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Every Community Has a Story: A Conversation on Storytelling with Public Historian Shae Corey

Author
Holley Snaith
Published
Wed 03 Sep 2025
Episode Link
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/holley-snaith/episodes/Every-Community-Has-a-Story-A-Conversation-on-Storytelling-with-Public-Historian-Shae-Corey-e38catn

Behind every neighborhood, there's a story waiting to be told—and someone brave enough to listen.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Shae Corey, a public historian, preservationist, and the creator of the Holy Local Podcast.

We talk about the role of oral history in capturing lived experience, the impact of spiritual activism on D.C. neighborhoods, and how Shae’s work blends archival research, public memory, and digital storytelling. From navigating perceptions around misunderstood communities to preserving the voices of everyday people, this episode explores how local histories can illuminate broader truths.

It’s a reflection on voice, place, and the power of community storytelling to reshape how we see the past—and the present.

Key Highlights

  • Shae's journey into public history and her light bulb moment in college.
  • The importance of personal and community histories in enriching broader narratives.
  • Insights into Shae’s podcast, The Holy Local, and its focus on the Church of the Saviour community.
  • The challenges and rewards of balancing archival research, lived experience, and digital storytelling.
  • Shae's upcoming PhD research on the role of nuns in providing social services in urban areas.

Shae Corey Biography

Shae Corey is a first-year PhD student in History at George Mason University. She received her Master’s in Public History from American University in 2022 and her B.S. in Education from Samford University in 2020.

For the past five years, she has lived and worked in Washington, D.C., where her research focuses on religious activism and its role in shaping the city’s 20th-century neighborhoods.

Shae’s Links

Books Recommended by Shae

  • Foul Bodies: Cleanliness in Early America by Kathleen M. Brown
    Amazon link

Holley’s Links

 

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