With Good Reason

From Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial to Marvin Gaye singing the National Anthem at the NBA Finals, the theme of patriotism can be heard throughout African American music. Benjamin Ross offers selections from this rich musical heritage. Also: Ann Petry’s The Street, published in 1946, was the first million-selling novel by an African American author. Keith Clark says Petry deserves to be in the pantheon of other great American writers like James Baldwin or Toni Morrison. Later in the show: Poet Walt Whitman in 1862 went searching for his brother George, who had been wounded in a Civil War battle. Mara Scanlon and Brady Earnhart say Whitman was so moved by the carnage he found that he worked as a nurse for the rest of the war. Also: While Edgar Allan Poe is the master of the macabre, Jerome McGann says Poe was more charming and humorous than his famous dark fiction suggests.

In 1976, the Bikecentennial became the first organized bike tour across the U.S. Around 4,000 bicyclists pedaled to celebrate the Bicentennial, or America’s 200th anniversary. Tom Ewing breaks down the spirit of the Bikecentennial, its grassroots nature, and lessons to be learned for America’s upcoming 250th celebration. Later in the show: At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, 87 enslaved people on the Willoughby Plantation in Norfolk, VA escaped under the cover of night. Ervin Jordan traces their remarkable journey from Norfolk to New York to Nova Scotia and then to Sierra Leone in Africa. Plus: The Revolutionary War is often framed as a righteous fight for liberty and representative government. But Mark Boonshoft says those same ideals didn’t always make their way into our state constitutions. His forthcoming book is, The Violent Origins of Constitutional Democracy in Revolutionary New York.

For nearly a century the National Park Service would tell you all about the civil war battles and tactics, but meticulously avoided the most explosive word in the American lexicon: Slavery. Former National Park Service Chief Historian Dwight Picaithley says that all changed in 1998, triggering thousands of protest letters and political threats. Later in the show: At the start of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass wrote and spoke harshly about Abraham Lincoln for not moving more quickly on emancipation. But in his new book Jonathan White reveals how Douglass came to become one of Lincoln’s greatest admirers. Plus: In A Wonderful Career in Crime, Frank Garmon tells the story of the only criminal to have been pardoned by two of the most prominent political foes of the day, President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate states.

A cold, dark summer in 1816 brought an extraordinary group of young writers together on the shores of Lake Geneva—including an eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley. Andrew Stauffer tells the story of that summer and the conversations, dreams, and climate catastrophe that created Frankenstein’s magic. Later in the show: Goliath might be the most famous giant from the Bible, but he’s not the only one. Paul Thomas takes us on a deep dive into the monsters of biblical stories. And: Greek and Roman mythology is filled with sea monsters. Georgia Irby explains how ancient relationships with the ocean brought these monsters to life.

George Tzamaras fancies himself as a “connoisseur of fine dad jokes.” I have him rate a few of my own dad jokes as a rite of passage as I start my journey into fatherhood. His new book is called It’s Dad Joke Friday: The Collection (2018-2025). Also: Being a dad is a huge responsibility. And as my wife and I get closer to our due date, I’m starting to feel the nerves kicking in. I sat down with Santo Coleman to talk about the power of fatherhood and share my own anxieties about being a first-time dad. And: Back in the day, the stereotypical dad would come home from work and plop themselves on the couch, while the mom toiled with dinner and the kids. But now fathers are more involved in the family than ever before. Scott Grether studies the household division of labor in hetero couples. Spoiler alert: us guys still have a long way to go. Later in the show: We’ve known for a long time that moms have an increased risk of depression during and after pregnancy. But what about dads? James Paulson breaks down the understudied field of paternal depression and shares a fact that’ll probably blow your mind: new or soon to be fathers experience similar rates of depression as mothers.

I’ll admit it, I’m not very good at dealing with conflict. In fact, I’d rather avoid conflict altogether than tackle it head on. It’s not something I really love about myself. So I sat down with Emily Gerst to learn how to do conflict better and maybe even overcome my conflict avoidant ways. Later in the show: Mongolia, China, Israel, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and even the United Nations. These are just some of the places Tay Keong Tan’s globetrotting anti-corruption work has taken him. Plus: Arnold Westbrook recently helped his hometown HBCU - Virginia State University - earn the prestigious recognition as a “Partner in Peace” by the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway.

A life steeped in literature fueled the rise of the nation’s first Muslim woman elected to a statewide office. Ghazala Hashmi discusses the power of storytelling and why she believes a well-worn novel is her secret weapon for navigating the high-stakes drama of government. Later in the show: James Baldwin’s writings challenge the traditional democratic narrative. Pamela Reed discusses Baldwin’s views on the costs of maintaining a racial hierarchy within America’s democratic framework. Plus: Former Bush White House speechwriter Mary Kate Cary dives into the transformative power of voices like Margaret Chase Smith, who stood up to McCarthyism, and Harvey Milk, who ignited the gay rights movement.

Teacher's Pet by With Good Reason

It’s time for our annual summer reading recommendation round-up! From a book that traces the Cold War history of our “Made in China” goods, to a witchy novel about an old woman in the woods, we’ve got suggestions for every kind of summer. We even threw in a few podcast recs! You’ll hear from Megan Doney on reading translated fiction and Austin Jersild on international history. Later in the show: Michael Carhart on understanding pre-history and Matt Brent shares a speculative Japanese novel.

If you’re looking for new music, you might turn to youtube, spotify, social media–basically, the internet. In Cuba, internet access is so limited that music is passed through a USB network called Sneakernet. Mike Levine explains how Sneakernet helps spread the rhythms–and politics–of reparto music. And: What does it sound like when trees sing? Or rocks? Or city waterworks? Sara Bouchard is a sound artist who often works with data from objects and nature to make music. Later in the show: As a young kid music brought meaning to Donald Sorah’s life–and it kept him in school. Now as a teacher, he brings the joy of music making to students who don’t think of themselves as musicians. He’s been named an Outstanding Faculty Member by The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Plus: There’s nothing quite like sharing your favorite songs with the people you love. But Kevin Caffrey says that kind of shared musical experience can also be a way to connect with strangers.

What makes a court a court? Most people might answer something like this: there’s a judge with legal training who makes a judgment, and if you don’t follow their judgment, you get punished. David Law says, actually, none of that is required for a court. That’s how the American courts work, but all over the world there are courts that operate very differently. And: The Upper Mattaponi tribe in Virginia has started operating its own courts. Chief Frank Adams explores what tribal justice looks like. Later in the show: Building a court system is difficult under any circumstances. In communities that have suffered intense violent conflicts–like Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, or Kosovo after the war of the 1990s–creating a court system is both essential and particularly fraught. Christie Warren has worked all over the world as a facilitator helping post-conflict zones design legal and justice systems.

Join us as we bring two nationally renowned Black poets conversation with a new generation of Black poets. This episode features former Virginia Poet Laureate and Old Dominion University poetry professor Tim Seibles talking with rising poetry star Ariana Benson about alien life, good grammar, and the dreams of Langston Hughes.  Later in the show: Poets Elizabeth Alexander and Nicole Sealey discuss the treasures of archives, the work of a generation, and the resonant truth you feel in your bones. Former Yale professor Elizabeth Alexander is President of the Mellon Foundation and the author of the New York Times best selling memoir, The Light of the World. Alexander and Tim Seibles are Furious Flower Poetry Lifetime Achievement honorees.

Universities have been trying to curb dangerous binge drinking for years. Today’s students are glued to their phones, and Abby Braitman (Old Dominion University) and her colleagues are meeting them where they are for interventions. And: Meagan Brem (Virginia Tech) says that drinking is intertwined with a lot of the intimate partner violence that happens on college campuses. Later in the show: There’s a psychedelic renaissance going on in Javier González-Maeso’s (Virginia Commonwealth University) biochemistry lab. He’s hoping to develop a new drug using psilocybin, the component found in magic mushrooms, to help people battling alcohol abuse disorder. Plus: How Jasmohan Bajaj (Virginia Commonwealth University) discovered that addiction lives in the gut, not the mind.

