Still Paying the Price: Reparations in Real Terms

LWC Studios

This 14-part original series from LWC Studios explores how reparations should be paid and to whom. For all episodes, transcripts and supplemental materials visit StillPayingThePricePod.com. This series was funded by a grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Cover art: "Gemini" by Fitgi Saint-Louis

  1. EPISODE 1

    EP 1: A Family’s Silent Burden: The Killing of Arthur Davis

    Arthur Davis died on June 30, 1950, but the details surrounding his death raised questions about what really happened to him. His story was buried for years, until his grandson started investigating. Through family oral history, neighbor accounts, and troves of documents, Reginald Crawford was finally able to piece together how his grandfather died. Reported by Pamela Kirkland.

    40 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    EP 2: The Unfinished Story of Alex Manly’s “The Daily Record”

    Wilmington, North Carolina was once home to a thriving middle class Black population. In 1898, the only successful coup d’état in American history put a stop to it. Alex Manly was part of that elite Black community. An editorial he printed in his newspaper, The Daily Record, was the catalyst for the violence, and Manly was run out of town by a group of white supremacists. In this episode, Manly’s grandson, Dr. Lewin Manly talks about what his family is owed for the loss of The Record and how the Manly family could be made whole again. Reported by Pamela Kirkland.

    28 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    EP 3: A Death Ruled “Justifiable”: The Killing of John Wesley Wilder

    In July 1965, police officer Edward Nugent encountered John Wesley Wilder, a Black man, outside a cafe in Ruston, Louisiana. Nugent shot Wilder five times, resulting in his death. Local authorities deemed it a justifiable homicide, and subsequent investigations in 1965 did not bring justice or closure to Wilder's family. In 2008, legislation introduced by Congressman John Lewis, gave hope to families seeking justice for racially motivated homicides prior to 1970. Nugent, the shooter, is still alive, and new evidence has emerged. Reporter Ben Greenberg investigates whether justice still possible for John Wesley Wilder and his family. Reported by Ben Greenberg. This episode was produced in partnership with the nonprofit newsroom Type Investigations and with support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism.

    51 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    EP 4: Checks and Royalties: The Unsung Black Roots of American Music

    This episode explores the historical erasure and appropriation of Black musicians and songwriters. Mark Anthony Neal, Chair of the African & African American Studies Department at Duke University, explains how Black artists were often exploited, denied proper credit, and overshadowed by white artists who covered their songs. It also traces the origins of American music back to the spirituals created by enslaved Africans, the evolution of rhythms in New Orleans, and the influence of genres like jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll. Despite progress made by labels like Motown, contemporary artists like Kimberly Nichole question whether the industry truly embraces and celebrates Black musicians or simply perpetuates a cycle of erasure and appropriation. Reported by Kojin Tashiro. Follow Mark Anthony Neal on Twitter @NewBlackMan Follow Kimberly Nichole on Twitter @KimNicky.

    33 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    EP 5: Farming in the U.S. and the Opportunities for Correcting Past Harms

    John Boyd Jr. is the civil rights leader you’ve never heard of. For decades, he’s been fighting the U.S. government’s discrimination against Black farmers like himself, securing billions for them to keep their lands–and keep the legacy of Black people in agriculture alive. It’s a legacy that traces back to slavery, when Black Americans built the agricultural wealth of the United States. Today, farm workers are predominantly Latino, especially in the West, and are witnesses to their own decades-long history of mobilization for the rights to fair wages and working conditions in the fields. In California, that legacy now includes a booming business of legal cannabis cultivation. This episode explores the throughlines of racism and economic exploitation in agriculture, but also where great opportunity for reconstruction of the industry–and reparations for past harm–can exist, if we know where to look. Reported by Paulina Velasco. Follow John Boyd Jr. on Twitter @JWBoydNBFA.

    33 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    EP 6: A Black Birth Doula on What Black Mothers Deserve

    Chanel Porchia-Albert wants Black mothers to be able to fully center themselves in the joy of childbirth. With Black women facing the highest rate of maternal death, Porchia-Albert explores the issues that have contributed to the abysmal numbers and the reasons behind them. The Founder and Executive Director of Ancient Song Doula services, she discusses the role of birth workers in mitigating healthcare disparities and empowering individuals to make informed choices. Reported by Pamela Kirkland. Follow Chanel on Twitter @ChanelPorchia.

    27 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    EP 7: Meet Another NASA “Hidden Figure”: Cynthia Vernón, PhD: Mathematician, Microbiologist, and NASA trailblazer

    Cynthia Vernón grew up in the segregated South of New Orleans, Louisiana. In the 1960s, after graduating from Xavier University, she applied for a job at NASA’s Data Processing Center in Slidell. She became the first Black employee driving programming for Chrysler’s data engineers. She’d never seen a mainframe computer before, but she studied the manual, just like her colleagues in the Academy Award-winning film, “Hidden Figures.” What’s most astonishing about Vernón’s accomplishment is that her family didn’t know about her trailblazing past until recently. Vernón speaks candidly about her amazing journey and what is owed to those who weren’t afforded the same opportunities. Reported by Juleyka Lantigua.

    25 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    EP 8: A Father Illustrates “The Talk” and Touches on the Debt Owed to Black Boys

    Every Black and Brown parent dreads having “the talk” with their children. It is a dreaded right of passage that signals a loss of innocence for their sons in order to protect them from a system that targets them. Darrin Bell is an acclaimed cartoonist, author, and commentator. In his graphic memoir, The Talk, he illustrates his own encounters with racial profiling and discrimination. Bell also gets real about what is owed to Black boys who navigate a world where their lives are constantly at risk. Reported by Juleyka Lantigua. Follow Darrin Bell on Twitter @DarrinBellArt.

    25 min
See All Season 1 (16)

Trailer

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About

This 14-part original series from LWC Studios explores how reparations should be paid and to whom. For all episodes, transcripts and supplemental materials visit StillPayingThePricePod.com. This series was funded by a grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Cover art: "Gemini" by Fitgi Saint-Louis

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