This is exactly why this series should’ve been narrated by African Americans. These two are exactly the know it all white liberals Malcolm X in full context quotes about being weary of. I mean how could slate have let this get out is beyond me. No wait, they’re white know it all and as I sent I’ve without knowing as the hosts of this podcast. Do better
Maybe factually accurate, but centered on White POV. Africans didn’t “emerge” as a labor force, enslavers identified Africans as their preferred labor source, for example. When history is told from Black POV, there is an opportunity for empathy by the listener.
However 20 minutes in, the let’s just call it “their New Environment” was the first pause, the second was finding this humorous. And yep you guessed it, I won’t press play to finish…and I must go research the idea that these were STOLEN PEOPLE, yet they somehow found themselves with the same freedoms as their counterparts? HOW? That defeats the purpose of stealing them in the first place.
It’s hard to get through the episodes because of the continuous laughter.This is something I noticed before even reading other reviews. The information may be good but may get do to that.
Although the content is interesting, I am an adult and thunk that accents young people take on in high school should be abandoned when they are professional adults. Use your authentic voice-not what you used to be cool when you were young. Too much giggling and valley girl accenting makes me not able to take it seriously. It’s too bad because Ira Berlin is interesting and I wish he was hosting it. Please grow up.
Came to read these reviews to see if others drew the same conclusion as me. While the info provided by the interviewees was informative the constant laughter and jokes by the hosts regarding a sensitive matter was a bad look and took away from the material.
Completely lacking depth & knowledge. This isn’t supposed to be something laughter about & to blame all white people is disgusting & does nothing to help inform what the true history of slavery is. Should be titled let’s blame white people. All the while slavery still exist to this day & that wasn’t even brought to light.
Hosted by mayo ppl, laughing constantly. This was so distasteful from the beginning I kept trying to give it chances but it’s not even possible to get past 15 minutes on the first episode from the obnoxious laughter. So awful. Please don’t produce sensitive podcasts ever again @ the hosts.
I agree that there’s a lot of nervous giggles throughout the podcast, but I found the content educational. The podcast gets better after episode one and they talk to many scholars and historians about the topic. The podcast introduced me to several books that I have now marked to read.
The laughter, which I understand where it comes from-I really do, should have been edited out. You’re giving a historical account of actions that greatly affected the lives of millions. It knocks a five star podcast down to three or four stars for me. I’m still listening though and I do appreciate your hard work and dedication.
I’ve listened to this multiple times and it’s frustrating. The random chuckling, “contextualizing” owning a human being? Saying some only owned one while others owned 40+? Parts of its make me cringe. I appreciate the info but that’s about it. More examples of America and where are. Not one part AT ALL of this is comical. The laughs could have at least been edited out.
I listened to 25 mins of this and can’t believe this conversation. Slavery can only be measured in degrees for white people. The audacity of that comment and the attempt to look at the slaves who “didn’t have it so bad”. If you want an informative podcast, 1619 does it with respect.
I listened for 22 minutes and could not get over the lack of seriousness, lightness and laughter. Then, when the question of how did endentured servitude evolve into slavery happened it was compared to summer became winter. Just ignorance
Hard to tell what the value is of discussing “degrees of badness” in slavery? Do we really need to spend our time listening to why some forms of SLAVERY aren’t as bad? I’m so confused what I’m supposed to learn from these discussions.
I love history podcasts and am always up for learning something but good gravy this is so slow. There is no hook, no joy, just information told as plain as rice with nothing on it. So sad.
The hosts do a good job to recognize the horrible and traumatic time in history and to respect the severity of the topic without making it impossibly depressing to listen to.
I enjoyed the content and learned a lot from the interviews but am HORRIFIED that Slate keeps this on here given how the host Rebecca laughs throughout the most serious subjects. The hosts take away from what great learning could be had by comparing these events to modern day movies (fight club??) and she laughs or giggles constantly. she takes away from the important lessons to be had. Bad taste.
I so badly wish this was narrated by other people. The hosts are horrible, juvenile and crass to a big, sensitive and important topic! While mentioning touring Jefferson’s plantation “I was probably flirting with someone and didn’t pay much attention” GROSS!!!!!!!
I’m torn on this. It’s well-researched (or seems so to this lay-person), and I’m learning a lot. Unfortunately, it’s delivered with about as much polish and poise as a high school history report. What’s with all the nervous giggling at extremely inappropriate times, like when describing a slave ship?! I’ll give the hosts the benefit of the doubt and assume they’re just uncomfortable with the subject matter... though I’m left wondering why slate was unable to either edit out the giggles or find hosts with the maturity to handle the topic respectively.
I’ve been listening to this podcast since it’s release and I’ve always enjoyed the content, but would it kill y’all to do more thorough research before releasing episodes. I find myself always hearing inaccuracies into be episodes and that’s just not ok.
I want to like this podcast more than I do. It is very informative, and I have already learned a lot from the first 2 episodes. However, I find the jovial tone of the two hosts to be EXTREMELY problematic. I noticed this in the first episode and brushed it off, but it became very apparent in the second episode about the ships that carried enslaved peoples. The female host especially giggled several times, and then eventually, both hosts admitted that they needed to have “gallow’s humor” to discuss this. I doubt that descendants of people who survived these ships would have the same “humor.” Nothing about this is funny. Would you laugh when talking about the mechanics of a gas chamber? I chalk this up to white privilege and discomfort. But I’d rather they not talk at all if they can’t handle what they’re saying with any sense of maturity or respect for the generational trauma those voyages caused.
They tell this history in the best way by starting with a story each episode of a particular person and how that tells a wider story of slavery. They question some long held purported beliefs we were all taught or told over the centuries. Their narrative starts centuries before most of us understood to be the main history and how slavery meant different things at different times. And how things like the Underground Railroad was not an organized system but more dependent on brave individuals, black and white, willing to risk their lives and livelihoods. Excellent interviews with expert historians. This is the kind of thing which should be taught in schools, starting as young as grammar schools.
Very well done! You had asked for topic selections for future endeavors. As a white educator in the public school system in a district where social justice is a number one priority I would like to hear deep discussions on how we can better serve our students of color in a system that is primarily run by white decision makers. We are becoming more aware of the realities of the last 400 years of in justice and what is still going on in our very neighborhoods. We are aware of the injustices out black, Latinex, and other minorities bring when they walk through our doors. We know we must hold expectations high so that these students leave with the tools they need to succeed in the community. We know this. Our question is how?
What are we not doing correctly that can help our students get where they need to be.
This is a conversation that many of us are looking for.
I found the content interesting and without question informative. Some may find the narrating off-putting - particularly the egregious use of “sort of”, “like”, and awkward, misplaced laughter.
