The Preamble

On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting we are going to meet the woman who set the gold standard for the role of First Lady. Dolley Madison’s natural effervescence came in handy as she executed countless social events for the well-connected and wealthy inhabitants of Washington DC. She relied on the art of entertaining to successfully play the game of politics, which furthered her husband’s influence and career. But that’s just the beginning. Tune in to find out how Dolley went from First Lady to national hero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon has a conversation with former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. After coming off the campaign trail in 2020, Yang began searching for a solution that could change the two-party system in US politics. He recently founded the Forward Party with the hopes to give the American people more viable options for leaders who aim to represent their constituency over party expectations and financiers. Join us as we talk about both the goals and the trials associated with changing the infrastructure of political campaigning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we returned to Monticello and the lives that were intertwined with third President Thomas Jefferson. The young Hemings family, enslaved by birth, grew up in Jefferson’s plantation estate, Monticello. But James Hemings traveled extensively with Jefferson, spending five years in Paris where he learned to cook from Parisian masters. James was well-educated and skilled, but he wanted more. He wanted his freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we hear about the wife of Thomas Jefferson, Martha, who is listed as an official First Lady, but who passed away nearly twenty years before Jefferson’s presidency. Thomas Jefferson never remarried, but he did rely on two very important women to support him through the years as a widower. Learn about who they were and how their lives were destined to be connected, even before they were born. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Sharon is joined by economic policy expert and author Heather McGhee. McGhee began her career as an economist but when she took a trip across the country and back, she began to ask herself, “Why can’t we have nice things?” We’re not talking about robot maids, but rather, the social stability of programs like affordable healthcare and well-funded public schools. While puzzling out the answer to this question, McGhee realized that racism was a major driver of stagnant economics for ALL Americans, not just for Brown and Black Americans. Listen in to find out why, and how we must rethink our zero sum mindset–my progress over yours–to gain the most amount of prosperity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks about one of the most famous American historical figures: Benjamin Franklin. The history books are not wrong about the incredible accomplishments Benjamin Franklin made during his lifetime. He was a man with an unparalleled mind and an electric personality. He was a champion of charitable causes and really good at making strategic political connections. But he was also a man who undervalued his family and made some questionable personal life choices. Listen in to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we revisit a favorite first lady, Abigail Adams. Follow along as Abigail travels across the Atlantic, adventuring in Paris and France with her husband, John Adams. The power couple ultimately lands back in Boston only to move again into new roles, as President and First Lady of the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon takes us deep into the lives of the women who greatly influenced the same man: Aaron Burr. Theirs are stories of great minds, insatiable appetites for knowledge, grief in motherhood, and untimely tragedy. Listen in as Sharon turns over the stones of their lives and hear about a disappearance at sea, a mysteriously scavenged portrait, and a family secret. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the next several weeks Sharon will be sharing stories about the lives of American first ladies and the different ways in which they have influenced their families, the presidency, and the whole of the nation.During her lifetime, Martha was never given the title of First Lady as we know it. Instead, she was called “Lady Washington” and was held in high esteem as George’s “worthy partner.” Today, Sharon dives into many of lesser known details of her life like her first marriage, her open home policy, and her views on slavery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the last episode in our series, Momentum, Sharon ties up a few loose ends. The 1950s was a decade full of change, but the Civil Rights Movement didn’t end when the calendar flipped to 1960. Most of the people we’ve followed throughout this series continued their crusade for–or against–civil freedoms well into the next several decades.We hear about Barbara Johns and the next steps in integrated schooling, about Earl Warren and the gains his Supreme Court made in the 60s. We also learn about the reason behind his rift with J. Edgar Hoover, and how the FBI evolved over the years. Finally, Sharon returns to a Civil Rights power player, and we visit her in a new city, and with a new approach to activism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices