The 21st Show

James McBride is a man of many talents: musician, screenwriter, and an award-winning author. His latest novel, “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” was a huge bestseller. He’s also written the memoir “The Color of Water,” about growing up in Brooklyn as one of twelve Black children raised by a white, Jewish mother. McBride will be featured as part of the Great Authors at the Library series Thursday...

Among the most famous episodes in the Civil War is General William Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” It split the Confederacy in half and helped bring about the end of the war. Less well known is that the march led to the emancipation of as many as 20,000 people who’d been enslaved. Although Sherman himself was quite racist, these men, women and children joined the march — effectively making up the re...

It's been one year since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting began winding down. That came after the Trump administration realized a longtime conservative goal of ending federal funding for public radio and television in America. Since then, hundreds of NPR, PBS and independent stations across America have been working to carry on. We'll check in with the leaders from three Illinois stations:...

It's been one year since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting began winding down. That came after the Trump administration realized a longtime conservative goal of ending federal funding for public radio and television in America. Since then, NPR has had buyouts and layoffs and programming changes, but CEO Katherine Maher says as difficult as that's been, she hopes it's not led to noticeable di...

The quinceañera is a rite of passage in Latina culture, marking the transition from girlhood to womanhood. It’s also the subject of a new book of essays about the tradition and its place in popular culture. We talked with the collection’s editors.

It’s been more than seven months since America and Israel escalated a decades-long conflict. We’ll talk with an Illinois-based Iranian-American scholar about the latest developments, and what the war means for the Middle East, America, and the world.

Collin Corbett was a Republican political consultant — until a few months ago. Now, he’s an independent candidate for governor. He joined us live for a conversation on Illinois politics and policy, and what it’s like campaigning outside the two-party system.

Composer Juri Seo was born in Korea, educated at the University of Illinois, and is now based at Princeton, in New Jersey. She returns to Illinois this week to premiere two new works.

There’s been a rare sighting of a mountain lion in southern Illinois. We’ll talk about how they and other apex predators end up here — and what it means.

A new book, “Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism," argues that the biggest threat to American democracy is coming from within, as political violence rises. Author and professor Robert Pape discusses what led to this increase in extremism in the U.S.

A decade ago, Pokémon Go sent Illinoisans into parks and parking lots … chasing virtual cartoon creatures with their phones. The craze faded, but the game and its most dedicated fans have kept on.

Representative Darin LaHood is campaigning for a sixth term representing Illinois’ 16th Congressional District. He defends his stance on tariffs and shares his views on what the U.S. has achieved so far in the conflict with Iran and outlines some proposals for legal immigration.

Born in raised in downstate Illinois, Archbishop Fulton Sheen reached millions and millions of Catholics through his radio and TV shows... Now, he’s a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

A new investigation from the Illinois Answers Project documents tens of thousands of incidents in county jails in recent years … from fires to escape attempts and deaths. Two of the reporters behind the years-long project discuss their findings.

Two years ago, software consultant Jim Marter ran against Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood in Illinois’ 14th House District. Marter lost that race and this year, he’s back again trying to flip the seat.

As we wrap up our trip across the 21st state’s portion of Route 66, we take a look at the tiny Village of Brooklyn, located on the cusp of the Mississippi River in the Metro East, just before Route 66 enters Missouri, to learn about the country’s first Black-majority town and the history that connects it to the Mother Road.

As we continue to tour across the 21st state’s portion of Route 66, we’re making a stop at the Ace Sign Museum in Springfield, which restores and collects signs of all kinds from Route 66’s past.

A book released earlier this year explores mob activity in the Prohibition era along Route 66 specifically through the lens of Benld, Illinois.

Atlanta, Illinois is the next stop on our Route 66 journey. The American Giants Museum restores iconic large size statues of figures in American culture.

A film made in Central Illinois is getting its big premiere. Vijay M. Rajan, writer and director of the psychological thriller “Dark Soul River" joins the program.

We continue our series reflecting on 100 years of Route 66 — particularly the 300-or-so miles of it that span the 21st state. However, Route 66 goes well beyond the borders of Illinois passing through Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, and California and this is the subject of a new film.

As we continue our journey on Route 66, we’re stopping in Bloomington-Normal to check out the McLean County Museum of History.

We continue our Route 66 journey heading southwest to the city of Joliet. Operating from 1858 through 2002, the Old Joliet Prison is now a tourist site. A local history expert takes the 21st Show through the prison highlighting its history and significance to the city.

Route 66, America’s most famous highway is turning 100 this year, and Illinois is bound up in more than 300 miles of its stories. To kick off our week-long series and begin our statewide journey, the 21st Show traveled to the start of Route 66, in the heart of downtown Chicago

Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Twenty-five years later, Illinoisans share stories of where they were and how the events of that day affected them.