjoyment for Everet and Barbara too. This time, it was a place for them to share their story. At the time of their interview, Everet remembered the first time he met his wife: He and his family moved to Weippe while he was in the third grade, and fresh in his memory was the moment that year when he told his mother that he’d “met the girl [he was going to] marry.” He talked of how Barbara didn’t know he existed until their high school years, acknowledging that until then he was just one of those “icky boys.” Now in their 80′s, Everet and Barbara say that a sense of humor is the main reason they’ve been married for so long, and they spoke with pride about their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Everet and Barbara’s love story might be considered run-of-the-mill: Boy meets girl, they graduate high school, they marry, work hard, have children; their children have children, and so on. But the light in their eyes, and the way they spoke to and about each other was nothing short of extraordinary. Every love story is an extraordinary one, and every love story deserves to be told, in a poetic ballad or archived in the Library of Congress. Or both.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)  awards The National Medal to five libraries and five museums for extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions to their communities. This award is the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries, and StoryCorps is proud to record the stories of these distinguished institutions. Click here for a full list of this year’s winners. 

Mary Magaña (l) and Gloria Baker (r)

Gloria came to StoryCorps accompanied by her longtime friend and mentor, Mary Magaña. The women met in the mid 1980′s, when Mary taught Gloria’s daughters. At the time, Gloria was in her early twenties, and being the child of migrant workers, she had only finished the sixth grade before having to drop out of school.

Mary remembered Gloria as one of her most active parents, always present when she needed volunteers to help in the classroom. “I always wanted to be a teacher,” Gloria remembered, but she put her dreams on hold to raise her children. Instead, she found work in the fields. The work was hard, but Gloria still always tried to support her daughters.

Gloria’s dream to teach resurfaced when Mary said, “Go back to school. You can do it!” The dream seemed unattainable, but when Gloria’s daughters needed homework help she could not provide,  she took Mary’s advice and returned to school. Gloria worked during the day and went to school at night. She also began watching her neighbor’s kids in exchange for babysitting time while she went to school. Gloria first enrolled in English classes, then a G.E.D. program for adults, and later earned accreditation in education.

Today, Gloria is a teacher in her own classroom. One of her daughters has also followed her into the profession.

Impressed by her friend’s determination over the years, Mary asked “Where did you find las ganas?”

“I did it because of you,” Gloria answered simply. “You told me I could, and I believed you.”

We set up our recording equipment in the hospital’s Family Resource Center and listened to stories of resilience and hope. Children came in to talk about what it felt like to confront death and spoke of how the strength of their families and friends helped them through. They spoke of finding fun and laughter inside the hospital walls. Hospital staff talked about being the support of parents and children, of how the babies of strangers become their own. They recalled falling in love with babies and experiencing the loss of them along with their parents without losing sight of the other children that still needed care.

We also recorded the stories of the parents who lost children. Some lost their children right after their birth and some, like Michael and Diane Restaino, lost them at a moment when they thought their child’s life was just beginning as an adult. Mike and Diane came in to remember their son Joe and, in doing so, recorded the story of their lives together.

I loved listening to their commitment to always having dinner together as a family, and seeing the smile on their faces as they talked about their “infamous family dinners,” where Mike, Diane, Joe, and his twin brothers, Tony and David, shared food and laughter for hours. In order to reflect on their saddest memory, Mike and Diane spoke of their happiest memories: moments from their own childhoods and memories of how they first met. Mike chuckled as he remembered how perfect their wedding was, but they both agreed that the birth of their three sons ranked as the happiest moments in their lives.

I learned through the bravery of participants like Mike and Diane that there are many ways to share our saddest memories and that remembering those doesn’t take away from the brightness of the happy ones.

Patsy recorded an interview with her daughter, Birgit, who drove with her dad from Minnesota to see Patsy compete in the Triathlon event (Females 65 to 69). The two women share a brilliant smile and a love of sports.

Patsy became a triathlete when Birgit could no longer participate in sports after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Birgit, an active woman who played team sports, remembered the fear she felt when she first noticed the numbness in her body. Initially, she attributed the numbness to her strong exercise regime but later learned it was MS.

Patsy’s first response was to become her daughter’s caregiver. Next, she became the avid athlete her daughter could no longer be, participating in races and bike rides to raise awareness about MS. Soon Patsy advanced to statewide competitions that qualified her to compete in the Summer National Senior Games.

Birgit says that seeing her mother develop as an athlete has made her happy and proud, for Patsy now does the things that Birgit once enjoyed. This mother-daughter spirit was truly inspiring! And in case you’re curious, Patsy finished an amazing 7th place in her triathlon category, with a time of 1:52:06.7. Congratulations, Patsy and to all the 2011 competitors!

If you’re a Senior who’d like to share your story, click here to record an interview with a loved one.

The Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Mississippi is one of 10 museums and libraries awarded with the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Services. StoryCorps Facilitator John White and I made the trip south to provide the museum with one part of their reward: three Door-to-Door recording days.

