Project Credits

Our Journey: Stories of School Desegregation and Community in Champaign-Urbana is a 60-minute radio documentary produced by Jessica Austin, Yakera Barbee, Tiera Campbell, Deanna Carr, Tamika Lee, Veronica Martin and Markisha Motton from Franklin Magnet Middle School who conducted the interviews and edited the stories with guidance from WILL. Narrated by Tiera Campbell.

“Our Journey” was directed by Kimberlie Kranich. Co-director Dr. Will Patterson, visiting assistant professor U of I, technical instructor Dave Dickey, assistant producer Shawyn Williams, Franklin Magnet Middle School teachers Shameem Rakha and Kathleen Carroll. Website designed by Jack Brighton.

Send your comments and feedback about our radio program and website to Kimberlie Kranich at kranich@uiuc.edu.
 

"This has been one of the finest and best experiences in my 13 years of public broadcasting. Watching the students mature and grow in their communication, analytical and engineering skills has been a real joy. My goal is to turn this project into something sustainable and repeatable by Franklin Middle School as well as other stations and schools."

"The oral history project Our Journey is an example of how collaborative educational partnerships between the University of Illinois, public schools, students, community members, and parents can engage young people in the process of understanding why educational opportunity is important from a historical perspective in order to encourage them to appreciate learning in more contemporary times."

"It has been exciting to witness the growth of students at Franklin Middle School associated with this project. They have come away with life skills that will help them in whatever vocation they choose to pursue."

"I have found that in order to truly educate our youth, teachers, parents, and community organizations must collaborate to construct high quality learning experiences for our children that extend beyond the classroom walls, such as the Our Journey project. This project is so significant because it is attempting to build the respectful relationships that are presently nonexistent between the African-American community, Champaign schools, and local community organizations."
 

"I have been amazed at the growth I have seen amongst the students who have been involved with this project. Seeing them actively involved in learning, listening to them ask critical questions of themselves and their peers, and watching them thinking in new and critical ways, has been worth every drop of energy I have given to this process."

"As teachers and students, there are a variety of sources upon which to draw when we approach the past. Newspapers, diaries, letters, photographs and other documents all have their place in our classrooms; but rarely do we have the chance to connect our classroom to our community. This is what the WILL Radio documentary project has done for seven young ladies from Franklin Middle School; and it has given both Shameem Rakha and mea marvelous opportunity and a treasured memory."

The Beyond Brown radio project has been one of the most powerful educational projects I have had the privilege of implementing as a principal in Unit 4 schools. The students involved have gained a new respect for the impact and relevance of history in our lives. They certainly gained a newfound reverence for the field of radio journalism and the use of technology for productions. During the project, I watched middle school student's blossom into young women with a deeper understanding of their heritage. Additionally, this project had a tremendous influence on their academics and social skills as they became more self confident and developed a sense of "I Can." 

It has been a privilege for Franklin Middle School to be involved in this project. It is my hope that this relationship can be continued so that even more students have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the importance of radio journalism in their lives.