People's Historians Podcast

Latest Episodes:

One Hundred Years of High School Student Organizing Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our host, Jesse Hagopian speaks with historians Aaron G. Fountain Jr. and Jon N. Hale about student organizing and state repression. Fountain is the author of High School Students Unite!: Teen Activism, Education Reform, and FBI Surveillance in Postwar America and Hale is the author of A New Kind of Youth: Historically Black High Schools and Southern Student Activism, 1920–1975. Read about the event and find related resources.

Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea (with Marcus Rediker) May 05, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our host, Jesse Hagopian speaks with historian Marcus Rediker about his books Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea and The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic, and talks about the many enslaved people who fled successfully from the horrors of bondage in the antebellum South not by land but by sea. Read about the event and find related resources.

Until the Last Gun Is Silent (with Matthew Delmont) Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, Rethinking Schools executive director Cierra Kaler-Jones speaks with historian Matthew Delmont about his book, Until the Last Gun Is Silent: A Story of Patriotism, the Vietnam War, and the Fight to Save America’s Soul. Read about the event and find related resources.

On a MOVE: Repairing Histories of State Violence (with Mike Africa Jr. and Krystal Strong) Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our host, Jesse Hagopian speaks with activist Mike Africa Jr. and scholar Dr. Krystal Strong about the story of the MOVE organization, repairing histories of state violence, and the “On a MOVE” curriculum project in Philadelphia as a model for educators to develop local history curriculum in their school districts. Read about the event and find related resources.

Jarvis Givens on Black History Month Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our hosts Jesse Hagopian and Cierra Kaler-Jones speak with historian Jarvis Givens about his book, I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month. At a time when Black history is under attack, this book offers an inspiring vision for how it can still be a source of power, truth, and possibility. Read about the event and find related resources.

Black History Is for Everyone (with Brian Jones) Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our host, Jesse Hagopian speaks with educator Brian Jones about his book, Black History Is for Everyone, a look at how the study of Black history challenges our understanding of race, nation, and the stories we tell about who we are. Read about the event and find related resources.

Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, educator Jessica A. Rucker speaks with scholar Joshua Clark Davis about his book, Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back. Read about the event and find related resources.

King of the North: Part Two (with Jeanne Theoharis) Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, renowned civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill speaks with historian Jeanne Theoharis about her book, King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life of Struggle Outside the South. Read about the event and find related resources.

How the Word Is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped America Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our host, Jesse Hagopian and educator and Prentiss Charney Fellow Jessica Rucker speak with Clint Smith about the new young readers edition of How the Word Is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped America, which was adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul. Read about the event and find related resources.

Traveling Black: A Long Journey of Resistance with Mia Bay Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, from our series on Teach the Black Freedom Struggle, our host, Jesse Hagopian speaks with historian Mia Bay about her book Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance. Read about the event and find related resources.

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