As we age, we come to appreciate the holiday traditions of our youth. Ricky Mullins (University of Virginia at Wise) remembers receiving treat bags at his small, backroads church. The poke bags were stuffed oranges, peanuts, cracker jacks and sometimes even a chocolate bar. Now, he’s passing the tradition along to the youth at the church that he pastors. And: Mary Lou Williams was a renowned jazz pianist and composer. She brought sacred Black jazz music to Duke University’s chapel every year. Gayle Murchison (William and Mary) shares some of Williams’ music with us. Later in the show: How Ryan Stouffer (Longwood University) learned the value of fellowshipping over food from his dad’s rib spot. Plus: Mary Beth Matthews (Mary Washington) walks us through how the American traditions of Hanukkah and Christmas have changed over the years.

New-to-this-country students are constantly being asked to adapt. And often, their wellbeing is measured almost entirely by their ability to speak English. Alfonzo Perez Acosta (Virginia Humanities K-12 Education Fellow) is an arts educator. In his classroom, he gives students the tools to let their art do the talking. And: Everybody has a story. Not everyone has a place to tell it. Through the Community Media Center, Chioke I’Anson (VCU ICA Community Media Center hopes to solve the problem of the untold story. Later in the show: Education has long been seen as a tool of racial uplift. In the early twentieth century, Phyllis Wheatley YWCA’s across the country served young Black girls and women. Cassandra Newby-Alexander (Norfolk State University) fondly recalls her days at the Norfolk YWCA, and is hopeful about what the old facility could become today. Plus: A generous grant from the Mellon Foundation has changed the game for many Richmond area high schoolers. Janelle Marshall (Pathways to the Arts and Humanities) and her team with the Virginia Community College System are helping get students enrolled, and sticking beside them all the way until the finish line.

Legacies of WWII by With Good Reason

The red colobus monkey is one of the most endangered primates in the world. Found in West, East, and Central Africa, the once thriving species has been decimated by over-hunting. Josh Linder (James Madison University) has devoted his career to studying and conserving these peaceful primates. Plus: Francesco Ferretti (Virginia Tech) led an expedition to be the first to ever tag endangered great white sharks in the Mediterranean. While he and his crew didn’t end up tagging any sharks, they uncovered exciting new evidence of great white activity in the water. Later in the show: Only a few decades ago, the bald eagle was on the brink of extinction. Bryan Watts (William & Mary) has been monitoring the bald eagle population in the Chesapeake Bay for 30 years. He says the bald eagle is one of the biggest success stories in the history of conservation. And: In the small island-nation of Sri Lanka, elephants are sacred animals. But Sujan Henkanaththegedara (Longwood University) says the rich and powerful are illegally capturing wild and critically endangered elephants to have as symbols of wealth.

Dwayne Betts was only a teenager when he was convicted of carjacking and sentenced to 9 years in prison. Today, he’s an acclaimed poet and accomplished attorney. He recounts his inspiring story and brings attention to one of the biggest civil rights issues of our time: felon disenfranchisement. Later in the show: Think immigrant voting is un-American? Think again. Ron Hayduk says it’s as American as apple pie. Plus: We take for granted that 18 is the voting age. But it wasn’t always this way. Rebecca DeSchweinitz explains how the Vote 18 movement led to the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1971.

What caused the Big Bang? Are black holes key to interstellar travel? And how close are we to discovering extraterrestrial life? These are some of the big questions that Kelsey Johnson (University of Virginia) covers in her fascinating class, “The Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe.” And: Robin Hanson (George Mason University) has come up with a mathematical model that predicts when us earthlings will encounter an advanced alien civilization. Hint: It won’t happen anytime soon. Later in the Show: UFO encounters are usually horror stories of abduction and alien implants. But Stephen Finley (Louisiana State University) says many African Americans describe UFO encounters as positive experiences. Plus: Benjamin Zeller (Lake Forest College) recounts the tragic history of Heaven’s Gate, a religious group whose members committed mass suicide in 1997.

We all know that teenagers would rather die than hang out with their parents, right? Not so, says Jon Lohman. The Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia, brings young and old together to share traditions and songs. But how are musicians faring during the pandemic? Plus: The studio comes alive with song when Steve Rockenbach and Gregg Kimball bring their banjos in to share the instrument’s storied history in America. They reflect on how the banjo’s transformation has affected song styles to this day. Later in the show: When the first settlers came to America from England and Scotland they brought with them a rich tradition of ballad-singing. Cece Conway traces the singing families and their songs from the UK to the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, where they influenced modern performers from Joan Baez to the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Scholars, historic interpreters, and descendants of enslaved people recently gathered at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. They were there to create a rubric for historic sites who want to engage descendant communities in their work. Anthropologist Michael Blakey discusses why historical sites must consider the needs and wishes of descendants. And: Historian Hasan Kwame Jeffries says we need to do more to teach our kids about African American history, even when it covers tough subjects. Later in the show: Justin Reid tells the story of how he set out to find the plantation where his great-great grandfather was enslaved, and what he found there. And: Crystal Rosson is the great-granddaughter of Sterling Jones Sr., who was enslaved at the former Sweet Briar Plantation, now Sweet Briar College. Rosson shares her family’s history and explains why research by African American genealogists matters as they discover more about the integral role of African Americans in Virginia's history.

Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder aren’t just popular tv shows--they’re also groundbreaking. Michaela Meyer says Shonda Rhimes has changed the way we make and watch TV. Also: Imelda O’Reilly published her first poem when she was just seven years old. Now a filmmaker, her short film Eggs and Soldiers examines a single father and son struggling to adjust to life in New York after emigrating from Ireland. Later in the show: Screen icon John Wayne and director John Ford had a friendship and professional collaboration that spanned 50 years, changed each others’ lives, changed the movies, and in the process, changed the way America saw itself. Nancy Schoenberger explores the relationship between the two in her latest book Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendships and the Forging of an American Hero.

David Coogan is the editor of “Writing Our Way Out” written by former jail inmates, exploring the conditions, traps and turning points on their paths to imprisonment, as well as the redemptive power of writing. Jazz musician Antonio Garcia composed a musical piece “Open Minds: Music that Mends,” that reflects the book’s themes of social justice, healing, self-reflection and redemption. Music performed by the VCU Commonwealth Singers, directed by Dr. Erin Freeman. And: Josh Iddings looks at the history of writings from prison and how prison literature can humanize the image of the prisoner. Later in the show: Conversations about prison tend to focus on incarcerated men in urban areas. Bonnie Zare takes us inside a rural Wyoming women’s prison to understand the place that some women call “Camp Cupcake.”

Although it was once an important part of feeding families, home canning in America has never been just about necessity. Danille Christensen says a look back at home canning reveals the pride and creativity that went into stocking a pantry. And: Lilia Fuquen takes us inside a community cannery and a basement storeroom to hear from people who are keeping the tradition alive. Later in the show: Two brewers, Hunter Smith and Levi Duncan explain how a culture has grown up around brewing beer locally and at home. And: Just about everyone drank beer in early America—even for breakfast. Susan Kern says there even used to be a brewhouse right on the campus of one of our nation’s oldest colleges. Plus: Paula Pando and Jesse Miller explain how a new culinary school aims to transform a food desert into a local food hub.

Bars, nightclubs, dance, and music have long held a special place in LGBTQ culture. But even as shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Pose bring that culture into the mainstream, real-life gay bars and clubs are shuttering. DJ and Professor Madison Moore argues that the club scene and the “fabulous” fashions on display there are radical spaces for queer and trans of color togetherness. Gregory Samantha Rosenthal, Don Muse, and Peter Thornhill describe the sometimes-dangerous, always-exciting gay bars of the 1970s and 1980s in Roanoke, VA, before the AIDS crisis and gentrification changed the scene forever. Later in the show: Choreographer and performer Al Evangelista brings us into the world of experimental queer Pilipinx dance, a form that he and his collaborators say can spark conversations and social change. And: Growing up, Lauron Kehrer’s parents wouldn’t let her listen to hip-hop music. Now, she studies it for a living. Kehrer says hip-hop by both straight and LGBTQ artists can help us better understand race, gender, and sexuality.

