Divided By Immigration Status: Brothers Reflect On Their Bond
Growing up in Bakersfield, California, Randy Villegas and his older brother Angel lived under the same roof, but in separate realities: Randy was a U.S. citizen, but Angel was undocumented.
Randy (left) and Angel (right) at the California Speedway car show, in Fontana, CA. in 1999
In 2012, Angel became a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a government program that protects nearly 700,000 immigrants brought into the United States as children from deportation. It also grants them a range of benefits, such as work permits and health insurance from employers who offer it. Despite this, every decision Angel makes is still influenced by the uncertainty of his residency status.
The two siblings came to StoryCorps in 2020, when they were in their twenties, to talk for the first time about the moment Angel realized he was undocumented, and how that affected their relationship.
Top Photo: Angel and Randy Villegas at Angel’s graduation ceremony from the New School of Architecture & Design in San Diego in 2018. Courtesy of the participants.
This interview is part of the 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 April 23rd, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Both Ends of the Gun: How Two Men Were Brought Together in Tragedy and Forgiveness
On January 21st, 1995, 20-year-old Tariq Khamisa, a student at San Diego State University, was out delivering a pizza, when a gang tried to rob him. Things escalated, and at the urging of an older gang member, 14-year-old Tony Hicks shot and killed Tariq.
Photo: Tariq Khamisa as a high school senior. Courtesy of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.
Tony became the youngest person in California, at the time, to be charged as an adult; he was sent to a maximum-security prison at the age of 16.
In the years that followed, Tariq’s father, Azim, came to the realization that “there were victims on both sides of the gun.” Soon after, he reached out to Tony’s grandfather (and guardian), Ples Felix. They developed a friendship and worked side by side to start a restorative justice foundation in Tariq’s name.
Five years after Tariq was killed, Azim went to Folsom State Prison and met Tony for the first time, and they’ve been in touch ever since.
In 2019, at the age of 39, Tony was released from prison. He now works as a plumber and volunteers his time with the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.
Tony and Azim recently spoke over StoryCorps Connect to remember the day they met, and the unexpected connection that was forged between them.
Top Photo: Tony Hicks with Azim Khamisa in 2019. Courtesy of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.
This interview is part of the Anwar Collection of Muslim Voices 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 26, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘Just the Two of Us’: A Grandfather’s Musical Legacy
William Salter, 84, helped write one of America’s most iconic love songs, ‘Just the Two of Us’ — made famous by Grover Washington Jr. in 1981. But before he became a renowned musician, William was “just another kid on the block,” trying to find himself. He grew up in New York City, the child of a single working mother, and learned that music would be his greatest companion.
Decades later, after building a successful music career, William became a proud grandfather. He and his eldest granddaughter Jada spent most of their summers together, bonding over music and playtime.
Photo: (R) William Salter, his granddaughter Jada and her father (L) Jamal Salter. Courtesy of Jada Salter.
In January of 2021, using StoryCorps Connect, Jada, 25, asked her grandfather how he first found his sound.
Top Photo: Young Jada Salter and her grandfather William in 2002. Courtesy of Jamal Salter.
Originally aired February 12, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Our Own Mountains to Climb: How A Personal Trainer Inspired a 90-Year-Old to Embrace His True Self
A few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we heard from 90-year-old Kenneth Felts, a man who amidst quarantine, decided it was time to confront a truth he’d been hiding for more than 60 years.
After coming out — first to his daughter, then publicly — Ken wanted to talk to the one person who inspired him the most: his personal trainer, David Smith.
The two met back in 2013, at Ken’s local rec. center in Colorado. From water aerobics to weightlifting, what started as a professional relationship quickly blossomed into a friendship; one that ultimately helped Ken find the strength to be exactly who he was.
Top Photo: David Smith and Ken Felts in Denver, Colorado in 2013. Courtesy of David Smith.
Bottom Photo: David Smith and Ken Felts at a training session in 2017. Courtesy of David Smith.
Originally aired December 11, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Sometimes It Doesn’t Feel So Good And You Just Keep Stepping”: A Father Teaches His Daughter To Be Bold And Embrace The Unexpected
Kevin Craw has always encouraged his children to embrace the unexpected.
Especially his daughter, Kate, who grew up with a love for singing. As a teenager, she starred in several high school musicals.
But she was also interested in singing the blues. One night, Kate’s father took her to see his friend’s band play at a local bar.
At StoryCorps, they sat down to remember what happened next.
Top Photo: Kate Quarfordt and Kevin Craw at their StoryCorps interview in New York, NY on January 10, 2020. By Nicolas Cadena for StoryCorps.
