Slavery
Frederick Douglass biographer traces the rise of a legendary abolitionist and orator
David Blight's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography traced Douglass' path from slavery to abolitionist and inspired HBO's documentary, Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches. Originally broadcast in 2018.
'1619 Project' journalist says Black people shouldn't be an asterisk in U.S. history
As editor of the New York Times' 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones fought against the erasure of African American history. But there's also been a backlash by conservatives who have vowed to keep the 1619 Project out of classrooms — including threats that have been made against her personally.
How A Cotton Sack, Passed Down Over Generations, Tells A Larger Story About Slavery
In her new book, All That She Carried, historian Tiya Miles tells the story of an enslaved woman who, upon hearing her child was to be sold off, hastily packed her a bag with a few personal items.
Slavery Wasn't 'Long Ago': A Writer Exposes The Disconnect In How We Tell History
In his new book, How the Word Is Passed, Clint Smith visits eight places central to the history of slavery in America, including Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation and Louisiana's Angola prison, which was built on the site of a former plantation.
'On Juneteenth' Historian Examines The 'Hope' And 'Hostility' Toward Emancipation
Juneteenth celebrates the day slavery ended in Texas, June 19, 1865. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed studies the early American republic and the legacy of slavery.
'Underground Railroad' Director Barry Jenkins Sees Film As An 'Empathy Machine'
Director Barry Jenkin's new series is based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about an enslaved teenage girl who escapes from a brutal Georgia plantation. He says it was the most difficult undertakings of his career.
A Call For Reparations: How America Might Narrow The Racial Wealth Gap
Nikole Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for creating the 1619 project at The New York Times, which tracks the legacy of slavery. Her latest article for the Times Magazine, What is Owed, makes the case for economic reparations for Black Americans.
Rhiannon Giddens Sings Slave Narratives
Giddens' Freedom Highway is an exploration of African American experiences, accompanied by an instrument with its own uniquely African American story: the banjo. Originally broadcast May 11, 2017.
'Just Mercy' Attorney Asks U.S. To Reckon With Its Racist Past And Present
Bryan Stevenson has fought for racial justice within the justice system for over 20 years. His memoir Just Mercy has been adapted into a new film. Now Stevenson wants the U.S. to reckon with its racist past.
Ta-Nehisi Coates On Magic, Memory And The Underground Railroad
After writing three non-fiction books dealing with race and identity, and relaunching Marvel's black superhero series Black Panther, Ta-Nehisi Coates has written his first novel. Set during slave times, it re-imagines leaders of the underground railroad as having a magical power to help people out of slavery.