History

Maeve Higgins: Why is the "Good Immigrant" Narrative Dangerous?

8:19am April 30, 2021

Irish comedian Maeve Higgins moved to the U.S. with a visa for artists with "extraordinary abilities." But the myth of the "good immigrant," she says, perpetuates harm and discrimination.

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'Citizen Kane' Has A Rotten Day

5:08pm April 29, 2021

For years, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane has been widely viewed as the greatest film ever made. But now an 80-year-old negative review has resurfaced, bringing its Rotten Tomatoes score down from 100%.

Biden, Like FDR And LBJ, Sees Opportunity In A Moment Of Crisis

4:52pm April 29, 2021

As President Biden nears 100 days in office, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin about how Biden's approach to social welfare compares to former presidents'.

'Invisibilia' Episode Highlights Social Experiment Involving Money, Race

6:20am April 29, 2021

by Kia Miakka Natisse

For generations, there have been demands for reparations from the U.S. government. The team of the NPR podcast Invisibilia shares a story from the history of the fight for reparations.

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Rutherford Falls Creators On Finding Humor In America's 'Messy' History

4:46pm April 28, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with comedy writers Michael Schur and Sierra Teller Ornelas about coming to terms with America's messy history, and turning discomfort into the sitcom "Rutherford Falls."

Susan Stamberg co-hosted All Things Considered from 1972 until 1986 — she's the first woman to anchor a daily national news program in America. She is now an NPR special correspondent.

'It Was Just Thrilling': 2 NPR Founders Remember The First Days, 50 Years Ago

1:37pm April 28, 2021

by Terry Gross

NPR's program, All Things Considered, debuted on May 3, 1971. ATC creator Bill Siemering and former co-host (then production assistant) Susan Stamberg look back on the iconic first broadcast.

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The Penn Museum is home to the The Morton Cranial Collection, which includes nearly 900 human skulls obtained during the early 19th century by Philadelphia scientist Dr. Samuel Morton. His research was used to lend scientific support to white supremacy.

Arts

Penn Museum Apologizes For 'Unethical Possession Of Human Remains'

4:44pm April 27, 2021

by Peter Crimmins

In the early 19th century, hundreds of human skulls — many obtained from grave robbers — were assembled for the Morton Collection and used to lend scientific support to white supremacy.

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In this 2017 photo, Gavin McInnes (center), founder of the far-right extremist group known as the Proud Boys, is surrounded by supporters after speaking at a rally in Berkeley, Calif. McInnes told NPR that the group is made up of "funny dudes, not Nazis."

National

How Extremists Weaponize Irony To Spread Hate

5:50pm April 26, 2021

by Tom Dreisbach

Some extremists weaponize irony and absurdity as a method for recruiting new members and avoiding criticism. Such tactics can mask the danger that extremists pose, experts say.

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National

Biden Is 1st U.S. President To Declare Mass Killings Of Armenians Genocide

7:08am April 26, 2021

Armenian Americans praised President Biden's decision to call a World War One-era massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces genocide. The declaration will test Washington's relationship with Turkey.

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National

Armenian American Communities Praise Biden's Genocide Declaration

8:43am April 25, 2021

by Aaron Schrank

For decades, the U.S. has not referred to the 1915 killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces as an act of genocide. Armenian Americans react to President Biden's use of the term.