Today we continue our exploration of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Let’s learn about what life was like for the Japanese immigrants who settled along the West Coast–how they assimilated into American culture, raised their families, and flourished, despite the barriers of restrictive laws and policies and the open hostility from Japanese exclusionists. Passages read by Kimi Cunningham Grant from her memoir, Silver Like Dust . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...
Sep 28, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode in our new series, Resilience. For the next few weeks, we are going to explore a part of American history that we tend to learn very little about: the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. So let’s dive into the details–the hows and the whys–and learn more about the resilience shown by the 120 thousand Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes, their neighborhoods, their jobs, and their schools, and who endured government-enforc...
Sep 26, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Welcome to Here’s Where It Gets Interesting ! To kick off our new show name, Sharon sits down with one of the most interesting people she knows: Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer who has since amassed over 22 million viewers on his YouTube channel. If there was ever an episode of Sharon Says So that will make your kids think you’re cool for listening, it’s this one. Learn about what motivates Mark to create, and how he hopes his platform will motivate others to both have fun while learning new ...
Sep 23, 2022•35 min
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, author Nora McInerny joins Sharon to talk about vibes: good vibes, bad vibes, and the fact that most vibes are mixed, at best. When we recognize that life is full of regular stuff, it can take the pressure off. It’s okay to have a regular-looking kitchen with a regular, fingerprint-coated toaster! It’s okay to be sad at a funeral instead of feeling compelled to reassure everyone that you’re fine! Feel the stress to perform fade away as you lis...
Sep 21, 2022•42 min
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon has a conversation with bestselling author Stephen M. R. Covey about effective leadership and high trust culture. The most underrated attribute in great leaders is humility which means that effective and trustworthy leaders are those who seek to understand first and be understood second. The working world has evolved since the start of the Covid pandemic and its leadership needs to reflect new practices built on the principles of “tr...
Sep 19, 2022•38 min
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we are thrilled to sit down with documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein. Their new docuseries, The U.S. and the Holocaus t, airs on PBS on Friday, September 18th, 2022 and highlights the nuances of America’s response to the Holucaust. Ken and Sarah talk about their work, and about how it can often be the little known, everyday people–citizens and desk-sitting bureaucrats–who can make a lasting impact on history. Heroism does no...
Sep 16, 2022•50 min
During this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, historian Dr. Jemar Tisby speaks with Sharon about racism and what we can do about it. We may not be guilty for the actions of the past, but we are responsible for the ramifications of racism that are felt today. It takes courage to make change because fear can be a stumbling block. We fear entering conversations that seem complicated or difficult or fear the push back or judgment we may get from our safe communities, but history shows us ...
Sep 14, 2022•40 min
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Dr. Elisabeth Griffith, who has written a new book called Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality: 1920-2020 . Many times we think that the passing of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote was the finish line of women’s suffrage, but the struggle for equality has been a long road, and has not often been an equal journey for all women. Join the conversation today as Dr. Griffith shares some of t...
Sep 12, 2022•40 min
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon continues her conversation with constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar. They shift gears a little from the U.S. Constitution to a discussion about the controversy around Independent State Legislature Theory. You may have heard it talked about in connection with the upcoming supreme court case, Moore vs. Harper, but the nuances can be tricky to understand. Amar explains the obscurities of the theory and why state legislatures shoul...
Sep 09, 2022•28 min
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon sits down with constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar to talk about the importance of treasuring the U.S. Constitution. What we have in common as Americans–Americans who live in different geographical locations, are raised with different experiences and cultures, and even often speak different languages–is our Constitution and the historical events and documents that shaped the nation. Amar shares his journey as a first generation...
Sep 07, 2022•34 min
On today’s episode, Sharon sits down with the voice of a generation: Jodi Benson, the performer who voiced Disney’s Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Jodi was new to show business when she was cast as the voice of Ariel, and it wasn’t considered a “career maker” job; animated films in the 1980s weren’t wildly popular blockbusters like they are now. The Little Mermaid ushered in a new era of success for Disney, and for Jodi. Join us to hear about her journey, and learn which song was almost cut from t...
