St. Louis on the Air

St. Louis’ Bosnian community is observing the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica. A local coalition is leading efforts to commemorate the massacre and its 8,000-plus victims with a series of events and a July 12 walk in downtown St. Louis. The genocide changed the lives of many Bonsians, including Elvir Ahmetovic, who lived through the Srebrenica massacre as a child and is now a St. Louis teacher. Ahmetovic, attorney Adna Nedim Ramic, and Center for Bosnian Studies Director Adna Karamehic-Oates share their stories and insight into the terrible events of the genocide, alongside accounts from other survivors.

In Misty Copeland’s 10 years as the American Ballet Theater’s first Black woman principal dancer, she has inspired others to see themselves in ballet shoes and on stages across the world — and St. Louis is no exception. Erica Hill, founder of the Florissant-based dance company Pointe of Surrender, speaks to Copeland's influence — on herself and the Black dancers who come to her studio. Hill also describes Healing Humanity Through Arts, her dance company’s nonprofit arm, and its work to make dance accessible to youth through school-based programming and scholarships.

On May 6, Missouri's Endangered Wolf Center sent six tiny wolf pups to New Mexico on a rare journey. From that point on, the 10-day-old wolves will grow up wild. The center has raised 289 Mexican wolves since it was founded about 50 years ago by former St. Louis Zoo director — and host of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” — Marlin Perkins. Sarah Holaday, the center's director of animal care and conservation, and Susan Schmoker, the center’s curator, share their insights into the crucial role Missouri plays in restoring these apex predators in their natural environments.

Dive into a good beach read this summer with fiction, nonfiction and locally-focused book recommendations from Jennifer Alexander of St. Louis County Library and Ted Reidy of St. Louis Public Library.

The May 16 EF-3 tornado destroyed Centennial Christian Church in the Fountain Park neighborhood in north St. Louis. One person died and two others were trapped beneath the rubble before they were rescued. In this episode, STLPR afternoon newscaster Marissanne Lewis-Thompson talks about their story. She also details how the people trapped below weren’t able to successfully reach 911 during the disaster.

Cultures around alcohol consumption run a range as broad as beverages on a drink menu. For some, drinking culture means afternoons at a vineyard, and for others it’s a night on the town full of raucous fun. In some cases, drinking habits can lead to an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Thankfully, there are bar proprietors who focus on the “art of alcohol” — promoting responsible drinking that stems from the sharing of different histories and cultures linked to wines and spirits. Javia Gilliam-Sanford and Kaje Sanford are the married couple behind Passport Bar, Pour Decisions STL and a June 14 event called the “Art of Alcohol.” They share how they got involved in wine and spirits and what interests them most about the culture and history of alcohol in St. Louis and abroad.

The community response to St. Louis' May 16 tornado has involved hundreds of volunteers putting in thousands of hours over the last three weeks. But some volunteer efforts are now entering a different phase. On June 6, the People’s Response Hub closed its location in O’Fallon Park. We explore the current status of this ongoing, unofficial relief effort with Action St. Louis Executive Director Kayla Reed, and why the closing will result in a “gap” in aid services as volunteers work to reestablish in new locations. We also get to know three members of the STL Cleanup Crew who are also involved in tornado relief efforts.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter, poet and writer Ruby Aiyo Gerber, talk about co-writing the opera, “This House.” in this encore episode. Taking place in a majestic Harlem brownstone, the opera explores themes of gentrification and losing Black histories. It also delves into what connects – and binds – people to history and to one another. “This House” will have its world premiere at Opera Theatre of St. Louis this May.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s style, stage presence and sonic expression complement each other perfectly on their double-headlined Grand National Tour. The two have collaborated for much of their careers and their working relationship was evident at the sold-out appearance at the Dome at America’s Center. Host Elaine Cha and producer Miya Norfleet recount their experience at the GNX tour stop in St. Louis.

When Dorsa Derakhshani was banned from playing for Iran's national chess team because she didn't wear a hijab at an international tournament, she left the country to attend St. Louis University. Now a Mizzou medical student, St. Louis Chess Club instructor and U.S. citizen, Derakhshani is passionate about being an advocate for freedom of speech and expression — and for making room for women to be in traditionally men’s spaces. She reflects on what it meant to leave her home country for the U.S., the parallels between the competitive chess scene and medical school, and how the Trump administration’s new travel ban may affect people like her and her family.