Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS

Kathryn Bostic: Music Is Conversation | The Art of Film Scoring (Part 2)

🎙️ Episode 16 Kathryn Bostic: Music Is Conversation | The Art of Film Scoring (Part 2) What does music reveal about a people, a movement, or a moment in history? In Part 2 of Rita Coburn's conversation with acclaimed composer Kathryn Bostic, the discussion moves beyond film scoring into the deeper emotional and spiritual dimensions of music. Kathryn reflects on the power of spirituals, the role of the human voice as a vehicle for healing and release, and how music carries the memory, resilience, and aspirations of generations. Drawing from her work scoring W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause, Kathryn shares how composers balance inspiration and tension, emotion and restraint, while helping audiences connect with history through sound. The conversation explores Du Bois's relationship to music, the cultural significance of spirituals, the evolution of Black musical traditions, and the artistic choices that shape a documentary's emotional landscape. Rita and Kathryn also discuss family legacy, the influence of Kathryn's mother and generations of women musicians in her family, and the responsibility artists have to preserve history through storytelling. At its heart, this episode is a conversation about truth, memory, and the ways music helps us understand who we are. 🔍 What You'll Hear in This Episode * The emotional and historical significance of Negro spirituals * Why Kathryn describes spirituals as visceral expressions of hope, faith, and resilience * Music as healing, release, and emotional cleansing * Du Bois's relationship to spirituals, classical music, and jazz * How composers balance tension, triumph, and historical context * The challenge of scoring pivotal moments in history * What "stems" are and how they are used in documentary filmmaking * The collaboration between composer, music editor, and director * Kathryn's musical upbringing and family legacy * The influence of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother * The responsibility of artists to preserve culture and history * Why storytelling remains essential to understanding ourselves and our communities 🧠 Key Themes * Kathryn Bostic * Film scoring * Documentary filmmaking * Spirituals * Black music traditions * W.E.B. Du Bois * Music and memory * Historical storytelling * Black history * Cultural preservation * Family legacy * Creative process * Music as healing * Truth-telling through art 💬 A Defining Idea from This Episode "Music is conversation." Music does more than accompany a story—it responds, remembers, questions, comforts, and inspires. Through spirituals, scores, and song, music becomes a conversation across generations, carrying both our struggles and our hopes forward. 🎵 Join the Conversation After listening to this episode and watching W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause, we'd love to hear from you. How did Kathryn Bostic's music shape your experience of the film? Were there moments when the score helped you better understand Du Bois, the emotions of a scene, or the history being told? Share your thoughts in the comments on YouTube or on social media using #OurTHS. Tell us: * What scene's music stayed with you the longest? * How does music help you connect with history? * Do you agree that "music is conversation"? * What role does music play in documentary storytelling? * What family traditions or artistic legacies have been passed down to you? Your insights help us continue the conversation about history, culture, and the power of storytelling. 📣 Resources / Links Watch W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause on American Masters https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/ [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/] Watch the W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM] Learn more about Kathryn Bostic https://www.kathrynbostic.com [https://www.kathrynbostic.com] Watch Our Truth, Our History, Our Story on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 [https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240] Listen to the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes] Transcript available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323] Stay connected with Rita Coburn https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia [https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia] Upcoming events and screenings https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events [https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events] Download event photos https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos [https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos] Social Media Toolkit https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit [https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit] 🎬 About the Series Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. Through conversations with artists, scholars, filmmakers, historians, and changemakers, the series uncovers the stories that inspire, challenge, and connect us. Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn, Our THS creates space for meaningful conversations about history, culture, creativity, and the stories that define who we are. Each episode invites listeners to engage with the people preserving our collective memory and shaping our future. 👥 Production Credits Host: Rita Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. © 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Kathryn Bostic: Music Is Conversation | The Art of Film Scoring (Part 1)

