Working History

Julie Greene, Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the forthcoming book, “Box 25: The World of Caribbean Workers,” discusses the men who built the Panama Canal, working and living conditions in the Canal Zone, and how U.S. expansionism at the turn of the twentieth century fueled the growth of a transnational working class.

Activist and grassroots organizer Anton Flores of Alterna discusses immigrant rights, federal immigration policy, and the detention of undocumented immigrants at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. Guest hosted by Professor Jennifer Brooks of Auburn University.

Professor Evan Bennett of Florida Atlantic University, author of "When Tobacco Was King," discusses the development and demise of family tobacco farms, tobacco farming culture, and the New Deal's Federal Tobacco Program.

Professor Elizabeth Shermer of Loyola University Chicago explores the impacts of corporate influence and the politics shaping higher education, past and present.

Professor Jay Driskell of Hood College, author of "Schooling Jim Crow," traces the roots of black protest politics to early 20th century Atlanta and the fight for equal education.