5 chapters across the catalog
The hosts critique a 2016 clip where Barack Obama told Black voters he would consider it a "personal insult" to his legacy if they did not turn out. They list missed opportunities for symbolic victories during his presidency, such as making Juneteenth a holiday or putting Harriet Tubman on the twenty-dollar bill.
A clip features Claudette Colvin describing her 1955 arrest in Montgomery, Alabama. She recounts feeling the spirits of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth holding her in her seat as white passengers and the bus driver demanded she move. The hosts reiterate that despite her genuine stand for justice, she was bypassed by movement leaders in favor of the more "upstanding" Rosa Parks.
Allegations of CIA Ghostwriting and the Erasure of Michelle Wallace
A controversial claim is presented suggesting that Gloria Steinem may have ghostwritten *Black Macho* for Michelle Wallace, leading to Wallace's reported nervous breakdown and temporary disappearance from public life. The book was criticized for attacking black nationalism and historical figures like Harriet Tubman. The hosts question why a writer of such a pivotal book was unable to maintain a high-profile literary career.
Movie critic Brandon Avery explains the plot of Queen and Slim, where a first date turns into a cross-country flight from the law after a self-defense shooting of a police officer. The hosts compare the project to Harriet, another Universal Pictures film, criticizing the historical accuracy and casting choices of the studio's recent output. They argue that while the creators are talented, the intended social outcomes of these films are problematic.
The New York Times article highlights tensions regarding the casting of a British actress to play Harriet Tubman, a move criticized by many Native Black Americans. This serves as a flashpoint for the distinction between "Native Blacks" (those with ancestral links to U.S. slavery) and black immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean. A distinction is made between ADOS as a political group versus ADOS as a specific lineage, with the term "Native Black American" (NBA) or "Foundational Black American" (FBA) used to clarify these identities.
