Struggle and Hope

Walks of Life by Kareem Rahma

In this podcast series, creator Kareem Rahma asks young people around the country to tell a story about their world. Instead of conducting interviews, though, Rahma sends recording equipment to each person and asks them to talk about their lives while walking through their neighborhood. They talk about whatever comes to mind – what they are struggling with and what they hope for the future. Most subjects are recently out of high school or college and are at pivotal stages of life. They discuss their identity, friendships, family, and professional life. As such, each episode is a vivid window into the lives of others: a trans woman finding herself abroad as she struggles with her transition; a biracial college student who is managing her racial identity; a man who has faced early job loss, self-sabotage, and the healing power of therapy; a scientist who quit her job to live out of her car to search for a new way to explore the world. For the subjects, the exercise is often therapeutic. For the audience, it can be an exercise in listening without judgment or without offering advice. As educators, we regularly interact with students not much younger than those on this podcast; Walks of Life is a rare opportunity to stay silent, to listen intently, and to learn.