David Larbi and Judy "Chess" Cheserek

[Recorded Monday, July 17, 2023] David (26) and Chess (34) have a One Small Step Conversation in Charlottesville. David is from Ghana and is a human rights activist advocating for youth empowerment and LGBTQIA+ rights across the African continent. Chess...

We Need More Teachers Like Her!

My name is Ozan Kara and I am a 17 years old cultural exchange student from Turkey. As an high school student in Bloomington, Indiana, I have had the chance to know a wonderful person, Vanessa Domizlaff, my German teacher...

Common Ground Tacony Oral History Project: John Cambridge

The Butterfly Pavilion in Holmesberg, Philadelphia, PA is lovingly owned and run by John Cambridge. After a tumultuous start in a dubious situation, John and his small staff that feels like family banded together to make a thriving success of...

Persevering Through Sudden Hearing Loss: The Resilient Story of Mary Jo Stanley

Nikki Gefteas interviews her new friend Mary Jo Stanley about her experience with sudden hearing loss and how being faced with a life altering event has taught her how to adapt. In this interview, Mary Jo discusses her experience with...

Monique Emond and Isabel Lafrance-Melendez

[Recorded: Friday, July 21, 2023] This One Small Step conversation was recorded in Charlottesville, Virginia as part of the Sorensen Institute’s summer High School Leaders Program in 2023. Monique Emond (17) is from Warrenton and Isabel Lafrance-Melendez is from Henrico....

Elizabeth Walther-Grant and Alex Wu

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Elizabeth Walther-Grant, adopted from the Bahamas and raised by an Andover family, talks about growing up in Andover, the racism she faced, and what inspired her to found Merrimack Valley Black and Brown Voices. She...

Kevin O'Leary and Alex Wu

Andover Stories of American Identity: Andover resident Kevin O'Leary shares his story about his worldly upbringing, and how it all led to his profession of becoming a psychologist to help wounded veterans heal.

“And at that moment I thought, it was real.”

A conversation between Emma Gonzalez & Pedro Damasceno recorded during a rally in favor of gun control laws— held in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool. Emma had just delivered a speech addressing her experience during the...

Carolyn Cleary and Kevin Cleary

Carolyn Cleary: 2020-08-21 18:41:03 Carolyn Cleary (56) and her brother Kevin Cleary (68) discuss an episode in Kevin's life that Carolyn knew little about. He was a young anti-war activist in the early 1970s and was arrested for praying for...

"We can't write our own script. Every day brings a different challenge" – Family and Future with Bonnie Stone

Bonnie Stone/Nana (82) talks with her granddaughter, Lilian Hakimi (15 1/2) about family, being an activist, and living life to the fullest.

Indira Garcia and Alex Wu

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Indira Garcia was born in Chile during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, which had a significant effect on her childhood. She was raised in Mexico with a strong focus on intellectualism and family bonds. She...

Kellsie Forfar-Jones's Involvement in Community Engagement and Advocacy in the Urban Planning of Denver, Colorado

Valerie DeLeon (she/her) chats with Kellsie Forfar-Jones (she/her), Public Engagement Planner with Denver Regional Council of Governments, about what drew her to the field of urban planning, her passion for uplifting community voices, and what the future of Denver may...

Joyce Agyin and Angela Marith

Joyce shares the story of giving birth to her first born and health discrepancies she faced as a woman of color and what she learned and how it helped her when faced with some of the same issues with her...

Academic, Activist & Advocate Dr. Patricia Fernandez-Kelly talks about ethical leadership

Dr. Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, talks with undergraduate Rafer Friedman about ethical leadership, advocacy and activism on campus, in the community and beyond.

“We reacted to a problem and we worked together and we made some things happen.”

Karen Williamson ’69, a founder of Ethos, and JudyAnn Bigby ’73 discuss the early days of campus activism and the organization’s challenges and successes in advocating for a more diverse Wellesley in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Kat Roth and Wandae Johnson

[Recorded: December 14, 2022] Kat Roth (72) and Wandae Johnson (40) sit down to record a One Small Step Conversation in Charlottesville, VA. Wandae comes from a background in social justice work within the Charlottesville community, and Kat is retired...

Joanna & Kaitlin: On Diverse Education Informing Advocacy Work and the Effects of Open Dialogue on Pursuit of Anti-Racism

Joanna: 2020-07-27 00:14:46 Joanna (20) interviews Kaitlin (20) on her school district's representative, empathy-driven curriculum, how it informed her involvement in advocacy work, and how candid conversations can develop understanding of anti-racism.

Social Justice – Our Voices Matter – Massiel Calderon

Inspiring change through conversation. In the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd, at the hands of law enforcement, we are launching a new interview-based collection of stories where members can share their personal experiences in coping with such...

Leena Fraihat and Diana Razumova

[Recorded: Tuesday, March 14th, 2023] Leena (20) and Diana (16) participated in the Karsh Institute of Democracy's first international One Small Step conversation. Leena is a second-year undergraduate student at UVA, and Diana is a high school student from currently...

JOURNALISM ALLOWS ME & PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF TO SPEAK BOLDLY

Reverend Debra J. Hopkins, LGBTQI rights activist and interfaith organizer in North Carolina, shares her views on the importance of press freedom in the U.S. with Eline Marx, from PEN America.