On Second Thought

Just over 53 years ago, a bomb exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The predominately African-American congregation was preparing for Sunday service. Four girls -- Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley -- were killed. Many other people were hurt. The bombing served as the inspiration for Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey's poem, "We Have Seen." The former U.S. Poet Laureate is director of Emory University's creative

The release of Smithsonian Magazine's Black in America issue coincides with the opening of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. While many civil rights activists stood up to the oppression in the Jim Crow South, others fled to different parts of the country. By 1970, around six million blacks made the trip. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson of Atlanta writes about this mass exodus in this month's issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

The opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture marks a victory for Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia), who pushed for it for years. Lewis' story as one of the original Freedom Riders is included in Smithsonian Magazine's Black in America issue, which came out this month. We revisit our recent conversation with him.

This month, Smithsonian Magazine released its “Black in America” issue in honor of the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African-American History and Culture. We talk with editor-in-chief Michael Caruso about the issue, and the future of activism via social media. Plus, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Emory University professor Natasha Trethewey reads her poem “We Have Seen.” The poem was inspired by the 53rd anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which killed four

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opens this Saturday. It will probably be a smooth and impressive experience for most visitors, but the creation of a museum isn't always smooth. Author Tonya Bolden documented the process in her new book "How to Build a Museum.” We talk with her, Clark Atlanta University professor Daniel Black, and Smithsonian Magazine editor-in-chief Michael Caruso.

We've talked a lot on the show about how activism has changed in this country. We've heard from civil rights leaders from the past and present. The new National Museum of African American History and Culture tells their story. It's unveiling coincides with this month's issue of Smithsonian Magazine called "Black in America." Editor-in-chief Michael Caruso talks about the issue, and one article that focuses on black Twitter.

Music Midtown returns this weekend for its sixth year at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. The two-day festival has changed a lot since it was founded in 1994 by veteran music promoters Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon. This year’s lineup features a noticeably younger cast of artists, including DeadMau5, Kesha, and Atlanta-born soul singer Leon Bridges. We speak with Music Midtown co-founder Peter Conlon, who also serves as president of Live Nation Atlanta (which produces the festival), about the future

Music Midtown returns this weekend for its sixth year at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. The two-day festival has changed a lot since it was founded in 1994 by veteran music promoters, Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon. This year’s lineup features a noticeably younger cast of artists, including DeadMau5, Kesha, and Atlanta-born soul singer Leon Bridges. We speak with Music Midtown co-founder Peter Conlon, who also serves as president of Live Nation Atlanta (which produces the festival), about the future

It's Friday! Our Breakroom gang returns to discuss the week’s news, including the new iPhone, minority-majority in Norcross, and self-diagnosing yourself on WebMD. Then, we discuss the death of facts in America, literacy as a constitutional right, and making music a requirement in schools. This week, our Breakroom gang is: Amy Condon Associate Editor for Savannah Magazine@amypaige67 Sam Burnham Curator of the blog All the Biscuits in Georgia@C_SamBurnham Tomika Depriest Senior Director For

One of the groups performing at the Music Midtown festival is The Coathangers, a staple in Atlanta’s punk rock scene. We asked Meredith Franco and Julia Kugel, two of the band’s members, to add two songs to our Georgia Playlist. They chose works by Black Lips and Subsonics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrNSjItTfes