Episode 3: Stories and Truths

Season 3 of Podeia, The Kennedys of Decorah, follows the story of George and Sarah Jane Kennedy, a Black family who settled in Decorah, Iowa, after the Civil War. Through archival research, newspaper records, and community memory, host Lindsey Row-Heyveld traces their lives—and asks how the stories we choose to tell shape the way we remember our communities.In this episode, we examine the Kennedys’ early years in Decorah. George Kennedy opens a barbershop. The family grows. They buy a home. But beneath the surface of what could be an easy narrative of triumph, the truth is more complicated. With gaps in the historical record, racist policies on the books, and public scrutiny from neighbors, the Kennedys’ story resists simplification. Lindsey explores what it means to seek truth instead of comfort, and how the stories we tell about our past influence our present.Credits:Written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-HeyveldCo-produced and edited by Asher Elliott SmithExecutive Producer: Andy HagemanTheme music by Andrew MurraySponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther CollegeProduced in partnership with KWLC, Luther College’s student radio station