Asian American Teens Reflect on Experiences of Prejudice NEW

Hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased over the last year, as anti-Asian scapegoating rhetoric, harassment, and violence have accompanied the pandemic. The alarming trend has affected Asian Americans in a variety of ways. In this audio story, three teens explain how this threatening social climate has affected their day-to-day lives. Listen to hear the students describe their experiences at school, why they fear for their families, and what they are doing to stay safe.

Civil Rights Protests with Martin Luther King, Jr.

People of all races from all over the country participated in desegregation demonstrations in the South in the 1960s. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called on clergy—religious leaders—from around the nation to participate in nonviolent protest demonstrations. These clergy joined a growing movement that would sweep the nation, demanding equal rights for people of color and creating a legacy of social change. Listen to hear the story of a Rabbi who participated in these marches and was arrested and threatened with violence.

D.C.'s Fight for Statehood

Like other Americans, the residents of Washington, D.C. pay taxes to the federal government, but they do not get a say in how that government runs. That’s because D.C., or the District of Columbia, is not a state, and its representative to Congress cannot vote on bills. Since D.C. was formed as the nation’s capital over 200 years ago, many have pushed for statehood so D.C. residents can be represented in government, but the effort has faced strong opposition. Listen to learn more about the history of D.C.’s struggle for statehood and where it stands today.

Farming and Vets

Nearly 4,000 Vermont veterans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. Many veterans are still dealing with the invisible wounds of war. Some of them, however, have begun to find healing through farming. One veteran who is raising pigs and goats is enjoying his days with animals and says it changed the way he sees his life. Listen to hear more about this veteran’s experience and other stories about veterans who have begun farming as a way to recover from the events of war.

First DACA Rhodes Scholar

The U.S. winners of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship are an increasingly diverse group. In addition to large proportions of women and first generation Americans or immigrants, this year’s Rhodes Scholars include the first recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Listen to this interview with Jin Park, who emigrated to the U.S. with his Korean parents at age 7, to hear what the scholarship award means to him and what he plans to do with the opportunity to study at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar.

Fluency in Second Language Recognized in Diploma

Some high schools give special recognition to students who can speak and read in two languages. At graduation, these students receive a bi-literacy seal on their diplomas that recognizes not only test scores but also the value of learning two languages. This distinction shows appreciation for cultural perspectives and celebrates diversity, along with making these students ready to succeed in a global environment. Listen to learn more about this new movement to honor fluency in a second language.

Immigrant Experience

In 2015, the United States resettled nearly 70,000 refugees as wars and political instability continue to drive people from their home countries. Resettlement isn’t easy for the person coming to a new country. One of those people, Barwaqo Mohamed was born and grew up in Somalia, but came to the U.S. as a political refugee in 2006. In this audio story, Barwaqo talks about her experience as an immigrant with a journalist who volunteered to tutor her in English for over four years. Barwaqo describes herself as a natural at learning languages and that helped her fit in. Listen to the interview to learn how that skill has served her since she came to the U.S.

Reopening the Emmett Till Case

Was there a single event that launched the modern Civil Rights Movement? Some argue that it was the death of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy viciously beaten and murdered in Mississippi in 1955. Till’s murder gained national attention, in large part because of his mother’s decision to hold an open casket funeral. After years of appeals by the Till family, the Justice Department recently decided to reopen its investigation into the killing. Listen to hear a cousin of Emmett Till describe the impact of the murder on her family and the nation and question how justice can be served in a case more than a half-century old.

Supreme Court Decision Protects LGBTQ Workers

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers may not discriminate against workers for being gay or transgender. The court based its decision on the 1964 Civil Rights Act barring discrimination on the basis of sex, saying that law applied to LGBTQ people. The ruling makes discrimination against LGBTQ people illegal everywhere in the country, overriding laws already in place in states and local governments. Listen to hear the man who filed the lawsuit seven years ago react to the decision, and learn how life for LGBTQ people may change as a result of the landmark ruling.

Supreme Court Upholds DACA

The Supreme Court announced that DACA recipients, sometimes called Dreamers, can stay in the U.S. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program enacted in 2012 to protect children brought to the U.S. illegally at a young age from being deported. President Trump canceled the program, but the Supreme Court rejected his action and kept protections for Dreamers in place. Listen to hear how DACA recipients are responding to the high court’s decision and why their battle to stay in the U.S. is not yet over.

