
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

Feb 11, 2024 • 27min
CZM Book Club: "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Part One
Margaret reads you a classic feminist horror story about the madness caused by patriarchy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 7, 2024 • 51min
Part Two: The Easter Rising: How a Bunch of Irish Poets and Union Organizers Took On the British Empire, Died, and Then Won
In part two, Margaret continues to talk with Katy Stoll about the motley collection of rebels who sparked Irish independence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 5, 2024 • 58min
Part One: The Easter Rising: How a Bunch of Irish Poets and Union Organizers Took On the British Empire, Died, and Then Won
Katy Stoll, specialist in rebels who sparked Irish independence, discusses Irish nationalism, the formation of Sinn Fein, the Daughters of Ireland, the decline of the Irish language, and the complexities of alliances. The hosts also explore the importance of lesser-known black history, origins of the folk song 'Welcome Home,' and social media use.

Feb 4, 2024 • 37min
CZM Book Club: "The House of Surrender" by Laurie Penny
Margaret reads Shereen a story about a time traveler sent to a very strange prison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 2024 • 1h 8min
Part Two: Abortion and its Defenders: From Weimar to the Bay
In part two, Margaret continues to talk with Samantha McVey about the syndicalists who ran a network of 200 clinics in Weimar Germany and the feminists who defended Roe-era clinics in CaliforniaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 29, 2024 • 54min
Part One: Abortion and its Defenders: From Weimar to the Bay
Samantha McVey, host of 'Stuff Mom Never Told You', discusses syndicalists in Weimar Germany and feminists defending Roe-era clinics in California. Topics include Weimar Germany's progressive society, underground abortion organizations, intersectionality of reproductive rights, historical context of the eugenics movement, anarchist life and syndicalist unions, birth control distribution in Germany, and social media discussions.

Jan 22, 2024 • 2h 3min
Cool ReRun: The Young Lords: How Some Puerto Rican Socialists Changed Everything Part 3+4
On the second part of this Cool ReRun, Margaret continues the conversation with Alynda Segarra from Hurray for the Riff Raff about how radicals got the trash taken out in New York, literally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 17, 2024 • 1h 38min
Cool ReRun: The Young Lords: How Some Puerto Rican Socialists Changed Everything Part 1+2
Margaret interviews Alynda Segarra from Hurray for the Riff Raff. They discuss the impact of Puerto Rican radicals on the speaker's life and music. The podcast explores the formation of the Young Lords street gang and their fight against English as the official language. Alynda talks about the Young Lords' involvement in community activism, gang unity, and their occupation of religious institutions for urban renewal. They also address sanitation issues and promote other works.

Jan 10, 2024 • 56min
Part Two: Freedom House: The World’s First Paramedics Were Black Men from Pittsburgh
In part two of this week's series, Margaret continues her conversation with Kaveh Hoda about the down-and-out Black men who created the world's first modern paramedic service, way more recently than you'd imagine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 8, 2024 • 59min
Part One: Freedom House: The World’s First Paramedics Were Black Men from Pittsburgh
Kaveh Hoda discusses the world's first modern paramedic service created by down-and-out black men from Pittsburgh. The podcast explores the history of emergency medical care, paramedics, and ambulance services. It touches on the impact of war and racial bias in healthcare. It also covers the remarkable life of Peter Saffir, the doctor who developed CPR and protected a hospital from the Nazis during World War II.