What Pulitzer Prize-Winning David Levering Lewis Discovered About His Family & Our History (Part 1)

🎙️ Episode 10What Pulitzer Prize-Winning David Levering Lewis Discovered About His Family & Our History (Part 1)What happens when one of the most respected historians in America turns his lens inward?In this powerful conversation, David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of W.E.B. Du Bois, shares what he uncovered when he began exploring his own family history.This episode moves beyond scholarship into something deeply personal. What begins as a journey of grief and reflection becomes a profound discovery, one that reveals unexpected truths about lineage, identity, and the complex history woven into Black American lives.🔍 What You’ll Hear in This EpisodeThe story behind David Levering Lewis’ decision to write his own family historyHow personal loss led to a deeper exploration of ancestry and legacyThe surprising discovery of his connection to a Southern slaveholderThe layered realities of Black lineage in America beyond simplified narrativesWhy documenting your own family history matters now more than everThe role of historians in preserving truth in a time of erasure and misinformationHow Black history is central, not peripheral, to the American story🧠 Key ThemesOur Truth, Our History, Our StoryFamily lineage and hidden historiesBlack intellectual and cultural legacyHistorical erasure and reclaiming narrative powerThe intersection of personal memory and public historyDocumentation as resistance💬 A Defining Idea from This EpisodeHistory is not just what we inherit, it is what we choose to uncover, understand, and preserve.📣 Resources / Links📘 Learn more about David Levering Lewis’ bookhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622811/the-stained-glass-window-by-david-levering-lewis/🏆 Pulitzer Prize profilehttps://www.pulitzer.org/winners/david-levering-lewis-0🎬 Share the filmW.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM📄 Transcript available herehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323📺 Watch the episodehttps://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240🎧 Listen on your favorite platformhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes🔗 Stay connectedhttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia🎬 About the SeriesOur Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today.👥 Production CreditsHost: Rita CoburnExecutive Producer: Andrew T. CarrProducers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack