Episodes

  • Season Trailer: The Borough We Became: Queens Residents On Life During COVID-19

    Season Trailer: The Borough We Became: Queens Residents On Life During COVID-19
    May 25 2020

    In the spring of 2020, New York City was the center of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and Queens had the highest numbers of diagnosed cases and hospitalizations. Many Queens residents were living and work­ing on the front lines, providing essential services and supporting family and community members. 

    These personal stories were not well documented by the media as news of the pandemic moved at a stunning pace. Without real-time documentation, memories can fade and facts can be misremembered, making it difficult to reconstruct lived experience. After March 20th, as the city was urged to stay at home, we collected first-person accounts from the communities affected in the most acute ways. 

    This season of the Queens Memory Podcast features first-person accounts from our community as we got through this historic pandemic together.
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    1 min
  • Episode 1: Adjustment

    Episode 1: Adjustment
    Aug 4 2020
    The  Queens Memory Project brings you the premiere of season two of the  Queens Memory Podcast.  This season we have collected documented experiences of Queens residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Episode one features testimonies of two residents who live near hospitals and the blaring realities they face, as well as others who struggle to find a sense of normalcy, who feel as though they have lost time, and those who have lost loved ones to the virus.   On March 20, 2020, at 11 am,  Governor Cuomo delivered a press briefing on New York’s response to COVID-19. It was in this briefing that the governor announced an executive stay-at-home order, urging residents to isolate to flatten the curve of coronavirus infections in New York. In the following weeks and months, Queens residents still grapple with how isolation and COVID-19 have impacted their lives. Malcolm Boyd and Elizabeth O’Brien share their stories of living near hospitals in Queens, including Elmhurst Hospital, which Boyd describes as a COVID ‘hotspot.’ Queens, and  Elmhurst Hospital in particular, has in fact had the  highest infection rates in the city,  and remains toward the  top of the list for most confirmed cases and deaths in the United States. O’Brien laments over the state of health in Queens, specifically for MTA workers and essential grocery staff, noting that as of her recording on April 20th, an estimated 7,000 have died of COVID-19. At the time, testing was not administered widely, so the exact number of COVID related deaths is disputed. Further in the episode, recent high school graduate Kafilat Abdul of South Jamaica speaks of missing out on her graduation ceremony and celebrations, and Justin Kwiatowski of Queens Village, an essential worker, talks of maintaining a routine, adhering to safety procedures, and finding the positives in life. On April 2nd, Mayor de Blasio said in his daily press briefing: “This is a transformative moment for the state, for the country. I believe that. I also believe this is a moment when you see what people are made of.” Meanwhile, Queens residents continue to reel from their experiences with COVID-19. Ann Hepperman, of Jackson Heights, contracted the virus in March, and shares her experience of being in total quarantine, accessing tele-health, and what it was like to re-enter the world once she had recovered.  Hepperman speaks of suffering a panic attack at a grocery store and the psychological trauma she has faced and many others are likely to suffer from. Hendal Leiva lost a friend to COVID-19, and talks about the suddenness of his friend’s death and how it has impacted him.  Resources are available to help those struggling with stress, anxiety, and loss related to COVID-19. For helping yourself manage anxiety see Health Line’s tips, for those with children, visit Child Mind, and if you have suffered a loss, New York Presbyterian offers advice. These are just a few of the vast number of online resources available -- for immediate help, please consider calling a 24/7 helpline.  Referenced at the end of the show is a tribute to first responders by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, which can be seen here. It’s not too late to submit your story to the Queens Memory Project. Follow this link to submit an audio recording, text, video, or photos that you feel documents your experience of COVID-19.
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    18 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Teen Voices in the Pandemic

