Listen: Recently on Hey Amarillo May/June 2021

A resident of Canyon and employee of WTAMU, Peoples is known for her local activism, including the “Black is Beautiful” book project in February. In this episode, she shares about her upbringing, driving for Uber in Amarillo, and why uplifting the local community of Black residents in Amarillo and Canyon is so important to her. “What struck me in our conversation is how driven Deetress is by her desire to transform ugly cultural narratives about race,” Jason says. “From prejudices against Black teenage boys to the ongoing stereotypes about single moms, she’s investing in her community as a way to challenge those narratives.”

Besides being a tenured WT professor and talented artist whose art has been shown nationally, Revett is an expert on Robert Smithson’s Amarillo Ramp—a world-famous work of land art that’s practically unknown by locals. Revett speaks about his career path, the unique Amarillo art scene, and his connection to the complicated legacy of Stanley Marsh. “Amarillo Ramp fascinates me, not just as a piece of land art, but also for how limited the local awareness of it is,” Jason says about this conversation. “People literally travel here from all over the world to see it. But this was probably the first time most of my listeners had heard about it.”

Ndihokubwayo arrived in Texas after having grown up in a series of refugee camps in Tanzania. In this episode, he shares about his Burundi family and the culture shock they experienced upon coming to the United States. He tells Jason about how the “melting pot” of Palo Duro High School propelled him to pursue big dreams today, including the launch of his own clothing business, F8TH Industry. “A few months ago, the Amarillo High basketball team was playing a big rivalry game at Palo Duro. I remember looking across into the stands, and it felt like half the Palo Duro students were already wearing Aloni’s gear. That’s when I knew he was creating something really special,” Jason says.

When the pandemic shut down her massage therapy practice, Eggleston took advantage of the opportunity to educate herself on a unique new career path. Today, she serves as a death doula, a caregiving role in which she supports individuals who are facing terminal illnesses. “As Melanie describes it, the role of death doula isn’t bound to any one thing,” Jason says. “One week she can be helping a client tie up details with a funeral home or an estate attorney. The next week she might just provide emotional support and listen to her client tell stories from the past. It’s a fascinating, life-affirming career and that made this one of my favorite episodes of the year so far.”