Speak Your Piece Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:07:34 -0400 https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ en-us © 2026 Narrative Arts yes Support this Podcast 861abb1f-f606-5dc9-a696-fc07284ea931 Shoresides episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) op ed, coastal NC, North Carolina, opinion essay Shoresides https://storage.buzzsprout.com/1rfya0jb5ei63tp5utrnl5slqdjf?.jpg Speak Your Piece https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ NC Must Provide More Culturally Relevant Practices NC Must Provide More Culturally Relevant Practices “It would be great if we could have funding to have mandatory training programs for teachers so that they could be really educated about what's going on. So they're not only a teacher who just teaches academics, but they also teach morals and how this world functions.” Vaishnavi Kode, 14, of Apex, NC speaks about the critical need for culturally relevant education in NC public schools, which helps prepare students for their future engagement in our society.

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]]> “It would be great if we could have funding to have mandatory training programs for teachers so that they could be really educated about what's going on. So they're not only a teacher who just teaches academics, but they also teach morals and how this world functions.” Vaishnavi Kode, 14, of Apex, NC speaks about the critical need for culturally relevant education in NC public schools, which helps prepare students for their future engagement in our society.

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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-11278098 Wed, 18 May 2022 13:00:00 -0400 236 full false Fund School Counselors, Not School Resource Officers Fund School Counselors, Not School Resource Officers “I should not be scared to come to school. Schools need to be a place of love.” Yakob Lemma, 17, of Raleigh, NC speaks about how SROs are harming students and why the state needs to invest in more constructive strategies.

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]]> “I should not be scared to come to school. Schools need to be a place of love.” Yakob Lemma, 17, of Raleigh, NC speaks about how SROs are harming students and why the state needs to invest in more constructive strategies.

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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-11278087 Thu, 21 Apr 2022 13:00:00 -0400 164 full false Inequitable Public School Funding Must End Inequitable Public School Funding Must End Sonia Green, 17, of Durham, North Carolina speaks about how equitable funding for public school capital and enrichment activities is critical for providing equal educational opportunity to all children.

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]]> Sonia Green, 17, of Durham, North Carolina speaks about how equitable funding for public school capital and enrichment activities is critical for providing equal educational opportunity to all children.

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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-11278077 Wed, 02 Mar 2022 13:00:00 -0500 189 full false NC Public Schools Need Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Teaching NC Public Schools Need Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Teaching “My dad wanted me to know that people like me, we weren't just slaves. We were also really successful mathematicians and astronomers and scientists.” Laura Norman, 16, of Cary, NC speaks about how the state’s public school curriculum does not adequately explore race relations, racial discrimination, and systemic racism. 

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]]> “My dad wanted me to know that people like me, we weren't just slaves. We were also really successful mathematicians and astronomers and scientists.” Laura Norman, 16, of Cary, NC speaks about how the state’s public school curriculum does not adequately explore race relations, racial discrimination, and systemic racism. 

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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-11278048 Fri, 25 Feb 2022 13:00:00 -0500 191 full false North Carolina Must Adequately Fund Rural Public Schools, Now North Carolina Must Adequately Fund Rural Public Schools, Now I want to be a journalist… There is no school newspaper or journalism class at my school.” Jaileea Knight, 15, of Tarboro, NC speaks about how North Carolina’s failure to allocate resources toward the specific needs of students in rural districts unfairly limits student potential. 

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]]> I want to be a journalist… There is no school newspaper or journalism class at my school.” Jaileea Knight, 15, of Tarboro, NC speaks about how North Carolina’s failure to allocate resources toward the specific needs of students in rural districts unfairly limits student potential. 

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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-11278054 Sat, 15 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0500 116 full false North Carolina Must Fund Improvements to Internet Access Before It’s Too Late North Carolina Must Fund Improvements to Internet Access Before It’s Too Late North Carolina student Francisco Ibarra speaks out. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many public school children to be exclusively on-line learners, North Carolina is still failing to provide the infrastructure for improved internet service state-wide, preventing some students from getting the education they are owed. 