    Bonus Episode: Teen Voices in the Pandemic
    May 18 2021

    This episode of the Queens Memory Project Podcast was conceived and produced by the Queens Public Library Teen Advisory Board.  The Queens Public Library Teen Advisory Board is a yearlong program were members take the lead in creating and implementing a project that helps their peers and community.  This year’s TAB decided to work on a podcast to interview the voices they felt have been left out of the conversations around Covid-19.  After much discussion, TAB members decided to highlight the voices of their peers and their experiences with quarantine and distance learning.  After spending the first half of the school year learning the basics of podcasting, members worked together to write the interview questions and were responsible for interviewing, producing, and hosting the episode.  Once they learned the basics of creating a podcast episode, the TAB members set out to interview people across generations and life experiences to ask the question “How are you doing?”  Answers varied widely and touched upon the topics of virtual school, the disruption of daily routines, new skills learned during lockdown, and social media use. Interviewees often chose to highlight the positives of their experiences in quarantine. 

     
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    23 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Missing Them

    Bonus Episode: Missing Them
    Dec 9 2020

    This bonus episode of The Borough We Became is a collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library's team responsible for the  Borrowed  podcast. We decided to bring voices from Queens and Brooklyn together as part of a citywide initiative called Missing Them, by online newspaper THE CITY.

    Want to learn more about the topics brought up in this episode? Check out the following links:
    • Attend The CITY's   "Missing Them"  event (running online December 11 - 13) and   search   the names and stories of those who've passed from COVID-19.
    • Queens residents: Share your story with  Queens Memory.  If you live in Brooklyn:   Record your COVID-19 story   with Brooklyn Public Library.
    • Listen to past Brooklyn oral histories on BPL's   interactive map,  or on our previous Borrowed episode,   "Stories from the Pandemic."
    • Listen to Season 2 of Queens Memory,   "The Borough We Became"  for more COVID-19 audio stories, or view Queens COVID-19 photos and stories on   Urban Archive.
    • Create a temporary memorial with tools from   Naming the Lost Memorials,  and see COVID-19 memorials that have gone up   around the country.
    • Visit   Maple Grove Cemetery  or   Green-Wood Cemetery   for a quiet walk.

     

    Borrowed is hosted by Krissa Corbett Cavouras, and Adwoa Adusei, produced by Virginia Marshall and written by Adwoa Adusei and Virginia Marshall, with help from Fritzi Bodenheimer, Jennifer Proffitt, Meryl Friedman and Robin Lester Kenton. Our music composer is Billy Libby.
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    23 mins
  • Episode 10: Gathering

    Episode 10: Gathering
    Oct 15 2020

    The  Queens Memory Project  brings you the 10th episode of season two of the  Queens Memory Podcast.  This season we have collected the documented experiences of Queens residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.


    In our final episode of season two, we hear once again from Queens residents about their hopes and fears for the future, as well as one quarantine wedding, 20 years in the making.

     

    On the final episode of season two of Queens Memory Podcast, we begin with a 20-year love story. Kate O’Connell and Michael Scott Robinson first met in an acting class. The pair recount their first kiss, their courtship, getting engaged in 2013, and Kate’s cancer diagnosis one month before their original wedding date in 2018. “I wasn’t going to do ‘tragic bald bride.’ Nope. That’s not me,” she said. So they postponed. Kate got better. And they set a new wedding date for 2020. Their plans were once again derailed -- this time by COVID-19.


    Kate, an ER nurse who has worked in a hospital throughout the pandemic, quarantined from Scott in their own house. Fear and stress and all the feelings that have struck some people throughout these trying times ultimately inspired the pair to hold a virtual wedding. “I realized that we still had this amazing celebration that we were entitled to, that we could create and share,” said Scott.


    Listen to Kate and Scott’s wedding vows and hear about how they created a little bit of happiness for themselves, their family, and friends.


    Later in the episode, we hear one more time from Queens residents about what they believe life “after COVID” will look like. From fears about students being left behind in their schooling, to hope that the traditional in-person working environment will be reimagined, even after it’s safe to come back; our Queens neighbors remain vigilant and hopeful. Many are rightfully determined that the Black Lives Matter movement, which sparked nationwide  protests  this summer, remains active and that conversations continue and work toward equal rights and equal treatment is never ceased. 


