Shows
John Brown TodayEchoes of Abolition: An Interview with Biographer and Cultural Historian David S. ReynoldsSend us a textIn this episode, Lou interviews the preeminent cultural historian of the 19th-century USA, David S. Reynolds. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of Reynolds' landmark biography, John Brown Abolitionist. Reynolds opens by describing his most recent project, the forthcoming Two Ships (Penguin), and then revisits the writing of John Brown Abolitionist, rehearsing some key themes from the book as well as reflecting on his background and methodology as a cultural historian. The interview finishes with a shift to Reynolds' 2020 opus, Abe, a cultural biography of Abraham Lincoln. There is...
2025-09-0554 minJohn Brown TodayA "Secret Six" Tour: Discovering the Contemporary Origin of the TermSend us a textIn this episode, I am inviting you on a peculiar historical tour of the term, "Secret Six." While John Brown students are accustomed to seeing this term used to speak of Brown's key supporters, this episode is about the origin of the term and its significance in the literature about Brown. As you'll discover, while the "tour" of "Secret Six" is full of trivial and interesting cases where the term has been used since the nineteenth century, it was not really applied to Brown's story until the twentieth century. While the term has it...
2025-07-2424 minJohn Brown TodayMalcolm X on John Brown: A Centennial RemembranceSend us a textIn this episode, Lou shares an extended reflection on Malcolm X that is attuned to the memory and legacy of John Brown. Going beyond easy, almost cliché use of Malcolm's words, Lou draws on his background as a Malcolm X biographer to reflect upon both the strategic and personal approach of the memorable black leader to John Brown's legacy.This May 19, 2025 is the centennial of Malcolm X's birth. With one foot in the antebellum era and another foot in the Civil Rights era, the stretch may be challenging, but it's well wo...
2025-05-1950 minJohn Brown TodayLD's Sucky "Secret Six" TourSend us a textIn this episode, Lou explores the appellation, "Secret Six," which is often associated with the so-called inner circle of John Brown's supporters. Taking you on this imaginary tour, Lou travels through time to find references to the "Secret Six," finding a lot of interesting and sometimes musing flotsam and jetsam and a couple of high-profile associations with "Secret Six." But what he doesn't find is a term that has any real association with John Brown, his followers, or their stories. Join Lou as he gets to the bottom of "Secret Six"--which, it...
2025-05-1625 minJohn Brown TodayMisusing John Brown: From Luigi Mangione to Christian NationalismSend us a textIn this episode, Lou discusses two recent online articles to illustrate how John Brown is often appropriated and misused by writers in discussing contemporary issues. The first article discussed is an effort to draw a parallel between John Brown and Luigi Mangione, who allegedly murdered a healthcare executive in cold blood last year. The second article presents John Brown as a Christian Nationalist. In both cases, Lou objects to the misuse of John Brown, showing how inaccurate these appropriations tend to be. Links to the articles, fyi:Will Shetterly, "Wh...
2025-02-0436 minJohn Brown TodayThe Cat Who Went to Kansas (and Other John Brown Animals)Send us a textIn this episode, Lou discusses the animals--pets, livestock, and others who are part of the John Brown story, from the dogs of Harper's Ferry to a cat who went to Kansas. Just when you thought you'd heard everything about John Brown, huh?Guest music: "Story of a Toy" by Freedom Trail Studio (Youtube)Also available on the John Brown Today YouTube station
2024-12-1714 minJohn Brown TodaySick of Bonhoeffer? Why the USA Can Celebrate a German Martyr, But Not John BrownSend us a textDietrich Bonhoeffer was born in 1906, and was a German Lutheran pastor, a figure noted in the theological world for his neo-orthodox views, and his most popular book, The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer is more widely remembered as an anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church which opposed the Nazis. In the 1940s, Bonhoeffer joined the German underground, but was arrested and incarcerated at Tegel Prison, where he remained for over a year. However, In 1945, documents were discovered that named Bonhoeffer among the dissidents and orders for his execution we...
2024-12-0311 minJohn Brown TodayBack Again!Send us a textAfter the better of two years, John Brown Today is going back in production. This is just a brief message to greet listeners and to update them a bit, and thank them for maintaining an interest in this podcast. John Brown Today is coming back and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead. So stay tuned. Please note that two episodes will be uploaded for December 2024.Music: "Burden Laid Down" by The Westerlies (YouTube)
2024-12-0305 min
Mr. Hutchings HistoryMalcolm X's Journey to Universal Brotherhood – The Impact of MeccaIn this episode of Mr. Hutchings History, we explore the profound transformation of Malcolm X during his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca. Once a staunch advocate for racial separatism, Malcolm’s experiences during the Hajj reshaped his understanding of race, religion, and equality. Witnessing the unity of Muslims from all races, Malcolm embraced a global vision of justice that transcended racial boundaries.
From rejecting his "slave name" to adopting the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm’s pilgrimage marked a pivotal moment in his life and legacy. This episode delves into how Mecca influenced his critique of systemic racism, his evol...
2024-11-1811 min
Insured ConnectionACFAP: The Importance of Podiatry and PediatricsIn this episode of The Insured Connection our host, Dr. Adrianne Ross sits down with podiatrist and President of American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics (ACFAP), Dr. Louis J. DeCaro, and PICA's Chief Medical Director, Dr. Luke Cicchinelli, to discuss the importance of podiatry in pediatric care.
