Conversations with Kenyatta

Send us Fan Mail Long before the Freedom Riders and around the same time as Rosa Parks, Sarah Keys Evans , a young Black Army private, refused to surrender her seat on an interstate bus. Her courage led to a landmark legal victory that helped dismantle segregation in interstate travel, yet her story has remained largely absent from history books. In this episode, Kenyatta sits down with author Amy...

Send us Fan Mail What if one of the biggest assumptions we make about slavery during the Civil War is incomplete? In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta sits down with historian Robert Colby to discuss his groundbreaking research on slave trading during the Civil War and his book, An Unholy Traffic . Together, they unpack how the domestic slave trade continued even during wartim...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when forgotten histories, erased communities, and family stories collide? In this episode, Kenyatta sits down with journalist and author Caleb Gayle for a fascinating conversation about historical erasure, Black migration, Indigenous identity, genealogy, and the stories that shape how we understand America. Together, they explore Caleb’s acclaimed books Black Moses: A...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a passing reference in graduate school turns into a decades-long archival investigation? In this episode, classicist Michele Ronnick shares the remarkable scholarly detective story that led her to recover the life and legacy of William Sanders Scarborough , a formerly enslaved scholar who became one of the most important Black classicists in American history. Beg...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Debra Britt , founder of the National Black Doll Museum , shares her powerful personal journey and the story behind her life’s work preserving Black history and identity through dolls. Debra describes how her passion began in childhood when her grandmother helped her create her first Black doll — a moment that sparked a lifelong mis...

Send us Fan Mail Exploring the Life and Legacy of Charles W. Chesnutt Guest: Dr. Tess Chakkalakal Host: Kenyatta D. Berry In this episode, Kenyatta D. Berry speaks with Dr. Tess Chakkalakal, a scholar of nineteenth-century African American and American literature, about her new book A Matter of Complexion: The Life and Fictions of Charles W. Chesnutt . Together, they explore Chesnutt’s remarkable...

Send us Fan Mail In this relaunch episode of Conversations with Kenyatta, host Kenyatta D. Berry and producer Caitlin Howle introduce the podcast’s powerful new direction—spotlighting stories systematically erased from history and amplifying marginalized voices. Drawing on her extensive research and her own family history as a descendant of enslaved individuals, Kenyatta shares the inspiration beh...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Conversation with Kenyatta , host Kenyatta D. Berry welcomes back author Gail Lukasik to discuss her latest book, What They Never Told Us: True Stories of Family Secrets and Hidden Identities Revealed .  Gail shares poignant and often heart-wrenching stories from the book, including tales of individuals discovering their true parentage and racial identities, and...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta, Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow remembers the past 75 episodes of her podcast through a retrospective interview - that looks at her favorite guests, as well as examines what she wants for the future of her show.  Conversations with Kenyatta  features Kenyatta D. Berry. Mus...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry speaks with historian Dr. Edward L. Ayers about social history, digital archives, and the importance of making the American past more participatory and accessible. Ayers reflects on growing up in Kingsport, Tennessee , and how discovering the field of social history shaped his approach to studying the American Sout...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta - Kenyatta D. Berry interviews Dr. Marcia Chatelain, a historian and professor who recently transitioned from Georgetown University to the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Chatelain discusses her profound journey from a childhood love of reading to her career in history and teaching. She examines the backlash against teaching accurate...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , host Kenyatta D. Berry sits down with historian and author W. Caleb McDaniel to explore the fascinating intersection of history, storytelling, and the enduring quest for justice. McDaniel, an award-winning author and professor at Rice University, shares insights into his journey as a historian, author, the impact of influential teac...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta, Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow   talks with historian and author Dylan C. Penningroth about his background, upbringing, and his journey towards becoming a historian.   Penningroth shares insights from his book Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights&...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow is joined by Daniel Brook, author and Historian. Kenyatta and Daniel explore the unique civil rights histories of Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana. The conversation delves into why Charleston and New Orleans diverged from other Southern cities during the Ci...

Send us Fan Mail  In this week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta -Kenyatta D. Berry, host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow and author of The Family Tree Toolkit - is joined by Steve Luxenberg, author and associate Editor of the Washington Post. Steve's story is fascinating - as an adult, he found that his mother had kept a family secret - that she had a sister who was committed to...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta - Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow is joined by Dr. Manisha Sinha, who shares her journey from India to the United States to study and teach US  history. This interview delves into Dr. Sinha's perspective on slavery, enslaved individuals, and talks about her...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry author of The Family Tree Toolkit   and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow is joined by Victor Luckerson, an author and journalist. Victor and Kenyatta talk about his love of research and his new book Built from the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa's Greenwood District, America's Black Wall Street. He also talks...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry, host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow , and author of The Family Tree Toolkit is joined by Rachel J. Webster, a professor of creative writing, and author of Benjamin Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations of an American Family .  The two discuss what it means to find that you descend from a famous individu...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow is joined by Pulitzer Prize Winner, author, and historian, Dr. Jefferson Cowie. The two discuss his latest book Freedom's Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power , which won the Pulitzer Prize in History, his...

Send us Fan Mail This week on  Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry, host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow and author of The Family Tree Toolkit is joined by author and historian Gregory May. The two discuss his work and his books and research for his latest -  A Madman’s Will which tells the story of one of the largest and most controversial private emancipations in United States histor...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta, Kenyatta is joined by Dr. Lynn Hudson, historian and professor. The two discuss the immigration of Black individuals because of Jim Crow,  Black inidivudals and the Klu Klux Klan in Los Angeles, and O'Day Short.  Conversations with Kenyatta  features Kenyatta D. Berry. Music for episodes 1-76 is "Good Vibe"...

Send us Fan Mail On today's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry, host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow , and author of The Family Tree Toolkit is joined by Cassandra Newby-Alexander, an author and historian whose contributions to history have helped pilot some of the most important research on Black individuals, and the enslaved, as well as extensive work in the state of...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow is joined by Sarah Allen, an author, journalist, and executive producer of Showtime's #STAND documentary, where the two met and collaborated.  This episode looks at the behind-the-scenes of Sarah's career, and how she has...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Conversations with Kenyatta , Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit , and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow is joined by KB Barcomb. The two discuss military records, military history, and how WWI and WII can aid in the lens of discovering family history. ABOUT KB BARCOMB -  KB Barcomb specializes in conducting WWI and WWII research through the lens...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of Conversations with Kenyatta, Kenyatta D. Berry, author of The Family Tree Toolkit and host of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow  is joined by Alec Ferretti, professional genealogist and board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.  The two discuss Freedom of Information Act Records, what Alec does for his own family history, and how he ca...