To save his public image, Countee Cullen marries W.E.B. Dubois’ daughter, Yolande. The wedding is the merger of the century. All of Black high society is in attendance to celebrate this high profile matrimony. W.E.B.’s plan to create a dynasty is complete. Countee finds love and another father figure. Happy ending, right? Not quite. Countee’s marriage to Yolande might’ve hushed the whispers of his sexuality but temptation is closer than he can handle. Like, “Best Man” close.

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In the early 1900’s, Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen went from an orphan to one of the most celebrated literary figures of his time. But his reluctance to introduce Blackness into his art threatened to alienate him from peers. And his struggles with his sexuality threatened to isolate him from his family. Luckily, his mentor W.E.B. DuBois has a plan to solve both problems.

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In the early 1900s, NAACP co-founder W.E.B. DuBois is at the top of his game, as the first Black person to earn a PhD from Harvard and as editor of a successful magazine. He believes he has a way to achieve full equality for Black people, but major beef with civil rights leaders Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey threatens to expose his idea as an elitist mess.

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As the first ever woman in the Black Panther Party’s decision-making body, Kathleen Cleaver played a large role in shaping and influencing the Party’s views on gender roles. Her drive to live a life of liberty inspired other women to do the same. And it’s in the Party where she meets her controversial husband, Eldridge Cleaver, who would leave her with a difficult choice to make: be a supportive wife or stand up for women’s liberation.

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After many of her comrades are killed, imprisoned, and forced into exile, Elaine Brown rises the ranks to be tapped as the first and only female leader of the Black Panther Party. Like other vocal women within the Party, she faced rampant sexism. But violence within the Party and whispers of her being a government informant also threatened her ambitions to save and revitalize the Black Panther Party. 

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At only 23 years old, Afeni Shakur defended herself and 20 other Black Panther comrades in the famous Panther 21 trial. Best known as the mother of Tupac Shakur, Afeni’s legacy extends beyond her maternal role to a rap icon. Shakur’s fighting spirit helped her combat sexism within the Party and racism in the world, but her personal demons would have lasting impacts on her relationship with her son, until his untimely death.

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In her 20s, Assata Shakur became a target for government forces aiming to discredit Black liberation movements. Soon, she would emerge as one of America's most notorious fugitives. After being convicted of murdering a state trooper, Assata is sentenced to life in prison. But, she maintains her innocence. Two years into her sentence, she is broken out of prison and escapes to Cuba. Forty years after the murder, she becomes the first woman to be placed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list.

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Join Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee every week as they go beyond the stories of Black History you already know to drop you right in the mix. Learn about the most overlooked Black History makers and events you should already know about, not just during Black History Month. We’ll even spill the occasional historical tea! All facts, no cap. Follow Black History, For Real, and listen early and ad-free on Wondery+ on January 29th, and everywhere on February 5th.

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