2024-05-2221 minJohn Brown TodayThe Legend of John Brown's Baby Kiss RevisitedSend us a textIn this episode, Lou does a deep dive evaluation of the legend of John Brown kissing a black baby on the day of his execution, a story that has been enshrined in poetry and paintings. Sharing his research on the topic, Lou considers the evidence and draws some interesting conclusions suggesting that this legend may have more than a core of truth.Check out the video version on my YouTube channel here.Guest music (closing): Aaron Lieberman, "Move Up to the Mountains" (YouTube)
2023-04-1238 minJohn Brown Today"From John Brown to James Brown": A Conversation with Ed MaliskasSend us a textIn this episode, Lou shares a conversation with author Ed Maliskas, a musician, clergyman, and researcher, the author of John Brown to James Brown: The Little Farm Where Liberty Budded, Blossomed, and Boogied (2016). In this fascinating discussion, Ed talks about coming to learn about the old Kennedy Farm in Maryland where John Brown and his raiders lived prior to the Harper's Ferry raid in the summer and early fall of 1859. However, as Ed learned, the farm, often referred to as the "John Brown farm" (not to be confused with John Brown's own home an...
2023-02-0546 min
To Be A RebelJohn Brown the Abolitionist Icon | 3 | His Soul Goes Marching OnThis is the last part in our series on John Brown (1800-1859), the abolitionist icon that helped orchestrate the Pottawatomie Massacre and led the raid on Harper's Ferry. We'll focus on the aftermath of these events, his day in court and how he’s been perceived over the years
Sources used:
John Brown: "We Came to Free the Slaves" by Anne E. Schraff (book, 2010)
John Brown by Helaine Becker (book, 2001)
The Tribunal: Responses to John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid by John Stauffer and Zoe Trodd (book, 2012)
John Brown Today hosted by Loui...
2023-01-3115 min
To Be A RebelJohn Brown the Abolitionist Icon | 2 | The Pottawatomie Massacre, Freeing 11 Slaves and The Harper's Ferry RaidThis is the second part in our series on John Brown (1800-1859), the abolitionist icon that helped orchestrate the Pottawatomie Massacre and led the raid on Harper's Ferry. We'll focus on the details of these infamous events and the lead up to his day of judgment.
Sources used:
John Brown: "We Came to Free the Slaves" by Anne E. Schraff (book, 2010)
John Brown by Helaine Becker (book, 2001)
The Tribunal: Responses to John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid by John Stauffer and Zoe Trodd (book, 2012)
John Brown Today hosted by Louis DeCaro Jr. (po...
2023-01-3116 min
To Be A RebelJohn Brown the Abolitionist Icon | 1 | The Making of an Anti-Slavery RebelThis is the first part in our series on John Brown (1800-1859), the abolitionist icon that helped orchestrate the Pottawatomie Massacre and led the raid on Harper's Ferry. We'll dive into his early life and what led him to these major events in the anti-slavery movement.
Sources used:
John Brown: "We Came to Free the Slaves" by Anne E. Schraff (book, 2010)
John Brown by Helaine Becker (book, 2001)
The Tribunal: Responses to John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid by John Stauffer and Zoe Trodd (book, 2012)
John Brown Today hosted by Louis DeCaro Jr. (po...
2023-01-3017 minJohn Brown TodayThe Sellout of Harper's Ferry Station: The Difficult Case of Heyward ShepherdSend us a textIn this episode, Lou takes on the difficult theme of Heyward Shepherd, the black porter who was mortally wounded by John Brown's men during the Harper's Ferry raid, on the night of October 16, 1859. Reviewing the initial incidents of the raid, Lou considers the conventional narrative of Shepherd's demise, but then takes a sharp left turn: was Heyward Shepherd really a victim, or did his own actions instigate his shooting? And what was Heyward Shepherd trying to do when he was shot by one of Brown's raiders? The conclusion drawn from looking at the e...
2023-01-1744 minJohn Brown TodayReaction & Reflection: David Blight on John Brown - - "John Brown Terrorist or Hero?"Send us a textAfter an extended hiatus, Lou returns with a reaction & reflection upon the YouTube video, "John Brown: Terrorist or Hero?" which features a short lecture by the eminent historian David Blight. John Brown Today features the audio version here, and listeners can also view the reaction & reflection video here (or copy this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV6GOH8Pslc)
2022-12-2952 minJohn Brown TodayWhat Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown? Kudos & Conflicts (Part 1)Send us a textIn Part 1 of "What Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown?" Lou reflects upon the question of white allies, particularly in the case of John Brown's story. What did black leaders and other associates really think of John Brown? Recalling Brown's devotion to black liberation and notable devotion to human equality, Lou suggests nevertheless that human interaction is by nature complex and even Brown might grate upon his black associates. How should these tensions be understood? Was he a paternalistic racist as some have charged in recent times? Did he presume too much d...
2022-10-2430 minJohn Brown TodayWhat Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown? The Question of "Sambo Mistakes" (Part 2)Send us a textIn Part 2 of this two-part episode, Lou reflects upon the question of white allies, particularly in the case of John Brown's story. What did black leaders and other associates really think of John Brown? Recalling Brown's devotion to black liberation and notable devotion to human equality, Lou suggests nevertheless that human interaction is by nature complex and even Brown might grate upon his black associates. How should these tensions be understood? Was he a paternalistic racist as some have charged in recent times? Did he presume too much despite being a notable and r...
