It’s April 28th. This day in 2002, the northeastern English town of Hartlepool is gearing up for a mayoral election, where they would end up voting in… the local football club’s monkey mascot to run their government. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Tim Harford to discuss the story of how H’Angus the Monkey got elected, and how the man inside the suit, Stuart Drummond, went on to be a very effective administrator. Be sure to check out Tim’s excellent podcast “ Cautionary Tales ” from Pushkin...
Apr 28, 2022•27 min
It’s April 26th. This day in 1878, a verdict is delivered in a suit brought by the formerly-enslaved woman Henrietta Wood. She sued her former enslaver Zebulon Ward for reparations — and an all-white jury sided with her. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss this largely-forgotten early case for reparations, and why it didn’t set a larger precedent. For more, be sure to read the book “A Sweet Taste of Liberty.” Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemi...
Apr 26, 2022•19 min
It’s April 24th. This day in 1951, Black students at Robert Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia have walked out of school, staging a strike over poor conditions at their school, particularly when compared to the white school across town. Jody, NIki, and Kellie talk about what motivated the school strike, and how the legal case around the walkout would eventually join up with other similar cases around the country and reach the Supreme Court in the landmark Brown v Board ruling. Sign up for ...
Apr 24, 2022•17 min
It’s April 21st. This day in 1927, the Mississippi River is in beginning to breach levies and overflows the banks throughout the MS delta. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Wright Thompson to discuss the Great Flood of 1927, how it reshaped the American South, and the relationship the region has to the mighty river. Find Wright’s work at ESPN and The Atlantic, check out “Pappyland,” and watch True South! Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahd...
Apr 21, 2022•23 min
It’s April 20th. 4-20 is a de facto holiday in weed culture, with murky origins and an interesting future as a day of activism and policy conversation. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Ellen Scanlon, host of “How To Do The Pot,” to discuss the many competing theories about where 420 came from as a touchstone. Plus they discuss how the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana may change the meaning of the day. Be sure to listen to How To Do The Pot wherever you get your podcasts! Sign ...
Apr 19, 2022•17 min
It’s April 17th. This day in 1945, a balloon bomb exploded over Omaha, Nebraska. This was one of thousands of Japanese devices that were sent out over the Pacific ocean to ride the jet stream and explode on U.S. soil. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the balloon bomb program, why it was largely kept secret from U.S. citizens, and how they lead to a number of American deaths. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, out now f...
Apr 17, 2022•13 min
It’s April 14th. This day in 1919, Socialist leader Eugene V Debs is sent to prison for violating the Espionage Act in his opposition to WWI. It wasn’t the first time Debs had been imprisoned — but a year later he would run for president and earn almost 4% of the vote from inside his jail cell. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Deb’s imprisoned candidacy, and the history of jailing political opponents in the United States. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget...
Apr 14, 2022•13 min
It’s April 12th. This day in 1941, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took an airplane ride in a small plane piloted by Charles “Chief” Anderson, a Black pilot and member of the Tuskegee airmen. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the photo caused a sensation, and controversy — and helped bolster the case for Black pilots to serve in WWII. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric ...
Apr 12, 2022•13 min
It’s April 10th. This day in 1964, activist Gloria Richardson is forging deep ties with other civil rights leaders, particularly Malcolm X. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Richardson’s form of activism, her push for more forceful stance, and how much changed in the Spring of 1954 for her and the movement at large. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric Political History is...
Apr 10, 2022•16 min
It’s April 7th. This day in 1815, a chaotic attack at Dartmoor prison in England killled and injured dozens of American prisoners. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by historian Nicholas Guyatt to discuss why American prisoners of war were in Dartmoor even after the end of the War of 1812 — and how both the US and UK governments papered over the tragedy. Nick’s new book, out now, is called “ The Hated Cage .” Follow him on twitter for information about his US speaking dates. Sign up for our news...
Apr 07, 2022•23 min
It’s April 4th. This day in 1970, Richard Nixon’s great White House uniform experiment is coming to an end. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Avery Trufelman to talk about Nixon’s ill-fated design for new uniforms, what message he was trying to send — and the very weird afterlife of these uniforms once they were packed up into boxes. It involves Alice Cooper. Be sure to check out Avery’s excellent Radiotopia series “Articles of Interest.” Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypo...
Apr 05, 2022•20 min
It’s April 3rd. This day in 1979, community organizations in Boston such as the Combahee River Collective are raising the alarm about a string of murders targeting Black women. The CRC looked to highlight the way in which race, gender, and class all intersected in the conditions that led to the murders and the city’s reaction. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the Roxbury murders and the identity politics that emerged from the community’s response. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisd...
Apr 03, 2022•18 min
It’s March 31st. Turns out, it’s our 300th episode, and the second anniversary of the show! What better way to celebrate than by rolling out the new Radiotopia show Oprahdemics, hosted by our very own Kellie Carter Jackson. Here we feature a sneak preview, and be sure to find it wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a ...
Mar 31, 2022•19 min
It’s March 28th. This day in 1796, President Washington cited executive privilege in refusing a request for documents from Congress. This started a long and messy tradition of presidents shielding their actions from oversight. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky to discuss why Washington finally drew an oversight line — and how others have tried to move that line over the centuries since. Lindsay Chervinsky’s book is The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creatio...
Mar 29, 2022•22 min
It’s March 27th. On Oscar Sunday in 1973, Marlon Brando refused to attend the ceremony and accept is Best Actor award for The Godfather. Instead, Native American activist and actress Sacheen Littlefeather took the stage and gave remarks about the portrayal of American Indians in Hollywood. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Amy Nicholson of the "Unspooled” podcast to talk about the moment, how LIttlefeather and Brando linked up, and the history of political speeches at the Oscars. Be sure to c...
