This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia
To mark our 250th birthday, “This Day” presents "50 Weeks That Shaped America," a series of deep dives into the stories that brought us to this moment. "This Day" takes you beyond the head-spinning headlines of today and into the unexpected historical moments that have shaped American politics and culture. Hosted by Jody Avirgan (538), and historians Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt), and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley), each episode explores a moment from that day in U.S. political history to uncover its lasting impact. On Sunday episodes, Jody, Niki and Kellie react to current news with their usual mix of humor, analysis, and historical perspective.New episodes released Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Lots more on our Instagram page, YouTube, and newsletter. Find it all at thisdaypod.com.This Day is a proud member of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 1, 2026 • 1h 20min
The Next Realignment (Live)
Bishop William J. Barber II, civil rights leader and founder of the Poor People’s Campaign, joins democracy historian Alex Lovit for a lively conversation on America’s possible next realignment. They explore a Third Reconstruction, political backlash, leaderless movements, fusion politics, nonvoters, and how grassroots organizing can turn moments of change into lasting reform.
Oct 29, 2026 • 30min
Ross Perot: The Giant Sucking Sound (Part Two)
Ross Perot’s 1992 campaign takes a dramatic turn as he drops out, returns, and dominates television with unconventional infomercials. The discussion explores his attacks on NAFTA, deindustrialization, and political elites, plus debate moments, Saturday Night Live’s influence, and the coalition behind his self-funded run. It also traces Perot’s lasting impact on modern populist campaigns.
Oct 27, 2026 • 45min
Ross Perot: Crashing The Parties (Part One)
In 1992, billionaire Ross Perot burst into the presidential race with folksy charisma, colorful charts, and a fierce attack on Washington, deficits, free trade, and the two-party system. His outsider campaign attracted celebrities, operatives from both parties, and a remarkable surge in public support. Then controversy, staff defections, and an explosive NAACP speech sent the movement into turmoil.
Oct 25, 2026 • 23min
The Myth of Lewis & Clark [Some Sunday Context]
Lewis and Clark’s expedition vanished from public memory after failing to find the Northwest Passage, then returned as a national legend decades later. The discussion follows Sacagawea’s transformation into a suffragist-era icon, the frontier myths and Indigenous erasure surrounding her image, and the role of commemorations, tourism, space-age exploration, and contested statues in shaping the story Americans remember.
Oct 22, 2026 • 46min
Lewis & Clark: What They Found (Part Two)
Nicole Hemmer, a Vanderbilt historian of American politics, and Kellie Carter Jackson, a Wellesley scholar of African American history, continue the Lewis and Clark story. They explore Sacagawea’s agency, York’s unfulfilled promise of freedom, and the Native partnerships that sustained the expedition. The journey’s aftermath brings Lewis’s decline, Sacagawea’s final years, and the shift from cooperation to colonial violence.
Oct 20, 2026 • 34min
Lewis & Clark: The Corps Sets Off (Part One)
After the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson sends Meriwether Lewis and William Clark into an enormous, uncertain frontier. They assemble a diverse Corps of Discovery, prepare for mapping, science, and cultural documentation, and set off through punishing wilderness toward the Pacific. Along the way, their Newfoundland companion Seaman steals the spotlight.
Oct 18, 2026 • 21min
John Brown's Body [Some Sunday Context]
John Brown’s execution became a carefully staged political spectacle, cementing his image as martyr or madman. This conversation explores his Harpers Ferry plan, the violence of Bleeding Kansas, and abolitionism’s resistance traditions. It also examines how white supremacy rewrote his legacy, his ties to Black abolitionist networks and Harriet Tubman, and the sanitization of figures like Rosa Parks.
Oct 15, 2026 • 38min
John Brown: The Raid (Part Two)
John Brown’s Harpers Ferry raid seemed strategically perfect, but collapsed into chaos almost immediately. Explore the secret fundraising, recruitment, revolutionary plans, and failed attempts to enlist key abolitionists. The story then turns to Brown’s trial, the Secret Six, the raid’s impact on abolitionist networks, and how his legacy reaches beyond the lone-wolf myth.
Oct 13, 2026 • 44min
John Brown: Radicalization (Part One)
Historians Nicole Hemmer, a Vanderbilt political historian, and Kellie Carter Jackson, a Wellesley scholar of abolitionism, trace John Brown’s path from devout upbringing to militant antislavery crusader. They explore Elijah Lovejoy’s martyrdom, Brown’s failures and violence in Kansas, Boston’s abolitionist networks, the Secret Six, and his audacious plan to spark a mountain rebellion from Harpers Ferry.
Oct 9, 2026 • 43min
Introducing "The Speaker: How Nancy Pelosi Changed the Face of Power"
Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House, joins journalist and KQED producer Scott Schaefer, creator of The Speaker. They revisit Pelosi’s unexpected 1987 congressional run, a bitter San Francisco primary, and the AIDS crisis shaping the campaign. The story follows her clashes with activists, evolving alliance with ACT UP, and push for landmark HIV/AIDS policy.
