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It’s been close to a month since Story Corps has driven to the Queen City and parked right in between The Selma-Dallas County Public Library and the George P. Evans Reception Center, where they allow residents of the community to tell their own, unscripted story. 

Within the Story Corps mobile tour bus, many of our residents have taken the initiative to check out StoryCorps, understand who they are, their mission and has taken on the opportunity to have a seat right in front of the microphone where they have 30 minutes if they are recording alone and 40 minutes if they are recording with a friend or family member.

 Residents also had the opportunity if they were partnering alone to be interviewed by one of the initiatives’ facilitators, Amy Nadel or Joan Cordova Rodriguez including the StoryCorps Site Manager, Ian Murakami. 

Last week, the mobile organization hosted an in-person listening event at one of the busiest restaurants in town called the Five and Dime, just for the community to come out and celebrate their last days in the Queen City, telling stories of those in Selma, who are willing to get “on air” and storytelling. 

“We have a couple more days,” said Murakami. It’s our fourth week here in Selma and we are just so grateful and really honored that we’ve been able to record so many stories. Right now, the number of stories within the Selma community that we have recorded within these weeks alone is 48. We are proud to have achieved this number, thanks to generous sponsors and our community partner organizations within the area.”

Murakami said over the course of their time in Selma, they have seen so many native Selmians come out and share their story and he said since this week is the last week for the tour, he said many slots are still available for those who are interested and that he hopes the number of recordings within the city can increase to 60 by the end of their stop. 

“Most of the recordings with the participants’ permission will be shared with Alabama Public Radio and those who have participated can listen to them very soon. So, we’re excited,” Murakami said. 

During the live listening event, several conversation topics were mentioned, catering to resiliency, love, Black power, community empowerment, the power of education including the topic of looking ahead in leadership. 

Marakami told the public during the event that there were 100 people outside of the 48 people who have already recorded their story, to sign up for the mobile organization’s last recording week in town. 

During the event, six live recordings featuring residents of Selma were played for all those in attendance to hear, where they were clearly able to understand each resident’s topic, voice and their story that had now been heard for the first time or shared aloud in public. 

The first recording was of Ms. Barbara Bart, sharing the impact one teacher’s words had on her life and during her 26 years of teaching.

Foot Soldier Sadie Moss was the next recording that the public received a chance to listen to about her experiences during 1965 Bloody Sunday March and the civil Rights Movement and how important it was for her children to vote back then and how its tradition for them to continue to vote today. 

Jonathan Matthews recording with Peggy Burhoff was also a part of the live listen sector of the event where he spoke about a strange occurrence that happened in Old Cahawba Largest Cemetery, the Old Cahawba Archaeological Park among many others including Chandra Warren Florence, who had her story recorded during a field recording in Montgomery, Alabama.

“She talks about her upbringing in this piece and how it impacted the way she serves as the first female, first African American Court Administrator in the Montgomery County Courthouse. So, she’s made a lot of history and we are so excited for you to hear her story,” Nadel said.

After each recording was over, attendees of the event were able to share their personal perspective openly and share thoughts with each other about the recordings and what moving forward in the city of Selma looks like. 

“This was our first time in Selma,” Murkami said. We just had a really good time, so with this event we just wanted to celebrate that too.”

Murkami along with Nadel and Rodriguez wrote and spoke aloud their own stories about Selma and what it meant to them.

Rodriguez even made a video about Selma while traveling down Broad Street, going into other parts of the city, showcasing the stories of those who the audience just had a chance to hear for the first time while showcasing many, if not all of the participants who made the ultimate decision to share their story as Selmians with StoryCorps in the first place. 

Selma is home for many, that carries a lot of history and for those who would like to have their last opportunity to share their Selma story on-air with StoryCorps, can contact Ian Murakami at 646-504-4350 and the StoryCorps team will be able to assist with the sign up.

The recording process is free and the last day, StoryCorps will be in town is Friday, Feb. 7.