Story Jam Presents "Stories For Peace: A Celebration of MLK Day"

>> STORIES FOR PEACE. A TRIBUTE TO DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR PRESENTED BY STORAGE AND WILL INCLUDE SOLE STARRING SONGS AND NEVER BEFORE BEFORE HEARD STORIES OF TRUTH ENCOURAGE. JOINING US NOW WITH ALL THE DETAILS IS PRODUCER STEPHANIE ROGERS AND STORYTELLER. MAMA E T ARMSTRONG THINK YOU MAY YOU LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT STORY, GM IN GENERAL. SO WAS STEPHANIE TELL US ABOUT THE CONCEPT AND THE EVENT. OKAY. WELL, THE CONCEPT OF STORY JAM IS WE PRESENT TRUE PERSONAL STORIES THAT ARE TOLD BY FABULOUS STORY TELLERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO FEATURE A LOT OF DIVERSE STORIES

AND THE DIVERSE STORYTELLERS WITH REALLY INTERESTING BACKGROUNDS. MAMA E T HERE IS A PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLER. BUT NOT EVERYBODY IS HIGH-LEVEL PROFESSIONAL. SOME PEOPLE. WE COACH. AND THEN WE HEAR A SONG THAT THE BAND HAS WRITTEN FOR EACH STORY. SO WE RESPOND TO EACH STORY WITH A SONG BY A 10 PIECE OH, MY IT’S ALL FUN. AND AND IN PERSON. AND THEN WE HAVE A PODCAST THAT WE DO TOO. AND WE DO OTHER THINGS LIKE WE COACH. YOU KNOW, WE DO PRIVATE COACHING IN THE CLASSES AND STUFF. BUT THIS SHOW ON JANUARY, 15TH IS IN CELEBRATION

OF MLK DAY. DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR AND SO WE ARE CELEBRATING STORIES FOR PEACE BECAUSE WE FOR HIM PROMOTE AND PROMOTION OF THE IDEA OF AS

YOU KNOW, IN TRIBUTE TO DOCTOR KING, I WANT TO TALK FOR A SECOND BECAUSE I WAS READING THIS. THAT ONE OF THE COURT YOU HAVE IS EVERYONE HAS A STORY IN STORY BUILDING. BUILDS COMMUNITY AND COMPASSION. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT? WHAT THE ROLE OF STORYTELLING IS ESPECIALLY HERE IN CHICAGO. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT THE ROLE OF STORYTELLING AS MAMA E T? I THINK IT IS

VERY POWERFUL. AND AND >> I THINK STORYTELLING IS A WAY THAT WE CAN BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND ENCOURAGE A SENSE OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATION LIKE NOTHING ELSE CAN I DON’T KNOW OF ANOTHER MEDIUM THEN CAN DO IT THAT WAY. AND A WAY THAT WE CAN THROUGH THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE. I’M REALLY COME TO SEE JUST HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE. AND IF I TELL YOU MY STORY. I AM VERY LIKELY TO REVEAL SOME ASPECTS OF MY HISTORY AND MY LIFE STORY. THE I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE IT HAPPENS

ALL THE TIME. LOOK AT LOOK AT US. THE 2 OF US ARE SITTING HERE TOGETHER, RIGHT? AND WE ARE I A CERTAIN CONNECTION WITH MAMA 80 AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT CONNECTION IF WE DIDN’T HAVE STORYTELLING IN OUR LIVES. AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE SHARE A TRUE PERSONAL STORIES, WE WE OPEN OURSELVES. YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE A VULNERABLE LITTLE BIT VULNERABLE. BUT WE ALSO BRING IN PLENTY OF HUMOR AND JOY AND WE WANT TO ELEVATE >> OUR AUDIENCE AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY’RE IN A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. BUT WHEN YOU HEAR

SOMEONE STORY, YOU SUDDENLY KIND OF LOVE THEM A LITTLE BIT. ALREADY GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE MOMENT. IT JUST, YOU SAID YESTERDAY OF SMELTZ OF CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE TEASER UNLIKE WHAT YOUR STORY WILL BE ABOUT. >> WE HAVE NOW MY STEPHANIE MENTION IS A PERSONAL STORY. >> IT IS ABOUT THE TIME THAT AT 15 YEARS OLD IN 1966 I DID MARCH WITH DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER IN MARQUETTE PARK AND THAT PARTICULAR DEMONSTRATION WAS TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE PRACTICE OF REDLINING OR THAT, WHICH WOULD KEEP CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY OUT OF REACH OF BLACK

PEOPLE AND OTHER PEOPLE. IT WASN’T LET PEOPLE KNOW IS LIKE IF YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE ME, YOU CAN BE YEAR BUT BLACK PEOPLE REALLY GET IT REALLY BAD. AND IT WAS A KIND OF SITUATION. I MEAN, AT 15. JUST THE IDEA THAT MY PARENTS. GAVE PERMISSION. FOR ME TO GO IN IN. MY MOM COULDN’T WALK AT THE TIME. BUT WE’RE GOING WITH THE NUNS FROM OLD CATHOLIC GRAMMAR SCHOOL. AND SO THEY WOULD LIKE JUST STAY WITH THE AND JUST JUST PAY ATTENTION IN JUST THE BRAZEN. AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU’RE DOING. THINK

ABOUT YOUR ANCESTORS. AND SO EVEN THOUGH AS I MENTIONED IN THE STORY, ONCE WE GOT TO THE VAN AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY THERE. AND AS WE GET CLOSER IN CLOSE TO THE MARKET PARK, WE COULD HEAR THE ANGER IN THE CROWD ALLOW AS THEY WERE DURING AND THROWING. WE HEARD BOTTLES BREAKING IN THINGS LIKE THAT IS LIKE, DO I WANT TURN AROUND AND GO HOME. BUT THEN I REALIZE IT. IT WAS JUST MIGHT TURN. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TELLING THESE STORIES BECAUSE THERE’S GOING TO COME A DAY WHEN WE DON’T HAVE PEOPLE AROUND

US TO SAY I MARCHED WITH DOCTOR KING AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO SHARE THE STORY. IF THERE’S PEOPLE OUT THERE WATCHING. >> THAT MAYBE WANT TO GET INTO STORYTELLING AND WANT TO SHARE THEIR STORY. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST THEY DO? THERE ARE PLENTY OF VENUES. THERE YOU KNOW, STORYTELLING IS AS A LITTLE UNDERGROUND SORT OF COMMUNITY ACTUALLY. SO THERE ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GO. YOU CAN GO TO PUBS. YOU CAN LOOK ONLINE FOR STORYTELLING. >> THERE’S A WEBSITE CALLED A CHICAGO DASH STORYTELLING DOT COM THAT HAS A LOT WAS THE LOCAL STORYTELLING SHOWS. AND

IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED AT STORY JAM, I DEFINITELY WANT THANK YOU. CHECK OUT CASES. TIME. SO THEY ALL HAVE THAT