KUOW Special Reports
The Devil's Advocate of Washington Middle School: Chimuanya Okoro. Photo by Phyllis Fletcher.
Class of 2008
Thousands of students will graduate this year from schools in Washington State. As testing and graduation rates make the headlines, we pause to hear from some of the children behind the education numbers. Meet Rashard Brown, a graduate of the Renton School District; eighth–grader Chimuanya Okoro; sixth–grader Ossmar Zapata; and third–grader Marcelas Owens. They share their stories of overcoming loss, getting in trouble, cutting through the crowd, and looking ahead to the future as they graduate from schools in the Seattle area. We also get an update on the first Washington State high school class that must pass the WASL to graduate: the Class of 2008. Reported by KUOW's Phyllis Fletcher.
Class of 2008, reported by Phyllis Fletcher.
Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute, c.1908 (Courtesy Library of Congress)
Lost Sounds
It's a common belief that African American artists were excluded from the fledgling recording industry of the 1890s. In fact, black entertainers were pioneers of commercial recording. The audio collection Lost Sounds highlights African American contributions in the earliest days of recorded sound. Prototypes of distinctly American music styles — Gospel, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz and Rock and Roll — are all represented in these early recordings.
Lost Sounds, hosted and produced by Amanda Wilde.
Photo by Alwin Kruijt
Troubled Doctors: Addiction & Depression in Medicine
Statistics show that healthcare workers become addicted and depressed at the same rates as the general population. However, the fiduciary responsibility that a practitioner has to patients is paramount. There is no leeway for impairment when it comes to patient safety. With this in mind, a non–profit called the Washington Physicians Health Program has a mission to help depressed, alcoholic and drug addicted healthcare workers get into treatment. The program will then monitor and endorse a physician's recovery for five years after treatment. Forty–eight states have similar programs, but with a 75% success rate Washington state is considered one of the best. KUOW's Patricia Murphy explores physician addiction and depression in a three part series, Troubled Doctors: Addiction & Depression in Medicine.
Troubled Doctors, reported by Patricia Murphy, edited by Guy Nelson