2022-10-2428 minJohn Brown TodayQuestioning John Brown’s Sanity: A Historical Thread ConsideredSend us a textMany people in the United States, especially (but not exclusively) white people, tend to think of John Brown as someone who was "crazy." In this episode, Lou surveys what he calls a historical "thread" regarding the alleged insanity of Brown. Beginning with affidavits filed in Virginia in 1859 in an attempt by friends and relatives in Ohio to spare Brown's life, as well as Republican insanity rhetoric designed to dissociate Brown from their party, it is clear there is otherwise no historical evidence for the insanity notion. In the twentieth century, however, academics promoted B...
2022-09-0948 minJohn Brown TodayJohn Brown’s Trial: The “Lost” Narrative of George H. HoytSend us a textIn this episode, Lou presents a narrative written by John Brown's young lawyer, George H. Hoyt, written only a few years after the abolitionist's hanging. Hoyt went to join John Brown in Charlestown, Virginia (today West Va.) and support his lawyers, but really went as a spy for Brown's supporters in the North who wanted to launch a rescue. But not only was the rescue impossible by the time that Hoyt arrived in Virginia, but Brown did not want to escape. Hoyt thus became part of the drama of Brown's trial and last da...
2022-07-2557 minJohn Brown TodayWhy John Brown? A Biographer's Reflections in Response to a Thoughtful CriticSend us a textIn this episode, Lou responds to the comments of a thoughtful but critical podcast listener who has well-stated reasons for asking, "why John Brown?" The question is a good one and Lou starts with personal and scholarly reflections on a range of views of Brown that range from anti-Brown to non-admirer. Then, Lou shares the podcast listener's comments and attempts to make a response that hopefully is helpful to this friendly critic as well as others with similar thoughts on the abolitionist and his legacy. Guest music:"Climbing" by Ree...
2022-06-3044 minJohn Brown TodayGood Boy with a Gun: The Tragic Story of Will Leeman, A Harper’s Ferry RaiderSend us a textIn this episode, Lou does a deep dive into the story of William Leeman, the youngest of John Brown's Harper's Ferry raiders. From his origins in Maine to Kansas and his enlistment in John Brown's army, we look at the story of a young man with feet of iron and clay, whose death in Virginia in 1859 resonates with the racist gun violence and mass killings that grip our nation today. A special note of thanks is due H. Scott Wolfe, for providing his extensive research on Leeman, the work of many yea...
2022-05-2648 minJohn Brown Today"John Brown Has Been Lost to His Own Church": An Interview with Louis DeCaro Jr. by Dr. Chris Dost, July 10, 2021Send us a textIn this episode, Lou is interviewed by Dr. Chris Dost, biblical scholar and pastor of the Northville Baptist Church in New Milford, Connecticut. This audio is excerpted from an interview recorded on July 10, 2021.Closing tune: "Amazing Grace" by Cooper CannellHey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!Feedback?https://www.speakpipe.com/JOHNBROWNTODAY
2022-04-3054 minJohn Brown TodayBiography: The Ups and Downs of Mr. Brown, 1835-1851Send us a textIn this episode, Lou provides a slice of biography, zooming in on John Brown's personal and economic challenges as a frontier entrepreneur and his often forgotten comeback in the early 1840s. While overlooked by unstudied and prejudiced scholars, Brown actually bounced back in the mid-1840s and distinguished himself as one of the leading experts on fine sheep and wool. Looking at Brown's attempt to intervene on behalf of wool growers in the 1840s, we get further insight into Brown's inclination to defend the underdog. This observation provides a way to revisit the b...
2022-04-0527 minJohn Brown TodayA Disparate Legacy: Oswald Garrison Villard and the John Brown BiographySend us a textTo begin the fourth cycle of John Brown Today, Lou reflects upon the life and contribution of Brown biographer, Oswald Garrison Villard, whose life of John Brown was first published in 1910. As Lou argues, Villard did a great favor to historical study and John Brown students by commissioning extensive research for his work--research that he could not even utilize to the fullest extent himself. On the other hand, Villard depreciated John Brown as a restless and principled murderer, used his economic clout to the disadvantage of W.E.B. DuBois, another biographer of...
2022-03-1639 minJohn Brown TodayInterrogating History: The Mayflower, “America,” and John BrownSend us a textIn this episode, Lou reflects upon the critical thesis of the late Gabriel Moran (1935-2021), who indefatigably pointed out the distinction between "America" as a dream (and as a vast continental land mass) and The United States of America as a nation. Following Gabriel's lead, Lou reflects upon the linguistic and political challenges of confusing the two, something that is done as much by rightwingers as by critics of racism, including such eminent voices as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. What is the significance of confusing the USA with "America"? Lou e...
2022-01-3137 minJohn Brown TodayLight vs. Lies: The Real History of the Harper's Ferry Raid (with a Jan. 6th epilogue!)Send us a textIn this episode, Lou revisits the Harper's Ferry raid of October 16, 1859, presents some preliminary thoughts on the contemporary perspective and then addresses a number of key points, along with a "January 6th" epilogue. The key points addressed in this extended episode are:1. What basically characterized John Brown’s earlier Virginia plan and how it was changed in the 1850s, and why it was changed?2. Why did John Brown choose to capture the federal armory and what did he intend when he did so?3. To what degree did Joh...
