At age 14, Luz Hernandez left her home country of Honduras to cross borders into the U.S. She was fleeing poverty, sexual abuse, and medical malpractice. The journey was harrowing and so was making a new start in the U.S. Eventually, Luz became a social worker and now offers youth and families the support she had needed when she arrived. In the second episode of our two-part series created with Voice of Witness, host Maya Rupert talks to Luz about grit and determination, hope and belonging, and why hearing directly from immigrants is crucial to understanding the topic of immigration.

This episode is created in partnership with Voice of Witness, an oral history nonprofit that advances human rights by amplifying the stories of people impacted by—and fighting against—injustice. To learn more, visit voiceofwitness.org.

You can read Luz’s full story in the Voice of Witness book “Solito, Solita,” along with the powerful oral histories of fourteen other youth refugees from Central America.

For more info about this storytelling project and others, including education resources and ways to take action, visit voiceofwitness.org and subscribe to the newsletter.

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We hope you have been enjoying the incredible guests and stories from this season of Good Things. Now, we want to hear from you. We’re conducting a survey with three simple questions: Did you learn something, has your opinion changed, and do you feel empowered to put these new ideas into action? You can complete this simple, three question survey at bit.ly/goodthingssurvey.  

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How do stories help us challenge, shape, and navigate our democracy? In this two-part series created with Voice of Witness, we’ll explore oral histories as powerful tools of resistance and belonging. In this first episode, host Maya Rupert sits down with Ashley Hemmers, a member of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, whose path winds from growing up on her reservation to attending Yale to returning home again. Now a tribal administrator, Ashley shares how storytelling is both a bridge to the past and a pathway to her tribe’s future. 

This episode is created in partnership with Voice of Witness, an oral history nonprofit that advances human rights by amplifying the stories of people impacted by—and fighting against—injustice. To learn more, visit voiceofwitness.org.

You can read Ashley’s full story in the Voice of Witness book How We Go Home, along with the powerful oral histories of eleven other Indigenous narrators fighting for justice: https://voiceofwitness.org/books/how-we-go-home-voices-from-indigenous-north-america/

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Nurturing relationships with safe and dependable adults, like early childhood educators, can make a profound difference for kids who’ve experienced early adversity. Early childhood expert Kai-leé Berke knows this firsthand and she’s spent her career working to improve resources for early childhood educators. Through training and awareness, these educators can help prevent the damaging impacts of trauma, and instill skills like how to love, how to trust, and how to learn.

This episode is made possible with support from Lillio, whose mission is to elevate early childhood programs with innovative design, quality content, and professional growth opportunities, delivering joyful learning experiences for all children. To learn more, visit lillio.com. 

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Danielle Atkinson has been organizing mothers of color since 2012 to not only knock on doors, but to knock down the doors of power. Danielle is the founder and executive director of the grassroots advocacy organization Mothering Justice. With the 2024 election upon us, host Maya Rupert talks with Danielle about how BIPOC mothers can shape some of the most critical issues this election, like childcare, paid sick leave and improving wages. And what it looks like to build a future that truly centers families and caregivers.

This episode is presented by Mothering Justice, a grassroots policy advocacy organization that provides mothers of color in America with the resources and tools to use their power to make equitable changes in policy. Learn more and get involved at motheringjustice.org.

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In episode one of Making of an Activist we explore DeRay Mckesson’s early years in Baltimore, growing up with two parents struggling with addiction. However, with the assistance of a broader support system, DeRay manages not just to survive, but to thrive. At a young age, he was already campaigning and organizing. We explore the nature and nurture circumstances of DeRay’s activism. Expert commentary and historical context provided by Harvard Professor, Brandon Terry, and other experts.

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What does it take to build confident readers? Just ask educators at Baltimore City Public Schools, where students are outpacing the rest of the state in English Language Arts thanks to a focus on literacy instruction and intensive professional development. In part two of our series on literacy, Gloria dives into how BCPS is engaging diverse, multilingual learners with Dr. Joan Dabrowski, Chief Academic Officer at BCPS, and Olia Hardy, Principal of William Paca Elementary.

This episode is created in partnership with the Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Thank you to Baltimore City Public Schools for making this conversation possible.  

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Across the country, states and school districts have been changing their approach to early literacy, particularly how reading is taught. In this two-part series, we’re highlighting two school districts that have been on the front lines of this shift. In our first episode, host Gloria Riviera sits down with Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras and Literacy Coach Megan Siepka. They talk about literacy as a means for empowering students and the real, hard, everyday work of teaching it. 

This episode is created in partnership with the Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Thank you to Richmond Public Schools for making this conversation possible.  

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With Election Day around the corner, host Maya Rupert continues her conversation with Gaby Goldstein, co-founder of Sister District, about the critical importance of voting in state legislative races. They discuss key battleground states to watch in the upcoming election, plus, strategies for how we can all become more informed voters when it comes to state-level candidates and issues.

This episode is created in partnership with Sister District. To learn more and take action with Sister District, go to sisterdistrict.com.

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Many voters “roll off” their ballots after voting at the top of the ticket, leaving races at the bottom empty. Host Maya Rupert talks to Sister District co-founder Gaby Goldstein about how those lost votes can make all the difference in state legislative races – some of which have been decided by razor thin margins. And how the fight for the things we care about – abortion rights, environmental justice, LGBTQ+ issues – are happening in state legislatures. 

This episode is created in partnership with Sister District. To learn more and take action with Sister District, go to sisterdistrict.com.

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Too often than not pregnant patients in the U.S. leave their provider feeling like concerns weren’t carefully listened to or things weren’t properly explained. As two moms and experts, Wildflower Health CEO Leah Sparks and obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Fatima Naqvi know this experience far too well. That’s why they’ve dedicated their time to providing value-based care by meeting mothers where they’re at. Leah and Fatima tell our host Gloria what it looks like to move from reactionary care to preventative care and transform maternal health across the country.   

This episode is presented by Accountable for Health. To learn more visit https://accountableforhealth.org.

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