Lillian Smith was a best-selling author whose courageous decision to stand for civil rights in the Jim Crow south led to her erasure from discussions about influential leaders of the movement. Join me as I sit down with historian Keri Leigh Merritt whose insightful biography seeks to pull Smith from the shadows and highlight the ways Smith challenged societal norms and contributed to the early fights against racism. To learn more about Dr. Merritt, visit her website: https://kerileighmerritt.co

Labor Day was first celebrated during the Gilded Age - amid a growing labor movement seeking recognition. Join me this week as I explore the origins, evolution, and current perceptions of Labor Day in the United States. Learn how Labor Day has transformed from a day of militant labor demonstrations to a more consumer-focused holiday, reflecting broader societal changes and the decline of organized labor's influence. Support the show

Join me as I sit down with author Stan Haynes to discuss his latest book And Slavery No More - a work of historical fiction that explores the mystery of General Lee's lost order and President Lincoln's evolution on slavery. Tune in to learn about how Haynes came to write historical fiction, the value to reading both fiction and nonfiction, and how he approaches blending creative elements grounded in historical events. To learn more about Stan and his books, visit his website: https://stanhaynes

In 1882, President Chester A Arthur signed legislation barring Chinese laborers from entering the United States for a period of ten years. It went on to become known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, but is that an accurate framing? Join me this week as I explore Chinese immigration and why some historians refer to the 1882 law as the Chinese Restriction Act.