Alton Russell was the long-time Chair of the Republican party in Columbus, Georgia. Wane Hailes was the head of the local NAACP chapter. Although they knew of each other, they had never actually spoken —until they sat down for this One Small Step conversation.
Nicole Paris was still in her mom’s belly when her dad, Ed Cage, started beatboxing to her. At StoryCorps, the performing duo, known as Popz and the Apprentice, share how Nicole was born to make beats.
Yomi was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes her bones to break under the slightest pressure. Doctors told her mom that Yomi might not survive. Years later, Yomi thanked her mom for never giving up on her in a StoryCorps conversation.
As kids, siblings Melissa Wilbur and Janaki Symon hated each other. At StoryCorps, the sisters told the story of how that changed.
When Dr. William Lynn Weaver needed help solving a problem, he knew he could count on his father, Ted Weaver. At StoryCorps, Lynn recalled a time he struggled with his math homework, and the lesson his dad taught him that extended beyond the classroom.
To everyone, she was known as Sug—short for “Sugar.” At StoryCorps, Penelope Simmons shares memories that capture the energy of her mother, Cora Lee Collins—a free-spirited woman who was loved by all.
In 1970s Chicago, Madzimoyo Owusu grew up surrounded by her grandmother's loving and protective presence. At StoryCorps, she shares the enduring impact of that bond with her daughter.
How a young kid’s dream to play the saxophone started on a bad note, but ended in harmony. At StoryCorps, Gilbert Zermeño remembers how a prayer, a payment plan, and a lot of practice shaped his musical journey.
