Nicholas Peart and Frank Lopez
Yesterday, a federal judge in New York ruled the NYPD’s use of stop-and-frisk unconstitutional.
Nicholas Peart, a lifelong Harlem resident and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, tells his friend Frank Lopez about being stopped by police without cause while celebrating his 18th birthday with friends.
Originally aired August 13, 2013, on NPR’s Tell Me More.
Paul Wayman and Nathanael Roberti
Marine Cpl. Paul Wayman (left) and former Navy SEAL Nathanael Roberti (right) met in 2012 after finding themselves in front of a special court for veterans that takes into account the unique struggles service members face.
After their arrests—Paul was pulled over drunk driving with a gun in his possession and Nathanael pulled a knife on four people while in a bar fight—the judge gave each of them a choice: go to prison, or enroll in a program that helps veterans readjust to civilian life. They chose to go through the program, Veterans Village of San Diego.
At StoryCorps, Paul and Roberti discuss their struggles to adjust to civilian life and the support they have provided each other.
Originally aired August 10, 2013, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Ondelee Perteet and Deetreena Perteet
One night in 2009, 14-year-old Ondelee Perteet and a friend went to a party in his hometown of Chicago. He got into an argument and was shot in the face.
When his mother, Detreena, arrived at the hospital, doctors told her he would never move his arms and legs again. She then moved into the hospital with her son and was there for him through each difficult moment.
At StoryCorps, Ondelee tells his mother that while he knows how hard it was for her to see him in a wheelchair, he “felt blessed to have my mama do this for me” and never give up on him.
Ondelee is now enrolled at Malcolm X College in Chicago and plans to start school in January 2014 to study communications, with hopes of becoming a motivational speaker.
Originally aired August 9, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Liza Long and “Michael”
One day after the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, Liza Long wrote a blog post urging people to focus on providing treatment for mentally ill youth. In it, she shared the story of her own son, “Michael” (not his real name), who she says she loves, but “he terrifies me.”
At StoryCorps, Liza and “Michael,” 13, have a conversation about her post, which described an incident with “Michael” weeks earlier in which he pulled a knife on his mother and threatened to kill her and himself after she asked him to return his overdue library books.
Click here to read Liza’s post, “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother,” on The Blue Review.
Originally aired August 2, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Bryan Lindsay and Rowan Allen
During the summer of 1991, 7-year-old Bryan Lindsay (left) was riding his bike on the street in Brooklyn when he was hit by a van and almost killed. Rowan Allen (right) was the paramedic who arrived on the scene that day.
Immediately after the accident, Rowan and his colleagues would check on Bryan regularly, but as he got better, years went by and they had no contact until one day when Rowan recognized Bryan’s mother, a nurse, while bringing a patient into the hospital.
At StoryCorps, Bryan, 29, and Rowan, 51, remember the accident and the bond that formed out of it.
Originally aired July 26, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Monica Velez and Christopher Hernandez
Growing up, Monica Velez was a mother figure to her two younger brothers, Andrew and José “Freddy” Velez (pictured together above, in 1996).
But her brothers both left home at an early age; Freddy (above left) joined the U.S. Army when he was 18 and deployed to Iraq. When Andrew (above right) turned 18 two years later, he followed his brother into military service and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Corporal José “Freddy” Velez was killed in action in Iraq in 2004. He was 23 years old and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for outstanding service.
Specialist Andrew Velez had the difficult task of escorting his brother’s body back to the United States. Two years later, he committed suicide in Afghanistan. He was 22 years old. Before he died, Andrew received the Army Commendation Medal.
Their older sister, Monica, came to StoryCorps with her husband, Christopher Hernandez (pictured together above), to remember her brothers.
Originally aired July 13, 2013, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Top: Photo courtesy of Monica Velez.
Faith Marr and Jerris Marr
In 2007, when Faith Marr was 4 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer on her spine and had what was to become the first of eight surgeries replacing her vertebrae with titanium rods.
At StoryCorps, Faith, 10, talk with her father, Jerris, about the tremendous pain she dealt with and shares some of the lessons battling cancer has taught her.
Faith’s cancer is now in remission and when she turns 18, Jerris plans to get a tattoo in her honor that says, “Keep the Faith.”
Originally aired July 12, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Above: Faith in 2008, on her 5th birthday. Photo courtesy of Jerris Marr.
Gilbert Zermeño and Pat Powers-Zermeño
Gilbert Zermeño came from a family without much money. They lived on the plains of West Texas and got by on the $100 a week that Gilbert’s father made working the cotton fields, so when Gilbert wanted to join the school band and play the saxophone, it wasn’t as easy for his mother as just going out and buying a sax.
At StoryCorps, Gilbert explains to his wife, Pat Powers- Zermeño, how, with the help of the Virgin of Guadalupe, he ended up playing not the saxophone, but the trombone.
Originally aired June 21, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Robert Stokely
Army Sergeant Michael Stokely enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard straight out of high school. He deployed to Iraq in 2005, where he was killed by a roadside bomb.
At StoryCorps, his father, Robert Stokely talks about traveling to Iraq to pay tribute to his fallen son.
Originally aired June 15, 2013, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Top: Robert and Michael, who died on deployment in Iraq in 2005. Photos courtesy of Robert Stokeley
Adrian Hawkins and Horace Atwater Jr.
Horace Atwater Jr. (right) took in Adrian Hawkins (left) as a foster child when he was about 14 years old. Until then, Adrian, who had lived in several group and foster homes, remembers, “times being hungry, seeing drugs and all kinds of stuff.”
At StoryCorps, Horace tells Adrian about the very personal experience he had with his own family that led him to care so deeply for a stranger.
Originally aired June 14, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.