The History They Didn't Tell You About the Blues with Chris Thomas King
This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on American music history—and asking who really gets to define it. Grammy-winning Blues musician and cultural historian Chris Thomas King drops in to break down why everything we’ve been taught about the origins of the blues is wrong. Because Chris is letting it be known: it didn't start on Mississippi plantations—he's taking us to Congo Square, Creole New Orleans, and Storyville, where he argues the blues was born out of resistance, freedom, and Saturday night defiance. From ancient African instruments to the invention of “jazz” as a sanitizing label, this conversation reclaims the radical roots of Black music—and why they still matter.
To learn more, find Chris at https://www.christhomasking.com/ and check out his book "The Blues: The Authentic Narrative of My Music and Culture."
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This podcast is brought to you by PushBlack, the nation’s largest non-profit Black media company. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com. Most folks do 5 or 10 bucks a month, but truly, anything helps. Thanks for supporting the work.
With production support from Leslie Taylor-Grover and Brooke Brown, Black History Year is produced by Cydney Smith, Darren Wallace, and Len Webb, who also edits the show. Lilly Workneh is our Executive Producer and Black History Year's host is Darren Wallace.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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56:52
MLK Owned Weapons Despite Preaching Nonviolence
In public, Martin Luther King Jr. was staunchly against firearms as a means of liberation. Privately, he owned weapons and hired armed security to protect himself and his family. Why the change?
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2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.
The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer."
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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3:18
3 Essential Ways Black Travelers Protected Ourselves During The Jim Crow Era
Shoebox lunches, overalls, and a handy Green Book kept our people safe during turbulent times to travel while Black. Here’s how they did it and what we can learn from their genius.
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2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.
The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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3:36
African-Born Men Once Ruled What Was Considered The Mightiest Empire On Earth
The sacred halls of history are filled with the incredible tales of the prowess and might of African rulers. Four of those ruled over the Roman empire at the height of its power, and we should know their names.
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2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.
The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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3:33
The Systematic Miseducation of America with Dr. Noliwe Rooks
This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on public education in America—and asking if it was ever really meant for us in the first place. Dr. Noliwe Rooks, Brown University professor, author of "Cutting School" and founder of the term "segronomics," joins us to break down how Black communities have always fought for learning—even when the system fought back harder. From the broken promises of Brown v. Board to why Donald Trump's Department of Education might not be worth saving, this conversation challenges everything you thought you knew about education, liberation, and the law.
To learn more, be sure to check out Dr. Noliwe's newest book, "Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children."
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This podcast is brought to you by PushBlack, the nation’s largest non-profit Black media company. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com. Most folks do 5 or 10 bucks a month, but truly, anything helps. Thanks for supporting the work.
With production support from Leslie Taylor-Grover and Brooke Brown, Black History Year is produced by Cydney Smith, Darren Wallace, and Len Webb, who also edits the show. Lilly Workneh is our Executive Producer and Black History Year's host is Darren Wallace.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learning your history makes you - and your people - stronger. As Black people, we know we’re left out of the history books. That the media images are skewed. That we need access to experts, information and ideas so we can advance our people. Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations. You may not agree with everything you hear, but we’re always working toward one goal: uniting for the best interest of Black people worldwide. BHY is produced by PushBlack, the nation’s largest non-profit Black media company - hit us up at BlackHistoryYear.com.
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