President Barack Obama and Malcolm Gladwell. Eli Turner President Barack Obama is providing commentary for a new Malcolm Gladwell podcast about America’s Reconstruction Era.
The podcast, Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, is an eight-part series exploring the post-Civil War and post-slavery era in which the U.S. tried to rebuild the country and reimagine society. The podcast is produced by the History Channel, in collaboration with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries and Audible.
The series will be released on Audible on Thursday, with all episodes to be released on all podcast platforms starting June 18 through July 16.
“The Reconstruction Era was a brief but pivotal and turbulent chapter in our nation’s history – one that is often overlooked, even though its consequences are still felt today,” said President Barack Obama. “In confronting this period honestly, I hope audiences can rediscover an essential part of our past and remember that even in moments of deep conflict and contradiction, persistence and perseverance remain powerful sources of hope.”
The series begins and concludes with a conversation between Obama and Gladwell, with commentary throughout the series from guests including Jelani Cobb, Wyatt Cenac, David Blight, Kai Wright, Kellie Carter Jackson, Ashley C. Ford, Manisha Sinha, Kidada Williams and Eric Foner. Each episode draws from archives, letters, diaries, court records, eyewitness testimonies and more to examine the complexities of the era and its impact on current day America.
The podcast, originally announced in 2024, is part of Higher Ground’s first-look deal with Audible, which has also included Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast; Your Mama’s Kitchen: Conversations from the Heart of the Home hosted by Michele Norris; The Wonder of Stevie hosted by Wesley Morris; and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man hosted by Jad Abumrad.
The History Channel is releasing the podcast as part of its campaign honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
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