Unprecedented Number of Women Running for Election

There are double the number of women running for Congress in 2018 than there were in 2016. At latest count, 430 women may run for the U.S. House of Representatives nationwide and about 50 for the Senate. This year is on track to break records, with a very large majority of these women running as Democrats. Along with running for office, women are organizing, volunteering, and being more vocal about what is important to them. Listen to hear more about this trend of more women entering politics.

"I Survived" Books Recreate Dramatic Historical Events NEW

Lauren Tarshis’s I Survived series features thrilling books about kids who make the right decisions in the midst of chaos to survive historical events. In this audio story, Tarshis talks about creating realistic characters and how her readers influence the topics she chooses to write about. Listen to learn how the I Survived series can be helpful for students dealing with anxiety.

A Khmer Rouge Survival Story

In the 1970s, a communist regime called the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, a Southeast Asian country. The Khmer Rouge rounded people up, forced them to work in labor camps, tortured them, and executed many of them, all to supposedly create a better society. One of the survivors of the Cambodian genocide wrote a book about her experiences, called First They Killed My Father. Well-known actress and filmmaker Angelina Jolie recently made this memoir into a film. Listen to learn about the survivor’s story and find out how Jolie translated it to film.

A Reluctant Hero

On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced acts of terrorism. But the response on that day included countless acts of heroism, big and small. Friends, co-workers, emergency workers and strangers did what they could to protect the people around them. Michael Benfante is one of these heroes, though he is uncomfortable with being called a hero. Benfante worked in the second tower of the World Trade Center and as he fled down the staircase he encountered a woman in a wheelchair who needed his help. Listen to learn more about his decision to help carry her out of the doomed building and the lasting impact it’s had on his life.

Dangerous Cave Rescue of Teenage Boys

A team of twelve teenaged Thai soccer players and their coach recently became trapped in a cave that flooded as they were exploring it. Volunteers, military personnel, and expert divers came from around the globe to help save them. After over two weeks of tireless work in this tiny Thai village, the rescue team succeeded. They carried out an extremely challenging, dangerous dive mission to safely remove the boys and their coach from the cave. Listen to learn how they finally made it out.

Generators Power Puerto Rico

About a month after Hurricane Maria, almost 90% of Puerto Rico is without power and many residents have become dependent on generators. Hospitals, restaurants, air traffic control towers and other businesses are now operating with generator power. The dependence on generators has introduced a new level of division between the privileged and the poor for these U.S. citizens. Listen to hear the concerns about generator power and how people in Puerto Rico are surviving after the hurricane.

Hillenbrand and "Unbroken" World War II Hero

Serving in the military during a war can lead men and women to experience events that affect them for the rest of their lives. Laura Hillenbrand wrote a best-selling book, Unbroken, which tells the story of one such veteran, Louis Zamperini. It is set in World War II where Zamperini fought for survival on a life raft in the Pacific Ocean, was held as a POW by Japan, and later struggled in civilian life to deal with his war memories. In this interview with Hillenbrand, she recounts Zamperini’s story of survival during the war and his struggle to find closure in the decades following his return home. Listen to hear this extraordinary story of courage, despair and redemption.

Post Traumatic Growth

Natural disasters don’t just devastate our environment; they wreak havoc on our mental health as well. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. Psychologist Jean Rhodes studied the long-term mental health effects and health outcomes of young women living in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. However, Rhodes discovered something interesting after looking at survivors years after the trauma: many women gained strength despite the hardships--a phenomenon called post-traumatic growth. Listen to learn more about Hurricane Katrina and its destruction as well as the merits of being strengthened by adversity.

The Price of Combat and "The Red Badge of Courage"

When The Red Badge of Courage was published in the 1890s, 30 years after the U.S. Civil War, it was one of the first novels to address the psychological effects of combat. The book’s central character is Henry Fleming, a teenager who joins the Union Army with high hopes of glory and adventure. The realities of war soon hit, and Henry must juggle the conflicting emotions of fear, pity, envy, pride, outrage, and eventually, courage. Listen to learn more about a book many consider a coming-of-age novel, while others question whether war is the best way to turn a boy into a man.

Trapped Chilean Miners Survive Isolation

In 2010, a copper and gold mine in northern Chile caved in. Thirty-three men were trapped 2,300 feet underground and were rescued 69 days later. Fortunately, this group established rules and structure and the confinement did not become a Lord of the Flies situation. The miners had little food or privacy, but kept each others' morale up. How do humans respond to isolation and a lack of structure? Listen to hear about the psychological risks and advantages of these scenarios.

