Neglected Stories: People, History, Movements

Pedro Rodriguez
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Neglected Stories Brings together stories and voices of marginalized communities that are not found in books and the dominant societal narratives. Here we provide a platform, an amplification of stories you will not find easily in traditional media outlets; in the process we aim to lift, educate and empower the communities from where those voices come from. Host Pedro Rodriguez is a seasoned community organizer, civic activist and political professional with more than four decades of experience working with youth, workers and the elderly.

  1. JAN 17

    What if Everything You Know About Venezuela Is Wrong?

    Guest Geo Maher, a Philadelphia-based writer, community educator, and organizer who has lived and taught extensively in Venezuela. Maher is Coordinator of the W.E.B. Du Bois Movement School for Abolition & Reconstruction and the author of five books, including We Created Chávez and Building the Commune. In this episode, we discuss We Created Chávez, which challenges leader-centered narratives by showing how grassroots movements — workers, women, Afro-Venezuelans, Indigenous peoples, students, and former guerrillas — shaped Venezuela’s political transformation long before Chávez took office. The conversation explores what these struggles reveal about power, collective action, and movements today.

    59 min

  2. JAN 12

    Labor & Community Organizing: Reflections For Today's Challenges

    John Meyerson’s life has been shaped by a deep, lifelong commitment to social justice. His activism began as a teenager, organizing against the Vietnam War and leading a student sit-in for free expression while still in high school. That early commitment to peace and human rights carried him directly into the labor movement, where he would spend decades organizing workers, building coalitions, and fighting for dignity on the job. Meyerson’s journey—from industrial worker to union organizer to political and legislative leader—offers a rare, ground-level view of how movements are built and sustained. As an organizer and later Director of Legislation and Political Action for UFCW Local 1776, he played leadership roles in campaigns that raised Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, defended public-sector jobs, advanced living-wage standards, and helped secure national health care reform. He has also served in numerous leadership roles across the AFL-CIO, representing more than 100,000 workers across southeastern Pennsylvania. In this episode, Meyerson reflects on community and labor organizing, the challenge of balancing family life with movement work, and the realities—and possibilities—of organizing in the United States in 2026. Drawing on decades of experience, he offers perspective, candor, and lessons for a new generation committed to change. Listen and discover why John Meyerson’s story is a neglected one worth hearing.

    1h 4m

  3. 12/31/2025

    Translating Science With Art, Building Trust

    We believe the most important stories are often the ones told in unexpected spaces. This week, that space is the intersection of science, art, and public trust. At Penn’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics—ITMAT—researchers are pushing life-saving discoveries forward. But they’re also asking a radical question: How do we make medical science understandable, relatable, and accountable to the people it’s meant to serve? Through ITMAT’s Artist-in-Residence program, ceramicist Marguerite Hagan works alongside scientists, using storytelling, clay, and the metaphor of the “shield” to help young researchers rethink how they communicate with communities. She’s joined by Dr. Carsten Skarke, the physician-scientist who created the program to break down the barriers between labs and real life. This is a conversation about trust, storytelling, and why science needs art more than ever.

    1 hr

  4. 12/17/2025

    The Iranian Revolution - Revisited

    Acclaimed journalist and author Scott Anderson’s new book, King of Kings, offers a gripping, deeply reported narrative of the Iranian Revolution—an event that reshaped global politics, yet remains widely misunderstood in the United States. In this conversation, Anderson guides listeners through the complex forces that brought millions into the streets, toppled the Shah, and altered the strategic landscape of the Middle East. His reporting uncovers the human stories behind the upheaval: the activists, clerics, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens who navigated hope, repression, and rapid historical change. For audiences committed to understanding how past movements inform today’s struggles—whether for democracy, civil liberties, or equitable governance—this episode provides a critical lens. Neglected Stories" exists to foreground histories that shape the present, and this interview delivers on that mission with clarity and depth.

    1h 3m

  5. 12/02/2025

    The Seed Money That Changed America in the Early XX Century

    In this episode we are joined by Professor John Fabian Witt of Yale Law School, whose new book The Radical Fund uncoversthis hidden history — the people, the conflicts, the victories, and the visionaries who believed a million dollars could help change America. We’ll explore what happens when radical dreams meet hardpolitical realities, how movements grow when they have even modestbut intentional funding, and what lessons this forgotten experimentoffers for Philadelphia’s community organizers, neighborhoodinstitutions, and justice movements today.

    1 hr

  6. 11/15/2025

    Spain's Slave Trade and Ethnic Legacy in Santo Domingo & Puerto Rico

    City University of New York's Professor Lissette Acosta Corniel, explores the history of free Black communities in Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico, shedding light on the often-overlooked history of Spanish slavery in the Americas. She also discusses the ongoing identity struggles in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and beyond—where the denial of African ancestry continues to shape culture and society.

    1h 2m

  7. 11/10/2025

    Bicentennial Without Colonies of '76 & Relations Between Blacks and Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia

    Our guest is Dr. Alyssa Ribeiro, an urban historian whose work uncovers the intertwined histories of Black and Puerto Rican communities in Philadelphia. We talk about how race, migration, and community power shaped the city from the 1950s to the 1980s—and why those stories still matter today. We also dig into the historic 1976 “Bicentennial Without Colonies” protest, which challenged the contradiction of celebrating American independence while maintaining colonial rule over Puerto Rico. With the 250th anniversary of the U.S. approaching, this conversation feels more timely than ever.

    59 min

  8. 10/12/2025

    Tennis Tensions: Class, Race & Gender in the Sport - Gabriel Allen Talks

    Host Pedro Rodriguez sits down with author and tennis professional Gabriel Allen to discuss his groundbreaking new book, Tennis Tensions: Class, Race, and Gender in the Evolution of the Sport. In this compelling conversation, Allen breaks down  the hidden history of tennis — a sport long associated with privilege and exclusivity — and reveals how class barriers, racial bias, and misogyny have shaped its evolution from country club pastime to global phenomenon. With the insight of a scholar and the passion of a player, Allen examines the struggles and triumphs of those who challenged the sport’s traditions and helped redefine who belongs on the court. Rodriguez asks the big questions about power, access, and identity in one of the world’s most elite games — and what it will take to make tennis truly inclusive.

    55 min
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About

Neglected Stories Brings together stories and voices of marginalized communities that are not found in books and the dominant societal narratives. Here we provide a platform, an amplification of stories you will not find easily in traditional media outlets; in the process we aim to lift, educate and empower the communities from where those voices come from. Host Pedro Rodriguez is a seasoned community organizer, civic activist and political professional with more than four decades of experience working with youth, workers and the elderly.

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