The Beat with Mike Wesson

Eighth of August, Another Reason To Celebrate

In recent years, Juneteenth has grown from an obscure regional Texas festival to a national holiday. In the meantime, other similar Emancipation Days are still observed around the country on unique days. One is Eighth of August, which takes place in parts of western Kentucky and Tennessee. Historian Dr. Nancy Dawson helps us further unpack the heritage, and the present day status of this celebration. ---------------------------------------- HIGHLIGHTS:  Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. * The origins of Eighth of August (0:00) * How the celebrations have changed over the years (2:00) * Emancipation celebrations and family reunions (4:45) * The impact of current events on heritage (7:43) * The international connection (9:10) * Russellville, KY small town, big history (11:18) * The importance of sharing the tradition (12:59) ---------------------------------------- RE/SOURCES:  * Eighth of August, KET, February 1, 2014  https://www.ket.org/program/kentucky-life/eighth-of-august-34260/  [https://www.ket.org/program/kentucky-life/eighth-of-august-34260/] * The Eighth of August: Emancipation Day In Tennessee, August 3, 2018, Tennessee Historical Society https://tennesseehistory.org/eighth-august-emancipation-day-tennessee/  [https://tennesseehistory.org/eighth-august-emancipation-day-tennessee/] *  Juneteenth federal holiday would not affect Eighth of August, June 17, 2021, Paducah Sun https://www.paducahsun.com/news/juneteenth-federal-holiday-would-not-affect-eighth-of-august/article_5a5a32fe-8882-5ae7-8b66-579e4fa8cb48.html  [https://www.paducahsun.com/news/juneteenth-federal-holiday-would-not-affect-eighth-of-august/article_5a5a32fe-8882-5ae7-8b66-579e4fa8cb48.html] * Eighth of August History, Beck Center https://www.beckcenter.net/eighth-of-august-history   [https://www.beckcenter.net/eighth-of-august-history]

Bruce’s Beach, A California Dream

You wouldn’t know it today, but Manhattan Beach in California was once a destination, a playground for Black families in southern California – and there were others. Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson, researcher and native Californian tells the remarkable story of the legacy of these places in the book, Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era. Note: This interview was recorded prior to the April 20, 2021, LA County Board of Supervisors vote to begin the process of returning the land to the Bruce family. ---------------------------------------- HIGHLIGHTS:  Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. * Early Black presence in southern California (0:00) * Diversity and confidence (4:23) * Boosters – leaders of the movement (4:58) * The Bruce family (Willa and Charles) creates a place to play (6:05) * Discrimination on the beachfront (8:22) * Bruce’s Beach is taken away, other Black landowners (12:01) * Legacy of other southern California beach communities (14:35) * Still opportunity to see Black beach heritage (17:24) * Bathing Girl and Children Contest and Beauty Parade (18:42) * The current state of Bruce’s Beach (22:44) * The importance of telling the story (25:54) ---------------------------------------- RE/SOURCES:  * A beach town seized a couple’s land in 1920. Now that family could get it back, The Guardian, April 17, 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/17/bruces-beach-willa-charles-manhattan-beach-la-county [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/17/bruces-beach-willa-charles-manhattan-beach-la-county] * LA County Supervisors approve plan to return Bruce’s Beach land to descendants, April 20, 2021, Spectrum News https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2021/04/20/la-county-supervisors-approve-plan-to-return-bruce-s-beach-land [https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2021/04/20/la-county-supervisors-approve-plan-to-return-bruce-s-beach-land] *  Bruce’s Beach, The Pretty Park with a Stormy Past, California Beaches https://www.californiabeaches.com/bruces-beach-park-history/ [https://www.californiabeaches.com/bruces-beach-park-history/] * Op-Ed: What Manhattan Beach’s racist land grab really meant, April 5, 2021, Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-04-05/manhattan-beach-bruces-beach-racist-land-grab  [https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-04-05/manhattan-beach-bruces-beach-racist-land-grab] * Huntington Beach and the Black Beach Club Erased from History, February 24, 2021, California Historical Society https://californiahistoricalsociety.org/blog/huntington-beach-and-the-black-beach-club-erased-from-history/ [https://californiahistoricalsociety.org/blog/huntington-beach-and-the-black-beach-club-erased-from-history/] * Bruce’s Beach can return to descendants of Black family in landmark move signed by Newsom, September 30, 2021, Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-30/newsom-signs-law-to-return-bruces-beach-black-family

Archive Episode: The Changing of America

Much of America’s history has been dominated by one particular subculture – White, Christian, specifically Protestant Americans. Slowly over the generations and even in the past 10 years, that has begun to change. Dr. Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute and author of The End of White Christian America explains the history, and how the current political and cultural climate has brought it to an end. This interview was recorded on August 12, 2016 ---------------------------------------- HIGHLIGHTS:  Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. * The beginning of White, Christian America (0:00) * Obama, immigration and external factors (4:24) * Not just numbers, institutions and influence (7:46) * The new gods of America (15:37) * Coca Cola and a beautiful America (16:50) ---------------------------------------- RE/SOURCES:  * The Declining Influence of White Christian America In Charts, July 19, 2016, USA Today https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-07-19/the-declining-influence-of-white-christian-america-in-charts  [https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-07-19/the-declining-influence-of-white-christian-america-in-charts] * In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at A Rapid Pace, October 17, 2019, Pew Research Center  https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/ [https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/] * ‘Majority Minority’ America? Don’t Bet on It, February 5, 2021, Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/majority-minority-america-dont-bet-on-it-11612549609 [https://www.wsj.com/articles/majority-minority-america-dont-bet-on-it-11612549609]

