Rebel Spirit

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Latest Episodes:

Episode 10: The Flags We Plant Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

In our final episode of Season 2, Akilah reflects on the journey of replacing the Jefferson Davis statue in the Kentucky State House and everything she has learned along the way through incredible conversations with our guests. Sometimes the journey has been slow and frustrating, but it has been exceedingly worth the effort. Even if progress takes time, plant the flag. You don't have to be the one who sees it fly.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by me, Akilah Hughes. I’m also the host and Executive Producer.

Produced and written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to all our guests this season.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.

And be sure to check out our website, where you can also buy merch, rebelspiritpodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 9: You Can't Hide History Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Still slightly reeling from last week's revelations, Akilah takes a step back to look more broadly at the role monuments play in telling our country's full history. Through a conversation with Hamza Walker, director of The Brick and co-curator of 'Monuments' - an exhibit in Los Angeles that displays decommissioned monuments, many of them Confederate, alongside modern works of art - Akilah learns more about the ways we view monuments and how that can shape their value in telling the truth about history.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by me, Akilah Hughes. I’m also the host and Executive Producer.

Produced and written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guest this episode, Hamza Walker.

Reporting from The President's House in Philadelphia by Helen Ubinas.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.

And be sure to check out our website, where you can also buy merch, rebelspiritpodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 8: Son Of A Mitch Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

After a shocking new development in her efforts to replace the Jefferson Davis statue in the Kentucky State Capitol, Akilah learns you sometimes have to be careful what you wish for.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by me, Akilah Hughes. I’m also the host and Executive Producer.

Produced and written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guests this episode, Jamelle Bouie and Joe Sonka.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.

And be sure to check out our website, where you can also buy merch, rebelspiritpodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 7: The Daughters Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Throughout this season Akilah has spoken with many people - historians, politicians, journalists, artists, designers - and in every conversation one name keeps coming up. The Daughters of the Confederacy. So in today's episode, Akilah is taking a closer look.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guest this episode Rivka Maizlish and Karen Cox.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 6: Killing Dead Confederates Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Historian and retired Brigadier General Ty Seidule speaks with Akilah about his experience as vice chair of the Congressional Naming Commission which was tasked with redesignating Department of Defense assets that honor Confederates. And how he continues with his efforts to shout down the Confederacy despite a continuing backslide fueled by the current administration.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guest this episode Ty Seidule.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 5: Oh, Shenandoah Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

This week, Akilah takes a close look at Shenandoah County, Virginia, where one of the more public fights over Confederate iconography has been playing out over the past few years. In 2020, two schools in Shenandoah County named after Confederate generals were changed to Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School. However, the racists fought to change the names back. Incredibly, the students took up the challenge. Akilah speaks with a local journalist and a lawyer representing the students in this legal battle to get a full scope of what it takes to defeat the Confederacy...again.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Email read voice performance by Niccole Thurman.

Special thanks to our guests this episode, Clyde McGrady, Nate Kline, Ty Seidule and Kaitlin Banner.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 4: Erasing History Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Akilah welcomes Clint Smith, a writer who extensively covers race in America and has been cataloguing the dismantling of Confederate monuments and memorials since 2017. He and Akilah discuss the work required to help this country become the version of itself that was promised.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guests this episode, Paul Farber and Clint Smith.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 3: Making Monuments Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

After deciding on a replacement monument she wants to advocate for, Akilah dives deep into what it takes to actually get a new monument in place. Through conversations with monument makers and preservationists, she starts to build her plan.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guests this episode, Paul Farber and Nekisha Durett.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 2: The Rotunda May 26, 2026

Show notes

Akilah narrows her aim at an empty corner of the Kentucky State House where a Jefferson Davis monument once stood. She tries to chase down Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear who advocated for the removal of the Jefferson Davis monument and comes up with what might be the perfect option to replace it.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guests this episode, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky State Senator Chris McDaniel.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1: Back To Work May 19, 2026

Show notes

In our Season Two premiere, Akilah catches up on the latest from her hometown of Florence, Kentucky as she begins to explore how the same Confederate legacy she challenged locally is resurging across America. Through conversations with a couple familiar voices from Season One, she lays out how mascots and monuments are directly tied to the present political moment, and why the fight over who gets remembered is far from over.

Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.

Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer.

Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.

Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen.

Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.

Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett.

Special thanks to our guests this episode, Hillary Delaney and Amber Hoffman.

If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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