Before We Were White
Brian Halpin - Before We Were White
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Top 10 Before We Were White Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Before We Were White episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Before We Were White for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Before We Were White episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Episode 9: How Lovely Are Thy Branches
Before We Were White
02/07/23 • 77 min
Do the mass media and film industry reflect popular culture, or create it?
Where do we get our shared history, our national story, our traditions and identity?
Follow us as we explore the origins of Christmas in America, while attempting to discover what connects Hollywood, Abraham Lincoln, and, um, Lebanon?
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Episode 5: Charleston Reshuffle
Before We Were White
04/01/22 • 18 min
Announcing the first of our new "bitesized" episodes, which we hope to release regularly between our "deep dive" episodes.
*****
On 4 April 2015, an unarmed man was unlawfully shot dead on the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a police officer.
The local chief of police would be called to testify in the subsequent murder trial, amid national media interest and widespread community unrest.
The public interpretation of events was largely divided along the usual American socio-ethnic and political faultlines.
But Charleston is one of the oldest towns in the American South, with many secrets buried deep underneath the weight of centuries - and nothing is ever quite as it seems.
And the people now living on different sides of the tracks might have a lot more in common than they could possibly imagine...
"Charleston Reshuffle", out now at beforewewerewhite.com and wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode 19: New, Improved, and Super-Sanctified, Part 2
Before We Were White
08/27/24 • 80 min
America is easily the most religious country among the wealthy western democracies.
Why?
Episode 19 of Before We Were White - "New, Improved, and Super-Sanctified, Part 2" is out now.
Part 2 explores the Medieval Catholic church, and how its quest for total political, economic, and spiritual power and authority led to the birth of Protestantism.
Before We Were White - main theme
Before We Were White
10/01/20 • 2 min
Before We Were White main theme, featuring Dave McLoughlin of County Sligo, Ireland on bouzouki.
Theme based on the old Irish traditional Molly McAlpine, composed by famed Sligo harpist Thomas Connellan (1640 - 1698).
Episode 11: No Safe Harbor, Part 2
Before We Were White
05/26/23 • 62 min
The eastern half of the continental USA is dotted with places often described as "tri-racial isolate communities".
One of the largest such population groups can be found spread over Eastern Kentucky, the western parts of Virginia, East Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Widely known as "Melungeons", few Americans have been the subject of such intense scrutiny and curiosity.
Who are these people? Where did they come from?
In this episode, we continue our exploration of an Appalachian enigma - asking why so many of these mountain people always claimed Portuguese ancestry, even while outsiders dismissed such folk memory.
Is this a story about weirdly exotic or isolated people - or is it a story about the lies and myths at the heart of American identity itself?
Episode 16: Pre-Deliverance, Part 2
Before We Were White
03/01/24 • 60 min
Part Two of "Pre-Deliverance" continues our exploration of some of the forgotten roots of American culture and ethnicity.
In this episode, we get closer to understanding the origins of "Hillbilly Jews".
Episode 12: No Safe Harbor, Part 3
Before We Were White
06/27/23 • 42 min
The eastern half of the continental USA is dotted with places inaccurately described as "tri-racial isolate communities".
One of the largest such population groups can be found spread over Eastern Kentucky, the western parts of Virginia, East Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Widely known as "Melungeons", few Americans have been the subject of such intense scrutiny and curiosity.
Who are these people? And why are they called "Melungeons"?
In this third and final installment of a three-part episode, we complete our exploration of this Appalachian and American enigma.
Is this a story about weirdly exotic or isolated people - or is it a story about the lies and myths at the heart of American identity itself?
#BeforeWeWereWhite #history #melungeons #genealogy #GeneticGenealogy
Episode 13: Black Paddywhackery, Part 1
Before We Were White
08/05/23 • 75 min
A curious number of Southern Appalachians like to refer to themselves or extended family members as being "Black Irish".
There are Facebook discussion groups catering to Appalachian Americans (with tens of thousands of members), and almost weekly an "expert" pops up assuring other members that the "Black Irish" are a thing, and that thing is usually this:
"Loads of Irish people have black eyes, dark hair and skin. They come from Spanish sailors stranded on Irish coasts during the naval retreat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. These sailors intermarried with local Irish girls."
This oft-repeated folk history - and the assertion that large sections of the native Irish population are dark in complexion due to this - is utter claptrap.
Episode 15: Pre-Deliverance, Part 1
Before We Were White
12/18/23 • 58 min
Play a game of word association with the average American.
Say "banjo".
Chances are, a great many would reply with words like "hillbilly" or "redneck".
Some might venture to mention bluegrass music.
How did a musical instrument which started off hundreds of years ago in Africa end-up becoming a symbol of "white" American music culture?
And what if some of the earliest people of non-African ancestry to take-up the banjo were actually...Appalachian Jews?
Join us for another winding trek through the hidden history of heartland America.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Before We Were White have?
Before We Were White currently has 21 episodes available.
What topics does Before We Were White cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts, Documentary, Society & Culture and History.
What is the most popular episode on Before We Were White?
The episode title 'Episode 9: How Lovely Are Thy Branches' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Before We Were White?
The average episode length on Before We Were White is 62 minutes.
How often are episodes of Before We Were White released?
Episodes of Before We Were White are typically released every 57 days, 17 hours.
When was the first episode of Before We Were White?
The first episode of Before We Were White was released on Sep 29, 2020.
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