WJCT and the Jacksonville Public Libraries are collaborating to capture the oral histories of the Northeast Florida community through Voices of the First Coast.
The project is modeled after the nationwide story collecting initiative, StoryCorps. Interested citizens have the opportunity to share their experiences through 40-minute, two-person interviews. The stories on this page are edited clips selected from more than 80 interviews recorded this summer. This project is made possible through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Voices of the First Coast edited version
Voices of the First Coast is a one hour radio documentary featuring edited versions of some of the interviews collected during the Voices of the First Coast project. It originally aired on 89.9 WJCT-FM November 25, 2010. Listen
Arthur and Barbara Blair
Military life took Arthur and Barbara Blair to Italy. The husband and wife share memories of their years overseas. Listen
Seann Burks & Ok Sun
Seann Burks talks with his mother Ok Sun about how she learned she was adopted. Listen
Jim Crooks & Nathaniel Washington
Jim Crooks interviews his friend Nathaniel Washington about coaching at Douglas Anderson High School during segregation. Listen
James and Betty Asque Davis
James and Betty Asque Davis reminisce about their 52-year marriage. Listen
Greg Gaines & Lisa Buggs
Greg Gaines tells his friend Lisa Buggs about his son’s illness. Listen
Michelle Kiley & Martha Garris
Michelle Kiley interviews Martha Garris about growing up in Hastings, FL. Listen
Harold and Harris George
Brothers Harold and Harris George share memories of their childhood. Listen
Christopher Hawk & Rebecca McKinnon
Christopher Hawk interviews his girlfriend Rebecca McKinnon about the loss of a childhood friend. Listen
John & Betty Hodges
John Hodges interviews his wife, Betty about the search for her birth mother. Listen
Ramona Music McCormick
Ramona Music McCormick tells her son Thomas about her service as a nurse in the Battle of Anzio. Listen
Sidney Mickler
Sidney Mickler talks with his daughter, Donna, about growing up in Palm Valley with no electricity and the importance of his faith and family. Listen
Frances Keiser & Dorothea Miles
Frances Keiser interviews her neighbor Dorothea Miles about potato farming in Hastings. Listen
Arthur Nistra
Arthur Nistra has a conversation with his son, Aleck. Listen
Jennifer Chase and Patrick O’Rourke
Jennifer Chase and Patrick O’Rourke remember a dear friend, Rick O’Shea. Listen
Mary Ann Regan
Mary Ann Regan talks to her son, Christopher, about his Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. Listen
Connor Barnas & Anne Storch
Connor Barnas and her mother Anne Storch talk about motherhood. Listen
Julia Sudul
Julia Sudul interviews her mother, Louise, about love at first sight and a marriage that lasted 76 years. Listen
David Talbert & Kurt Jensen
David Talbert tells his friend Kurt Jensen a story about fathers, sons, and dogs. Listen
Dr. Paula Thompson & Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks
Dr. Paula Thompson interviews her friend Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks about fighting breast cancer. Listen
Brian Tunney & Matt Abercrombie
Artists and filmmakers Brian Tunney and Matt Abercrombie talk about their experience in New York City on 9/11/2001. Listen
Steve Marrazzo & Tina Verduzco
Steve Marrazzo interviews his friend Tina Verduzco about losing her husband to cancer. Listen
Madeleine Peck & Nicholas Wagner
Madeleine Peck Wagner asks her husband, Nicholas, about his career as a tattoo artist. Listen
Stephen Willett & Delavantez Weaver
Stephen Willett tells his “Little Brother” Delavantez Weaver what inspired him to become a mentor through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Listen
Dr. Roger Wray & Jeanette Hearman
Dr. Roger Wray interviews his patient Jeanette Hearman about how some emergency dental work that changed her life. Listen
Hazel Campbell-Yates & Kenneth Yates
Hazel Campbell-Yates and her brother Kenneth Yates discuss their father’s background. Listen
Philip Pan & Laurel Lee Welch
Philip Pan, the Concertmaster for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra tells his friend, Laurel Lee Welch about learning to play country fiddle for her band. Listen
Crystal Bentley & Monique
Mitchell
Mentor Crystal Bentley has a discussion with her "Little Sister" Monique
Mitchell Listen
Coby Bishop & Ju’Coby Pittman
Coby Bishop and her daughter Ju’Coby Pittman talk about the importance of food and cooking in their family and how it influenced Pittman’s career. Listen
Audrey Moran & Opal Evans
Sulzbacher Center President and CEO Audrey Moran interviews employee Opal Evans about how an addiction to crack cocaine affected her life.Listen