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Sharing And Preserving The Stories Of Our Lives
Long Before Same-Sex Marriage, 'Adopted Son' Could Mean 'Life Partner'

Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, left, and Walter Naegle, right, became partners in the 1970s and were together until Rustin's death. Decades before gay marriage was an option, Rustin adopted Naegle to lend legal protection to their relationship. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

Long Before Same-Sex Marriage, 'Adopted Son' Could Mean 'Life Partner'

Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin and his life partner, Walter Naegle, wanted to legally protect their relationship. But it was the early 1980s, when marriage wasn't an option — and adoption was.

Long Before Same-Sex Marriage, 'Adopted Son' Could Mean 'Life Partner'

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Charleston Stirs Memories Of Young Birmingham Bombing Victim

Gwen Moten remembers her childhood friend, Denise McNair, who died with three other girls in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

Charleston Stirs Memories Of Young Birmingham Bombing Victim

Decades before the deadly shootings at a South Carolina church, a church bombing killed four girls in Alabama. A friend of one of the girls describes the emotional scars both incidents have left.

Charleston Stirs Memories Of Young Birmingham Bombing Victim

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'I'm So Proud To Have You As A Daughter'

Mario Loiseau and his daughter Mabou during a recent visit to StoryCorps. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

'I'm So Proud To Have You As A Daughter'

An immigrant from Haiti talks with his high-IQ daughter about his love for her, and why he works so hard to provide for her education.

'I'm So Proud To Have You As A Daughter'

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This Teen Wanted To Die, But An Officer Told Him 'Don't Give Up'

Sean Fitzpatrick (right) with John Gately, at StoryCorps. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

This Teen Wanted To Die, But An Officer Told Him 'Don't Give Up'

Eleven years ago, Sean Fitzpatrick went to school with a gun and a plan: barricade himself in a classroom, pretend he had hostages and force police to kill him. Officer John Gately had another plan.

This Teen Wanted To Die, But An Officer Told Him 'Don't Give Up'

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A Brother, A Sister, And Two Lifetimes Of Acceptance

Patrick Kreifels and Michelle Kreifels grew up on a farm in Omaha, Neb., with their five other siblings. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

A Brother, A Sister, And Two Lifetimes Of Acceptance

Michelle Kreifels, who has an intellectual disability, wasn't happy to find out her younger brother Patrick was gay. But then, she says, she "just thought about it," and came to accept him.

A Brother, A Sister, And Two Lifetimes Of Acceptance

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A Life Spent 'Working Toward The Perfect Slice'

Len Berk slicing salmon at Zabar's food emporium in New York City. Cosima Amelang/StoryCorps hide caption

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Cosima Amelang/StoryCorps

A Life Spent 'Working Toward The Perfect Slice'

Len Berk loves lox, the salt-cured salmon that goes so well with bagels. The 85-year-old New Yorker is a veteran salmon slicer at a gourmet food shop in Manhattan. But it wasn't always that way.

A Life Spent 'Working Toward The Perfect Slice'

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Grandpa The Gardener Helped Nurture His Seedling Grandson

Santiago Arredondo with his wife, Aimee, at StoryCorps. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Grandpa The Gardener Helped Nurture His Seedling Grandson

A man remembers the grandfather who taught him valuable lessons and helped him grow. "He is a part of everything that I am," says Santiago Arredondo.

Grandpa The Gardener Helped Nurture His Seedling Grandson

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Delivering Tragic News — And Becoming 'Part Of The Family'

Leslie Hurd, a casualty assistance calls officer with the U.S. Navy, says her job of delivering news of loved ones' deaths "is not just a duty." StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Delivering Tragic News — And Becoming 'Part Of The Family'

On Memorial Day weekend, we hear from Leslie Hurd, of the U.S. Navy, who recalls having to inform a mother that her son had committed suicide. "You're there to take care of the family," Hurd says.

Delivering Tragic News — And Becoming 'Part Of The Family'

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Two Strangers Come Together To Remember A Friend And Loved One

Sgt. Maj. Lisa Torello and Tony Cistaro, during a visit to StoryCorps. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Two Strangers Come Together To Remember A Friend And Loved One

Sgt. 1st Class Carl Torello was killed in Vietnam when his daughter was just 5 years old. Nearly 50 years later, she got a chance to meet the one person who survived the attack that killed him.

Two Strangers Come Together To Remember A Friend And Loved One

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Dad Aches For Son Killed By Policeman 20 Years Ago

Nicholas Heyward Jr. the year before he was killed. "I would give my life today if I could, you know, just have him back," his dad said during a recent visit to StoryCorps. Courtesy of Nicholas Heyward Sr. hide caption

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Courtesy of Nicholas Heyward Sr.

Dad Aches For Son Killed By Policeman 20 Years Ago

Thirteen-year-old Nicholas Heyward Jr. was playing with a toy gun in the stairwell of the housing complex where he lived in Brooklyn when a police officer shot and killed him in 1994.

Dad Aches For Son Killed By Policeman 20 Years Ago

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'I'm Old Enough To Do What I Like,' 87-Year-Old Tells Family

No more questions! StoryCorps via YouTube hide caption

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StoryCorps via YouTube

Opinion

'I'm Old Enough To Do What I Like,' 87-Year-Old Tells Family

For Mother's Day, we hear from a strong-willed grandmother who talks about her life of no regrets.

'I'm Old Enough To Do What I Like,' 87-Year-Old Tells Family

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For Man With Cystic Fibrosis, 'Death Is Like A Deadline'

Brent Hendricks visited StoryCorps in Atlanta with his mother, Barbara. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

For Man With Cystic Fibrosis, 'Death Is Like A Deadline'

Sixty years ago, most children with cystic fibrosis didn't live past the age of 5. Today most with the disease live into their 40s. Brent Hendricks says it is "like being on a boat with a hole in it."

For Man With Cystic Fibrosis, 'Death Is Like A Deadline'

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The Day One Man Decided To Give Up His Gun

Pastor David Ned, 64, shared this and another experience with StoryCorps, last fall. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

The Day One Man Decided To Give Up His Gun

In the 1970s, Pastor David Ned learned an important lesson about himself after what could have been a tragic situation.

The Day One Man Decided To Give Up His Gun

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Formerly Homeless Vet And His Dad Remember His Darkest Moments

Scott Skiles, 61, and his son Zach Skiles, 32, had never sat down to talk about Zach's life after his deployment to Iraq --until their recent StoryCorps interview. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

The Impact of War

Formerly Homeless Vet And His Dad Remember His Darkest Moments

When Marine Cpl. Zach Stiles returned from Iraq, he couldn't sleep, hold down a job or pay rent. He and his father sat down with StoryCorps to talk, for the first time, about his life after the war.

Formerly Homeless Vet And His Dad Remember His Darkest Moments

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Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing Reopens Wounds For Survivors

Phuong Nguyen, 55, and her son, Chris, who survived the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. StoryCorps hide caption

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StoryCorps

Opinion

Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing Reopens Wounds For Survivors

When the truck bomb exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, there were 21 children in the building's day care. Six survived, including Chris Nguyen and PJ Allen.

Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing Reopens Wounds For Survivors

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