Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1896, the United States Supreme Court delivered one of the most damaging rulings in its history when it upheld segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision cemented the idea of separate but equal and gave legal cover to the rise of Jim Crow laws across the country. More than a century later, Homer Plessy’s descendant, Keith Plessy, reflects on what that ruling cost generations of Americans. He also shares how the descendants of Plessy and Judge Ferguson have come together to confront the legacy of a landmark Supreme Court case that shaped civil rights for decades. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became one of the most respected rodeo bullfighters in America, Leon Coffey was a father searching for a way to pay for a simple gift. Rodeos were familiar territory, but stepping into the arena as a rodeo clown was something else entirely. He found himself staring down bulls that outweighed him by a thousand pounds, learning to move with a kind of instinct that kept riders alive. His path carried him all the way to the Cowboy and Western Hall of Fame, and along the way, he helped shape the modern understanding of the rodeo clown, a protector as much as a performer. We'd like to thank the Oklahoma Cowboy and Western Hall of Fame for allowing us access to this audio. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Bob McLalan let his recently divorced father crash on his couch, he expected a few days of awkward conversation. Instead, his dad arrived with an empty key ring, a suitcase, and the stubborn confidence of a man who still saw himself in command. What followed was eighteen months of two Marines trying to share a small apartment and figure out what respect looks like when both men believe they have earned it. Bob’s story captures what living with parents can feel like when you are grown, independent, and suddenly navigating the weight of old habits and new circumstances. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in May 1861, three enslaved men slipped across the James River to Fort Monroe, seeking protection from Union troops. Their arrival forced General Benjamin Butler to make a choice that would change the course of the war. Instead of returning them to bondage, he declared them “contraband of war,” setting off a chain reaction that pushed Abraham Lincoln, Congress, and the Union Army toward emancipation. Historian Kate Masur joins our regular contributor, Jon Elfner, to tell the story of how freedom began not with a proclamation, but with three men who refused to wait for it. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before Alexander Hamilton helped shape the Constitution or design America’s financial system, he was a child on the island of Nevis, raised among the merchants and schools of a thriving Jewish community. For generations, historians assumed Hamilton’s faith was Christian, but recent research from historian Andrew Porwancher tells a different story. In The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, Porwancher pieces together overlooked records from Hamilton’s Caribbean youth and reaches a surprising conclusion: Hamilton was most likely born and educated in a Jewish household. That possibility casts new light on one of the nation’s most complex founders. Porwancher joins us to tell the story of a particular court case where Hamilton stood up for Jews. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, most people know the Civil War began at Fort Sumter in 1861. Few remember how close it came to starting a decade earlier in New Mexico. In 1850, America stood at a breaking point. The war with Mexico had added vast new lands to the United States, and every mile of that territory brought the same question: would slavery spread west? As tensions rose, Texas laid claim to much of what is now New Mexico, and both sides began to talk about raising armies. For a brief moment, it looked as though the first shots of the Civil War would ring out in the desert. Gettysburg National Park Service Ranger Matt Atkinson explains how the Compromise of 1850, a fragile agreement over slavery, land, and power, held the Union together when the country was ready to break. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Shiloh Carozza’s father was diagnosed with brain cancer, her family’s days began to split in two: the life they had before, and the one that followed. He had been a teacher, a storyteller, the kind of father who could turn a drive into a lesson. As the disease took more from him, he still tried to give what he could. One night, he gathered his family and said, “You are my best investments.” They were simple words, but they carried a lifetime of meaning. In the months after his death, Shiloh learned how those words could steady her in the same way he once did. Shiloh joins us to tell his story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in June of 1984, President Ronald Reagan visited the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc to mark the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Before him stood the surviving Army Rangers who had scaled those cliffs under constant fire to help turn the tide of World War II. Often called the Great Communicator, he delivered one of his most powerful speeches, linking the courage of the men who fought at Normandy to the enduring promise of freedom. Listen to one of the defining moments of Reagan’s presidency and his moving tribute to those who fought in World War II. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Gina Ramsey moved her father into a memory care home, she thought she was watching him lose everything that made him who he was. Then he met May, a woman who had just turned one hundred and still laughed like a girl. Their friendship grew into a kind of love that gave both of them something to hold on to inside the fog of dementia. Gina Ramsey joins us to tell the story of the highs—and lows—of managing her father's dementia. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of October 27, 2018, a quiet neighborhood in Pittsburgh turned into the scene of one of the deadliest attacks on a Jewish congregation in American history. Paul Kengor was driving with his wife when a text from their daughter appeared on his phone. She was hiding in a van just across the street from the Tree of Life Synagogue, where gunfire had erupted. What followed was an hour of panic and helpless waiting as they tried to reach her. Eleven worshippers were killed, and dozens of lives were forever changed. Paul shares how faith and fear collided that day when his family came within moments of tragedy. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, after years of arguing cases before the Supreme Court, Barry Levinson took a sharp turn. He left the law behind to open the world’s largest mustard museum, a place that celebrates more than 6,000 varieties of the condiment that changed his life. What started as a joke became one of America’s most unique tourist attractions, and a reminder that passion can take you places logic never would. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the dawn of the twentieth century, radium was hailed as a miracle of modern science. Factories across the country began hiring young women to paint watch dials and instrument panels that lit up in the dark. It was considered a respectable, even glamorous job. No one warned them that the glow they wore on their skin and teeth came with a deadly cost. Kate Moore, author of Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, brings to life the story of the women who unknowingly poisoned themselves while doing their jobs. In time, their fight for justice helped build the foundation of modern workplace safety and occupational health standards across the United States. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, everyone has a funny Thanksgiving story, but this one still makes Stephen Rusiniak cringe. He promised his mom he’d be on time for Thanksgiving dinner. He wasn’t. What followed was a mix of family drama, cold turkey, and a lesson in what it means to keep your word. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before chewing gum became part of American life, William Wrigley Jr. was selling soap door to door. He gave away gum as a bonus and discovered people wanted that more than anything else. From that moment, he built one of the oldest gum brands in history and a life that revolved as much around his wife as his business. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, William C. Rhodes started as a kid tagging along with his dad on Saturdays in Memphis. Years later, he was guiding AutoZone across the Americas as Chairman, President, and CEO. Along the way, he learned what leadership looks like on the floor, in the field, and in the boardroom, and how corporate governance turns good instincts into durable results. Here's Rhodes with his story of success. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment. In this fourth installment, Mitch reflects on what love has meant to him after decades behind bars. It wasn't romance that changed him, but a friendship that grew slowly and taught him what genuine care looks like. That bond opened his heart to a different kind of truth that he began to find in the books of the Bible. As he turned to his daily readings, the stories of endurance and redemption took on new meaning. The lessons of those Bible stories guided him toward forgiveness, both for others and for himself. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty “Hi-Yo Silver!” — it's the story of the Lone Ranger. Stephen Eoannou, author of Yesteryear, tells the story of how a tenacious scriptwriter out of Buffalo and a shrewd businessman out of Detroit managed to create one of America's most enduring cultural figures Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before he helped fill stadiums, George Herman Ruth was a restless boy growing up near the Baltimore waterfront. His father ran a saloon, his mother rarely had time to spare, and discipline came from the brothers at St. Mary's Industrial School. There, he met Brother Matthias, who taught him baseball and provided the structure he needed to find his purpose. His baseball talent carried him from the Red Sox to the Yankees, where his swing reshaped the game and turned him into a national symbol. Mike Gibbons, director of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, shares the real story about the boy who became the Babe. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Carlisle, Iowa, Chef Steve Reed had one job: bring home the Thanksgiving turkey. After years in the kitchen and decades of perfect holiday meals, this one seemed easy. He found the bird, hauled it through a packed grocery store, and tossed it into the back of his truck for the short drive home. There was just one problem...his truck didn’t have a tailgate. By the time he pulled into his driveway, the turkey was gone. A few streets back, a man in a tweed jacket stood quietly on the curb, staring down at the runaway bird like it had fallen from the sky. What followed was part rescue mission, part comedy sketch, and pure Thanksgiving magic. Chef Steve joins us for the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Karl Marlantes returned from Vietnam carrying memories he couldn’t share and questions he couldn’t shake. Like many who served, he tried to move on and focus on the next chapter of his life. For a long time, that seemed easier than explaining what the war had taken out of him. Writing became his way through it. In Matterhorn and What It Is Like to Go to War, he began to put words to experiences that had stayed unspoken for years. Marlantes joins us to bridge the distance between surviving a war and living after one. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.