Podeia Podcast

In the final chapter of The Kennedys of Decorah, host Lindsey Row-Heyveld traces the Kennedy family’s remarkable journey after they left Decorah: west to South Dakota, east to Philadelphia, and into the halls of historically Black colleges, the Harlem Renaissance, and even the New York State Legislature. Through newly uncovered documents and a powerful conversation with Kennedy descendant Yvonne Burnley Studevan, this episode examines the legacy of George and Sarah Jane Kennedy’s daughters and the power of knowing where you come from. It’s a story about memory, belonging, and what it means to tell the truth about your town.

Credits:

Written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld
Co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith
Executive Producer: Andy Hageman
Theme music by Andrew Murray
Sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College
Produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther College’s student radio station
Special thanks to Anna Peterson and Yvonne Burnley Studevan

Season 3 of Podeia, The Kennedys of Decorah, tells the story of a Black family who made their home in post–Civil War Decorah, Iowa, and the town that both welcomed and failed them. Through historical research, interviews, and archival storytelling, host Lindsey Row-Heyveld unearths a legacy nearly lost to time.

In this episode, we explore the unraveling of the Kennedy family's life in Decorah. What began as a promising new chapter of stable work, civic participation, and community life slowly eroded in the face of rising anti-Black sentiment, personal tragedy, and economic hardship. George Kennedy faced false criminal accusations. His sons, George Jr. and Charley, died within months of each other. And in 1878, the gravestone that marked their burial was intentionally vandalized.

Through the lens of the Kennedy family’s grief and resilience, we examine the shifting racial politics of the late 19th century, the growing influence of scientific racism, and the consequences of being visible in a town that no longer wanted to see them. As Decorah changed, so did the message it sent to the Kennedys.

Credits:

Written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld
Co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith
Executive Producer: Andy Hageman
Theme music by Andrew Murray
Sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College
Produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther College’s student radio station

Season 3 of Podeia, The Kennedys of Decorah, follows the story of George and Sarah Jane Kennedy, a Black family who settled in Decorah, Iowa, after the Civil War. Through archival research, newspaper records, and community memory, host Lindsey Row-Heyveld traces their lives—and asks how the stories we choose to tell shape the way we remember our communities.

In this episode, we examine the Kennedys’ early years in Decorah. George Kennedy opens a barbershop. The family grows. They buy a home. But beneath the surface of what could be an easy narrative of triumph, the truth is more complicated. With gaps in the historical record, racist policies on the books, and public scrutiny from neighbors, the Kennedys’ story resists simplification. Lindsey explores what it means to seek truth instead of comfort, and how the stories we tell about our past influence our present.

Credits:
Written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld
Co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith
Executive Producer: Andy Hageman
Theme music by Andrew Murray
Sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College
Produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther College’s student radio station

Episode 2: They Came Here on Purpose

Season 3 of Podeia, The Kennedys of Decorah, follows the lives of George and Sarah Jane Kennedy, a Black family who lived in Decorah, Iowa, just after the Civil War. Through six episodes, host Lindsey Row-Heyveld explores their story—piecing together archival traces and personal histories to examine who is remembered, who is forgotten, and what belonging really means.

In this episode, we follow the Kennedy family’s journey across the United States, from the free Black community of Philadelphia to the raw edge of the Upper Midwest. Along the way, we uncover Sarah Jane Kennedy’s legacy as the granddaughter of AME Church founder Richard Allen, and consider the complexities of George Kennedy’s fragmented past. What would lead a family with deep roots in a thriving East Coast community to settle in a muddy Iowa valley? And what did they hope to find when they arrived?

Credits:
Written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld
Co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith
Executive Producer: Andy Hageman
Theme music by Andrew Murray
Sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College
Produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther College’s student radio station

Season 3 of Podeia, The Kennedys of Decorah, follows the little known story of a Black family who lived in Decorah, Iowa, just after the Civil War. Through census records, newspaper archives, and local memory, host Lindsey Row-Heyveld traces the lives of George and Sarah Jane Kennedy and their children. Podeia explores what it means to belong to a place, and what it means for that place to remember you in return.

This season begins with a gravestone in Phelps Cemetery: a fragile obelisk made from local limestone, marking the resting place of two Kennedy sons. As the stone crumbles, it raises questions about how we preserve memory and who gets remembered. With insights from local historian Stacey Gossling and geologist Laura Peterson, Lindsey begins uncovering the Kennedy family’s remarkable story, and why it matters today.

Credits:Written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld
Co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith
Executive Producer: Andy Hageman
Theme music by Andrew Murray
Sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College, in partnership with KWLC, Luther College’s student radio station

In this episode, Lindsey sits down with Amelia, a senior nursing major who took part in the remembrance project in the Fall of 2023. Together, Lindsey and Amelia remember Dorothy.

The Podeia Podcast is sponsored by The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College and produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther’s campus radio station. Podeia is written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld. It is co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith. Executive Producer, Andy Hageman. Theme Song Composer, Andrew Murray.

In this episode, Lindsey sits down with Mia, a senior international studies major, and Marie, a junior biology major. Both Mia and Marie took part in the remembrance project in the Fall of 2023. Together, Lindsey Mia and Marie remember Anna and Abner.

The Podeia Podcast is sponsored by The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College and produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther’s campus radio station. Podeia is written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld. It is co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith. Executive Producer, Andy Hageman. Theme Song Composer, Andrew Murray.

In this episode, Lindsey sits down with Alana, a Junior biology and anthropology student who took part in the remembrance project in the Fall of 2023. Together, Lindsey and Alana remember three siblings: Samuel, Adelaide, and Ella.

The Podeia Podcast is sponsored by The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College and produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther’s campus radio station. Podeia is written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld. It is co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith. Executive Producer, Andy Hageman. Theme Song Composer, Andrew Murray.

In this episode, Lindsey sits down with Pat, a sophomore English student who took part in the remembrance project in the Fall of 2023. Together, Lindsey and Pat remember Sergeant Robert.

The Podeia Podcast is sponsored by The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College and produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther’s campus radio station. Podeia is written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld. It is co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith. Executive Producer, Andy Hageman. Theme Song Composer, Andrew Murray.

In this episode, Lindsey sits down with Katie, a sophomore pre-pharmacy student who took part in the remembrance project in the Fall of 2023. Together, Lindsey and Katie remember George Phelps.

The Podeia Podcast is sponsored by The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College and produced in partnership with KWLC, Luther’s campus radio station. Podeia is written, hosted, and co-produced by Lindsey Row-Heyveld. It is co-produced and edited by Asher Elliott Smith. Executive Producer, Andy Hageman. Theme Song Composer, Andrew Murray.