The Persistence

In the 1980s, America was sold a picture of recovery: morning light, trimmed lawns, rising confidence, and a country ready to feel good again. But recovery has a frame. And outside that frame, people were already being asked to survive what the official story refused to see. This episode of The Persistence looks at Reagan-era America, ACT UP, the community care networks, and the AIDS crisis as it...

What do you do when the system publicly breaks in front of everyone… and then just keeps going? In the early 1970s, America looked like it was restoring order. The protests of the 1960s had fractured public trust, televised violence had exposed deep cracks in American institutions, and “law and order” politics promised stability in return. But the conflict never disappeared. It just changed locati...

The late 1960s were supposed to be proof that things were working. Civil rights legislation had passed. The language of progress was everywhere. On paper, it looked like the system had responded. But on the ground? That story didn’t hold. This episode explores the turning point of the 1960s civil rights movement, where protests, policing, and public trust in American institutions began to shift. F...

In this episode of The Persistence , Angélica Cordero examines the breaking point of the 1960s, when the promises of the Civil Rights Movement collided with the reality of the Vietnam War, political violence, and a growing crisis of trust in American institutions. By the mid-1960s, landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act suggested progress. But on the ground, racial inequality, police viole...

In this minisode of The Persistence , Angélica Cordero takes a hard look at the phrase “If you see something, say something” and what it’s really taught us about staying quiet, staying safe, and staying out of it. From civic culture to everyday behavior, this episode breaks down how silence often gets framed as maturity or common sense—when in reality, it can protect power and delay change. Throug...

In this episode of The Persistence , Angélica Cordero traces how some of the most consequential changes in history didn’t begin with explosions or speeches, but with stillness. Opening with a personal memory of watching Jurassic Park alongside her grandmother (who always knew exactly when someone was about to make a terrible decision), Cordero draws a sharp line between moments we recognize as obv...

Christmas is often sold as a season of arrival and perfection, but its oldest stories tell something very different. In this episode of The Persistence , Angélica Cordero explores how modern Christmas imagery, from Santa’s familiar red suit to the feeling that the holiday should look a certain way, was shaped by 20th-century culture, then peels back the gloss to examine Christmas as a story of mov...

The latest episode of The Persistence opens with a very relatable childhood crisis: that first moment when a story you believed your whole life suddenly unravels. Host Angélica Cordero uses this myth-busting moment as a bridge into a larger cultural awakening, tracing how early 20th-century art movements like Dada, Neo-Dada, Judson Dance Theater, and Fluxus began shredding America’s shiny narrativ...

Finding the perfect theme song is almost impossible, until you stumble on Folds Band’s “Don’t Kid Yourself, Baby,” a funk-infused tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer, the civil rights legend who could turn a microphone into a movement. Band member Seth Moskowitz discovered her fire-breathing 1969 speech from the Vietnam Moratorium at UC Berkeley, and the rest is soul-shaking history. Hamer didn’t just fig...

When does paying attention become a form of protest? In this episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero sits down with Bob Hotard , a UX designer who turned his skill for human-centered design into real-world activism. From building safe spaces for tough conversations inside AT&T to marching for justice in the streets, Bob’s journey proves that making change doesn’t always require a megaph...

What do Cold War witch hunts and old-school fables have in common? In this episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero connects The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Emperor’s New Clothes to America’s Red Scare, exposing how paranoia and denial fueled McCarthyism. With humor and insight, Angélica revisits the stories of Paul Robeson, Dorothy Parker, and Hazel Scott, brilliant artists and activists...

The 1950s sold us smiling housewives, white picket fences, and tidy sitcom kitchens. But behind the canned laughter? Millions of women were juggling two jobs. One at home, one on the clock…and still getting shortchanged. In this episode of The Persistence , host Angelica Cordero pulls back the curtain on post–World War II America. From union women taking on GE and Westinghouse, to Black garment wo...

