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Local
Volunteers Needed For StoryCorps’ ‘One Small Step’ Initiative
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Recently, WUSF entered into a partnership with Sto- ryCorps to conduct inter- views in the Tampa Bay Area. Known as “One Small Step’ Initiative, it is one of just six public media sta- tions selected nationwide to participate in a new Sto- ryCorps’ initiative.
The goal of the initiative is to break down boundaries created by politics and re- mind residents of their shared humanity.
Ms. Faithe Estes, of Tucker/Hill said, the initia- tive is seeking at least 50 people to participate in the program. The volunteers can interview with someone they know or with a stranger. The organizers are searching for
people from varied back- grounds and walks of life to participate. Participants must be 18 years and older.
StoryCorps Founder Dave Isay said, “Our nation is divided. Much of what is driving that division is fear and a lack of understanding and empathy for those with whom we don’t agree. We hope that ‘One Small Step’ will provide a beacon of hope during these difficult and divided days.”
‘One Small Step’ seeks to remind people that they have more in common than what divides them and that treating those with whom we disagree with decently and showing one another re- spect is essential to a func- tioning democracy.
This initiative was born out of StoryCorps’ mission
to preserve and share hu- manity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.
The purpose of these in- terviews is to provide an op- portunity for people to share personal feelings and expe- riences and to enable those who disagree to listen to each other with respect. Rather than spark addi- tional political debates, ‘One Small Step’ encourages an- swers to questions like, “Was there a moment, event, or person in your life that shaped your political views?” and “What scares you most when you think about the future?”
These kinds of questions help people discover the root of their own political stances
on various issues. The for- mat allows participants and listeners who may disagree on policy to understand bet- ter why others may feel dif- ferently. There is no blame, no right answer, only lived experiences that partici- pants can share with one an- other.
So far, StoryCorps has collected interviews with over 500,000 Americans. These conversations are then preserved for posterity at the Library of Congress, which is where the ‘One Small Step’ stories will also be stored.
In recent participant and listener surveys, 88 percent of participants said that Sto- ryCorps made them feel “connected to people of dif- ferent backgrounds”.
Funded by the Corpora-
tion for Public Broadcasting and StoryCorps, One Small Step brings two people to- gether who have differing political perspectives and asks them questions that reach the core of their be- liefs, and the emotional ex- periences that brought them there.
JoAnn Urofsky, WUSF General Manager and Asso- ciate Vice President, said, “Our station is honored to be a part of this very special and important initiative. We are excited that the people of Tampa Bay will have their voices represented on a na- tional scale.”
Anyone wishing to par- ticipate in the interview can apply online at www.wusf.- usf.edu and click on the “One Small Step” tile for more information.
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