Hidden Histories of Rebellion: How America Changed and Why Trump Will Fail [Preview]
The Socialist Program with Brian Becker
The Socialist Program
4.7 • 587 Ratings
🗓️ 6 February 2026
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Trump administration’s agenda has become unmistakable: attack the living legacy of the Civil Rights Revolution – both by trying to erase the historical memory of it, and by reversing the expansion of democracy that it won. Why are Trump and his billionaire backers so threatened by this legacy? What lessons does it have for us today? How does social change happen?
This episode is built around a class on this topic, taught by our host Brian Becker, part of a class series at The People's Forum in New York City titled: 'Hidden Histories of Rebellion in the United States’, recorded on January 27th. We've added supplemental audio clips and edited it for this podcast format.
This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content, and help make this show possible.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | President Trump is now ordering a review of the Smithsonian Museums, accusing the institutions of focusing too much on, quote, |
| 0:08.0 | how bad slavery was. He made that comment in a social media post yesterday. Trump's comments come one week after his administration told the museums they would be required to adjust any content the White House finds problematic. |
| 0:23.6 | We want the museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner. |
| 0:29.6 | One year into the second Trump administration, their agenda has become unmistakable. |
| 0:36.6 | Attack the living legacy of the Civil Rights Revolution. |
| 0:41.3 | Through dozens of executive orders, targeting Black History museums and exhibits, |
| 0:46.3 | campaigns to restore Confederate monuments that grassroots movements fought to tear down, |
| 0:51.3 | and the stripping of indigenous names from landmarks, the administration |
| 0:55.9 | and its billionaire backers have launched an all-out battle over history. |
| 1:01.3 | But why has this been their cause? |
| 1:04.2 | What is the battle of history that we are in now, and what role will we play in this moment? |
| 1:11.0 | Welcome to the Socialist Program. |
| 1:13.2 | I'm John Prysner, a producer of this show. |
| 1:16.2 | This episode is built around a class on this topic, |
| 1:19.5 | taught by our host Brian Becker, |
| 1:21.5 | part of a class series at the People's Forum in New York City |
| 1:24.7 | titled Hidden Histories of Rebellion in the United States. |
| 1:29.3 | Recorded on January 27th. We've added supplemental audio clips and edited it for this podcast format. |
| 1:37.2 | Now, let's begin this episode, Battle for History, Why Trump Wants to Erase the Past. |
| 1:45.1 | It's really remarkable. There are thousands of people have signed up for this eight-part |
| 1:50.0 | course. And I think the reason so many people have signed up is it corresponds to, it corresponds |
| 1:57.7 | to what's happening in society, where people are not just engaged in politics, |
... |
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