“Will We Survive This Democracy?” | David Levering Lewis (Part 2)

🎙️ Episode 12“Will We Survive This Democracy?” | David Levering Lewis (Part 2)W.E.B. Du Bois was born in 1868 and died in 1963 on the eve of the March on Washington, passing the baton to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this episode, we return to Du Bois not only as a historical figure, but as a living question for our present moment: How do we move forward from here?In conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis, we explore how the struggles Du Bois documented, civil rights, democracy, citizenship, and dignity, echo powerfully in 2026.This is not just history. It is an inheritance.🔍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode The final question W.E.B. Du Bois leaves us with: how do we move forward?  Why this moment feels like a continuation of the civil rights struggle  The connection between Du Bois’s ideas and today’s debates on democracy and voting rights  Reflections on “double consciousness” and its modern meaning in Black life  How historical cycles of exclusion and resistance continue to repeat  Why historians matter in moments of political and cultural tension  The urgency of documenting, protecting, and understanding Black history in real time  The global context of democracy, power, and historical memory 🧠 Key Themes Civil rights then and now  Democracy under pressure  Historical memory vs. historical erasure  Black intellectual tradition  Citizenship, voting rights, and power  The responsibility of historians  Survival, resistance, and forward movement 💬 A Defining Idea from This EpisodeWe may not recognize the moment we are in while we are in it, but history often reveals itself only when we are forced to act within it.📣 Resources / Links🎬 Share the film W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026 Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM📄 Transcript available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323📺 Watch here https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240🎧 Listen here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes🔗 Stay connected https://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 Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack