🎙️ Episode 10

What Pulitzer Prize-Winning David Levering Lewis Discovered About His Family & Our History (Part 1)

What happens when one of the most respected historians in America turns his lens inward?

In this powerful conversation, David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of W.E.B. Du Bois, shares what he uncovered when he began exploring his own family history.

This episode moves beyond scholarship into something deeply personal. What begins as a journey of grief and reflection becomes a profound discovery, one that reveals unexpected truths about lineage, identity, and the complex history woven into Black American lives.

🔍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode
The story behind David Levering Lewis’ decision to write his own family history
How personal loss led to a deeper exploration of ancestry and legacy
The surprising discovery of his connection to a Southern slaveholder
The layered realities of Black lineage in America beyond simplified narratives
Why documenting your own family history matters now more than ever
The role of historians in preserving truth in a time of erasure and misinformation
How Black history is central, not peripheral, to the American story
🧠 Key Themes
Our Truth, Our History, Our Story
Family lineage and hidden histories
Black intellectual and cultural legacy
Historical erasure and reclaiming narrative power
The intersection of personal memory and public history
Documentation as resistance
💬 A Defining Idea from This Episode

History is not just what we inherit, it is what we choose to uncover, understand, and preserve.

📣 Resources / Links

📘 Learn more about David Levering Lewis’ book
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622811/the-stained-glass-window-by-david-levering-lewis/

🏆 Pulitzer Prize profile
https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/david-levering-lewis-0

🎬 Share the film
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026
Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM

📄 Transcript available here
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323

📺 Watch the episode
https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes

🔗 Stay connected
https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia

🎬 About the Series

Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today.

👥 Production Credits

Host: Rita Coburn
Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr
Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack

🎙️ Episode 9

Michael The Price of Music for Our Generation
(Our Truth, Our History, Our Story)

📝 Episode Summary

What did it mean to be Michael Jackson before he became a global icon?

In this episode, we step beyond the music and into the historical reality that shaped his life. Drawing from lived experience in the Midwest near Gary, Indiana, this reflection connects one family’s story to a broader cultural truth shaped by the Great Migration and the realities of Black life in America from the 1960s forward.

🔍 What We Explore

• The role of fathers like Joe Jackson navigating limited opportunity
• The strength and constraints experienced by mothers like Katherine Jackson
• How systemic barriers shaped Black family life and opportunity
• Why music—through groups like The Jackson 5—became a pathway forward
• The cost of childhood fame and the loss of ordinary life
• How we interpret the past differently through a modern lens

🎬 Film & Cultural Context

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring powerful performances by Colman Domingo and Nia Long, the film invites us to consider not just who Michael Jackson was, but the world that made him.

🎥 MICHAEL will bring audiences a riveting portrayal of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.
Watch the official trailer and learn more: https://michael.movie/
In theatres April 24, 2026

🧠 Why This Conversation Matters

This is more than a story about fame. It’s about:

• Family survival
• Generational pressure
• Cultural identity
• The cost of greatness

It’s also a reminder that to understand history, we must step into the realities of the time, not just judge them from the present.

📣 Resources / Links

Read the poem mentioned, “We Had Him” by Maya Angelou
https://allpoetry.com/poem/14326539-We-Had-Him-by-Maya-Angelou

Share the film
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026

Share the trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM

Transcript is available here
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323

Watch here
https://youtu.be/hEEBgWkChNU

Listen here
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/19009870

Stay connected
https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia

🎬 About the Series

Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today.

👥 Production Credits

Host: Rita Coburn
Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr
Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack

🎙️ Episode 8 Show Notes

Episode Title: Black Journalism in a Time of Erasure: A Conversation with NABJ President, Errin Haines

In this timely and urgent conversation, we sit down with Errin Haines, President of the National Association of Black Journalists, to explore the evolving landscape of Black media, truth-telling, and democracy.

As media consolidation, job cuts, and anti-DEI efforts reshape the industry, where do we go to find trusted voices? And what does it mean to protect truth in an era of misinformation?

This episode unpacks the challenges—and opportunities—facing Black journalists today, voting during this critical election, and why supporting Black media is more critical than ever.

🎧 In This Episode, We Explore:

• The shifting landscape of Black journalism and media representation
• How media consolidation and job cuts impact access to trusted voices
• The rise of misinformation—and how it disproportionately targets Black communities
• Where to find credible Black journalists today (YouTube, Substack, independent platforms)
• The role of Black journalists in protecting democracy and informing voters
• Why supporting Black media is essential for future generations

🗳️ Why This Conversation Matters

From public health crises to elections, access to accurate information is power. This episode highlights how misinformation can have real consequences—and why intentional engagement with trusted sources is key to community empowerment.

📣 Resources / Links

Connect with Errin Haines
https://19thnews.org/author/errin-haines/
https://www.instagram.com/emarvelous/

Support Black journalism.

Learn more about the National Association of Black Journalists and support their mission:
👉 NABJ.org

No contribution is too small—your support helps sustain journalism that informs, protects, and empowers.

Share https://youtu.be/5kMsik6rDQM?si=JJkFtdqTPyYdSB_a

Share the film
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026

Share the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM

Transcript is available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323

Watch here https://youtu.be/5fg-aydRHLA

Listen here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/19009870

Stay connected https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia

🎬 About the Series

Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today.

👥 Production Credits

Host: Rita Coburn
Guest: Errin Haines
Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr
Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack

Music by Damien Sebe - so good - https://thmatc.co/?l=D6BE065E