History

Protest movements have been part of American history since before the United States was founded. In this episode, we hear from historians Ashley Howard, Amy Rutenberg and Daniel K. Williams about three different and powerful protest movements in U.S. history — the civil rights movement, anti-war movement during the Vietnam War and the anti-abortion movement. We’ll also talk about the strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures of these movements.

The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake is a rock and roll landmark and one of the few historic ballrooms still operating today. Its legacy is closely tied to "The Day the Music Died," when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson performed their final show at the Surf on Feb. 2, 1959, before their fatal plane crash in a field north of Clear Lake the following morning. The Surf has recently expanded with the opening of their Music Experience Center next door, which has artifacts of the three late stars, along with other artists that have performed at the Surf, since it first opened in 1933. In this episode Pete Potts, director of marketing and public relations, and Jeff Nicholas, president of the nonprofit that manages the Surf, give us a tour of the Surt Ballroom and Music Experience Center. We also visit the crash site with Nicholas, whose family owns and maintains the crash site, which has become a tourist attraction for music lovers around the world.

Black Future Fest is a month-long celebration focusing on Afrofuturistic art, fashion and community imagination in Iowa City. On this episode, Black Future Fest organizer Latasha DeLoach and professor of journalism and African American Studies Venise Berry join to discuss Afrofuturism and the upcoming events. Later, reflecting on the legacy of Lee Swearengin, who spent decades of his life institutionalized, but made tremendous contributions to Iowa archeology.

In 1965, John and Mary Beth Tinker protested the Vietnam War by wearing black arm bands to school. The incident led to a landmark Supreme Court decision that guaranteed free speech rights for public school students. The Tinkers reflect on this history and present day threats to the First Amendment. Later, a new play from playwright Megan Gogerty works through her complicated feelings about her father and family's history as a sixth generation Iowan.

The first Black woman to graduate from Grinnell lived to be 111. She was admired for her wit and wisdom and helped with the preservation of her rich family history. We listen back to producer Dani Gehr's 2025 conversation with Renfrow Smith at her home in Chicago. Then, host Charity Nebbe spoke with the author of a children's book about Renfrow Smith, 'No One is Better Than You,' and the Grinnell professor that led the Renfrow family history project, Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant. Then, we learn about an Iowa organization that keeps pets and their owners together, assisting elderly and low-income Iowans and those with disabilities.

Former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray made a decision 50 years ago that echoed beyond Iowa's borders — a bold choice to welcome Tai Dam refugees from Southeast Asia in their hour of need. Matt Walsh, author of The Good Governor: Robert Ray and the Indochinese Refugees of Iowa, joins the show to discuss Ray's history-making decisions post-Vietnam. Then, Vinh Nguyen and Hieu Pham discuss their experiences as refugees who made Iowa home.This show was originally produced in May 2025.

The third annual Iowa Farmers of Color Conference takes place Saturday, Dec. 6. It's an opportunity for farmers of color from around the Midwest to come to together to learn from each other and build community. Sixth-generation farmer Todd Western III joins the program to preview the event. We also get to know another founder of Iowa Farmers of Color, Hannah Scates Kettler. She and her husband co-own Minerva's Meadow, an organic, no-till flower farm located near State Center. Then, we learn more about how farming has played a role in Black resiliency and activism for centuries from Felicite Wolfe of the African American Museum of Iowa. The exhibit "Rooted: Labor, Land and Legacy," shares the struggles and triumphs that Black farmers have seen in Iowa and the U.S. through present day.

A team of researchers at the University of Northern Iowa is exploring the deepest caves in the U.S. with NASA funding. This could inform the search for life on other planets. UNI associate professor Josh Sebree discusses the research he’s been leading with an interdisciplinary team of UNI students. We also hear from one of those researchers, Jacqueline Heggen, and Cheryl Johnson, president of the state’s chapter of the National Speleological Society.

Historian and bestselling author Colin Woodard argues America's divide isn’t red vs. blue at all — it’s a clash of distinct cultural nations.

A new documentary captured the experiences of Vietnam War veterans in Iowa. Then, a theatre started by Grant Wood and his friends turns 100 years old.