🎙️ Episode 15 Kathryn Bostic: Music Is Conversation | The Art of Film Scoring (Part 1) What does music say beyond words? Kathryn Bostic is an acclaimed composer, performer, and musical storyteller whose work includes Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir, Clemency, and many other award-winning projects. In Part 1 of Rita Coburn's conversation with Kathryn, we explore the creative process behind film scoring and the power of music to deepen storytelling. Kathryn shares the philosophy that guides her work: "Music is conversation." Together, Rita and Kathryn discuss how composers translate emotion into sound, create musical themes that shape a narrative, and bring historical figures to life through music. Kathryn also reflects on her work scoring W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause, revealing how she approached the challenge of capturing the intellectual, cultural, and emotional complexity of one of America's most influential thinkers. From spirituals and classical traditions to jazz and the Harlem Renaissance, this conversation offers a fascinating look at how music helps tell the stories that history leaves behind. 🔍 What You'll Hear in This Episode * Why Kathryn Bostic believes that "music is conversation" * How composers create themes that become the emotional spine of a film * Kathryn's approach to scoring documentaries and historical subjects * The creative collaboration between composer and director * Behind the music of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause * How Du Bois's life journey influenced the film's musical language * The role of spirituals, classical music, and jazz in shaping Black history * How music can reveal character, place, and emotion * The challenges of scoring real historical figures * Why sound is essential to storytelling 🧠 Key Themes * Film scoring * Documentary filmmaking * Music and storytelling * Kathryn Bostic * W.E.B. Du Bois * Black history * American Masters * Creative collaboration * Black cultural traditions * The Harlem Renaissance * Documentary music composition * Historical storytelling 💬 A Defining Idea from This Episode "Music is conversation." For Kathryn Bostic, music is more than accompaniment. It is a living dialogue with the audience, the characters, and the story itself. Through melody, rhythm, and theme, music helps us hear what history feels like. 🎵 Join the Conversation After listening to this episode and watching W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause, we'd love to hear from you. How did Kathryn Bostic's music shape your experience of the film? Were there moments when the score helped you better understand Du Bois, the emotions of a scene, or the history being told? Share your thoughts in the comments on YouTube or on social media using #OurTHS. Tell us: * What scene's music stayed with you the longest? * How does music help you connect with history? * Do you agree that "music is conversation"? * What role does music play in documentary storytelling? Your insights help us continue the conversation about history, culture, and the power of storytelling. 📣 Resources / Links Watch W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause on American Masters  https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/ [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/] Watch the W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause trailer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM] Learn more about Kathryn Bostic  https://www.kathrynbostic.com [https://www.kathrynbostic.com/] Watch Our Truth, Our History, Our Story on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 [https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240] Listen to the podcast  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes] Watch the podcast  https://youtu.be/HqdadnIQKMM  Transcript available here  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323] Stay connected with Rita Coburn  https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia [https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia] Upcoming events and screenings  https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events [https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events] Download event photos  https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos [https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos] Social Media Toolkit  https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit [https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit] 🎬 About the Series Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. Through conversations with artists, scholars, filmmakers, historians, and changemakers, the series uncovers the stories that inspire, challenge, and connect us. Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn, Our THS creates space for meaningful conversations about history, culture, creativity, and the stories that define who we are. Each episode invites listeners to engage with the people preserving our collective memory and shaping our future. 👥 Production Credits Host: Rita Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. © 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Defending Our Stories: Inside Black Public Media with Leslie Fields-Cruz (Part 2)

🎙️ Episode 14 Defending Our Stories: Inside Black Public Media with Leslie Fields-Cruz (Part 2) In Part 2 of Rita Coburn’s conversation with Leslie Fields-Cruz, we go beyond funding and filmmaking to explore the deeper question: Why do stories matter? Leslie shares her personal journey from a family of educators to becoming one of the most influential advocates for Black storytelling in America. Through her leadership at Black Public Media, she has helped filmmakers bring important stories to audiences while ensuring that Black history, culture, and lived experiences are documented, preserved, and shared. Together, Rita and Leslie discuss the power of documentary film, the importance of representation, and why history must be actively preserved rather than passively inherited. From discovering Black cinema as a student to supporting groundbreaking filmmakers across generations, Leslie reflects on the work of making sure our stories remain visible and accessible. This episode is a reminder that history is not only something we study. It is something we create every day. 🔍 What You'll Hear in This Episode * Leslie Fields-Cruz's journey into media and storytelling * How a family of educators shaped her mission * The impact of discovering Black film history as a student * Why documentaries help us understand ourselves and our communities * The role of Black Public Media in supporting filmmakers * The importance of preserving Black history through visual storytelling * How local history can inspire new generations * Why representation matters in media and culture * The connection between education, art, and social change 🧠 Key Themes * Black storytelling * Documentary filmmaking * Black Public Media * Representation in media * Education and cultural preservation * Independent filmmaking * Community history * Black arts and culture * Historical memory * Visual storytelling 💬 A Defining Idea from This Episode History survives when people are willing to document it, preserve it, and share it. Every generation has a responsibility to tell its stories and protect the stories that came before. 📣 Resources / Links  Watch THS Episode https://youtu.be/46o542zZvU4 [https://youtu.be/46o542zZvU4]  Learn more about Black Public Media and help fund future storytellers and documentaries https://blackpublicmedia.org/donate/ [https://blackpublicmedia.org/donate/] Explore Black Public Media grants, fellowships, and funding opportunities for filmmakers and creators https://blackpublicmedia.org/programs/ [https://blackpublicmedia.org/programs/]  Watch W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause on American Masters (available through June 16, 2026) https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/ [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/] Watch the W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM] Transcript available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323] Watch Our Truth, Our History, Our Story on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 [https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240] Listen to the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes] Stay connected with Rita Coburn https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia [https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia] Upcoming events and screenings https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events [https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events] Download event photos https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos [https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos] Social Media Toolkit https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit [https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit] 🎬 About the Series Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. 👥 Production Credits Host: Rita Coburn  Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr  Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack

This Film Became a Movement | W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause Premieres on PBS

🎙️ Episode 13 This Film Became a Movement | W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause Premieres on PBS After more than four years of research, interviews, travel, fundraising, collaboration, and faith, W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres nationally on PBS. In this special episode, Rita Coburn reflects on the journey of bringing this documentary to life and the overwhelming response from audiences across the country. From Los Angeles and Cleveland to Atlanta, New York, Santa Monica, Chicago, and Memphis, this film has sparked something larger than a documentary screening. It has become a movement. This episode explores why the work and warnings of W.E.B. Du Bois remain urgent today. As conversations around democracy, voting rights, citizenship, history, and Black identity continue to shape the national landscape, Du Bois’s message speaks directly into the present moment. Rita also reflects on the meaning of history, the importance of protecting truth, and why Black history is American history, international history, and Pan-African history. 🔍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode *  The four-year journey behind W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause *  Audience reactions from screenings across the country  *  Why this documentary became more than a film  *  Connections between Du Bois, voting rights, and present-day democracy  *  The importance of the 14th and 15th Amendments  *  Why history continues to be contested and protected  *  How Du Bois used media, scholarship, and storytelling as tools for liberation  *  Why this moment calls for education, vigilance, and collective action  🧠 Key Themes *  W.E.B. Du Bois and democracy  *  Voting rights and citizenship  *  Black history as American history  *  Pan-African identity and connection  *  Historical memory and resistance  *  Education and civic engagement  *  Art as cultural transformation  📣 Resources / Links W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause premieres on PBS Tuesday, May 19 at 8 PM CT/9 PM ET, and will be available to stream through June 16 on pbs.org/americanmasters [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], the American Masters YouTube Channel, and the PBS app. 🎬 Upcoming Events  https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events [https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events] 📸 Event Photos Download  https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos [https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos] 📱 Social Media Tool Kit  https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit [https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit] 🎬 Share the trailer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM] 📄 Transcript available here  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323] 📺 Watch here https://youtu.be/XSuCVNqwtLk  🎧 Listen here  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes] 🔗 Stay connected  https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia [https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia] 🎬 About the Series Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. 👥 Production Credits Host: Rita Coburn  Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr  Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack

“Will We Survive This Democracy?” | David Levering Lewis (Part 2)

🎙️ Episode 12 “Will We Survive This Democracy?” | David Levering Lewis (Part 2) W.E.B. Du Bois was born in 1868 and died in 1963 on the eve of the March on Washington, passing the baton to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this episode, we return to Du Bois not only as a historical figure, but as a living question for our present moment: How do we move forward from here? In conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis, we explore how the struggles Du Bois documented, civil rights, democracy, citizenship, and dignity, echo powerfully in 2026. This is not just history. It is an inheritance. 🔍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode *  The final question W.E.B. Du Bois leaves us with: how do we move forward?  *  Why this moment feels like a continuation of the civil rights struggle  *  The connection between Du Bois’s ideas and today’s debates on democracy and voting rights  *  Reflections on “double consciousness” and its modern meaning in Black life  *  How historical cycles of exclusion and resistance continue to repeat  *  Why historians matter in moments of political and cultural tension  *  The urgency of documenting, protecting, and understanding Black history in real time  *  The global context of democracy, power, and historical memory  🧠 Key Themes *  Civil rights then and now  *  Democracy under pressure  *  Historical memory vs. historical erasure  *  Black intellectual tradition  *  Citizenship, voting rights, and power  *  The responsibility of historians  *  Survival, resistance, and forward movement  💬 A Defining Idea from This Episode We may not recognize the moment we are in while we are in it, but history often reveals itself only when we are forced to act within it. 📣 Resources / Links 🎬 Share the film  W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026 Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM] 📄 Transcript available here  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323] 📺 Watch here  https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 [https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240] 🎧 Listen here  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes] 🔗 Stay connected  https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia [https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia] 🎬 About the Series Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. 👥 Production Credits Host: Rita Coburn  Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr  Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack