After Facing A Difficult Coming Out, One Couple Changed A Mother’s Heart
Leslye Huff (left) and her partner, Mary Ostendorf (right), met in 1983. Leslye was open about her feelings for Mary and wasn’t shy about publicly showing her affection—even on their first date. Mary felt less comfortable with public displays of affection and had not told many people in her life about her sexuality, including her family.
When Mary introduced Leslye to her mother, Agnes, they did not immediately reveal to her the nature of their relationship, but during that meeting Leslye felt a connection with Agnes. “I liked her. She was short like me, and pretty vivacious. She and I sat and talked and I thought the makings of a pretty good friendship was beginning.”
Later that year, days before they gathered for Thanksgiving, Leslye picked up the phone and told Agnes the truth about her relationship with Mary.
At StoryCorps, Mary and Leslye discuss what happened after the phone call and how their relationship with Agnes changed in the years that followed.
Since then, Leslye and Mary moved across the country to Berkeley, California so Leslye could pursue a seminary degree. She recently graduated.
Top Photo: Leslye Huff and Mary Ostendorf.
Originally aired November 27, 2016, on NPR’s Weekend Edition. It was rebroadcast on November 26, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Pass The Plate, Pass The Mic
This holiday season, as StoryCorps has since 2015, we’re inviting you to be a part of The Great Thanksgiving Listen — our national effort to encourage young people to create an oral history of our times by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire during the holiday weekend.
In this episode of the StoryCorps podcast, we’re sharing some conversations that we love which were recorded, using either the StoryCorps App or StoryCorps Connect.
First, we hear from Max García, who recorded with his grandfather, Mario García. He wanted to know more about Mario’s childhood in Havana, Cuba, where he was a child actor. He had to leave his acting career behind when he fled the country as a refugee during the Castro regime. Mario is now passing his passion for acting on to Max.
Photo: Dr. Mario García and his grandson, Max García. Courtesy of Mario García.
Next, we revisit a conversation between a granddaughter and grandmother from our very first Great Thanksgiving Listen. They recorded on Thanksgiving Day using the StoryCorps app. The grandmother told her granddaughter about her late husband, who died when she was very young.
Dominie Apeles also interviewed a grandparent, her grandfather, Florentino. They spoke over StoryCorps Connect. Separated because of the pandemic, Dominie spoke to her grandfather about his relationship with her grandmother, and all the things she missed about being able to see him face to face.
Photo: Dominie Apeles and Florentino Apeles, at their StoryCorps Connect recording.
Then, we visit a family in Queens, New York. Since 2004, Jorge Muñoz and his family have provided more than one hundred meals per day to day laborers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants.
Photo: Siblings Luz and Jorge Muñoz spoke about how their meal program began in their recent StoryCorps interview from their home in Queens, NY.
Jorge and his sister Luz used StoryCorps Connect to remember the beginning of their journey, and how their mother inspired them to give to those in need.
To close out the episode, host Kamilah Kashanie shows just how easy it is to use StoryCorps Connect when she sat down for a conversation with her own grandmother, Velma Hamilton. The two spoke about the lessons and traditions that have been passed down from one generation to the next, all under the roof of Velma’s Brooklyn brownstone.
Photo: Kamilah Kashanie and her grandmother, Velma Hamilton. 2011. Courtesy of Kamilah Kashanie.
Top photo: Artwork by Juliana O’Byrne.
Released on November 23rd, 2021.
A Mother And Daughter Remember The Power Of Grandma’s Hands
Madzimoyo Owusu grew up on the West Side of Chicago in the 1970s. When she was a young girl, she spent many of her days with her grandmother, who lived in the same three-story apartment building.
Decades later, In 2010, Madzimoyo came to StoryCorps with her daughter, Johannah, to honor the memory of the woman who helped shape her life…
Madzimoyo and her grandmother Elsie’s hands together, 1995 in Birmingham Alabama, courtesy of the Owusu family.
Top Photo: Johannah and Madzimoyo at their StoryCorps Recording on July 10th, 2010, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Photo by Jorge Rios for StoryCorps.
This interview was recorded in partnership with the Three Rivers Institute of Afrikan Art & Culture.
Originally aired November 19th, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“I don’t break”: How Two People Found Strength in One Another After Police Violence
In 2009, Alexander Landau was brutally beaten during a routine traffic stop by police in Denver, Colorado. His charges were dropped, and he later won a settlement from that city.
Years later, Nina Askew — another Colorado resident — had her arm broken in three places during an arrest. Her charges later resulted in a conviction of resisting arrest, and a hung jury on second degree assault of a police officer.
Nina knew of Alexander from the media coverage of his case, and while their cases had very different outcomes, Nina was looking for moral and logistical support as she went through her trial.
Although Nina first reached out to Alexander for legal advice, she found something deeper in their connection.
Top Photo: Alexander Landau and Nina Askew at their StoryCorps interview in Denver, Colorado on July 17, 2021. By Nick Sullivan for StoryCorps.
Originally aired November 12, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
First Muslim Chaplain In U.S. Armed Forces Recalls His Decades-Long Career Of Supporting Soldiers
Lieutenant Colonel Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad joined the United States Army in 1982. Before enlisting, he was a civilian imam in San Diego, CA, and he joined because was attracted to the discipline and values of the military culture there.
In the early 90s, Lt. Col. Muhammad became the first Muslim chaplain in the Armed Forces. In his duties, he consoled the families of fallen soldiers, and offered mental and emotional support to service members dealing with grief.
He came to StoryCorps with his wife, Saleemah Muhammad, to talk about what that was like.
Top Photo: Lieutenant Colonel Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad and his wife, Saleemah Muhammad. Photo courtesy of the participants.
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 November 6, 2021 on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
Siblings Remember Their Father, A Combat Pilot Who Served In Three Wars
Growing up in the 1930s, Lt. Col. Miguel Encinias wasn’t sure if his dream of becoming a military pilot was in reach. In those days, combat pilots of Hispanic heritage were almost unheard of.
But Encinias was accepted into the Air Force cadet school, and would go and serve as a combat pilot in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He flew around 240 combat missions in all.
Miguel Encinias in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1961. (Courtesy of the Encinias family)
He died in 2016, at the age of 92.
Two of his children, Isabel and Juan Pablo Encinias, came to StoryCorps to remember him and his love for flying.
Juan Pablo Encinias and Isabel Encinias in 2016. (Courtesy of the Encinias family)
Top Photo: Miguel Encinias crouched beneath a F105 aircraft in 1967. (Courtesy of the Encinias family)
Originally aired November 5, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Siblings Remember Their Circus Performing Parents And Their First “Magical” Halloween
As kids, Fritzi and Bobby Huber would spend 9 months out of the year traveling the country with their circus performer parents.
Fritz and Betty Huber practice their high wire act. Photo courtesy of Fritzi Huber.
The family of four lived in a 26-foot-long trailer while they were on the road.
Fritzi and Bobby were used to the wonder of the circus, where costumes were a part of everyday life. But they had never heard of Halloween.
Bobby and Fritzi Huber hold hands at the fairgrounds, circa 1950s. Photo courtesy of Fritzi Huber
That changed one night when they were around 6 and 7, and the family stopped for the night in a remote field. More than 60 years later, Bobby and Fritzi came to StoryCorps to remember their first Halloween and how their parents made it “magical.”
Top Photo: Fritzi and Bobby Huber at their StoryCorps interview in Wilmington, NC on Sept. 22, 2021. Photo by Ben DeHaven.
Originally aired October 29, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
As The Curtain Goes Up —Two Performers Remember “Phantom’s” Beloved Costume Dresser
Phantom of the Opera had its Broadway premiere in 1988, at the Majestic Theatre. Not long after its opening, Jennifer Arnold would become a permanent fixture on the crew, working as a costume dresser for over thirty years.
Jennifer Arnold, courtesy of Janet Saia.
Jen embodied the spirit of the theater world, with a quirky sense of style and an enigmatic spark. She was also known for creating intricate matchboxes with photos and glitter, giving them as gifts to members of the cast and crew. Each one, intentionally designed for the person.
Janet Saia’s collection of matchboxes gifted to her by Jennifer Arnold. Courtesy of Janet Saia.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic shut down Broadway, the theaters closed their doors. Within a matter of weeks, Jen would pass away.
Kelly Jeanne Grant and Janet Saia are two performers for the show. They came to StoryCorps as the show reopened in 2021 to remember their friend, and the impact she had on their lives.
Janet Saia and Kelly Grant in costume backstage at the Majestic Theatre in January of 2016. Courtesy of Janet Saia.
Top Photo: From left to right, Kelly Jeanne Grant, Jennifer Arnold, and Janet Saia in New York in 2016. Courtesy of Janet Saia.
Originally aired October 22nd, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Strong Lines, Beautiful Lines”: Two Alaska Native Women Make Their Mark
When Grete Bergman was in her 20s, she began to think and dream about having facial markings. This was a tradition rooted in her Alaska Native family from the Gwich’in Nation. But growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, she learned a clear message from her father and grandmother that many of their family traditions would not be tolerated, in or outside of the house.
Nearly ten years later, Grete met Sarah Whalen-Lunn through mutual friends. Sarah’s father is white, but her mother was Inupaq, so she is part of the Inuit Nation.
Sarah Whalen-Lunn (L), about one year old, with her mother, Irene June Hayes. Grete Bergman (R) age 6 months, with her father, Grafton Bergman. Courtesy of Sarah Whalen-Lunn and Grete Bergman.
Sarah was also drawn to Traditional Face Markings, because she wanted to reconnect with the customs her family had been forced to abandon. In 2016, she enrolled in a program that taught her how to give them.
Grete Bergman with her Traditional Markings. Courtesy of Sarah Whelan-Lunn.
This is where their paths crossed, and a friendship began. Their connection has helped revive a traditional practice that had been lost to previous generations of women.
Top Photo: Grete Bergman and Sarah Whalen-Lunn at their StoryCorps interview in Anchorage, Alaska on August 14, 2018. By Camila Kerwin for StoryCorps.
Originally aired October 15, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Mother And Son Remember “Grandma Chief”
In 1985, Wilma Mankiller made history when she became the first woman to lead the Cherokee Nation, one of the largest Native American tribes in the United States.
She would lead for ten years, receiving numerous awards for her achievements, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. In fact, in 2022 the U.S. Mint will feature Wilma Mankiller on a quarter.
During her tenure, enrollment to become a citizen of the Cherokee Tribe more than doubled, and she pushed to revitalize the tribe’s health care system.
She also helped broker a self-governance agreement in the 1990s, paving the way towards tribal sovereignty.
But at first, the transition into power wasn’t made easy for her. Her daughter and grandson, Gina Olaya and Kellen Quinton, came to StoryCorps to talk about how they remember her, and the challenges she faced when she first became Chief.
Gina Olaya and Kellen Quinton at their StoryCorps interview in Oklahoma City on September 27, 2021. By Castle Row Studios for StoryCorps.
Top Photo: Wilma Mankiller in June of 1992. Credit: Getty Images
Originally aired October 8, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.