James Baldwin believed that America has been lying to itself since its founding. An insightful commentator on Black identity, American democracy, and racism, he saw something deep and ugly and stubborn in American culture, and never hesitated to call it by its name — to bear witness, regardless of what it cost him. As the United States continues to reckon wi ... Show More
Jul 3
Does America Need a Hero?
Captain America: an all-American superhero. Clad in red, white, and blue, he carries only a shield. And he fights only when he must. When it's right.But what happens when what's right isn't so clear? And how does a comic book hero designed to represent America's values survive in ... Show More
51m 5s
Jun 29
Iran and the U.S., Part Three: Soleimani's Iran
The Iran-Iraq war, 9/11, and the story of Iranian Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani, from his rise to power, to his assassination, by the U.S., to the power his legacy wields now.This episode originally ran as Soleimani's Iran. You can find more of Throughline's covera ... Show More
45m 33s
Jan 2024
Great American Authors | The Enduring Message of James Baldwin | 7
In 1948, James Baldwin left for France, hoping to find an escape from the racism he experienced in America. But Baldwin returned to the U.S. frequently, to witness and write about the struggle of the Civil Rights movement. Today, Lindsay is joined by Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Pro ... Show More
38m 10s
Aug 2023
History of Ideas: James Baldwin
This week David discusses James Baldwin’s ‘Notes of a Native Son’ (1955), an essay that combines autobiography with a searing indictment of America’s racial politics. At its heart it tells the story of Baldwin’s relationship with his father, but it is also about fear, cruelty, vi ... Show More
54m 4s
Sep 2021
Ruth Rogers on James Baldwin
The chef and co-founder of The River Cafe, Ruth Rogers, picks the life of the writer and activist James Baldwin.
A writer, poet, playwright and activist, Baldwin was known as a trailblazing explorer of race, class and sexuality in America and the “literary voice of the Civil Righ ... Show More
27m 59s
Jun 2022
Two America's with Michael Harriot
Michael Harriot is an author, culture critic, and humorist. He is an “expert” on white people (aka a Wypipologist) and their behavior patterns and also coined the phrase, “invited to the cookout”. Harriot is the Senior Writer at TheRoot.com where he covers the intersection of ra ... Show More
50m 11s
Feb 2024
The Silver Rush Kings and the "Big Bonanza"
On this episode of Our American Stories, straight out of a Horatio Alger novel, the Silver Kings (John Mackay, James Fair, William O'Brien, and James Flood) epitomized the rags-to-riches American dream story. Roger McGrath tells the story of the richest mineral discovery in Ameri ... Show More
17m 58s