    Individuals whose voices can be heard in this segment are: Tunisia Morrison, Tiffany Nealy, Yvette Ramirez, Khaair Morrison, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, Richard Parker, Aleeia Abraham, Shante Spivey, Keshia Desmarattes, Ty Hankerson, and Franck Joseph.


    To close out the final episode, our whole team shared what they hope for the future after COVID, and reminisced on their favorite memories of the season.

     

    This episode of the Queens Memory podcast was produced by Jordan Gass-Poore’, in conjunction with Anna Williams, Giulia Hjort, Syreeta Gates, Jo-Ann Wong, and Natalie Milbrodt. 


    Editing by Anna Williams and mixing by Briana Stodden, with music composed by Elias Ravin, the Blue Dot Sessions, Audio Network, as well as, Dale Stuckenbruck (violin) and Heawon Kim ( piano), who played "The Marriage of Figaro" during Kate O’Connell’s and Michael Scott Robinson’s Zoom wedding ceremony. 


    Special thanks for funding support from the New York Community Trust. Queens Memory is an ongoing community archiving program by the Queens Public Library and Queens College, CUNY.
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    34 mins
  • Episode 9: Creating

    Episode 9: Creating
    Oct 1 2020
    The  Queens Memory Project  brings you the ninth episode of season two of the  Queens Memory Podcast.  This season we have collected the documented experiences of Queens residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In this episode, we hear from artists and creatives in Queens about how they have managed to shine through the pandemic, by finding innovative and fun ways to express themselves while staying safe.   In mid-March, as the pandemic was starting to take hold in New York City, Governor Cuomo  issued   a ban on gatherings of 500 people or more -- a move that would prove to be only the beginning of great steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19. That same day, Broadway went  dark. Restrictions grew tighter in the following weeks, and soon enough, public spaces were closed and New York became a vastly different city. Faced with new social distancing rules, members of the arts community did what they do best: They got creative.  Crockett Doob,   a writer and drummer from Queens, plays drums on a makeshift setup at 33rd Street and Astoria Boulevard so he won’t disturb his neighbors. When he lived in Sunnyside, he played on the 39th Street bridge, where he enjoyed the noise of the traffic which allowed him to play as loudly as possible. Now, playing in a more exposed location, he enjoys the anonymity wearing a mask allows him, so he can play as excitedly as he wants. Richard Parker  is a tattoo artist in Queens and the designer of the Black Lives Matter  mural  on Jamaica Avenue. Having spent his entire life weaving through the borough, from Corona to Bayside to Flushing and beyond, Parker calls himself a “Queens mutt.”  Parker sees the world coming to a standstill as an opportunity for artists, “Now is the time to do what you want to do, especially in New York City.” By designing the BLM mural and his other art projects, Parker says he has been called an “activist” by the community, a title which he says he obtained simply by expressing himself through his art. Lifelong Queens resident Sapphira Martin is a dancer, podcast producer, and writer. She and her mother are the owners of dance studio,  It’s Dance at the Brown Barre.  She is also co-host of  The Black Girl Podcast,  alongside four other proud and strong black women. She has focused during the pandemic on supporting her Queens community. She leads classes via  Instagram  for her dance students and continues to work remotely on her podcast and subscription box service,  SassBoxx,  co-curated by Martin for black women. She has leaned heavily into her creative outlets over the last few months, and the Black Lives Matter resurgence that took place this summer drove Martin further to create and show up. “Black lives have always and will always matter,” she says.   This episode of Queens Memory was produced by Jordan Gass-Poore in conjunction with Theresa Gaffney, Anna Williams, Syreeta Gates, Briana Stodden, Jo-Ann Wong, and Natalie Milbrodt. This episode was edited by Anna Williams with mixing by Briana Stodden and music composed by Elias Ravin and the Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks for funding support from the New York Community Trust. Queens Memory is an ongoing community archiving program by the Queens Public Library and Queens College, CUNY.
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    25 mins
  • Episode 8: Learning