Mar 27, 2022•22 min
It’s March 24th. This day in 1812, a political cartoon appeared in a Boston newspaper lampooning a newly proposed election district. The district was the work of Governor Elbridge Gerry, and the cartoonist depicted the district in the shape of a salamander. Hence, the “gerrymander” was born. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by CNN (and former 538) reporter Harry Enten to discuss the origins of redistricting weirdness, proposals to curb it, and how the politics of the 19th century seem to be rep...
Mar 24, 2022•26 min
It’s March 22nd. This day in 1903, a woman by the name of Lizzie Maggie filed for a patent for a new boardgame she’d invented — “The Landlord’s Game.” Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss Maggie’s version of the game that would eventually become Monopoly — and how she had originally intended it to be a lesson in cooperation and shared wealth, not ruthless capitalism. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radio...
Mar 22, 2022•20 min
It’s March 20th. This day in 1980, President Jimmy Carter is about to issue a decree that U.S. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in...
Mar 20, 2022•18 min
It’s March 16th. In 1861, Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, delivered a speech that came to be known as the “cornerstone speech.” Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Stephens’s remarks left little doubt about the centrality of slavery in the Confederacy’s desire to secede — even though the role of slavery in causing the Civil War continued to be contested for decades. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdem...
Mar 17, 2022•17 min
It’s March 15th. On March 16th, 1991, a young girl, Latasha Harlins, was killed by a shopkeeper in South Central Los Angeles. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Harlins’s death led to outrage in the Black community in LA, inflamed Korean-American and African-American tensions, and eventually fed into the riots and violence around the Rodney King beating. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia. ...
Mar 15, 2022•16 min
It’s March 13th. This day in 1916, some 6,000 US troops are getting ready to enter Mexico to track down rebel leader Pancho Villa. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why President Wilson sent the troops into Mexico, and what it said about US meddling around the world, and colonial ambitions, in that era. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud membe...
Mar 13, 2022•13 min
It’s March 10th. This day in 1959, “A Raisin In The Sun” debuted on Broadway. It was the first Broadway show written by an African-American woman, and marked the arrival of Loraine Hansberry as a major creative force. Jody, NIki, and Kellie talk about the play’s critique of the mid-century American dream, Hansberry’s creative peers, and the legacy she left despite her short life. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, com...
Mar 10, 2022•18 min
It’s March 8th. This day in 1985, a song was released featuring virtually every major American music star, to raise money and awareness about the famine in Ethiopia. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how “We Are The World” came together, some of the stories from the recording session, and what the effort teaches us about charity, celebrity, and effective advocacy. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radio...
Mar 08, 2022•22 min
It’s March 6th. This day in 1948, New York City’s war on pinball was raging, with police smashing machines Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Harry Siegel of The Daily Beast and The Daily News to discuss why Mayor La Guardia was so concerned with pinball machines and the long history of vice policing in New York City. Listen to Harry’s podcast FAQ NYC for all things NYC! (Harry also recommended Italo Calvino’s T Zero, which you can find here ) Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisd...
Mar 06, 2022•26 min
It’s March 3rd. This day in 1933, Frances Perkins is appointed Secretary of Labor, the first woman to hold a cabinet position. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Jenny Kaplan of Womanica to discuss Perkins’ role inside the FDR administration, the way she navigated both her person and professional worlds — and whether Perkins was the real architect of the New Deal. Be sure to subscribe to the Womanica podcast wherever you get your shows! Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.c...
Mar 03, 2022•19 min
It’s March 1st, the first day of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This day in 1992, a city ordinance mandating that all Mardi Gras krewes be integrated in order to march on city streets is in effect — making this a Mardi Gras unlike any in history. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by New Orleans city Councilman Oliver Thomas (also a poet, actor, and radio host) to talk about what the new law means for the very old tradition, and how difficult it is to enforce legal discrimination laws in largely soci...
Mar 01, 2022•24 min
It’s February 27th. This day in 1860, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at the Cooper Union in New York City. Before the speech, he was relatively unknown and not considered a viable candidate for president in that fall’s election. This speech changed everything. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the speech both boosted Lincoln as a candidate, but also laid out his intellectual vision — one that was as much about continually evolving ideas on slavery as anything. Sign up for our newsletter! Find ou...
Feb 27, 2022•16 min
All this week, shows across the Radiotopia network are doing special episodes around the theme of “making trouble.” It’s being done to celebrate the Radiotopia fundraiser. If you want to support our work, become a member today at https://on.prx.org/367yNHv For our contribution, we talk about how the word “trouble” has meant different things in different points in history. Then, we each nominate our favorite historical troublemakers. Who’s yours? Let us know at thisdaypod.com or on social @thisda...
Feb 24, 2022•22 min
It’s the Radiotopia fundraiser! We couldn’t make this show without your support. Become a member now at radiotopia.fm It’s February 22nd. This day in 1958, in advance of a massive nuclear disarmament protest in London, designer Gerald Holtom came up with a simple design that would go on to be the logo not just for the no-nukes movement, but come to be known as the peace symbol. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Ian Chillag of Everything is Alive to talk about Holtom’s original design, whether...
Feb 22, 2022•19 min
It’s February 20th. This day in 1946, diplomat George Kennan, stationed in Moscow, sent a 5,000 word telegram to the State Department outlining his assessment of the Soviet Union and how the U.S. should approach its expansion efforts. It would set a template for decades to come. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss what was in the telegram, how it was interpreted — and misinterpreted. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, comi...
Feb 20, 2022•19 min
