Dr. Charles Drew: Remembering “The Father of Blood Banks” And His Fatherhood
In the 1940s, Dr. Charles Drew was a prominent surgeon, living with his wife and four children in Washington, D.C. He was a multifaceted man who trained surgeons and physicians, and who also studied and tested the storage of blood and plasma.
Dr. Charles Drew working with his residents at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis.
During World War II, Dr. Drew was recruited to head the Blood for Britain Project. His goal was to discover the safe storage and transport of blood needed on the battlefield. His efforts were successful, and his breakthrough helped preserve the lives of thousands of soldiers.
After the war, Dr. Drew continued his life-saving research, even while the Red Cross maintained a segregation of blood based on race. Dr. Drew fervently argued against the segregation of blood, but he would not live to see the reversal of this policy. He died in a car accident on April 1, 1950, but later that year the Red Cross ended the discriminatory practice.
Ernest Jarvis and Charlene Drew Jarvis in recent years. Courtesy of Ernest Jarvis.
Dr. Drew’s daughter, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, came to StoryCorps with her son, Ernest Jarvis, to remember the man who paved the way for today’s blood banks.
Top Photo: Dr. Charles Drew in his lab. Courtesy of Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis.
Originally aired August 6, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Pastor Who Was Once A Mischievous Child, Pays Tribute To “The People That Nurtured Me”
Growing up in the 1950s in Montgomery, AL., Rev. Farrell Duncombe or “Little Farrell,” as he was known by his family and friends, had a mischievous side. But he had many role models who kept him in line. One such person was his own father, Rev. Henry A. Duncombe Sr., who was the pastor of their church, St. Paul A.M.E. Church of Montgomery.
It was at that church, where Farrell also drew inspiration from his Sunday school teacher, Miss Rosalie — eventually known to the rest of the world as Rosa Parks.
Later on, Farrell took all the lessons he’d learned growing up and went on to become a public school band teacher, and then a principal. He also stepped into his father’s shoes and became a pastor at his childhood church.
In 2010, Farrell came to StoryCorps with his friend and fraternity brother, Howard Robinson, to reflect on the people who nurtured him, and the humility he feels standing at his father’s pulpit.
Rev Farrell Duncombe died on June 2, 2021 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Top Photo: Rev. Farrell Duncombe and Howard Robinson at their StoryCorps interview in Montgomery, AL on November 24, 2010. By Elizabeth Straight for StoryCorps.
Originally aired June 11, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Listen to Rev. Dumcombe’s story on the StoryCorps Podcast.
For the Love of Books: One Librarian Makes All the Difference
As a young father in Brooklyn, NY, Rich Jean wasn’t always sure how to keep his three year old daughter, Abigail, busy and happy. He decided to start taking her to their local library. Abigail was soon enrolled in one of their programs for young learners. That is where they met an aspiring librarian, Hasina Islam. Hasina was still an intern at that time, but immediately did everything she could to encourage Abigail in her love of books.
Four years after that first encounter, Rich, Abigail and Hasina came to StoryCorps to talk about how that chance meeting set them on a path to friendship.
Hasina Islam and Abigail Jean after their StoryCorps recording on April 25, 2021. Courtesy of Hasina Islam and Rich Jean.
Five years later, while separated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hasina and Abigail came back to StoryCorps to reconnect remotely with a second recording in 2021.
Top Photo: Rich Jean, Abigail Jean and Hasina Islam at their StoryCorps interview in Brooklyn, NY on November 5, 2016. By Jhaleh Akhavan for StoryCorps.
The 2016 interview was recorded in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and IMLS National Medal winner, Brooklyn Public Library.
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 April 30, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“You Didn’t Elevate Me, But You Helped Me Elevate Myself”: How A Dedicated Teacher Turned Into A Lifelong Friend
Raymond Blanks had very few Black teachers when he was growing up in Newark, NJ. But the ones he did have, made a big impact on how he saw himself and what he believed he could be. Raymond’s 7th grade math and science teacher, Sean Lloyd, was one of them. Mr. Lloyd challenged Raymond to strive for excellence, both in and out of the classroom, and now Raymond is paying it forward.
Raymond is now a sixth grade math teacher at a charter school in Newark, NJ. One of only two Black male teachers there.
In 2020, Black men made up only 2% of teachers across the country. And in Newark, where around half of the students are Black, Black men make up only about 8% of the teachers.
Photo: Sean Lloyd (left) and Raymond Blanks receiving their Masters degrees. Courtesy of Raymond Blanks.
Raymond stayed in touch with Sean through high school and college. When Raymond started teaching, he received his first job from Sean, at a school that Sean helped co-found. They eventually even received their Master’s degrees together. The two had a conversation using StoryCorps Connect, to talk about how Sean’s passion for his students shaped Raymond’s career path, and deepened their friendship.
Top Photo: Raymond Blanks and Sean Lloyd. Courtesy of Sean Lloyd and Raymond Blanks.
“Don’t Let Anybody Tell You That You Can’t:” GED Instructor Helps His Student Soar
Ngoc Nguyen was born in Saigon just a few years before the end of the Vietnam War. As a child, she had to work to support her family and ultimately dropped out of school.
After immigrating to the U.S. in her early twenties, she continued working. It would be more than two decades before Nguyen would be able to continue her education.
At 45, she enrolled in a GED program at the Opportunities Industrialization Center in Oklahoma City. At StoryCorps, Nguyen sat down with her teacher, Christopher Myers, to thank him for the role he played in helping her earn her degree despite her obstacles.
Top Photo: Christopher Myers and Ngoc Nguyen at their StoryCorps interview in Oklahoma City on February 9, 2018. By Chelsea Aguilera for StoryCorps.
