Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS

🎙️ Episode 11Black Mothers and Our History | A Legacy of HealingAs we approach Mother’s Day, this episode invites us into a deeper reflection on the legacy of Black motherhood, one shaped by history, resilience, trauma, community, and profound love.From the motherland to enslavement, from separation to survival, Black motherhood carries a story that is both painful and powerful. In this moving and personal reflection, Rita Coburn explores how generations of Black women have mothered not only their own children, but entire communities, often under unimaginable circumstances.Through storytelling, history, and lived experience, this episode asks an important question:What does Mother’s Day mean when we understand the full truth of our history?🔍 What You’ll Hear in This EpisodeThe historical roots of Black motherhood, beginning in Africa and through enslavementThe legacy of separation, survival, and communal caregivingHow Black women have mothered across generations, often beyond their own familiesPersonal stories about Rita’s mother and the lessons of “mother wit”The impact of community mothers, including figures like Maya Angelou and Merri DeeReflections on single motherhood, resilience, and cultural strengthWhat it means to honor mothers with truth, gratitude, and understanding💬 A Defining Idea from This EpisodeMotherhood is not only about birth. It is about vision, sacrifice, and the ability to give what is needed, even when it is not understood in the moment.📚 Reading Resources📖 Black-Eyed Peas for the Soul: Stories by and about Black Women by Donna Marie Coles JohnsonIncludes Rita Coburn’s short story “Two Women and a Little Olive Oil,” a reflection on spiritual guidance, caregiving, and the lessons passed between women.📖 Rise Up Singing: Black Women Writers on Motherhood by Cecelie S. Berry and Janice LiddellA powerful collection exploring the many dimensions of Black motherhood through personal essays and storytelling.📣 Resources / Links🎬 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://youtu.be/qRAmp6Q5-Nw 🎧 Listen on your favorite platformhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/19009870🔗 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

🎙️ 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

🎙️ Episode 9Michael The Price of Music for Our Generation (Our Truth, Our History, Our Story)📝 Episode SummaryWhat did it mean to be Michael Jackson before he became a global icon?In this episode, we step beyond the music and into the historical reality that shaped his life. Drawing from lived experience in the Midwest near Gary, Indiana, this reflection connects one family’s story to a broader cultural truth shaped by the Great Migration and the realities of Black life in America from the 1960s forward.🔍 What We ExploreThe role of fathers like Joe Jackson navigating limited opportunityThe strength and constraints experienced by mothers like Katherine JacksonHow systemic barriers shaped Black family life and opportunityWhy music—through groups like The Jackson 5—became a pathway forwardThe cost of childhood fame and the loss of ordinary lifeHow we interpret the past differently through a modern lens🎬 Film & Cultural ContextDirected by Antoine Fuqua and featuring powerful performances by Colman Domingo and Nia Long, the film invites us to consider not just who Michael Jackson was, but the world that made him.🎥 MICHAEL will bring audiences a riveting portrayal of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. Watch the official trailer and learn more: https://michael.movie/ In theatres April 24, 2026🧠 Why This Conversation MattersThis is more than a story about fame. It’s about:Family survivalGenerational pressureCultural identityThe cost of greatnessIt’s also a reminder that to understand history, we must step into the realities of the time, not just judge them from the present.📣 Resources / LinksRead the poem mentioned, “We Had Him” by Maya Angelou https://allpoetry.com/poem/14326539-We-Had-Him-by-Maya-AngelouShare the film W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026Share the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQMTranscript is available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323Watch herehttps://youtu.be/hEEBgWkChNU Listen here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/19009870Stay 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