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]]> North Carolina student Francisco Ibarra speaks out. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many public school children to be exclusively on-line learners, North Carolina is still failing to provide the infrastructure for improved internet service state-wide, preventing some students from getting the education they are owed. 

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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-11278105 Sun, 07 Feb 2021 13:00:00 -0500 188 full false Felony Voter Disenfranchisement Felony Voter Disenfranchisement "We are all We The People. When you tell me that I can't participate in an election, you telling me I'm not a part of We The People...that makes me feel like you are still oppressing me, and you still seeing me as three-fifths of a human."

Daquan Peters is the Second Chance Alliance Coordinator at LINC Inc, a nonprofit in Wilmington, North Carolina focused on reentry for formerly incarcerated people and youth empowerment. As a someone who was formerly incarcerated himself and is on federal probation for a felony conviction, Peters talks about voter disenfranchisement and why it's vital to get the right to vote back. 


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]]> "We are all We The People. When you tell me that I can't participate in an election, you telling me I'm not a part of We The People...that makes me feel like you are still oppressing me, and you still seeing me as three-fifths of a human."

Daquan Peters is the Second Chance Alliance Coordinator at LINC Inc, a nonprofit in Wilmington, North Carolina focused on reentry for formerly incarcerated people and youth empowerment. As a someone who was formerly incarcerated himself and is on federal probation for a felony conviction, Peters talks about voter disenfranchisement and why it's vital to get the right to vote back. 


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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-6294964 Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0500 411 full false The Importance Of Latinx Voters The Importance Of Latinx Voters "We are contributors, tax payers. We are entrepreneurs. We are business owners. We have mixed families. We are American...To me, it is important that I define who I am and I say my story, because it took me 25 years to be a U.S. citizen."

Victoria Velazco says political parties and policies at the federal, state, and county levels don't always consider Latinx voters. She tells us why she believes the Latinx vote is important and how she envisions the future of leadership in the United States. 

Velazco is the founder of VIDA Familiar Latina Magazine and Vida Translations. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in clinical social work at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. 


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]]> "We are contributors, tax payers. We are entrepreneurs. We are business owners. We have mixed families. We are American...To me, it is important that I define who I am and I say my story, because it took me 25 years to be a U.S. citizen."

Victoria Velazco says political parties and policies at the federal, state, and county levels don't always consider Latinx voters. She tells us why she believes the Latinx vote is important and how she envisions the future of leadership in the United States. 

Velazco is the founder of VIDA Familiar Latina Magazine and Vida Translations. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in clinical social work at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. 


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]]> Shoresides Buzzsprout-6115852 Wed, 28 Oct 2020 21:00:00 -0400 447 full false Racial Equity & Election Priorities from Payal Shah Racial Equity & Election Priorities from Payal Shah Payal Shah is a University of North Carolina student from Marshallberg, NC – a predominantly white and conservative town of 400 in Down East, North Carolina.  As Shah heads to the voting booth for her first time this week, she thinks about Presidential rhetoric. And how it trickles down to affect how her family is treated in Marshallberg.

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]]> Payal Shah is a University of North Carolina student from Marshallberg, NC – a predominantly white and conservative town of 400 in Down East, North Carolina.  As Shah heads to the voting booth for her first time this week, she thinks about Presidential rhetoric. And how it trickles down to affect how her family is treated in Marshallberg.

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]]> https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ Shoresides Buzzsprout-6094993 Tue, 27 Oct 2020 18:00:00 -0400 255 Marshallberg, Downeast, North Carolina, Coastal Carolina, voting, elections, early voting 1 11 full false Oysters & The Ballot Box Oysters & The Ballot Box What does an oyster farmer think about when he heads into the voting booth? Kyle Frey, owner of Crystal Coast Oysters, speaks to how he'd like to see elected officials think about environment and jobs. 

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]]> What does an oyster farmer think about when he heads into the voting booth? Kyle Frey, owner of Crystal Coast Oysters, speaks to how he'd like to see elected officials think about environment and jobs. 

