SNAPSHOTS: Revisiting stories from the RadioActive archives
SNAPSHOTS is a look back at ten years of stories by Washington teens. Each week, hosts Ardo Hersi and Mimansa Dogra revisit a story from the RadioActive archives. They share updates from the producers, and discuss what has changed — and what hasn't — since the story was first published.
Snapshots 2016 | The wonderful Mr. Little
RadioActive's Feven Mekonenn has a teacher named Mr. Little. Mr. Little is Black, and grew up in poverty in Seattle. In high school his white teacher disrespected Black experiences and history, so he dropped out. Now he works to support disenfranchised students at Rainier Scholars. Listen to the original story, published in 2016.
Paul Hillaire-Villaluz is Native American and homeless. Although he enjoys his life outdoors, he finds community in the Chief Seattle Club, a place where urban homeless Native people can go for food, showers, and drug help. Paul talks with RadioActive's Emma Baker, and explains how the club has impacted him. Listen to the original story, published in 2011.
Snapshots 2019 | Me, my mom, and Ilhan Omar
RadioActive's Marian Mohamed and her mom struggled to connect. As an immigrant family, they were divided by a language barrier and cultural differences. But these differences started dissolving when Ilhan Omar, the first Somali American congresswoman, was elected in 2018. Listen to the original story, published in 2019.
Snapshots 2017 | Family Skypes over dinner
RadioActive's Patrick Liu and his parents live in Redmond. Three nights a week they eat dinner with their family in Tianjin, China - over Skype. Patrick’s grandma is sick, so it’s hard not to be together. They rely on technology to stay connected. Listen to the original story, published in 2017.
Snapshots 2015 | A white organizer against racism
A lot of white people are waking up to realities like white privilege and racism, and they’re trying to figure out their role in anti-racism work. RadioActive's Paul Kiefer introduces us to Anelise Moon-Schruder, a young white woman raised in a low-income family who is using white privilege to fight racism. Listen to the original story, published in 2015.
Snapshots 2016 | A home for queer youth
Loneliness is a mental health risk factor for LGBTQ youth in normal times, so the Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on queer and trans youth. This week we’re bringing you a story from 2016 by RadioActive's Amy Styer about a community in Seattle that works to provide an escape from that loneliness. On Seattle’s Capitol Hill, Lambert House is a safe space where queer youth are free to be themselves. Listen to the original story, published in 2016.
RadioActive’s Leija Farr, Seattle’s first youth poem laureate, produced this piece in 2015 in response to Mike Brown’s killing at the hands of the police. Today Leija writes, “the sad reality is that Black boys and men still need a written anthem to remind them of their worth, in a world that wants them to believe otherwise.” Listen to the original story, published in 2015.
Snapshots 2012 | A DREAMer's dream college
High school senior Alejandro Silva got into his dream college, but the cost was more than he could afford. And because he was undocumented, he wasn’t eligible for scholarships. Estelí Garcia has his story. and we share an update from Alex - almost 9 years after the story first aired. Listen to the original story, published in 2012.
Snapshots 2015 | Hip-hop saved my life
People think of hip-hop as music, but it's much more than that. It's a culture and a lifestyle. RadioActive’s Krubel Amare shares more about this art form, the elements of hip-hop, his personal form of self-expression in the craft and how it saved his life and brought him community. Listen to the original story, published in 2015. BONUS: Watch a video of Krubel Amare performing at the RadioActive Listening Party in 2015.
Snapshots 2019 | Depression memes
As the pandemic pushed us online, lots of folks used memes to cope with isolation and anxiety. While they can be funny, there’s a darker side of internet memes that focus on depression. Radioactive’s Zuheera Ali has seen a lot of them and started to wonder if they helped people cope with mental illness or if they were a cry for help. Listen to the original story, published in 2019.
