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.
Father's troubled childhood and struggles with rootlessness and alcohol
Growing up in a military family and going to boarding school
Media scrutiny and personal fallout during Obama's presidential campaign
Mekas's evolution from anger in youth to acceptance in old age
Early confusion and false leads during efforts to locate Jim in Syria
Baby boomer generation's legacy and sense of civic mission
Experiencing sexism and speaking up for equal pay throughout her career
Gordon Parks challenging Life Magazine's readership and representation of Black subjects
Visiting Army installations to assess the state of WAC integration
McCain's resilience and concession speech on 2008 election night
Vigilance Committees and community efforts to protect Black Northerners from kidnappers
“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
Advice to grandchildren and young Jewish people on confronting anti-Semitism
The memorial's potential to change perceptions of race in America
Shared values and family dynamics connecting two longtime friends
Obama's self-awareness and sense of purpose as a vessel for the American people
British views of Ottoman governance and assumptions about the region's capacity for self-rule
Enslaved people's recognition of the Civil War as a struggle over slavery
Identifying as a feminist and personal preferences in a lightning round
Son's premature birth and father's helplessness while incarcerated
Navigating work-family balance after becoming the first woman senior editor