    Episode 8: Learning
    Sep 23 2020
    The  Queens Memory Project  brings you the eighth episode of season two of the  Queens Memory Podcast.  This season we have collected the documented experiences of Queens residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic. On this episode, we hear from educators of different backgrounds about how virtual learning has impacted their students and the way they do their jobs.    On March 15, 2020, Mayor De Blasio  announced  New York City schools would close to slow the spread of COVID-19. On March 23, 1.1 million students and 75,000 teachers in the city switched to remote learning. Less than two weeks later, De Blasio  extended  the closure to the end of the school year. As of the publishing of this podcast, NYC schools  remain closed  for most children. Tiffany Davis-Nealy, of South Ozone Park, traveled the world as an education consultant before becoming the principal of PS 165 in Flushing. Davis-Nealy was a motivated student, raised in Bed-Stuy at PS 40 and transferred to PS 121 in Queens in the fifth grade, where her mother fought for her to be placed in advanced classes. Nealy felt destined to be an educator because she wanted to be like one of the teachers who shaped her life so positively. She majored in psychology and education in college and then began her career in Harlem in the 1990s. Nealy would later work for Columbia University, PS 21, and finally, currently, at PS 165. Nealy states she has learned a lot about her students since the onset of COVID-19 and the switch to virtual learning. She has noticed a higher level of food insecurity among the families than she had previously been aware of. In fact, Flushing is what is known as a food desert -- where there are fewer than  10 retail food stores  per 10,000 residents. Nealy notes that many of her students had relied on lunches received in school as their primary food source. While  organizations  and the  city  have stepped up to help provide meals, there remains a struggle to support families and make virtual learning work for everyone. Shawn Chandler, an attendance teacher for the Department of Education, is eager to help people through the uncertain future of the pandemic. Born in Queens, Chandler has worked for the DoE for 15 years, where he tracks down young adults who have stopped attending school for various reasons and helps get them on a course to graduation. Chandler also owns  Sing 2 School Inc.,  a hip-hop educational company. Predictions have been made far and wide about what schools will  look like  when they reopen amid COVID-19, what the US can learn from  other countries  about safely reopening, and even what schools will  look like  years after the pandemic has ebbed.  Chandler has his own theories. While he acknowledges that the implementation of remote learning has  not been seamless  and that the practice itself is  not for everyone,  he predicts that hybrid-lessons and attending in-person a few days a week will be much more common in coming years. Chandler is hopeful that whatever changes are coming to the education system will be effective in keeping students in school. Remote learning has been especially difficult for students with special needs and their families. These students who require the most direct support in a classroom have suddenly had to transition to learning at home with their families. In New York City,  228,000 children  with disabilities have been affected by the closure as  services  have changed. Keisha Desmarattes is a lifelong Queens resident and a special education teacher. Formerly a social worker, Desmarates earned her MA in social work in 2014. She recalls teachers scrambling to prepare for what teaching is going to look like this fall. When the closures began, most teachers assumed it would be back to normal by September. Desmarates laments the  disadvantages  her students experience with remote learning, but she is committed to ensuring they receive all the care and support she can provide. She notes her dream of opening a women’s youth center for young girls to gain the tools to succeed. Shanté Spivey is principal at a school for special education in Queens. She has always chosen to work with children who have special needs as she holds out hope for those who people feel can not learn. Spivey has noticed many difficulties her students and their  caregivers  have faced since the switch to remote learning. She recalls one student who lives with a grandmother and has one tablet and unreliable WiFi for 11 people who live in the home.  This week, NYC  students  with advanced special needs returned for in-person instruction.  Both Spivey and Desmarates advocate for better support for special education students and commit to providing the best services they can for the community that they whole-heartedly support and see the potential in.  “If you can tap into children in the manner that you need to, this world would explode,” said Spivey.   This episode of ...
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    25 mins
  • Episode 7: Organizing

