The Beat with Mike Wesson

Mike Wesson

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

    24 min

  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

    15 min

  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.

    28 min

  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.

    19 min

  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.

    23 min

  6. 03/03/2021

    Stephen Bishop and Friends, ‘Mammoth’ Cave Guides

    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.

    25 min

  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. 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

    18 min

  8. 02/10/2021

    Hank Aaron and the Negro Leagues

    With the passing of 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 and regulated by Black people between 1920 and 1948. The league produced notable players including Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Henry 'Hank' Aaron. Bob Kendrick is the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

    37 min
  • 8 Episodes

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