Sundays on WABE

For much of American history, women were excluded from public life, but at the same time, were expected to raise the “good citizens” that kept society functioning. In this hour, BackStory explores that paradox, and looks at the changing expectations of mothers over three centuries. What strategies did enslaved women develop to care for children who could be sold away from them on any given day? Has a century’s worth of professional parenting advice made mothers’ lives easier, or just more stressful?

Brenda Palms Barber

Brenda Palms Barber wasn’t always drawn to beekeeping. But her quest to find work for residents of Chicago’s economically disadvantaged North Lawndale neighborhood — where some 50 percent of adults have been in the criminal justice system — led her to start Sweet Beginnings, a transitional jobs program for formerly incarcerated individuals and others with significant barriers to employment.

In a politically stagnant region where authoritarian regimes restrict political activity and freedom of speech, what are the alternative channels for self-expression? How do young people participate in the political, civic, and cultural spheres? Hosted by Deborah Amos.

Nalini Nadkarni has discovered a whole ecosystem 30 to 200 feet up in the air. The so-called “queen of forest canopy research” has spent decades climbing the trees of Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, and the Pacific Northwest, exploring the world of animals and plants that live in the canopy and learning how this upper layer of the forest interacts with the world below it. Her work relates directly to three of the most pressing environmental issues of our time: maintenance of biodiversity, stability of world climate, and sustainability of forests. This pioneering researcher shows host Majora Carter the wonders of Washington state’s Olympic rain forest. And the two visit a correctional facility where Nadkarni’s innovative Moss Project employs a team of prisoners turned botanists to grow mosses that would otherwise be harvested from fragile natural habitats for use in the horticultural trade.

Between the global recession and the swine flu pandemic, news about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has become scanty at best. What little coverage there is tends to focus on developments overseas. In this Veterans’ Day special, the History Guys look at what happens when vets return home

Another summer, another Supreme Court vacancy! Just in time for the Kagan confirmation hearings, BackStory is delving into the long history of appointments to the Supreme Court. What qualities did presidents and lawmakers look for in Supreme Court justices 200 years ago, and how have those expectations changed? How much have nominees’ personalities and backgrounds mattered in the past? Was the confirmation process always as “politicized” as it seems today? Was it more so? How has media coverage affected the process? Join the History Guys as they explore the highlights - and lowlights - of Supreme Court nominations past.

Nearly 50% of healthcare in Africa is provided by medical missionaries or faith-based groups. In this edition of America Abroad anchored by Ray Suarez, we visit Kenya and Uganda to learn whether nuns, imams, and priests can save lives as well as souls.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a religious place. It’s also riddled with disease. AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis prey upon Africa’s faithful, often in the prime of their lives. And anemic public health systems can’t carry the cross. And so, into the valleys of death step medical missionaries. They are welcomed by a continent where prayer and pills often go hand in hand. And, they provide some of the best healthcare in Africa. But sometimes doctrine overrules doctor’s orders, and that can leave patients in limbo.

Antarctica: Life On The Ice is presented by IEEE Spectrum Radio and The National Science Foundation. This one hour long documentary was produced by Spectrum Radio reporter, Glenn Zorpette, and explores the southernmost region of the planet. Zorpette investigates Antarctic scientific experiments studying the earth’s environment and how researchers cope with some of the most extreme conditions known to humanity all year round.

Host Scott Carrier treks one of the world’s most venerated — and least visited — holy sites, “Mount Kailash: Circling the Center of Creation.” And we climb to the Nepalese town of “Siklis,” going up a mountain and back in time, produced by Larry Massett, narrated by Joe Frank.

The Arab world has the largest youth bulge on the planet, and they’re living in a pressure cooker of social, political, tribal, and religious forces that are breaking down old conceptions of Arab identity and rebuilding new ones. We’ll speak with young Arabs in Jordan, Algeria and America about their struggles with identity, and how globalization, Islam, and a turbulent region are shaping how they look at themselves, and the world. Hosted by Deborah Amos.

