Archival

"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?” Frederick Douglass asked that question to the Ladies’ Antislavery Society in Rochester, New York on July 5, 1852. But why July 5th? The first Fifth of July public celebration in New York City happened in 1827, the year that New York legally abolished slavery. But in the lead up to the day, there were testy debates about how to mark emancipation t...

Why do so many of us know “This Land was Made for You and Me,” a song that Woody Guthrie wrote in February 1940 — more than 85 years ago? This classic folk song has permeated American culture so deeply and consistently across space and time — but why? Maybe it’s because of Guthrie’s distinct style and reputation for rambling. Or maybe it’s because the song originated as something of a diss track t...

Mitsuye Endo was horrified as she read about the attack on Pearl Harbor in the newspaper. Her mind immediately went to her brother who was serving in the US Army in the Pacific. Her next worry was her job and her own well being as she was fired from her job with the state of California and forcibly removed from her home and into one mass incarceration detention center after another. With the help...

Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's friendship spanned decades, and transitioned from "confrontation via typewriter" as acquaintances, to coordinated advocacy as associates, and ultimately to a genuine friendship full of care and support. Sometimes sisterhood is a journey, and these two traversed miles in terms of understanding and growth to get there. For more information, an...

Sisterhood is a balm, and Audre Lorde and Pat Parker enjoyed it's healing powers throughout their decades long friendship. A portion of their dynamic is captured in the archived letters between the two friends, and they contain a swirl of vulnerable moments, goofy delights, and nudges of tough love that only a close friend could deliver with next to no stinging sentiment in their delivery, or rece...

Diaries are deeply personal, unfiltered versions of their authors, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s diary from 1885-1887 reveals a young woman in transition. Having just moved from her hometown of Holly Springs, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee, Ida's diary paints a picture of her attempt to balance her need to earn a stable salary as a teacher with her desire to be a published writer. Her early exper...

Marion Marguerite Stokes bough her first videotape recorder in 1977. What started as casually recording her favorite shows, evolved into recording 24 hours of television everyday on six to eight tvs and video recorders in her Rittenhouse Square apartment for 30+ years. Her 70,000 plus tapes are a comprehensive television archives that document storytelling and media influence from crisis to crisis...

Explore the FBI’s efforts to surveil and impede members of the press through harassment and intimidation tactics from their fixation on Black newspapers and journalists in the 1940s, to President Richard Nixon’s “Enemies List” in the 1970s. Plus, learn about that time the FBI got robbed. For more information, and full transcripts, visit ArchivalPod.com Audio Credits: Music by Scott Buckley; PBS Do...

On this episode, we’re exploring a set of archives that I never even expected to dig into, and honestly, these archives were the most heartbreaking, and draining to sift through. I’m referring to the FBI Archives. And today we’re focused on the FBI archives related to Mississippi Burning — not the film, but the real investigation in 1964. Surprisingly, the FBI Archives reveal an unexpected story a...

Sometimes rest requires a change of scenery, and for for renown author James Baldwin that included sojourns to Switzerland, Turkey, and the South of France. Listen to part two of the rest archives to understand why Baldwin did not find rest Paris, and where he ultimately was able to experience silence and peace. Please note that there is a brief mention of suicide early in this episode. To see ima...

On this episode, we’re exploring rest and relaxation — two things that deserve a lot more time, energy, and focus in our day to day lives. I’m curious — how do you rest? Seeking inspiration, I started digging through the archives, and I found surprising and delightful examples of rest practiced by my favorite authors and leaders: Science Fiction Novelist Octavia Butler, Civil Rights Leader and Act...

Let’s continue our journey through family archives and the US Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis at Tuskegee through the lens of the “participants…” rather the unknowing subjects of the study. In this episode, I explore who the men were as people, what they meant to their families and their communities, and how they lived their lives. Special thanks to Joyce Tyson Christian for shar...

When Arzell Lester entered the CDC as a laborer in 1961, he had no way of knowing that his 25 year career would culminate in being appointed director of the health benefits program and approving the medical claims of the men subjected to the U.S. Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis at Tuskegee. Explore granddad's archives in this episode as he comes face to face with the infamous stu...

Welcome to Archival...where we're living in the past on purpose. For more information, visit ArchivalPod.com Credits: Music by Scott Buckley