Crossing The Divide

Rachel asked Qainat for some guidance on her reporting in Minnesota. Music credit: "Jettisoned" and "Flutterbee" by Podington Bear.

To continue Rachel's reporting on agricultural support programs for Somali Americans in MN, she followed a lead about a specific farmers' market in St. Paul, and Brittany tagged along to take photos. They didn't find what they needed for this reporting project, but the morning was a win for good food. Music credit: "Jettisoned" and "Flutterbee" by Podington Bear.

As the team transitioned to reporting in Minnesota, West Virginia Public Radio aired Rachel's industrial hemp story from eastern Kentucky. Music credit: "Jettisoned" by Podington Bear.

After the Narrative 4 Story Exchange at South High School in Minneapolis, MN, two of the student reporters showed Rachel the murals in the All Nations hallway and discussed their meaning. Music credit: "Jettisoned" by Podington Bear.

Somalia is the “land of poets,” a place where love, law, war and peace have been carried out in verse for centuries. This is a story of what happens when that tradition is driven far from the dry soil and open skies that inspire the poets’ metaphors. Two young Somali-American women in Boston are drawn together by poetry, and use it to connect with their grandmothers or ‘ayeeyo’ in Somalia. Explore photos and more

The team leaves La Crosse, WI, for the Twin Cities where the focus of the reporting will be on internal and external divides with the Somali American community. Music credit: "Jettisoned" by Podington Bear.

During Rachel's quest to find a quiet spot for recording, she visits the ornate St. Louis Public Library. Music credit: "Jettisoned" and "Going Forward, Looking Back" by Podington Bear.

The XtheDivide team left Pikeville, Kentucky, and made a pit stop at Mammoth Cave National Park. Turns out the world's longest cave was made into a national park due to the Kentucky Cave Wars. Music credit: "Jettisoned" by Podington Bear.

Rachel wanted some audio of children laughing and playing for one of her soundscape projects. But she struggled to find the right setting in which she did not feel intrusive. When should a reporter be bold, and when should she respect someone's privacy? Music credit: "Jettisoned" by Podington Bear. To learn more about our cross-country reporting trip, visit xthedivide.org.

As our reporting in Kentucky wraps up, XtheDivide's Brittany Greeson discusses the emotional drain of photojournalism with photographer and field producer Ben Brody. Music credit: "Jettisoned" by Podington Bear and "Drone Thistle" by Blue Dot Sessions.