Under the Radar with Callie Crossley

In 1993, "The Joy Luck Club" was a surprise hit. The poignant story featuring an all-Asian cast broke barriers at the box office. Would "The Joy Luck Club" inspire more stories drawn from the Asian American experience? No, as it turned out — it took 25 years before 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” another film featuring an all-Asian cast, became a breakout global hit. Last year, Asian representation go...

In the 1950s, most single, white middle-class women were expected to marry and raise a family — much like their mothers before them. But becoming a flight attendant, or a "stewardess" as they were referred to then, offered another kind of life for young women — a life of adventure. From GBH’s "American Experience" program, the new documentary "Fly with Me" showcases the firsthand accounts of the p...

Forty acres and a mule. That’s what was promised to thousands of the formerly enslaved in a post-Civil War nation. Since then, America has grappled with the idea of reparations for Black Americans. But in recent years, some cities, towns, and states have begun to consider — and move forward — with reparations as atonement for America’s cruel history of slavery. A new 7-part podcast from GBH News c...

Editor's note: This episode originally broadcast November 24, 2023. When the MacArthur Foundation named its class of 2023 “genius grant" fellows last month, the recipients joined an exclusive group of previous fellows who have demonstrated outstanding talent and leadership in their fields. Interdisciplinary scholar and writer Imani Perry is one of this year's MacArthur fellows. “I describe my work...

Editor's note: This episode originally broadcast on November 24, 2023. In 1973, Americans triumphed in a fashion smackdown that earned the country respect and admiration among critics worldwide. On that day 50 years ago, American and French designers went head-to-head in a creative competition dubbed the “ Battle of Versailles ." The fashion show was held at the historic Palace of Versailles, the...

Almost thirty years ago, President Bill Clinton formally declared the “President's Initiative on Race” with the goal of jumpstarting a national discussion about race. Arguably, there ended up being more conversation about the initiative than the actual discussions he’d hoped it would inspire. In 2016, former Boston mayor Marty Walsh ushered in a similar citywide race conversation . Last month, GBH...

The blood-soaked heritage of America’s enslavement of an estimated 10 million Africans is a fact. Yet some Americans refuse to recognize or openly discuss the communal inherited pain, shame and anger linked to that history. But conversations about this fraught history are happening, according to author and journalist Michele Norris' latest book, “Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Thi...

Florida bolsters its reputation as an anti-LGBTQ state with a new rule — trans residents can no longer update their driver’s license with their correct gender identity . Plus, a New Hampshire town manager stepped down after being harassed in an ongoing controversy about an LGBTQ art display. And the Massachusetts State Senate passed a bill to repeal several archaic sodomy and anti-trans laws. Thos...

Grace Elizabeth Hale grew up hearing that the real-life heroism of her grandfather mirrored the fictional courageous confrontation of Atticus Finch, the hero of " To Kill A Mockingbird." While she had been told her grandfather, a county sheriff in Mississippi had protected a Black man from a lynch mob, who then died in his custody the following day trying to escape — the facts showed a different s...

New Hampshire is not generally considered a beacon of Black culture, where the last census documented people of color to be just a fraction of the general population. But the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is working to prove how generations of Black Americans have informed both the Granite state’s — and the nation’s — history.  Under the Radar explores the trials and triumphs of Harriet Wi...

From the Oxford English to the Merriam-Webster, English language dictionaries are well established in the U.S. But the effort to create dictionaries of indigenous languages is growing, including a new one capturing Cape Verdean Creole. A local publisher is documenting the common tongue of the West African nation — and of many Greater Boston immigrants — in an English to Cape Verdean dictionary to...

Climate change has sparked a sharp rise in fires, floods and other natural calamities. Now, the Biden administration has directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to speed up victims' ability to get immediate monetary support through benefits including “ displacement assistance .” In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey has released the first round of funding for cities impacted by flood...

Whether you measure it by its politics, pubs or people, Boston's Irish heritage is unavoidable — but Ireland's northeastern neighbor is beginning to step out of its shadow. From bagpipes to the savory meat pudding known as haggis, local Scottish groups are making a push for more recognition of their distinct culture and history throughout New England. Under the Radar discusses the inaugural "Not Y...

As goes New Hampshire, so goes the nation? A Granite State mantra will likely be put to the test in this Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. Former President Donald Trump trounced his competitors in last week’s Iowa caucus with the biggest margin of victory in the history of the state’s Republican caucuses. But has his momentum been slowed in the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary? Meanwhil...

Last year, a new memorial was unveiled in Boston Common to honor the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King. Embrace Boston, the organization behind the memorial, also announced the names of civil rights leaders whose names were embedded in the Boston Common plaza where the sculpture sits. Now Embrace Boston is adding to the roster by recognizing the 2024 Embrace Honorees...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday that is also designated a National Day of Service . Reverend King spent his life in service leading the campaign for social justice during the civil rights movement — and a new documentary looks at a new generation following in his footsteps. "Brief Tender Light" follows four Black African students from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Nigeria,...

Barbra Streisand's life and career has long been the stuff of legend and mystery — until now. The singer, actress, director and activist spent 10 years writing her new memoir, and at nearly 1,000 pages it fills in the behind-the-scenes details fans have long craved. From lifelong insecurities and singular triumphs, to devastating losses and her ongoing fight against the industry sexism which sough...

Local shoppers at the California-based grocery store chain Trader Joe's and Massachusetts’ own Market Basket know there is no self-checkout in either store. Even as self-service checkouts gained floor space in other American grocery and retail stores, those two bet that their customers preferred the efficiency of trained human staff. And recently, some large retailers — Walmart, Costco and Dollar...

For many Americans, there can be only one Christmas song to rule them all: Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." In addition to 772 million views on that single YouTube video alone, it has hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row and is believed to have raked in nearly $100 million in earnings thus far. But for the rest of us, there is a world of underground,...

This year, the newest versions of a favorite American Christmas tradition are, well , untraditional. Advent Calendars now offer much more than chocolates — frozen food and canned wine anyone? Plus, a lesser-known French bubbly our wine expert says is perfect for toasting in the New Year. And chic new restaurants Jiang Nan and Zhi Wei Cafe are making a splash in Boston’s Chinese food scene. It’s Un...

In the 1760s, Massachusetts colonists began pushing back against the ever-tightening grip of British rule. The boiling tension erupted in violent episodes, few more shocking than the Boston Massacre in 1770 when five colonists were killed by British militia. Three years later, protestors publicly rejected the taxes on tea by dumping crates of tea from the British East India Company in the Boston h...

In the middle of a New England forest, a yellow house and the land on which it sits holds 200 years of personal and political history. The home and forest tell stories of family, time, memories, ghosts and the wonders of an evolving landscape. This sweeping saga is author Daniel Mason’s latest novel, “North Woods,” a riveting, imagined story of one New England house from the time of American colon...

It’s the season of giving and a time of year when Americans traditionally make charitable donations. With more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations across the country, there’s plenty of choices for where Americans can donate their dollars. But just last year, total charitable giving dropped by 3.4% , according to the Giving USA Foundation. "Often when people don't give, they say something like...

When the MacArthur Foundation named its class of 2023 “genius grant" fellows last month, the recipients joined an exclusive group of previous fellows who have demonstrated outstanding talent and leadership in their fields. Interdisciplinary scholar and writer Imani Perry is one of this year's MacArthur fellows. “I describe my work in part as haunting the past,” Perry said. “I'm trying to train my...

In 1973, Americans triumphed in a fashion smackdown that earned the country respect and admiration among critics worldwide. On that day 50 years ago, American and French designers went head-to-head in a creative competition dubbed the “ Battle of Versailles ." The fashion show was held at the historic Palace of Versailles, the former residence of King Louis XIV. The Americans won with cutting-edge...