Reckoning With Racial Violence [Some Sunday Context]

Reckoning With Racial Violence [Some Sunday Context]

Author: Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia May 31, 2026 Duration: 24:07
This past week, we talked about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. For today's "Sunday Context" episode we jump a couple generations ahead to the summer of 1967, when president Johnson convened the “Kerner Commission” to look into the roots of violence and unrest in America, largely in Black and brown communities around the country. The report came out next year and offered a frank and damning assessment of the complicity of white Americans. But it's recommendations were largely ignored and suppresed. Featuring Jelani Cobb, author of an updated version, “The Essential Kerner Commission Report,” out now. Join our America250 newsletter community! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now. This Day 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 touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia.

Hosted by Jody Avirgan alongside historians Nicole Hemmer and Kellie Carter Jackson, This Day is a historical podcast from Radiotopia that steps back from the relentless news cycle to find context in the past. The series "50 Weeks That Shaped America" serves as its core, offering a rich, narrative-driven examination of pivotal moments that have fundamentally influenced the nation's political landscape and cultural identity. This isn't a dry recitation of dates but a deep, engaging exploration of the stories and decisions that collectively brought us to the present. Each episode functions as a carefully researched journey, unpacking the complexities and unintended consequences of historical events you might think you know, revealing the surprising threads that connect them to contemporary life. By focusing on these formative weeks, the podcast provides a unique and clarifying lens, arguing that to understand today's headlines, you often need to listen to the echoes of yesterday. The conversations between Avirgan, Hemmer, and Jackson are insightful and accessible, blending scholarly depth with compelling storytelling. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining a new set of tools for thinking about America, its ongoing struggles, and its evolving character, all through the meticulous and thoughtful work of its hosts.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Podcast Episodes
Military Integration: Double V (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:59
For the twenty-eighth installment of “50 Weeks That Shaped America” we go to 1948 and the moment that Harry Truman issued an executive order to — finally, formally — desegregate the armed forces. We talk about the long h…
The Capitol Cornerstone Conspiracy (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:42
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It's S…
The "Coup" Against Washington (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:00
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It’s M…
The Only US Raid On British Soil (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:16
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It's A…
That Other Midnight Ride (Revolutionary Reruns) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:24
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It’s A…
A Declaration Abstention w/ John Dickerson (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:40
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! Today,…
Franklin's French Fantasies w/ Mike Duncan (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:26
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It’s O…
Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy? (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:17
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It's A…
Liberty Trees (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:58
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It's O…
Ben Franklin's ALMANACK (Revolutionary Rerun) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:30
As we take a mid-summer-post-4th-of-July break, we are bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives about the Revolutionary era. We'll be back with new "50 Weeks That Shaped America" episodes soon! It’s D…