Middle Photo: Kate Quarfordt in her high school production of Brigadoon in Wilton, CT in 1992. Courtesy of Kate Quarfordt.
Originally aired February 7, 2020 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘You Were Walking Rage’: Reclaiming A Broken Brotherhood
Growing up in a troubled home in Florida, the fights between Derrick Storms and his younger brother Raymond were legendary. “There’s still probably a hole where you threw me through the wall, right by the TV, and Dad never fixed years later,” Raymond said to Derrick at StoryCorps in New York.
They would end up taking completely different paths: Derrick joined the military right out of high school, and Raymond sang opera professionally and practiced reiki. At StoryCorps, they talked about how they reclaimed their brotherhood.
Originally aired January 31st, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Top Photo: Raymond Storms and Derrick Storms at their StoryCorps interview in New York on January 10, 2020. By Rochelle Kwan for StoryCorps.
Middle Photo: Raymond and Derrick Storms, with their mother, older sister Gail and younger sister Maryanne. Miami, FL, approximately 1986. Photo courtesy of the Storms family.
How His Family Farm Helped This Birder Learn To Fly
As a zoologist and ornithologist, Drew Lanham spends many of his days in the company of birds. It’s the way he’s always wanted it to be, ever since growing up on his family farm in South Carolina.
At StoryCorps, he spoke with his friend John Lane about the childhood that helped his career take flight.
Top photo: Drew Lanham (right) and John Lane at their StoryCorps interview in Clemson, SC on December 9, 2019. By Eric Rodgers for StoryCorps.
Originally aired December 20, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
After Giving Up Baby, Reunion Sparks Second Chance at Motherhood
Janie Bush was just 19 years old in 1968 when she discovered she was expecting a child.
After careful consideration, she decided to give her daughter up for adoption.
In 2014, Janie came to StoryCorps in Dallas, Texas with her daughter, Tracey Bush, to talk about what happened next.
Top photo: Janie and Tracey Bush at their StoryCorps interview in Dallas, TX on December 8, 2014. By Callie Thuma for StoryCorps.
Bottom photo: The first photo taken of Janie and Tracey Bush, when they reconnected on Janie’s porch when Tracey was 12 years old. Courtesy of Janie Bush.
Originally aired on November 8, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“We Missed Knowing Each Other:” 50 Years After Desegregation, Two Classmates Remember
On October 29, 1969, the Supreme Court ordered schools across the country to desegregate, in the little-known but milestone case Alexander v. Holmes. It was 15 years after schools had resisted Brown v. Board of Education, and most black students in the South still attended all-black schools.
Eli Brown and Natalie Guice Adams met in third grade, when their school in Winnsboro, Louisiana first integrated. Brown is black, and Adams is white. As two of the top students, their lives were academically intertwined through elementary and high school, yet deeply separate.
Adams and Brown would go on to become co-valedictorians of the Winnsboro High School class of 1980. Today, Brown is an OBGYN in Birmingham, Alabama, and Adams is a professor at the University of Alabama. At StoryCorps, they sat down to remember life after integration for the first time.
Top photo: Natalie Guice Adams and Eli Brown at their at their StoryCorps interview in Birmingham, AL on October 2, 2019. By Emilyn Sosa for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Natalie Guice Adams and Eli Brown pose as two of Winnsboro High School’s “Most Likely To Succeed” students. Black and white recipients of the distinction were photographed separately. Photo from the Winnsboro High School 1980 yearbook.
Originally aired October 25, 2019 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
As a 10-Year-Old, He Played an Unexpected Role in Apollo 11
In July 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft was on its way to the Moon — carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
Back on Earth, 10-year-old Greg Force was dreaming of going to space himself one day.
Greg’s father, Charles Force, worked on the Apollo missions. The family lived on Guam, home to a massive antenna that connected the astronauts to Mission Control.
At 60 years old, Greg came to StoryCorps with his 17-year-old daughter, Abby, to remember the little-known role he played in the success of that historic mission.
Top photo: Greg Force and Abby Force at their StoryCorps interview in Greenville, SC on May 21, 2019. By Alletta Cooper for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Greg Force (second from left) and his three brothers in Guam. Greg says his father chose him to help because his older brother’s hand was too big, and his younger brother would’ve “gotten grease everywhere.” Courtesy of Greg Force.
Bottom photo: 10-year-old Greg Force in 1969, greasing the antenna bearing at the NASA tracking station on Guam. Courtesy of Greg Force.
Originally aired July 19, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.