Scene on Radio
Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University
Scene on Radio is a two-time Peabody-nominated podcast that dares to ask big, hard questions about who we are—really—and how we got this way. Our latest is Season 7, Scene on Radio: Capitalism. Previous series include Seeing White (Season 2), looking at the roots and meaning of white supremacy; MEN (Season 3), on patriarchy and its history; The Land That Never Has Been Yet (Season 4), exploring democracy in the U.S. and why we don’t have more of it; The Repair (Season 5), on the cultural roots of the climate crisis; and Season 6, Echoes of a Coup, the story of the only successful coup d'etat in U.S. history, in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898. Produced and hosted by John Biewen, with collaborators, Scene on Radio comes from the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. The show is distributed by PRX.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 12, 2024 • 4min
Season 7 Trailer: Capitalism
This podcast delves into the history and impact of capitalism, exploring its key elements, criticisms, and the urgent need for wealth equality. It delves into the origins of capitalism through colonial loot and the development of global economy networks that affected working-class individuals.
4 snips
May 22, 2024 • 42min
Bonus: Long Shadow, In Guns We Trust
Guest Garrett Graff, host of Long Shadow podcast, explores the impact of mass shootings in the US, focusing on the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. The episode delves into the unique intersection of religion and gun culture in America, highlighting the tragic events and aftermath of school shootings, and the ongoing debate surrounding gun legislation and gun violence in the country.
33 snips
Feb 8, 2024 • 58min
S6 E5: A Way Forward
Community members and experts on restorative justice and reparations discuss healing from the Wilmington massacre and centuries of white supremacist violence. Topics include the impact of segregation, the need for reparations, and the power of love to move forward. They also explore the importance of acknowledging history, addressing systemic inequalities, and finding healing in US history.
34 snips
Jan 31, 2024 • 49min
S6 E4: The Forgetting
Exploring the whitewashing of history after the 1898 massacre in North Carolina, the erasure of Black voices, and the struggle for truth. Unveiling distorted narratives, the literary realist Charles W. Chesnutt's defiance, and the evolution of the southern strategy from segregation to coded racism. Delving into the tragic events of Wilmington in the 1890s and the historical origins of white supremacy, highlighting its impact on society.
21 snips
Jan 24, 2024 • 38min
S6 E3: A Day of Blood
This podcast explores the events of the 1898 Wilmington massacre, where armed white supremacists targeted a mixed-race neighborhood. It delves into the aftermath of the violence, including the forced resignation of officials and the challenges faced by the black community. It also highlights the efforts of a 94-year-old woman to raise awareness about the massacre and the role of investigative journalist Harry Hayden.
28 snips
Jan 17, 2024 • 29min
S6 E2: Crying "Negro Rule"
Exploring the untold story of the 1898 Wilmington massacre and coup, the rise of white supremacy in North Carolina, voter suppression tactics used by white supremacists, and the history and denial of white supremacy in America.
42 snips
Jan 10, 2024 • 40min
S6 E1: What Was Lost
LeRae Umfleet, Cedric Harrison, David Cecelski, and William Sturkey discuss the successful coup d’etat in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898. Topics include the surprising world of Wilmington in the 19th century, the violence and lack of justice in the coup, and the challenges faced by black people during Reconstruction.
Jan 3, 2024 • 3min
Season 6 Trailer: Echoes of a Coup
Introduction to Season 6, a series co-produced by Michael A. Betts II and Scene on Radio producer and host John Biewen, with story editor Loretta Williams. Music by Kevin MacLeod, Okaya, and Lucas Biewen. Echoes of a Coup is a project of America’s Hallowed Ground and Scene on Radio, from the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Jun 2, 2023 • 3min
Update: Scene on Radio status report
Scene on Radio is on an extended hiatus, but is on its way back. Host and producer John Biewen explains that the show has found a new home: the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 10, 2022 • 51min
"The Excess of Democracy": Rebroadcast
In the summer of 1787, fifty-five men got together in Philadelphia to write a new Constitution for the United States, replacing the new nation’s original blueprint, the Articles of Confederation. But why, exactly? What problems were the framers trying to solve? Was the Constitution designed to advance democracy, or to rein it in? And how can the answers to those questions inform our crises of democracy today?
By producer/host John Biewen with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika. Interviews with Woody Holton, Dan Bullen, and Price Thomas. The series editor is Loretta Williams.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
