#1352 Racism In America, The Last 160 Years, Explained

Air Date: 6–10-2020

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Today we take a look at the long arc of racism in America as a primer for many of the topics it would be good for you to be acquainted with as we live through yet another convulsive societal awakening regarding racism and police abuse in our country. If you only ever share one episode of this podcast with friends, family or another else, make it this one.

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Confederacy - @LastWeekTonight with @iamjohnoliver - Air Date 10-09-17

Confederate symbols are still celebrated despite the ugly history they symbolize. John Oliver suggests some representations of southern pride that involve less racism and more Stephen Colbert.

Ch. 2: History of Slaveowners Receiving Reparations with DeRay, Sam, Brittany and Clint - Pod Save the People - Air Date 4-23-19

Discussing the New York Times story: When Slaveowners Got Reparations

Ch. 3: 40 Acres and A Mule, Today with Brian Balogh and William Darity - BackStory - Air Date 5-24-19

“40 acres and a mule” promised ex-slave families 40 acres of tillable land on the southeastern coast. However, after many families had settled on the land, the policy was reversed and the area was reinstated to white farmers and former slave owners.

Ch. 4: The history of the raising of Civil War monuments - @offkiltershow - Air Date 8-18-17

Jeremy Slevin speaks with Professor Kirk Savage, an author and expert on civil war monuments, to discuss the troubling history of these monuments.

Ch. 5: As Confederate Monuments Come Down, the Struggle Continues - On the Media - Air Date 5-26-17

Bob talks with Malcolm Suber, a historian and co-founder of the group Take 'Em Down NOLA, about the significance of removing monuments to white supremacy, and the work that still remains to be done.

Ch. 6: Bryan Stevenson wants us to confront racial terrorism and then say, Never again. Part 1 - Cape Up - Air Date 4-24-18

“We can’t go on. We cannot pretend that something really destructive, something really corruptive happened when communities came to celebrate this kind of violence. We have to talk about it. We have to acknowledge the wrongfulness of it.”

Ch. 7: Study On The Impact Of Nazi Propaganda - @TheYoungTurks - Air Date 06-19-15

Cenk Uygur discusses the power of propaganda. A study has been released which looked into the effect of Nazi propaganda on Germany, particularly it's long-term impact.

Ch. 8: Bryan Stevenson wants us to confront racial terrorism and then say, Never again. Part 2 - Cape Up - Air Date 4-24-18

“We can’t go on. We cannot pretend that something really destructive, something really corruptive happened when communities came to celebrate this kind of violence. We have to talk about it. We have to acknowledge the wrongfulness of it.”

Ch. 9: The Great Migration - @DecodeDC - Air Date 5-14-15

Isabel Wilkerson spent 15 years researching and writing her book, “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” The book is the story of nearly 6 million African Americans who migrated out of the South.

Ch. 10: A Dream Remembered? How we came to revere MLK - @Making_Contact - Air Date 1-17-17

Gary Younge, author of “The Speech” talks about Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and the story behind it.

Ch. 11: MLK What They Won't Teach In School - News Beat - Air Date 1-8-18

We take an alternative look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, examining how the civil rights icon was so much more than simply the “I Have a Dream” soundbite.

Ch. 12: Michelle Alexander on The New Jim Crow - Leid Stories - Air Date 8-26-15

Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, discusses in a presentation at the University of Tennessee the policies that produced mass incarceration.

Ch. 13: The True Origins of the War on Drugs - News Beat - Air Date 8-9-17

One trillion dollars. That’s how much the United States has spent in the last 40 years on the war on drugs. Currently, more than 450,000 Americans are imprisoned for drug offenses—up from 40,000 in 1980.

Ch. 14: Racism vs Prejudice - Kat Blaque - Air Date 10-5-14

Ch. 15: Responding to the black-on-black-crime talking point - About Race - Air Date 9-1-15

Ch. 16: A More Beautiful & Terrible History The Whitewashing & Distortion of Rosa Parks and MLK_s Legacies - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 02-06-18

Professor Jeanne Theoharis’s new book is titled “A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History.” It shows how the legacy of the civil rights movement has been distorted and whitewashed for public consumption.

Ch. 17: When Is the Right Time for Black People to Protest? - The Daily Show - Air Date 9-25-17

Trevor unpacks the backlash that NFL players, Stevie Wonder and ESPN commentator Jemele Hill received after speaking out against racism.

Ch. 18: How whiteness distorts our democracy, with Eddie Glaude Jr. - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 4-4-19

Glaude is the chair of Princeton University’s department of African American studies, the president of the American Academy of Religion, and the author of the powerful book Democracy in Black.

Ch. 19: Why We Riot The language of the unheard - NewsBeat - Air Date 12-18-17

MLK, Jr. once referred to “riots” as the “language of the unheard.” The reasons for such rebellions are myriad: political, social & cultural.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Derailed - The Depot
  • The Envelope - Aeronaut
  • Beast on the Soil - Desert Orchard
  • The Cast and Favor - Bayou Birds
  • Waltz and Fury - Macrame
  • Landon Depot - The Depot
  • Inessential - Bayou Birds
  • Rafter - Speakeasy
  • Midday - Pecan Grove
  • Chrome and Wax - Ray Catcher
  • Around Plastic Card Tables - Desert Orchard
  • Turning to You - Landsman Duets
  • Turning on the Lights - Speakeasy
  • Line Etching - Marble Run
  • Insatiable Toad - Origami
  • The Coil Winds - Vacant Distillery
  • Curio - Vacant Distillery
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Showing 1 reaction

  • Gayna Hoffman
    commented 2020-07-12 14:28:57 -0400
    This is a great, informative, segment on some key aspects of racism. I learned things that seem obvious now that they were put in the perspective of history. This episode should be shared widely. Thank you!
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