Charlie Campbell

Charlie, Sarah, and Jayne

Sarah: It’s a beautiful, sunny afternoon following yesterday’s snow. Our strawberries are in full bloom. With Charlie fully vaccinated and me mustering through the side

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Janeth

Janeth Ceballos Osorio, MD, FAAP “Hola Amigos y Vecinos. I am a physician, an educator, a Hispanic woman, an immigrant. I was born and raised

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Mizari

Mizari Esmeralda Suárez: “Mizari Suárez is neighborly! I’ve never considered myself an activist, and although I’ve had individuals think and label me as an activist,

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Preeti with Piku

Preeti Gupta works as a Realtor for Lifstyl Real Estate. She is a co-owner of Housewarmings and is one of the organizers of Veg Fest

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Huajing

Dr. Huajing Maske, Executive Director, University of Kentucky Confucius Institute; Executive Director, University of Kentucky Office of China Initiatives. “I grew up in rural China

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Marilyn

Marilyn Dishman was the first African American Commissioner for Fayette County. She became a member of the Board of Elections in June 2016 and is

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Seema

Dr. Seema Capoor is a physician, surgeon and associate professor in cornea and external diseases in the Department of Ophthalmology at UK HealthCare. “As an

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Srimati

Srimati Basu is Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and Anthropology, and a member of the Committee on Social Theory at the University of Kentucky.

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Suvas and Nima

Nirmala S. Desai, MD Nima: “I went to medical school in Baroda, which is in the Western part of India, about 250 miles North of

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Isabel with Benni

Isabel Taylor: “My background is in international business law. I moved to KY in 2004 and am startled to realize I’ve been Lexington Fayette Urban

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Mae

Mae Suramek is a reformed non-profit administrator turned social entrepreneur. She has worked as a human rights investigator in Kentucky and North Carolina, alumni director

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Patrick and Keiko

Dr. Keiko Tanaka is Professor of Rural Sociology and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Community & Leadership Development in the Department of Community & Leadership

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Renee

Renee Shaw was born in Portland, TN, and is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, with a B.A. in political science and broadcast journalism (1994)

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Nadia

Nadia Rasheed, M.D. Born and raised in New York City, Nadia Rasheed completed medical school in Baghdad, Iraq in 1983. She was evacuated from Kuwait

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Will

Will: “Well, my passion for kombucha came to me when I moved to California in 2015. I drank a bottle every day till I moved

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Brigit

Brigit Truex is a Lexington-based artist and poet. Brigit: “How to be a writer/artist during the epidemic?This almost-year of basic ‘hermitage’ has been an extraordinary

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Michael and Erin

Erin Robinson is co-owner of Not Your Ordinary Vegan. Narrative from original post: Not Your Ordinary Vegan is a dedicated vegan cafe that serves an

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Sean, Kadyn, and Tia

Tia Edwards is co-owner of Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co. Narrative from original post: In 2017 Sean Edwards, a Lexington, Kentucky, native set out to open

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Etel

Etel Wagner is Chef/Owner of Bayleaf Diaspora Kitchen Narrative from original post: Etel: “As far back as my college days, cooking for others and seeing

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Tiffany

Tiffany El-Amin: “I am a farmer in Appalachian Kentucky. I farm herbs and other flowers and plants for pollinators conservation that we have in our

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Raelyn and Ryan

Raelyn: “I started baking sourdough bread as a challenge and a way to give my body healthier, more easily digestible breads. As a person with

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April

April Taylor is a local leader of the LPD Accountability movement and a co-founder of the Wild Fig Worker Co-operative. She has been doing grassroots

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Chester

Chester: “The global outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter movement has shown us clearly that protests do work! Though I would never diminish

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Devine

Devine: “To me, ‘Black Lives Matter’ isn’t an organization or even a movement. To me, it’s a way of life! Saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ is

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Saburah

Saburah El-Amin is the co-founder, backbone, and lead community organizer for the SHARE Center in Lexington, KY. Her experience and activism in the Central Kentucky

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Kenzie

Kenzie Green: “I’m a regular participant in the Black Lives Matter and LPD accountability protests in Lexington. In my hometown, Mount Sterling, KY, I’m an

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Raaziq

“I used to think #BlackLivesMatter received too much hype. I remember thinking to myself, Why are we making such a big deal about this hashtag?

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Jessica

Jessica McAlpin is a Lexington-based artist and owner of Verie Nice Art. Jessica: “Verie Nice Art is a sort of all-encompass name for what I

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A woman in a gray tank top stands on a front porch featuring Fall decorations and a small American flag.

Caroline

Caroline: “My name is Caroline and I suffer from anxiety and severe depression. I just want to start by saying to others that deal with

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An older woman sits in a garden in a wooden rocking chair next to an antique water pump.

