Francisco Menéndez & Fort Mose

Fort Mose was the first officially sanctioned settlement for free Black people in what’s now the United States. It was established as a place where people who escaped enslavement in the U.S. could live in the Spanish territory of Florida. Research: Blumetti, Jordan. “The First Floridians.” The Bit…

Melitta Bentz and the Coffee Filter

Melitta Bentz invented the coffee filter in 1908 and changed coffee culture forever. Through the decades and after reckoning with its relationship with the Third Reich, the company she founded in her Dresden apartment endures today. Research: “The Weimar Republic 1918-1929 - EdexcelChanges in soci…

SYMHC Classics: COINTELPRO 2

Part two of this 2020 episode looks at some of the specifics of the COINTELPROs that targeted black liberation organizations and the New Left, as well as how these programs were finally exposed to the public. 

Behind the Scenes Minis: Whoopsy Whimsy

Holly shares a story of accidentally taking ephedrine. Tracy shares her delight at a pronunciation of the word catastrophe.

Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755

On November 1, 1755, a massive earthquake took place on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Lisbon, Portugal. The destruction in Portugal led to one of the first coordinated government responses to a natural disaster. Research: Algarve History Association. “The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and …

Benzedrine, Pervitin, and WWII

The use of stimulants during WWII is no secret, but in the last decade, there has been a lot of discussion and analysis of it. Just how significant was drug use in Nazi Germany, and how did the Allies compare? Research: Ackermann, Paul. “Les soldats nazis dopés à la méthamphétamine pour rester con…

SYMHC Classics: COINTELPRO 1

Part 1 of this 2020 two-parter covers background on the FBI and on the origins of its counterintelligence programs, as well as one specific operation, called COINTELPRO-White Hate.

Behind the Scenes Minis: It's Not Unprecedented

Tracy shares her desire to see the rest of the letter that was quoted in this week's episodes on Anthony Burns. Talk also turns to the fact that many of the things that are surprising people today are, in fact, precedented.

The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 2

Our second episode on the life of Anthony Burns begins with his detention in Boston, which outraged Massachusetts abolitionists. Even after Burns was returned to Virginia to be enslaved once again, his supporters in Boston continued to work for his freedom. Research: Buehrens, John A. “Spiritual f…

The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 1

The story of Anthony Burns is one that resonates in our current times. Part one covers his early enslaved life, his escape from enslavement, and his arrest under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Research: Buehrens, John A. “Spiritual friendship and social justice.” UU World. Fall 2019. https://www.…