Remind My Soul: "Dangerous Information—Walter White" (feat. Dart Adams)

In this episode of Remind My Soul, Michael Lawrence-Riddell tells the story of Walter White, a pioneering NAACP investigator who risked his life to expose racial terror in early 20th-century America.

Born in Atlanta and able to pass as white, White used his appearance to infiltrate white communities across the South—gathering firsthand accounts of lynchings and racial violence directly from the perpetrators themselves. His work helped expose the truth behind mob violence, challenge dominant narratives, and lay the groundwork for key legal victories in the fight for civil rights.

The episode centers on White's investigation of the Elaine Massacre of 1919, one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in U.S. history, and explores how his reporting contributed to a landmark Supreme Court decision that expanded protections for Black Americans.

We are joined by writer, journalist, and cultural historian Dart Adams, who reflects on the importance of documenting history, preserving cultural memory, and continuing the work of truth-telling today.

As always, Akrobatik closes the episode with an original verse inspired by the story and conversation.

Research and writing by Courtney Gilbert and Michael Lawrence-Riddell. Edited by Michael Lawrence-Riddell. Features an excerpt of the film "Words Unbound: Ida B. Wells", produced in collaboration with RainLake. Music from Blue Dot Sessions and 8bza.

Key Themes

• Investigative journalism as resistance

• The realities of racial terror during Jim Crow

• The power—and danger—of passing

• Legal strategy and the road to civil rights victories

• Cultural memory, storytelling, and historical truth

To Learn More Walter White & NAACP Work

• A Man Called White — A Man Called White

• Rope and Faggot: A Biography of Judge Lynch — Rope and Faggot

• NAACP — History & archives

• "Walter White: Mr. NAACP" — PBS American Experience

Elaine Massacre (1919)

• Elaine Massacre — Equal Justice Initiative

• Arkansas Encyclopedia — "Elaine Race Massacre of 1919"

• Library of Congress — Primary sources & legal documents

Ida B. Wells & Investigative Journalism

• Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases — Southern Horrors

• The Red Record — The Red Record

• Ida B. Wells — Biography & collected works

Legal Legacy & Civil Rights

• Moore v. Dempsey (Elaine case)

• Brown v. Board of Education

• Thurgood Marshall & Charles Hamilton Houston

The Red Summer & Racial Violence

• Red Summer — overview & analysis

• James Weldon Johnson writings on Red Summer

Cultural Memory & Storytelling

• Explore the work of Dart Adams on hip-hop, culture, and history

• Self-Evident Education films & curriculum — https://www.selfevidenteducation.com

About the Guest

Dart Adams is a writer, journalist, and cultural historian whose work explores hip-hop, race, and the overlooked histories of Black communities—particularly in Boston. His research and storytelling highlight the importance of preserving cultural memory and understanding the deeper context behind the stories we tell.

Reflection Questions

1. What responsibilities do journalists have when exposing injustice—especially when doing so puts them at risk?

2. How does access—to spaces, information, or identity—shape who is able to tell history?

3. In what ways does the past continue to shape present-day systems of inequality?

Connect & Learn More

🌐 https://www.selfevidenteducation.com 📩 [email protected]

Instagram: @selfevidenteducation

MUSIC:

The Yards by Blue Dot Sessions

Heath by Blue Dot Sessions

Glass Beads by Blue Dot Sessions

Stillness by Blue Dot Sessions

Balti by Blue Dot Sessions