How Should We Tell Our History?

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Wisconsin Public Radio

Prx, Philosophy, Knowledge, Wpr, Ttbook, Wisconsin, Society & Culture

4.7 • 844 Ratings

🗓️ 21 June 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

America is in the midst of a new debate over how we tell our history. You can see it everywhere – in arguments over critical race theory and AP history classes, in museums and state capitals, in the news and on talk radio. It’s fueled in part by an emerging generation of public historians who are re-shaping our national narratives.

Original Air Date: February 25, 2023

Interviews In This Hour:
Uncovering The Blind Spots In Historical Narratives — Columnist Jamelle Bouie on dispelling 'civic myths' with American history — How 'Praise Houses' Reclaim A Lost Piece of Black History

Guests:
Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, Jamelle Bouie, Charmaine Minniefield

Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast.
Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	arguments about American history have become unusually heated lately.
0:08.8	You are abusing our children.
0:10.4	Critical race theory, high school history classes, public monuments.
0:14.3	Teach them how to think, not what to think.
0:17.1	Seems like suddenly our entire national narrative is up for grabs.
0:21.0	But then there's never been just one story of America,
0:24.2	and it's the job of each succeeding generation to revise and reframe the past.
0:29.7	I'm Anne Strain Champson. Today, onto the best of our knowledge,
0:32.7	we'll meet some of the newest American storytellers,
0:35.4	and ask how should we tell our history?
0:42.0	Wisconsin Public Radio
0:48.8	It's to the best of our knowledge. I'm Anne Strange Champs.
0:55.7	In 1965, James Baldwin gave a famous speech,
1:00.3	accusing America of historical amnesia,
1:03.4	of denying the truth about our long history of slavery and racial injustice.
1:08.6	What we are not facing is the results of what we've done.
1:18.1	I do think there is a battle happening over a history.
1:23.0	I think it's always been happening.
1:26.7	That battle, to face our history and its consequences is still going on.
1:32.3	And today, a new generation is joining the fray.
1:35.3	What one breaks the American people to do for all our sakes
1:41.3	is simply to accept our history.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wisconsin Public Radio, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wisconsin Public Radio and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.