Special Programming

It's the 4th of July, and we'll be celebrating 250 years of freedom in the United States! Here’s what you can look forward too.

9:00am – Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution

This is a documentary that commemorates the Fourth of July holiday. Created, produced, and hosted by Shelley M. Johnson. It covers major events of the Revolutionary War and stories of the unsung heroes who were instrumental in winning the Patriots’ sovereignty from England. It focuses on the roles Native and African Americans, women and abolitionists played in not only helping win the war but their push to end slavery. It educates listeners on the fight marginalized people had at the beginning of our nation to achieve freedom and liberty.

10:00am - Folktale Of Liberty

It's independence this Folktale salutes, with a look at freedom, and its pursuit, around the musical globe. A powerful tour de force? Hear for yourself--on the Folktale of Liberty. In the words of Moshe Dayan, "Freedom is the oxygen of the soul", and this week, we're breathing deeply of that sentiment, and celebrating our own independence, with musical remembrances of that pursuit, world round. This powerful tour begins with a wide assortment of 'all American' musical traditions, then sets forth across Central & South America, Europe, and beyond.

11:00am – The Copperhead Conspiracy

The Copperhead Conspiracy is a powerful 59-minute documentary special that tells a forgotten story from the American Civil War. A group of Northerners, angry at President Lincoln, conspired with Confederates to plan an armed insurrection intended to topple the governments of several midwestern states and free tens of thousands of Confederate prisoners from Union prisons, hoping they would force an end to the Civil War with the Confederacy intact and slavery still legal. It would have worked, except for a Union spy who was embedded in their midst.

2:00pm – Reel Music – Honoring Thomas Newman

Composer Thomas Newman has 15 Oscar nominations. He’s scored American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, Cinderella Man, and Finding Nemo. Enjoy an hour of highlights from Newman’s best works.

3:30pm – New York Minute In History – Preparing for America’s 250th

Believe it or not, the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is right around the corner. On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss how some state agencies and communities are preparing for the big event (from 2025-2033), and how local historians can make the most of the commemoration. We also highlight a pair of William G. Pomeroy Foundation programs designed to recognize sites of the Revolution and patriot burials.