There’s no shortage of people who remember the 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision Shelley v. Kraemer and can talk about how it changed housing practices across the nation – plenty of historians and legal experts, for instance. But when the producers of St. Louis Public Radio’s We Live Here podcast decided to take another look at the pivotal case, they opted for different voices: those of the Shelleys’ descendants.

“There’s a certain kind of human truth that can only really be found by talking with family members who have this story that’s passed down generation to generation,” co-host/producer Tim Lloyd said Thursday on St. Louis on the Air. “It was a great episode for us – we really enjoyed putting it together.”

He and co-host/producer Kameel Stanley were able to connect with a handful of family members who shared their personal memories related to the discrimination J.D. and Ethel Shelley experienced upon purchasing a home in St. Louis in 1945 – and all that followed.

That story comes to life in the latest episode: “The Descendants.”

Support for We Live Here comes from Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill and Caitlin Lally give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

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