In this episode of Narrative Edge, hosts Peter and Orlando explore the Georgia story at the heart of Brad Snyder’s book You Can’t Kill a Man Because of the Books He Reads. It follows Angelo Herndon, a Black labor activist whose case, rooted in Georgia law, helped shape the national understanding of First Amendment rights.

In April 1974, a group of thieves tunneled beneath Roswell Street in Marietta, Georgia, and blasted their way into the Cobb Exchange Bank vault—only to be mocked for escaping with just $1,000. But as investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a far bigger mystery and the story of a career bank robber whose daring heists and prison escapes made him a legend. This is Robbery, Inc. from Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Marietta Daily Journal.

Nearly 200,000 Black soldiers fought for their freedom in the Civil War. And their families risked everything alongside them. Host Chuck Reece explores the legacy of these soldiers through the powerful, historical poetry of Frank X Walker, and with the help of Pulitzer Prize-winner Edda Fields-Black, historian Holly Pinheiro Jr. and Steve Phan, Park Ranger at the Camp Nelson National Monument. This episode brings to light the struggle, resilience, and enduring impact of African American soldiers in Southern history. 

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis turns his lens inward in The Stained Glass Window, tracing his family's journey from slavery to the Great Migration and beyond. Hosts Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore how personal history and public record intertwine to reveal the deeper currents of the American story.

On this episode of Salvation South Deluxe, we're debunking the Robert Johnson myth. We'll explain how the "deal with the devil" story overshadowed a blues genius and led to exploitation of his legacy.

In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: Chuck Reece details the United States's brutal program of forcibly assimilating Native American children through boarding schools in the late 19th and early 20th century. He learns the historical context of this act of warfare; the lasting trauma it created; and the Native-led efforts to heal its generational wounds. 

Former Georgia Governor, Nathan Deal and “The Big Cat,” Cooperstown Hall of Famer, Johnny Mize - called Demorest, GA home.

Angel LaMadrid Cuesta was born in Asturias, Spain in 1858. He came to Atlanta with a dream and some pocket money. His business concept? Rolling premium cigars at a small factory off Ponce de Leon in Midtown. And it wasn't long before he was rolling in American dollars.

Jeff Hullinger explores the Mary Willis Library in Washington, Ga. Opened in 1889, it was the state’s first free library and continues to serve in that role today, housing a collection of books dating back to 1800. But its most astonishing feature is a beautiful Tiffany glass window featuring an image of the library’s namesake. (No wonder couples have gotten married in front of it!)

Using an ancient key, opening an old wooden door, revealing secret steps, Jeff Hullinger and the Mary T. Willis Library Director ascend a creaky set of staircases cloaked in spider webs. Past stacks of 115-year-old National Geographic magazines and a 160-year-old hardback detailing the science of growing Georgia cotton, guess what's still there?

Architect Cheryl McAfee remembers her experiences integrating a Kansas school with StoryCorps Atlanta's Kiplyn Primus.

'Twas days before Christmas, and tucked in the offices across from the state capitol was a goat for a little girl whose father just happened to be best friends with the governor.

Forty-five years ago, a young Atlanta architect named Ron Hadaway was assigned the unenviable task of renovating a residence inside a delicate Midtown dazzler - The Villa, Ansley Park. His first move: Find Philip Trammell Shutze’s phone number. Ask for an audience.

Utilizing more than two decades of meticulous research, fresh historical analysis, and compelling storytelling, Michael L. Thurmond rewrites the prehistory of abolitionism and adds an important new chapter to Georgia’s origin story. Can he change the hearts and minds of those who were taught Georgia history years ago? Can he change the hearts and minds of our hosts, Peter and Orlando? Listen and judge for yourself. 

The Odd Fellows Building was suggested by Black newspaper editor Benjamin J. Davis (1870-1945), designed by white Atlanta architect William A. Edwards (1866-1939) and built by Robert E. Pharrow, owner of an African-American construction company. Despite the Jim Crow era, the two men, Black and white, worked side by side toward completing the structure. 

Throughout Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s new four-hour docuseries Gospel, Georgians not only help tell its story but play notable parts in it.

At the height of the John Birch Society’s activity in the 1960s, critics dismissed its members as a paranoid fringe. After all, “Birchers” believed that a vast communist conspiracy existed in America and posed an existential threat to Christianity, capitalism, and freedom. But as historian Matthew Dallek reveals, the Birch Society’s extremism remade American conservatism. After a discussion with Dallek, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on Birchers, a deeply researched account of the rise of extremism in the United States.

Unlock the power of primary sources in your social studies classroom! In this episode, Lisa Rogers and Rick Parker of Cobb County Schools give teaching tips to improve student curiosity and comprehension.

This expansive, must-see take on hip hop at the half century mark, told in four, one-hour parts never squarely turns its cameras to southern artists and their contributions to the genre. Here's why.

In November, the United States honors and celebrates the customs and legacy of Native Americans.