Shannon

“I have the gift of perspective, endowed simply by my time spent on earth. I am 65 years old. I see lives lost, mourned forever

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A woman with long dark hair parted to one side sits barefoot stooped on a limestone fence in front of a green brick building with hanging abtract painted panels.

Riley

Riley: “four years ago this week, my twin brother overdosed in the shower and almost died. it had been a long time coming. since our

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A man with shortm unkempt hair stands in a green and blue flannel shirt next to a blonde woman in a thin yellow sweater on a porch while a tan dog peeking through the rails.

Ryan and Jennifer with Blue

Jennifer: Blue Valentine It was a divine intervention. That’s the only way I can describe it. The realization of what happened left me stunned, leaving

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A young woman with purple hair and glasses sits on a brick front-porch railing in a striped shirt.

Brandy

“Hi, friends. My name is Brandy. I am an artist/educator, self proclaimed do-gooder, lover of people, communities, and stories. I am a daughter, sister, and

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Sarah

Sarah Williams, BSN, MA, Community Activist, Civic Change Agent, one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter protests in Lexington, Co-Founder of Peoples Blueprint

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A man and woman stand closely together wearing University of Kentucky athletic wear next to a grave decorated with flowers.

Adrian and Callie

Callie: “My older son Averi struggled with depression because of a bone disease. He hurt a lot. On the day he passed away, he had

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A woman with neat, blonde and pink bangs is seated on a concrete apartment entryway beside a young man with neatly combed hair and Van Dyke style facial hair.

Hannah and David

Hannah: “When I first took a Percocet, I was mostly ignorant about the opioid crisis. As a teenager, I had done my fair share of

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A woman is seated on a concrete garden bench beside a porch wearing a bun and a dusty pink woven sweater.

Stephanie

Stephanie: “Mia wasn’t the first person I knew who died from drug-related complications. But she was the major one that impacted my life. She died

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A woman with long wavy hair in distressed jeans and white high tops is seated on a brick stoop.

Jeane Anne

Jean Anne: “I am from Ashland, Kentucky. It borders West Virginia. I heard about a lady in Huntington that found a dead body of someone

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A young man in sunglasses is seated on a front porch in a colorful tee shirt and high yellow socks.

Clay

Clay: “I have been expecting a phone call from my hometown since quarantine began. Even if the pandemic wasn’t surging through the United States and

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Andres

Andrés: “Living on my own during the pandemia: What certainly has been a hard time, this period has actually been a time of personal rebuilding,

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Carmen

Carmen: “Living alone during COVID-19 has turned out to be really renewing. I used to never be at home and it was hard at first.

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Patrick

Patrick: “I don’t see how the pandemic has affected my living alone. I still work. I still shop for food. But I have a health

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Sandy

Sandy: “I am lucky because I work in a place that’s an essential service. Our office is locked and there is a glass in the

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Javier

Javier: “It’s been a bit depressing at times. I consider myself strong. I read a lot of Nietzsche. I used to go to the gym

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Prashanth

Prashanth: “Living by myself in the rectory during COVID hasn’t been a big difference. But saying Mass and doing adoration by myself—that was different. For

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A bald middle-aged man sits in a merogold aphostlered chair wearing a tee shirt and thin glasses, holding a potted plant and green glassware.

Bo

“As a theatre teacher and artist, I produce six shows in a typical year: three at Sayre School (where I teach theatre to grades 7-12)

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An older man dressed in a yellow, red, and black camo-patterned shirt and a red billed cap sits cross-ledded in a garden between two orange traffic cones.

Bob

“What has it been living by myself during the pandemic? I turned to art. I decided to do portraits of people I love and miss.

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Lionel

Lionel: “The beginning of the ‘stay at home’ period was a good time to re-read La Peste (The Plague) by my countryman Albert Camus. Written

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Anna

Anna: “Living alone during a pandemic and a quarantine can be an up and down rollercoaster of self-care and self-destruction. I think I have fared

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Chris

Chris: “The biggest challenge for me doing this work has been overcoming people’s understandable apprehension of people showing up at their door. Some are afraid

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Marissa

Marissa: “I know there’re a lot of mixed feelings surrounding the Census, especially with the contested citizenship question posed earlier in the year. Even though

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Jeff

Jeff: “I took this job for the fun and adventure of it. To get out in the outdoors, in the community, and to meet people.

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Roscoe, Cassie, and Edie

Cassie: “‘You are required by law to respond to the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau estimates that completing the interview will take 10 minutes on

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Deidra

Dr. Deidra Dennie is Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Transylvania University. She was recently appointed to the Affordable Housing Commission in Lexington by

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Johnnie With Roger

Johnnie Johnson is Vice President for Admissions at Transylvania University Johnnie: “We’re going to remember 2020 like our parents remember the ‘60s. 2020 is the

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Becky and Melissa

Rebecca Thomas is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Transylvania University Becky: “So what is it like to start a job as dean

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Kevin

Kevin is a singer-songwriter who performs solo, in addition to playing keyboards in the British pop-rock cover band The Twiggenburys and in his band Dr.

