Today St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR) premieres a new season ofWe Live Here, an award-winning podcast now in its sixth year of production.
We Live Here is for people who love to learn about the people, history and culture of St. Louis and want to lean in toward racial equity. Listeners hear real stories by and about local people who are building community and inspiring change.
The new season debuts with a tribute to the late Dr. Jonathan Smith, a man whose passion for social justice and cultural memory impacted thousands of people.
Host Lauren Brown dives deep into the history and passing of the Crown Act, a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination. In this episode, Brown visits salons to talk with stylists who celebrate the kinks and coils of natural hair. She reveals their struggle for legitimacy as businesses that adorn natural Black hair.
Co-hosts Jia Lian Yang and Brown also talk with activists who are challenging a new administration to stop evictions during the pandemic.
New episodes are released weekly and feature community producers and contributors to include more voices, perspectives and representation from across our diverse region.
Jade Harrell, STLPR director of on-demand content & community partnerships is re-envisioning the impact of We Live Here for this new season. “Our mission is to amplify diversity, reach a broader audience, bring equity to programs and open access to engage the community we serve,” Harrell said. “We have partnered with individual members of the community, advocates and influencers to contribute their perspectives and stories in interviews, and have invited them to include guests from their neighborhoods and areas of knowledge. Our programming will incorporate and reflect the community we serve by including the community we serve,” she said.
Listeners can hear the first episode now at welivehere.show and can subscribe to the podcast on major podcast platforms.
We Live Here is a co-production ofSt. Louis Public Radio andPRX.