2022-01-1651 minJohn Brown TodayMy John Brown Holiday NotesSend us a textIn this episode Lou tries to answer the question, "Did John Brown celebrate Christmas?" This leads us to consider both Thanksgiving and Christmas in the antebellum era, what they represented to the North and South, respectively, and their social significance. Then, taking a quick tour of the archives, Lou pulls some different vignettes relating John Brown to Christmas.Merry Christmas to those who observe the day, and happy holidays and happy new year to all!Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast M...
2021-12-2423 minJohn Brown TodayA Text For the Nation: John Brown Beyond BiographySend us a textIn this episode, Lou reflects upon the 1859 words of abolitionist orator Wendell Phillips, that the hanged John Brown had "given this nation a text." Lou considers how W.E.B. DuBois used the abolitionist as a text in writing his biography John Brown in 1909. Almost seventy years later, the leftist historian Albert Fried likewise did so in the writing of his historiographic memoir, John Brown's Journey (1978). Both writers demonstrated that Wendell Phillips was correct: Brown has given this nation a text, a fact that will not lessen in time.Hey fri...
2021-12-1330 minJohn Brown TodayJohn Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Moral Core: A Juxtaposition for December 2Send us a textIn this episode, Lou reflects upon the "moral core" of Brown and Lincoln in juxtaposition. Mainly considering how these men are viewed in terms of religion and in regard to their roles in human liberation, Lou argues that Lincoln is neither a prophet nor a martyr, and that he is bested in both categories by Brown. This episode is dedicated to the annual remembrance of John Brown's hanging on December 2, 1859. Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!
2021-11-3049 minJohn Brown TodayExplaining John Brown Correctly: A Conversation with Dan MorrisonSend us a textIn this episode Lou talks with Dan Morrison, a journalist and artist who lives in Torrington, Connecticut, the birthplace of John Brown. The basis of the conversation is Dan's recent explainer video, "Was John Brown a Terrorist?" an Explainer Video which succinctly and effectively addresses a theme that so many have distorted and skewed. Dan is a listener of John Brown Today but he does a lot of thinking about the Old Man on his own, and he's working on a project that will interest JBT listeners for sure. This episode clo...
2021-11-1732 minJohn Brown TodayMary Ellen Pleasant and "The Rule of Credible Evidence"Send us a textIn this episode, Lou discusses the story of Mary Ellen Pleasant, an African American woman who has been lauded for her civil rights activities in 19th century San Francisco, but--more important to this podcast--claimed to have been a confidant and supporter of John Brown. Along the way, Lou shares a number of examples of stories and reports that connected claimants to the John Brown story, some of them obviously false, others arguably true, and some in-between, with a mix of the credible and interesting with fabrications and farce. This is especially the case w...
2021-10-1726 minJohn Brown TodayThe Voices of the Past: A Conversation with Ian Barford (Part 2)Send us a textIn this episode, Lou continues his conversation with friend Ian Barford, the actor and Brown-Douglass researcher. In this episode we discuss Ian's project on John Brown's relationship with Frederick Douglass and other black leaders of that period, including the impact that black nationalist archetypes had on Brown's thinking, and in turn how he responded in support of black self-determination. There is also some musing in regard to a trip to Kansas this past summer which they shared, both doing archive work as well as visiting historic sites. If you're interested, you c...
2021-09-2724 minJohn Brown TodayThe Voices of the Past: A Conversation with Ian Barford (Part 1)Send us a textWelcome back to John Brown Today! In this episode, the first of two parts, I'm talking with my friend, Ian Barford, a Tony-nominated actor who is also a John Brown enthusiast and, in his own right, quite a scholar and researcher. For some years now, Ian has been working artistically on the theme of John Brown and Frederick Douglass, and I'm excited for the direction that his work has taken. This summer, Ian and I traveled around Kansas, visiting historical sites and then the beautiful Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka, where I...
2021-09-0635 minJohn Brown TodayReading John Brown's "A Declaration of Liberty" (July 4, 1859)Send us a textIn this episode, Lou reflects on the text of John Brown's 1859 document, "A Declaration of Liberty," which was intended as the official pronouncement of the liberation movement and "guerrilla" state that he intended to establish in the South after staging a political demonstration at Harper's Ferry. After his movement failed and Brown was taken at Harper's Ferry, his documents were seized and preserved by Virginia authorities, including "A Declaration of Liberty." Also included is a short response to comments made about Brown during a radio interview by Kate Masur, the author of the ne...
2021-07-0649 minJohn Brown TodayFather and SonSend us a textIn this special Father's Day episode, Lou reflects on the example and influence of Owen Brown (1771-1856), the father of abolitionist John Brown. From Connecticut to the Ohio wilderness in the early 19th century, father and son Brown share a common religious faith and zeal for human rights and opposition to slavery. Special attention is paid to John Brown's 1857 autobiographical sketch of youth, and Lou offers closing Father's Day wishes with a special closing song, "Esperando (Waiting)" composed by Hagjae Lee and performed by Epainos on their sacred music CD, Hymn Vol...
2021-06-1742 minJohn Brown TodayJohn Brown Remembrance (2020)Send us a textThis is the edited audio of a short video done to commemorate the 220th birthday of John Brown in 2020. This brief reflection on Brown's life and significance entails his upbringing, biographical profile, his impact on anti-colonial revolutionaries, his cultural diminishment in the USA, and concludes with statements by Frederick Douglass (read by Michael Sweeting) and James Baldwin.View the John Brown 2020 Remembrance here.Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!
2021-06-0310 minJohn Brown TodayJohn Brown's Best Friend in the Twentieth CenturySend us a textIn this episode, Lou recalls the important role of Boyd B. Stutler (1889-1970), "the godfather of John Brown scholars." Lou sketches Stutler's life, from his youth as a newspaperman and one of the youngest mayors in his era, to his role as a war time correspondent and veterans' magazine editor. Above all, Stutler was the key figure in gathering John Brown materials, primary and secondary, and became the expert on Brown in the twentieth century. Yet, as Lou observes, Stutler was a rightwinger who held Brown at arms length and held a somewhat d...
2021-05-2338 minJohn Brown TodayINTRODUCING "37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles Kenyatta"Louis A. DeCaro Jr., the host of JOHN BROWN TODAY, introduces a limited-series podcast that he has produced called 37: THE CURIOUS & EMBATTLED LIFE OF CHARLES KENYATTA. It is the story of his association and friendship with Charles (37X) Kenyatta, a follower of Malcolm X and prominent personality in Harlem from the 1960s until his death in 2005. In this series, Lou recalls his decade-long association with this controversial Harlem personality, weaving Kenyatta's own often tragic and dramatic story into the narrative, and revealing the life and struggles of an unlikely Harlem leader, a man whose passion for the...
2021-05-1002 minJohn Brown TodayHurrah For Old John Brown: The July 4th 1860 Meeting at John Brown's Farm & GraveSend us a textIn this John Brown birthday episode, Lou presents a reflection upon the "reunion" meeting at John Brown's farm that took place on July 4, 1860, before the Brown family sold the property and relocated to California three years later. Based on an account published in William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator (July 27, 1860), Lou reflects on this meeting--attended by as many as one thousand people--its leading spirits, its family significance, even the fact that Brown had both a grave mound and a grave marker. As Lou points out, when this meeting took place, only Brown was interred at th...
2021-05-0653 min
37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart VII: Where It Ended UpIn the seventh episode, young Charles faces the ongoing racist abuses of prison authorities and then "escapes" as a parolee to the military, where he finds an even more outrageous experience of racism. Struggling against a system where even black officers are subordinated to white inferiors, Charles pushes back and pays dearly for it. And, in a twist of fate, Charles becomes the cell mate of one of jazz music's all-time legends, with a not-so-musical outcome. Finally, Lou gets married and Kenyatta goes to his wedding--but then somewhat suddenly gets married too, and Lou is hardly "over the Moon" abo...
2021-04-2321 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart VIII: The Landscape of MemoryIn the last and eighth episode, it's Lou who drops the ball, and in the business of life, he neglects Kenyatta over in Harlem, whose health has gone into decline. After making an unconventional visit to Kenyatta, and despite his evident decline, distractions and demands prevail and Lou all but abandons his friend. By the time Lou and Michele move into Manhattan--not far from where Malcolm X used to lead "Temple No. 7" in Harlem, Kenyatta has gone south with his daughter, and then dies in Maryland. Grieved by his failure, Lou is surprised by Kenyatta's funeral, and the story clo...
2021-04-2327 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart VI: Shortcomings and Other Glorious MomentsIn the sixth episode we continue to follow young Charles Morris's dreadful experiences in the flourishing racist prison system in North Carolina of the late 1930s. Fast forwarding the story, we see Kenyatta's emerging role as a community reformer in the late 1960s and early '70s, and Lou's reflections on Kenyatta in the 1990s, when his community polemics prove embarrassing and offensive, especially in the wake of the death of Betty Shabazz, the widow of Malcolm X, who died in 1997 after a tragic house fire. Still, as Lou observes, Kenyatta's offensive behaviors probably reflected past memories of Malcolm's d...
2021-04-2326 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart III: Kenyatta of HarlemIn the third episode, Lou talks about becoming closer to Kenyatta, who begins to share his story, beginning with a childhood traumatized by racism and violence in the South, and its ramifications in later life. Lou also discusses Kenyatta's first independent efforts as a stepladder speaker in Harlem--an "inflammatory" career that brought him into center focus of the New York Office of the FBI, and Director J. Edgar Hoover.In "The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles Kenyatta," historian and biographer, Louis A. DeCaro, Jr., narrates the story of his association and friendship with Charles (37X) Kenyatta, a f...
2021-04-2322 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart IV: The Rabble Rouser IndexIn the fourth episode, we learn how Kenyatta had become a major annoyance to the New York Office of the FBI, which saw him as a provocative and disturbing public figure in the later 1960s. With Malcolm gone, Kenyatta turns to supporting Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., the Harlem Congressman and Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, who is facing his own struggles in Washington D.C. As a machete-waving belligerent, Kenyatta is disliked by Martin Luther King Jr. , and with King's assassination, Kenyatta demonstrated his preference for Malcolm over Martin in an unconventional manner. Once again, however, Kenyatta makes y...
2021-04-2321 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart V: Black Hunger and Other PainsIn the fifth episode, Kenyatta shifts from being a "bombastic, machete-waving extremist to a streetwise community leader" with connections to people in high places. Allied with Barry Gotteherer, "the mayor's man" among other people, Kenyatta continues to be a controversial figure in Harlem, but now because he is distrusted by many community activists. Meanwhile, Kenyatta becomes aware of the suffering of the Biafran people, whose independence movement has led to blockades and starvation, and he travels to Africa to intercede. Reflecting on Kenyatta's concern for the poorest in the community, the story then flashes back to the Harlem street d...
2021-04-2325 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart I: On the Walk to DeathIn the first episode, Lou reflects upon his first interview with Kenyatta, looking back at the difficult days of 1964-65, when Malcolm X was ousted from the Nation of Islam. Malcolm finds himself in conflict with his former brethren over possession of his house in Queens, resulting in Malcolm exposing Elijah Muhammad's sexual abuses of young women to the media. When Malcolm goes abroad again in 1964, his two organizations back in New York City face pressure and strife, prompting Kenyatta to ask Malcolm to return. These circumstances provide the backdrop to the crises leading up to Malcolm's assassination in Fe...
2021-04-2329 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaPart II: Without An AnchorIn the second episode, Lou recalls how he and Kenyatta began their association, in a somewhat uneasy fashion, since Kenyatta wanted him to become his writer. As it turned out, Kenyatta had a history of using writers to advance his message in Harlem for decades, often publishing pieces in Harlem's New York Amsterdam News. At first, involvement with Kenyatta raised concerns, especially since Lou began to learn that his reputation in Harlem was open to question. In retrospect, he reflects upon Kenyatta's interaction with Malcolm's two organizations, and their demise following the assassination. In particular, Kenyatta's FBI file opens up a...
2021-04-2318 min37: The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles KenyattaIntroduction: The Watchman of HarlemIn this introduction, Lou recalls briefly how he began his passionate study of Malcolm X, and how this path led him to Charles Kenyatta in Harlem, the aged follower and associate of Malcolm, who was known as "37X" in his Nation of Islam days--and whom Malcolm simply called "37." In "The Curious & Embattled Life of Charles Kenyatta," historian and biographer, Louis A. DeCaro, Jr., narrates the story of his association and friendship with Charles (37X) Kenyatta, a follower of Malcolm X and prominent personality in Harlem from the 1960s until his death in 2005. Reminiscing about his decade-long association wi...
2021-04-2307 minJohn Brown Today"God's Angry Men" RevisitedSend us a textIn this episode, Lou discusses the historical and cultural context of Charles Sheldon's 1910 poem, "God's Angry Men," which compares the biblical liberator Moses with John Brown. Opening with a reading of the poem by actor Norman Marshall, Lou revisits Sheldon as a clergyman in the "social gospel" tradition, and also features a couple rare vignettes of John Brown getting quite angry, and then traces the theme into the 20th century, featuring another so-called "angry man."Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!
2021-04-0518 minJohn Brown TodayLetters and Friends: A Zoom Conversation with Margaret Washington!Send us a textIn the first installment of a feature called "Letters and Friends," Lou meets (via zoom) with the wonderful scholar and author, Margaret Washington of Cornell University, author of a number of important works, especially Sojourner Truth's America (2009). The conversation, built around a letter by John Brown to his wife, Mary, in January 1858 (transcribed in abbreviated form below because of space restrictions), reflects upon Brown, Douglass, as well as some interesting insights on Sojourner Truth. Listeners will enjoy getting to know a little about Margaret, her insights into the antebellum era abolitionist movement, and h...
2021-03-2750 minJohn Brown Today"Never Tell It": John Brown and the Masonic LodgeSend us a textIn this episode, Lou reflects upon the story of John Brown's involvement in the Masons, first his membership and then his drastic turnabout in becoming an antagonistic opponent of the "Worthy Brotherhood." Not only is this a peculiar aspect of Brown's biography, but it raises some questions, including if Masons then and now continue to claim John Brown as a brother Mason. Evidently, some have and some still do. In a storyline that begins with John Brown as a man in his twenties and ends with him in the final days prior to the...
2021-03-1043 minJohn Brown TodayZooming John Brown: A Visit with Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner of MagpieSend us a textIn this episode, Lou pays a zoom visit to the award-winning folk musicians and activists Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner, the duo known as Magpie. Since 1973, Terry and Greg have brought their unique sound and remarkable versatility to audiences everywhere, featuring traditional and vintage Americana to contemporary and stirring original compositions. With two strong voices in harmony and superb instrumental arrangements, their sound is powerful and moving. Award-winning recording artists, singers, songwriters, musical historians, playwrights, actors and social activists, Terry and Greg are proud to be, as Pete Seeger said of them, “…more links...
2021-02-2456 minJohn Brown TodayAll Their John Browns (With Some Lincoln Birthday Fun)Send us a textHow many John Browns can you think of? In this episode, Lou shares some reflections on biography and how John Brown has been portrayed in biographical and cultural terms since his death in 1859 and up through today. While this episode is about Old Brown, there is some reflection on Old Abe, but rest assured, it's all in good fun. Or is it? I doubt the Lincoln Squirrel is laughing. Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!Feedback?ht...
2021-02-1640 minJohn Brown TodayPulled Back In: America’s Good Terrorist and the Mind of Old Virginia--A ReviewSend us a textIn this episode, Lou reviews America's "Good Terrorist": John Brown and the Harper's Ferry Raid, by Charles P. Poland, Jr., Ph.D. "[W]hile this is a new book," Lou observes, "there is something very old about it, a refurbished version of the old anti-Brown story that was so pervasive from the early-to-mid-20th century—that old hackneyed tale of John Brown that still haunts the popular narrative." An extended review, Lou examines the author's problematic theme, that Brown was a terrorist, as well as the author's treatment of biographical and historical details. Liste...
2021-02-0342 minJohn Brown TodayJohn Brown's Bankruptcy BookshelfSend us a textWhat can be learned by looking at a person's bookshelf? In this episode, Lou reflects upon John Brown's early business and financial difficulties and argues that despite the simplistic and often manipulative way that writers have portrayed this theme in Brown's biography, few if any biographers have taken an adequate look at both Brown's business life and the economic circumstances of the United States that impacted him. Lou argues that Brown was not categorical failure in business, and in the later 1840s actually improved his business reputation significantly despite the challenges that he f...
2021-01-2233 minJohn Brown TodayCatch Him if You Can: The True Story of Alexander Ross, John Brown’s Fraudulent “Friend”Send us a textOne of the most incredible stories related to John Brown that really is not about him is the story of Alexander Milton Ross, a Canadian public figure of the nineteenth century. Ross was most widely known and celebrated in the later nineteenth century because of his antislavery activities and his reputation as a leading abolitionist figure prior to and during the Civil War. However, Ross was a fraud--at least as far as his claims to have been a close associate of John Brown, and probably as one familiar with Abraham Lincoln, a claim...
2021-01-1025 minJohn Brown Today"Emperor" Shields Green--A Hollywood Movie and My Book TooSend us a textSpoiler Alert! If you have not seen the popular movie, "Emperor," you may want to watch it before you listen to this podcast.In this episode, Lou discusses the somewhat mysterious life of Shields Green, a.k.a. Emperor, one of John Brown's Harper's Ferry raiders. As Lou recounts, it was the making of the "Emperor" movie that prompted him first to want to write a little article, which surprisingly led him down a historical rabbit hole in search of the little known figure of Emperor, ultimately resulting in his own b...
2020-12-2918 minJohn Brown Today"What Was John Brown Like?" A Biographer's Deep DiveSend us a textIn this episode, Lou takes a "deep dive" on understanding John Brown as a person, from describing his physical and personality traits to an extended discussion about Brown's religious views and his inclination to take up for the underdog. Arguing that Brown certainly is different from popular portrayals, Lou unpacks a biographer's perspective on "the Old Man" that challenges some conventional notions and introduces new insights to a man that is typically misrepresented as unbalanced, angry, and deeply violent. This is a marathon, but one worth running. Interested listeners can find many of the...
2020-12-2036 minJohn Brown TodayThe Fool as Biographer: Otto Scott and "The Secret Six"Send us a textIn this episode, Lou discusses the hostile book about John Brown by the late scholar, Otto Scott, The Secret Six: John Brown and the Abolitionist Movement. Scott was a skillful researcher and writer who devoted his life to working for the corporate world, but contributed heavily to racist, right-wing, and white nationalist Christians. His work on Brown is a screed, a work of propaganda that is based on discredited sources and fashioned to suit the agenda of racists and neo-Confederates, but still circulates among conservatives today, especially Christian Reconstructionists and romancers of the s...
2020-12-1226 minJohn Brown TodayJohn Brown, Philadelphia, and a Decoy CoffinSend us a textIn this episode, Lou shares the climaxing chapter in John Brown's story--his death, and tells how his body was carried to Philadelphia, Pa., in route to burial in the Adirondacks. Centering the story on Philadelphia, Lou reflects on Brown's previous visits to the City of Brother Love, including the decisive role that Frederick Douglass played in Brown's disappointed effort to enlist free black men from the city. Reflecting on matters of race, too, this episode provides a glimpse of the controversy in the North that immediately followed Brown's execution, and the influence that th...
2020-12-0631 minJohn Brown TodayPottawatomie, 1856: The Political and the PersonalSend us a textIn this episode, Lou considers one of the most controversial themes in the John Brown story: the Pottawatomie killings of May 1856. Lou argues that there is a standard bias in the way many narrators deal with the controversial Kansas episode, when Brown and his men killed five proslavery neighbors along the Pottawatomie Creek. All too often, popular narratives on Brown have barely begun before the "Pottawatomie massacre" is invoked, reinforcing notions of Brown as a "terrorist." As a biographer, Lou argues to the contrary: John Brown was a counter-terrorist and the Pottawatomie episode c...
2020-11-3031 min
Unlock A Binge-Worthy Full Audiobook On Your Commute.The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790to listen full audiobooks.
Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider
Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr.
Narrator: William Andrew Quinn
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hours 4 minutes
Release date: November 24, 2020
Genres: Military
Publisher's Summary:
Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was unnecessary and...
2020-11-246h 04Embark On The Most Immersive Full Audiobook Today!The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790to listen full audiobooks.
Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider
Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr.
Narrator: William Andrew Quinn
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hours 4 minutes
Release date: November 24, 2020
Genres: The Americas
Publisher's Summary:
Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was unnecessary...
2020-11-246h 04
Listen to New Full Audiobooks in History, The AmericasThe Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr. Narrator: William Andrew Quinn Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 4 minutes Release date: November 24, 2020 Genres: The Americas Publisher's Summary: Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was...
2020-11-2430 minListen to New Full Audiobooks in History, The AmericasThe Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790to listen full audiobooks.
Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider
Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr.
Narrator: William Andrew Quinn
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hours 4 minutes
Release date: November 24, 2020
Genres: The Americas
Publisher's Summary:
Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was unnecessary...