A traveling exhibit called New Virginians: 1619-2019 & Beyond from The Library of Virginia in Richmond features oral histories and photographs recorded by Pat Jarrett. People share their personal stories of how they journeyed from Central and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Republics to make Virginia their new home. David Bearinger discusses the complexity of the immigrant and refugee experience for the individuals and families who have lived and are living it. Later in the show: The contributions that Irish nuns made to help destitute immigrant Catholic children in New York City were instrumental in developing modern American social institutions like foster care and welfare. Before the nuns aided these children, they were being sent to live with Protestant families, often never seeing their parents again. Maureen Fitzgerald speaks about what lessons can be learnt from the Irish immigrant experience. Also: Cindy Hahamovitch compares the history and experience of guest workers in the United States to other countries.

When writer and radio producer Lulu Miller (Invisibilia) discovered she’d have to leave Virginia, she wrote a startling love letter to the state -- one that charges everyday people to stay angry about injustice. A.D. Carson (University of Virginia) uses hip-hop and spoken word to tell hard truths about racist history, cutting through denial with metaphor. Later in the show: Tawnya Pettiford-Wates (Virginia Commonwealth University) believes that theatre can heal injustice. She believes it, because she’s seen it happen. Her theatre troupe The Conciliation Project stages plays and dialogues that tackle issues of identity and race in America. Plus: Theatre professor and performer Artisia Green (William & Mary) explains how West African spirituality helps her illuminate new dimensions to familiar plays.

Southwest Virginia has seen a decline in coal and tobacco—two industries that once boomed in the region. Could hemp be a way to boost the local economy? Ryan Huish (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) and Michael Timko (University of Virginia) are collaborating on an Industrial Hemp project to explore hemp’s potential for repairing lands damaged by coal mining. Plus: When the Food and Drug Administration approved the production and sale of genetically modified salmon in 2015, some consumers were alarmed by the prospect of consuming “Frankenfish.” But are all genetically modified foods dangerous? Eric Hallerman (Virginia Tech) makes the case for accepting some of them. Also: When a person’s time is taken up by the needs of daily subsistence due to poverty, environmental concerns can recede as a priority. When we talked to Camellia Moses Okpodu for this interview, she was at Norfolk State University (Xavier University) investigating ways to get more disenfranchised minorities and people who are economically at risk interested in environmental activism. Later in the show: In July of 1975, news spread that workers at a factory in Hopewell, Virginia had been poisoned by an insecticide called Kepone. Greg Wilson (The University of Akron) was a Virginia Humanities Fellow and historian who traces the environmental crisis that followed with the discovery that the James River and marine life were saturated with the chemical. And: What if there was an app that worked like GoogleMaps, but for marine animals? Sara Maxwell (University of Washington - Bothwell) is using satellite tracking to help fisheries avoid catching animals like whales, turtles, and sharks while they’re hunting for other fish.

he Fall of Saigon marked the bitter end of the American War in Vietnam and the loss of a homeland for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people. We share stories of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops, along with heroic rescues and harrowing escapes of Vietnamese citizens. Then we take a glimpse into post-war life under communist rule in Vietnam. Later in the show: Some of the Vietnam War’s most enduring legacies are the Vietnamese communities of America, made up of refugees who arrived en masse after the Fall of Saigon. In our final episode, we explore how these communities became a key to economic success for refugees, and how many still grappled with the complexities of gratitude, guilt, and silence. Members of the next generation share the delicate balance of growing up as both Vietnamese and American, and discuss immigration in the U.S. today.

This is a good time to reflect on the role of poetry in the face of tragedy. A poet laureate shares how poetry can heal in the wake of loss. And: In college, Laura Bylenok was fascinated with genetic engineering. Now, she manipulates language, not DNA. Her poetry turns familiar forms into poetic laboratory experiments. Later in the show: To some, poetry and medicine seem like opposites. But pediatrician and poet Irène Mathieu says both science and poetry use language to understand deeper truths about the human condition. Mathieu’s latest collection, Grande Marronage, examines the lives of Creole women of color in New Orleans.

One of the great American beliefs is that a college education gives us a better shot at moving up in life. But Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed, says social mobility has stalled and we should expand access to those universities admitting the largest numbers of low income students. That gets a big “yes” from Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah. He’s fighting for more resources for HBCUs in the higher education landscape to create social mobility for all students. And: Helping students succeed sometimes means support outside of the classroom. Lelia Bradshaw (Mountain Empire Community College) and Rachelle Thompson (Northern Virginia Community College) share what community colleges are doing to help keep students in school and on track to success. Later in the show: Student loan numbers have skyrocketed in recent years, but some groups of students are affected more than others. Jason Houle (Dartmouth College) explains how the burden of student debt follows the same social divides that much else does: race and class. And: Stephanie Cellini (George Washington University) studies the rise and fall of for-profit colleges and universities. She says they often take advantage of the students who are most in need of a leg up.

