History

Sports

NASCAR: Its History Of Racism And Relations With The Confederate Flag

3:58pm June 23, 2020

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with Daniel Pierce, a NASCAR historian and a University of North Carolina, Asheville professor, about the history of racism and the Confederate flag in stock car racing.

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Police officers stand guard with the statue of former President Andrew Jackson after protesters tried to topple it Monday in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

Politics & Government

Trump Threatens Prison For Attempts To Topple Statues. Here's The Law He Cites

2:47pm June 23, 2020

by Barbara Sprunt

While the president says he authorized the federal government to prosecute those who deface and destroy statues on federal land, the government already had that power thanks to a 2003 law.

The History Of Juneteenth, And Why It Is Relevant Today

3:00pm June 20, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with poet and lawyer CeLillianne Green about the history behind Juneteenth and what it means at this moment.

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A statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson stands tall on the grounds of the West Virginia Capitol building in Charleston.

West Virginia, Born Out Of The Civil War, Grapples With Confederate Monuments

7:48am June 20, 2020

by Dave Mistich

On June 20, 1863, West Virginia seceded from Virginia to align with the Union during the Civil War. It rejected the Confederacy then, but the state hasn't taken down any Confederate statues in 2020.

National

U.S. National Archives Unearths Original Juneteenth Order

7:57pm June 19, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free," states General Order No. 3.

Health & Safety

Nose Pipe, Milkmaids And Death Row Inmates: A Look At The History Of The 1st Vaccine

3:37pm June 19, 2020

by Sarah Gonzalez

The idea of vaccination is almost 2,000 years old. The story of the very first vaccine involves a nose pipe, milkmaids, death row inmates, and a beautiful woman out for revenge.

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National

Celebrating Juneteenth: A Reading Of The Emancipation Proclamation

2:37pm June 19, 2020

On this Juneteenth, NPR is marking the day in 1865 when Union forces arrived in Texas with the news that slavery had been abolished two years earlier with a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.

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Danielle Allen: How Can Democratic Values Guide Us When Facing A Global Crisis?

9:26am June 19, 2020

In a democracy, what does the path forward from a pandemic look like? Political theorist Danielle Allen says the solution requires preserving individual lives, individual rights and equality.

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Huang Hung in conversation with TED's Helen Walters.

Health & Safety

Huang Hung: How Has China Used Collectivism To Navigate The Pandemic?

9:26am June 19, 2020

by NPR/TED STAFF

For millennia, China has taught its citizens to embrace individual sacrifice for the greater good. Writer Huang Hung explains how this mindset allows the country to preserve safety during a crisis.

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What Is Juneteenth? Historians Explain The Holiday's Importance

6:55am June 19, 2020

When President Trump initially planned a rally in Tulsa, Okla., on June 19, some Americans were outraged. NPR's Noel King speaks with two historians about the significance of that day and city.

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