Posts by Professor Buzzkill
Regina Twala – Woman Crush Wednesday
The life and career of a leading 20th-century southern African scholar and activist. Dr. Joel Cabrita tells us about Regina Twala, one of the most important intellectuals and activists of 20th-century South Africa and Eswatini. A leading writer, critic, and liberation leader in both countries, Twala’s life is too important to be ignored or suppressed…
Read MoreBlack Women’s Radical Activism in the Midwest during the Great Depression
The difficulties faced by African-American women from the south traveling north for work, and how they organized to push for change. Was the north the promised land for southern African-Americans during the Depression, or was it more complicated than that? Dr. Melissa Ford tells us how African American working-class women, many of whom had just…
Read MoreThe John Birch Society and Its Influence on American Politics
The John Birch Society is one of the most extreme right-wing groups in American history. It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding, growth, and impact on American life. We discuss his new book, “Birchers: How the John Birch…
Read MoreIrish Things that are Actually British – Throwback Thursday
It’s getting to be mid-March, and all good Buzzkillers’ minds turn towards things Irish. We have done shows before on St. Patrick and on the Irish Slaves Myth, which, of course, were quite serious and brought up important historical issues and themes. But this March we thought we’d be a little more light-hearted, yet probably…
Read MoreHenrietta Lacks – Woman Crush Wednesday!
You may think it odd that I’m about to give you a Woman Crush Wednesday episode on someone who’s had a best-selling book written about her, a highway in Maryland named after her, who is the subject of academic conferences and articles, who’s had a high school named in her honor, and has a small…
Read MoreThe Irish Slaves Myth
White supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” emaill has been unearthed and promoted heavily again during the St. Patrick’s season. It’s an abuse of history, as well as being…
Read MoreHalf American: African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad
Dr. Matthew Delmont explains the complicated and distressing history of African-American participation in World War II at home, and in the war theaters. Discrimination was rampant and inexcusable. African-Americans had to fight for the right to fight in the military. And war industry jobs were just as segregated (sometimes more so) than during peacetime. Episode…
Read MoreThe Nadir of African-American Life, 1865-1930
1865. The Civil War is over. Slavery has been abolished. The country is “reconstructing” itself. This should have meant that the lives of African-Americans improved during this period. But it didn’t. 1865-1930 is often called the “nadir of African-American life.” Not only did they gain very little economic or social benefit from the end of…
Read MoreThe “Free Market” – the Big Myth in Modern America
Professors Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway explain how and why Americans came to believe that the “free market” was not only natural, but also moral, and the highest form of human interaction. Their deep archival research shows how the rise of free market fundamentalism was artificially created by business elites, trade associations, and allies…
Read MoreInsurrection in Modern America: History and Myth
Dr. Kathleen Belew explains the history and myth behind insurrections in recent American history. She dismantles the “lone wolf” myth about political violence, as well as the myth of “it’s not who we are as Americans.” She shows us how insurrectionists have created their ideologies, promoted them through fiction and educational materials, and crafted organizational…
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