The Best Podcast Miniseries That Explore Black History and Culture
While there are countless fantastic podcasts from Black creators that you can listen to all year long, Black History Month can provide a time to seek out shows that aim to dive deep to explore the Black experience in America, from events centuries in the past, to stories that are still unfolding every day.
These 12 podcast miniseries mix expert research, powerful storytelling, and in-depth interviews to explore untold (or under-told) chapters in Black history.
The Godmother
When notorious mobster Lucky Luciano went to trial in New York City, 1936, it was all anyone could talk about. But “the trial of the century” overshadowed something important—the involvement of Eunice Carter, the first Black woman to act as a prosecutor in America, who was credited with leading the case again him. In The Godmother, Nichole Hill is giving Eunice the attention she deserves, shining a light on her life as a writer, social worker, mother, teacher, sister, socialite, political candidate, community organizer, and unheralded pioneer for justice.
The MLK Tapes
It’s commonly thought that James Earl Ray was convicted for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, but he actually pleaded guilty, though he later attempted to retract his admission. Ray's involvement has been the subject of continued speculation and conspiracy theories over the years, and The MLK Tapes takes us deep inside these theories, digging into what evidence exists. It’s full of never-before-heard interviews and rare recordings of eyewitness testimonies, all in service to sussing out whether Ray was the lone criminal some believe he is, or if King’s death was part of a larger conspiracy involving the FBi.
Reclaimed
Reclaimed is a podcast all about retelling often forgotten, overlooked stories, digging deep into a new focus each season. Season one, Tulsa’s Buried Truth, covered the search for mass graves beneath Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the fight for justice for the descendants of the Black Americans killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Season two, The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley, explored how Mamie, the mother of Emmett Till, shaped the Civil Rights movement. The latest season covers stars from the Negro Leagues, where Black baseball players were forced to play because of segregation. All three seasons are essential listening.
1619
Created by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project (named for the year 1619, when the first enslaved Africans were brought to America) is a multimedia work that includes articles, essays, photography—and a podcast, 1619, that delves into the historical, social, and cultural aspects of the Black experience in the United States. Via interviews, storytelling, and discussions with scholars, historians, and experts in various fields, it reframes the way we understand American history by highlighting the central role of slavery and its aftermath played in shaping the nation.
What Is Owed?
One year after Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appointed an official Reparations Task Force to help its Black residents, GBH News is launching What Is Owed?, a podcast about what form reparations could take. Hosted by GBH News political reporter Saraya Wintersmith, the seven-part limited series covers the history, hostility against, and current status of the reparations movement. Guests include Kellie Carter Jackson (who you might recognize from the Oprah-appreciation podcast You Get a Podcast!) and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, What Is Owed? launches February 15.
Afterlives
Hosted by Raquel Willis, Afterlives tells the story of Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco, an Afro-Latina trans woman who died on Riker’s Island in 2019 at the age of 27. It’s a celebration of Layleen's life, but it’s also about the mistreatment endured by so many Black trans people at the hands of police and the world at large. We hear from Black trans people who were formerly incarcerated sex workers, but survived and are now sharing their stories and fighting for a better world. This is the first podcast within the true crime genre to focus on the epidemic of violence against the trans community, particularly trans women of color.
I AM STORY
Produced by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and hosted by Lee Saunders (the first African American to serve as AFSCME’s president), I AM STORY explores the legacy of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, a movement that began after two sanitation workers were crushed to death in the back of their truck while sheltering from the rain. Strikers worked in tandem with the Civil Rights movement and with the support of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to fight for safer conditions, fair pay, and for their voices to be heard. Their declaration of “I AM A MAN” captured the attention of a nation.
Into America: Uncounted Millions
On an all-new series from Into America, Uncounted Millions, host Trymaine Lee takes a look at one of today's most pressing debates: reparations. On a journey that begins in the nation’s capital during the heat of the Civil War and ends in modern day Brooklyn, he follows the little-known story of one of the only Black people to receive reparations in the wake of the Civil War, and the mark it left on that family for generations to come. The series asks, if more Black families had been given reparations decades ago, how might Black America look different today? THe show debuts Feb. 15.
Urban Roots
Urban Roots, which just won a Silver Anthem Award, preserves a sense of place through storytelling. There are a few outstanding episodes ofocused n Black history—three on Black neighborhoods in Cincinnati, two on the story of Biddy Mason in LA, one on the African American section of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, and two on the history of Indianapolis' Indiana Avenue, where Madam CJ Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America, placed her headquarters.
The Secret Adventures of Black People
Nichole Hill’s The Secret Adventures of Black People is an award-winning, immersive audio series that documents the ways in which Black identity is formed through communal connections. Previously, the show produced a fantastic series on Black history as told from the society pages of old Black newspapers. (Listen to The Ancestors Were Messy, a two-part episode about a Black Victorian era love triangle as reported in a gossip column at the time.) Another season focused on Blackness in Europe, as viewed through the ways in which Christmas is celebrated. (Listen to Black Christmas in Ireland.) The new season, launching later in February, is an audio diary in which Nichole documents moving to LA to pitch her own podcast ideas.
Making
Making is a podcast about the history of our greatest icons, and exploring how they were formed. There are miniseries on Oprah, Obama, and Rihanna, and episodes that dip into the lives of individuals like Jordan Peele, RuPaul, Shonda Rimes, Whoopi, and more. These are names you know, and stories of their legacies and lived experiences you don’t
Driving the Green Book
Driving the Green Book is a living history podcast that puts award-winning BBC broadcaster Alvin Hall and activist and social justice trainer Janée Woods Weber on the road, literally, as they drive from Detroit to New Orleans collecting testimony about how Black Americans used The Negro Motorist Green Book during the height of segregation. You can explore even further with the show’s companion Apple Maps Guide, a visual representation of everything you’re hearing.
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