A Daughter Reflects on What Philadelphia’s Chinatown Meant to Her Mother.
In the 1960’s Deborah Wei’s parent’s left China for the United States and eventually settled in the suburbs of Philadelphia. . At StoryCorps, Deborah talks with her daughter Kaia Chau about how her mother navigated making a home, and what Philadelphia’s Chinatown meant to the family.
Deborah Wei’s mother with strawberries she grew in Philadelphia in 1981. Courtesy of Deborah Wei.
Top Photo: Deborah Wei with her mother and sister in Philadelphia in 1959. Courtesy of Deborah Wei.
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 19, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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.
Remembering Rafael Cancel Miranda: “A True Puerto Rican, From Head To Toe”
On March 1st, 1954, Rafael Cancel Miranda, alongside three other Puerto Rican Nationalists, opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives, calling for the island’s independence, and injuring five congressmen before being arrested.
Puerto Rican Nationalists moments after opening fire in the House of Representatives on March 1, 1954. From left to right: Lolita Lebrón, Rafael Cancel Miranda and Andrés Figueroa Cordero. Photo courtesy of the Cancel Vázquez family.
The other three Nationalists were Lolita Lebrón, Irvin Flores Rodríguez and Andrés Figueroa Cordero. They stormed the Capitol in the hopes of bringing attention to Puerto Rico’s political status, which they believed was tantamount to an occupied colony.
Puerto Rican Nationalists (seated) with their attorneys (standing). From left to right: Rafael Cancel Miranda, Irving Flores, Lolita Lebrón, and Andrés Figueroa Cordero, soon after the March 1, 1954 attack. Photo courtesy of the Cancel Vázquez family.
No one was killed, but the three men were sentenced to more than 75 years each, while Lebrón was sentenced to 50 years. Each served 25 years before President Jimmy Carter, alleging “humane considerations” commuted their sentences in 1979.
Rafael Cancel Miranda died in 2020, and was the last surviving member of the group.
At StoryCorps, Cancel Miranda’s wife, María de los Ángeles Vázquez and their son, Rafael Cancel Vázquez reflected on his legacy.
Rafael Cancel Miranda on a 7-hour furlough from prison to attend his father’s funeral in Puerto Rico, in August 1977. Photo courtesy of the Cancel Vázquez family.
Top Photo: María de los Ángeles Vázquez and Rafael Cancel Vázquez at their StoryCorps interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 3, 2024. By Von Diaz 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 1, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“We Knew We Were the Best.” Reflections from the First Black Marines of Montford Point
A group of Montford Point volunteers in their dress uniforms circa May, 1943. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
In 1942, the U.S. allowed Black men to enlist in the Marine Corps for the first time. It was during World War II, and resulted in more than 19,000 Black recruits being sent to Montford Point, North Carolina for basic training.
These men fought for their country in the midst of the racism and prejudice they faced at home. They were essential to the war effort but did not recieve the same respect in uniform as their white counterparts.
Many of those men are no longer with us, but their voices can be heard in the StoryCorps archive. One of those voices is that of Corporal Sidney Allen Francis, a retired New York City police detective. Sidney came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Candice, to talk about how his time at Montford Point shaped him.
William Pickens, Estel Roberts and Benjamin Jenkins at their StoryCorps interviews in Chicago, Illinois, New York, New York, and Dayton, Ohio in 2012, 2014, and 2010. By Leslee Dean, Mayra Sierra, and Virginia Lora 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 February 24, 2024, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
A Father And Imam Records a Love Letter to His Family
Sohaib Sultan was an Imam and Chaplain at Princeton University when he and his wife, Arshe Ahmed, learned that they were about to become parents. After more than a decade struggling to conceive, the couple decided to adopt.
Arshe Ahmed, Radiyya and Sohaib Sultan, celebrating their first Eid together on Sept 1, 2017, in Hamilton, NJ. Photo Courtesy of Arshe Ahmed.
Their dreams of building a family came true when they learned their daughter, Radiyya, would be arriving from Pakistan. But when Radiyya was 3 years old, Sohaib was diagnosed with cancer. He and Arshe came to StoryCorps to reflect on that time.
Arshe Ahmed and Radiyya at Sohaib’s graveside on the anniversary of his death, April 16, 2023 at Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton NJ. Photo courtesy of Arshe Ahmed.
Top Photo: Arshe Ahmed, Radiyya, and Sohaib Sultan at Spring Lake Beach, New Jersey on August 30, 2020. Photo Courtesy of Arshe Ahmed.
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.
This interview is part of the Anwar Collection of Muslim Voices and Tapestry of Voices Collection through StoryCorps’ American Pathways initiative. This initiative is made possible by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and an Anonymous Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Stuart Family Foundation. It will be archived at the Library of Congress.
