A professor explores the negative connotations of cults and the subjectivity of the term. The emergence of a movement in Southern California in the 1970s is discussed, as well as the influence of the anti-cult movement and the impact of Jonestown and Waco on the perception of cults. The interpretation of scripture by cults and their beliefs about the end of the world are also explored, along with the similarities between the Branch Davidians and other religious groups. The power of language and the consequences of labeling a group as a cult are examined.

University of South Carolina Professor Nicole Maskiell taught a class on the early development of slavery in the northern American colonies. The University of South Carolina is located in Columbia, South Carolina.Make your donation at: c-span.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week a conversation with the new host of Q&A, Peter Slen. We discuss the mission of the program, what to expect, and the best parts of hosting a one-hour conversation with interesting individuals. All new episodes of Q&A begin on January 28th, 2024. Make your donation at: c-span.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marquette University political science professor Julia Azari taught a class on the life and presidency of Jimmy Carter. Marquette University is located in Milwaukee.Make your donation at: c-span.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Kentucky English professor Peter Kalliney discussed how Cold War politics shaped literature from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The University of Kentucky is located in Lexington. Make your donation at: c-span.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The life and legacy of World War I general & early civil rights leader Charles Young was the topic of a lecture by Le'Trice Donaldson, history professor at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. This lecture was hosted by Akron University in Ohio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chapman University Professor Lori Cox Han discussed how television and the internet impacted White House communications strategies. Chapman University is located in Orange, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 1 - Step back in time with C-SPAN as we dive deep into one of the most iconic and controversial events in modern history—the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In this episode, we explore the history surrounding JFK's tragic death through official phone calls from Dallas, Texas, the White House, and Air Force 1.Ep. 2 - Join C-SPAN on a journey through the events following November 22, 1963, as we listen to the events after that fateful day in Dallas. Hear calls from President Lyndon Johnson, Michigan Governor George Romney, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Notre Dame professor Ian Ona Johnson discussed the contest for control of Atlantic sea routes during World War II. The University of Notre Dame is located in Indiana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian who has written what she says is the first book on the presidential cabinet. It's called "The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution." It was on November 26, 1791, that President George Washington convened his cabinet department secretaries: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph. It was the first cabinet meeting ever held. Among other things, we asked Lindsay Chervinsky why Washington waited a full two and a half years into his presidency to call everyone together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices