StoryCorps Selma

Tuesdays at 7:45 a.m. and 4:44 p.m. (Seasonal)

StoryCorps: Recording the Lives and Stories of Everyday Americans

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate the lives of everyday Americans by listening to their stories. Episodes show a candid, unscripted conversation between two people about what's really important in life: love, loss, family, friendship... and everything else in between. Since 2003, StoryCorps has built the largest collection of human voices ever archived, including conversations from Alabama. Alabama Public Radio hosted the Airstream portable studio in Mobile in 2017 and 2023. Those recordings and others from across the country are kept at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

StoryCorps recently traveled to Selma to record, preserve, and share conversations from the community. The excerpts below were selected and produced by Alabama Public Radio. Stories previously shared in Mobile can be found here.

Local support for StoryCorps

Presenting Sponsor:

Alabama Heritage Magazine

Additional Sponsor:

Alabama Humanities Alliance

Additional Sponsor:

Regions Bank

Commentary

"That was the whole idea- we were teaching them to be divergent thinkers."

Nick Taylor

This week on StoryCorps, Ann Thomas and her daughter's elementary school teacher, Louise Wood, remember the innovative hands-on teaching styles implemented in the Selma, Alabama area decades ago and discuss the benefits that came from them.
Commentary

"We thought it was a bear; it wasn't a bear."

Nate Billings

In this edition of StoryCorps, Clint Moore tells the story of a mysterious creature he has come across multiple times over the years.
Commentary

"The best memories were when you don't get caught."

Nick Taylor

This week on StoryCorps, Jimmie Carmichael speaks with Clint Moore about his childhood and what it was like growing up during the 50's and 60's in Selma, Alabama.
Commentary

"The buildings are gone, the people are gone, but you could almost still feel it."

Nick Taylor

This week on StoryCorps, Allen Bearden, Ed King, and Charlie Morgan tell stories about how being former boy scouts allowed them to improve the communities around them while creating lifelong memories.
Commentary

"We met in Seoul, and that makes us soul mates."

Nate Billings

In this edition of StoryCorps, married couple Jeanne and Al tell the story of how they met and fell in love while serving overseas.
Commentary

"When she died she went on up and joined the family reunion in heaven."

Nate Billings

In this edition of StoryCorps, cousins Tina and Jessie share stories about Jessie's mother and the impact she had on the family.
Commentary

"I do try to tell them that what I'm doing is not about money, it's about purpose."

Ben Kopper

This week on StoryCorps, journalist Cindy Fisher describes the way her personal and professional lives interact as she balances the responsibilities of parenting two children and operating a local newspaper.
Commentary

"The people I encounter - some people look at them and don't want to deal with them. And I'm like, it could've been me."

Nate Billings

Previously on StoryCorps, LaShanda Warren-Barnes reflected on her family's role in her choosing a career in criminal justice. Now she's back to share some of the things she's learned while working in the courthouse.
Commentary

"The lessons we go through and learn in life, they are all to make us better."

Nate Billings

In this edition of StoryCorps, LaShanda Warren-Barnes talks about her family and how her upbringing helped influence her life's work.
Commentary

"Now I can be on the front line... Now I have a voice."

Braylan Hurst

This week Faith Callens joins StoryCorps to talk about her path to becoming a journalist, how she approaches storytelling in Selma, and her vision for the future of journalism.