81. The Story My Sister Told Me

81. The Story My Sister Told Me

From Sideways by BBC Radio 4

February 25, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

The episode explores the profound impact of a childhood story on Aqeela Sherrills' life amidst gang violence in Los Angeles.

It’s 5 pm, and 4-year-old Aqeela, his sister Londie, and three of their siblings scuttle under a tent they’ve made in the boys’ bedroom. It’s time for “The Story”. For weeks, they play out missions and tasks given by an old, wise Kung Fu master. Their mission? Save the world. It’s a story of responsibility, purpose and rewards. Years later, when Aqeela finds himself part of a gang war in South Los Angeles, ‘The Story’ comes back to him at the most unexpected moment, changing the course of his life. Throughout our whole existence, we hear and create stories. Some we forget immediately, others we keep with us forever. Matthew Syed looks at the impact one simple story can have on an individual - and sometimes many more. With former LA gang member and social activist Aqeela Sherrills; Elander (Londie) Sherrills-Hills; Professor of Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience Mary Helen Immordino-Yang from University of Southern California; and Marshall Duke, Professor of Psychology at Emory University, Atlanta. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio…

People in this episode

Host: Matthew Syed

Guests: Aqeela Sherrills, Elander (Londie) Sherrills-Hills

Topics covered

  • storytelling
  • gang culture
  • personal transformation
  • responsibility
  • social activism

Keywords

  • Aqeela Sherrills
  • gang war
  • storytelling
  • social activism
  • childhood memories

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Southern California, Emory University, BBC Radio 4

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