November 17, 2021
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History reveals something about the present. Every Wednesday, host Simone Polanen picks a moment from that week in history to explore how it shapes our world today.
April 24, 2024
The "Crying Indian" Ad
Not Past It
On Earth Day, April 22nd 1971 -- 51 years ago this week -- a commercial debuted starring a crying American Indian. The image stuck in the country’s consciousness. But there were surprising forces behind the ad. In this episode, we dig into the powerful players who helped shape how we think about environmental action. Join us in talking trash and trash talking. This episode originally aired April 20...
April 17, 2024
Japanese Americans Report Behind Barbed Wire
On April 11, 1942, the Manzanar Free Press was born. It was a first of its kind newspaper—written by Japanese-Americans incarcerated by their own government at the Manzanar detention center. There, a group of young journalists would try to document their grim new reality amidst censorship and escalating tensions within the camp, all while their faith in America was being tested. This episode origin...
April 10, 2024
The Secret Abortion Conference
In 1955, Dr. Mary Calderone assembled a group of 43 medical minds in a private location in upstate New York. This event would be one of the first abortion conferences in America - sponsored by Planned Parenthood. The discussions, and a book that came out of it, was one of the first steps on the path to Roe v. Wade. Not Past It takes you inside the conference walls. This episode originally aired Apr...
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