Coming HOME: The Keys To Resilience
Coming HOME: Re-Storying U.S. Digital Testimonial Project
”I come from a lot of people from Mississippi /Wisconsin area. I was born in Wisconsin, Kenosha, Wisconsin. I’ve always lived here in California. I have family in the military. I have a lot of African American-Jewish in me as well. And really, for heritage, I really think about how I was raised. I was the oldest of seven siblings. And I’ve just always been a very big loving black family.”
In our final portrait of the “Coming HOME: Re-Storying U.S.” digital series, we are honored to embark on an inspiring journey alongside Olivia McCormick from Temecula, California. Olivia talks about her unwavering resilence: from torned bibles to damaged cars, Olivia talks about her unwavering grip on the keys that keep her going admist the adversity.
What is your artifact of hertiage?
“For my heritage, we were normally raised Christian, which is what my artifact here is. It’s a Bible. I actually refurnished it, and it’s a little bit destroyed. But we’ve always been raised as a Christian family, I would go to church on Sundays, we’d have gospel all the time. My stepdad is a pastor. And it’s just a very big part of my life, how I was raised, how my mom was raised, how my grandfather was raised, and so on.
It was one of my first Bibles and I tried to fix it up because it completely broke. It’s a little still damaged, but I keep it because it’s one of those things that I’ve had for a long time. My grandma actually would tell me to put it under my bed when I had nightmares. So this was the very One. And then I have a little passages I’ve written and highlighted and so on…the Bible kind of represents one of the symbols of faith — and that’s just part of my heritage.”
What is your favorite passage?
“So the passage that’s really important to me is Isaiah 41-10. And it says, so ‘do not fear for I am with you do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’
This is important to me, because my stepdad gave it to me during a counseling session. And he said that I have a lot of anxiety and worry a lot. And often I need to take a step back into really just kind of let life flow in a way and in my religion, just give it to God as well. So I do not have to take everything into my own hands, I can always just let things be and kind of not stress out for every single thing.”
Who do you carry forward from your heritage?
“So really, all of the members of my family, my grandpa passed away in 2020. And he’s always been my biggest role model. He was always very wise. He didn’t even know how to read or write but he would memorize scriptures of the Bible and would teach it in church. I think for today, I will say that my mom would probably be someone that I carry on throughout my life because she’s the one who really raised me throughout every circumstance.She’s always been there. So I would carry on her legacy. And I would raise my children as she has done her but better. And I always think about my family as well.”
What is your artifact of healing?
“So this is the first car keys that I’ve had. It was a 2003 PT Cruiser from my grandma. And the car was a little bit messed up already. I went driving back to the school from home, and the steering wheel froze. And so I kind of Tokyo drifted into a wall, which was a very, very scary and dangerous, but very lucky accident. And because I had things growing up like depression, anxiety, there are like many thoughts you can have. And because of this near death experience, I kind of realized that my life is just like so much more. And I’ve learned a lot of things like gratefulness and just realize that I have a lot more that I can do from this experience. Even though I don’t have the car, I say that I still have the keys. And that’s because I can still do things in this world as well. So with healing, even though it was an unfortunate event and has spooked me a bit, I still am growing and learning and healing as well.”
How have you re-storied this experience artistically?
Wheels may be coming off
but we keep rolling
lights may tell you to stop
but at some point you keep going
can’t move too fast or else
siren start blazing
all this authority over my life
a fear to which I start shaking
Life is a highway that I stay avoiding
God take the wheel, I need better control and direction
Looking for a key to go ahead and start this journey
Anxiety gets the best of me, but I need to reach my destination
Even when I don’t have a car, I still carry the keys
Don’t just stop and choose to be roadkill because you’re in the streets
Keep going
An except from the poem “Keep Going” by Olivia McCormick
Have you re-story your painful experiences through art?
As the nation approaches its historic 250th anniversary in 2026, we embark on a profound digital storytelling journey — “Coming HOME: Re-Storying U.S.” Our mission is clear: to help people heal through remembrance. We’re dedicated to capturing 250 heartfelt stories by 250, documenting the vibrant tapestry of America’s past, present, and future. In this remarkable project, we celebrate the power of stories. Each narrative is a thread woven into the fabric of our shared history, reminding us of our resilience, our diversity, and our unity. Together, we explore the rich tapestry of heritage, healing, and hope. Join us on this transformative journey as we pave the road to America’s 250th anniversary, one story at a time. Follow us @conversationsbycourage on Instagram and TikTok.For information about Coming HOME: Restorying U.S., please contact Conversations By Courage.🌠🏡✨ #ComingHOMEseries #HealingThroughRemembrance #America250 #HeritageStories #HopefulFuture #DigitalStorytelling
Team Credits:
Featured Curator: Olivia McCormick
Michelle Kamau, M.A, Co-Creator, Photographer
David Brose, Co-Creator, Videographer
Victiashea (Tasha) Matthews Co-Creator, Facilitator