When we think about fascist movements in Europe, themes like racial hierarchy, eugenics, and hostility toward disabled individuals often come to mind. However, the reality is far more complex. This month on Talking History, Djene and Patrick discuss fascism and disability with Ms. Brandie Robb. Ms. Robb is a graduate student at Missouri State University whose research focuses on disability in fascist Italy.

The struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, the so-called “Cold War” was one of the defining conflicts of the second half of the 20th century. This conflict was not simply a geopolitical conflict between the world’s two remaining superpowers, but represented a fight for the future of humanity—one which pitted the American-led capitalist world against the Soviet-led socialist bloc. It was a worldwide struggle that touched every continent, fueled revolutions, and redefined nations. From the covert battlefields of espionage to the ideological showdowns of proxy wars, from the race to space to the brink of nuclear annihilation, the Cold War wasn’t cold at all—it was fiery, global, and far-reaching.

To discuss the Cold War, this month on Talking History, we speak with Dr. Ron Leonhardt. Dr. Leonhardt is a historian who specializes in the history of Southeast Asia and is based at Missouri State University. He is a specialist on the Cold War and will be teaching seminars for both undergraduates and graduates on the Global Cold War in the Spring of 2025.

In recent years, there has been much public discussion in the United States over the teaching of history, from the controversies pertaining to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones's 1619 projects and the debates surrounding confederate monuments to the perception amongst some that scholarship on the history of Israel-Palestine is promoting antisemitism.

While history is often portrayed as a dry academic subject, the sometimes ill-tempered nature of the public discussion hints at the significance of history to many.

Given such sensitivities, this month on Talking History, Djene and Pat discuss why history can be so controversial and how those tasked with teaching history navigate difficult topics.

Perusing the local liquor store shelves, you will encounter wines from Australia and South Africa, two former British colonies. The story of these wine producing regions is inextricably linked to mineral extraction and labor exploitation, with "viticultural capitalists" investing large sums of capital into the consolidation, expansion, and proliferation of these fledgling wine industries.

This month we are joined by Dr. Chelsea Davis to talk about her award-winning article, "All that Glitters Is Wine? Viticultural Capitalists and the Creation of Britain’s Colonial Wine Industry" and how Cecil Rhodes of South Africa and Thomas Hardy of Australia typified this phenomenon.

Dr. Chelsea Davis is a historian of modern British Empire with regional focus in sub-Saharan Africa and Australia and an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Missouri State University.

Much to the annoyance of historians, public perceptions of the past are often shaped by popular culture, books, TV, films, and other cultural artifacts. However, despite their inaccuracies, the elements that make up popular culture are topics of great interest to historians. In this episode of Talking History, we speak to Dr. Kathleen Kennedy about the ways popular culture can provide insights into how particular societies have understood their past and how those understandings have changed over time.

Dr. Kathleen Kennedy is a professor of history and head of the Department of History at Missouri State University.

In 2022, the painful history of Canada’s relationship with its Native American population was thrust into the limelight with the discovery of mass graves at former residential schools. For Canada’s rulers, these boarding schools were seen as a vehicle to “civilize” the country’s indigenous population; to bring them into the “modern world”. However, the reality was that such schools were often the sights of great cruelty, with children being separated from their families and communities and subjected to both psychological and physical abuse. Significantly, such schools were not unique to Canada, with similar institutions existing south of the border here in the United States. In this episode of Talking History we speak with historian Dr. John Gram about the evolution of native education in the U.S.  

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick and Djene speak to Dr. Daniel Bessner about the history of Hollywood.

In 2023, the Writers Guild of America, which represents over 11,000 screenwriters, went on strike.  One of the central areas of their dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was residuals from streaming services. The work stoppage culminated, after 148 days of industrial action and an estimated $6.5 billion loss to the Californian economy, in a new agreement ratified by the WGA members. However, in a recent piece published in Harper’s Magazine entitled “The Life and Death of Hollywood” historian Daniel Bessner, argues that film and television writers continue to face an existential threat.

Daniel Bessner is an associate professor of history at the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. You can read his piece in Harper’s Magazine.

The road trip is a hallowed American tradition that is really only about 100 years old. From the Beats to the Griswolds, the idea of recreationally crossing country by car is a common trope in American media. But can we learn anything from a road trip?

This week, Patrick ventures out of the studio and deep into the Ozarks on farm roads, state routes and two-lane highway to bring you an audio road trip through the Boston Mountains, the White River Hills, and the Salem and Springfield Plateaus. Join us for a totally different kind of Talking History as we take a look at our region at 55 miles per hour.

In this episode of Talking History, Djene speaks to Dr. Sarah Panzer about the myths and realities of life as a Samurai.