Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship

250 American Firsts

History EN ↓ 1 episodes

From the country's first lunch counter to the first Olympic games on U.S. soil, hosts Margaret Talev and Ghael Fobes explore America's 250th anniversary through a series of unexpected firsts that shaped the country in ways nobody saw coming. Some are famous. Some should be. All of them tell us something about who we were — and who we're becoming. This podcast was produced by Syracuse University's Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship in Washington, D.C. with the generous support of the Hearst Foundations. Album art was created by Abbey Locker and edited by Ingrid Cleveland.

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Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship

Episodes

The Lunch Counter That Welcomed Everyone: Inside Ben's Chili Bowl - 250 American Firsts 03.07.2026 35:51

Before it was a stop on every politician's D.C. itinerary, Ben's Chili Bowl was a family restaurant on U Street with a half-smoke, a chili dog, and a jukebox. Nizam Ali — son of founders Ben and Virginia Ali — grew up snapping frozen sausage links for $2 a day, years before he understood what his parents' restaurant meant to Washington. Opened in 1958 in the heart of "Black Broadw...