🎙 Host: Brooke-Sidney, The Soul Story® Show

💥 Episode Overview:

As fireworks fade and flags are folded, we’re asking the real question:
Whose freedom was really declared on July 4, 1776?

In this powerful solo episode, host Brooke-Sidney goes beyond the barbecue and deep into the bookshelf—featuring truth-telling books that reframe American history through the voices of the marginalized: Black people, Indigenous people, women, immigrants, and the working poor.

From Howard Zinn to Nikole Hannah-Jones to Mikki Kendall, these books challenge the myth of American exceptionalism and spotlight what liberation really means.

📚 Books Mentioned in This Episode

🟥 History Reclaimed
• A People’s History of the United States – Howard Zinn - https://amzn.to/4eJrvsM
• The 1619 Project – Nikole Hannah-Jones - https://amzn.to/4kqt2Fh
• Stamped from the Beginning – Ibram X. Kendi - https://amzn.to/44oqvVW

🟧 Decolonize the Holiday
• This Land Is Their Land – David J. Silverman - https://amzn.to/44zhLMX
• What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? – Frederick Douglass - https://amzn.to/44sLqHv

🟪 Women’s Truth in the Story
• Hood Feminism – Mikki Kendall - https://amzn.to/45X9Z1S
• They Were Her Property – Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers - https://amzn.to/4nyVO9t

⏱️ Timestamps for Easy Following:

00:00 – Introduction: Rethinking July 4th
01:15 – A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
02:45 – The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (Book + Docuseries)
04:15 – Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
05:45 – This Land Is Their Land by David J. Silverman
06:30 – What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? by Frederick Douglass
07:00 – Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
08:00 – They Were Her Property by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
09:00 – Final Reflection: Reclaiming Truth and Personal Independence

🧘🏽‍♀️ Soul Story® Reflection Questions:

• What story were you taught about July 4th?
• Whose voices were missing from your understanding of American history?
• What does freedom mean to you today?

🎁 Bonus Resources:

📺 The 1619 Project Docuseries – now streaming on Hulu
📺 The 1619 Project Netflix Documentary – extended exploration available now

🔔 Subscribe for more soulful book conversations + storytelling truth: https://www.youtube.com/@soulstoryshow
📚 Ready to write your Soul Story? Apply for a book chat at: https://bit.ly/BJHbookchats

✨ Let’s Stay Connected:

🌐 Website: https://brookesidneybooks.com

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📘 Facebook: / brookesidney

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📧 Email for interviews & speaking: soulstoryshow@gmail.com