Stories - Life Stories
Stories 11771 Interviews 446
Our stories are about how people make sense of their own lives, how they can shed light on our lives, and how we are connected to one another, to history, and to the larger human story.
King's final hours at the Lorraine Motel before his assassination
The U.S. presidency as a unique combination of symbolic and executive authority
Jonas Mekas and the Lithuanian displaced experience during and after the war
Gordon Parks' limited opportunities in Hollywood after the blaxploitation era
Attending Obama's 2008 election night victory celebration at Grant Park
Father's involvement in the Bay of Pigs invasion and its aftermath
John McCain's grandfather and father carrying the weight of war service
Mother's civil rights work and lessons in empathy and openness
Transition from acting to a writing career after college graduation
Navigating internal conflict, criticism, and sustaining long-term activism
“I consider mentoring a process of showing your scars instead of your successes. I've always been awed by how many people resonate when I tell the story of my life. Often it's the first time they've ever told anyone their own story.”
Loretta Ross
The economic value of enslaved people and their role in American capitalism
Audience appeal of the Murphy Brown character and the show's success
Gordon Parks' vision versus editorial distortion at Life magazine
Notable alumni and their cultural impact on film and media
Brian Stevenson's mission-focused leadership and translating legal wins into client outcomes
Claim to being among the first Mexican American Naval Academy graduates to command a ship
Gordon Parks Jr.'s death and the family's grief and unity in response
Libraries as free, open spaces for intellectual freedom and democracy
Role of media and the internet in Iran's democratization movement
Realizing he was being set up as the Watergate scapegoat
