Episode 121: Billy Graham, High School Activism, and Teachers' Strikes

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the life and ministry of Billy Graham, youth activism after the Parkland shootings, and the West Virginia teachers’ strike.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Billy Graham, known to many as “America’s Pastor,” is dead. Niki referred to Kevin Kruse’s article about Graham’s early conservatism at Made by History and Anthea Butler’s HuffPost article about the limits of Graham’s racial progressivism. Natalia mentioned this Rolling Stone story about Graham’s role in encouraging homophobia.
• High school students are shaping the national conversation about gun control in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Natalia referred to the East Los Angeles blowouts she wrote about in her book, and Niki discussed this article at The Root about the racialized media coverage of such activism. Niki also wrote about how corporations have been a part of America’s political battles in her column for U.S. News & World Report.
• West Virginia’s teachers are striking. Natalia talked about the anti-union film The Lottery and recommended journalist Trey Kay’s podcast broadcast in collaboration with the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Center, Us & Them.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Neil shared this TIME article about the 1961 plane crash that killed the U.S. figure skating team.
• Natalia discussed Dylan Gottlieb’s article “Rat Race” about urban marathons from the Past Present x Public Seminar
• Niki commented on recollections of William F. Buckley ten years after his death.