Leola Hampton and her older sister, Linda Starks-Walker, were just teenagers when they were bused from their predominantly Black neighborhood of Roxbury to the white, working-class area of South Boston in 1974. The court-ordered desegregation of Boston schools forced them into a high school environment marked by violent racism and deep hostility. For years, the trauma of that experience was so profound that the sisters never spoke about it—until now.
Award-winning short films
Living in a car at 72
New England Emmy Award winner
Gracie Award winner
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award winner
The big quit: Why I'm moving on
New England Emmy Award winner
Class of COVID: The story of 3 high school seniors during a pandemic
New England Emmy Award winner
National Education Writers Association Award winner
The long journey north: The forgotten story of the reverse freedom riders
NABJ Salute to Excellence nominee
Unseen: The boy victims of the sex trade
National Edward R. Murrow Award winner
The original old boys club: Women in politics in Massachusetts
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award winner
About me
I am a three-time New England Emmy Award-winning journalist, filmmaker and producer. I am a senior video producer at GBH News, where I have reported, filmed and edited short documentaries on topics ranging from women in local politics, to the Massachusetts housing crisis, to public education and immigration. My work has been honored with multiple regional Edward R. Murrow awards, a Gracie award and a national award from the Education Writers Association, among others. I am a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and Colby College.