This month we highlight storyteller Jim May’s stories about a former slave named John Henry and Holocaust survivor Lisa Derman. While neither are still living, their stories beg to be shared again and again. In them, we can find small but powerful truths about what it means to do the right thing.

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Jim May, a storyteller who speaks in a disarmingly simple, matter-of-fact style, tells original stories of growing up in the rural farming, all-white town of Spring Grove, Illinois. His stories, both humorous and touching, range from coming-of-age German-Catholic experiences to horse trading tales and memories of family life. For children, he offers stories from traditional sources and a variety of cultures, in an effort to emphasize the wisdom of great tales that have been handed down from one generation to the next.

That practice of handing down stories from one generation to the next is especially poignant in his stories of John Henry, a former slave who found a welcoming home in a small Illinois town, and Lisa Derman, a resistance fighter and Holocaust survivor.

“John Henry” focuses on the stories May’s family and neighbors told about the former slave from Tennessee who found work, respect, and some kind of home in Spring Grove. Their memories, however, also reveal a sense of loneliness that must have been a part of John Henry’s life in this rural community. As May seeks out his grave stone at the cemetery, he discovers a small but powerful symbol of remembrance, and hope for America’s racial future.

In “Lisa Derman,” May highlights the life story of the Holocaust survivor and Illinois patriot whose own words had the power to move people toward action, justice and peace.

Derman once said, “I might not be here much longer, but my story must go on.” And while neither she nor John Henry are still living, their stories can and should be kept alive. They offer reminders of history that some would like to forget, along with hope for the future and encouragement to do the right thing.

“John Henry.” Jim May recounts his community’s experience with former Tennessee slave John Henry, and how, in a small red plastic flower on a grave stone, May feels the power of remembrance and promise for America’s racial soul.

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“Lisa Derman.” In this quietly powerful story, Jim May shares the call to action issued by Holocaust survivor Lisa Derman: “At some point, all of you will have to stand up and do what is right.”

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