Beginning in 1951, radio pioneer Edward R. Murrow asked Americans from all walks of life to write essays about their most fundamental and closely held beliefs. Half a century later, NPR, Atlantic Public Media and This I Believe, Inc. are partnering to recreate 'This I Believe' on the air and online.
July 20, 2008 · Daniel Flanagan was a high-school dropout in a dead-end job; a self-described loser. But when faced with the responsibility of fatherhood, Flanagan decided to change his ways and return to school. He believes we all deserve "do-overs" in life.
July 17, 2008 · Portland artist and activist damali ayo believes in recycling. Yes, it's good for the environment, but she also enjoys the challenge of finding new uses for stuff people discard. And ayo doesn't want her trash polluting someone else's backyard.
July 6, 2008 · When Christine Little's teenage son had a heart transplant, she realized some other young person was dying just as her son was getting a chance to live. That selfless gift, and what her son did with it, shaped a lifelong belief for Little.
June 30, 2008 · When Kim Phuc was 9 years old, her village in South Vietnam was bombed with napalm. A famous photo showed Kim running from the attack, naked and screaming. In the painful recovery from her burn wounds, Kim found that true healing came through forgiveness.
June 22, 2008 · When he was young, Paul Thorn left the church he was raised in because he refused to publicly confess his sins. Since then, the Mississippi singer-songwriter has forged his own path to believing in God — a path free of fear and intimidation.
June 19, 2008 · As a politician, bureaucrat and consultant, Christine Todd Whitman has had many people telling her what to do and what to think. But over the years, the former governor and former EPA chief has come to believe in trusting her own inner voice.
June 8, 2008 · Penn State student Colin Bates is an aide to two men who are mentally disabled. It's a stressful job, and the pay is low, but Bates loves the work. It has given him new perspectives on success and failure, and he's discovered it's OK to need help.
June 2, 2008 · Brighton Earley's mom shops at a gas station because she can no longer afford to buy food at the grocery store. At first, Earley was ashamed to go on these shopping trips, but now the Los Angeles student believes the trips have taught her a valuable lesson.
May 25, 2008 · Washington attorney Kenneth Feinberg managed the compensation funds for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. But he felt it was wrong to pay the family of a deceased banker more than the family of a deceased janitor. The experience left him believing that all lives should be valued equally.
May 22, 2008 · Laura Hall used to hate the hip-hop music her husband listened to. But when she had to quit school and take a factory job to support her family, Hall started to hear the songs in a new way. Now she says hip-hop is a source of inspiration for her.
May 11, 2008 · Listener Holly Dunsworth says she doesn't need faith or hope to believe evolution. The Penn State paleoanthropologist says evolution "just is" — and helps her understand how she came to be and how humans are connected to all living things.
May 5, 2008 · Taking her first communion led San Francisco writer Sara Miles to become a Christian. The idea of breaking bread with others inspired her to start a food pantry at her church. Miles believes we come to know God through service to strangers.
April 27, 2008 · When Dr. Donald Rosenstein discovered his son was autistic, he grieved the loss of many of his own dreams. But in watching his son grow, Rosenstein came to believe in the ability people have to adapt to, and even find joy in, difficult circumstances.
April 21, 2008 · High-school senior Maria Zapetis has a comfortable life, but an experience at a summer camp taught her that many people around the world aren't so fortunate. Now the Miami student believes she has a role in fighting global hunger and poverty.
April 13, 2008 · As the U.S. enters its fifth year at war, Aileen Mory says she finds it chilling that the nation's troops are risking their lives thousands of miles away, while her life has remained unchanged. Mory believes living in a democracy means we should share equally in its burdens.
In collaboration with Atlantic Public Media and This I Believe, Inc. All material is copyright; no reproduction or excerpting is permitted without written consent.
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