The Beat with Mike Wesson

Mike Wesson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Society & Culture

The Beat is news, opinion and culture

Episodes

  1. Apr 23

    Landline Phones Have a Place at Home

    Landline phones can be the bridge between kids and smartphones. (Photo provided by Caron Morse) America’s younger generation has a thing for analog and nostalgia, but there’s more to this movement than cool, vintage tech. Landline kids is a movement to help kids be kids again and slow the introduction to some of the harmful aspects of smartphones. Mental health professional and movement leader Caron Morse discusses her journey and shares tips on the best way to add the regular use of a landline phone to your home. Oh, and it’s not just for kids. Highlights:  Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. Inspiration for landline phone movement (0:00) Youth appreciation for analog technology (3:52) The angle of mental health on youth (5:08) The bridge role of old tech (7:14) The origin of Landline Kids (10:04) Tips on when to get a landline phone (13:50) Payphones are still around, pushback about landlines (15:34) First steps to making the landline phone work (18:43) Taking the home back from dominant tech (20:10) Landlinekids.org, community and connection (22:28) Re/sources:  Landlines in 2026? Why They’re an Underrated Lifeline – CNET Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Study Links Smartphone Ownership in Childhood to Increased Risk of Depression and Obesity in Youth | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Gen Z is engineering an analog future — and it’s at least a $5 billion opportunity | Fortune An engineer restores pay phones for free public use : NPR Landline Kids

  2. 08/03/2022

    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/  The Eighth of August: Emancipation Day In Tennessee, August 3, 2018, Tennessee Historical Society 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  Eighth of August History, Beck Center https://www.beckcenter.net/eighth-of-august-history

  3. 04/21/2021

    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 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  Bruce’s Beach, The Pretty Park with a Stormy Past, California Beaches 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  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/ 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

  4. 03/24/2021

    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  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/ ‘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

  5. 03/17/2021

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

    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 The Quilting Tradition, Black Art In America 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/ Finding the Thread: The tradition of African-American Quilting, December 16, 2019, Scalawag Magzine https://scalawagmagazine.org/2019/12/black-quilters-georgia/

  6. 03/03/2021

    Stephen Bishop and Friends, ‘Mammoth’ Cave Guides

    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.   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 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/  ‘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/ What Are Some of the Geological Features of Mammoth Cave? USA Today 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

  7. 02/17/2021

    Archive Episode: Return of the Typewriter

    The only thing missing is the ‘ding’. Keyboards can be heard in offices around the world, but that’s only half of what was once a ubiquitous tool at home and the workplace. Typewriters were quickly tossed aside in the age of personal computers and the digital age. Yet as Americans recollect and repurchase vinyl, cassettes and other classic devices, typewriters are seeing an increase in sales too, in some cases for very different reasons. Dr. Richard Polt, philosophy professor at Xavier University, avid typewriter collector and enthusiast shines light on the latest resurgence in nostalgia and with typewriters. This interview was recorded on November 30, 2015. Highlights:  Richard Polt takes us through the history and role typewriters have played from the technology to the work environment, and why they’re making an ever so small comeback. Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. Typewriter security (0:00) Engineering feats (1:49) History of typewriters (2:46) Mark Twain’s experience (5:11) Worth of typewriters (6:25) A Typewriter Revolution book (8:20) Global appeal and impact of typewriters (10:38) Women and the workplace (11:21) Collecting and maintaining typewriters  (12:12) Control and technology (13:14) Link between typewriters and modern technology (15:05) Future of typewriter trend (16:12) Resources:  How the KGB Bugged American Typewriters During the Cold War, January 1, 2020, Popular Mechanics https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a30370413/typewriter-bugging-cold-war/ Typewriters are making a comeback, July 6, 2019, San Francisco Gate https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Typewriters-making-a-comeback-14076751.php There’s a new demand for old typewriters, February 8, 2015, Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star  https://fredericksburg.com/business/typewriters-are-making-a-comeback-with-millennials/article_f4f0c84f-5960-545c-befe-79af76fbdaf0.html

  8. 02/10/2021

    Hank Aaron and the Negro Leagues

    With the passing of Henry ‘Hank’ Aaron, we look at the legacy of the Negro Leagues.  Bob Kendrick shares his experience with Hank Aaron and the remarkable talent and legacy of Negro League baseball. The Negro Leagues included several independent baseball leagues that were founded by African Americans between 1920 and 1948. The league produced notable players including Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Henry Aaron. Bob Kendrick is the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo courtesy of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum) Highlights:  Bob Kendrick expands on the role of the Negro Leagues and the legacy Hank Aaron. The economic, cultural and social justice aspects of the sport, through the lens of the Black experience is discussed. Highlights of the interview are included for convenient listening. Mourning Hank Aaron (0:00) Hank Aaron’s beginnings (1:36) Record breaking character (3:48) Negro Leagues talent (6:14) Decline of African Americans in baseball (9:00) Major League Baseball, Negro Leagues statistics, and social justice (13:46) Negro League attendance, the economy (18:03) The Negro Leagues global influence, Japan (20:12) The Negro Leagues family, Ernie Banks (23:15) East West All-Star Game (28:44) Resources:  Integration Came At A Cost for the Negro Leagues, April 14, 2020, Major League Baseball https://www.mlb.com/news/integration-comes-at-a-cost-for-negro-leagues The Real Story of Baseball’s Integration That You Won’t See in 42, April 13, 2011, The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/04/the-real-story-of-baseballs-integration-that-you-wont-see-in-i-42-i/274886/ This is why baseball is so white, October 24, 2017, Vox https://www.vox.com/2016/10/27/13416798/cubs-dodgers-baseball-white-diverse Co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum speaks at Berry, March 5, 2020, Viking Fusion https://vikingfusion.com/2020/03/05/co-founder-of-the-negro-leagues-baseball-museum-speaks-at-berry/ Interview with Bob Motley with son Byron Motley, April 20, 2016, The Beat with Mike Wesson https://thebeatmedia.com/episode/negroleagues/ Negro League Player Association, Cincinnati Tigers http://www.nlbpa.com/the-negro-league-teams/cincinnati-tigers ‘Gentle Black Giants’: Diplomacy, sport and Japan’s early love for baseball, June 29, 2019, Japan Times https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2019/06/29/books/diplomacy-sport-japans-early-love-baseball/ ‘We Are the Ship’ by Kadir Nelson, 2009 https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/we-are-the-ship-the-story-of-negro-league-baseball-by-kadir-nel/

  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Beat is news, opinion and culture

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Wesson
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Beat Media, All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    The Beat with Mike Wesson