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]]> https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ Shoresides Buzzsprout-6094852 Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:00:00 -0400 310 oysters, farmer, environment, ocean, North Carolina, jobs, economy, election, voting, early voting 1 10 full false On Ocracoke, A Back Porch Op Ed On Ocracoke, A Back Porch Op Ed Daphne Bennick has been living on Ocracoke island for the past 35 years. And she's run Back Porch restaurant there for the past 21. Bennick she speaks to what she's looking for in this election as her island goes through a "double wammy" – Hurricane Dorian recovery, then COVID-19.

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]]> Daphne Bennick has been living on Ocracoke island for the past 35 years. And she's run Back Porch restaurant there for the past 21. Bennick she speaks to what she's looking for in this election as her island goes through a "double wammy" – Hurricane Dorian recovery, then COVID-19.

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]]> https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ Shoresides Buzzsprout-6094513 Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:00:00 -0400 324 election, voting, early voting, small business, North Carolina, coast, Carolina coast, Ocracoke, Hyde County 1 9 full false Young Activist Speaks Up About Racism and Social Justice Issues Young Activist Speaks Up About Racism and Social Justice Issues Shecoria Smith, 15, reads an essay she composed about her journey to becoming a young activist. She discusses recent events in the U.S. and her community in coastal North Carolina. Smith talks about what protest means to her, and what she's doing to contribute to positive future change.

Narrated by Emmanuel Ngardinga.

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]]> Shecoria Smith, 15, reads an essay she composed about her journey to becoming a young activist. She discusses recent events in the U.S. and her community in coastal North Carolina. Smith talks about what protest means to her, and what she's doing to contribute to positive future change.

Narrated by Emmanuel Ngardinga.

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]]> https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ Shoresides Buzzsprout-4245353 Fri, 19 Jun 2020 19:00:00 -0400 251 Op-Ed, Protest, Race, coastal NC full false Medicaid: In Crisis and Beyond Medicaid: In Crisis and Beyond Jeff Mills, volunteer and Medicaid Ambassador with the North Carolina AIDS Action Network (NCAAN), reads an essay he composed with Lee Storrow, the Director NCAAN. Mills and Storrow note the positive changes to restrictions and limitations on Medicaid programs during COVID-19. They call on policy-makers to extend these considerations beyond times of crisis.

Mills is a volunteer and Medicaid Ambassador with NCAAN. 

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]]> Jeff Mills, volunteer and Medicaid Ambassador with the North Carolina AIDS Action Network (NCAAN), reads an essay he composed with Lee Storrow, the Director NCAAN. Mills and Storrow note the positive changes to restrictions and limitations on Medicaid programs during COVID-19. They call on policy-makers to extend these considerations beyond times of crisis.

Mills is a volunteer and Medicaid Ambassador with NCAAN. 