During the holiday season, it feels like more and more consumers are skipping the department stores and opting for handcrafted goods instead. Ben Brewer (James Madison University) says this current “third wave” craft renaissance we’re experiencing is tied to politics. And: We visit mOb, an innovative design studio at Virginia Commonwealth University, where students in the disciplines of Graphic Design, Fashion Design, and Interior Design come together to solve design problems in the city of Richmond. Also: We stop in at the Virginia Center for the Book, where Kristin Keimu Adolfson is printing a collaborative book called Bird Talk using an antique Vandercook printing press. Plus: Craft brewer Gabe Mixon (Blue Ridge Community College in Flatrock, NC) shares a lesson in making beer. Later in the show: Chef and food activist Alice Waters argues that every child in America should be fed free, organic food at schools. Waters speaks candidly about her life before she opened Chez Panisse, her seminal farm-to-table restaurant in Berkeley, California.

During the holiday season, it feels like more and more consumers are skipping the department stores and opting for handcrafted goods instead. Ben Brewer (James Madison University) says this current “third wave” craft renaissance we’re experiencing is tied to politics. And: We visit mOb, an innovative design studio at Virginia Commonwealth University, where students in the disciplines of Graphic Design, Fashion Design, and Interior Design come together to solve design problems in the city of Richmond. Also: We stop in at the Virginia Center for the Book, where Kristin Keimu Adolfson is printing a collaborative book called Bird Talk using an antique Vandercook printing press. Plus: Craft brewer Gabe Mixon (Blue Ridge Community College in Flatrock, NC) shares a lesson in making beer. Later in the show: Chef and food activist Alice Waters argues that every child in America should be fed free, organic food at schools. Waters speaks candidly about her life before she opened Chez Panisse, her seminal farm-to-table restaurant in Berkeley, California.

Your summer vacation packing list has some key items: cell phone charger, swimsuit, toothbrush. We're here to add some essentials to your list, with the best book recs from the With Good Reason universe.

When parents die, we face powerful emotions, rituals, and tasks, including the eulogy. Listen as poet Jahan Ramazani (University of Virginia) pays tribute at the 2016 memorial service to his father. Also: In addition to our grief at the loss of parents, we’re often also faced with so much stuff. Marietta McCarty (Piedmont Virginia Community College) wrote a loving memoir about the daunting task of emptying her beloved family home in Leaving 1203: Emptying a Home, Filling the Heart. Later in the episode: Two years ago, while Brian Henderson (Patrick Henry Community College) was coaching women’s basketball, he experienced the tragic deaths of a player and a fellow coach. How does one grieve while also helping others cope with their grief? Henderson explores this question in his book, No Playbook for Death: Recovering from a Loss. Plus: The addiction epidemic has helped fuel a foster care crisis. Wendy Welch (University of Virginia College at Wise) asked more than sixty social workers, parents, and children who have gone through foster care what it’s like. Their stories show the desperation, frustration, compassion, and hope of foster families in the Appalachian coalfields.

Native American historical leaders, Native recipes, and de-colonizing our diet!

400 years ago, in 1619, the first Africans arrived in English-speaking North America. Cassandra Newby-Alexander (Norfolk State University) explores how we should commemorate that history and what’s at stake when we ignore it. Richard Chew (Virginia State University) explains how a British king’s fear of being beheaded impacted the expansion of slavery in the US colonies. Plantations in America’s South are physical testaments to the great wealth accrued through slave labor. Stephen Hanna (University of Mary Washington) says plantation museums often gloss over that economic history in favor of more romanticized depictions of plantation life. There’s little historical evidence that African Americans supported the Confederate cause by becoming soldiers. Yet this myth of the “black Confederate” remains in circulation. Gabriel Reich (Virginia Commonwealth University) studies the way collective memories of the Civil War are shaped and offers ways school curricula could address these problematic narratives.