Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS

Rita Coburn
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Places & Travel

Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS is a podcast launched in 2026 on W. E. B. Du Bois’ birthday, February 23. It is grounded in the belief that every Black person in America deserves to be seen, heard, and respected for their lived understanding of what it means to be Black in this country.The series explores how personal stories become collective memory, and how history is too often erased, distorted, or left untaught. Reclaiming and telling these narratives ourselves is a powerful act of leadership, guiding the historical narrative as the griots we were always meant to be. Now more than ever, this is an urgent cultural act of truth.Moving beyond dates and documented facts, the podcast centers truth as lived experience. It explores the emotional, spiritual, and generational perspectives, revealing the depth, complexity, and resilience of Black life. Through intimate conversations, historical reflection, and contemporary voices, Our Truth, Our History, Our Story creates a space where memory is preserved, identity is affirmed, and the fullness of Black humanity is honored.

  1. 13h ago

    Next Stop: London | W.E.B. Du Bois with Jeffrey Wright

    EPISODE 33: Next Stop: London | W.E.B. Du Bois with Jeffrey Wright Were going to London. As we prepare for the London premiere of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause, Im looking back at a very special evening in New York City, when The New School hosted a screening of the film followed by a conversation about the life, legacy and continuing relevance of W.E.B. Du Bois. That conversation brought together Pulitzer Prize-winning Du Bois biographer Dr. David Levering Lewis, award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright and me, with award-winning journalist Hari Sreenivasan moderating the discussion. I share how my own journey to Du Bois began with Dr. Maya Angelou, who knew him and helped me understand how much more I needed to learn about this extraordinary man. Jeffrey reflects on his own return to history at a time when the news, public discourse and competing versions of America can make it difficult to know what to trust. For him, going back to history and particularly to Du Bois provides perspective. Du Bois was a Black man. He was also an American whose scholarship, writing and activism challenged this country to understand itself more fully and truthfully. And now we are taking that story across the Atlantic. Jeffrey Wright, who performs the words of W.E.B. Du Bois in W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause, will join me in London for a post-screening conversation following our London premiere. So before we take you to London with us, were going back to New York for a conversation about history, citizenship, identity and why W.E.B. Du Bois matters right now. Next stop: London. WATCH THIS EPISODE https://youtu.be/RX7ShRYBZQE WATCH OUR THS ON YOUTUBE Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. YouTube Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240/podcasts LISTEN Listen to Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. on the ALIVE Podcast Network: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-_ths/ Follow Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. on your favorite podcast platform: https://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Rita Coburn Director, writer and producer of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause and host of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. Jeffrey Wright Award-winning actor who performs the words of W.E.B. Du Bois in W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause. Dr. David Levering Lewis Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and biographer of W.E.B. Du Bois. Hari Sreenivasan Award-winning journalist, television correspondent and host who moderated the panel discussion. The New School Host of the New York screening and conversation featured in this episode and provider of ASL interpretation. NEXT STOP: LONDON W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause heads to London for a special screening on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 1:003:30 PM at the Charlotte Street Hotel. Following the screening, director Rita Coburn and Jeffrey Wright will come together for a post-screening conversation about Du Bois, the film, and why his story continues to resonate today. Stay with Our THS as we take you across the Atlantic and share more of the journey. ABOUT OUR THS Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. is hosted by Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director, writer, and producer Rita Coburn. Our history is not simply about where we have been. It helps us understand where we are and challenges us to decide where we go next. New episodes premiere Mondays at 7:30 PM Central on YouTube and are available on the ALIVE Podcast Network and wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch. Listen. Subscribe. And join the conversation. PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Rita Coburn Written by: Rita Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Communications Director & Producer: Christine Coburn Whack Producer: H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Next Stop: London | W.E.B. Du Bois with Jeffrey Wright

  2. 6d ago

    Sorry, Not Sorry | When Sorry Comes Without Repair

    Episode 32: Sorry, Not Sorry | When Sorry Comes Without Repair When is an apology not enough? We hear companies and institutions say, Were sorry. But what happens after the apology? Where is the accountability? Where is the change? And where is the repair? In this episode of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., Im thinking about fall, harvest and what happens when we finally have to pick what has been planted. Recent controversies involving Target and Converse have me asking how racially offensive or disturbing imagery can move through design, production, marketing, management and approval without someone in the room saying, Wait a minute. Target apologized and removed a childrens Halloween costume after its imagery drew criticism for evoking blackface and minstrel caricatures. Converse removed advertising after critics said its imagery evoked the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. But sorry is a start, not a finish. I remember a different Target. In 2007, while I was working with Dr. Maya Angelou for Oprah Radio, I watched her participate in Targets Dream in Color initiative. Target partnered with Dr. Angelou, the Poetry Foundation and others to celebrate Black history, poetry, creativity and culture. So I have to ask: What happened? This conversation is bigger than two companies. It is about who has a seat at the table. Who is in the rooms where products, images and messages are created and approved? It is about jobs, leadership, contracts, investment and whether the communities whose dollars companies seek are represented throughout those companies. And it is about the power of our choices. History gives us an example. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Black citizens organized, sacrificed, walked, created carpools and used collective economic action as part of a sustained campaign against segregation. The buses were ultimately desegregated following the successful legal challenge to Alabamas bus segregation laws. That history reminds us that where we spend our money can be a choice. So can where we withhold it. As the holiday shopping season approaches, Im asking all of us to think about who receives our dollars, who benefits from them and what those companies return to the communities they serve. Accountability does not stop with corporations or institutions. It extends to the people we elect to represent us. Each of us decides what values, policies, conduct and vision we expect from our leaders, and we can hold whoever holds power accountable to those standards. Fall is harvest time. You planted something.You watered something.You neglected something.You nurtured something. Eventually, the harvest tells the truth. America has been planting for centuries. What are we harvesting now? And are we willing to change what we plant next? This is about truth.This is about reconciliation.This is about repair. Because when sorry comes without repair, sometimes it sounds a lot like: Sorry, not sorry. LINKS & RESOURCES WATCH NOWOur THS YouTube Podcast Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240/podcasts LISTENListen to Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. on your favorite podcast platform:https://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths CONNECT & EXPLORERita Coburn:https://www.ritacoburn.com Our THS, articles, resources and more:https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia DREAM IN COLOR | DR. MAYA ANGELOU Poetry Foundation Dream in Color:https://media.poetryfoundation.org/uploads/media/default/0001/24/39142e346f9808839dcc595bdcee27001f5d6116.pdf Scholastic Maya Angelou, Dream in Color:https://www.scholastic.com/dreamincolor/africanamericanheritage/maya_angelou.htm THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT National Park Service:https://www.nps.gov/articles/montgomery-bus-boycott.htm ABOUT OUR THS Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. is hosted by Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director, writer and producer Rita Coburn. Our history is not simply about where we have been. It helps us understand where we are and challenges us to decide where we go next. Watch. Listen. Subscribe. And join the conversation.

    Sorry, Not Sorry | When Sorry Comes Without Repair

  3. Sep 22

    How to Open | The U.S. Open, New York City & the Black History Along the Way

    Episode 31: How to Open | The U.S. Open, New York City & the Black History Along the Way How do you do the U.S. Open? For me, going to the Open has become about much more than tennis. It is a New York experience, a chance to enjoy the city, spend time in Harlem, eat some wonderful food, hear great music and, because you know me, discover more of the Black history that surrounds us. I am actually a relatively new tennis fan. But one of the things that has drawn me into the sport is its history. Learning about the people who fought to play, competed when the doors were not always open to them, and ultimately changed the game has made watching tennis even more meaningful to me. So in this episode of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., I am sharing how I do the Open. Come with me to New York as I share some of the ways I enjoy the U.S. Open and the city around it. We will talk tennis, travel, food, music and, of course, history. One of our stops is Red Rooster Harlem, where food and culture come together with some extraordinary music. I had the opportunity to enjoy the talented vocalists and musicians of Sing Harlem!, the award-winning artist collective and breakout choir of Mama Foundation for the Arts. Sing Harlem! gives graduates of Mama Foundation's music training and artist-development programs opportunities to perform professionally, and its longstanding partnership with Red Rooster has made the group's music part of the restaurant's Harlem experience. That's part of what I love about New York. History isn't confined to a museum or a history book. Sometimes you find it at a tennis match. Sometimes you hear it in the music. Sometimes you taste it in the food. And sometimes you discover it simply by paying attention to where you are. Whether you're a longtime tennis fan, new to the game like me, or planning your first trip to the U.S. Open, let me show you How to Open. LINKS & RESOURCES Watch Episode 31: How to Open https://youtu.be/pqXxspWeMkQ Rita Coburn & W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause https://ritacoburn.com Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. RSS Feed https://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths Sing Harlem! https://www.singharlem.com/ Red Rooster Harlem https://www.redroosterharlem.com/ FEATURED LOCATIONS USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York U.S. Open Harlem, New York Red Rooster Harlem PEOPLE, MUSIC & HISTORY Sing Harlem! The award-winning artist collective and musical breakout choir of Mama Foundation for the Arts. The group grew from Mama Foundation's music education and artist-development programs and provides performance opportunities for developing and professional artists. Proceeds from Sing Harlem! performances support Mama Foundation's tuition-free music training programs in Harlem. Mama Foundation for the Arts A Harlem cultural organization dedicated to preserving and promoting gospel, jazz and R&B while training and developing new generations of artists. Red Rooster Harlem The Harlem restaurant at 310 Lenox Avenue that combines food, music and community and has a longstanding partnership with Mama Foundation and Sing Harlem! Black Tennis History The generations of Black players and pioneers whose perseverance and excellence challenged barriers in tennis and helped create opportunities for the players who followed. IN THIS EPISODE How I discovered tennis and became a U.S. Open fan How to make the U.S. Open part of a New York City experience Traditions and practical lessons from going to the Open Why knowing the history can change the way we experience the game Continuing our exploration of Black tennis history Experiencing Harlem while you're in New York A stop at Red Rooster Harlem The talented vocalists and musicians of Sing Harlem! How food, music, sports and history can all become part of the same journey HOW TO OPEN You don't have to know everything about tennis to fall in love with the U.S. Open. Go for the tennis, but experience the city. Walk around. Eat. Listen to the music. Meet people. Learn something you didn't know before. And pay attention to the history. Because when we understand who came before us and what it took for them to get there, we experience the people playing today differently. That's what Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. is about. History is everywhere. You just have to know where to look. PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Rita Coburn Written by: Rita Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Communications Director & Producer: Christine Coburn Whack Producer: H. Lee Whack Produced by: RCW Media Productions, Inc. 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    How to Open | The U.S. Open, New York City & the Black History Along the Way

