“Our Bodies Are Just A Shell;” A Mother’s Wisdom On Life And Death
One fall day in 1999, Carolyn DeFord’s mother, a Puyallup tribal member, disappeared on her way to a friend’s house in La Grande, Oregon, and was never seen again. It’s just one case in the nationwide crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous women.
Carolyn first came to StoryCorps in 2019 to remember receiving the phone call that her mother, Leona Kinsey, had gone missing.
Leona Kinsey pictured at her home in La Grande, OR. (Courtesy Carolyn DeFord.)
But she still had more she wanted to share, so two years later, she came back to reflect on how she carries her mother’s disappearance and remember the stories that have given her comfort and hope in her healing journey.
Carolyn’s grandson, Caspian Hayes, soon after his birth in October of 2021. (Courtesy Carolyn DeFord.)
Top Photo: Carolyn DeFord at her StoryCorps interview on January 24, 2019 in Renton, WA. Carolyn poses with the Missing poster for her mother, Leona Kinsey, who went missing October 1999,
Dupe Oyebolu for StoryCorps.
Originally aired December 3, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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.
“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.
The First And Second In Flight — Two Black Women Make Coast Guard History
The U.S. Coast Guard currently has more than 800 pilots. They perform crucial search and rescue missions, often in adverse weather situations.
For 215 years, not a single one of them was a Black woman.
That was, until Jeanine Menze joined in 2005, becoming the first.
Cmdr. Jeanine Menze, stationed at Air Station Barbers Point, Oahu, Hawaii in 2006. USCG photo by PA2 Jennifer Johnson.
Two years later, she met La’Shanda Holmes and introduced her to the world of flight. La’Shanda would then go on to earn her own wings, becoming the second.
Lashanda Holmes at Air Station Los Angeles. U.S, in 2010. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers.
Lieutenant Commander La’Shanda Holmes and Commander Jeanine Menze came to StoryCorps to remember that time, and reflect on the impact they’ve made in each other’s lives.
By 2014 there were five Black women pilots in the Coast Guard, nicknamed “The Fab Five”. Since then, that number has gone up, adding a sixth…with more waiting in the wings…
From left to right are Cmdr. Jeanine Menze, MH-65 helicopter pilot Lt. Cmdr. LaShanda Holmes, HC-144 fixed wing pilot Lt. Angel Hughes, MH-60 helicopter pilot Lt. Chanel Lee, HC-144 fixed wing pilot Lt. Ronaqua Russell. 2019. Photo by Lt.Cmdr. Ryan P Kelley.
Originally aired October 2, 2021 on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
Top Photo: From left to right, Jeanine Menze and La’Shanda Holmes, at La’Shanda’s flight school graduation at NAS Whiting Field, Milton, FL, in 2010. Courtesy of La’Shanda Holmes.
A Family Remembers A Civil Rights Activist On The 60th Anniversary Of His Killing
Herbert Lee, Sr. was a businessman, farmer and activist for racial equality in 1950s Mississippi.
On September 25, 1961, he was murdered in Liberty, MS. His white killer, Mississippi state legislator, E.H. Hurst, was acquitted the very next day.
On the 60th anniversary of his death, Shirley Lee Riley — Lee’s youngest child — and her son, Clifton Franklin, sat down for StoryCorps to remember Herbert Lee’s civil rights legacy.
Herbert Lee’s daughter, Shirley Lee Riley, and her son, Clifton Franklin. Courtesy of Clifton Franklin.
Top Photo: Herbert Lee, Sr. and Prince Estella Lee. Courtesy of Clifton Franklin.
For Those Left Behind: An Afghan American Marine Reflects On His Homeland
In 1980, Ajmal Achekzai fled Afghanistan during the onset of the Soviet–Afghan War, leaving his birth city of Kabul behind. He was only five years old.
The next time he would return would be in November of 2001. U.S. Marines were the first major ground forces sent to Afghanistan after 9/11. Ajmal was among them.
Cpl. Ajmal Achekzai talks with two Afghan locals on December 10, 2001 at the perimeter of a patrol base in Southern Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. Joseph R. Chenelly/USMC/Getty Images.
Twenty years later, Ajmal is witnessing the return of Taliban control. He sat down with StoryCorps to remember where he came from, the dire uncertainty of Afghanistan’s future and the love he has for its people.
Ajmal Achekzai with his mother, in July of 2001, at the Salt Lake International Airport. Courtesy of the Achekzai family.
Top Photo: Ajmal Achekzai at his StoryCorps interview in Costa Mesa, CA, on August 19th, 2016. By Liyna Anwar for StoryCorps.
This interview is part of the Anwar Collection of Muslim Voices and 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 September 03, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“You are going your own way”: A Father and Daughter Reflect On Leaving the Nest
When Sylvia Grosvold was 16 years old she came to StoryCorps with her father, Josh Weiner. They remembered her mother, Kari Grosvold, who had died by suicide when Sylvia was five years old.
Josh Weiner, Kari Grosvold and Sylvia Grosvold, age 4, in 2008. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Over the years, Josh and Sylvia have relied on each other more than your average father/daughter duo. Two years after their first conversation, Sylvia and Josh returned to StoryCorps ahead of Sylvia’s move from the family’s home in Portland, Oregon to begin her freshman year at Ithaca College. As Sylvia prepared for her big move, Josh reflects on living alone for the first time in his life.
They talked about the closeness they share, their hopes and fears for the future, and Josh’s sudden journey to single parenthood.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-8255.
The 2019 interview was recorded through The Dougy Center for grieving children. It is part of Road to Resilience, a project with StoryCorps in partnership with the New York Life Foundation which leverages the power of stories and storytelling to help children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one.
Top Photo: Sylvia Grosvold and Josh Weiner at their StoryCorps interview in Portland Oregon on July 9, 2021. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Originally aired August 27, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.