A Father And Daughter Reflect On Shared Wisdom And ‘Cool Genes’
Yusuf Ali has spent his adult life working hard to be a father and a provider. Long before family life he was known as “Joe Cool,” respected by friends and colleagues for his boundless style.
Yusuf Ali, his son Noble and Attayah Ali Milton in the late 1980s. Photo courtesy of Attayah Ali Milton.
Yusuf and his family moved from town to town as he followed work selling office furniture. No matter where they lived, he was always imparting life lessons and wisdom to everyone he mentored, including his two children, Attayah and Noble.
Noble Ali, Yusuf Ali, Attayah Ali Milton and her children, November 2019. Photo courtesy of Attayah Ali Milton.
Yusuf came to StoryCorps with his daughter Attayah to record some of their memories and share a few laughs in celebration of Yusuf’s 70th birthday.
Top Photo: Attayah Ali Milton and Yusuf Ali at their StoryCorps interview in Philadelphia, PA on June 3, 2019. By Ava Ahmadbeigi for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired May 24, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Flower Farmers Find A Love To Outlast Anything, Including Marriage
In 2010 Mimo Davis and Miranda Dushack met at an office job. Both had the dream of owning a flower farm. They fell in love and began that quest together.
They founded Urban Buds, a flower farm in the heart of St. Louis.
Miranda Duschack and Mimo Davis and at their flower farm in St. Louis, MO. Courtesy of Miranda Duschack.
Mimo Davis, Miranda Duschack, and their son August at their flower farm in St. Louis, MO. Courtesy of Miranda Duschack.
Mimo and Miranda came to StoryCorps to talk about the many twists and turns in their relationship, and the love they have for farming and each other.
Top Photo: Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack at their StoryCorps interview in St. Louis, Missouri on October 9, 2023. By Delilah Righter for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired February 9, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“I Have To Go, Girl”: A Mother And Daughter Get Real About Death
StoryCorps recording booths are places for people to look back on their lives, and sometimes to look ahead to a time when they’re no longer here.
That’s what Nidera Brown chose to discuss with her 66-year-old mother, Conchetta Brown. Conchetta has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD, and uses oxygen.
They came to StoryCorps to discuss their close relationship in life, and in death.
Top Photo: Nidera and Conchetta Brown at their StoryCorps interview in San Antonio, TX on November 17, 2022. By Manuela Velasquez for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired January 19, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Caring For People With HIV, With Kindness And Hope
Joseph Rogers Britton began caring for people living with HIV in the 1980s. He nurtured friends and children, always looking out for those around him. After his own diagnosis, he continued to care for people through illness.
While looking after one friend, he met his future long-term partner, Steven Lee Leuthold. That act of kindness became a foundation in their own connection.
Joseph Rogers Britton and Steven Lee Luethold in the late 90s in St Louis, MO. Photo Courtesy of Joseph Rogers Britton.
Joseph came to StoryCorps with his friend Jeff Moore to reflect on a life full of generosity.
Top Photo: Joseph Rogers Britton and Jeff Moore at their StoryCorps interview in St. Louis, Missouri on September 22, 2023. By Manuela Velasquez for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
This recording was made in partnership with the organization Doorways.
Originally aired December 1, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Nearing The End Of Her Life, They Sat Down For One Last StoryCorps Conversation
In the early 1970s Jackie Miller and her husband adopted their son, Scott.
Thirty-seven years later — in 2008 — Scott came to StoryCorps with Jackie to talk about their relationship and to find out more about the history behind his adoption.
Scott Miller with his parents, Jackie and Percy Miller, in Barbados, in the mid 1970s. Photo courtesy of Scott Miller.
A cut of that recording aired June 11, 2010, on NPR’s Morning Edition. You can listen to it here.
Fifteen years after that initial conversation, Jackie’s health started to decline. Realizing his mom was nearing the end of life, Scott wanted to do one more interview, and share an update on their relationship.
Scott Miller and Jackie Miller at their StoryCorps interview in New York City, NY, on May 30, 2008. By Mike Rauch for StoryCorps.
Click here to watch “Me & You,” an animation of Scott and Jackie’s first story.