  4. Sep 15

    2026 U.S. Open | The Black Tennis History Behind Today’s Champions

    EPISODE 30 2026 U.S. OPEN | THE BLACK TENNIS HISTORY BEHIND TODAYS CHAMPIONS The 2026 U.S. Open made history, but the story of Black tennis in America began long before today's champions stepped onto the courts of Arthur Ashe Stadium. In this episode of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., Rita Coburn takes us from the segregated tennis courts of the early 20th century to the 2026 U.S. Open, tracing the Black athletes who challenged barriers, changed the game and created opportunities for the champions we watch today. The journey begins with the American Tennis Association, founded in 1916 because segregation prevented Black players from competing in many of America's leading tennis tournaments. We remember Ora Washington, one of the greatest Black athletes of her generation, and Althea Gibson, who broke one of tennis's most visible racial barriers when she became the first Black player to compete in the U.S. National Championships in 1950. Then came Arthur Ashe. In 1968, Ashe became the first Black man to win the men's singles championship at the U.S. Open. Today, the largest tennis stadium in the world bears his name. The generations that followed continued to push the game forward: Zina Garrison, MaliVai Washington and James Blake. Then two sisters from Compton changed tennis forever. Venus and Serena Williams transformed the power, style, culture and business of the sport. Serena won her first major singles championship at the 1999 U.S. Open at just 17. Venus won back-to-back U.S. Open singles titles in 2000 and 2001 and became a powerful advocate for equal prize money for women. Their influence can be seen in the generations that followed. Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys in an all-American final to win the 2017 U.S. Open. Coco Gauff, who grew up admiring Venus and Serena, became the 2023 U.S. Open women's singles champion at only 19. And the story continues today. At the 2026 U.S. Open, Coco Gauff reached the semifinals, while Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton faced each other in an historic all-American men's semifinal. Shelton's victory made him the first Black American man to reach the U.S. Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Taylor Townsend continues to challenge expectations with her creative game and determination, representing another generation of Black athletes reshaping what tennis looks like. But representation cannot stop with the champions we see on television. Tennis remains an expensive sport. Lessons, equipment, travel, tournament fees, and access to courts can place the game beyond the reach of many young people. If we want to discover the next Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton, young people must have access to the game long before anyone knows they might become champions. Championships tell us who won the tournament. History helps us understand what it took for everyone to have the opportunity to compete. That is Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. NEXT WEEK We're staying with tennis! Every year, my husband Andrew and I travel to New York for the U.S. Open. Next week, I'll take you along and share how we do the Open, from arriving in New York to navigating the grounds and making the most of the experience. Even if you've never been, come along with us. Let's talk about how to Open. Game. Set. Match. LINKS & RESOURCES Watch Our THS on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240/podcasts Listen on the ALIVE Podcast Networkhttps://alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-_ths/ Follow Our THS on your favorite podcast apphttps://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths Our THS Websitehttps://www.ritacoburn.com/ths-podcast Follow Rita Coburn Mediahttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia Rita Coburnhttps://www.ritacoburn.com ABOUT OUR THS Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. explores the people, places and moments in history that continue to shape who we are today. Hosted by Peabody and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn. New episodes premiere Mondays at 7:30 PM Central on YouTube and are available on the ALIVE Podcast Network and wherever you listen to podcasts. JOIN THE CONVERSATION Who inspired your love of tennis? Was it Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Venus and Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton or someone else? And who do you think will write the next chapter of Black tennis history? Tell us in the comments, and share this episode with someone who loves tennis, history or both. PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Rita CoburnWritten by: Rita CoburnExecutive Producer: Andrew T. CarrCommunications Director & Producer: Christine Coburn WhackProducer: H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #USOpen #USOpen2026 #Tennis #BlackTennis #BlackHistory #ArthurAshe #AltheaGibson #SerenaWilliams #VenusWilliams #CocoGauff #BenShelton #FrancesTiafoe #TaylorTownsend #OurTHS

    2026 U.S. Open | The Black Tennis History Behind Today’s Champions

  5. Sep 8

    Passing the Baton | W.E.B. Du Bois, Dr. King and the March on Washington

    EPISODE 29 Passing the Baton | W.E.B. Du Bois, Dr. King and the March on Washington On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. They came demanding an end to segregation, protection for voting rights, fair employment and economic justice. But the night before, W.E.B. Du Bois died in Ghana at the age of 95. The following day, NAACP leader Roy Wilkins announced Du Bois death from the podium at the March on Washington. Later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic I Have a Dream speech. In this episode of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., I reflect on that extraordinary moment as a symbolic passing of the baton from one generation of civil rights leadership to another. Then we return to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, the birthplace of W.E.B. Du Bois, to explore the community that helped shape him. We visit the historic Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church, hear about the effort to preserve the Black history of the Berkshires, and spend time at Macedonia Baptist Church, where I had the opportunity to speak about Du Bois, the power of reading, representation and why preserving our stories matters. We also visit the Du Bois family gravesite and trace the final chapter of his life from America to Ghana, where he died on August 27, 1963. Du Bois dedicated his life to scholarship, writing, protest and the fight for equality. Dr. King and a new generation carried that struggle forward. Different generations. Different approaches. The same long race toward freedom. As we remember the March on Washington, we also remember the man whose death was announced from its podium. Our leaders have always carried the baton forward. That is our truth. Our history. Our story. RESOURCES & LINKS Watch Live: https://youtu.be/1eXdS-hP0D0  Follow Rita Coburn Media:https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia Listen to Our Truth. Our History. Our Story:https://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths Learn more about W.E.B. Du Bois:https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/naacp/prelude.html Learn more about the March on Washington:https://www.nps.gov/articles/march-on-washington.htm ABOUT OUR THS Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. explores the people, places and moments in history that continue to shape who we are today. Hosted by Peabody and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn. New episodes Mondays at 7:30 PM CST.

    Passing the Baton | W.E.B. Du Bois, Dr. King and the March on Washington

  6. Sep 1

    Gary, Indiana: The Storm Is Only Part of the Story

    GARY, INDIANA: THE STORM IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY Gary, Indiana, is recovering from a devastating derecho that tore across northern Illinois and Indiana on August 11, 2026, with winds reaching nearly 100 miles per hour. Thousands of residents were left without power, some for nearly two weeks. But the storm is only part of Garys story. WATCH HERE:https://youtu.be/j1P1DwmRhtQ In this episode of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., Rita Coburn looks beyond the immediate disaster to examine the history of a city that helped build America. Founded by U.S. Steel in 1906, Gary became a destination for Black families leaving the South during the Great Migration in search of jobs, safety and opportunity. Generations of Black steelworkers helped create a working and middle class, bought homes, educated their children and built political power. Gary also gave America extraordinary cultural and political figures, from Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 to Richard G. Hatcher, one of the first Black mayors elected to lead a major American city. But automation, declining steel employment, suburbanization, white flight, discriminatory housing and lending practices, population loss and decades of disinvestment dramatically changed the city. Today, this predominantly Black community is confronting the aftermath of a natural disaster on top of economic challenges that have been building for more than half a century. This episode asks a larger question: What happens when disaster strikes a community that has already spent decades fighting to recover? Gary needs relief today, but it also needs investment for tomorrow. HELP GARY RECOVER Greater Gary Storm Recovery and Relief FundAdministered by Legacy Foundation, Lake Countys community foundation. Legacy Foundation has waived administrative fees so 100% of donations support disaster response and recovery. https://legacyfdn.org/gary-storm-relief/ RESOURCES AND REPORTING FEMA Disaster Assistancehttps://www.disasterassistance.gov/ Indiana 211https://in211.communityos.org/ National Weather Servicehttps://www.weather.gov/ Capital B GaryLocal reporting on Gary and the storm:https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-power-outages-indiana-storm/ NBC NewsGary, Indiana, nears full power restoration 2 weeks after violent stormshttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gary-indiana-nears-full-power-restoration-2-weeks-violent-storms-rcna594456 Chicago TribuneReporting on storm recovery and assistance for Lake County residents:https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/28/uninsured-residents-with-storm-damage-can-seek-relief-at-four-lake-county-sites/ WANE 15Derecho confirmed after Tuesday afternoon stormshttps://www.wane.com/top-stories/derecho-confirmed-after-tuesday-afternoon-storms/ Indiana LandmarksHistory of Gary and the Gary Land Company Building:https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2019/07/designation-protects-garys-first-local-landmark/ KEEP THE RESOURCES MOVING Know an organization or someone providing resources, relief or trusted reporting on Garys recovery? Tag them in the comments or drop a link to a trusted website connecting residents with assistance. Lets help connect people to the information and support they need. FOLLOW OUR THS Articles, resources, podcast links and more:https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia RSS Feed:https://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths New episodes Mondays at 7:30 PM CST on YouTube. PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Rita CoburnWritten by: Rita CoburnExecutive Producer: Andrew T. CarrCommunications Director & Producer: Christine Coburn WhackProducer: H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. #OurTHS #GaryIndiana #Derecho #GaryStormRecovery #Indiana #GreatMigration #BlackHistory

    Gary, Indiana: The Storm Is Only Part of the Story

  7. Aug 25

    MVAAFF: The Grit of It All | W.E.B. Du Bois at Martha’s Vineyard (Part 2)

