“Hi, my name is Sara, I’m a Junior and a communication major at Tulane University and you’re listening to WHIV LPFM New Orleans, 102.3. A socially just world to me is one in which all voices are not only heard but also respected.”
Last month I went to visit the WHIV radio station to learn and experience firsthand what is it like to work on a low power radio station. Along the way, I gave a station identification message, but even more importantly I got meet other people behind the microphone.
I met Sally Jackson, an exceptional transgender woman as well as the voice behind the segment, Expanding the Rainbow– a show on the LGBTQ experience. In the short time I spent with Sally, she taught me a deeper meaning of respect than I have ever understood in my life.
She explained the need for minority voices to not only be heard, but also to be impactful, valued and most importantly respected. The notion of respect came up often in the conversation we had. She made it clear the respect she feels from her listeners and the true impact she knows she is making on the greater New Orleans area by bringing such important topics and far too often unspoken about ones to the spotlight.
In her own words Sally stated: “I feel like I’m really accomplishing something.” She expressed how much she loves being able to talk about her own experience as a transgender woman as well as bring on guests to discuss their own. She knows she is respected by her audience because when she is out in public people often approach her to thank her for her service, the outlet she provides and the comfort she has given them in either making their transition or coming out to friends and family.
I am thankful for the time I was able to spend with Sally at the WHIV station. She is the reason I don’t just feel that minority voices need to be heard but that they also need to be respected.
Earthtalk: “Cool Roofs” for New Orleans
It’s hot outside, but it could be cooler! In this article, Brooke Theis explores Cool Roofs, an effective solution to the urban heat island effect that makes the New Orleans heat so unbearable. The author also explores inequalities in how people experience the environment from identity perspectives like race and class.
Big Chem-EZ: How can small Louisiana communities access clean drinking water after a hurricane?
When I went to visit the Pointe-au-Chien tribe after Hurricane Ida with my Service Learning class, I heard that one of the biggest challenges in the aftermath of the hurricane was finding enough drinking water, so in this article, I explore water purification methods: 1) when they are necessary, 2) how they work, and 3) if they really make your water safe to drink.
