Rebel Spirit

iHeartPodcasts
  • 4.8 (322)
  • Society & Culture
  • Weekly Series

In Season Two of Rebel Spirit, Akilah Hughes picks up where her battle to change her high school’s Confederate mascot left off and quickly realizes the problem was never just a mascot. Shifting from her high school still clinging to the “Rebels” name to the long fight over a Jefferson Davis statue in the Kentucky State Capitol, Season Two expands into a sharp, funny, and deeply reported investigation into how America decides what, and who, it chooses to honor. Along the way, Akilah speaks with politicians from both sides of the aisle about their support for change, historians who help contextualize the fight to remove Confederate monuments, and artists who are part of building monuments their whole community can be proud of. All in an effort to answer this season's big question, if we’re willing to tear down racist monuments, why is it so hard to replace them with something better? 

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  1. Episode 1: Back To Work

    Episode 1

    Episode 1: Back To Work

    In our Season Two premiere, Akilah catches up on the latest from her hometown of Florence, Kentucky as she begins to explore how the same Confederate legacy she challenged locally is resurging across America. Through conversations with a couple familiar voices from Season One, she lays out how mascots and monuments are directly tied to the present political moment, and why the fight over who gets remembered is far from over.  Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.  Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer. Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.  Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen. Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.  Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett. Our theme song is All The Things I Couldn’t Say performed by Busty and The Bass, courtesy of Arts and Crafts Records.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Hillary Delaney and Amber Hoffman. If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min
  2. Episode 2: The Rotunda

    Episode 2

    Episode 2: The Rotunda

    Akilah narrows her aim at an empty corner of the Kentucky State House where a Jefferson Davis monument once stood. She tries to chase down Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear who advocated for the removal of the Jefferson Davis monument and comes up with what might be the perfect option to replace it.  Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.  Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer. Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.  Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen. Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.  Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett. Our theme song is All The Things I Couldn’t Say performed by Busty and The Bass, courtesy of Arts and Crafts Records.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky State Senator Chris McDaniel. If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  3. Episode 3: Making Monuments

    Episode 3

    Episode 3: Making Monuments

    After deciding on a replacement monument she wants to advocate for, Akilah dives deep into what it takes to actually get a new monument in place. Through conversations with monument makers and preservationists, she starts to build her plan.   Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.  Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer. Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.  Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen. Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.  Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett. Our theme song is All The Things I Couldn’t Say performed by Busty and The Bass, courtesy of Arts and Crafts Records.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Paul Farber and Nekisha Durett.  If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min
  4. Episode 4: Erasing History

    Episode 4

    Episode 4: Erasing History

    Akilah welcomes Clint Smith, a writer who extensively covers race in America and has been cataloguing the dismantling of Confederate monuments and memorials since 2017. He and Akilah discuss the work required to help this country become the version of itself that was promised.  Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.  Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer. Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.  Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen. Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.  Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett. Our theme song is All The Things I Couldn’t Say performed by Busty and The Bass, courtesy of Arts and Crafts Records.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Paul Farber and Clint Smith.  If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  5. Episode 5: Oh, Shenandoah

    Episode 5

    Episode 5: Oh, Shenandoah

    This week, Akilah takes a close look at Shenandoah County, Virginia, where one of the more public fights over Confederate iconography has been playing out over the past few years. In 2020, two schools in Shenandoah County named after Confederate generals were changed to Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School. However, the racists fought to change the names back. Incredibly, the students took up the challenge. Akilah speaks with a local journalist and a lawyer representing the students in this legal battle to get a full scope of what it takes to defeat the Confederacy...again. Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.  Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer. Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.  Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen. Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.  Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett. Our theme song is All The Things I Couldn’t Say performed by Busty and The Bass, courtesy of Arts and Crafts Records.  Email read voice performance by Niccole Thurman. Special thanks to our guests this episode, Clyde McGrady, Nate Kline, Ty Seidule and Kaitlin Banner. If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  6. Episode 6: Killing Dead Confederates

    Episode 6

    Episode 6: Killing Dead Confederates

    Historian and retired Brigadier General Ty Seidule speaks with Akilah about his experience as vice chair of the Congressional Naming Commission which was tasked with redesignating Department of Defense assets that honor Confederates. And how he continues with his efforts to shout down the Confederacy despite a continuing backslide fueled by the current administration.  Rebel Spirit is a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts.  Reporting and writing by Akilah Hughes, she is also the Host and Executive Producer. Produced and Written by Dan Sinker.  Edited and Mixed by Rudy Jansen. Executive Producers for Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth Baquet and Jimmy Miller.  Executive Producer for iHeart Podcasts is Cristina Everett. Our theme song is All The Things I Couldn’t Say performed by Busty and The Bass, courtesy of Arts and Crafts Records.  Special thanks to our guest this episode Ty Seidule. If you want to get in touch, email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com. And visit our website www.rebelspiritpodcast.com where you can check out our merch store.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  7. Coming Soon... Rebel Spirit Season 2

    Season 2 Trailer

    Coming Soon... Rebel Spirit Season 2

    This season, Akilah takes her fight to the Kentucky State House in an attempt to replace a recently removed Confederate statue with a monument everyone can be proud of. Grounded in her own lived experiences, Season Two explores how monuments aren’t just markers of history -- they’re battlegrounds for the values we’re still negotiating today. Tune in when the new season premieres May 19. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min
See All Season 2 (7)

Trailers

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About

In Season Two of Rebel Spirit, Akilah Hughes picks up where her battle to change her high school’s Confederate mascot left off and quickly realizes the problem was never just a mascot. Shifting from her high school still clinging to the “Rebels” name to the long fight over a Jefferson Davis statue in the Kentucky State Capitol, Season Two expands into a sharp, funny, and deeply reported investigation into how America decides what, and who, it chooses to honor. Along the way, Akilah speaks with politicians from both sides of the aisle about their support for change, historians who help contextualize the fight to remove Confederate monuments, and artists who are part of building monuments their whole community can be proud of. All in an effort to answer this season's big question, if we’re willing to tear down racist monuments, why is it so hard to replace them with something better? 

Information

  • Channel
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Episodes
    24
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    Rebel Spirit
  • Provider
    iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc

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