
Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff
As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.
Latest episodes

May 4, 2025 • 23min
CZM Book Club: The Barrow May Send What it May, Chapter Seven
Margaret reads chapter seven of her book The Barrow Will Send What it MaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 30, 2025 • 1h 5min
Part Two: A War Against Tankies and Tanks: the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Margaret continues talking with Mia Wong about the communists and socialists who fought for workers’ power against the USSR.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 28, 2025 • 1h 5min
Part One: A War Against Tankies and Tanks: the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Margaret talks with Mia Wong about the communists and socialists who fought for workers’ power against the USSR.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 27, 2025 • 20min
CZM Book Club: The Barrow Will Send What it May, Chapter Six
Margaret reads chapter six of her book, The Barrow Will Send What it May.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 snips
Apr 23, 2025 • 55min
Part Two: Women of War: Partisan Struggle Against Italian Fascism with Suzanne Cope
Author Suzanne Cope continues teaching Margaret about the history of women partisans in the Italian resistance, from her upcoming book Women of War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 21, 2025 • 48min
Part One: Women of War: Partisan Struggle Against Italian Fascism with Suzanne Cope
Author Suzanne Cope teaches Margaret about the history of women partisans in the Italian resistance, from her upcoming book Women of War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 20, 2025 • 20min
CZM Book Club: The Barrow Will Send What it May, Chapter Five
Margaret reads chapter five of her book The Barrow Will Send What it May.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 16, 2025 • 53min
Part Two: Black Antifascists In the Spanish Civil War
Jordan from The Dugout continues teaching Margaret about the long history of Black antifascism that brought people to fight in the Spanish Civil War. James Yates, Mississippi to MadridSalaria Kea, “Doing Christ’s Duty”Canute Frankson’s letter from Spain (1937)“The Good Fight” (Documentary)Peter N. Carroll, The Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln BrigadeALBA-Valb.org archivesTrussel.com, “The Peekskill Riots”National Archives & Harlem Oral History ProjectKuykendall, Ronald A. "African Blood Brotherhood: Independent Marxism During the Harlem Renaissance." Western Journal of Black Studies 26 (Spring 2002): African Blood Brotherhood. The Principles of the African Blood Brotherhood. New York: African Blood Brotherhood, David Motadel, Islam and the European Empires (2014)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 14, 2025 • 1h 2min
Part One: Black Antifascists In the Spanish Civil War
Jordan from The Dugout teaches Margaret about the long history of Black antifascism that brought people to fight in the Spanish Civil War. James Yates, Mississippi to MadridSalaria Kea, “Doing Christ’s Duty”Canute Frankson’s letter from Spain (1937)“The Good Fight” (Documentary)Peter N. Carroll, The Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln BrigadeALBA-Valb.org archivesTrussel.com, “The Peekskill Riots”National Archives & Harlem Oral History ProjectKuykendall, Ronald A. "African Blood Brotherhood: Independent Marxism During the Harlem Renaissance." Western Journal of Black Studies 26 (Spring 2002): African Blood Brotherhood. The Principles of the African Blood Brotherhood. New York: African Blood Brotherhood, David Motadel, Islam and the European Empires (2014)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 13, 2025 • 26min
CZM Book Club: The Barrow Will Send What it May, Chapter Four
Margaret reads another chapter from the second book in her Danielle Cain series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.