Sep 02, 2022•45 min
So far, we’ve been concentrating on a fairly small geographical area of the United States, and even though much of the political action was happening in the East, Americans were beginning to spread out. They began to move Westward. So let’s talk about one of these early pioneers; a man whose exploration of Kentucky paved the way for new European settlements: His name was Daniel Boone. He just may be one of the most misremembered figures in American history, so together, let’s sort out the tall t...
Aug 31, 2022•31 min
Join us on Here's Where It Gets Interesting today as we dive into the First Ladyship of Elizabeth Monroe. As the reserved wife of 5th President, James Monroe, Elizabeth added a more formal feel to entertaining in the White House. She was raven-haired and regal, and kept the public at arms length, which wasn’t always a popular decision. She modeled her social engagements after Parisian customs, a city she loved deeply. Stay tuned to learn about her heroic act that once saved the life of a well-kn...
Aug 29, 2022•29 min
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon is joined by Dr. Jillian Peterson, a leading expert in the research of violence, mental illness, and crime. Today’s conversation may not be suitable to listen to with children in the room, but it is an episode you will want to hear. Sharon and Dr. Peterson discuss the myths and media around violence and mass shootings, and how they compare to the research. They also touch on reframing the idea of the “monster with a gun” and what action...
Aug 26, 2022•42 min
Today on Here's Where It Gets Interesting we are going to switch gears a bit. We’ve been talking about first ladies and the many people who were closely acquainted with the founding fathers. But what did the rest of the country know about the events and actions happening in the capital city? Where did they get their news? It should come as no surprise to you that political bias and tabloid sensationalism in American media grew right alongside the new nation. Let’s see how journalists affected th...
Aug 24, 2022•28 min
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting we are going to meet the woman who set the gold standard for the role of First Lady. Dolley Madison’s natural effervescence came in handy as she executed countless social events for the well-connected and wealthy inhabitants of Washington DC. She relied on the art of entertaining to successfully play the game of politics, which furthered her husband’s influence and career. But that’s just the beginning. Tune in to find out how Dolley went from ...
Aug 22, 2022•32 min
On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon has a conversation with former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. After coming off the campaign trail in 2020, Yang began searching for a solution that could change the two-party system in US politics. He recently founded the Forward Party with the hopes to give the American people more viable options for leaders who aim to represent their constituency over party expectations and financiers. Join us as we talk about both the goals and ...
Aug 19, 2022•47 min
Today, on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we returned to Monticello and the lives that were intertwined with third President Thomas Jefferson. The young Hemings family, enslaved by birth, grew up in Jefferson’s plantation estate, Monticello. But James Hemings traveled extensively with Jefferson, spending five years in Paris where he learned to cook from Parisian masters. James was well-educated and skilled, but he wanted more. He wanted his freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Aug 17, 2022•24 min
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we hear about the wife of Thomas Jefferson, Martha, who is listed as an official First Lady, but who passed away nearly twenty years before Jefferson’s presidency. Thomas Jefferson never remarried, but he did rely on two very important women to support him through the years as a widower. Learn about who they were and how their lives were destined to be connected, even before they were born. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...
Aug 15, 2022•28 min
In this episode, Sharon is joined by economic policy expert and author Heather McGhee. McGhee began her career as an economist but when she took a trip across the country and back, she began to ask herself, “Why can’t we have nice things?” We’re not talking about robot maids, but rather, the social stability of programs like affordable healthcare and well-funded public schools. While puzzling out the answer to this question, McGhee realized that racism was a major driver of stagnant economics fo...
Aug 12, 2022•44 min
Today, on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks about one of the most famous American historical figures: Benjamin Franklin. The history books are not wrong about the incredible accomplishments Benjamin Franklin made during his lifetime. He was a man with an unparalleled mind and an electric personality. He was a champion of charitable causes and really good at making strategic political connections. But he was also a man who undervalued his family and made some questionable personal li...
Aug 10, 2022•30 min
Today, on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we revisit a favorite first lady, Abigail Adams. Follow along as Abigail travels across the Atlantic, adventuring in Paris and France with her husband, John Adams. The power couple ultimately lands back in Boston only to move again into new roles, as President and First Lady of the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/priv...
Aug 08, 2022•30 min
On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon takes us deep into the lives of the women who greatly influenced the same man: Aaron Burr. Theirs are stories of great minds, insatiable appetites for knowledge, grief in motherhood, and untimely tragedy. Listen in as Sharon turns over the stones of their lives and hear about a disappearance at sea, a mysteriously scavenged portrait, and a family secret. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about...
Aug 05, 2022•30 min
Over the next several weeks Sharon will be sharing stories about the lives of American first ladies and the different ways in which they have influenced their families, the presidency, and the whole of the nation. During her lifetime, Martha was never given the title of First Lady as we know it. Instead, she was called “Lady Washington” and was held in high esteem as George’s “worthy partner.” Today, Sharon dives into many of lesser known details of her life like her first marriage, her open hom...
Aug 03, 2022•30 min
On the last episode in our series, Momentum, Sharon ties up a few loose ends. The 1950s was a decade full of change, but the Civil Rights Movement didn’t end when the calendar flipped to 1960. Most of the people we’ve followed throughout this series continued their crusade for–or against–civil freedoms well into the next several decades. We hear about Barbara Johns and the next steps in integrated schooling, about Earl Warren and the gains his Supreme Court made in the 60s. We also learn about t...
Aug 01, 2022•28 min
On our second to last episode in our series, Momentum: Civil Rights in the 1950s, We learn about the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the commission born of it. For two years, the United States Commission on Civil Rights researched and released a 600+ page report about the state of voting rights in the US. They found, time after time, accounts of Black Americans who faced roadblocks and threats of violence or economic punishment when they tried to register to vote. Fear played a large role in preven...
Jul 29, 2022•33 min
On today’s episode in our special series, Momentum: Civil Rights in the 1950s, we learn about the women who gave the movement its backbone. Listen in as Sharon speaks about the Queen of the Civil Rights Movement, Septima Poinsette Clark, and another woman, Bernice Robinson, who, together, were effective teachers and leaders in the Civil Rights community. Septima knew that education was the key to gaining political, economic, and social power and she devoted her activism to improving the educatio...
Jul 27, 2022•24 min
On today’s episode in our special series, Momentum: Civil Rights in the 1950s, Sharon talks about some of the most important components of a successful movement: money and reputation. Movements take a lot of financial support and many of the organizers worked day jobs with humble salaries. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? He made $8,000 a year in his position as a minister. But organizing rallies and marches and lectures… filing lawsuits and traveling from city to city? It all costs money. Learn who ...
Jul 25, 2022•29 min
On today’s episode in our special series, Momentum: Civil Rights in the 1950s, Sharon tackles the vast topic of religion within the Civil Rights Movement. During the Civil Rights Movement, religion was used as a tool of oppression and an excuse for many white people, especially in the South, to remain firm and justified in their belief of white supremacy. But religion was also a catalyst for change. Black churches and congregations invigorated communities by encouraging people to gather, to plan...
Jul 22, 2022•31 min
Today in our special series, Momentum: Civil Rights in the 1950s, Sharon rewinds and takes us back to the origin story of a life lost far too soon due to a brutal and racist attack: the murder of Emmett Till in 1955. What began with a young boy who desired to connect with family and learn where his mother came from in Mississippi, ended in horror for the Chicago 14-year-old boy. Though no one will ever know exactly what happened in the grocery store co-owned by Carolyn Bryant leading up to the m...
Jul 20, 2022•36 min
