Divers Reflect on Discovering Their History
In 1959, Albert t José Jones founded the first Black Scuba Diving Club in the U.S. as a senior in college.
Since then the club has grown to over 3,000 members and traveled all over the world training Black divers and coming face to face with history.
At StoryCorps Albert shared memories of 65 years of underwater exploring with his colleague Jay Hailger.
Albert Jones in diving gear in Key West, Florida in 2000. Courtesy of Albert Jones.
Top Photo: Albert Jones scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island, Australia in 1961. Courtesy of Albert Jones.
Middle Photo: The Underwater Adventure Seekers in Sandy Point Beach, Annapolis, Maryland in 1974. Courtesy of Albert Jones.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired April 26, 2024 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
My Way
In “My Way,” the new season of the StoryCorps podcast— stories from people who found a rhythm all their own and confidently marched to it their whole lives. Our first episode features a graduate of Hamburger University, one man’s remarkably brave appearance on conservative radio in the 1990s, a New Yorker who took his mugger out to dinner, and more.
If you want to leave the StoryCorps Podcast a voicemail, call us at 702-706-TALK. Or email us at [email protected].
Released April 23, 2024.
“Our Car Had Landed In The Water:” A Mother And Son Remember a Frightening Accident
StoryCorps conversations aren’t scripted, and even the participants can be surprised by what comes up when they get behind the mic.
That’s what happened when Karina Borgia-Lacroix brought her 10-year-old son, Levi, to the StoryCorps Mobile Booth in Fort Myers, Florida, and he asked about her favorite memory.
Karina Borgia-Lacroix and Levi Lacroix at JetBlue Park at Fenway South during spring training in Fort Myers, FL, in March of 2016. Courtesy of Karina Borgia-Lacroix.
Top Photo: Karina Borgia-Lacroix and Levi Lacroix at their StoryCorps interview in Fort Myers, FL on March 2, 2024. By Sara Barkouli for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired April 12, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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Then and Now
“I never particularly liked you.”
Janaki Symon & Melissa Wilbur
As kids, siblings Melissa Wilbur and Janaki Symon hated each other.
At StoryCorps, the sisters get real about how they felt growing up and the turning point in their relationship.
Listen to Janaki and Melissa’s original StoryCorps interview.
Para subtítulos en español, haga click en el ícono de YouTube en la esquina derecha, y escoja “Spanish” bajo la opción de “settings” y “subtitles/CC.
“The Wolf Was His Best Friend:” Remembering Henry Kendall
Growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, MO, during the 1950s, Judd Esty-Kendall remembers a childhood surrounded by animals. There were farm animals, such as pigs, chickens and guinea hens, as well as a variety of wild ones: falcons, raccoons, and even a flying squirrel named Peanuts that he kept in his room.
Henry Kendall with one of his falcons. Courtesy of Anita Kendall.
They belonged to his father, Henry, a salesman and World War 2 veteran who took in wild animals in his spare time.
But there was one animal that stood out the most.
At StoryCorps, Judd told his son, also named Jud, about the special bond Henry developed with a full-blooded wolf named Peter.
Henry Kendall with Peter the wolf in St. Louis, MO, circa 1962. Courtesy of Jud Esty-Kendall.
Jud Esty-Kendall with his father, Judd Esty-Kendall, and daughter, Makai, in Durham, NC, on September 29, 2018. Courtesy of Jud Esty-Kendall.
Top Photo: Henry Kendall and his son, Judd Esty-Kendall, with Peter the wolf in their backyard in St. Louis, MO, circa 1962. Courtesy of Jud Esty-Kendall.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired April 5, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Death Row Spiritual Advisors Find “Profound, Lived Love in Unlikely Places”
Reverend Lauren Bennett leads the Metropolitan Community Church in St. Louis, which primarily serves the LGBTQIA+ community.
Ministering to people in their final hours is an expected part of her role as pastor, but in 2023 she became only the second person in Missouri to do so in an execution room.
Lauren Bennett and Gerry Kleba at the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis in St. Louis, MO on January 28, 2024. Photo by Shelle Veres.
When Father Gerry Kleba received the same assignment, he turned to Bennett for advice.
Despite their differences, the two spiritual advisors formed a close bond.
They came to StoryCorps’ Mobile Booth in St. Louis to talk about their shared experience of finding love in unlikely places.
Top Photo: Gerry Kleba and Lauren Bennett at their StoryCorps interview in St. Louis, MO on October 2, 2023. By Franchesca Peña for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired on March 29, 2024 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
How A Baseball Coach Became ‘Like Family’
Ed Holley and Kanard Lewis first met on a baseball field in 2010. Ed was coaching youth baseball in New York City, and Kanard was a 14 year old third baseman.
After working with Ed, Kanard started to gain confidence, even hitting his first home run. Then, one day, Kanard’s single mom had a health scare, and asked Ed to become her son’s legal guardian should something happen to her.
Kanard Lewis and Ed Holley at Kanard’s graduation from Alfred University in Queens, New York on June 14, 2023. Courtesy of Danette Torres.
More than a decade later, Ed and Kanard sat down for StoryCorps to talk about their relationship.
Top Photo: Kanard Lewis and Ed Holley at their StoryCorps interview in New York City on May 7, 2023. By Isabella Gonzalez for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired March 22, 2024 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
They Know Suicide Too Well. But One Moment Brought Them Solace
Friends Qaiyaan Harcharek and Don Rearden grew up in small Alaskan towns hundreds of miles apart. But they both have experienced a great deal of tragedy: Alaska has some of the highest suicide rates in the nation, especially in its indigenous and rural communities.
They met as adults when Don visited Qaiyaan’s hometown Utqiagvik, the northernmost town in the U.S. They bonded over their love of Alaskan culture and wilderness — And their grief. At StoryCorps, they remembered a moment in their friendship that brought them even closer.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired March 15, 2024 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Top Photo: Don Rearden and Qaiyaan Harcharek pose with fossilized mammoth ivory in Utqiagvik, AK on July 10, 2018. By Joe Yelverton.
Middle Photo: Qaiyaan Harcharek in Utqiagvik, AK on July 10, 2018. By Joe Yelverton.
Bottom Photo: Don Rearden and Qaiyaan Harcharek in Utqiagvik, AK on July 10, 2018. By Joe Yelverton.
How A Tiny Gift Shop Became a Refuge for Queer People
The storefront of Drop Me A Line in Portland, Maine in 1990. By Roger Mayo.
Young gay couple Roger Mayo and Jim Neal opened Drop Me A Line, a tiny gift shop in Portland, Maine, in 1990. Although Portland in those days could be unfriendly for queer people, they chose to carry greeting cards and books that catered to LGBTQ customers. At StoryCorps, the former romantic partners reflected on how the store became so much more.
Bottom Photo: Jim Neal with transgender actress Lady Chablis at a book signing at Drop Me A Line in 1997.
Originally aired March 8, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.