This powerful episode documents a year inside Harper High, where staff and students navigate life amid persistent gun violence, revealing the emotional toll, unspoken rules, and hard-won efforts to keep students safe and connected. To learn more, visit This American Life’s site.

In this follow-up story, Harper students and staff grapple with grief, loyalty, and daily threats of violence while Homecoming unfolds—offering a stark, humanizing look into the systemic struggles urban schools often silently endure. To continue learning more, visit This American Life’s site.