StoryCorps

Children learn a lot from their parents, but how much do parents learn from their kids? In this episode of StoryCorps Northwest; Susan Mather, of Moses Lake, discusses faith, equality, and generational changes with her son Reverend Nic Mather of Longview.

StoryCorps has a simple, but powerful mission.“Basically what we wanted to do was provide a space for people to have meaningful conversations, meaningful recorded conversations with people that they care about, and have access to those conversations,” says Danielle Andersen, director of the StoryCorps mobile tour.

This hour-long special of StoryCorps Northwest highlights some of the moving and inspiring stories from friends and neighbors in the Inland Northwest.

When Spokane resident Evelyn Woods was a little girl in World War II Germany, she hid in an attic with her Jewish parents. In today’s StoryCorps Northwest, Evelyn’s step-daughter, Robin, asks her how that confinement compares to today’s COVID-19 restrictions. Evelyn, 82, discusses that and the Black Lives Matter movement in this segment of StoryCorps Northwest recorded virtually.

This year, you may have heard references to the 1918 pandemic, referred to as the Spanish flu. Peggy Ward of Moscow, Idaho, shares the story of her grandmother who died in the 1918 pandemic and how it affected her family and the community. She spoke with her daughter, Lynne Embrey, for StoryCorps Northwest, recorded virtually.

Catherine Perusse is a counselor in Sandpoint, Idaho, who knows first-hand about the devastation of suicide: Two of her sons died of self-inflected death six years apart. In this episode of StoryCorps Northwest, Catherine and her daughter, Ali Bretthauer of Moscow, Idaho, share how the deaths changed their lives.

Dr. Sydney Freeman Jr., an associate professor at the University of Idaho, uses his voice and his role to make higher education inclusive. He started the Progressive Black Caucus at Oakwood University in Alabama and brought the mission to Idaho to create a more efficient and welcoming environment for students of color.

Lewiston resident Lilienne Shore Kilgore-Brown actively takes part in protests now. So did her grandmother Susan Kilgore in the 1970s. On StoryCorps Northwest, Susan tells Lilienne what she was protesting and what she learned from those experiences.

When she was young, Lewiston resident Colleen Mahoney lived near the Minidoka Japanese Internment camp. That experience, plus witnessing housing discrimination in Utah, shaped her politics and community advocacy.

Nez Perce tribal member Mary Jane Miles was two when her mother died. That was the start of a series of difficult events in Mary Jane’s life. But she persevered to earn an education and come to terms with alcohol addiction. She spoke with her friend and colleague, Kayeloni Scott, for StoryCorps Northwest.