Podcast
Features
Comments
Veralyn Williams
I have been trying to recall the exact moment I wanted my voice to matter in the world, and I guess I always have- but the thing is “my world” kept growing.
When I first started voicing my thoughts- it was only on paper- in a diary- and “my world” was the 4 corners of my bedroom. I was 14-years-old and I took writing in my diary very seriously. I did it everyday- today I would compare it to my need to post a status on Facebook at least twice a day. An obsession!
Then “my world” expanded from my bedroom to High School. I would never forget- I was in an 8th grade English honors class, we were covering essay writing- and my teacher gave us an assignment to write a personal essay. Being a procrastinator even then, I waited until the night before and copied one of my many boy-drama stories out of my diary. I not only got a 100% on that assignment, but my teacher was impressed and he encouraged me to keep writing. After that when anyone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up- I’d tell them I was already a writer.
“My world” grew again when I joined a youth theater program called Manhattan Class Company (MCC)
and it was ALL about theater in those days. I was a poet and a playwright, and my teachers at MCC encouraged me to write and live life
“UNCENSORED”. To say I was vocally empowered would be an understatement.
So where does an uncensored writer/poet/playwright end up?
Journalism of course… And I think that’s when “my world” began growing to what it is today… But my journey here didn’t start until I found Radio Rookies. Up until this point I’d been living life as an open book. Devaluing my most personal thoughts and releasing them into a poem or a play– (Hmmmm another thing I use Facebook for today.)– But at Radio Rookies I was given a microphone (aka: a license) to find out other people’s personal thoughts– and I had to find out facts and get to the truth! I immediately fell in love with the entire process.
Radio Rookies asked me to report on something I had a unique perspective on and access to, so in my first story I reported on my legal status. At the time I was not a permanent resident here in the United States, even though I’ve lived here since I was a baby. And I never thought to really question my parents on why that was. Well, maybe I thought about it, but never had the courage to ask until I had a microphone. Till this day I am surprised by how having a mic gives me the power to ask questions I would never otherwise ask.
The whole time I was in Radio Rookies “my world” was still limited to people that would be supportive of me- no matter what. And even though I knew my story would be aired on WNYC Radio- I never considered anyone else would be listening. My family obviously figured this out before I did, because they were not very happy with the topic I was reporting on. They eventually came around, but they initially worried I would shine an unnecessary spotlight on my immigration case. However, by this point the outspoken journalist in me had already been born. (PS: Everything worked out- I finally got my green card in 2006.)
Today I am officially no longer a rookie, as I am currently teaching new rookies to tell their first radio stories. It feels really good to give our students a journalistic voice in the media– and not just the random voice they’re growing up with on Facebook and Twitter. By teaching them to interview, edit, and write a script on a story they’re really passionate about, they’re learning to differentiate facts from opinions- and hopefully they’re finding their true voices.
Sometimes it feels weird to be on the Producer-side of the youth program that started my journalism journey, but being able to teach the power of a mic to someone else- makes it worth it!
Veralyn Williams is a freelance Multi-Media Journalist currently Producing for WNYC’s Radio Rookies. Veralyn produces her indedpendent work on her website, VeralynMedia.com and she video blogs for SexReally.com.
Veralyn, just to say, really happy to read this today – I was actually thinking of your “N-Word: It Represents Hatred” piece while walking into work this morning. It’s great. It’s stayed with me since I first heard it about 18 months ago, and I’ve listened back a few times, including before going out to give youth radio workshops myself.
And yes can totally associate on the Facebook status thing!
Thank you Connor! I’m glad you’re able to use “N-Word” when teaching. I use it a lot too- esp when recruiting for Rookies.