Archive Episode: Kyra E. Hicks Has A Story To Tell

[https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Kyra_Hicks_Quilter-265x300.jpg]Warmth, and art. Quilting is a pastime that has been passed down from generations. It has grown across the country, including southern plantations of yesterday to urban cities of today. Certain names stand out from the Gee’s Bend quilters of Alabama to Harriet Powers. Kyra E. Hicks, author, researcher and quilter talks about the rich and cozy heritage of quilting. This interview was recorded on August 4, 2016. ---------------------------------------- HIGHLIGHTS:  Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. * The mechanics, and threads of quilting (0:00) * A practical art for women and men (3:32) * Overview of some of the older quilts – and worth (9:11) * Different themes, artists and their works (11:39) * Some of Kyra’s favorite creations (16:29) * Quilting in the overall American cultural context (19:57) ---------------------------------------- RE/SOURCES:  * Harriet Powers, Museum of Fine Arts Boston  https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116166 [https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116166] * The Quilting Tradition, Black Art In America https://www.blackartinamerica.com/index.php/2018/11/09/the-quilting-tradition/ [https://www.blackartinamerica.com/index.php/2018/11/09/the-quilting-tradition/] *  Fabric of Their Lives, October 2016, Smithsonian Magazine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/fabric-of-their-lives-132757004/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/fabric-of-their-lives-132757004/] * Finding the Thread: The tradition of African-American Quilting, December 16, 2019, Scalawag Magzine https://scalawagmagazine.org/2019/12/black-quilters-georgia/ [https://scalawagmagazine.org/2019/12/black-quilters-georgia/]

Stephen Bishop and Friends, ‘Mammoth’ Cave Guides

[https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Stephen-Bishop-252x300.jpg]We don’t regularly think about caves, but they have a remarkable story, from formation to exploration. Kentucky has one of the foremost cave regions in America, and the most notable cave – and cave explorer, Stephen Bishop (left), in the world. Mammoth Cave National Park Ranger Chuck DeCroix leads us through the history and practical aspects of the 400 mile long cavern. You will find that what makes cave exploration special is the intimacy of hidden nature and the people that have preserved it. All photos courtesy of Mammoth Cave National Park. ----------------------------------------   [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Entry-Sign-300x225.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Entry-Sign.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Ruins-of-Karnak.NPS-Photo-300x235.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Ruins-of-Karnak.NPS-Photo.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Rafinesque-Hall-Tour.NPS-Photo-300x200.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Rafinesque-Hall-Tour.NPS-Photo.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave.Gothic-Avenue.NPS-Photo-300x200.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave.Gothic-Avenue.NPS-Photo.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Historic-Entrance.2020-300x225.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mammoth-Cave-Historic-Entrance.2020.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Old-Mat-Bransford-199x300.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Old-Mat-Bransford.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Ed-Bishop-01-209x300.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Ed-Bishop-01.jpg [https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Stephen-Bishop-Tombstone-201x300.jpg]https://thebeatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Stephen-Bishop-Tombstone.jpg ---------------------------------------- HIGHLIGHTS:  Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. * Cave comfort and animals (2:01) * Discovery and practical use of Mammoth Cave (6:35) * Stephen Bishop (9:47) * Living in cave communities (15:11) * Other African American explorers, guide tradition (18:46) ---------------------------------------- RESOURCES:  * Mammoth Cave, Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mammoth-cave [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mammoth-cave] * Enslaved Tour Guide Stephen Bishop Made Mammoth Cave The Must-See Destination It Is Today, February 6, 2019, Smithsonian Magazine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/enslaved-tour-guide-stephen-bishop-made-mammoth-cave-must-see-destination-it-today-180971424/  [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/enslaved-tour-guide-stephen-bishop-made-mammoth-cave-must-see-destination-it-today-180971424/] * ‘Little and pretty:’ It’s what sets Diamond Caverns apart, August 25, 2019, The Washington Times  apart https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/aug/25/little-and-pretty-its-what-sets-diamond-caverns-ap/ [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/aug/25/little-and-pretty-its-what-sets-diamond-caverns-ap/] * What Are Some of the Geological Features of Mammoth Cave? USA Today https://traveltips.usatoday.com/geological-features-mammoth-cave-60954.html [https://traveltips.usatoday.com/geological-features-mammoth-cave-60954.html] * China’s Last Cave Dwelling Community Fights To Keep Their Underground Homes, May 23, 2018, New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/world/asia/zhong-cave-dwellers.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/world/asia/zhong-cave-dwellers.html]