logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
46m 41s

Throughline Presents: White Lies

NPR
About this episode
It all started with a photograph. A photograph from 1991 of a prison takeover in rural Alabama. A photograph of a group of men on the roof of that prison holding a bedsheet scrawled with a message: "Pray for us." In the first episode of the new season of White Lies, hosts Chip Brantley and Andrew Beck Grace go searching for answers to the questions raised by this photograph. Who were these men? What on earth had made them want to take over that prison? And what became of them after? As they search, they uncover a sprawling story: a mass exodus across the sea, a secret list, and the betrayal at the heart of this country's ideals. This week, we're bringing you an episode of White Lies, a series by NPR's documentary podcast Embedded, which unearths the stories behind the headlines.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Oct 9
A History of Hamas
With peace talks once again underway between Israel and Hamas, and hopes again growing for a permanent ceasefire, we’re bringing you our episode on the origins of Hamas: where it came from, how its influence grew, and what it represents. Next week, our episode on Benjamin Netanya ... Show More
50m 13s
Oct 2
From the Frontlines
Journalism is under unprecedented threat worldwide. At least 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza alone since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel; the Committee to Protect Journalists says it’s the deadliest conflict for journalists the group has ever documented. ... Show More
51m 44s
Sep 30
Throughline Sleeps
Life can be tough. Every day brings new challenges. And in order to get through the waking hours we need rest. Good quality sleep. In this bonus episode, a companion to our episode "The Way We Dream," we offer you a 30-minute audio journey into the deep. A smooth trip into the pl ... Show More
30 m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
White Lies: The Men on the Roof
It all started with a photograph. A photograph from 1991 of a prison takeover in rural Alabama. A photograph of a group of men on the roof of that prison holding a bedsheet scrawled with a message: "Pray for us." In the first episode of the new season of White Lies, hosts Chip Br ... Show More
46m 18s
Jan 2023
The Men on the Roof
It all started with a photograph. A photograph from 1991 of a prison takeover in rural Alabama. A photograph of a group of men on the roof of that prison holding a bedsheet scrawled with a message: "Pray for us." In the first episode of the new season of White Lies, hosts Chip Br ... Show More
45m 5s
Jan 2023
Season 2: Trailer
In 1991, a group of men took over a federal prison in rural Alabama. But these men weren't prisoners, they were immigration detainees, all of them from Cuba. And none of them were serving time for a sentence; they were being indefinitely detained. Who were these men? What in the ... Show More
3m 17s
Jul 2022
America's Serial Killer Family
When the Bender family disappeared from Labette county, Kansas, in 1873, they left a dozen bodies buried in the garden of their home. But who were they? Who were their victims? And why did people take bricks from their well as souvenirs? Today Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined b ... Show More
40m 20s
Sep 2020
Hindsight: The Trailer
Ever wonder what history’s most famous and infamous people would say if you asked them for their side of the story? Now you can. In a new docudrama podcast from Al Jazeera, actor Charles Dance plays our narrator, navigating the lives of some of the world’s most memorable figures. ... Show More
1m 35s
Jun 2023
The Paramedics
As recently as 1965, if you had a medical emergency, the people who showed up at your door would be volunteer firefighters, police officers, or undertakers with a hearse. Today, the story of how a group of Black men from Pittsburgh changed that. Kevin Hazzard’s book is American S ... Show More
53m 11s
May 2019
Cynthia Payne Pt. 1: The Madam
In 1978, police closed in on a clandestine brothel located in a quiet, humble home in London. The ensuing trial of the brothel’s madam, Cynthia Payne, called into question everything the straitlaced British culture believed about sex work. Parcasters - Did you catch our most rece ... Show More
44m 14s
May 2022
Six Impossible Episodes: Prison Breaks
Dramatic prison escapes often have some common themes -- they often include a lot of tunneling. Here are six highly ingenious and low-violence prison breaks from history.  Research: "Warriors, witches and damn rebel bitches: The Scotswomen who stood their ground." Herald [Glasgow ... Show More
39m 27s