Drag in uniform? Believe it. In this episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero uncovers the hidden world where World War II soldiers swapped rifles for wigs and turned the battlefield into a stage. From Irving Berlin’s hit This Is the Army to all-soldier revues that broke barriers of race, gender, and sexuality, these performances reveal how the military used theater to boost morale and h...

Forget Rosie the Riveter’s flex. In this episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero flips the script on the usual WWII girl-power narrative and digs into the real story of the women who didn’t just roll up their sleeves—they reprogrammed the whole damn machine. From scrubbing floors and working fields to leading strikes, staffing factories, and forcing entire industries to modernize, these...

In Episode Nine of The Persistence , Angélica Cordero connects today’s personal and societal headaches to the messy fight for progress throughout history. She zeroes in on Margaret Sanger, the birth control trailblazer whose game-changing fight for reproductive rights is forever complicated by her ties to the eugenics movement. It’s a story that proves people, like history, are rarely tidy, and pr...

In this compelling episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero explores the idea of life as a never-ending performance, where each of us plays multiple roles to meet expectations, navigate pressures, and make sense of our identities. With her signature wit and insight, Angélica draws a vibrant parallel between our everyday performances and the dazzling world of 1920s queer nightlife during...

In this thought-provoking episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero dives into the theme of growth through struggle. Using Henry Kissinger's controversial legacy as a backdrop, Angélica explores the idea that brilliance is born from pressure and challenges. The episode delves into historical and personal anecdotes, highlighting the importance of conflict in storytelling and real life. Wit...

History is in motion, shaped by relentless activism and collective action. This episode reflects on the turbulence of late 2024 into early 2025, drawing a powerful analogy between life and a chaotic road trip. Rather than rushing ahead blindly, it’s a time to pause, reassess, and plan. Change isn’t inevitable—it’s made by those willing to fight for it. From Senator Cory Booker’s 25-hour filibuster...

What keeps progress alive when the odds feel impossible? In this episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero unravels stories of bold resilience that have shaped history—from Enheduanna, the first-known author who wielded her words to assert power, to Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, an unapologetic celebration of women’s achievements. Along the way, we explore how oral traditions and colle...

In this episode, host Angélica Cordero takes a deep dive into the ominous origins of the Atlantic slave trade, beginning with Prince Henry the Navigator's arrival of enslaved Africans in Portugal in 1444. The narrative then shifts to Gomes Eannes de Azurara, Henry's chronicler, who struggles with the horrifying reality of human suffering he witnesses. Fast forward to the turbulent history of women...

This episode offers a guided meditation to help listeners release tension and find equilibrium. The narrative inspires courage to face uncertain futures, emphasizing the importance of small, consistent steps and the shared strength drawn from historical figures who persevered through challenges. The episode encourages recognizing one's part in a larger story and moving forward despite uncertaintie...

In this episode, host Angélica Cordero takes us on a personal visit to the birthplace of the U.S. women's rights movement in Seneca Falls, where over 300 men and women gathered in 1848. They boldly outlined their grievances in the Declaration of Sentiments, calling out gender inequalities enshrined in law and society. The constitution's inspiration from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and their matr...

Host Angélica Cordero gets real about a delay in releasing episode 5 due to illness, but rather than leaving listeners empty-handed, she shares some reflections on resilience. Inspired by a recent trip to Monterrey, Mexico, and the symbolic power of Jesús Contreras’ sculpture Malgré Tout , she mixes personal stories with historical insight. Cordero recounts her time in Monterrey and Santiago, touc...

In Episode 4 of The Persistence podcast, Angélica Cordero delves into the complexities of historical research, including biases, gaps, and the laborious efforts of preserving and interpreting sources. She touches on personal anecdotes, the overlooked roles of marginalized groups, and how figures like Olympe de Gouges and Olaudah Equiano fought against inequality. The episode also covers the Haitia...

In Episode 3 of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero takes listeners on an insightful journey, connecting historical dots through a playful version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Using the game, she connects the dots between historical figures, events, and objects, revealing how seemingly unrelated moments have shaped our world today. From childhood memories of watching Disney’s The Three Cabal...