🎙️ Episode 8 Show NotesEpisode Title: Black Journalism in a Time of Erasure: A Conversation with NABJ President, Errin HainesIn this timely and urgent conversation, we sit down with Errin Haines, President of the National Association of Black Journalists, to explore the evolving landscape of Black media, truth-telling, and democracy.As media consolidation, job cuts, and anti-DEI efforts reshape the industry, where do we go to find trusted voices? And what does it mean to protect truth in an era of misinformation?This episode unpacks the challenges—and opportunities—facing Black journalists today, voting during this critical election, and why supporting Black media is more critical than ever.🎧 In This Episode, We Explore:The shifting landscape of Black journalism and media representationHow media consolidation and job cuts impact access to trusted voicesThe rise of misinformation—and how it disproportionately targets Black communitiesWhere to find credible Black journalists today (YouTube, Substack, independent platforms)The role of Black journalists in protecting democracy and informing votersWhy supporting Black media is essential for future generations🗳️ Why This Conversation MattersFrom public health crises to elections, access to accurate information is power. This episode highlights how misinformation can have real consequences—and why intentional engagement with trusted sources is key to community empowerment.📣 Resources / LinksConnect with Errin Haineshttps://19thnews.org/author/errin-haines/https://www.instagram.com/emarvelous/ Support Black journalism. Learn more about the National Association of Black Journalists and support their mission: 👉 NABJ.orgNo contribution is too small—your support helps sustain journalism that informs, protects, and empowers.Share https://youtu.be/5kMsik6rDQM?si=JJkFtdqTPyYdSB_a Share the film W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026Share the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM Transcript is available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323Watch here https://youtu.be/5fg-aydRHLA Listen here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/19009870 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 CoburnGuest: Errin HainesExecutive Producer: Andrew T. CarrProducers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee WhackMusic by Damien Sebe - so good - https://thmatc.co/?l=D6BE065E

🎙️ Episode 7 Show NotesEpisode Title: Music as Memory: Dr. Fredara Hadley on Music as Culture and W.E.B. Du Bois (Part 2)Episode SummaryIn Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Dr. Fredara Hadley returns to explore the deeper relationship between music, culture, and identity through the lens of W.E.B. Du Bois.Together, we examine how Du Bois’ Northern upbringing shaped his understanding of Black music—and why genres like jazz, blues, and gospel were outside of his lived experience. From the legacy of blackface minstrelsy to the rise of racial uplift ideology, this episode challenges us to consider how context, geography, and history influence what we value as “culture.”Dr. Hadley unpacks Du Bois’ evolving perspectives, and the complexity of labeling him as simply “elitist.” What You’ll Hear in This EpisodeHow Du Bois’ upbringing in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, shaped his musical lensThe impact of blackface minstrelsy on perceptions of Black musicDu Bois’ critique of jazz and its cultural implicationsThe role of respectability politics and racial uplift ideologyThe musical and intellectual contributions of Shirley Graham Du BoisHow Black music functions as memory, preservation, and cultural truthWhy we must avoid reducing historical figures to modern-day soundbitesSpecial GuestDr. Fredara Hadley – Ethnomusicologist, educator, and scholar of African American music and culture.https://www.juilliard.edu/faculty/hadley-fredara Film MentionedAmerican Masters W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026Share trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM Resources / Links:“Do Ba” Music performed by Christine Coburn Whack https://ccw.kit.com/cba7bd514d?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacI9BHOncpU-y57vf9fEZ4-CUS8tPsDlxL4IxCa5YGKPpIft3EUIYsdAl9XKw_aem_fLLWPY6F5GZQuhRkZOJfcw “Do Ba” produced by Ladi Oyewo aka Bay The Producer https://www.instagram.com/baytheproducer/ Transcript is available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323Stay connected https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmediaListen, Share, and Subscribe. Be a part of the conversation. These are our truths, our history, our stories, and they shape the world we live in. Join us on Mondays at 7:30 PM every week for the premiere of the next episode.Copyright:Music “Do Ba” Courtesy of publisher CCW Worldwide with Christine Coburn WhackSource: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs DivisionRights: No known restrictions on publicationhttps://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014637057/

🎙 Episode 6: Music as Memory: Dr. Fredara Hadley on Culture, Spirituals, and Du Bois (Part 1)Description:In this powerful episode, we sit down with ethnomusicologist Fredara Hadley following the premiere of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause. Together, we explore the deep relationship between music, history, and the Black experience—uncovering how sound carries memory, identity, and truth across generations.From field hollers and spirituals to the groundbreaking work of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Dr. Hadley unpacks how Black music has always been more than sound—it is survival, storytelling, and cultural preservation.This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.In This Episode, We Explore:* What it means to be an ethnomusicologist and why music cannot be separated from culture* The evolution of Black music—from field calls and work songs to spirituals and early gospel* How music served as catharsis, healing, and community-building after enslavement* The regional differences in Black musical traditions across the United States* How W.E.B. Du Bois first encountered spirituals and called them “sorrow songs”* The role of the Fisk University and the Jubilee Singers in preserving and globalizing spirituals* Why arranging spirituals helped both fund Black education and preserve musical traditions* The concept of Black music as a site of conjuring, memory, and world-makingWatch episode here: https://youtu.be/Ip-USqYBVYQResources / Links:*  Watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5kMsik6rDQM?si=0Xm2f...* Transcript is available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/ep... * Stay connected https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmediaListen, Share, and SubscribeBe a part of the conversation. These are our truths, our history, our stories—and they shape the world we live in.

