A Video Vault of Black Excellence

From Barack Obama, to Whoopi Goldberg, to Quincy Jones, the HistoryMakers collects the untold stories of Black icons and leaders.

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Episode Notes

Whoopi Goldberg’s early views, Barack Obama’s youthful indiscretions, Diahann Carroll’s big break. Those stories and thousands more have been preserved by the HistoryMakers, a video archive of notable African Americans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with the founder and president of the HistoryMakers, Julieanna Richardson, about the project’s mission, and the urgency of preserving Black history during the COVID crisis.

Guest: Julieanna Richardson, founder and president of the HistoryMakers

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

About the Show

America doesn’t need another conversation about race. At least, not the kind we’ve been having … the ones that are sparked by a crisis and move quickly from shock to empty promises to forgetting. No. What America needs are REAL conversations about race—ones that shine a light on the facts, the history, and the reality of how race plays out in our politics and society. That’s what Slate offers each week on A Word … with Jason Johnson. A veteran political commentator, Johnson will bring his incisive wit to thoughtful discussions with leaders, journalists, and other change-makers who will tell the truth about America’s challenges around race and offer ideas on the way forward.

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Host

Jason Johnson is a political contributor at MSNBC, host at Sirius XM, politics writer at theGrio.com, professor of politics and journalism at Morgan State University, and author of the book Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell.

A Word … With Jason Johnson