Shine on North Carolina: Embracing Family Narratives

What do North Carolina college students really need to succeed and thrive? In this Shine Story, real students speak candidly about their lived experiences, the barriers they face, and the choices they navigate every day. From academic pressures to financial strain to the search for meaningful support, they offer honest insights into what college life looks like behind the scenes. While each North...

Shine On, Eriq Partin. Step into this moving story of love and resilience as Eriq shares his deeply personal journey into fatherhood. What began as the bond of a brother grew into something even greater when he chose to adopt his siblings from foster care. With honesty and heart, Eriq reflects on the life-changing moment his role shifted—when he became both brother and father—and how that transfor...

Family can mean many things: “love makes a family,” “chosen family,” or “family over everything.” Ultimately, family is defined by the individual, the group, or the community. Listen as Parker White, Family Advocate and Founder of BackPack Beginnings, shares what family means to her and how that definition shapes the way she and her team show up for families every day. They embody the African adag...

BackPack Beginnings is a community-based organization that serves as a vital gap-filler for families. Listen as founder Parker White shares her vision for the future, one where families not only have access to essential support, but also experience welcoming, choice-based services that truly meet their needs. Parker highlights the “welcome surprises” that have helped sustain families, emphasizing...

Everyone needs help sometimes. Listen as Parker White shares her own experiences and the real stories of families who seek support, dispelling common myths about who needs help and why. She reflects on the stigma surrounding food pantries and how BackPack Beginnings is reshaping that experience by prioritizing dignity, choice, and respect. Families deserve comfort, care, and the freedom to choose...

Listen as Parker White, Founder of BackPack Beginnings, reflects on how her deep compassion for the community has shaped her family life and influenced her children. She shares how she works to create balance at home, teaching her teenagers the value of helping others, while still encouraging them to explore their own passions. Parker describes how service not only uplifts the community but also e...

Are we truly asking families, and those who support them, the right questions? Or are we operating from assumptions about what our communities need?  Listening first, then acting with the community rather than in silos, is essential to meaningful, sustainable change.  In this episode, Parker White, founder of BackPack Beginnings, shares how her organization strives to be a gap-filler in Guilford C...

Parker White is a mother, wife, daughter, and advocate for justice. She is the founder of BackPack Beginnings, a Greensboro-based nonprofit that has been serving the community for 16 years. When it started in Parker’s dining room as a simple effort to provide weekend food to children and families in need has grown into a thriving organization offering comprehensive support. Listen as Parker shares...

 In this Shine On North Carolina interview, Candi shares the decades-long journey she and her father took to uncover his biological roots after he was adopted in 1948. After years of searching and documenting leads, DNA testing in 2016 helped reveal the identity of his biological father and connected them with relatives in North Carolina. The family welcomed them with open arms, helping piece toge...

Listen to this powerful story of Durham County Commissioner Michelle Burton share her family legacy that influenced her to be the change she wanted to see in her community. Listen as she shares her remarkable journey through civic engagement, beginning as a school librarian in North Carolina, to deciding to see sustainable actions take place to support the children, families, and communities withi...

Love makes a family. Whether the family is genetically connected, the family was created by adoption, or the family chosen through connection in life. Love tends to be the glue that holds many families together, and each family’s glue may be different. In this second iteration of our Shine on NC story series, listen as three of our North Carolinian storytellers share what family means to them. Lis...

Shine on Tamiko! Listen as family advocate and educator, Tamiko Lockett, shares strategies to support individuals, families, and communities in navigating their communities in times of uncertainty. Tamiko shares some simple but easily applicable strategies anyone can integrate into their daily routine to regain a sense of peace, calm, and strength.

Listen to this heartwarming story shared by Tamiko Lockett, educator and family advocate, as she reflects with a lifelong friend about the importance of the simple act of kindness, such as lending a listening ear to a stranger in need. One small moment can change a person’s life. In this reflection, Tamiko shares the importance of sharing one’s gifts and talents with the world to make the world a...

The Surgeon General of the United States recently diagnosed the country as having an “epidemic of loneliness, " as outlined in the article, Combating the Epidemic of Loneliness in the US: Creating More Connected Communities. Listen as educator and family advocate, Tamiko Lockett, shares her expertise and strategies for helping families combat loneliness by reconnecting with their community. O...

Hubert Williams (47) and Tori Brasher-Weathers (41) explore Hubert's journey of weaving the individual strands of life that make the beautiful tapestry that is his family. Hubert shares the milestones and lessons he learned from his father, Hubert Sr., from learning that he was adopted to creating his own family. Listen to this wonderful story of identity, acceptance, love, and family resilie...

Shine on, Sanaa Sharrieff! Join the journey in the family car as this North Carolinian mom extraordinaire shares one of her favorite memories with her four children. Listen closely and feel the love and warmth of her recollection. You'll be transported into the Sharrieff family vehicle, where you can participate in this wonderful moment filled with family love, care, and celebration.

Family is everything, and everyone’s family is different. Families do not have to match. Families do not have to be connected by DNA. Family is what we make it. Family is a feeling. Take a moment and listen to what families mean to some of our storytellers throughout North Carolina. Listen as they reflect on their aspect of family and what it means to them. 

In this continuation of the Sa Family’s journey, you will hear intricate steps they took finding their forever ever home and then losing it all in a short period of time.

Listen to Audrie, Vini, and Vivianna Sa as they share their journey from leaving their first family home, filled with love and tended memories, to finding their forever home that perfectly fit the needs of their growing family. 

Ty Harris is a Community Navigator who supports pregnant individuals in the Guilford County area of North Carolina. In this inspiring story, Ty shares her experiences of helping families in Greensboro and High Point. She highlights the specific needs of families to ensure their well-being and promote positive family dynamics. Ty’s insights will not only challenge your perspective but will also mot...

Meet Titus Hopper, a joyful husband, father, educator, entrepreneur, and inspiration—a true "hope dealer." As Hop the Black Santa, he shares his life journey centered around fatherhood and family. Titus tells his heartwarming story of hope, faith, adoption, and the joy he brings to his community and loved ones as Santa Claus. The recording is produced by the Institute for Family, using i...

Natalie Conner, Mentamer Conner and Oz Conner reflect on the love that unites their family. Menti and Oz express to their mother, Natalie, how Menti's adoption has influenced their lives. This is a powerful story of their experiences as a transracial family, and how their deep love and strong family bond have guided them through their unique journey together. The recording is produced by the...

Clara Marts has focused her career on family preservation and well-being. She shares her thoughts on the important work of supporting families and doing everything it takes to help families stay together. This recording is produced by the Institute for Family, using interviews recorded by StoryCorps Studios.  Hear the full episode on the StoryCorps Studio archive website . See more about the Shine...

Dr. Sebrina Cooke-Davis speaks with her friends, mother and daughter Dr. Kim Lewter and DraShonta Brinson, about DraShonta's childhood and how they have built a community together.  Hear the full episode on the StoryCorps Studio archive website . See more about the Shine on North Carolina Campaign on the Institute for Family website .

Dr. Titus Hopper talks with new friend Cole Johnston about Dr. Hopper's career and family life. Dr. Hopper also talks about giving back and being a Black Santa. Hear the full episode on the StoryCorps Studio archive website . See more about the Shine on North Carolina Campaign on the Institute for Family website .