© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KBIA’s Health & Wealth Desk covers the economy and health of rural and underserved communities in Missouri and beyond. The team produces a weekly radio segment, as well as in-depth features and regular blog posts. The reporting desk is funded by a grant from the University of Missouri, and the Missouri Foundation for Health.Contact the Health & Wealth desk.

My Life My Town: Go, Fight, Win

Alaysha Jefferson loves cheerleading at the Hallsville High School in Hallsville, Missouri. Living in a small town that has the population of 1,300 and without a car to drive around, Alaysha has a quiet life. She spends her time in classes, cheerleading practice, and doing homework at home.

Although she loves Hallsville, growing up as a racial minority is not always easy in this town that is 96% White and 1.5 % African American. Alaysha is learning how to deal with racial issues at the age of 15.

Producers Yi-Chin Lee and Emily Kaiser bring us Alaysha’s story, as part of KBIA and the Columbia Missourian’s My Life My Town project.

My Life, My Town: Go, Fight, Win from KBIA FM on Vimeo.

Stay tuned to KBIA to hear more stories like Alaysha’s in the coming weeks. You can also visit mylifemytown.org, where you can watch more than a dozen short documentaries on teenagers in rural areas.