Wounded Veterans Memorial

The National Mall in Washington, D.C. has long honored the fallen of American war heroes, but what about those who survived but lost parts of themselves to war? The first memorial honoring disabled veterans opened Sunday, October 5, 2014 after twenty years of fundraising and advocacy by disabled veterans primarily from the Vietnam war. This public radio story brings you the voices of disabled veterans and analyzes the impact of war and the memorial that honors these veterans.

The Extraordinary Life of Ida B. Wells NEW

Ida B. Wells played an important role in the history of civil rights. She came of age during a time when the injustices of the Jim Crow system were becoming entrenched in American life. Despite this, she was a tireless crusader for the political and social rights of African Americans and women, lending her voice and her pen to a range of issues that included the anti-lynching campaign and women’s suffrage. Listen to learn about the life of Ida B. Wells and her journey from the daughter of enslaved people to civil rights activism.

Black Representation in Literature

For Black History Month, a major bookseller placed “Diverse Editions” on its shelves with classic books by white authors featuring black faces on the covers. The bookstore says it hoped the covers would help to engage new audiences in classics like The Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, and Romeo and Juliet. However, the action sparked outrage among many who say the bookseller is cashing in on Black History Month without truly honoring black authors. Listen to hear a writer explain why she considers the move to be “literary blackface” and what bookstores can do to support diversity.

Civil Rights Leader Ruby Bridges

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was illegal. Yet, due to a loophole in the law, Louisiana’s public schools were still segregated six years later. That changed when Ruby Bridges’ parents chose to send Ruby to first grade at the all-white school near her home. While Ruby helped integrate Louisiana’s public schools, her path was not easy. In this audio story, Ruby discusses what it was like to be the only Black student in an all-white school. Listen to hear how and why Ruby became one of the youngest heroes of the civil rights era.

Injustice in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the Civil Rights Movement

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird was written more than 50 years ago and yet its themes of racism and civil rights remain relevant today. In this story author James McBride who wrote The Color of Water explains why the book inspired generations of American writers.

Update: This story first aired in 2010. In July 2015, a newly discovered novel written by Harper Lee in the 1950s was published. The novel is called Go Set a Watchman.

James Baldwin: Writings on Race, Class and Civil Rights

James Baldwin’s legacy and words are still very much alive and relevant today. A 2017 Oscar-nominated documentary was inspired by Baldwin’s writing on race, class, and the Civil Rights era in America. The documentary, called "I Am Not Your Negro," examines the lives and work of three Civil Rights leaders: Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X. At the same time, it urges audiences to consider how racial tensions and attitudes continue to influence our culture today. Listen to hear more about how James Baldwin and this documentary challenge us to work toward positive change in our communities.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. In this public radio story you will hear from activists who were present that day and heard the speech. They remember that its power came not only from the words MLK spoke, but the way he spoke them, in rolling cadences that “raised his audience.”

Motivation for Writing "A Raisin in the Sun"

The play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry reveals the struggles black families faced as they attempted to achieve the American dream in the 1950s. The play follows the lives of a working class family, the Youngers, from the South Side of Chicago. The Younger family received an insurance check, providing an opportunity to make positive changes in their lives. The audio story offers a glimpse into an alarming event that happened to author Hansberry’s family when they moved into a white neighborhood during segregation. Listen to learn about Lorraine Hansberry’s motivation for writing this iconic story and why A Raisin in the Sun made such an impact on American theater.

Poet Gwendolyn Brooks Inspired Young Poets

Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1950. Her poetry and writing was well known by many African-Americans who read a paper called the Chicago Defender. After winning the Pulitzer Prize, her writing became known by white people as well. She influenced and inspired other writers such as Toni Morrison, and funded programs and prizes to encourage people to write poetry. Listen to this story about the life of Gwendolyn Brooks.

Richard Wright's Life Informed His Writing

Author Richard Wright is well known for his novel Native Son and autobiography Black Boy. These books explore what it was like to grow up black and poor in America during the 1930s and 40s. Although Wright became famous for his writing, some Americans, including his own daughter, are still discovering who Richard Wright is and why his writing is significant. Listen to learn more about the impact Richard's Wright’s experiences and writing had on his daughter, his readers, and aspiring writers.

Young Inaugural Poet on Her Journey

Poet Amanda Gorman never expected to become a public speaker. Although she composed poetry from a young age, her speech impediment made it difficult for her to pronounce certain words. Recently, though, she stood at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and delivered an original poem at the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden. At age 22, she is the youngest poet ever to receive that honor. Listen to Gorman describe why the event held special meaning for her, how she prepared for it, and why she sometimes revises her poems at the last minute.

Afghanistan’s Romeo and Juliet

The story of Romeo and Juliet is a fictional Shakespearean tragedy about star-crossed lovers. In Afghanistan, falling in love with someone from a different background can get you killed, especially if you are a woman. A true story of love between a man and woman from different ethnic sects of Islam was reported in The New York Times. Journalists have a code that requires them to remain impartial in their work, but one reporter got involved and helped these people during their crisis. Listen to how he helped this couple avoid danger, similar to the friar and nurse who helped Romeo and Juliet.

English and Spanish Shakespeare

A theater in Providence, Rhode Island is making an effort to get more people interested in Shakespeare, regardless of the language they speak. A touring production of Romeo and Juliet was performed in both English and Spanish. The theater first put on the play in Providence, where nearly 40 percent of the population is Latino. Listen to the story to hear the experiences of the director and actors to learn how putting on this production was a chance to showcase the culture of Latinos.

John Green and the Teenage Experience

Author John Green is called the Teen Whisperer. His novel, The Fault in our Stars, has sold over a million copies and his young adult novels have huge numbers of fans. Green’s 2009 novel, Paper Town, also focuses on the lives of teenagers and has been made into a movie. Listen to John Green and find out why he sees teenagers as inspirational.

Letters to Juliet

William Shakespeare’s tragic romance of star crossed lovers, based on an Italian tale, graced stages in the 1590’s and continues to capture audiences and imagination today. Modern adaptations demonstrate the timelessness of this romantic tragedy. Juliet appeals so directly to people that they actually write to her! Listen to learn more about the Juliet Club and the 6,000 letters they receive a year.

Managing Multiple Identities in "Frankly in Love"

Frank Li, the protagonist of David Yoon’s novel Frankly in Love, lives a double life: one as his first generation immigrant parents’ perfect son who only dates Korean girls, and another where his girlfriend is white. Listen to hear author David Yoon talk about his own experiences growing up as a Korean-American and how his personal life inspired this coming of age story.

Narrative Choices

An acclaimed Nigerian author’s award-winning new novel, An Orchestra of Minorities is a tragic love story. It is like many classic tales, but with a unique twist: it’s told by the main character’s guardian spirit, or chi, in the Igbo religion. Listen to learn how having a non-human narrator affects this story and its characters’ destinies.

Women in Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known playwrights in history. His stories of love, tragedy, comedy and history written in the late 1500s have transcended the centuries thanks to their timeless themes and complex characters. Author Tina Packer has tracked the development of Shakespeare’s female characters through his writing career and suggests that from “Romeo and Juliet” on, Shakespeare wrote unusually complex women for his time and should be considered a proto-feminist. Listen to learn more about the development of these female characters over his career.

Preventing Teen Violence in School NEW

News of bullying, fighting, and shootings in schools has left society wondering what can be done to stop the violence. This audio story about a young man’s evolution from an angry teen who posted violent threats on social media to a high school graduate with positive relationships and a fulltime job offers hope for solutions. Listen to hear the teen tell his story, and learn how educational and mental health professionals helped him turn his life around.

"The Blind Side" and the Offensive Left Tackle

Typically in the National Football League it’s all about the quarterback. But that is not the case in The Blind Side, a book about American football and the position of offensive left tackle. The author argues that the previously underappreciated position is vital to the game today. Incorporated into the story is offensive left tackle Michael Oher, who grew up in poverty, was adopted, and then played college football. Lewis traces the evolution of this pivotal position and explains how contracts and cash have shaped football. Listen to learn more about the author, American football, and the real-life story of Michael Oher.

Note: In 2023 Michael Oher sued the Tuohys, claiming they tricked him into an agreement that gave them control of his business deals and profited off his name. The legal case is ongoing.

A 13-year-old Child Migrant Tells His Story

This summer an unprecedented number of unaccompanied young people crossed the border illegally into the United States. Many came with hopes of reuniting with family in the U.S. and escaping violence in their home countries. Now, their futures are uncertain as they are put in detention centers while their cases are processed. In today’s public radio story you meet a 13-year-old migrant and his 11-year-old brother and hear from them about their journey across the border.

A Father And Son Go On Their Last "Odyssey" Together

Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, is required reading in many high schools and colleges around the country. But in a new take on how to view the poem, an author, translator, and Homer scholar took his father on a cruise that retraced the route of the Greek hero Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca as laid out in Homer’s epic. Prior to this adventure, the son had taught The Odyssey in a course at Bard College, which his father had attended. Listen to hear the author discuss the trip he made with his father and what it meant to them.

