Episodes
Aug. 23, 2021
Racism and Recreation Part I: Roller Rinks and Roller Coasters of Racism
What could be more fun than an outing at an amusement park or skating rink, a swim in a neighborhood pool or at the beach, a cookout at a beautiful city or National Park? Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niec…
Aug. 16, 2021
America's Berlin Walls
America has its own versions of the Berlin Wall, in fact there are twenty-six existing, demolished, or planned segregation walls, fences, road barricades/closures, and buffer strips in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Flori…
July 27, 2021
Can You Spell Racism?
Spelling bees seem like innocent competitions where the idea of systemic racism should be foreign. But flashback to the year 1908, and Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, will tell about how the level playin…
July 19, 2021
Racing Against Racism
It’s that time of year again, though postponed for the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Summer Olympic Games are back. Before heading out to Tokyo for the 2021 games though, listen as Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Squ…
July 12, 2021
Voter Suppression: Fight for Your Right Reprise
This is a reprise of a popular Why Are They So Angry? episode. When it's election time, Dr. Carol Francois and her niece Kourtney Square want you to know systemic racism is on the ballot, too. In this episode, you’ll hear ho…
July 5, 2021
Massacres Denied Part IV: Killing the Vote
Most BlackAfrican Americans are familiar with the statement, “people died for your right to vote,” yet they don’t really know how true the words are. This year’s rapt attention on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has awakened Am…
June 28, 2021
Massacres Denied Part III: Dying for a Fair Wage
Violence against workers seeking better pay, working conditions, or the right to unionize is well-documented throughout American history. What isn’t documented as well, are the many instances when Black/African Americans wer…
June 14, 2021
Massacres Denied Part II: Cicero Siege
Believe it or not, the Tulsa Race Massacre only scratches the surface. Join Dr. Carol François and her niece Kourtney Square for Massacres Denied Part II: Cicero Siege to hear about the ongoing resistance to Black/African Am…
June 7, 2021
Massacres Denied Part I: Slaughter in Slocum
This year’s rapt attention on the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 has awakened America to its sordid past, but since 1863 up until the present, there are hundreds of well-documented instances of Black/African Americans being mur…
May 31, 2021
Military Sheroes
This week’s Why Are They So Angry? salutes the women of the U.S. Armed Forces who bravely served America since the Revolutionary War. Listen as Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, share about the Black/African…
May 23, 2021
George Floyd 365: A Very Special Episode
George Floyd’s death triggered an outpouring of reactions around the world ranging from outrage, fear, frustration, and militancy. How did you respond to the televised murder of George Floyd? That’s the question raised in th…
May 17, 2021
Kings of the Derby
Horse racing has long been popular in America, but few people know how or why Black/Americans dominated the sport in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Listen in as Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, tel…
May 10, 2021
South to Freedom
Black/African Americans have close ties to Mexico that few people know about or understand. Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, to learn why Juneteenth is celebrated across the border, how an African prin…
May 3, 2021
Let the Church Say Amen
What do Denmark Vesey, Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King, Jr. and William Barber have in common? Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, to find out how these people worked within the church forming the fou…
April 26, 2021
From Cabin in the Sky to Wakanda
What we watch on television and in the movies shapes our thinking and culture in general. Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, to hear about Oscar Micheaux, a pioneering Black/African American filmmaker fr…
March 29, 2021
Legal Eagles: Women Lawyers Soaring
Understanding American laws and its legal system requires a bright mind. Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, to hear about Black/African American women who excelled and overcame systemic racism in the leg…
March 22, 2021
Sisters In The Struggle
Women formed the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement but rarely get the recognition they deserve for their important contributions. Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, as they shine the spotlight on wom…
March 15, 2021
Girl Scouts: More Than Cookies
Show Notes Girl Scouts of the USA began as an all-white organization in Savannah, Ga., in 1912. But over time, the organization confronted systemic racism in its own ranks and became what Dr. Martin Luther King described as …
March 8, 2021
Mothers of Invention
The intersection of race and gender presents an interesting way to look at systemic racism in America, and the inventions, organizations, and movements impacted and made great by Black/African American women are a microcosm …
March 1, 2021
Power Play: How Systemic Racism Shapes Sports
We'd like to think of sports as the great equalizer, as the one area of American life where a person regardless of race can enter the arena and find a level playing field, so to speak. Unfortunately, systemic racism is as de…
Feb. 22, 2021
HBCUs: Legacy of Learning
What is the origin story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and are they still relevant? Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, explore these questions and tell about the deadly but largely u…
Feb. 14, 2021
Unbreakable Bonds: Black Love Surviving and Thriving
Black/African love, marriage, and families have been under assault from the time enslaved people were brought to this country. Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, as they explore how, in spite of this ass…
Feb. 8, 2021
The Birth of Black History Month
Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, explore the evolution of Black History Month. From its creation by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to the present, Black History Month has both its celebrants and detractors. Listen t…
Feb. 1, 2021
A Scandalous Dinner
The White House is one of most recognized buildings and symbols of American power and democracy. Join Dr. Carol François and Kourtney Square, her niece, as they describe the scandal that erupted because of a White House dinn…