Seizing Freedom

Latest Episodes:

Reconstructing Family Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

How freed people sought out their kin following emancipation, and how they worked to establish new lives with their families, pushing for recognition in the eyes of the law.

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Interview: Abigail Cooper Feb 15, 2021

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Conversation with Abigail Cooper about the communities that Black people established in Civil War refugee camps, how they celebrated their African traditions and how they had to adapt to survive in the American patriarchy.

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A Bedrock For Freedom Feb 08, 2021

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How freedom wasn't as clear-cut as wartime refugees from slavery expected, and how— despite terrible conditions in many camps—Black people's desire for self-determination kept them going.

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Interview: Crystal Feimster Feb 04, 2021

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Interview with historian Crystal Feimster about the importance of digging into archives and disrupting the myth that the Civil War and Reconstruction are histories that belong to white men.

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A Powerful Black Hand Feb 01, 2021

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How Black men and women fought to participate in the war against slavery, and how the Union’s decision to allow them to enlist shifted the tide of the Civil War.

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Spotlight: Ambrose Headen Feb 01, 2021

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Follow the incredible journey of Ambrose Headen, a man born into slavery who eventually played a pivotal role in founding one of the nation’s first Black colleges.

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Spotlight: Cyntha Nickols Feb 01, 2021

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African Americans had to go to extraordinary lengths in order to be reunited with their families after emancipation, including this grandmother’s struggle to gain custody of her grandson.

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Spotlight: Susie King Taylor Feb 01, 2021

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A deeper look into the life of Susie King Taylor, who pursued her vision of freedom for herself, her family and for future generations.

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Intro: Time For A New Story Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

If you’ve heard stories about Reconstruction, you’ve probably heard that it failed. And sure, some parts of Reconstruction did fail—but not because Black people didn’t claim their freedom.

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Seizing Freedom: Official Trailer Jan 18, 2021

Show notes

In most history classes, you learn that the Emancipation Proclamation and Union victories “freed the slaves.” But ending slavery in America required so much more than battlefield victories or even official declarations. Black people battled for their own freedom, taking incredible risks for a country that had actively denied their right to it. After the Civil War, they made freedom real by organizing for equality and justice during Reconstruction.

On Seizing Freedom, you’ll hear stories of freedom taking and freedom making directly from the people who did both. Using stories selected from diaries, newspapers, letters, and speeches, we’ll take you straight to the sources of lived experience. Through them, you’ll hear voices from American history that have been muted time and time again.

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