Last fall, video podcast host Marvinetta Woodley-Penn sat down with a young man named David F. Gakodi. She had no idea that he was going to pass away unexpectedly just a couple of months later.
I often talk about public media’s power to get information out to the community, but something I don’t talk about as often is it’s power to preserve stories.
Everyday, we see so many stories, so much information – headlines from across the country and across the world. But it’s not as often that we see what’s going on across our streets, across our neighborhoods.
Marvinetta’s vidcast All Stories Matter focuses on these local accounts, from people who aren’t usually heard from. People who aren’t usually asked to tell their story. As Marvinetta says, “Not many get a chance to talk openly and honestly about what matters to them, how they got to be who they are… their journey. Few of us ask others, ‘What’s your story?’”
Marvinetta interviewed David F. Gakodi twice – after recording the first one, she realized the time had flown so quickly and that she needed to hear more from him! “I wasn’t even gonna have a show this week cause I got a busy, busy, busy schedule. But I knew I had to bring him back,” she explained during the second episode.
Her show and others like it are documenting history for Greater Kalamazoo, recording the lives of people who are here now, lived experiences and wisdoms that may have otherwise been unheard or forgotten.
David and Marvinetta spoke about a variety of topics, from David’s heritage and the background of his middle name, to his work as a concept artist. “I think you will be entertained and inspired by the second part of David’s interview,” Marvinetta wrote when publishing the episode.
Because of these interviews, David’s loved ones have a lasting video record of his story, in his own words. Something they can always look back on to hear him talk about skills he was passionate about, mentors that shaped the person he was, things he hoped for, all shared on Marvinetta’s show.
And community members will forever be able to look back on these episodes and learn from David’s joy, independence, and self-actualization even now that he is gone.
These local stories may seem small compared to the headlines across the world, but they matter deeply to this community. As Marvinetta says, “Your voice, your ideas, you as a person matter.”
I’m so grateful that we were able to hear David’s story, and I’m so grateful to the producers like Marvinetta who are preserving these stories for our community.
From his obituary: “David’s presence brought joy to all who knew him. His memory will continue to shine brightly in the lives of his family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to share in his journey.”
Watch David’s episodes here and here.
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