In his book 'Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights,' Peniel Joseph writes how 1963 was a landmark year for the Civil Rights Movement. Now, Joseph says, the United States is experiencing rollbacks of civil rights and racial justice ideals that the turmoil and violence of 1963 ushered in. Host Charity Nebbe speaks with Joseph about his book, and how the events of 1963 help us better understand contemporary political polarization and racial and cultural divisions. Joseph explains struggles for racial justice in 1963 reverberated worldwide, at times strengthening and damaging America’s global reputation in a manner that echoes the present. (This episode was originally produced June 17, 2025.)
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Armando Garcia Picazo into custody in August. Authorities wouldn't release him even though an immigration judge approved his bond. He sued to be released. This week, a federal judge ruled in his favor. -
The Department of Justice and the Department of Education have separately turned their attention to two of Iowa's largest school districts for programs or hiring practices they claim are racially discriminatory. -
Author Jennifer Harvey joins the program to talk about her new book, Anti-Racism As Daily Practice: Refuse Shame, Change White Communities and Help Create a Just World.
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Covenants in Iowa and across the country restricted Black Iowans from purchasing homes in response to the Great Migration. Iowa researchers are mapping where these covenants were put in place. -
A conversation with former Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines, about what he's learned from his time in office and years of activism — plus what still needs to change.
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Former state Rep. Helen Miller on her memoir I Don't Swim. Then, water safety tips from an Iowa swim instructor.
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A special exhibit up through mid-September explores racial stereotypes and caricatures in their historic context. -
A visit to the African American Museum of Iowa, then a conversation with a mother and son artist and filmmaker duo.
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Juneteenth, a federal holiday, honors the emancipation of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 — the final group of Americans to be notified they were free.
