Growing Up in The System
From: Radio Rookies
Length: 00:11:40
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Piece Description
Radio Rookie Shirley Diaz's life has been shaped by the tragedy of her mother's murder and the difficulty of growing up in six different foster homes, separated from her six younger siblings. To avoid being consumed by loss, Shirley tries to make sense of these events and find refuge in home and family as she finds them. HOST INTRO: Radio Rookie Shirley Diaz is on the brink of aging out of the foster care system when she turns 21. Many young people face huge challenges when they leave the system. And a disproportionate number of New York City's 17,000 kids in foster care struggle with homelessness at some point in their lives. Braced for adulthood, Shirley whose nickname is Star looks to herself for support.
5 Comments
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To Stari listen to this piece everyday on my wasy home from work on XM radio. I was really touched with Star's Story. I just want this young woman to know how strong of an individual she is, and how brave she is for standing in this cold world alone. I would like to tell her to stay positive, and to make wise decisions in her life, use her situation as a guide to push her to do more than she could ever imagine in life. The Lord will ALWAYS be with you Shirley! From Me, to You! |
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I want to help herThe story moved me.
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Broadcast History
WNYC - February 27, 2008 (Morning Edition)
NPR - April 11, 2008 (All Things Considered)
Transcript
REPORTER: Whenever my parents come up in a conversation, I want to lie. I want to say all of us live together in one big house. My mother sings while she?s folding clothes. My father watches tv. And my brothers and sisters are always in my room, taking my things.
But the truth is, when I was 13 years old, my father murdered my mother at the Jets Motor Inn on Queens Boulevard. I have eight brothers and sisters. But the six youngest were adopted, and I don?t know where they are. The last time I saw them was when we buried my mom.
REPORTER: What do you remember of her?
JEANETTE: Everything.
REPORTER: Jeanette is my oldest sister. We grew up in different foster homes, but we?re close now.
JEANETTE: Our mother loved the musics from way back, she always used to sing: ugi?ugi?ugi
REPORTER: ugi?ugi?get down!
JEANETTE: So I definitely remember that.
REPORTER: Jeanette knows how to move on...
Read the full transcript
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Elizabeth Yeoman
Posted on November 13, 2009 at 03:32 PM | Permalink
Please make a sequel!
Star's eloquent and articulate voice is extraordinary. Her story, juxtaposed with her equally articulate sister's very different take on the same events, is moving and compelling. The listener is drawn in and compelled to root for Star, who has been through so much yet is completely without self pity and still able to forgive and to hope. Hard to believe she did not have a job when she seems to have such talent for radio!