Originally aired February, 14, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“It’s Like This Invisible Golden Lasso.” A Son Reflects on Coming Out, and His Mother’s Love
Corey Harvard has dedicated his life to advocating for LGBTQ+ youth in Mobile, Alabama through his organization Prism United.
He was raised in Mobile, and grew up in a deeply religious home. But in middle school, he realized he was queer, and struggled to come out to his parents.
Corey and Lisa Harvard at a skating rink in Columbus, Ohio in 1996. By Benjamin Harvard, courtesy of Corey Harvard.
Above all he worried it would change how much they loved him. But it didn’t. At StoryCorps, Corey sat down with his mother, Lisa Harvard, to reflect on that time.
Lisa and Corey Harvard out to dinner together in Mobile, Alabama on May 3rd, 2016. By Jennifer Clark-Grainger, courtesy of Corey Harvard.
Top Photo: Corey and Lisa Harvard at their StoryCorps interview in Mobile, Alabama on October 29, 2023. By Chapin Montague 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 January 26, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“I Have To Go, Girl”: A Mother And Daughter Get Real About Death
StoryCorps recording booths are places for people to look back on their lives, and sometimes to look ahead to a time when they’re no longer here.
That’s what Nidera Brown chose to discuss with her 66-year-old mother, Conchetta Brown. Conchetta has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD, and uses oxygen.
They came to StoryCorps to discuss their close relationship in life, and in death.
Top Photo: Nidera and Conchetta Brown at their StoryCorps interview in San Antonio, TX on November 17, 2022. By Manuela Velasquez 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 January 19, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“He Inherited The Very Same Name”: Remembering Joseph Kahahawai
In 1931, five young Hawaiian men were wrongfully charged of raping the white wife of a U.S. Navy officer stationed at Pearl Harbor. Her name was Thalia Massie, and she alleged it happened around midnight when she decided to go for a walk and get some air. The case was declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, and the men were released.
In what became known as the Massie trials, the family of the accuser—including her mother and husband—then kidnapped and killed one of the five accused men in January of 1932. He was a Native Hawaiian boxer named Joseph Kahahawai.
Portraits of Joseph “Joe” Kahahawai circa 1931 (left) and his brother, Joseph Kahahawai circa 1954. Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress and the Kahahawai family.
The Massie’s were tried and sentenced to ten years in prison for manslaughter… But under threats of Martial Law from Congress, they were pardoned by the territorial governor of Hawaii, who commuted their sentence to one hour in his office. The Massie family fled to the mainland, and never returned.
After decades of silence, the Kahahawai family has started speaking publicly about the case, and the impact “Joe” Kahahawai’s murder had on their family and the broader Hawaiian community.
At StoryCorps, his nieces, Kim Farrant and Joy Kahahawai-Welch, remember their uncle, and how the family has kept his name and legacy alive.
Joseph Kahahawai’s gravesite, at the Puea Cemetery in Kalihi, Honolulu, HI, on January 8, 2022 (the anniversary of his murder). Courtesy of the Kahahawai family.
Top Photo: Kim Farrant and Joy Kahahawai-Welch at their StoryCorps interview in Honolulu on June 17, 2022. By Ben DeHaven 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 Jan. 5, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Uncovering A Family Connection To The Origin Of Kansas City Barbecue
Growing up in Kansas City, Bernetta McKindra was always surrounded by barbecue. But it wasn’t until later in life that she learned more about her grandfather Henry Perry, the man who is credited with creating Kansas City’s iconic barbecue style.
An advertisement that appeared in the Kansas City Sun in 1917
Bernetta came to StoryCorps with her friend, Raymond Mabion II to talk about her grandfather, and the food legacy he’s passed down.
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 December 29, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
How a Teacher’s Act of Kindness Bound her Student and Family Together
In 1958, John’s Cruitt’s mother fell ill and passed away shortly before Christmas. His third grade teacher, Cecile Doyle, gave him a kiss on the forehead after class, and told him he didn’t have to be alone.
John never forgot that moment, and 54 years later wrote a heartfelt letter telling her how much she meant to him. Not long after, they came to StoryCorps to reflect on how they became so close.
The letter John Cruitt wrote to his former third grade teacher, Cecile Doyle, in 2012.
Photo by Julia Kirschenbaum for StoryCorps.
Cecile passed away in 2019. But John had also grown close to her daughter, Allison Doyle. At StoryCorps, they discussed how John’s reunion with his teacher brought them together.
John Cruitt and Allison Doyle looking through Cecile Doyle’s scrapbook on December 10, 2023.
Photo by Julia Kirschenbaum for StoryCorps.
Top Photo: John Cruitt and his third grade teacher, Cecile Doyle, reuniting for the first time in 54 years in 2012. Courtesy of Allison Doyle.
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.
Original broadcast aired December 28, 2012, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Update aired December 22, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.