When the Druid Hills High School class of 1986 celebrated its 25^th reunion this summer, I invited several of my classmates to record their memories with StoryCorps Atlanta.  We grew up in Atlanta in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, so one unique aspect of our educational experience was being the first generation of children in the South whose schools were fully integrated.  Because of an elective transfer program, our schools were approximately 50% Black and 50% white, from 1^st grade through our senior year.

In his interview with fellow classmate Jim Ostrowski, Roland Dawkins remembered that in 1986, “Druid Hills was predominantly white, very affluent, highly educated, but also a very liberal and Democratic portion of Atlanta.  At that time, I lived literally on the other side of town, and the (integration) program, “Majority to Minority” was in its heyday.  I had to take a bus, actually a couple of buses, for an hour and a half.  Eventually it got tiresome, but by then all my friends went to the school I went to.”

Roland Dawkins and Jim Ostrowski

Jim, who was our senior class president, added that it was, “something way out of the ordinary for that neighborhood, at that time, but it all seemed to work pretty well.”  They talked about how he and Roland, with all their differences, “were the bridge between cliques, we were the bridge between races, between socioeconomic stratuses.”  Their friendship has lasted more than 30 years.
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On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, StoryCorps Atlanta headed into the heart of downtown Atlanta to record at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. The recordings, an effort on behalf of the Foundation to collect stories from some of its veteran staff, donors, and participants in its Neighborhood Fund and AIDS Partnership Fund, were inspiring and heartfelt.

Arlene Parker Goldson (above left) and her friend Mattice Haynes (above right), talked about how they got involved with The Community Foundation and the work they do as community coaches. They work one on one with community residents and grassroots leaders on various community-based projects that are funded by the Neighborhood Fund. Arlene and Mattice not only shared what they are able to help communities achieve, but also what they learn from the communities and individuals with whom they work. For Arlene, one of the things about which she is happiest is that she gets to meet so many people. “I mean great spirit, great energy, great passion. So, I’ve met so many people who don’t mirror me–because I don’t think you grow that way–but give me an opportunity to grow and stretch.”

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Immigration has been all over the news, especially here in Georgia, but it’s not every day that we hear the voices of immigrant sharing their own stories. On May 24, StoryCorps Atlanta hosted a public listening event at the Auburn Avenue Research Library to share the stories of Atlantans who immigrated to the United States.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

On Saturday, June 11, 2011, StoryCorps Atlanta facilitators set up for a day of recording at Hillside International Chapel and Truth Center in southwest Atlanta. As with our first experience with Hillside in December 2010, Reverend Sedrick Gardner (above right), worked with StoryCorps staff to organize a phenomenal recording day. This time, among the participants was Hillside Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bishop Barbara Lewis King. Reverend Sedrick happily served as her conversation partner so that she could record her story.

Born and raised in Houston, TX, Bishop Barbara Lewis King (above), or “Dr. Barbara” as she is lovingly called by her parishioners, will tell anyone that the road she traveled along life’s journey has been paved with faith. Her parents divorced when she was a baby. At eight days old, her paternal grandmother took her and raised her as if she were her own child. Her grandmother was a dressmaker and worked for some of the wealthiest families in Houston. However, when times got rough, as they sometimes did, young Barbara watched as her grandmother leaned on her unshakable faith. She would see her grandmother move around their small home and talk to God. On one occasion, when food was particularly low and the rent was due, she heard her grandmother say, “God, now I know you didn’t give me this little girl for us to starve.” Within the week, her grandmother had enough sewing to pay the rent and to buy food.
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On Wednesday, June 22 StoryCorps Atlanta fans gathered for our second annual “StoryCorps Out & OutLoud: A Celebration of Stories from the LGBTQ Community.”  The evening’s host, WABE’s John Lemley, commented that despite moving to a larger venue, the event was once again standing room only.

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.

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In 1926 Cator Woolford (a principle founder of the company that would become Equifax, Inc., Retail Credit Company), and his wife Charlotte created a magnificent and vast 33-acre estate in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta. They named it Jaqueland. And although the Woolfords could not have imagined that one day their beloved home would serve as a respite for caregivers visiting sick and, in some cases, dying family members, their legacy of philanthropy, giving and love permeates every square inch of the property. Today, that legacy lives on as the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House (AHHH).

