In April of 2024 we had the opportunity to record a session between our CEO and President, Kimberly Tissot, Senior Director of Community Education, Dori Tempio, and VP and Chief Public Relations Officer, Mary Alex Kopp, with StoryCorps. StoryCorps is, “an American non-profit organization which aims to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. Its mission statement is “to help us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all—one story at a time”.”
3 photos of Vice President and Chief Public Relations Officer, Mary Alex Kopp, President and CEO, Kimberly Tissot, and Senior Director of Community Education, Dori Tempio outside and inside the StoryCorps recording Airstream RV. Mary Alex is a white woman with curly brown hair wearing a white top and red pants. Kimberly is a white woman with blonde hair and glasses wearing a black top and jeans. She has one leg and is using crutches. Dori is a white woman with cropped red hair using a power wheelchair. First photo is of them outside of the Airstream, a vintage chrome metal RV with the word, “StoryCorps,” written in large red script on the side. The second image is of the them inside the small recording space in front of microphones on a white table with red benches, and surrounded by noise dampening gray material on the walls. Third of Kimberly and Dori using the accessible lift to enter the Airstream. The SC ETV and SC Public Radio sign can be seen above the Airstream on the side of the building.
After stepping and rolling into the recording “Airstream” with StoryCorps, we captured the story of Independent Living in South Carolina, what it means to be disabled, and have disability pride. The conversation covered ableism, disability justice, equity, and what we hope future generations who find our recording in the Library of Congress can take away from the stories of the past.