Originally aired Friday, January 22, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
After a Century of Living, Lessons From a Woman Who Was Larger Than Life
As of the end of 2020, more than 300,000 people in the United States have died after contracting COVID-19.
In this story, we remember one of those people: a grandmother and great-grandmother who was a larger-than-life character from a small town in northern New York.
Rose Pearl Liscum on her 96th birthday. Photo courtesy of Shelly Noti.
Rosella Pearl Liscum grew up near Ogdensburg, New York, where she died the day after Christmas at the age of 101.
Back in 2012, she sat down for StoryCorps with her daughter, Marlene Watson, to talk about some of her most treasured relationships, including how she met her boyfriend, Bill “Wild Bill” Cota.
Rose Liscum and her boyfriend, “Wild Bill” Cota, dancing at the Heuvelton, NY AMVETS, where they first met. Photo courtesy of Marlene Watson.
Top Photo: Marlene Watson and Rose Pearl Liscum at their StoryCorps interview in Rensselaer Falls, NY on July 9, 2012. By Jasmyn Morris for StoryCorps.
Editor’s note: Jasmyn Morris, who co-produced this interview, is related to some of the subjects in this story. Rose Liscum was her distant cousin, Gert Uhl was Morris’ great-grandmother, and Joyce is her grandmother.
Originally aired January 1, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Brighten the Corner Where You Are”: Finding a New Way To Be Thankful in a Pandemic
Back in 1985, when Scott Macaulay’s parents were going through an acrimonious divorce, he found himself alone on Thanksgiving. So he decided to start cooking dinner for other people who had nowhere else to go. We first heard his story in an interview from 2010.
Scott Macaulay looking through one of his photo albums commemorating his Thanksgiving dinners.
For the last 35 years, he’s advertised his dinners in his local newspaper, and in what began as a dinner for a dozen people, he now typically serves upwards of 100 guests at his Thanksgiving table. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to find new ways of connecting with strangers on this holiday. Instead he has partnered with a local restaurant to offer free meals and is handing out groceries from the window of his vacuum repair shop, Macaulay’s House of Vacuums.
Loretta Saint-Louis has been attending Scott’s dinners since 2017. Over StoryCorps Connect, Loretta and Scott talked about how they first met and what she’ll miss about not gathering this year.
Top Photo: Scott Macaulay and Loretta Saint-Louis after their StoryCorps interview in Melrose, MA on November 6th, 2020. By Alanna Kouri and Loretta Saint-Louis for StoryCorps.
Originally aired November 13th 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
From Lock-up to Lawyer: Couple Stands By Daughter’s Ex As He Turns His Life Around
When Bob VanSumeren first walked into his eighth grade math class taught by Mike McKenney, neither of them imagined it would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
A few years later, Bob started to date Mike’s daughter, becoming close to the McKenney family. But by the time Bob turned 18, he had dropped out of school, began drinking and using drugs, and wound up homeless. Desperate to make money, Bob robbed a gas station and a bank. He served nearly six years in prison for those crimes.
Bob VanSumeren looking out into the woods as a late teen in the 1990s.
Even though Bob and Mike’s daughter were no longer dating, the McKenney family never gave up on him. Instead, they became the most reliable people in his life, visiting him regularly in prison and helping ease his reentry when he got out. After his release from prison, Bob went back to school, eventually becoming a lawyer.
(L) Becky McKenney, Bob VanSumeren, and Mike McKenney on a prison visit in 2003, at the Camp Kitwen detention center, in Painesdale, MI.
(R) Becky, Bob, and Mike after Bob VanSumeren’s swearing-in ceremony, where he was sworn in as a lawyer by the same judge who sentenced him.
Bob spoke with Mike using StoryCorps Connect to thank him for his support during this time.
Top Photo: Mike McKenney and Bob VanSumeren after their StoryCorps interview in Jackson County MI. Courtesy of Mike McKenney and Bob VanSumeren.
Originally aired October 23, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
For Teachers And Staff In New York City Schools, Work Is An Act Of Love
In 1999, Debra Fisher worked in film and TV in New York City. But when her father became ill and required occupational therapy as part of his treatment, Fisher was impressed by the care that his therapists brought to their work. That’s when she decided to make a major career change.
Twenty-one years later, Fisher works in New York City public schools, providing occupational therapy to a wide range of students in elementary and middle school.
Fisher met Emma Pelosi, a special education teacher, on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. They came to rely on each other for support and friendship as they invented new ways to do their jobs.
Fisher and Pelosi recorded a conversation through StoryCorps Connect in September 2020, just as schools were preparing to reopen their doors to more than one million school children. In their interview, they talk about how it feels to work in the country’s largest school system during this unprecedented moment.
Top Photo: Emma Pelosi and Debra Fisher after their StoryCorps interview in New York City on September 18, 2020. Courtesy of Debra Fisher and Emma Pelosi for StoryCorps.
Originally aired September 25th, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
For Brooklyn’s Bianco Brothers, Keeping it Sharp is a Labor of Love
Small family businesses have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re going to hear from one of them.
Bianco Brothers Instruments is owned by twin brothers Joe and Vinny Bianco. They took over the shop from their father, and now their sons are working beside them, expertly sharpening all types of tools. Over the years, their business has grown to include manufacturing a wide array of sharp instruments, from chefs knives to dental cement spatulas.
In a remote interview recorded through StoryCorps Connect, Joe and his son Peter reflected on their craft, and the legacy they are carrying forth in their Brooklyn storefront.
Top photo: Joe Bianco and Peter Bianco.Courtesy of Peter Bianco.
Bottom photo: Joe Bianco grinding at the wheel at the family shop in the 1980s. Courtesy of Joe Bianco.
Originally aired September 4, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.