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]]> Working Narrative Buzzsprout-3743507 Wed, 13 May 2020 15:00:00 -0400 365 COVID-19, Health, Healthcare, Op-Ed, Wilmington, coastal NC full false Student Speaks on Reimagining Schools during Remote Learning Student Speaks on Reimagining Schools during Remote Learning "Schools here have a lot of togetherness." Jaileea Knight is an eighth grader in Tarboro, NC. The small town is home to a large reimagining public schools effort. From her perspective as a student leader, Knight speaks to school redesign momentum during remote learning – tackling interactivity and broadband limitations. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> "Schools here have a lot of togetherness." Jaileea Knight is an eighth grader in Tarboro, NC. The small town is home to a large reimagining public schools effort. From her perspective as a student leader, Knight speaks to school redesign momentum during remote learning – tackling interactivity and broadband limitations. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> https://shoresides.org/show/speak-your-piece-2/ Shoresides Buzzsprout-3634018 Wed, 06 May 2020 11:00:00 -0400 336 student voice, north carolina, rural, student, leadership, school redesign, reimagining schools, education, Op Ed, essay, COVID-19, Tarboro, coastal NC 1 6 full false What Divided Us Brought Us Together What Divided Us Brought Us Together Julia Narvaez didn't feel tied to her hometown, Wilmington, North Carolina. Instead, she felt disdain for the social and economic inequities in her community. But when Hurricane Florence hit, her feelings for the town changed. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> Julia Narvaez didn't feel tied to her hometown, Wilmington, North Carolina. Instead, she felt disdain for the social and economic inequities in her community. But when Hurricane Florence hit, her feelings for the town changed. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> Working Narrative Buzzsprout-3471934 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 23:00:00 -0400 196 Hurricane Florence, Hurricanes, Op-Ed, Wilmington, Youth, coastal NC 1 3 full false Recovering Together: Rebuilding after Hurricane Florence Recovering Together: Rebuilding after Hurricane Florence Jonny Morales, 18, talks about what it was like returning to his hometown - Wilmington, North Carolina - after Hurricane Florence. And how he, his family, and his neighbors rebuilt the remains of their community together. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> Jonny Morales, 18, talks about what it was like returning to his hometown - Wilmington, North Carolina - after Hurricane Florence. And how he, his family, and his neighbors rebuilt the remains of their community together. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> Working Narrative Buzzsprout-3471805 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 23:00:00 -0400 240 flooding, housing, Hurricane Florence, Hurricanes, Op-Ed, Wilmington, coastal NC 1 2 full false Asthmatic High School Student Discusses COVID-19 & Hurricanes Asthmatic High School Student Discusses COVID-19 & Hurricanes Morales knows the hospitals in his communities all too well - from Emergency Room visits for the asthma attacks he's had as long as he can remember to serving as a volunteer in his high school years. Now with the coronavirus outbreak, he's anxious that his local healthcare system will be overwhelmed. But thinking back to his experience of relief efforts after Hurricane Florence, he has high hopes that his community will come together and help one another through this trying time.

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues. This Speak Your Piece episode is brought to you by Coastal Youth Media podcast.

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]]> Morales knows the hospitals in his communities all too well - from Emergency Room visits for the asthma attacks he's had as long as he can remember to serving as a volunteer in his high school years. Now with the coronavirus outbreak, he's anxious that his local healthcare system will be overwhelmed. But thinking back to his experience of relief efforts after Hurricane Florence, he has high hopes that his community will come together and help one another through this trying time.

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues. This Speak Your Piece episode is brought to you by Coastal Youth Media podcast.

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]]> Working Narrative Buzzsprout-3471700 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 23:00:00 -0400 265 COVID-19, Health, Hurricane Florence, Op-Ed, Wilmington, Youth, coastal NC 1 5 full false COVID-19, Ebola, and Racism COVID-19, Ebola, and Racism Amari Poindexter, 17, says the indifferent attitudes and racism of people during the coronavirus in coastal North Carolina remind her of how her peers responded to the Ebola outbreak when she was in middle school. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues. This Speak Your Piece episode is brought to you by Coastal Youth Media podcast.

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]]> Amari Poindexter, 17, says the indifferent attitudes and racism of people during the coronavirus in coastal North Carolina remind her of how her peers responded to the Ebola outbreak when she was in middle school. 

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues. This Speak Your Piece episode is brought to you by Coastal Youth Media podcast.

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]]> Working Narrative Buzzsprout-3471658 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 23:00:00 -0400 175 COVID-19, Health, Leland, Op-Ed, Race, Youth, coastal NC 1 4 full false Not Quite Through the Storm Not Quite Through the Storm Shecoria Smith was hunkered down with her mother as the wind and rain pounded her city when a call came making her realize that tragedy from the hurricane had hit close to home. Her friend’s mother and sibling were killed by a tree falling on their house.  In this essay, Shecoria shares his personal experience in comforting a friend and the questions it raised for her about how to make each other safe in the face of hurricanes.

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

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]]> Shecoria Smith was hunkered down with her mother as the wind and rain pounded her city when a call came making her realize that tragedy from the hurricane had hit close to home. Her friend’s mother and sibling were killed by a tree falling on their house.  In this essay, Shecoria shares his personal experience in comforting a friend and the questions it raised for her about how to make each other safe in the face of hurricanes.

Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today's pressing regional issues.

Support the show

]]> Working Narrative Buzzsprout-3471634 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 23:00:00 -0400 196 Hurricane Florence, Hurricanes, Op-Ed, Wilmington, Youth, coastal NC 1 1 full false