In the late 1960s, the Black Panther Party made racial pride a rallying point for social justice and arming citizens against police brutality - and was targeted by the FBI. So was the Puerto Rican nationalist party called the Young Lords. Today, we look back the little known activist movement strongly influenced by feminist ideals and the Latina experience.
Plus, want information? Google it. But try Googling: "is the Holocaust real?" and you'll be led to a barrage of Holocaust denial. We'll dig into why even when the facts are indisputable, finding truth online is not guaranteed.
Listen to the full show.
The Women of the Young Lords
America in the mid-to-late 1960s was alive with revolutionary spirit. The Civil Rights Movement, antiwar protests, and women's lib divided the nation and challenged traditional notions of race, class, power, gender and identity. Nationalist movements thrived, most notably the Nation of Islam and Black Panther Parties, both organizations distinguished by their clothing and rhetoric and both targeted by the FBI.
We hear less about the Young Lords, a group which aspired to awakening Puerto Rican radicalism in the US. Even less known - about a third of its members were women. Despite the name, the Young Lords was profoundly shaped by the Latina experience and feminist ideals.
Iris Morales was among the leaders of the movement at its peak. She is now educator, community activist and attorney and author of the new book, Through the Eyes of Rebel Women: the Young Lords: 1969-1976.
I Want to Read at the White House
The inauguration is just days away - and for the past several weeks, which artists are choosing to - or not to perform - is being closely watched and discussed. Toby Keith and Three Doors Down are in - Tony-award winning actress Jennifer Holliday backed out. Perhaps that leaves an open spot for poet and columnist Joshua Clover, an alum of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, who says he's game for a presidential reading - sort of. Here he is discussing, and then reading his poem, "I Want to Read at the White House."
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
Google's Impact on Hate
Stumped on a state capitol? Can't remember name of a favorite childhood tune? Use the Googles. Google is the world's most popular search engine slash curator of information. But that doesn't mean the results are true. Try Googling: "did the Holocaust happen?" or "is the Holocaust real?" and prepare for a barrage of fake news from Holocaust deniers and white supremacist websites. Melanie Ehrenkranz is a tech reporter for the news site, Mic. She looked into how Google's algorithm is being used as a tool for Nazi propaganda.
LEO
The story of the first business computer is fairly humble. This story, which was part of a commentary series called Stories of Technology by Bill Hammack, first aired in 2003 - and ends with a warning to another one of the world's major tech companies.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
A Quilter's Dilemma
Stacked in closets and attics and boxes of photos and school memorabilia across America are piles and piles of old t-shirts. These reminders of life stages or occasions are too precious to throw out and too ratty to wear. The internet is flooded with crafty ways to preserve t-shirts, but for the less DYI oriented, you can send your old tees out to be sewn into a keepsake quilt. That's a risk for the sender - and an immense responsibility for businesses that deal in sentimental objects. One that can come back to haunt a company when business goes south.
Rachel Monroe is a freelance writer and volunteer firefighter based in Texas. She wrote “Crossed Stitches” for Texas Monthly about one company who faced those consequences.
