The Roll Back

April 8, 2022

|In Black History in Two Minutes (or so), Season 2

America entered a special moment where freedom rang high and many of the promises of the constitution appeared to — in some ways — allow Black people to enjoy freedom and rights that were never seen before. From running for office, to voting and purchasing land, Black families had what appeared to be a real chance at thriving.

However, by 1877, the costs became too much and white government officials began to figure out ways to work around the amendments that guaranteed Black people their freedom. With the Supreme Court on their side, many states began to roll back the rights of Black people. It would be nearly 100 years before legislation would come to pass that would protect many of the rights promised in the constitution.

In this episode of Black History in Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Heather Cox Richardson of Boston College and Steven Hahn of New York University — we look at the various ways Black people experienced a reduction in rights, all by the hands of white privilege.

Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a 5x Webby Award winning series.

If you haven’t already, please review us on Apple Podcasts! It’s a helpful way to for new listeners to discover what we are doing here: Podcast.Apple.com/Black-History-in-Two-Minutes/

Archival Materials Courtesy of:
• Alabama Department of Archives and History
• Alamy Images
• Getty Images
• Library of Congress
• Virginia State University Special Collections and Archives

Additional Archival Material Courtesy of:
• Cornell University Library
• Mississippi Department of Archives and History
• South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina

Executive Producers:
• Robert F. Smith
• Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Dyllan McGee
• Deon Taylor

Senior Producer:
• William Ventura

Series Producers:
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Executive in Charge of Production:
• Robert L. Yacyshyn

Post Production Supervisor:
• Veronica Leib

Post Production Coordinator:
• Katherine Swiatek

Written By:
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Additional Writing:
• Kevin Burke
• Kelsi Lindus
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Editors:
• Margaret Metzger
• Anne Yao

Producer:
• Kevin Burke

Archival Producer:
• Megan Graham

Research:
• Zoë Smith