

This Day
Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia
“This Day” takes you beyond the head-spinning headlines of today and into the unexpected historical moments that have shaped American politics. 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

May 17, 2022 • 23min
Tuskegee Study Apology (1997)
It’s May 16th. This day in 1997, President Clinton offered a formal apology for the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, which took place in the 1930s-1970s.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the shameful study, the role of the Tuskegee Institute in the government study, and whether Clinton’s apology made a difference.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 15, 2022 • 17min
Family Jewels Pt 4: Meddling In The Press (1975) w/ Rick Perlstein
We wrap up our four-part series on the 1975/76 Church Committee hearings with a look at the contentious, cozy, and murky relationship between intelligence communities and the press. The CIA targeted individual journalists, but often with the tacit approval of media elites.
Our guest throughout this series has been Rick Perlstein. Be sure to check out his many brilliant books!
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 12, 2022 • 19min
Family Jewels Pt 3: Meddling In Your Mind (1975)
Our miniseries on the 1975/76 Church Committee findings on CIA and FBI operations continues. This episode, we re-visit our conversation about the MKULTRA program, which conducted mind-control and psychedelic drug experiments on unwitting subjects during the 50s and 60s. The existence of the program came out during the Church Committee hearings.
Be sure to check out the whole “Family Jewels” series, where we’re looking at Meddling Abroad, Meddling at Home, Meddling with Your Mind, and Meddling in the Press.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 10, 2022 • 24min
Family Jewels Pt 2: Meddling At Home (1975) w/ Rick Perlstein
Our miniseries on the 1975/76 Church Committee findings on CIA and FBI operations continues. This episode, we look at what Americans learned with regards to COINTELPRO — domestic spying on people like MLK and John Lennon, as well as groups like the Black Panthers and KKK.
Be sure to check out the whole “Family Jewels” series, where we’re looking at Meddling Abroad, Meddling at Home, Meddling with Your Mind, and Meddling in the Press.
Our guest for this series is Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland, Reaganland, The Invisible Bridge, and much more.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 8, 2022 • 28min
Family Jewels Pt 1: Meddling Abroad (1975) w/ Rick Perlstein
We’ve got a new miniseries for you, looking back at the 1975 Church Committee hearings and report, which disclosed a wide array of shady behavior by the NSA, FBI, and CIA.
For the next four episodes, we’ll look at the findings and what the revelations meant for US government and media. We’ll look at Meddling Abroad, Meddling at Home, Meddling with Your Mind, and Meddling in the Press.
Our guest for this series is Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland, Reaganland, The Invisible Bridge, and much more.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 5, 2022 • 15min
Our Bodies, Ourselves (1969)
It’s May 5th, 1969. In Boston, a group of women are meeting to share information about women’s health, which would eventually lead to writing a 193-page pamphlet, which would eventually lead to the book “Our Bodies, Our Selves.”
Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why women felt the need to share this basic information about their health, the book’s influence over the generations, and whether it’s still needed today.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 3, 2022 • 16min
Haymarket and the Roots of May Day (1886)
It’s May 4th. This day in 1886, a deadly riot between police and protesters broke out in Haymarket Square in Chicago.
Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the Haymarket Riot came on the heels of days of escalating protest over an 8-hour work day; and how the roots of May Day, as a labor holiday, have at times been forgotten.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 1, 2022 • 13min
The She She She Camps (1934)
It’s May 1st. This day in 1934, Eleanor Roosevelt is holding a series of meetings at the White House to plan out a number of camps for women that would give them skills and community as the country tried to claw out of the Great Depression.
Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the role the camps played as a counterpart for the many programs aimed at giving men work, and how Eleanor was a champion for the effort.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 28, 2022 • 27min
The Monkey Mayor of Hartlepool (2002) w/ Tim Harford
It’s April 28th. This day in 2002, the northeastern English town of Hartlepool is gearing up for a mayoral election, where they would end up voting in… the local football club’s monkey mascot to run their government.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Tim Harford to discuss the story of how H’Angus the Monkey got elected, and how the man inside the suit, Stuart Drummond, went on to be a very effective administrator.
Be sure to check out Tim’s excellent podcast “Cautionary Tales” from Pushkin Media.
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Apr 26, 2022 • 19min
Henrietta Wood Sues For Reparations (1878)
It’s April 26th. This day in 1878, a verdict is delivered in a suit brought by the formerly-enslaved woman Henrietta Wood. She sued her former enslaver Zebulon Ward for reparations — and an all-white jury sided with her.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss this largely-forgotten early case for reparations, and why it didn’t set a larger precedent.
For more, be sure to read the book “A Sweet Taste of Liberty.”
Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com
And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.
If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com
Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices