The Brooklyn EMT Who Saved A Life and Inspired A Nursing Career
In the summer of 1991, 7-year-old Bryan Lindsay was riding his bike in Brooklyn, New York when he was struck by a van and almost killed.
Rowan Allen was the paramedic who arrived on the scene. Almost 20 years later, he and Bryan came to StoryCorps to remember that day and the impact it had on both of their lives.
But Rowan and Bryan weren’t the only ones transformed by the accident. In 2021, Bryan’s mom, Dorothy Lindsay, sat down for a StoryCorps interview with Rowan to thank him for saving her son’s life, and to tell him how his actions inspired her to pursue a new line of work.
Top Photo: Bryan Lindsay, Dorothy Salmon-Lindsay and Rowan Allen at their StoryCorps interview on June 26th, 2013. By Eve Claxton for StoryCorps.
Originally aired December 24th, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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.
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.
30 Years After Carrying Her Out Of A Burning Building, A Firefighter Tells The Woman He Saved: “You’ve Carried Me Through Tough Times.”
Los Angeles County firefighter Derek Bart first came to StoryCorps in 2020, just hours after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
He stepped into the MobileBooth to reflect on his 33 years of public service and how he wanted to be remembered. But there, he thought of someone else, an 8-year-old girl he’d met early in his career, when he responded to a house fire.
Los Angeles County fire captain Derek Bart at his firehouse. Courtesy of Derek Bart.
Shortly after his first recording, Derek found out he’d been misdiagnosed, and that he was going to live. So he came back to sit down for another StoryCorps conversation, this time with Myeshia Oates, the woman who he saved nearly three decades ago.
Top Photo: Myeshia Oates and Derek Bart at their StoryCorps interview in Santa Clarita, CA on August 23, 2021.
Originally aired September 24, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“He Created His Own Destiny”: Siblings Remember Their Video Game Pioneer Dad
Engineer Gerald Lawson was always fascinated with how things worked.
He went from tinkering with TV parts as a young teen to helping lead the team that created the first ever home video game system that used interchangeable game cartridges.
His invention allowed people to collect and play different games on the same system. It was one of the greatest technological innovations in the field — paving the way for a multi-billion dollar industry.
Lawson’s pioneering spirit also influenced the way he raised his two children, Anderson and Karen Lawson in 1970s Silicon Valley.
The Lawson Family: Catherine, Gerald, Anderson and Karen. Circa 1975. Courtesy of the participants.
Growing up, they remember a home filled with state-of-the-art technology — like an early digital clock and some of the first home computers. They came to StoryCorps to reflect on their unforgettable childhood and their father’s colossal personality.
Anderson, Gerald and Karen Lawson. 1973. Courtesy of the participants.
Top Photo: Anderson and Karen Lawson at their StoryCorps recording in Atlanta, GA in 2015. By Diana Guyton for StoryCorps.
Originally aired September 17, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“You Are Your Brother’s Keeper”: A Marine Opens Up To His Son About 9/11
In August 2000, former Marine Sgt. Jason Thomas was discharged from active duty. One year later, on September 11, 2001, he was compelled to step forward as two planes crashed into the World Trade Center, just miles from where he lived.
Jason grabbed his Marine uniform and sped to Ground Zero, where he spent almost three weeks working as a first responder looking for survivors buried under the debris.
Jason Thomas at Ground Zero on 9/11. This is one of the images developed by the firefighter who found Jason’s camera at Ground Zero. Courtesy of Jason Thomas.
For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Jason — now a Master Sgt. with the Air Force Reserve — came to StoryCorps with his youngest son, Jason Christian Thomas, to talk about the lasting impact that experience had on him.
This was the first time they spoke about the details of that day.
Jason Thomas and Jason Christian Thomas in Florida, July of 2020. Courtesy of Jason Thomas.
Top Photo: Jason Thomas at Ground Zero after 9/11. Courtesy of Jason Thomas.
Originally aired Sept. 11, 2021, on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
Remembering Their Quiet Mornings Together, This Granddaughter Honors Her “Gentle Giant”
Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Libby Stroik remembered she liked to pass her days reading, playing the piano, or writing; finding solace in the peacefulness of these solo activities.
But Libby was adopted into a large family, so it could be hard to find these moments of quiet.
But there was one person with whom Libby always felt comfortable: her grandfather, Harry Golomski. Visiting him and Grandma on their farm in rural Wisconsin was somewhat of an occasion for Libby as they lived a few hours away.
