[RE-RELEASE] Welcome (back) to the very beginning! We’re re-sharing our very first episode — an introduction to the podcast and the voices behind the mic. Whether you’re new here or just feeling nostalgic, this episode dives into the heart of why we started the show and what you can expect moving forward. Meet your hosts, learn about the journey, and enjoy this look back at where it all began.

Originally released in December 2024 , this special re-release is a chance to revisit our roots and celebrate how far we’ve come.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and Windcreek Hospitality.

Graphic designer and illustrator Laura Murray joins the Coffee & History gang in Auburn, Alabama, to discuss using history to create meaningful art. Murray is the illustrator of "The Amazing Alabama," a coloring book series, along with several other creations. She is also a member of the Alabama chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolutionary War, detailing the importance of understanding history.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you in partnership with the Poarch Creek Band Indians.

Encyclopedia of Alabama's Claire Wilson shares her tales with Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage. Hailing from New York, the senior content editor has lent her talents to the state's online encyclopedia. Wilson celebrated 20 years with EoA and was instrumental in the content creation for the launch of the website.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you in partnership with the Poarch Creek Band Indians.

Author and historian Dr. Kathyrn E. Braund joins the team at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in Auburn, Alabama, to discuss her illustrious career and her research. Braund has spent her life studying Creek Indian history, the Creek War of 1812-14, and gender roles within the Creek Nation.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you by Wind Creek Hospitality and the Poarch Creek Indians.

On this week's episode of Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage, Rebecca Todd Minder and Susan Reynolds hit the road to visit with historian Cartledge W. Blackwell III to learn more about Mobile's fascinating history with Carnival season. Blackwell is the curator for the Mobile Carnival Museum and serves on the Friends of Alabama Heritage Board of Directors. Brimming with expertise on Mobile's Carnival season, he delves into its storied origins, the dazzling parades, vibrant costumes, and mouthwatering fare. Eager to share his passion, Cart also guides you through the captivating exhibit spaces of the Mobile Carnival Museum.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

In this episode of Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage, we sit down with Dr. Matthew Downs—historian, editor of The Alabama Review, and current president of the Alabama Historical Association.

Downs shares his passion for uncovering Alabama’s past, from the vibrant history of Mobile to the complexities of Prohibition-era Birmingham. We also chat about his new leadership role with the AHA and his work as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Mobile.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you in partnership with the Poarch Creek Band Indians.

Alabama Heritage magazine's editor, Susan Reynolds, sits down with Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage to discuss the latest issue of the magazine. 

The Summer 2025 Issue highlights the artistry of quilter Yvonne Wells, the story of Big Sam Dale, women's suffrage in LaFayette, Alabama, and reforestation efforts in the Tennessee River Valley during the mid-1900s. 

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you Wind Creek Hospitality and the Poarch Creek Indians.

Bert Hitchcock, a respected author and historian in Alabama, joins the Coffee & History team in Auburn to discuss his literary career, what it means to be a Southern Gentleman, and the lore of Marengo Jake. 

Hitchcock is the professor emeritus of the English Department at Auburn University.

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you by Wind Creek Hospitality and the Poarch Creek Indians.

On this week's episode of Coffee & History, we sit down with Hiztorical Vision Productions' founder Theo Moore II to discuss his role in sharing Black history within the community, the founding of his nonprofit, and why Alabama's Black History Matters. 

In honor of Juneteenth, Alabama Heritage invites you to learn more about our state's Black history by visiting alabamaheritage.com for exclusive #FromTheVault reads. 

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you by Wind Creek Hospitality and the Poarch Creek Indians.

Jim Baggett, author and former archivist with the Birmingham Public Library, talks about the legacy of Birmingham's madam Louise Wooster, politician Bull Connor, and the mysterious black bears in Mentone. Baggett's most recent article, Birmingham's Milk Wars, is in Issue 156 of Alabama Heritage magazine.

Brought to you by Wind Creek Hospitality and the Poarch Creek Indians. 

Subscribe to Alabama Heritage by visiting alabamaheritage.com