Episode 5: Sinners, One Battle After Another, and the TruthDescription: In this episode, we explore how Black storytelling—both in documentary and Hollywood—captures the complexity of history, truth, and lived experience. From the Oscar-nominated Sinners to narratives of perseverance and survival, we examine how our stories reflect the battles within our communities and within ourselves.We discuss the evolution of Black stories on screen, the lessons from history, and why understanding multiple truths is essential. This episode dives deep into the personal and collective struggles, the victories, and the enduring fight for justice and representation.Topics Covered:The significance of Sinners and its impact on contemporary Black storytellingHow history is preserved and challenged through filmThe lessons from One Battle After Another about progress, sacrifice, and generational strugglesThe intersection of truth, story, and lived experience in mediaReflections on Hollywood, documentary filmmaking, and the Oscars as platforms for Black narrativesGuest / Host Highlights:Connections between documentary truth and narrative filmmakingInsights into how Black artists reclaim their stories on their own termsResources / Links:Watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5kMsik6rDQM?si=0Xm2fsgMf81tAsgT Listen, Share, and Subscribe Be part of the conversation. These are our truths, our history, our stories—and they shape the world we live in.

🎙 Episode 4 Show NotesTitle: Defending Our Stories: Inside Black Public Media with Leslie Fields-Cruz (Part 1)Description:In this episode of Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS, host Rita Coburn sits down with Leslie Fields-Cruz to explore the critical role of supporting and protecting Black storytelling. This conversation explores the power behind the stories we see on screen and the institutions that make them possible. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Leslie Fields-Cruz. Be sure to return next week for Part 2 as we continue exploring the future of Black storytelling and the work of Black Public Media.Leslie Fields-Cruz serves as Executive Director of Black Public Media, an organization that has spent decades supporting independent filmmakers and ensuring that stories about the Black experience reach audiences through public media. From documentaries about icons like Maya Angelou and Marian Anderson to the upcoming PBS film W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause, Black Public Media has played a vital role behind the scenes in bringing these stories to the screen.Rita and Leslie discuss the importance of documentary storytelling in a time when history is often challenged, censored, or misunderstood. They explore why art can be powerful—and sometimes dangerous—when it tells the truth. The conversation also highlights the growing need for public support to ensure that Black stories, history, and culture continue to be documented and shared.As funding landscapes shift and traditional support for public media faces uncertainty, Leslie shares an ambitious vision: building a community of 1.8 million supporters who believe in preserving and telling the stories that shape our collective understanding of history.This episode is a reminder that storytelling is not just about the past—it is about the present and the future. When we support storytellers, we defend the truth itself.Tune in every week as we explore:Our TruthOur HistoryOur StoriesBecause in our stories, we find our truth.Special Thanks To:Head of ProductionJeannette SantiagoRecording StudioManhattan Neighborhood Network StudiosLinks & Resources:Watch this episode on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/qZn2TcoLlj4 Follow Episodes on Listen and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platformshttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/follow Read the transcripthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/18852069 Learn more about and support Black Public Mediahttps://blackpublicmedia.orgLearn more about Manhattan Neighborhood Networkhttps://www.mnn.orgLearn more about Rita Coburn’s documentary W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause, airing on American Masters on PBS on May 19, 2026Follow updates from Rita Coburn Mediahttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmediaSocial / Call to Action:Share your family stories using #OurTHSRecord the elders in your family. Preserve their stories, their memories, and their truth.Learn more about Black Public Media and help support the future of Black storytelling. Join the movement to build 1.8 million voices standing behind our stories.https://blackpublicmedia.org/donateFollow us on social media https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia

🎙 Episode 3 Show Notes Title: Across the Water: Blood Speaks with Michelle McKinney HammondDescription: In this episode of Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS, host Rita Coburn takes listeners across the water—into a conversation about identity, ancestry, and the deep spiritual pull of home.Rita speaks with author, speaker, and cultural bridge-builder Michelle McKinney Hammond about her journey to Ghana, the meaning of return within the African diaspora, and the powerful ways history and lineage speak through us.Their conversation explores how identity can be rediscovered through place, community, and purpose. When Rita heard Michelle’s story, she heard something deeper—the voice of blood, ancestry, and calling. Together they reflect on the long arc of history connecting Africa and the diaspora, and what it means when that connection becomes personal.This episode invites listeners to reflect on their own roots and the ways our histories travel with us—sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly—until we are ready to listen.Tune in every week as we explore:Our TruthOur HistoryOur StoriesBecause in our stories, we find our truth.Links & Resources:Watch this episode on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/VircR_zXLJY Listen and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platformshttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323Learn more about the D.I.V.A. Principle Conference 2026 with Michelle McKinney Hammond, taking place April 9–11 in Ghana, with an option to participate internationally: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-diva-principle-conference-2026-tickets-1983771204073Learn more and follow updates from Rita Coburn Mediahttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmediaSocial / Call to Action:Connect with Michelle McKinney Hammond on social media and visit her website:https://www.michellehammond.comShare your family stories using #OurTHSRecord the elders in your family. Preserve their stories, their memories, and their truth.Follow us on social media for updates, transcripts, and behind-the-scenes insights.

🎙 Episode 2 Show NotesTitle: Carrying the Story Forward: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-JonesDescription:As the United States approaches 250 years of independence, this episode asks a deeper question: What happens when we center 1619 in the American story?In Episode 2 of Our Truth, Our History, Our Story, Rita Coburn reflects on the tradition of the griot — the sacred responsibility of carrying history forward — from Africa and a people born on the water to the modern-day storyteller armed with books, cameras, and digital platforms.Rita sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project, to discuss truth, power, narrative control, and the national debate that followed the project’s publication.Together, they explore:Why history becomes “dangerous” when it is questionedWhether confronting the full truth strengthens or weakens a nationThe role of libraries as living institutionsWhy reading can be an act of resistanceHow we shape identity when we read with our childrenThis episode also features a special intergenerational moment with the young Naomi, delivering a heartfelt and powerful reading of excerpts from Born on the Water — a reminder that when children know the truth, they inherit power.As we move from Black History Month into Women’s History Month, this episode calls us to pause, reflect, read, and continue to record the voices of those who came before us.Go to the library.Be still.Read.Act.Repeat.Carry the story forward.Our TruthOur HistoryOur StoriesBecause when we carry the story forward, we carry power forward.Links & Resources:Read The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-JonesFind Born on the Water for the children in your lifeWatch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 Listen and subscribe on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323Social / Call to Action:Share your reflections using #OurTHSLast Episode: Record the elders in your family and preserve their storiesThis Episode: Read he 1619 Project and Born on the WaterFollow for updates and opportunities to connect virtually and in personhttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia

🎙 Episode 1 Show NotesTitle: We Are Somebody: Launching Our StoriesDescription:Today is the birthday of W.E.B. Du Bois — a man who dedicated his life to documenting our history, preserving our stories, and defending our truth. In this first episode of Our Truth, Our History, Our Story, host Rita Coburn reflects on the importance of telling our own narratives and why truth lives inside our stories.Rita shares lessons learned from working with legendary figures, including Maya Angelou, Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., and highlights upcoming guest Nikole Hannah-Jones. She explores the difference between facts and lived truth, and the urgency of preserving history in the face of erasure.This Black History Month and beyond, record the elders in your family. Preserve their stories, their memories, and their truth.This episode also includes a special 4-minute recording of Rita’s mother:WILLIE COBURN (1922–2022)The Voice & Story of Rita Coburn’s Mother (2017)Tune in every week as we explore:Our TruthOur HistoryOur StoriesBecause in our stories, we find our truth.Links & Resources:Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_fRQWLJGms  Watch the PBS trailer for W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause: https://youtu.be/5kMsik6rDQM?si=uukB7ql0PBNUXp1Q Listen and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/18733927 Learn more about the 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones in preparation for next week’s episode. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html Social / Call to Action:Share your family stories using #OurTHSFollow us on social media for updates, transcripts, and behind-the-scenes insightshttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia