The Broadside

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Each week, host Anisa Khalifa tells one story from our home in North Carolina, at the crossroads of the South. From news to arts and culture, WUNC News’ “The Broadside” dives into issues that might not make the front page, but deserve a closer look. Along the way, we explore the nuances of our home — and how what happens here ripples across the country. Find new episodes of “The Broadside” every Thursday.

5 HR AGO

Why it's so hard to find a good couch

Known as the "Furniture Capital of the World," North Carolina is famous for its high-quality furniture. And for over a century, it's been the heartbeat of the American furniture industry. But in recent decades, that business has changed dramatically, decimating the workforce and leaving average American consumers with two less-than-ideal options: high-end luxury products or cheap and mostly disposable mass-produced stuff. This episode originally published on October 24, 2024 and features a trip to the High Point Furniture Market. The 2026 Spring Market is scheduled for April 25–29. Featuring: Zaki Khalifa, former owner of Zaki Oriental Rugs in High Point, NCTammy Nagum, President and CEO of the High Point Market AuthorityFederico Contigiani, President of Hickory ChairMatt Hartman, reporter at The Assembly Thanks to the team at the High Point Market Authority for their help during Market week, especially Ben Muller. Special thanks also this week to NC State Libraries' Special Collections Research Center. Links: Check out Matt’s reporting on the evolution of North Carolina furniture.You can find a transcript of this episode here. Aspect: Order no. 329, Directed by Kine, 27 February 1961, ua102_400_309766_20221007_49866, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 min
26 MAR

A Nation Unraveled: Clothing in the Civil War

Fascinating new research is shedding light on how clothing culture during the American Civil war helped radically transform the nation during its darkest hour. Through the clothes they made, wore, mended, lost, and stole, Americans expressed their allegiances, showed their love, confronted their social and economic challenges, subverted expectations, and, ultimately, preserved their history. Featuring: Sarah Weicksel, author of A Nation Unraveled: Clothing, Culture, and Violence in the American Civil War EraSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 min
19 MAR

The Secret Game

In March of 1944, two basketball teams in North Carolina played perhaps the most important game that nobody has ever heard of. It was the first interracial college basketball game in the Jim Crow South. And it remained a secret for half a century. Featuring: Scott Ellsworth, author of “The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball’s Lost Triumph”Links: You can check out Scott’s original 1996 article for The New York Times here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 min
12 MAR

The uncertain future of disaster relief

The Trump administration is considering major changes to the way that disaster response works in America, including ceding more responsibility to states. But is that really a good idea? North Carolina's spotty record of responding to hurricanes might provide some answers and offer a glimpse into the uncertain future of disaster relief. Featuring: Rebecca Hersher, reporter on NPR's Climate DeskRen Larson, reporter at The Assembly and a ProPublica Local Reporting Network fellowLinks: "As Helene Survivors Wait for State Help, Some Victims of Earlier Hurricanes Are Still Out of Their Homes""3 big changes are proposed for FEMA. This is what experts really think of them" Cover image: From NOAA, this colored infrared composite image of Hurricane Helene was captured on September 27, 2024 utilizing the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) aboard NOAA's GOES-16 satellite. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 min
5 MAR

The Dare Stones and America’s oldest mystery

In 1937, a man claimed to have discovered a rock in eastern North Carolina with a 400-year-old message carved into it from survivors of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. The announcement created an international media circus. And it led to one of the biggest archeological scandals in American history, one that would forever tarnish the artifact’s reputation. But was the Dare Stone authentic? Featuring: David La Vere, history professor at UNC-Wilmington and author of “The Lost Rocks: The Dare Stones and the Unsolved Mystery of Sir Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony”Bill Miller, geologist and professor emeritus at UNC-Asheville Links: The 1937 Chowan River “Dare Stone”: A Re-Evaluation by David La VereDouble Deception: The 1937 Hoaxes of the Chowan River Stone and the Drake Plate of Brass, by Melissa Darby Cover image: The front of the first Dare Stone, aka the Chowan River stone, courtesy of Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 min
26 FEB

The academic freedom fight has entered the classroom

From public syllabi to surveillance, universities across the country are embracing unprecedented policies that professors say are undermining their academic freedom. And North Carolina is front and center. Featuring: Brianna Atkinson, higher education reporter for WUNC NewsKeith Whittington, director of Center for Academic Freedom and Free Speech at Yale Law School and author of “You Can’t Teach That!: The Battle Over University Classrooms”Links: You can find more of Brianna Atkinson’s reporting here Cover Image: Liz Schlemmer See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

24 min
19 FEB

The forgotten heroes of Pea Island

When disaster strikes in the water, we turn to the US Coast Guard. Today, it’s renowned for its fast-moving cutters, skilled helicopter pilots and daring rescue divers. But a hundred and fifty years ago, the Coast Guard's predecessor, the US Life-Saving Service, was in total disarray and in desperate need of reform. In the treacherous waters of North Carolina's Outer Banks, an extraordinary group of Black men answered the call and saved hundreds of lives against all odds. Featuring: Brad Campbell, writer for Our State MagazineJoan Collins, Director of Outreach and Education for the Pea Island Preservation SocietyLinks: Check out Brad's article about the Pea Island surfmen here. Cover image provided by Joan Collins: The US Coast Guard's Herbert M. Collins served at the Pea Island Life-Saving Station in North Carolina's Outer Banks during World War II. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 min
12 FEB

Was the first rapper from North Carolina?

As the story goes, hip-hop music was born a little over 50 years ago at a house party in the Bronx. But that version of history doesn't account for an entertainer from Durham, North Carolina with the incredible name Pigmeat Markham. In 1968, Markham released a hit song called “Here Comes the Judge.” The tune fused comedy, funk, and what can only be described as an early form of rapping—years before hip-hop officially burst onto the scene. So was this largely forgotten figure actually the first rapper? Featuring: Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University Links: Check out a playlist of the songs mentioned in this episode and some others inspired by Pigmeat Markham here. Cover image: The album cover art for Pigmeat Markham's 1968 single "Here Comes the Judge” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 min

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Each week, host Anisa Khalifa tells one story from our home in North Carolina, at the crossroads of the South. From news to arts and culture, WUNC News’ “The Broadside” dives into issues that might not make the front page, but deserve a closer look. Along the way, we explore the nuances of our home — and how what happens here ripples across the country. Find new episodes of “The Broadside” every Thursday.