African Americans
Daughter Of A Numbers Runner Witnessed An Underground Economy In Action
Growing up, Bridgett M. Davis' mother booked and banked bets from their home in Detroit. She writes the role of "the numbers" in the black community in her memoir. Originally broadcast Feb. 4, 2019.
'Fresh Air' Favorites: Toni Morrison
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. The Nobel Prize winner, who died in 2019, spoke about aging and regret in this 2015 interview.
'Fresh Air' Favorites: Carolina Chocolate Drops
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. The Durham, N.C.-based trio showcased their African American string music — with a modern twist — in '10.
No Longer Omar: Actor Michael K. Williams On Lucky Breaks And Letting Go
Nominated for an Emmy for his work in When They See Us, Williams made a name for himself playing memorable characters in shows like The Wire and The Night Of. Originally broadcast July 25, 2016.
'Fresh Air' Remembers Toni Morrison With 3 Conversations Over 4 Decades
The Nobel laureate died Monday at 88. Terry Gross talked with Morrison in 1987 after she wrote Beloved, in 1992 after she authored Jazz and in 2015 when she published God Help the Child.
Uncovering The Story Of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's 1st Black Sports Star
At the height of America's Jim Crow era, Taylor broke barriers by becoming the country's fastest and most famous cyclist. Michael Kranish tells his story in the new book, The World's Fastest Man.
'Fresh Air' Remembers 'Boyz N The Hood' Director John Singleton
Singleton, who died April 29, spoke to Fresh Air in 1991 about his semi-autobiographical movie, which centered on kids growing up surrounded by drug addiction and gang violence in South Central L.A.
From Slavery To 'American Wonder': Revisiting Frederick Douglass' Remarkable Life
Historian David Blight's new biography describes Douglass' escape from slavery, his passionate leadership in the abolitionist movement and his gift as a writer and orator.