Real People, Real Stories

Michele Tracy Berger, Ph.D, is a professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She’s also a writer and a creativity coach. Berger excelled early in her academic career. In high school, she was a fast rising star. Then the unexpected happened. In this segment of Real People, Real Stories, listen to her story and find out what radically darkened her glow.

Sisters Jackie Jeffers Gant and Betty Jeffers live in Winston-Salem. They are preserving the stories of their ancestry and in this way giving future generations a sense of their family’s strength and courage.

In this segment of StoryLine, the Jeffers sisters describe their grandparents, Betty Lawson and Lee Jeffers. Betty was a strong woman who freely expressed her opinions. Lee was a landowner who believed in education.

StoryLine gives voice to everyday people throughout our community as they share the experiences that shape their lives. It is a project of the ECHO Network, dedicated to building trusting relationships in our community.

In 2011, Lorreen Sample and Shannon Brooks formed Moms United, an organization that provides a variety of support services to mothers struggling to raise children, maintain homes and build businesses.

In this StoryLine segment, they explain the importance of ‘giving back’ and ‘paying it forward’.

April is National Poetry Month. For years, this art form has shaped the life and work of Candide Jones. She is the assistant director of Wake Forest University Press, the major publisher of Irish poetry in North America. In this segment of WFDD's Real People, Real Stories, Jones describes how poetry also shapes our view of social events.

Imagine doing all you can to help someone but still their life is difficult. Richard Groves understands this very well. While leading a Boston congregation, he met Tigerman, who was homeless. Over the years, Tigerman endured some tough storms. But on this occasion, he turns the odds in his favor. WFDD’s Real People Real Stories guest commentator Groves explains.

Minister Richard Groves is retired from the pulpit of Wake Forest Baptist Church at Wake Forest University. Now he’s teaching religion and philosophy at High Point University.