When Jenisha Watts, a senior editor at The Atlantic, went home to Kentucky to interview her family, she was “looking to get rid of the shame.” She had a son now, and she wanted to be able to tell him the truth about her upbringing—both the good and the bad. But she was not quite prepared for what Jenisha the journalist would dig up about Jenisha from Kentucky.

This episode of Radio Atlantic was produced by Jocelyn Frank and edited by Claudine Ebeid. It was engineered by Rob Smierciak and fact checked by Michelle Ciarrocca. The managing editor of Atlantic Audio is Andrea Valdez. 

If you or someone you know are looking for support please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673

The Atlantic's September 2023 cover story "I Never Called Her Momma," was written by Jenisha Watts.

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