The “real” America at 250 episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 3, 2026 · 46 MIN

The “real” America at 250

from The Gray Area with Sean Illing · host Vox

Who are America’s heroes? Who deserves our admiration and a place in our nation’s story? In today’s episode, guest host Jonquilyn Hill talks with constitutional law professor Kermit Roosevelt about his book The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story, which argues that America’s most important ancestors are not the founding fathers but the heroes of Reconstruction. The two discuss the importance of founding myths, why Americans are constantly fighting over “the real America,” and what it means to be American. Guest Host: Jonquilyn Hill, Host of Vox’s Explain It To Me podcast Guest: Kermit Roosevelt, constitutional law professor and author of The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show. And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 3, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

The “real” America at 250

0:00 46:33

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Gray Area with Sean Illing?

This episode is 46 minutes long.

When was this The Gray Area with Sean Illing episode published?

This episode was published on July 3, 2026.

Can I download this The Gray Area with Sean Illing episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!