Youth Media Workshop
Empowering economically diverse African-American youth from public schools to make media and social change
Youth Radio Series Airs June 8-30
I Remember, I Believe, a series looking at the experiences of two Champaign-Urbana African-American women, aired on WILL-AM 580 at 4:45 pm and 6:45 pm Mondays and Tuesdays, June 8 through June 30, 2009. U of I grad student Keri Carpenter produced the series using interviews by Youth Media Workshop students.
Growing up in a segregated society, Erma Bridgewater of Champaign and Ruby Hunt of Urbana were turned away from stores, restaurants and schools. Their stories, told to students in the Youth Media Workshop, form the basis of a new radio series, I Remember, I Believe.
University of Illinois journalism graduate student Keri Carpenter, working with WILL-AM’s Dave Dickey, produced the series looking at the experiences of African-American women. It aired on WILL-AM 580 at 4:45 pm and 6:45 pm Monday-Tuesdays, June 8-30, 2009.
Eight girls from Franklin Middle School participating in the Youth Media Workshop interviewed and made audio recordings of Bridgewater, 96, and Hunt, 72, several years ago as part of the Youth Media Workshop in which U of I journalism Prof. Leon Dash trained the students in “immersion journalism” interviewing techniques.
The women talk about what it was like growing up in a segregated country, raising children in Champaign-Urbana, and watching desegregation take place. “Mrs. Bridgewater remembers everything,” Keri said. “She’s in her 90s, but she can talk about things that happened in her 20s like it was yesterday.” Her stories about Champaign County in the early and mid 1900s describe not only discrimination, but bathrooms, electrical power and other parts of her life.
Mrs. Hunt’s stories about dealing with the indignities of segregation impressed her, said Keri. “Not that she was at peace with any of it, but she had the maturity to handle some difficult situations at a young age,” said Keri, who did additional interviews with the two women.
Participating students were Lalaina Smith, Amaris Bailey, Isis Griffin, Gabrielle Ceaser, Brooke Harris, Keneasha Terry, Kahlilah Cook and Kayla Carter. Teacher Shameem Rahka worked with the students at Franklin Middle School. The Youth Media Workshop is a partnership between Illinois Public Media and the U of I’s William Patterson.
