Ed speaks with the former chairperson of the Charlottesville City School Board, Alicia Lugo, about her experiences attending Charlottesville’s all-black high school in the 1960s.

VFH Radio at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities

"Hometown Hero" (Ed Ayers/Alicia Lugo) from BackStory's "School Days: A History of Public Education"

Opioid addiction is a national epidemic. According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, "drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States." In this episode, Nathan, Ed and Brian look at America's long history with opioids - like opium, morphine and heroin. They’ll discuss how late 19th century doctors spurred the nation’s first addiction crisis and how race and class have shaped our perception of addicts and addiction.

The Habit: Opioid Addiction in America

The election of Donald Trump has been a boon to political satirists.  "Saturday Night Live" is enjoying its highest ratings in 20 years, and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is now the most successful late night program on TV.  Joanne, Ed and Brian look at the long history of political satire in America - how Mark Twain became the country’s most famous satirist by mostly sticking to safe subjects, a look at the 1987 Supreme Court case that made political satire protected speech, and talk to the star and director of “Ask a Slave”, the satirical web series.

National Lampoon: A History of American Satire

Memorial Day honors those who’ve died while serving in the military. In this episode of BackStory, Ed, Joanne and Brian look at the many reasons for joining the U.S. armed services - from a sense of patriotism, to escaping poverty, to earning American citizenship. They’ll discuss the struggles of the Continental Army to find enough soldiers during the Revolutionary War and how thousands of Filipinos became American citizens by enlisting in the US Navy after World War II.

Call To Arms: Enlistment In America

In this episode, Brian’s off, but Joanne, Ed, and Nathan are holding it down and talking about the history behind items in this week’s news. They’ll discuss the art of the Presidential Handshake, John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday, and public monuments of African Americans.

Body Politics, JFK at 100 and African American Memorials

BackStory with the American History Guys is a nationally syndicated, hour-long, weekly public radio show. We're based in Charlottesville, Virginia at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

Each week we take a topic that people are talking about and explore its roots in American history. Through stories, interviews, and conversation with our listeners, we turn the things Americans take for granted inside out. And while we're at it, we have a lot of fun. Join us.

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