Homer’s "Iliad" and "Odyssey"

Homer’s poetry has been read both in translation and its original Greek for thousands of years. The Iliad and the Odyssey contain many of the most enduring images and characters in literary history. As time passes, the original texts become more and more distant and the language, even with updated translations, can be daunting. Listen to hear how a new translation of Homer’s works aim to bring those characters to life for a new generation.

Insight into the Refugee Experience

More than 65 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. These refugees are fleeing violence, persecution and natural disasters in their countries. The journey is often dangerous. Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian aid organization, created an exhibit to help Americans understand what it’s like to be a refugee. Listen to hear how visitors reacted to this experience.

Syrian Refugees in Jordan

Since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, the neighboring country of Jordan has taken in more than 650,000 Syrian refugees. Many of these refugees were farmers in Syria and are leaving behind their ancestral land. Only one in 10 Syrian refugees in Jordan live in camps, the rest live mostly in cities. For farmers, city and camp life is a difficult transition, so many gravitate towards farms in Jordan where they live and work as migrant laborers. Listen to learn more about Syrian farmers living in Jordan and the effect of migration on their families.

Teenager Cycles Across India to Take Her Father Home

A teen in India has become a celebrity after bicycling across the country carrying her dad. Fifteen-year-old Djoti made the trip when she and her father found themselves close to starvation and desperate to return to their home village. Djoti rode roughly 100 miles a day on a bicycle with no gears. Listen to hear the young athlete describe how she felt during the long journey, and learn how sports officials responded to her incredible feat.

Teenager Shows Grit After Hurricane

When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, many families forced to flee the island were resettled in towns throughout the United States. Some of these, of course, were students in the middle of their high school careers. Listen to hear how one high school senior is dealing with the tremendous challenges and uncertainty of finishing high school while being uprooted because of a natural disaster.

Planetary Defense Spacecraft Hits Asteroid NEW

A spacecraft sent by NASA has successfully hit a football stadium-sized asteroid in hopes of altering the asteroid’s path through space. The giant asteroid was not a threat to Earth, but from this mission, scientists can learn how to best protect the Earth from any future asteroids that might be headed toward it. Listen to hear scientists' reactions as the spacecraft hit the asteroid, find out what the asteroid looked like, and learn how space telescopes will help scientists learn more from the mission.

"War of the Worlds" Broadcast

On October 30, 1938, actor and writer Orson Welles staged a radio play titled War of the Worlds, which tells the story of a fictional alien invasion of Earth. War of the Worlds is the most famous of all the radio plays Welles ever produced because of the frenzy it caused. Some recall the events of the broadcast as a preview to World War II and the very real fear and panic that would be tied to enemy attacks during the war. This audio story recalls the story of War of the Worlds, focusing on the events of the broadcast.

Ebola: A Complex Virus to Cure

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has inspired widespread fear throughout the U.S. and in many other countries. In reality, the threat of Ebola is actually quite small with only 1,700 deaths since 1976. The rarity of the Ebola virus has given major pharmaceutical companies very little incentive to develop a treatment for the virus given that the market for such a drug would be almost nonexistent. However, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, a small pharmaceutical company based in Frederick, MD, has been given government help to develop a cure for the virus. Listen to learn more about the complexity of the Ebola virus and what is being done to develop a cure.

Handshakes May Be History

The spread of the novel coronavirus has indicated that the time-honored custom of shaking hands may be history. Handshaking began thousands of years ago as a peaceful greeting, and has been praised for its ability to bring people together as equals. In light of new rules of social distancing, however, some people are suggesting alternative greetings that continue to connect us while keeping us safe. Listen to learn how handshakes were once used to check for concealed weapons and why some people are happy to see the practice end.

Hiroshima's Legacy of Doubt

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan ended World War II in 1945. At the time, Americans were happy the war was over and some people even wanted to drop more atomic bombs. This radio story describes how Americans’ attitudes towards dropping atomic bombs on Japan changed from mostly positive to mostly negative, in the years after the second World War.

U.S. Military Preserves Historic Sites in Ancient Mesopotamia

War time chaos often puts cultural heritage at risk with looting and pillaging of historic artifacts. This radio story tells of an unusual partnership between two groups: the military and archaeologists. They are working together to educate soldiers in order to help protect cultural heritage and artifacts in war zones in Iraq and other nearby countries. It’s a modern-day story of protecting artifacts in war zones and is tied to the many ancient artifacts that have been lost over the centuries.