Posts Tagged ‘History’
The “After Life” of Covid
What Should Come After Covid? Drs. Keri Leigh Merritt and Yohuru Williams discuss important research and reflection about what happened in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book’s authors document and analyze the effects of the pandemic in ways inspired by the writers who documented American life during the Great Depression. Perhaps most…
Read MoreIke “Every Gun That is Made…Signifies…a Theft from Those Who Hunger and Are Not Fed…” Quote or No Quote?
It’s one of the most commonly posted quotes on social media and the internet in general. It’s also one of the longest and most substantial quotes posted on these platforms that, after all, cater mainly to very short attention spans. And it’s one of the most important peacenik quotes of the 20th century. Yet, unlike…
Read MoreIncome Tax and Inequality in US History – Encore!
Income Tax and Inequality in US History Income tax is a troubling issue in American politics and history. We explain its long history, and delve into the even more complicated history of how personal income tax has related to the question of equality and inequality in US society. Professor Nash tells us how the American…
Read MoreCulture: the Story of Us from Cave Art to K-Pop
The Essentials That Make Culture What it Is, and Has Been Dr. Martin Puchner joins us to talk about his new book, Culture: the Story of Us from Cave Art to K-Pop. It’s a very important discussion about some of the crucial elements in creating culture: “storage,” “circulation,” and “mixture.” We talk about lots of…
Read MoreRegina 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 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…
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