Renegades: Born in the USA

Latest Episodes:

Introducing Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

If you loved Renegades, you can’t miss Higher Ground and Audible’s newest series, Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise.

Reconstruction was a time when Americans struggled over fundamental questions about our country. Who gets to be a citizen? Who has the right to vote? Who can own property? In short, who belongs? Best-selling author and host of Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell, guides us through this extraordinary moment in American history with help from former President Barack Obama. Together they explore why America has yet to make good on the promise of Reconstruction — and how it still might.

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Looking Towards American Renewal Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

President Obama and Bruce discuss the hope for American unification, they ask themselves what defines cultural appropriation, and Bruce shares memories from when he was writing "Born in the USA."

Archival clips courtesy of Sofa Entertainment, MLB, and Drew Associates' ´The Children Were Watching.´ Watch the whole documentary on the Criterion Channel.¨

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Fatherhood May 31, 2021

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President Obama and Bruce discuss starting their families, the feelings experienced when their children were born, and balancing fatherhood with their careers. They reflect on what they’ve learned from becoming fathers and husbands.

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Relationships with Our Fathers & Masculinity May 24, 2021

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President Obama and Bruce open up about their complicated relationships with their fathers, what it means to be a man, father figures, and role models.

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Money & the American Dream May 17, 2021

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President Obama and Bruce discuss the relationship between money and economic class, growing up with income inequality. They unpack what it meant to not be aware of your lack of economic privilege/wealth prior to a US economic and cultural shift in the 1980s.

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Traveling the U.S. & Finding Home May 10, 2021

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President Obama and Bruce Springsteen discuss the loss of American innocence during the 1960s. They relate on the romance of the open road when young Bruce traveled to see concerts and President Obama road-tripped across the US when he first visited the mainland. They discuss the moments when they settled down, faced domestication, and defined their definition of home.

Archival clips courtesy of NASA, Global Image Works, Warner Bros, The Library of Congress, Getty Images, Chicago Film Archives, National Archives, and Wyndham Resorts and Hotels. John Wayne used with the permission of John Wayne Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.johnwayne.com

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American Music May 03, 2021

Show notes

President Obama and Bruce sit down to talk popular music, their early musical influences and memories, and the inspiration behind Springsteen’s Broadway show. They share some of their favorite artists (think: Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, and more).

Archival clips courtesy of iHeartMedia, WETA, C-SPAN, and CBSNews.

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Race in the United States Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

President Obama and Bruce Springsteen discuss protest songs, reparations, and their relationships with John Lewis and Clarence Clemmons. They reflect on their early experiences with race and racism and the uncomfortable conversations we need to have.

Archival clips courtesy of C-SPAN and CBSNews.

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Our Unlikely Friendship Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen discuss how their friendship began. They share how race and racism in their hometowns defined their feelings of belonging and what it was like growing up as teenagers in the 1960s and 1970s. Bruce sings some of "My Hometown."

Archival clips courtesy of CBSNews, NBC Universal, British Pathé, and Huntley Film Archives.

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