Top Photo: Jackie Miller and Scott Miller at their StoryCorps interview in Tarrytown, NY, on October 27, 2023. By Julia Kirschenbaum for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired Nov. 17, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“On August 19, 1958, I Was Seven.” An Oklahoma City Woman Remembers Being a Child Activist
The sit-in movement was a cornerstone of the Civil Rights era, and perhaps best known for the Greensboro Four—a group of college students who sat in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in North Carolina in 1960. Rooted in nonviolence, sit-ins became a far-reaching advocacy strategy that spanned lunch counters, department stores, courtrooms, and the White House.
Linda Benson, Ayanna Najuma, and Carolyn House (seated on the floor, left to right), staging a sit-in at Bishop’s Restaurant in Oklahoma City on May 31, 1963. Also pictured: Maurice Coffey, and Dwayne Cosby. Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society, John Melton Collection.
But while the Greensboro protest sparked the movement, one of the first sit-ins happened two years earlier at Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City.
Church leaders and activists gathered in front of the Municipal Building in Oklahoma City in December 1960, with a sign reading, ‘I’m Doing My Christmas Shopping at Katz This Year.’ Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society, John Melton Collection
It was staged by children, and among them was 7-year-old Ayanna Najuma. At StoryCorps, she remembered how it started with a NAACP Youth Council trip.
Top Photo: Ayanna Najuma (center) and other NAACP Youth Council staging a sit-in at Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City on August 19, 1958. Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society, John Melton Collection.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired August 18, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘Your Heart is On Protein Powder:’ Reflections On Love and Family
Mason Best seems to have a lot on his mind. At 12 years old, he already has a lot of thoughts on life and love. Mason came to StoryCorps at his local Boys Club in Queens, NY.
Roseann Smith and Mason Best on New Year’s Day 2023. Courtesy of Roseann Smith.
He decided to invite his mom, Roseann Smith, to sit down for a conversation. The duo got right to the serious stuff.
Top Photo: Mason Best and Roseann Smith at their StoryCorps interview in Queens, New York on March 25, 2023. By Julia Kirschenbaum for StoryCorps.
This recording was made possible by a partnership with The Boys’ Club of New York.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, the National Endowment for the Arts, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Originally aired April 28, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Mile in Her Shoes: How A Polio Survivor Forged Her Own Path
Shirley Duhart and her three younger brothers were raised by a single mom in Vine City, Georgia: a segregated, poverty-stricken area at the time. She contracted polio when she was 2 years old, just five years before the vaccine was released. Undaunted, she went on to have a successful career in the tech industry, and to mentor youth on how to navigate college and the corporate world.
And Shirley has always defined herself in her own terms, evident in the way she dresses. While her doctors recommended she wear flat, well-balanced shoes, Shirley has been wearing pumps since she was thirteen. She came to StoryCorps with her longtime friend and doctor, Dale Strasser, to talk about why her shoes mean so much to her.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Originally aired April 21, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Pulled Into A Historic Flash Flood, One Man Saves A Stranger’s Life
In September 2009, after several days of heavy rain, the Atlanta metropolitan area suffered intense flash flooding. The catastrophic event killed 10 people and caused millions of dollars in damage. Sweetwater Creek, in Douglasville, was the site of some of the most devastating damage.
Zack Stephney was 37 years old at the time, and working as a shop foreman at a large trucking company near Douglasville, which was located next to the floodplain. That morning, he rushed to work to help his fellow mechanics move the company’s semi trucks away from the rising waters and out of harm’s way.
A couple of months after the flash flood, he came to StoryCorps with his friend Melissa Brooks to remember the unique circumstances of how they met that day.
Zack Stephney’s coworkers assisting him as he swam out to rescue Melissa Brooks. Photo courtesy of Zack Stephney.
Top Photo: Melissa Brooks and Zack Stephney at the site of her rescue in December of 2009. Photo courtesy of Zack Stephney.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired April 7, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“That Moment Was Love Embodied To Me.” A Father And Daughter Remember a Dramatic Rescue
Driving can be hard … and perhaps some people are just not meant to drive. In Danny Bell’s family, that’s his wife, Maritza. He came to StoryCorps in 2022 with their daughter, Sydia, to recount a particularly memorable driving lesson.
Sydia and Danny Bell at their StoryCorps interview in Atlanta, GA on July 9, 2022. By Alison Hopkins for StoryCorps.
Top Photo: Sydia, Danny, and Maritza Bell with their dog (not Roxanna) in 2016. Courtesy of the Bell family.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Originally aired February 17, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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