Greenville, NC is an unlikely hotspot for an extreme sport like BMX freestyle. Tucked away in eastern North Carolina, it's surrounded by farmland and doesn’t even crack a list of the top ten biggest cities in the state. But at one point, it was home to more professional freestyle bike riders than anywhere else on the planet. Led by Dave Mirra, one of the greatest BMX athletes of all-time, this group of pros fostered a community that would change the world of action sports forever.

Warning: This episode contains a descriptions of suicide. Please listen with care, and if you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8 on your phone. 

Featuring: 

• Steve Nowak, former pro BMX rider
• Mike Laird, former pro BMX rider and owner of ECCMetal and lairdframe
• Austin Hardee, former pro BMX rider and owner of AUS10designs
• Dylan Potter, creator of Jaycee Jams

Links:

• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A type of music known as beach music has been baked into the culture of the Carolina coast for generations, along with a specific type of dancing that goes with it: shag. But how did these smooth, soulful sounds become tied to the sandy shores of North and South Carolina? The answer is a little more complicated and transgressive than you might expect.

This episode originally published on July 25, 2024.

Featuring:

• John Hook, radio DJ and beach music historian
• Curtis Platt, founder of Softtoe Entertainment & Dance Production and the annual Beach Urban Dance Classic

Links:

• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Embedded within a North Carolina forest is something eerie – an empty, desolate circle where absolutely nothing grows. It’s known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground, where legend has it the Devil himself walks around the circle plotting his evil deeds against the world. The spot has attracted brave campers, paranormal investigators, and curious people passing through for centuries. So, what’s really going on here? 

Featuring: 

• Cliff Bumgardner, producer and director with PBS North Carolina
• Brad Thompson, regional agronomist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Links:

• Watch Cliff's documentary about the Devil's Tramping Ground for PBS NC here.
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In her Pulitzer prize-winning book on Native people in North America, historian Kathleen DuVal challenges the way non-native people often regard Native America. From the bustling cities that covered the continent a thousand years ago, to the strong connection Indigenous people maintain to their homelands today, the story of Native nations is so much more than isolated moments like the Lost Colony and the Trail of Tears.

Featuring: 

• Kathleen DuVal, Pulitzer prize-winning author of “Native Nations: A Millennium in North America”

Links:

• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The turn of the 20th century was defined by earth-shattering advances in technology. Inventors were like rock stars. But for every household name like Alexander Graham Bell or the Wright Brothers, there were countless innovators whose contributions have been lost to time, including a brilliant engineer from North Carolina named Stuart Cramer. Like a genius Forrest Gump, Cramer showed up everywhere. And from air conditioning to fashion, his work continues to shape our world.

Featuring: 

• Brad Campbell, writer for Our State Magazine

Links:

• Check out Brad Campbell’s article on Stuart Cramer for the series Hidden History.
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

July 4th, 1776 is arguably the most important date in American history. That's when citizens of the colonies declared total independence from Great Britain for the very first time. But what if it wasn’t the first? This week, we travel down the rabbit hole of North Carolina’s Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and entertain a couple of shocking possibilities: either someone’s lying — or we may need to rethink everything we know about American independence.

This episode originally published on July 4, 2024.

Featuring:

• Dave Fleming, author of “Who's Your Founding Father?: One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence”
• Jim Ambuske, historian and co-head of R2 Studios at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.

Links:

• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Enticed by cheap energy and friendly zoning laws, crypto mining operations poured into Appalachia. But in many places, like Murphy, North Carolina, these incredibly invasive facilities quickly wore out their welcome. Now, communities across the region are trying to pull the plug on crypto, while grappling with a new challenge that presents many of the same problems: AI data centers.

Featuring: 

• Jane Sartwell, reporter for Carolina Public Press
• Cyndie Roberson, former resident of Cherokee County, NC
• Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief for WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio
• Dina Temple-Raston, managing editor and host of the Click Here podcast

Links: 

• Listen to Click Here’s episode Crypto in Kentucky: The next extraction.
• Read Jane’s recent reporting for Carolina Public Press.
• Check out Colin’s coverage of Cherokee County from 2024.
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people at the end of the Civil War. For many Black Americans, it’s a day of remembrance for their ancestors who fought and died for freedom. And while that can be a spiritual experience, the physical connection to a final resting place is often obstructed by poor record keeping and the neglect of burial sites. It’s a struggle that author Sade Green documented in a recent personal essay for TIME Magazine.

Featuring: 

• Sade Green, writer

Links: 

• Read Sade’s story for TIME Magazine here.
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Venus flytrap is one of the most recognizable plants on the planet. Its strange and unique adaptations have made it a cultural icon and a favorite of plant collectors. But increasingly, there are worries about the health of its wild population. That's because the exotic plant only grows in a single place on the planet: a sliver of dirt in a small corner of the Carolinas.

Featuring:

• Michael Kunz, Director of Conservation Programs at the North Carolina Botanical Garden
• Sara Heise Graybeal, freelance journalist and folklorist
• Sgt. Matt Criscoe, NC Wildlife Commission's Law Enforcement Division

Links: 

• Read Sara's article about the cultural impact of the Venus flytrap at The Assembly.
• Check out North Carolina's Venus flytrap license plate.
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marlin fishing helps fuel a billion-dollar recreational saltwater fishing industry. Much of it is situated on the North Carolina coast, which also happens to be the site of one of the oldest and most celebrated fishing competitions in the world – the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. It’s an event filled with high stakes drama, and it continues to grow. But are there enough blue marlin in the ocean for the good times to keep rolling on?

Featuring:

• Ashley Bleau, owner of the Sensation
• Neal Conoley, author and former head of the North Carolina Aquarium Society
• Dr. John Graves, marine biologist and former professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science
• Aaron Barr, first mate of the Never Enough

Links:

• The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament starts on June 6th in Morehead City, NC
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.