America’s founders recognized that that without a king, the fledgling nation would need an informed citizenry — or their bold experiment in democracy would fail. So in early America the government subsidized newspapers, established the postal system to facilitate information flow and drew up plans for public education. But now in the digital age, does the demise of newspapers threaten citizens’ access to quality journalistic information? Does remarkably low civic knowledge by average Americans weaken the fabric of democracy? This new one-hour Humankind documentary features retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Gordon Wood and Annette Gordon-Reed, new media analyst Robert McChesney, voices of tourists at the Newseum, and others.

In the early days of our nation, July Fourth wasn’t an official holiday at all. In fact, it wasn’t until 1938 that it became a paid day-off. So how did the Fourth become the holiest day on our secular calendar? Historian Pauline Maier offers some answers, and explains how radically the meaning of the Declaration has changed since 1776. James Heintze chronicles early Independence Day Bacchanalia. And historian David Blight reflects on Frederick Douglass’ arresting 1852 Independence Day speech.

Although many people crave the break from daily work they receive upon retirement, in some cases the experience of an “endless vacation” eventually causes individuals to feel purposeless. They often feel lonely and depressed, drifting with too much spare time in which to think about their physical ailments. With the erosion of savings caused by the economic downturn starting in 2008, many seniors seeking extra income will now be moving back into the work force. Marc Freedman has been tracking this trend, including the opportunity for seasoned workers with many skills to find new satisfaction from employment in areas — like education, health care and environment — where they give something back to society.

Lesley University education professor Nancy Carlsson-Paige, EdD, helps parents think through ways to safeguard their children from the harsh influences of our society. Based on her provocative book, “Taking Back Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced, Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World,” Nancy discusses the importance for children of creative play, ample downtime and limited exposure to mass media. She explains why children can be overwhelmed and frightened by media imagery. Also considered are parental strategies that emphasize building a child’s understanding rather than punishing children for misbehavior.

Winner of the Public Radio Talent Quest, host Al Letson takes you on a journey of the new Americana. Every episode State of the Re:UNION travels to a different American city or town and asks the questions; What makes community? Who are the people who bring it together? What are the issues they face? With music, poetry, interviews, and contributions from local residents of the featured area, SOTRU is a unique audio experience.

We hear from a variety of nurses about the stresses they face in today’s quick-paced medical setting and how they struggle to find the time needed to treat the whole person. Caring for the “whole person” is a bedrock tenet of holistic nursing. It views the human spirit as a potent healing force in coping with disease. As observed by British nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, “nature alone heals.” In this program we hear the story of a Chicago-area nurse who herself has battled breast cancer and explored various complementary medicine techniques to augment her own ability to heal while also receiving mainstream treatment. We also hear insights from thoughtful nursing researchers and practitioners.

SOTRU explores and celebrates New Orleans, Louisiana. The city of New Orleans is as proud of its traditions as it is steeped in them. But since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the city and its residents have been thrust into new relationships with those very traditions they hold so dear. State of the Re:Union visits the Big Easy to explore how the city is negotiating that tension between the old and the new, from race relations to po boys to combating crime, five years after the storm.

We visit Iraq to examine whether the country is ready to stand on its own. And, we’ll speak with Iraqi exiles here in the US about their new lives and if they plan to return home. Hosted by Deborah Amos.

When and where the first Memorial Day took place is a matter of much debate. On this episode of BackStory, the History Guys look at the ways Americans have remembered their dead, from the Revolutionary War up through the present. Have technological and medical advances changed our attitudes about dying? Has death become more invisible, and if so, what are the implications? When did we start burying the dead in park-like settings, and how did modern funeral traditions come into being? How have region, class and race influenced the ways Americans die?

Some say motherhood is the hardest job in the world; turns out, there’s a lot of history to back that up. In this Mother’s Day episode, the History Guys explore the changing expectations of mothers over three centuries. Historian Linda Kerber discusses the “founding mothers,” who were tasked with instilling future generations with good republican values. Ann Hulbert, an expert on parenting experts, explains why mothers in the 1920s were instructed not to smother their children with love. And reporter Nate DiMeo tells the tragic story of Anna Jarvis, the “mother” of Mother’s Day.