Founded in 1981 by several members of the All Saints Episcopal Church, particularly Tom and Carolyn Clark (the first Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, respectively), the AHHH has worked hard to “provide a ‘home away from home’ to outpatients and relatives of patients hospitalized in 21 Atlanta-area hospitals.” In a comfortable and elegant environment, the organization “offers lodging, meals, supportive companionship and comfort from a committed staff, volunteers, and fellow guests, during what is often a crisis period.” Read the rest of this entry »

When StoryCorps Atlanta thinks of its few “regulars,” Dave Hayward’s name is right at the top.  Through his organization, Touching Up Our Roots: Georgia’s LGBT History Project Initiative, Dave is committed to capturing the stories of Atlanta’s sizable LGBTQ community, and he has recorded a whopping 14 conversations with StoryCorps Atlanta since we opened in October 2009.  Dave describes Touching Up Our Roots as an LGBT history project that “preserves, promotes, and publicizes the contributions LGBT people have made, and make to, civil rights, civic and neighborhood organizations, and culture in Atlanta and in Georgia.”  Equally important, he advocates the value of preserving these stories and exemplifies the StoryCorps mission, “to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.”

Through his organization, Dave has had conversations with an impressive variety of Atlantans who identify as LGBTQ.  One of his earliest conversations was with Greg Daugherty (above left).  Greg talked about growing up in Black Mountain, NC (just outside Asheville), coming out, and losing his long-time partner.  Greg also talked about living in Atlanta since 1978–playing softball for sixteen years with Atlanta’s first gay softball team, the Blue Knights; working at the Academy Theater as a performer and house manager; helping to organize endless numbers of AIDS fundraisers; and, for the past fourteen years, owning a publishing company that publishes the Atlanta Show Guide as well as other theater programs and playbills.  Of his StoryCorps experience, Greg recently said, “I wasn’t there (in the booth) just for myself.  I realized as I was talking that I needed to leave something for those coming behind me, the younger LGBTQ generation.” Read the rest of this entry »

Eli Clare (above left) arrived at the booth with his recording partner, Aimi Hamraie (above right), an Emory graduate student who uses Eli’s books as teaching tools in her classes.  Eli’s books, The Marrow’s Telling: Words in Motion, and Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation, look at the body, queerness, disability, race, gender and sexuality in ways not explored before.

Barely 15 minutes into the conversation, Aimi read a quote from Eli’s book, Exile and Pride, “Our bodies are not merely blank slates upon which the powers that be write their lessons.  We cannot ignore the body itself, the sensory, mostly non-verbal, experience of our hearts and lungs, muscles and tendons, telling us and the world who we are.”  Using this quote as the backdrop, Aimi asked Eli what his earliest memory of his body was, and what his sensory experience of the world had told him about who he is. Read the rest of this entry »

On a Saturday afternoon in early February, not long after Atlanta had thawed from its week-long, frozen paralysis, girls from the Atlanta Girls School and the Global Village School met to get to know each other a little better.  The Atlanta Girls School, a private college preparatory school, got an opportunity to meet girls whose lives, and in some cases families, had been torn apart by war.  Many of the girls lived in refugee camps in countries as different as Thailand and Somalia.  Now, here in the United States, they work hard to piece together the remnants of a former life to create a new and dynamic future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

These schools’ first-time meeting of minds and cultures produced many memorable moments.  Students Meh Sod (Global Village School) and her partner Emma (Atlanta Girls School), talked about family activities and goals for the future.  When Emma shared her family’s penchant for weekly movie-watching gatherings, Meh couldn’t relate.  Her father died very young, and the Burma native’s life trajectory would land her in a refugee camp in Thailand before her move to the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

This line, the title of a song taken from the third scene of the second act in the opera Porgy and Bess, is Bess’ plaintive cry to her beloved Porgy to deliver her from the hands of her possessive lover Crown.  DuBose Heyward wrote Porgy and Bess and the novel Porgy, on which the opera is based.  George Gershwin scored the music and Heyward and Ira Gershwin wrote the lyrics.  Fictitious 1920′s Catfish Row in Charleston, SC, is the setting.  Porgy and Bess premiered in 1935 in New York City.  And, unlike any other opera at that time, Porgy and Bess showcased an entire cast of classically trained African American singers.

Porgy and Bess recently ran at The Atlanta Opera (February 26 – March 6, 2011).  Tim Stylez (above), a principal dancer and a member of the chorus came into the Atlanta StoryBooth the day of opening night to have a conversation with his good friend, Martin Williams (below right).  Tim wanted to come in to talk about his journey from corporate America back to his passions – singing and dancing.  What made the story so remarkable is that Tim is not a “trained” dancer or singer.  During the conversation, he recalled the many encouraging comments from family members and friends. Read the rest of this entry »