    Episode 27 MVAAFF: The Grit of It All | W.E.B. Du Bois at Marthas Vineyard, Part 2 Marthas Vineyard is the gift that keeps on giving. This week on Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., we continue our journey at the Marthas Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), where W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause was screened before an engaged audience ready for history, conversation and community. But this episode goes beyond the festival. We take you around the Vineyard, from Oak Bluffs and Circuit Avenue to the food, families and unmistakable energy of the island. We also look at the history of African Americans on Marthas Vineyard, from workers, sailors and whalers in the 18th and 19th centuries to Black homeownership and the thriving community that exists today. We reflect on the incredible reception for Rebel With a Cause, the power of seeing historical documentaries with an audience hungry for our stories, and some of the other films we experienced at MVAAFF. And Marthas Vineyard really did keep on giving. Our film was name-checked in The New York Times, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey wrote in The Root that Rebel With a Cause isnt history, its a survival guide for this moment, and Dominique Fluker included the documentary in her ForbesWomen feature on women-led films from MVAAFF that deserve your attention. Most importantly, we return to a message at the heart of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause: Understand who you are. You are strong. You are powerful. And you can do it. Come walk Marthas Vineyard with us. In This Episode The Black history of Marthas Vineyard and Oak Bluffs Walking Circuit Avenue and experiencing the Vineyard The audience response to W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause Why knowing our history gives us power Historical films and storytelling at MVAAFF Food, family and Black community on the island The New York Times, The Root and ForbesWomen coverage Why Marthas Vineyard truly is the gift that keeps on giving Resources & LinksMUSIC Music by Damien Sebe - so good - https://thmatc.co/?l=D6BE065E Read the latest articles, watch the film and podcast, and follow our journey: https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/W9HepHeKDLI Find our recent coverage and more, including: The New York Times Marthas Vineyard, Black community, culture and MVAAFF The Root W.E.B. Du Bois Doc Rebel With a Cause Isnt History, Its a Survival Guide for This Moment By Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey ForbesWomen Three Women-Led Films From Marthas Vineyard African American Film Festival That Deserve Your Attention By Dominique Fluker W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause Film information, screenings and updates Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube Next Week We head back home to Gary, Indiana, where devastating storms, power outages and the lack of swift assistance reveal another story about community, resilience and the power of people to create change. Credits Host: Rita Coburn Written by: Rita Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Communications Director & Producer: Christine Coburn Whack Producer: H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. Follow & Watch Subscribe to Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. #OurTHS #MVAAFF #MarthasVineyard #WEBDuBois #RebelWithACause #OakBluffs #BlackHistory #AmericanMasters #BlackDocumentary

    MVAAFF: The Grit of It All | W.E.B. Du Bois at Martha’s Vineyard (Part 2)

