All Of It with Alison Stewart

Thomas W. Commeraw was born a slave in the 1700s, but eventually became a Free Black artist and business owner in New York City. Starting in the 1790s, Commeraw opened his own successful pottery business, and became a well-known voice amongst Free Blacks in New York when it came to both local and national politics. A new exhibition at the New York Historical Society, Crafting Freedom: The Life and Legacy of Free Black Potter Thomas W. Commeraw, takes viewers into the life Commeraw led, and also displays over twenty of his preserved works. Curator Allison Robinson alongside artist Sana Musasama, whose pottery is also on view, join us to discuss the exhibition, which is on view until May 28.

The 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia killed 11 people and shattered an entire community. We speak with journalist Matthew Amha, the host of the new podcast: "The Africas vs. America" about how it still resonates today.

A YouTube channel called ‘Chinatown Gang Stories’ compiles oral histories and other records from former gang members in an effort to preserve the history of organized crime in one of New York City’s celebrated neighborhoods. The channel’s founder, Michael Moy, was a gang member himself as a teenager, before he became an NYPD officer. Now retired from the force, he explains the history of Chinatown gangs, the dynamics of organized crime in immigrant communities, and the importance of documenting it.

More and more American women are choosing not to have children, like Chelsea Handler, whose embrace of her childfree life prompted a rant against childfree women on Tucker Carlson's show. So we wanted to investigate why some women choose not to have children. Joining us to discuss is Amy Blackstone, professor of sociology at the University of Maine and the author of the book Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence. Plus we'll take listener calls.

Around the world, the day before Lent begins is a day of feasting, and celebrations like New Orleans' famous Mardi Gras. Matt Haines, freelance journalist, food writer and author of The Big Book of King Cake: The stories and bakers behind New Orleans' sweetest tradition, explores the many delectable ways to stuff your face on Fat Tuesday. Listeners call in to share their pre-Lent traditions.

A new graphic novel explores the life of Harlem's legendary mobster, Stephanie Saint-Clair, sometimes called "Queenie," with jazz and voodoo as the backdrop. Authors Elizabeth Colomba and  Aurélie Levy join us to discuss their book, Queenie: Godmother of Harlem. 

[REBROADCAST FROM April 29, 2021] For the final installment in this edition of our "Full Bio" series, Julia Sweig discusses the Johnsons' final years in office and Lady Bird Johnson's legacy. Sweig is author of the book Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight and host of the podcast, In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson.

[REBROADCAST FROM November 20, 2020] In the latest installment of our “Full Bio” series, we take an in-depth look into the life of America’s longest-serving First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, with David Michaelis, who spent 11 years working on his new biography, Eleanor. In this last chapter, we examine the final years of Eleanor’s life. Her time as a public servant and diplomat was far from over after her husband’s death in 1945. Her career as a US delegate at the United Nations kept Eleanor in the spotlight, while a new love for her personal doctor occupied Eleanor’s final years. We also take this time to examine the legacy that Eleanor left behind following her death in 1962.

[REBROADCAST FROM November 16, 2020] In the latest installment of our “Full Bio” series, we take an in-depth look into the life of America’s longest-serving First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, with David Michaelis, who spent 11 years working on his new biography, Eleanor. Today, we begin the story with Eleanor’s tumultuous upbringing, her New York City roots, and the school in England that changed her life.

[REBROADCAST FROM April 26, 2021] Today, we kick off the latest edition of our “Full Bio” series. All this week, we’ll be speaking with author and host Julia Sweig about her book, Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, as well as her podcast, In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson, which draws on over 123 hours of Johnson’s audio diaries, many of them unheard until now. In this first installment, we discuss Lady Bird Johnson's upbringing and how she met Lyndon B.