Skipped History

This week, I spoke with one of my favorite authors, Professor Greg Grandin. In his new book, America, América: A New History of the New World [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747326/america-america-by-greg-grandin/], Professor Grandin dives into what ties the Americas together and drives us apart. We explored how radical opposition to conquest in Latin America guided independence leaders toward a pursuit of harmony, while denial and evasion pushed the U.S. toward conquest. The history of the Americas is, in many ways, a tension between those two fundamentally different, still-unfolding paths. It’s also a history of the rise of social rights—and of what follows when genocide is acknowledged, or too long ignored. Greg is the Peter V. and C. Vann Woodward Professor of History at Yale. He’s the author of eight books, including The End of the Myth, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction in 2020. He has published widely, including in The Nation, where he’s a member of the editorial board, and he’s a regular guest on Democracy Now! His new book, America, América, is a New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/books/review/america-greg-grandin.html]bestseller [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/books/review/america-greg-grandin.html]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe [https://skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

In The Einstein of Sex: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, the Visionary of Weimar Berlin [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/782478/the-einstein-of-sex-by-daniel-brook/9781324007241], Daniel Brook revives the life story of an influential German thinker far ahead of his time. More than a century ago, Magnus Hirschfeld argued that gender and sexuality are fluid—and later, that race is a social construct. As you might expect, the Nazis weren’t fans, but they didn’t write Hirschfeld out of history. That erasure happened in the U.S., even though, as Daniel and I discuss, it was Hirschfeld’s books destroyed at the infamous book burning in 1933. In a time of resurgent fascist politics, Daniel told me, “It’s high time” we learned about Magnus. Daniel Brook is a journalist and author whose writing has appeared in Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, and The Nation. He’s now the author of four books. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe [https://skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

In Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michael-albertus/land-power/9781541604810/], Professor Michael Albertus (University of Chicago) explores how land has changed hands since the French Revolution. In places like the U.S., Canada, and Brazil, this “reshuffling” has shaped social hierarchies and the climate (spoiler: not in a good way). Today, signs point to us entering a new period of reshuffling. While there are risks of inequality deepening, Professor Albertus also sees opportunities to correct the mistakes of the past. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe [https://skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Today, my guest offers an account of Native boarding schools and justice long overdue. In Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721761/medicine-river-by-mary-annette-pember/], Mary Annette Pember shares her mother’s experience at a Catholic boarding school in northern Wisconsin. The story offers a glimpse into what those schools were like and how their legacy continues to shape Native life today. As Mary told me, both the government and the Church “need to be called out” as the U.S. finally begins to reckon with this chapter of its history. Mary is a citizen of the Red Cliff Band of the Wisconsin Ojibwe and national correspondent for ICT News (formerly Indian Country Today). Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and many other outlets. She’s also a past president of the Native American Journalists’ Association. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe [https://skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

I’m so excited to share today’s interview with Professor Deborah N. Archer about transportation history—my favorite subject! Professor Archer details how highways are a visceral emblem of white supremacy. We may often forget their origins, but as she reminds us in her new book, Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality [https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324092131], “with transportation infrastructure, history is the present.” Professor Archer is Associate Dean and Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, and she currently serves as President of the ACLU. Her scholarship has appeared in leading law reviews, and she’s offered commentary for numerous outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, CBS, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe [https://skippedhistory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]