Megan McConachie knows a lot of good things about Missouri. As she should – she’s the strategic communications manager for the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. McConachie spoke with KBIA at Columbia’s bustling farmer’s market and reflected on her favorite aspects of her home state — while acknowledging some of its flaws — in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

Arden Steele grew up in Jefferson City and lived there for 50 years. She lives in Florida now. She says that Missouri’s history is worth celebrating as the state turns 200 – which might make sense, given her proximity to one of the Show-Me State’s most famous residents – President Harry S. Truman. She spoke about her childhood memories with the 33rd president of the United States in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

Ferguson, Missouri made national headlines in 2014 for the shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent protests. But Ferguson has a long, complicated history with race. Barbie Skinner grew up in the Ferguson-Florissant area decades ago, and gave us a glimpse of the city’s history of racism in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

DC Smith is a retired resident living in Columbia. He’s held several jobs in his lifetime, one of them being in radio. He’s originally from the east coast but says something about Missouri keeps drawing him back. Smith talks about what he finds so alluring about Missouri in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

Mother Shiron Hagen and her daughter Elizabeth are both from around St. Louis, and while they grew up in the same area, both have different perspectives of what they love, and what they don’t, about the Show-Me State. They reflected on their mixed feelings in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

Jake Edgar grew up in Marceline, Missouri, but he refers to it as a “little nowhere town in Linn County.” Jake now lives in Columbia. Jake spoke with KBIA about his favorite places in Missouri, and how the positive aspects of the state can be outshined sometimes by the state’s politics, in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

Family is really important to Michele Curry. She was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, a place she continues to call home. She now works as a banker. In this episode of Missouri on Mic, Michele tells us how she fought to keep her grandparent’s house in the family.

Sean Xiahao Duan and Sharon Gygax are two people from very different corners of the world. Sean is a Chinese immigrant and Sharon is an African immigrant that both wound up living in Columbia, Missouri. They both spoke with KBIA about how show me state is similar, and different from their previous homes in this episode of Missouri on Mic.

Sean XiaoHao Duan loves Missouri. He loves the people, the food and the Cardinals. However as a Chinese immigrant he’s witnessed a rising tide of antiasian racism during the Coronavirus Pandemic. He spoke with KBIA for Missouri on Mic about this new rise in hostility and his hope for a better future.

For Gaedene Vance and her daughter Grace, Columbia means a lot. Gaedene was born and raised in El Dorado Springs, and transferred to Columbia in college. Her daughter Grace was born and raised in the city. They spoke with us on their relationship to the town and each other this last Mother’s Day in this episode of Missouri on Mic.