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Dr. Rebecca Crumpler: America’s First Black Female Public Health Pioneer (Encore)
Mar04

Dr. Rebecca Crumpler: America’s First Black Female Public Health Pioneer (Encore)

Dr. Rebecca Crumpler was the first Black woman to become a physician in the United States. Working in the aftermath of the Civil War, she made immense contributions to public health, despite the racism and sexism she faced. We’ll trace the course of her remarkable life and work with in a story brought to us by the podcast Lost Women of Science, hosted by Katie Hafner and producer Dominique Janee. Featuring: Dr. Melody McCloud,...

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I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin
Feb25

I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin

Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in...

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Remembering Fred Hampton (Encore)
Feb18

Remembering Fred Hampton (Encore)

This episode originally aired in 2019. Our radio adaptation of the film, The Murder of Fred Hampton, produced by filmmakers Mike Gray and Howard Alk, provides a glimpse into the life of Hampton and the Illinois Black Panther Party. On December 4th, 1969, exactly 50 years ago, Black Panthers Fred Hampton, age 21, and Mark Clark, age 22, were shot to death by Chicago police. In an infamous moment in Chicago’s history and politics,...

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Bayard Rustin: The Gay, Black Civil Rights Activist (Encore)
Feb11

Bayard Rustin: The Gay, Black Civil Rights Activist (Encore)

This episode has also been published as “Angelic Troublemaker: Bayard Rustin” and “Giving Bayard Rustin His Flowers” On today’s show, we take a look at the life and legacy of a central organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, Bayard Rustin. Rustin was an openly gay civil rights leader and a trusted advisor to labor leader A. Phillip Randolph and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This show first aired in June...

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A Dream Remembered?: Martin Luther King Jr and the Grassroots Civil Rights Movement (ENCORE)
Feb04

A Dream Remembered?: Martin Luther King Jr and the Grassroots Civil Rights Movement (ENCORE)

On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th 1963, at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time. But it nearly didn’t happen. On this special edition of Making Contact, Gary Younge, author of The Speech: The Story Behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream, talks about Martin Luther King Junior’s “Dream” and the story behind it. Special thanks to the New School...

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Origin Story: Making Contact | 30th Anniversary Capsule
Jan28

Origin Story: Making Contact | 30th Anniversary Capsule

From its birthplace in an Oakland cafe in 1994 to the Battle in Seattle, international reporting projects, and a deep commitment to social justice journalism, Making Contact has been an important part of the media landscape for more than thirty years. Guest host Jessica Partnow guides us through some of the key moments in Making Contact’s history in conversation with founders Peggy Law and Norman Solomon. This episode is part of...

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