Episode 12: Unrecognizable Citizens

05/11/21 • 37 min

1 Listener

We've been to Mexico a few times this season, but we promised in the first episode that we'd return one last time, to talk about the relationship between Black Americans and the consuls in Mexico. So that's where we're closing out Season 1. In this episode, we're taking the perspective of the Black Americans who had to deal with consuls in the midst of incredibly difficult circumstances. We'll tell the story of Lucien Matthews, a free Black man who did business in Mexico before the Civil War, and the story of William Ellis, whose colonization scheme for Black Americans in the 1890s went horribly wrong. In each case, these Black Americans were sometimes unrecognizable to the American consuls--but that wasn't entirely a bad thing. Show notes: https://consolationprize.rrchnm.org/2021/05/05/episode-12-unrecognizable-citizens/

Previous Episode

Episode 11: Greener Pastures

In Episode 11, we explore the complicated, and sometimes tragic, life of Richard Greener, the first Black consul to a predominantly white post. Before Greener went to Vladivostok, he was a trailblazer in education and politics, but questions about his race and his motivations followed him throughout his political life.

Next Episode

Summer Episode: Cuisine, Consumption, and Consuls

In this bonus episode, we look back on the stories from season one with an eye for food. Alongside a cast of guest taste-testers, producers Deepthi Murali and Kris Stinson both try and discuss many of the dishes and drinks that have appeared in the accounts of consuls from places like Jerusalem, Algiers, Martinique, and Canton. Together, they explore the many ways that food has been a powerful force in the history of consuls, belonging, and empire! Show notes and a full transcript available at consolationprize.rrchnm.org.