Hosted by Barbara Bogaev, and produced by Richard Paul, Sustainability looks at what is being done to address our energy needs and environmental challenges — on a large scale and a small scale — to actually address some of the biggest problems we have.

Since the beginning of our nation’s history, Americans have had a complicated relationship with the Tax Man. “Taxation without representation” was one of the main grievances of the Sons of Liberty, but the Revolution hardly settled the issue. Whiskey tax resistors waged an armed rebellion just a few years later, and ever since, Americans have been arguing about what constitutes taxes that are fair and just. Just in time for Tax Day, BackStory is delving into the long and turbulent history of taxation in America. How have we decided what to tax? From the Stamp Act of 1765 to the Tea Party Movement of 2010, how have our attitudes about taxation changed over time? Do we think differently about taxes in times of war and national crisis? What was the tariff, anyway, and why did it matter? Join the History Guys as they explore the tension between the necessity of paying for government, and that nagging feeling that we’re being robbed by it.

There are about 326 million cubic miles of water on Earth, but only about three-tenths of one percent of it is fresh water that humans can use. The United States alone consumes about 346 billion gallons of fresh water every day. Providing clean water is a classic engineering challenge throughout recorded history. The ancient Romans, with their wide networks of aqueducts and plumbing, thought they had it pretty well figured out; today, engineers around the world are tackling the problem in ways the ancients couldn’t have imagined. The Global Water Challenge explores how the hunt for water has sparked ingenious feats of engineering, and inspired technologies to help us live sustainably with the water we have. In this program we chronicle how the presence — or absence — of water has shaped our history, and how too little and too much of it is radically altering our present and our future.

In this new series, we”ll follow the history of first ladies in music, compare styles between men and women, and explore the reasons for women who compose or perform, taking into account that women did not universally receive attention, acceptance or encouragement. We”ll begin with an overview and historically work our way down from Greek Divas to Music of the Salon, and European Women Composers of the 19th Century. Hosted by Virginia Eskin.

Part 4 - European Women Composers in the 19th Century

In the 1800s, women were still encouraged to “stay in their place,” but this program looks at four women composers who were successful professionally – Clara Schumann was a superstar performer, but again, did not receive support as a composer from her more famous husband, Robert. Carreno and Chaminade, both terrific pianists, weren’t held back because of their gender.

Renowned actor Theodore Bikel and The Western Wind, America’s pre-eminent vocal ensemble, present 25 eclectic selections that, along with an inspring narration, serve as musical documentary of Passover. Music includes Hebrew folk melodies, classical European liturgical music, ancient Sephardic chants, Klezmer-style improvisations, and traditional songs from the Seder. This program is designed for listeners of any religious background and provides a good introduction to a holiday whose lessons of redemption and faith are universal. The music is an eclectic compilation of songs and compositions from many sources reflecting the tremendous diversity of Jewish cultures. Selections include Hebrew folk melodies, classical European liturgical music, ancient Sephardic chants, Klezmer-style improvisations, and traditional songs from the Seder, including the ‘adopted’ song of slavery, the Negro spiritual “Go Down Moses”—all sung with the superb musicianship and zest that are hallmarks of Western Wind performances.

In this new series, we”ll follow the history of first ladies in music, compare styles between men and women, and explore the reasons for women who compose or perform, taking into account that women did not universally receive attention, acceptance or encouragement. We”ll begin with an overview and historically work our way down from Greek Divas to Music of the Salon, and European Women Composers of the 19th Century. Hosted by Virginia Eskin.

Part 3 - Music of the Salon Period

During the Salon period – the early 19th century – women began to find ways to be independent artists. All of the women on this program are powerhouse composers, and for some, being female was not a hindrance. But for Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, the lack of family support — particularly by her father and her famous brother, Felix – prevented from reaching her full potential.

For his clients, he is an angel of mercy; for his opponents, a doctor of death. But behind the fierce debates and spectacular trials is an accomplished inventor and artist; a man who never married but devoted his life to the care of others; and a passionate crusader who brought us to the forefront of a moral crossroad. Join David D’Arcy to discover how a curious pathologist turned into an expert on death and challenged our ideas of life and personal self-determination. Jack Kevorkian looks back on a controversial life, with observations from defense lawyer Geoffry Fieger and biographer Neal Nicol. Journalist Jack Lessenberry and NPR’s Don Gonyea takes us through the sensation trials of the Michigan court system. Medical ethicist Dr. John Hardwig, end-of-life specialist Dr. Timothy Quill and disability advocate Marilyn Golden illuminate the complex facets of physician assisted suicide. Actor Al Pacino, who portrays Kevorkian in the upcoming HBO film, takes us into the psyche of this complicated man.

In this new series, we”ll follow the history of first ladies in music, compare styles between men and women, and explore the reasons for women who compose or perform, taking into account that women did not universally receive attention, acceptance or encouragement. We”ll begin with an overview and historically work our way down from Greek Divas to Music of the Salon, and European Women Composers of the 19th Century. Hosted by Virginia Eskin.

Part 2 - Greek Divas

The primary focus of this program is on the extraordinary career of Maria Callas. Another Greek Diva, Agnes Baltsa, is included, and Dame Nellie Melba (an Australian singer) whom Callas admired. The historical importance of Maria Callas is twofold: she renewed the operatic repertoire, and she upgraded the importance of its dramatic element. She also had the vocal and histrionic talent to achieve this. We hear Callas with students, teaching a master class at the Julliard School in New York City, and she is interviewed by Edward Downes. Agnes Baltsa is a living Greek Diva, who benefited by a Callas scholarship.

Transformational women leaders are restoring societal balance by showing us how to reconnect relationships - not only among people - but between people and the natural world. This astounding conversation among diverse women leaders provides a fascinating window into the soulful depths of what it means to restore the balance between our masculine and feminine selves to bring about wholeness, justice and true restoration of people and planet. Join Alice Walker, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Nina Simons, Sarah Crowell, Joanna Macy and Akaya Windwood to imagine a future where women, children, men and the planet can thrive.

In this new series, we’ll follow the history of first ladies in music, compare styles between men and women, and explore the reasons for women who compose or perform, taking into account that women did not universally receive attention, acceptance or encouragement. We”ll begin with an overview and historically work our way down from Greek Divas to Music of the Salon, and European Women Composers of the 19th Century. Hosted by Virginia Eskin.

Part 1 - Overview: What/Who we will be hearing

• What was the function of music in earliest times?
• What did it take to succeed?
• Why do we know so little about women composers and what happened to them?
• Music by a variety of composers, from ancient times to today.
• Can you hear gender in music?

As a prelude to the Oscars, we’ll air “The Score with Edmund Stone: the 2010 Academy Awards.” We’ll sample all five nominees for Best Original Score. From Avatar to Fantastic Mr. Fox, from The Hurt Locker and Sherlock Holmes to Up, with composer comments and a surprise or two along the way. Join us on the red carpet asking who will win for Best Score at this year’s Academy Awards

with The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and special guest Carol Woods

Broadway’s Carol Woods joins The Jim Cullum Jazz Band to celebrate a largely unsung group of black women whose artistry was pivotal to the Harlem Renaissance. Scholar and co-founder of the NAACP W.E.B. Du Bois argued that education, art and culture could be powerful weapons for social change. He launched “The Crisis,” a magazine that played a major role in the Black Renaissance of the 1920s, giving voice to such young writers as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. But it was the dedicated Jessie Fauset, working in DuBois’ shadow, who managed “The Crisis” and shaped its literary style. She is remembered today not only as a poet and novelist, but also as the Midwife of the Harlem Renaissance. “Women of the Harlem Renaissance” spotlights the lives and artistry of women like Fauset who shaped and nurtured black culture in Jazz Age Harlem.

Learn more here »

Who Is This Man? A State of the Re:Union Black History Month Special

Discover the words and wisdom of an unsung hero of the Civil Rights movement who changed the course of American history. MLK Jr.”s “I have a Dream” speech has become the shorthand of the Civil Rights Movement— but we might never have heard it, if it were not for another man, who’s largely been forgotten by history: Bayard Rustin. In this program hour, we explore the life and legacy of Mr. Rustin, a black, gay, Quaker who brought Gandhian non-violent protest to the Civil Rights movement in America.

The Space Age began when America was going through a wrenching battle over Civil Rights. And because the heart of the old Confederacy was chosen as its base, NASA played an unintended role in Civil Rights history. In this program, we hear how this happened and we hear the stories of the people who broke the color line at NASA. Their stories of frustration and their stories of perseverance. Produced by Richard Paul with Soundprint and narrated by Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in Space, “Race and the Space Race” tells the unlikely story of Civil Rights and the Space Program.

From the East Room of the White House, this one-hour special features highlights from a concert hosted by President and Mrs. Obama in honor of Black History Month. Participants include Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Howard University Choir and others. Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah will serve as emcees for this concert which will feature songs from the Civil Rights Movement as well as readings from famous Civil Rights speeches and writings. The President will make opening remarks at this concert held in the East Room.

The History Guys explore courtship from the Colonial Era to the present. Considering the stereotypes about Puritan New England, you might be surprised to learn that sweethearts in the 18th century were not only allowed to sleep together before marriage – they were encouraged to! The catch? They had to do it within the parents’ home. It was known as “bundling,” and although sex was theoretically not involved, the practice coincided with a huge increase in premarital pregnancy. By the end of the century, 1/3 of all brides were pregnant by the time they reached the altar. In this episode, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy. Did economic considerations used to play a greater role in coupling? In what ways have dating practices challenged class & racial boundaries? Has the idea of “romance” itself morphed over time?

The history, rituals, and traditions of Chinese New Year are celebrated alongside traditional Chinese music in this one hour special, The Year of the Tiger: A Joyful Celebration, hosted and produced by Wanda Yang Temko.

Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up listening to and singing church songs, and saw gospel and folk music as natural tools to further the civil rights movement. In this hour-long special, host Terrance McKnight interweaves musical examples with Dr. King’s own speeches and sermons to illustrate the powerful place that music held in his work—and examines how the musical community responded to and participated in Dr. King’s cause.

As the Obama administration finalizes its new policy in Afghanistan, the German parliament confronts a key vote on that country’s commitment to the war. With growing public concern in both countries, America Abroad Media hosts an international town meeting on the critical issues affecting Afghanistan, NATO and the transatlantic alliance with two key policymakers: U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor Zu Guttenberg. The meeting coincides with the International Conference on Afghanistan to be held in London. Frank Sesno, Director of The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, and Tina Hassel of Germany’s ARD Television moderates.

California tried. And then it failed. Uniquely charged by its constitution to guarantee the “happiness” of its residents the state empowered its people to demand by referendum whatever they wanted to spend money on — from better schools to bigger prisons and to refuse by referendum to pay the bills. A legislature paralyzed by the absence of a workable middle — and a requirement for a 2/3 vote to impose taxes — combined finally to dig the state into a possibly inescapable hole. Having now earned the lowest bond rating of any of the 50 states, the rates it pays to borrow keep getting higher. Yet borrowing seems to be all California can do to get through from day to day. That is what is known as The Road to Bankruptcy. “Happiness” thus engineered is doomed to collapse. The question is whether California is a special case—with a uniquely dysfunctional political culture—or a bellwether of failure soon to come to other high-spending states near you. ABC News Nightline correspondent John Donvan moderates the debate.

America Abroad’s Sean Carberry travels to the Afghanistan to explore the challenges of doing development work in a conflict zone.

President Obama and his top commander in Afghanistan argue that it’ll take more than boots, bullets and brawn to win the war. Counterinsurgency calls for an army of governance, education and agricultural specialists. The US Agency for International Development was once chockfull of that expertise. But today, USAID is itself a victim of poverty with tenth of the resources and expertise it once had. And as it’s scrambling deploy more resources to Afghanistan and Iraq, countries like Haiti, Ethiopia and Sudan are starving for foreign aid. That’s left the Obama administration and USAID struggling to meet the demand. Hosted by Eborah Amos

The History Guys take on the fascinating history of the “holiday season” in America. Beginning with contemporary debates over the proper role of religion in the public square, the History Guys move backwards in time, searching for the roots of the holidays we celebrate today.

In the latest edition in the series, America Abroad, Afghanistan is the main topic. Deborah Amos traces the history of US foreign aid, from its beginnings in the Marshall Plan after World War II to its present state of disarray. Matt Ozug visits Ethiopia, home to one of the largest USAID missions in the world, where USAID and other organizations are working to promote development and prevent hunger.

In 1966, a young Lance Corporal carried a reel-to reel tape recorder with him into Vietnam. He made tapes of his friends, of life in fighting holes, of combat; and he continued to record until, two months later, when he was killed in action. Friend and fellow marine, Tim Duffie, remembers him in “The Vietnam Tapes of Michael A. Baronowski.”

Host Alex Chadwick first went to Southeast Asia was as a soldier in the Sixties. Two decades later, he made a “Return to Vietnam” as a journalist, on the anniversary of the Tet offensive, to find what had and hadn’t changed since the war

“And I had foreign officials saying, “Why do you Americans care so much about religious freedom?” They’d never run into this with any other governments.”
—John Hanford, former Ambassador-at-Large at the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom

Chalk that up to the Pilgrims, or perhaps James Madison. After all, he established religion as the first freedom in the Bill of Rights. Since then, religious liberty has been an American institution. But it wasn’t until 1998 that Congress commanded the US to promote religious freedom around the globe. And, in a world where religious intolerance and abuse is on the rise, the secular-minded State Department is conflicted over this mission of freeing the faithful and punishing the persecutors. Often, the promotion of religious freedom is sacrificed on the altar of strategic and economic worship.

Each year, more people visit zoos than all major sporting events combined. But while top zoos say they’re at the forefront of wildlife education and conservation, critics say they fall far short. Christina Russo and Diane Toomey report from zoos all over the country,finding out how wild-life conservation works in and out of zoos, how attitudes to zoos are changing and whether there still is a role for zoos in America.

Unable to speak until age four and diagnosed with autism in the 1950s, Temple Grandin went on to defy expectations as a renowned author, activist and expert in humane livestock design. Host David D’Arcy takes listeners on a journey into the mind of this self-described ‘anthropologist on Mars.’ Temple Grandin’s own voice guides this radio hour, as she is joined by her friend, photographer Rosalie Winard, and collaborator, the animal scientist Mark Deesing. Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and Dr. Catherine Johnson dissect the neurology of Grandin’s mind. Musician Pete Townsend pioneers music therapy with The Who’s Tommy, and actress Claire Danes addresses the challenges of portraying autism in the upcoming HBO biography of Grandin. Through these voices, we see how Grandin conquered her condition and startled the world with her unique perspective and frank public discourse.

New Beginnings for the New Year: Promises Kept and Broken

Resolutions are made, and just as easily fall by the wayside. We’ll take a look at movies whose characters embrace change and new beginnings, including The Color Purple, The Shawshank Redemption, The Piano, Atonement, Return of the Jedi, and Ben Hur.

As newspapers go under, the network newscasts lose viewers and the mainstream media in general see more and more of their audience shift online, are we as a society better or worse off?

Some argue that the diversity of voices available on the Internet to provide information and analysis makes for a better system. Others say a decline in traditional journalism means lower standards and fewer resources to investigate crucial stories. A panel of experts took on this topic Oct. 27 in an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate. Three panelists argued for the motion “Good Riddance to Mainstream Media” and three against in an Oxford-style debate. Before the debate, the audience at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts voted 25 percent in favor of the motion and 50 percent against. Twenty-five percent was undecided. After the debate, 24 percent supported the motion “Good Riddance to Mainstream Media,” while 68 percent opposed it and 8 percent remained undecided. The debate was moderated by John Donvan, correspondent for ABC News’ Nightline.