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Scott and Carrie

Scott plays bass for Letters of Acceptance and also does solo recordings/shows under his own name. He also plays with a variety of other projects

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A bald man with thin glasses and a purple and white patterned shirt holds an clarinet while seated on the concrete entryway steps of a brick home surrounded by lush plants.

Chase

Chase is the Director of MusicWorks. He is also a freelance teacher and runs a clarinet studio. Chase: “How are things during the pandemic? There

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Jim and Nancy

Jim is Professor of Percussion at the University of Kentucky. He is the principal percussionist for the Lexington Philharmonic. He is a drummer with the

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Tyler and Kristen

Tyler: “With the cancellation of all live music performances and rehearsals, I found myself not playing or writing music for the first time in 12

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Connie and Lee With Bodhi

The bands that Lee leads are C The Beat (world music) and Lee Carroll’s Ethos Quintet (original jazz, Latin, R&B). He is also a founding

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Zach and Allison

Allison: “How are we doing? We find this time to be filled with lots of stress because of all the unknowns. Coming out of a

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A tattooed young woman with short hair stands in a garden holding an acoustic guitar while a young woman with long brown hair crouches among purple flowers.

Tree and Grace

Tree plays for Small Batch. Tree: “It’s been very lonely. Playing music with other musicians is a huge part of my life and has been

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Keith

Keith sings with the American Spiritual Ensemble. Keith: “During this time of chaos and uncertainty, it’s even more obvious that music calms and soothes the

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Gabriela

Gabriela: “I feel like I’m almost in an abusive relationship with DACA—where I’ll be so grateful, so happy to have it, but know deep down

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Two women with long dark hair, one with bangs are seated on a front porch among wooden furniture. One sits with legs crossed while the other drapes her right hand across her knee.

Echo and Emily

Emily Woxihara performs with Ancient Warfare and is the drummer for Bear Medicine. She also performs solo as Emily Hagihara. Narrative from original post: Both

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Big Chill (2)

Big Chill performs with Driftwood Gypsy. Big Chill: “Don’t stop playing music. Don’t stop creating. Open up to other people. Right now I am starting

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Big Chill

Big Chill performs with Driftwood Gypsy. Big Chill: “I mask out of love. I love myself and I love the people who’re around me.”

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A middle aged man with round glasses stands in front of a brick home with two children, (left) a young girl in braids and pink pajamas and a boy (right) in a blue tee shirt with his arms crossed.

Deedee, Ryan, and Asher

“It is a deep mystery to live here in this imperfect place. On a summer night, with fireflies in the yard and bats overhead, the

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Monica

“Hello, my name is Monica Martinez and I have been living in the USA since I was 6. I go to Midway University to pursue

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Reva and andrew

“This time is one of the strangest we’ve lived through. It’s easy to lose heart, to be afraid to hope. Farming steadies us. No matter

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A lavishly dressed person in drag queen attire (a pink dress, cape, tiara, and detailed make up) stands on the concrete stoop of a brick home.

Uma

Uma: “Pride is more than just a weekend or even a month out of a year. I can’t help but celebrate Pride all year long.

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Petty and Shady

Shady: “As I stand at the entrance of my home, adorned in intricate crystal jewels and enveloped in a custom violet sequin gown, I feel

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Kristina With Lucie

“During the first semester of my final year of law school, I worked as a student attorney in my school’s immigration law clinic. Even though

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Bryan With Ozzy

“My name is Bryan and I am from Mexico and I am 24 years old. I have lived in the United States for 21 years

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Jenna

Jenna: “As I reflect on Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, I can’t help but think of Aimee Stephens who was fired 7 years ago for transitioning

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A man with a guitar and woman with a violin stand in neatly pressed Mariachi garb on the concrete driveway of an apartment complex.

Genaro and Sandy

Genaro: “Being a mariachi musician in Kentucky has been a unique experience. Where I come from, Mexican culture is everywhere. Everyone speaks Spanish and mariachi

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Sandy

“When I started my career as a mariachi musician 10 years ago I never thought I’d be doing what I love most in the state

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Genaro

“Being a mariachi musician in Kentucky has been a unique experience. Where I come from, Mexican culture is everywhere. Everyone speaks Spanish and mariachi and

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A man in a white button up shirt and jeans is seated on wooden stairs with his fingers woven. A garden hose is unrolled on the concrete driveway behind him.

Whit

Whit Whitaker is the Executive Director of the Lyric Theater. He is an independent concert soloist and frequently performs with the Kentucky Bach Choir, The

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