2020-11-246h 04
Download Incredible Full Audiobooks in Non-Fiction, Social ScienceThe Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr. Narrator: William Andrew Quinn Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 4 minutes Release date: November 24, 2020 Genres: Social Science Publisher's Summary: Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was...
2020-11-2430 min
Discover the Best Audio Stories in History, MilitaryThe Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr. Narrator: William Andrew Quinn Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 4 minutes Release date: November 24, 2020 Genres: Military Publisher's Summary: Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was unnecessary...
2020-11-2430 minDiscover the Best Audio Stories in History, MilitaryThe Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider by Louis A. Decaro Jr.Please visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/455790to listen full audiobooks.
Title: The Untold Story of Shields Green: The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider
Author: Louis A. Decaro Jr.
Narrator: William Andrew Quinn
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hours 4 minutes
Release date: November 24, 2020
Genres: Military
Publisher's Summary:
Explores the life of Shields Green, one of the black men who followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry in 1859 When John Brown decided to raid the federal armory in Harper's Ferry as the starting point of his intended liberation effort in the South, some closest to him thought it was unnecessary and...
2020-11-246h 04John Brown TodayThe "Battle Hymn" Revision, White Liberals, and Malcolm XSend us a textIn this episode, we explore the origins of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," reflecting upon the myths and realities of the "white liberal" abolitionist orientation of writer Julia Ward Howe and the pacifist abolitionist elites, and their motivations for rewriting "The John Brown Song." Viewing the "The Battle Hymn" as an intentional replacement on the part of the abolitionists, we consider the raw liberationist ethos of "The John Brown Song" and why it was replaced, and the significance of its mythology in our own thinking about the antebellum and Civil War eras. Dr...
2020-11-2324 minJohn Brown TodayHow a Theater Critic Saved the Freedom of the Press in 1859Send us a textIn this episode, we meet the forgotten journalist, Edward "Ned" House, who was the clandestine reporter for Horace Greeley's New York Daily Tribune at the time the paper was banned in Virginia following John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. Tribune, an antislavery Bohemian, worked as the Tribune's theater critic, but because he held Democratic party credentials, he was able to go to Charlestown and cover John Brown's last days, from late October until the day of the abolitionist's hanging. House filed reports secretly, smuggling most of them and risking discovery by an angry pr...
2020-11-1512 minJohn Brown Today"The Good Lord Bird" and the Uses of ArtSend us a textIn this episode, "The Good Lord Bird," both the novel by James McBride and the SHOWTIME series adaptation by Ethan Hawke are considered with respect to the relation of fiction to history. There is a difference between the use of fiction in collaboration with history and the use of fiction to rewrite history, Lou contends, and in the case of Old John Brown, "The Good Lord Bird" is particularly worrisome because its portrayal is offered as satire but will inevitably inform viewers quite incorrectly as to the historical record. Hey fr...
2020-11-1017 minJohn Brown TodayWhy Were You Miseducated About John Brown?Send us a textIn this podcast, Louis DeCaro Jr. welcomes listeners and introduces himself with some reflections about the significance of John Brown in history, especially relating to the black struggle for justice. DeCaro then discusses the story behind Brown's damaged reputation in history, particularly how white society was miseducated and why.Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!Feedback?https://www.speakpipe.com/JOHNBROWNTODAY
2020-11-0829 min
Letter of LibertyEpisode 21 - Interview with Louis DeCaro on John BrownIn this episode, historian Louis DeCaro joins Letter of Liberty to discuss the abolitionist John Brown, Brown's attitudes to violence, why Brown is not a terrorist, why he is a hero, and why his central lesson is one of freedom.
A production of WCWP Studios - LIU Post Public Radio. Visit us at WCWP.org
2018-08-171h 02
The Working Therapist: Providing Helpful Ideas for Pediatric Speech, Occupational and Physical TherapyNolaro24: Part 2In this episode of The Working Therapist podcast, Haden is joined by guests Roberta Nole, MA, Physical Therapist, and Certified Pedorthist, Dr. Louis DeCaro, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, as well as Kjirsti Myles, Pediatric Developmental Therapy Purple Team Lead and Physical Therapist to continue our discussion on one of our favorite orthotic manufacturers, Nolaro24. Nolaro24 is an orthotic company that is changing podiatric medicine by standardizing and prescriptionizing the orthotics industry through their QUADRASTEPS and littleSTEPS Systems of orthotics. Throughout this episode, Roberta Nole, Nolaro24's President and Chief Product Developer, and Dr. DeCaro, Nolaro24's Director of Medical Relations...
2015-06-1200 minThe Working Therapist: Providing Helpful Ideas for Pediatric Speech, Occupational and Physical TherapyNolaro24: Part 1In this episode of The Working Therapist podcast, Haden is joined by guests Roberta Nole, MA, Physical Therapist, and Certified Pedorthist, Dr. Louis DeCaro, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, as well as Kjirsti Myles, Pediatric Developmental Therapy Purple Team Lead and Physical Therapist to discuss one of our favorite orthotic manufacturers, Nolaro24. Nolaro24 is an orthotic company that is changing podiatric medicine by standardizing and prescriptionizing the orthotics industry through their QUADRASTEPS and littleSTEPS Systems of orthotics. Throughout this episode, Roberta Nole, Nolaro24's President and Chief Product Developer, and Dr. DeCaro, Nolaro24's Director of Medical Relations, discuss the development...
2015-06-0500 min