We had a great time wandering inside the museum during our lunch hour, lucky to enjoy its many exhibits, like The Orient Expressed and Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Freedom Riders. But while walking the halls of The Mississippi Story, an ongoing exhibit, we got a surprise: Hanging on the wall was the portrait of one of our own participants, called “Tee.”

L. C. Tucker, Jr. recorded a conversation with his co-worker and friend, Mindy Kunz. According to Tee, he can’t remember what the L. C. stands for, but he told Mindy of his coming to the MMA over 30 years ago, when he had completed his U.S. Army service.  Driving by the museum years ago, he thought, “That’d be a great place to work.”

Tee applied to work as a museum security guard three times before applying to be a preparator. Tee took the job, and has not looked back since. He told Mindy of the importance of lighting of and how every piece is measured before it is hung. Now, as chief preparator, he feels pride in being one of the first people to experience the paintings and sculptures when they arrive at the museum and of the role he plays in bringing art to the community.

Tee has touched the walls of the MMA in another way, as well. “Portrait of L.C. ‘Tee’ Tucker, 2009″ by Jason Bouldin hangs next to “Tee Sits for Jason’s Portrait Demonstration, 2009″ by Jackson Garner (both pictured above). These acrylic-on-canvas works remember the day Tee sat for portrait artist Jason Bouldin.

Tee is proud to be part of The Mississippi Story. Although other participants did not have their portraits included in the exhibition, all expressed how the MMA has influenced their lives. They were all able to enjoy art, hung level and at exactly 56 inches center. Tee and his crew made sure of that and will continue to do so for years to come.

Participant Lois Lee spoke a little about the birth of CPC, and mentioned that it was not a coincidence that it happened during the 60’s, when she herself was involved in Asian American and civil rights movements. She’s been with the organization for 40 years now, serving mainly as an educator and program director, and remembered fondly many of the children who first were involved with CPC in their after-school programs, and that found their way back for youth programs and even later, to help as volunteers.

Our day of recording was peppered with all the diverse people that CPC touches – from Hsiao Chiang Fang, a former film producer in China, to Abida P. Abbasi, a Pakistani educator, as well as Laurie Bernstein, also an educator and a Bronx native but life-long Flushing resident. They shared their stories and knew each other thanks to their active commitment to the community they live in; with the telling of their stories, they strengthened those ties.

The Chinese-American Planning Council’s constituents couldn’t make the trek to the New York City StoryBooth downtown – so we came to them. StoryCorps has been able to help people record meaningful conversations in offices, classrooms, libraries, even from the room that holds the ping-pong table! Don’t let distance from a booth deter you from sharing the conversation of a lifetime – stop by our website and find out ways you can help bring StoryCorps to you.

The scholars present couldn’t have been more excited. Recording during an off-week for NYC Schools, they arrived early and some were just hanging out with their shoes off, comfortable to slide silently in the offices’ hardwood floors. Scholars Alex and Emmanuel had the chance to speak with one of El Puente’s founders, Eugenio “Gino” Maldonado, and eagerly listened to Gino speak of his first impression of Brooklyn after moving there at the age of 9 from Puerto Rico, and of how he became involved with El Puente.

Artist and teacher Juan Carlos Roselló spoke with Katia and Emmanuel about a Williamsburg that was once known as Los Sures, and about the evening his parents allowed him to stay up and watch Johnny Carson – an evening that changed his life since he was introduced to Chuck Berry and, as Juan Carlos put it, was thus introduced to “salvation.”

During their interview, Tina and Zuelay were able to learn from Joe Matunis about the many murals El Puente has helped with, and about Los Muralistas.  During the afternoon slots, Nathalie and Patrick talked to Peter Miranda about Teatro El Puente, and the work that Peter does educating the community about HIV/AIDS. Eric, during his turn, had a chance to practice his Spanish skills by talking to Yazmin Borrero, who’s been part of the administrative staff at El Puente for years. The recording day ended with Jonathan and Rabel’s talk with Asenhat Gomez, who, as she described, arrived at El Puente as a teenager looking to become involved with her community and to practice her English and just never left. Asenhat is now the Program Director at El Puente’s Bushwick offices.

We had a wonderful recording day,  and were lucky to see so many youth willing to learn from older generations – I’m left with the image of Katia, taking notes during her conversation with Juan Carlos,  making sure she could look up the names of artists and places he was talking about. Can you think of someone you’d learn from? Like the El Puente scholars did, you should bring them in for a StoryCorps interview! Do it today!

During the recording day, artists and volunteers stopped by to talk about their backgrounds, their relationship to art, and the work they do for the organization. Lester A. Laboy remembered meeting AFC Founder Eliana Godoy one evening in El Barrio, a neighborhood where he was born and raised. He credits AFC with showing him that art wasn’t something that belonged only in textbooks. He soon realized that art could play a part in his life. Through his work with the organization, Lester has helped his neighborhood tackle immigration, education, and environmental issues with the inclusion of the arts in their everyday lives.

Art For Change, its volunteers and its artists, work every day to answer the question asked by this post and is similar to StoryCorps: How can one conversation change anything at all?

You should stop by one of our booths and see.