Hockaday Seniors Use Storytelling to Bridge Divides in Dallas
Two students completed the first youth apprenticeship for a national campaign, filming over a dozen interviews across the city before a recent screening.
By Ivan Dvorak ·
Seniors Eres Stone and Helen Flanagan have finished the first youth apprenticeship for Our Human Voices, a national storytelling campaign run by the nonprofit Nest Foundation. The two spent the summer traveling across Dallas with cameras to interview individuals from various backgrounds, aiming to connect people through personal narratives.
The project began after the pair completed training in active listening and ethical interviewing. Stone, an extrovert, said she immediately raised her hand when she heard about the opportunity. Flanagan, who described herself as more reserved, noted that the experience taught them both that everyone has a story and that similarities and differences are valuable.
“I think we have both now learned how to just talk to anyone, and that everyone has a story,” Stone said. Flanagan added that taking time to sit down with people or write handwritten letters can provide a better understanding of those around them.
The students interviewed more than a dozen subjects, including Daris Lee, a health and wellness manager at Bonton Farms; Rabbi David Stern of Temple Emanu-El; Dallas officer David Luna; and Justin Sokol, a stylist in Bishop Arts. The diverse group of interviewees represented different professions and points of view within the community.
The resulting film screened on Oct. 7 at the Angelika Film Center. A presentation and Q&A session followed, featuring Stone, Flanagan, Lee, and Sokol. Lee told the audience that the film shares the story of Bonton, an underserved neighborhood in southern Dallas, and emphasized that young people can bring necessary exposure to such areas.
“It took two young high school students, this is amazing,” Lee said during the Q&A. Libby Spears, founder and executive director of Nest, stated that the campaign aims to give young people tools to ask questions and listen to answers rather than relying on outside narratives.
Our Human Voices is scheduled to launch in 19 more cities, with the goal of building a national archive of community voices. Stone, a varsity golf captain and international section editor for the Youth Political Times, and Flanagan, a United to Learn Fellow and award-winning artist, said they are excited to interview Mark Cuban next.
