Education

Dr. Roy Casagranda Podcast

The Dr. Roy Casagranda Podcast is dedicated to unerasing the erased peoples of the world. Too often, history is written by the powerful, leaving entire communities, cultures, and truths out of the dominant narrative. This show seeks to tell those stories.

Through these conversations, Dr. Roy digs for the truth, weeds out misinformation, and challenges conventional wisdom. The conversations span politics, world history, philosophy, and culture, always with an eye toward justice and a deeper understanding of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are heading.

This is the official podcast of Dr. Roy Casagranda and Sekhmet Liminal Productions, FZCO.

Latest Episodes:

Office Hours: Iran-Israel Conflict Q&A Nov 11, 2026

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Genocide & Dreams: Iraq Feb 11, 2026

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Activism in the US: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Feb 04, 2026

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Cyrus The Great Jan 21, 2026

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Khalid ibn al-Walid: Profile of a Warrior Jan 14, 2026

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The Most Serene Republic of Venice Jan 07, 2026

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Grace and Tolerance in History: Toussaint Dec 17, 2025

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The Haitian Revolution was the most radical and unlikely uprising in the modern world. In this episode, Dr. Roy Casagranda traces the rise of Toussaint Louverture and the extraordinary transformation of Saint-Domingue from the richest slave colony on earth to a revolutionary force that challenged Europe’s greatest empires. Dr. Roy explores the brutality of the slave system, the brilliance of Toussaint’s leadership, and the imperial betrayals that shaped Haiti’s future.

Takeaways:

The Haitian Revolution emerged from one of the most brutal slave systems ever created, driven by European greed and racial hierarchy.
The colony of Saint-Domingue became immensely profitable through the exploitation of enslaved Africans, creating rigid class divisions among whites, free Blacks, mixed-race populations, and enslaved people.
Toussaint Louverture demonstrated extraordinary leadership defined by discipline, mercy, forgiveness, and long-term economic vision.
Toussaint consistently protected even former oppressors, believing stability required reconciliation rather than vengeance.
His decision to maintain plantations (without slavery) was an attempt to preserve economic viability and prevent imperial retaliation.
Napoleon’s racism, insecurity, and desire to restore slavery led to catastrophic betrayal, invasion, and genocide.
Haiti’s later struggles stem partly from France’s punitive actions, leadership fragmentation, and global isolation driven by fear of slave uprisings.
The Haitian Revolution remains one of history’s most extraordinary acts of liberation and one of its most sabotaged.

Resources & References:

Beyond the podcast:

Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video.
Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!

This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

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The Islamic Golden Age Dec 10, 2025

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Most histories of the Islamic Golden Age focus on its discoveries. But in this episode, Dr. Roy goes further back, tracing the long arc of Western civilization from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia to Greece, Rome, Persia, and the rise of Islam. He reveals how one Persian emperor’s decision to build a library, one Arab army’s humility in conquest, and one political revolution in Baghdad created the perfect conditions for philosophy, science, medicine, and mathematics to flourish. This episode reframes the Golden Age as a broader human achievement, shaped by cultural tolerance, intellectual curiosity, and the preservation of ancient knowledge.

Takeaways:

How early Egyptian and Mesopotamian innovations shaped the first age of Western civilization.
Why Rome’s destruction of the Great Library and suppression of philosophy created a centuries-long intellectual vacuum.
The astonishing story of Emperor Shapur I, the captured Roman legions, and the founding of Gunde-Shapur.
How Greek, Roman, Persian, Egyptian, Indian, and Chinese knowledge all converged in one extraordinary place.
Why the Arab conquest of Persia succeeded without destroying its intellectual legacy.
How the Abbasid Revolution shifted the empire’s cultural center of gravity toward Persian traditions of scholarship.
The creation of Baghdad’s House of Wisdom and its role in reviving Aristotle, Plato, and scientific inquiry.
The breakthroughs of scholars like Al-Kindi, Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn al-Haytham, and Ibn Sina across mathematics, optics, medicine, and astronomy.
How the Islamic Golden Age indirectly triggered the European Renaissance through Sicily, Venice, and Spain.
Why the future of civilization hinges on curiosity, tolerance, and our willingness to learn from the past.

Resources & References:

Beyond the podcast:

Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video.
Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!

This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

Support the show

Deconstructing Racism and Sexism in the Envisagement of Western Civilization Dec 03, 2025

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Masculinity Nov 19, 2025

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What does it mean to be a man? Dr. Roy takes listeners on a journey from the evolution of early humans to the social expectations placed on men today. Along the way, he explains how sexual reproduction shaped our species, why diverse personalities are essential, and how patriarchal systems emerged from warfare and historical accident, not biological destiny. He contrasts ancient egalitarian societies with patriarchal civilizations like Greece and Rome, highlights the intelligence and emotional depth of animals like killer whales and elephants, and debunks ideas like “alpha males” and the myth of male rationality versus female emotion. This episode reframes masculinity as compassion, stewardship, and community strength rather than dominance or suppression.

Takeaways:

Why sexual reproduction evolved and how genetic diversity shaped human personalities and community survival.
How the biology of pregnancy, birth, and menopause reveals the evolutionary importance of women as educators and wisdom-keepers.
Why humans evolved pair bonding and how bipedalism and big brains influenced gender dynamics.
The emotional and cognitive roles of the rational mind versus the subconscious mind.
How patriarchal societies emerged through warfare rather than natural biological hierarchy.
Examples of matrilineal and matrilocal societies, including the Apache and the Ura Sioux, that challenge modern assumptions about gender roles.
Why many ancient societies, including parts of Egypt and Persia, embraced women warriors and rulers.
The distortion of love and emotional intelligence in Western philosophy from Plato, Aristotle, and later thinkers.
The myth of the “alpha male” and how wolf research reveals a radically different model of leadership based on care, not dominance.
How kindness, compassion, and community uplift—not aggression—are the truest expressions of human strength.

Resources & References

Beyond the podcast: