Black Jonestown

In this episode, host and Jonestown survivor Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with Sikivu Hutchinson to explore what drew so many Black families to the San Francisco area during the 1970s — and the deep sense of hope that the Peoples Temple represented for the Black community. Together, Leslie and Sikivu unpack the social and political climate of the era: the search for racial equality, economic opp...

Before Jonestown became a tragedy the world could no longer ignore, someone was already watching. In this episode, host and Jonestown survivor Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with David Reuben, Special Investigator with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. David Reuben shares how he became involved in the investigation, what drew law enforcement's attention to Jim Jones and his org...

In this powerful episode, survivor and Host Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with Jack Colbert, a former member of People's Temple, for an intimate and unflinching conversation about what it meant to grow up inside of a movement that weaponized hope against the very people it claimed to serve. Jack opens up about his childhood within the Temple — the community, the faith, and the sense of belong...

In this episode of Black Jonestown, we trace the ideological blueprint that shaped Jim Jones long before Jonestown existed. Episode 4 examines Jones’s formative influences—specifically his ties to William Branham, a controversial revivalist whose theology, healing theatrics, and authoritarian control methods helped model how spiritual authority could be performed, protected, and monetized. We then...

Episode 3 of Black Jonestown centers the voice of Janet Shular, the oldest known surviving former member of People’s Temple, as she reflects on her life, her time within the movement, and the experiences that shaped her understanding of faith, community, and survival.

In Episode 3 of Black Jonestown, we sit down with Janet Shular, the longest living former Peoples Temple, member as she shares her journey in her own words. An educated, accomplished professional in early childhood education, Janet joined Peoples Temple believing it was a place where her gifts could serve children and build community. And for a time, it was. But as the cracks began to show, Janet...

In Episode 2 of Black Jonestown, Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with Nancy Shaw — a woman whose family was forever changed by the promises and deceptions of Jim Jones. Nancy opens her heart about losing her mother, who died believing Jones would heal her, and her grandmother, who perished in Jonestown. Through honesty, pain, and clarity, she brings forward a story few have ever heard directly from...

In our very first episode of Black Jonestown , we begin with the voices behind the mission. I’m Leslie Wagner Wilson —one of the nine people who escaped Jonestown on November 18, 1978. For decades, others have told our story for us. This podcast changes that. “Who We Are” introduces the storytellers, survivors, researchers, and descendants whose lives were shaped by Peoples Temple and Jonestown. W...

Welcome to Black Jonestown. My name is Leslie Wagner Wilson , also known as Leslie Cathey —and I am one of the nine people who escaped Jonestown, Guyana on November 18, 1978. On that horrific day, I lost my mother, Inez, 50 years old; my sister, Michelle, 24; my brother, Mark, 16; my nephew, Daron, 1 year old; my niece, Dawnyell, 4 years old; and many others I had grown up with since I was thirtee...