BackStory
From the BackStory web site: “BackStory is a weekly podcast that uses current events in America to take a deep dive into our past.
Hosted by noted U.S. historians, each episode provides listeners with different perspectives on a particular theme or subject – giving you all sides to the story and then some.”
I produced segments and episodes of BackStory from 2014 to 2016. Here are some of the pieces I’m most proud of.
Disability rights advocates share their memories of the “504 sit-in,” in which a group of activists—many of them disabled—occupied the San Francisco Federal Building to demand civil rights protections for people with disabilities.
Author Mary Pilon brings you the story of Monopoly’s forgotten inventor, and explains how the original rules were meant to expose the ills of capitalism, not fetishize them.
I joined Ted Merwin at DGS deli in Dupont Circle, D.C. for a bite to eat — and some Jewish American history.
Scholar Ranjit Dighe explains how The Wizard of Oz is more than just a children’s story—it’s also a great way to make sense of the Populist movement.
A deep dive into the psychology behind “Inside Out,” a movie that reflects more than two centuries of research into the science of emotion.
In 1913, Alice Paul organized a peaceful parade and pageant that marched women down Pennsylvania Avenue, straight to the White House to demand the vote.
But it didn’t stay peaceful for long.
Comedians Azie Dungey and Jordan Black examine how history figures into their satirical web series Ask a Slave.
Scholar Su’ad Abdul Khabeer talks about Islam’s impact on hip-hop – and how hip-hop opened doors between different Muslim communities.
Historians Brett Mizelle and Catherine McNeur help tell the story of the thousands of free-range pigs who managed New York’s waste in the 1800s.
This audio was featured alongside a blog post I did for BackStory, in conjunction with our episode about the history of infrastructure in America. It’s a collection of oral histories about three significant New York City blackouts.