    Episode 7: Organizing
    Sep 16 2020
    The  Queens Memory Project  brings you the seventh episode of season two of the  Queens Memory Podcast.  This season we have collected the documented experiences of Queens residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic. On this episode Queens leaders talk about campaigning during a quarantine and ways they have found to continue to support their communities.    Unemployment filings skyrocketed as COVID-19 settled upon New York City and the world as businesses closed and workers were laid off. By early May, the New York Department of Labor  announced they had paid $6.8 billion in unemployment since the start of the pandemic. This number is nearly three times greater than the total unemployment payments made in 2019. While  food pantries  and other nonprofits scrambled to answer the call for help, their resources were  strained  by the sharp spike in need. On August 1st, Queens residents gathered outside the New York Hall of Science to receive food distributions. Senator Jessica Ramos hosted the event, which also offered  free COVID-19 testing.  Senator Ramos hosted regular fresh food  distribution events  in the months after the pandemic upended life and income for many Queens residents. The event on August 1st was the 14th distribution. Michael Pereira, who was born and raised in Queens, was in attendance and talked about how this time away from work  has enabled him to take better care of himself physically and mentally. He also talks about the  systemic dietary oppression  Latinx families face, as well as, the negative health impacts of  low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods due to low housing quality.  Meanwhile, politicians and aspiring leaders try to adapt to campaigning and staying in touch with communities while social distancing.  Queens resident  Mary Jobaida  was forced to derail her campaign for the New York State Assembly District 37 when the shutdown began. Jobaida immigrated to Queens from Bangladesh in 2001 and has lived in the area ever since. She talks about watching the gentrification of neighborhoods, pricing herself and her neighbors out of options. A 2019  report  by the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development found that, in Queens, the neighborhoods of Jamaica and Hollis were most at risk. This  map  shows gentrification throughout all of New York City. Jobaida decided to run for State Assembly in District 37 to help those who have been affected, against incumbent  Catherine Nolan  who was first elected in 1984. Jobaida says she originally thought about running for State Assembly in 2018. She filed the paperwork to do so in spring of 2019, using her professional name “Mary.” In April 2020, the board of elections removed her from the ballot upon learning her full name is Meherunnisa. Their stated reason being that the name in the application filing must match the candidate’s legal name. Jobaida, along with Moumita Ahmed, who was also removed for the same reason,  sued the BOE,  claiming xenophobia was behind the decision. In May, a  judge ruled  the two women will appear on the ballot. Continuing her campaign while social distancing, Jobaida was severely limited. A number of her organizers and campaigners contracted COVID-19, four of whom died.  One month before the election, unable to afford mailers, Jobaida utilized volunteers to operate phone banks. The Democratic Primary Election took place on June 23, 2020.  Jobaida lost  to incumbent Catherine Nolan by 1,153 votes. Jobaida won 5,041 votes, while Nolan won 6,554. Jobaida suspects if she had been able to campaign in person, she would have won, and vows to continue the fight.  Brent O’Leary  of Long Island City is running for City Council, District 26, which includes Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, and part of Astoria. O’Leary  announced his campaign  in the summer of 2018 - three years before the 2021 election. Now, he’s glad his campaign launched so early, as they were able to build momentum. However, the pandemic has slowed fundraising, he said, as most funds are normally raised during in-person events. He is also reluctant to ask people for money in the midst of the pandemic. Instead, O’Leary co-founded two emergency food pantries, in  Sunnyside  and  Woodside.  Ultimately, official campaign events ceased, but remaining active in his community helped keep O’Leary in the public eye, and demonstrated his priorities, he said. The campaign is now getting back on its feet. O’Leary talks about his support of the current  Senate bill  to cancel rent for small businesses who are struggling due to COVID-19. On last week’s episode of Queens Memory Podcast, we heard from local small business owners about the impact the pandemic has had on their businesses. According to a Hospitality Alliance  survey,  only 19% of New York City businesses paid rent in June, and only 26% of landlords waived any rent. With the primary election less than a year away,...
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    28 mins