  8. Aug 18

    MVAAFF: The Grit of It All | W.E.B. Du Bois at Martha’s Vineyard

    Our Truth. Our History. Our Story.Episode 26: MVAAFF: The Grit of It All | W.E.B. Du Bois at Marthas VineyardWe took W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause to the Marthas Vineyard African American Film Festival, and it was the exact documentary for the moment. Getting there was a journey of its own: plane, bus, ferry, and finally Vineyard Haven. But once we arrived, we entered a gathering place for Black filmmakers, artists, scholars, actors, and audiences coming together to celebrate our stories and our culture. In this episode of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story., Im bringing you inside our MVAAFF conversation about W.E.B. Du Bois with actor Courtney B. Vance, sociologist and scholar Dr. Karida Brown, and our moderator, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey. We explore the freedom Du Bois experienced as a young man studying in Berlin, his groundbreaking use of data and empirical sociology in The Philadelphia Negro, and why his scholarship remains so relevant today. As Dr. Brown reminds us, we are still living in a Du Boisian moment. Scholarship, intellectual rigor, journalism, art, and storytelling have always been part of the Black freedom struggle. Courtney B. Vance takes us deeper into Du Bois evolution as a thinker, scholar, activist, and creative, and why we must support those who continue doing the work of telling our stories. And we talk about something essential to my own approach to documentary filmmaking: the grit of it all. Du Bois story includes extraordinary accomplishments, but it also includes pain, loss, mistakes, contradictions, racism, lynching, and the death of his young son. If we want to understand a life, we cannot turn away from its difficult parts. It is our job as filmmakers to take you beyond the pleasant parts of a life and into the grit of it all. This is our truth. Our history. Our story. And this is only the beginning of our Marthas Vineyard journey. Over the next two episodes, Ill share more from MVAAFF and some of what was happening beyond the festival. LINKS & RESOURCESW.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A CauseLearn more about the documentary:https://ritacoburn.com The Root: W.E.B. Du Bois Doc Rebel With a Cause Isnt History. Its a Warning.https://www.theroot.com/w-e-b-du-bois-doc-rebel-with-a-cause-isnt-history-it-2000120737 Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. RSS Feedhttps://rss.alivepodcastnetwork.com/our-truth-our-history-our-story-our-ths Watch this episodehttps://youtu.be/cVitIRg86w8 FEATURED LOCATION Marthas Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) Vineyard Haven, Marthas Vineyard FEATURED GUESTSCourtney B. Vance Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor who performs the words of W.E.B. Du Bois in W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause and narrated David Levering Lewis Pulitzer Prize-winning Du Bois biographies. Dr. Karida Brown Sociologist, author, and scholar whose work examines race, Black communities, culture, and the African American experience. Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey Moderator of our MVAAFF conversation. Rita Coburn Director, writer, and producer of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause and host of Our Truth. Our History. Our Story. FEATURED WORKS W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause The Philadelphia Negro by W.E.B. Du Bois The Crisis David Levering Lewis biographies of W.E.B. Du Bois IN THIS EPISODE Taking W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause to MVAAFF Why Du Bois years in Berlin transformed his understanding of what freedom could look like The Philadelphia Negro and Du Bois pioneering role in empirical sociology How Du Bois used facts, data, and evidence to challenge ideas of Black inferiority Why Black scholars and intellectuals remain essential to the Black freedom struggle Du Bois as both scholar and creative Courtney B. Vance on discovering the complexity of Du Bois The disagreements among Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and other Black leaders Confronting lynching, racism, grief, loss, and the death of Du Bois son Why documentary filmmakers cannot tell only the pleasant parts of a person's life The responsibility to tell the truth, including the grit of it all THE GRIT OF IT ALLHistory becomes more powerful when we allow people to be fully human. We cannot understand W.E.B. Du Bois only through his degrees, books, organizations, and accomplishments. We also have to understand what he witnessed, what he lost, where he struggled, and how those experiences shaped the man he became. We cannot turn away from what happened to us. That is part of the responsibility of documentary filmmaking: to use the words, images, scholarship, music, performances, and historical record to bring us closer to the whole person. Not just the pleasant parts of life. The grit of it all. MUSICMusic by Damien Sebe - so good - https://thmatc.co/?l=D6BE065E PRODUCTION CREDITSHost, Writer & ProducerRita Coburn Communications Director & ProducerChristine Coburn Whack ProducerH. Lee Whack A Production of RCW Media Productions, Inc.

    MVAAFF: The Grit of It All | W.E.B. Du Bois at Martha’s Vineyard
See All (33)

About

Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS is a podcast launched in 2026 on W. E. B. Du Bois’ birthday, February 23. It is grounded in the belief that every Black person in America deserves to be seen, heard, and respected for their lived understanding of what it means to be Black in this country.The series explores how personal stories become collective memory, and how history is too often erased, distorted, or left untaught. Reclaiming and telling these narratives ourselves is a powerful act of leadership, guiding the historical narrative as the griots we were always meant to be. Now more than ever, this is an urgent cultural act of truth.Moving beyond dates and documented facts, the podcast centers truth as lived experience. It explores the emotional, spiritual, and generational perspectives, revealing the depth, complexity, and resilience of Black life. Through intimate conversations, historical reflection, and contemporary voices, Our Truth, Our History, Our Story creates a space where memory is preserved, identity is affirmed, and the fullness of Black humanity is honored.

Information