Harry Golomski with Libby Stroik and one of her siblings in 1991. (Courtesy of Libby Stroik).
Decades later, when Libby sat down with StoryCorps for this conversation, Harry was living in an assisted living facility and losing his memory. So she came alone to honor Harry’s quietly joyful soul, and remember how he always made her feel special.
Toddler Libby Stroik stomping around in her grandpa’s boots in 1993. (Courtesy of Libby Stroik).
Top Photo: A recent photo of Libby Stroik at home in Milwaukee in 2019. (Courtesy of Libby Stroik).
Originally aired August 13, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“The Oldest Enlisted Soldier In The Army” — And The Sister Who Inspired Him To Sing
Growing up in Cheriton, Virginia, Alvy Powell’s fondest memories were listening to his older sister Yvonne sing. Once he was old enough, the two of them took the stage together and performed duets at church. Not long after, the world of opera would enter his life.
By 1983, Alvy was studying under the famous opera singer, George Shirley. Mr. Shirley was a mentor, and the first African American tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera. He also happened to be the first African American to sing with the U.S. Army Chorus. At his suggestion, Alvy was invited to audition for the chorus. Alvy’s life would take a surprising turn — into the Army.
Master Sgt. Alvy Powell Jr. Courtesy of US Army Photos (released) by Master Sgt. Christopher Branagan.
Alvy spent the next ten years honing his voice as a bass baritone opera singer, performing for some of the highest dignitaries in the world, and at renowned venues, including The White House, The U.S. Capitol, The Supreme Court, and The State Department.
In 1993, he left the chorus to pursue singing independently, only to reenlist at the age of 46. By the time he retired in 2017, he earned a unique title for an opera singer — the oldest enlisted soldier in the Army.
Yvonne also found a life in civil service, working for the Department of Homeland Security. She never pursued a career in singing, but she did continue performing in church. And she and Alvy never stopped singing together.
Master Sgt. Alvy Powell Jr. Courtesy of US Army Photos (released) by Master Sgt. Christopher Branagan.
Top Photo: Alvy Powell and Yvonne Powel at their StoryCorps Interview in Norfolk, Virginia on July 14th, 2021.
Originally aired July 24, 2021, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Through Music, Father And Son DJs “Sow Love” And “Get Love Back”
Jo Vill first started DJing back in the 70s, eventually passing his passion on to his son, Chad.
Chad, at around 2 years old, reaching for his dad’s turntable. Photo courtesy of Chad Vill.
But they never imagined that their shared love for music would bring their Brooklyn, New York neighborhood together, as the COVID-19 pandemic was ripping families apart.
During lockdown, many New Yorkers, including Jo’s wife, Gail, would join in a daily ritual of cheering for first responders. Jo and Chad were then inspired to put some speakers in the street and start playing songs for their neighbors. This quickly morphed into a daily block party, with hundreds of people flocking to their Clinton Hill street, St. James Place, to dance and connect with others during a time of isolation. They named the parties St. James Joy.
Neighbors dancing at a Saint James Joy block party in August of 2020. Photo by Niikai Wells.
Jo and Chad came to StoryCorps in May of 2021 — more than a year after they first started St. James Joy — to remember how it all began.
Top Photo: Jo Vill and Chad Vill in Brooklyn, NY, in June of 2021. By Nathan West.
Originally aired June 18, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Almost 65 Years After Father’s Lynching, Two Daughters Are Still Looking for Justice
Warning, the following story includes a description of racial violence.
On January 23, 1957, Willie Edwards Jr. was eating dinner with his family in Montgomery, Alabama when he got a call from his boss at the Winn-Dixie asking if he could cover a shift for another driver. He left his two small daughters and pregnant wife at home that evening and never made it back…
Years later a former Klansman said that he and other Ku Klux Klan members pulled Edwards out of his truck at gunpoint, beat him and brought him to a high bridge over the Alabama River. They told Edwards to jump… or they’d shoot him. He jumped.
Willie Edwards Jr. Courtesy of the participants
His daughter, Malinda Edwards was just three years old at the time. With StoryCorps, she told her sister Mildred Betts about the moment she learned what happened to their father.
Top Photo: Malinda Edwards and Mildred Betts. Courtesy of the participants.
This story was produced in collaboration with the PBS series FRONTLINE as part of Un(re)solved — a major initiative documenting the federal effort to investigate more than 150 cold case murders dating back to the civil rights era. More such stories can be explored in an interactive documentary at Un(re)solved.
Originally aired June 4th, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.