Alec Stutson

Columbia Missourian Symonne Sparks has always been involved in a variety of mid-Missouri musical projects. She plays with Columbia soul-fusion band Loose Loose, performs classical music, and she has two NFL performances of the National Anthem under her belt to boot.

Valérie Berta's photography presents an unfiltered look at the marginalized communities across mid-Missouri, and the subjects provide information about their lives to accompany the intimate photos. Now, in collaboration with The WE Project, two exhibitions of portraits by Berta, founder of The WE Project, are open to the public.

Berta believes it is important to use her art in conjunction with the lives and experiences of her subjects. 

When Raven Leilani wrote her debut novel Luster, she never imagined its themes of contemporary sexuality and race relations would feel so pressing on its release. But with race on the forefront of the nation’s collective conscience, the book feels like a reflection of our current landscape.

When student-led protests erupted at the University of Missouri in 2015, first-year student Lauren Brown didn’t feel like the causes of the demonstrators were accurately reflected in the media.

Now, Brown is a Missouri School of Journalism graduate and a St. Louis Public Radio producer whose new audio documentary for American Public Media's "APM Reports" explores the setting and the context behind the 2015 protests. The documentary, called “Black At Mizzou: Confronting Race on Campus," is narrated and produced by Brown, who also worked as a student producer at KBIA. 

We at KBIA have found strength in our community during the COVID-19 crisis. In our series “Where You’re At,” we’re calling our neighbors to see how they’re coping during the pandemic. 

If you want to share your story, email KBIA at news@kbia.org. 

Here’s Alec Stutson’s coversation with Fairview Elementary School music teacher Sara Dexheimer in Columbia: