Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett

Behind the Gavel- Lessons from Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson and KaTrina Chantelle Griffin

Today's episode features a new book: Behind the Gavel: Lessons from Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson. This book is  co-authored by Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson and the Honorable KaTrina Chantele Griffin.” “This inspiring book introduces young readers to the life lessons, values, and experiences that shaped one of the nation’s groundbreaking legal minds.”  The Honorable KaTrina Chantelle Griffin currently serves as the Orleans Parish School Board Member for District 4 and is widely recognized for her passionate advocacy for children, families and public education. KaTrina is the author of Behind the Gavel: Lessons from Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, a book inspired by the life and legacy of the FIRST African American woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.  A respected business professional and community leader, KaTrina is committed to preserving stories that inspire future generations and empower young people to create lasting impact in their communities.  “Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson made history as the first African American Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, serving with distinction and integrity. Born during segregation and determined to make a difference, she attended Spelman College on scholarship before becoming one of the first African American women to attend the Louisiana State University Law Center. Her career was grounded in civil rights, advocacy, and service to communities often overlooked and underserved. From working with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund during the Civil Rights Movement to becoming Chief Justice of Louisiana’s highest court, her journey teaches us that leadership is not about power alone — it is about responsibility, compassion, and courage.” Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. You can find Ancestor’s Footprints on Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and many other platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Memories That Heal: How Family Stories and Photos Can Support Healthy Aging with Rick Voight

This episode will focus on Memories That Heal: How Family Stories and Photos can support Healthy Aging. What if the photographs tucked away in your attic or family albums could actually improve brain health, strengthen relationships, and help people age with greater purpose and connection? Today’s guest is Rick Voight, CEO and Co-Founder of Vivid-Pix and publisher of Reunions Magazine. Rick is a lifelong innovator in photography, storytelling, and memory preservation. Raised in Rochester, New York — the historic home of Kodak — Rick developed an early appreciation for the power of photographs and memories. His passion centers on the emotional, social, and health benefits of reminiscing and storytelling — especially for older adults. Research increasingly shows that viewing photographs, sharing family stories, and engaging in family history activities can reduce loneliness, improve communication, strengthen intergenerational bonds, and support cognitive and emotional well-being. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. You can find Ancestor’s Footprints on Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and many other platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Freedom in the Age of Slavery: A History of Free People of Color in Virginia with Warren Eugene Milteer Jr.

Today's episode features a conversation between host Bernice Alexander-Bennett and Dr. Warren Eugene Milteer Jr., an associate professor of history at George Washington University, about his book "Freedom in the Age of Slavery: A History of Free People of Color in Virginia." Dr. Milteer discussed his motivation for writing the book, which filled a gap in the historical record since the last full-length exploration of free people of color in Virginia was written in the early 20th century. He also shares insights about the challenges of researching this topic, including records loss and limited access to the voices of free people of color themselves. Milteer recounts in granular detail the discriminatory policies and resulting hardships that free Virginians of color faced, while also documenting the openings they created for themselves and the successes they enjoyed against overwhelming odds. Throughout, he highlights the commonwealth’s significance as the laboratory for legal discrimination throughout the nation, while never losing sight of the ways free people of color seized their opportunities wherever possible and built meaningful lives in the face of massive white resistance. Warren Eugene Milteer, Jr. is an associate professor of history at the George Washington University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014. His publications include four academic books, Out of This Strife Will Come Freedom: Free People of Color and the Fight for Equal Rights in the Civil War Era (UNC Press, 2026), Freedom in the Age of Slavery: A History of Free People of Color in Virginia (UVA Press, 2026), Beyond Slavery’s Shadow: Free People of Color in the South (UNC Press, 2021), and North Carolina’s Free People of Color, 1715-1885 (LSU Press, 2020), the independently published Hertford County, North Carolina’s Free People of Color and Their Descendants (2016), as well as articles in the Journal of Social History and the North Carolina Historical Review. Milteer was the recipient of the Southern Historical Association’s Charles S. Sydnor Award for the best book in Southern history in 2022, the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association’s Ragan Old North State Award for nonfiction in 2022, and the Historical Society of North Carolina’s R. D. W. Connor Award in 2014 and 2016 for the best journal article in the North Carolina Historical Review. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. You can find Ancestor’s Footprints on Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and many other platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

1776: The Forgotten Fight for Freedom with Andrew Lawler

This episode featuring author Andrew Lawler will explore a lesser-known chapter of American history where enslaved people aligned with the British crown during the American Revolution.  At the start of the American Revolution, Black men took up arms to achieve freedom--by fighting for King George III. Hear how the people owned by patriots nearly squelched the Revolution in its cradle.  Andrew Lawler is a journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and many other publications. His latest book--which the Times calls "absorbing"--is A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis that Spurred the American Revolution. For more, see www.andrewlawler.com [http://www.andrewlawler.com/] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. You can find Ancestor’s Footprints on Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and many other platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

When Your Ancestors Choose You: Finding Binky with Michael A. Willis

When Your Ancestors Choose You- Finding Binky This episode will explore what it means to carry the memory of your ancestors, the challenges of researching enslaved families, the emotional weight of the records, and the moment when genealogy becomes more than research, when it becomes a calling. Michael A. Willis is an award-winning author, speaker, consultant, blogger, and instructor with more than twenty-five years of experience as a genealogist. He specializes in Louisiana research, particularly in East Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Orleans, and Terrebonne Parishes. In October 2025, Michael received the International Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Book Award for Finding Binkey, a work that documents his search for his fifth great-grandmother through oral history, documentary evidence, and DNA, while also teaching valuable lessons for those researching African American families. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. You can find Ancestor’s Footprints on Spreaker.com, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, and many other platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.