Best Jim Bindon Erik Peterson Jo Weaver Podcasts (2024)

1
Eugenics, Part 2 39:02

1+ y ago39:02

39:02

In this episode we describe some of the early roots of eugenics and Erik describes his three-ingredient model for eugenics.By Speaking of Race

1
A Deeper Sickness 36:59

2y ago36:59

36:59

In this episode we interview Erik Peterson about the book he recently released with fellow historian, Margaret Peacock, about the crazy pandemic year of 2020. Race features prominently throughout!Some resources:The website that accompanies the book: https://adhc.lib.ua.edu/pandemicbook/The book: https://www.amazon.com/Deeper-Sickness-Journal-Americ…

1
Top 5 Scientific Racisms 27:23

2y ago27:23

27:23

In this episode we respond to a listener question about our top 5 examples of scientific racism. Unfortunately, in the five years of this podcast, we’ve only discussed two of these people/topics, so we’ve got a lot of work to do to get up to speed. The transcript includes references and resources for these topics: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploa…

1
Great is whose sin? 43:22

2y ago43:22

43:22

At least since Stephen Jay Gould's 1981 classic Mismeasure of Man, Darwin has been characterized as a kindly anti-racist while Morton has been characterized as a founding father of scientific racism. We argue that the two men were much more alike in their views on both slavery and race.By Speaking of Race

1
Racism Not Race 32:38

2y ago32:38

32:38

In this episode, we talk with evolutionary biologist Joe Graves and biological anthropologist Alan Goodman about their roles as thought leaders on public education around race, racism, and science (https://cup.columbia.edu/book/racism-not-race/9780231200660). They tell us about how they came to collaborate on their new book Racism not Race: Answers…

1
Eugenics, part 1 44:40

2y ago44:40

44:40

Eugenics: the science and practice of promoting “good breeding” among humans. An early-20th-century movement so steeped in white supremacy that even some white people don’t count, much less people of color. Here we begin a series with more than you ever wanted to know about the sinister history of eugenics, including mass sterilization campaigns in…

1
Race and Ancestry in Forensic Anthropology 32:53

2+ y ago32:53

32:53

The idea that race is a biological reality has hung on longest and strongest in the parts of biological anthropology that deal with skeletal remains. In this episode we talk with two forensic anthropologists, Sean Tallman and Allysha Winburn, about how typological notions of race and ancestry have changed over time in this segment of the discipline…

1
Firmin 43:03

2+ y ago43:03

43:03

Racial equality is a new idea, right? Wrong! Meet Anténor Firmin, renegade Haitian intellectual of the late 19th century. He traveled all over the world, duked it out with elite scientific racists, hung out with Frederick Douglass, even ran for president -- but was exiled. Twice. On this episode, we discuss the Haitian anthropologist whose work is …

1
Skin Color, part 2 48:16

3y ago48:16

48:16

In this episode we finish our discussion of skin color with genetic and evolutionary models proposed throughout the 20th and into the 21st century. Spoiler alert: It's complicated!Script and resources available here: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/skin_color_-_2.pdfBy Speaking of Race

1
History of Skin Color 59:06

3y ago59:06

59:06

Skin color is probably THE key thing we think of when we think about race these days, but it wasn't always that way. In this episode, we ask: where and when did skin color become the trait most associated with race? There's so much to talk about that we don't quite make it up to the present day--stay tuned for a sequel where we discuss contemporary…

1
Decolonizing 46:54

3y ago46:54

46:54

What does it mean to “decolonize” teaching and scholarship? Why would we want to do that? And how? We take on these questions and more in a panel discussion with social scientists and established scholars of race Lance Gravlee, John L. Jackson Jr., Stephanie McClure, and Yolanda Moses. Some Resources:Blum, Susan D., and Alfie Kohn, eds. (2020). Ung…

1
Karl Pearson and Geoffrey Morant 34:29

3y ago34:29

34:29

In this episode we interview historian of science Iris Clever about her research untangling the early 20th century entanglements of the biometricians, physical anthropology, and race. She pursues this topic through the exploration of work by the statistician and Galton protégé, Karl Pearson, and one of Pearson’s favorite students, Geoffrey Morant. …

1
Morton-Tiedemann-Gould 30:58

3y ago30:58

30:58

In this episode we talk with Paul Wolff Mitchell, of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, about the skull measurements of 19th century founding father of the American School of Anthropology, Samuel George Morton. Morton used his skull measurements to provide scientific support for polygenism (multiple origins of human r…

1
Caste 38:55

3+ y ago38:55

38:55

In this episode, Jo invites Alan Goodman back to review Isabel Wilkerson’s book, Caste. They provide some context from a science and history perspective on both caste and race.Here’s the source that Alan refers to: Egorova, Y. (2009). De/geneticizing Caste: Population Genetic Research in South Asia. Science as Culture, 18(4), 417-434. doi:10.1080/0…

1
Redlining, Health, and Voting 30:34

3+ y ago30:34

30:34

Did you know that how your neighborhood was assessed by a government agency over 70 years ago had an impact on your health and even your voting rights today? In this episode we talk about how the Home Owners Loan Corporation gave systemic racism in the U.S. a huge boost with their neighborhood ratings from the 1930s to the 1950s!Script: http://spea…

1
SOS interview of Gravlee and Mulligan 22:49

3+ y ago22:49

22:49

In this episode, we share an interview with Clarence Gravlee and Connie Mulligan, who talk about their cutting-edge research on racism and its effects on our genes (yes, you heard that right!). They show how experiences of racism have direct effects on the telomeres (the caps on the ends of our DNA) that control aging and cell death, literally wear…

1
What is Speaking of Race 9:17

3+ y ago9:17

9:17

A brief discussion of what Speaking of Race is all about.Transcript and links: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/what_is_speaking_of_race.pdfEpisodes mentioned:What you don’t see when you don’t look https://youtu.be/1pwQuN4AM7k THE PROTESTS ABOUT THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/podcast/the-protests-about-…

1
Sausage of Science Promo 0:32

3+ y ago0:32

0:32

A short suggestion about a sister-podcast on anthropology and science.By Speaking of Race

1
Scientific Racism 35:33

3+ y ago35:33

35:33

In this episode we discuss a speaker who came to UA in Fall 2019 to give a presentation about the evolution of human diversity—but it was actually a presentation of scientific racism in evolutionary clothing. Erik and Jim were part of a panel that rebutted his presentation and we share our experience with Jo.For a transcript and sources, click here…

1
The Protests about the Death of George Floyd 40:31

4y ago40:31

40:31

In this episode we discuss issues surrounding the demonstrations in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.ResourcesCrowdsourced spreadsheet documenting police violence: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YmZeSxpz52qT-10tkCjWOwOGkQqle7Wd1P7ZM1wMW0E/ DiAngelo, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. B…

1
American Anthropological Association Project on Race 32:43

4y ago32:43

32:43

In this episode we talk with two past presidents of the American Anthropological Association who played key roles in presenting the public face of American anthropology with regard to race over the past several decades: Yolanda Moses and Alan Goodman. They discuss the outreach efforts of the AAA.Some Resources:Blog posts on Sapiens:Five posts on ra…

1
Racism in the Pandemic 26:58

4y ago26:58

26:58

In this episode we give our take on the rapidly growing information about racial disparities in the face of the current pandemic.Some resources:https://www.propublica.org/article/early-data-shows-african-americans-have-contracted-and-died-of-coronavirus-at-an-alarming-ratehttps://theconversation.com/covid-19-is-hitting-black-and-poor-communities-th…

1
White Space and "Reverse Racism" 18:58

4y ago18:58

18:58

In this episode we continue our discussion with the sociologist, David Embrick. Here, we talk first about white public space including academia and anthropology as well as museums, where Dr. Embrick has looked at this issue. Next we talk about reverse racism as illustrated by Dr. Embrick’s work on the imbalance of racial slurs.Resources:Embrick, D.…

1
Structural Racism and diversity ideology 27:12

4y ago27:12

27:12

In this episode we interview the sociologist, David Embrick, about structural and institutional racism and diversity ideology. If you’d like to learn more about the relationship of structural racism and other inequities to the impact of the COVID pandemic, listen to this podcast from This Anthropological Life: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/episo…

1
Phrenology, race, and Thug heads 40:09

4+ y ago40:09

40:09

We finally fulfill our promise to talk about the seven thug skulls that arrived at the Edinburgh Phrenological Society in 1833. We also discuss how phrenology has been used to bolster biological ideas about race.Transcript: https://110557873-374249423321902787.preview.editmysite.com/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/thug_heads.pdf…

1
Herb Lewis interview about Franz Boas and race 26:24

4+ y ago26:24

26:24

In this episode we interviewed an expert on Franz Boas, Herb Lewis, to learn more about how Boas developed his ideas about race and how he acted on them throughout his life.Program notes available at: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/lewis-boas_interview.pdfBy Speaking of Race

1
Race And Health, part 3 37:51

4+ y ago37:51

37:51

In this episode we explore the history of racial ideas about blood pressure. We focus on problems with many genetic explanations of racial differences seen in hypertension in the U.S. Finally we discuss some of the better alternative explanations for racial differences based on the history of racism in America.…

1
Race And Health, part 2 39:38

5y ago39:38

39:38

In this episode we take on the notion that sickle cell is Black disease and show that it is a genetic condition that has been selected for in areas of life-threatening malaria.Transcript: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/race_and_health_part_2.pdfBy Speaking of Race

1
Race And Health Part 1 35:07

5y ago35:07

35:07

In this episode we begin the long and sordid saga of how race is entangled with health and medicine, and along the way you’ll find out how a rail-riding hobo took over two issues of the Journal of the American Economic Association in 1896 with 329 pages that shaped ideas about African American health for decades. Sources are available in the transc…

1
Race in India, part 3: Projit Mukharji interview 31:11

5y ago31:11

31:11

Remember when we talked about race science and caste in India last summer? Here, we return to that thread with historian of science Projit Mukharji, whose work traces the ways scientific racism has persisted in India since the end of the colonial period and right up into the present. Once again, we find that scientific racism is not just a Euro-Ame…

1
29 Caucasian 25:47

5y ago25:47

25:47

In this episode, we discuss the racial term Caucasian: origins, uses (and abuses) and how it figures in the racial conversation today. For a transcript: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/origin_of_the_term__caucasian_.pdfBy Speaking of Race

1
28 Race And Intelligence, Part4 44:34

5y ago44:34

44:34

In the fourth and final installment of our mini-series on race and intelligence, we get right-up-to-the-minute with James Watson’s recent (unfounded) claims that genetics and IQ are linked. Along the way, we figure out how IQ research has changed since the 1990s (spoiler alert: not much), and—most importantly—why people keep returning to this stuf…

1
27 Race And Intelligence, Part3 37:35

5y ago37:35

37:35

In this episode we try to shed some light on the shadowy Pioneer Fund which has supported racist science and white supremacist political activism since the 1930s. From its founder Wycliffe Draper through Henry Garrett and Roger Pearson with Mankind Quarterly to William Shockley and Arthur Jensen and finally The Bell Curve, we trace some of the raci…

1
26 Race And Intelligence, Part 2 37:28

5y ago37:28

37:28

In this episode, we continue the series on race and intelligence by heading across the pond to discuss work of the knighted psychologist, Sir Cyril Burt, and the two British ex-pats who worked in the U.S., psychometrician Raymond Cattell and anthropologist Ashley Montagu.Transcript: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/race_and_in…

1
25 Health Inequality In Africa, Interview With Melissa Graboyes 33:49

5y ago33:49

33:49

In today’s episode, we travel to East Africa with Dr. Melissa Graboyes, a historian of medicine. Melissa talks with us about medical experimentation in East Africa during the colonial period, race-based health inequality in those parts of the world today, and how it was that prisoners in Zanzibar subverted racial categories through food! Some resou…

1
24 Race And Intelligence, Part 1 32:46

5y ago32:46

32:46

In this episode we begin the very long story of the pseudo-scientific conflation of race and intelligence over the last several hundred years. Much more to come on this topic in future podcasts.Transcript: http://speakingofrace.ua.edu/uploads/1/1/0/5/110557873/race_and_intelligence_part_1.pdfSome episode resources:Jensen, Arthur. "How much can we b…

1
22 Interview With Gene Demby Of NPR’s Code Switch 46:53

5y ago46:53

46:53

We got to interview Gene Demby, co-host of NPR’s podcast Code Switch! Gene talks about what it’s like to be a leader in national conversations about race and identity, why higher education is so unwelcoming to people of color, and how scientific racism continues to be so powerful. Oh, and also, why Archibald’s ribs are the most delicious food in Am…

1
23 Slavery Ideas About Black Bodies, Interview Of Hilary Green 32:03

5y ago32:03

32:03

In this episode, we restart our march through history, which we left off a few episodes ago back in the 18th century. With our guest, Dr. Hilary Green, we dive into 19th-century American slavery and the idea that black and brown bodies are “closer to nature” than light-skinned bodies. Dr. Green talks about racism, popular ideas of biology, and how …

1
21 Race In Brazil 31:14

5y ago31:14

31:14

In this episode, we continue our mini-series on global race. This time we travel with historian Teresa Cribelli to 19th-century Brazil, where she and Jo banter about slavery, colorism, and how Brazil came to be seen as a nation that embraces racial mixing despite the fact that it subscribed to a national strategy of “whitening” its population. No p…

1
20 One Year Anniversary - Jo's In Oregon 4:40

5y ago4:40

4:40

A brief break to take stock of the past, project the future, and say hi to Jo in her new home.By Speaking of Race

1
19 Race In The Enlightenment, Part 3 - Scotland 55:37

5y ago55:37

55:37

You've heard of the Scottish philosopher David Hume. But do you know how much he wrote about the concept of race? Turns out, kind of a lot. And then there were the lauded Scottish surgeons William and John Hunter. They thought humans were derived from apes ... in the 1700s! They influenced a guy you've probably never heard of, Charles White, who wr…

1
18 Race In India, Part 2 40:45

5y ago40:45

40:45

In the final installment of our two-part series on India, we examine how race and caste have been aligned, disputed, and separated for political ends since the early twentieth century. And we finally get rid of that peacock!Here are some resources for the show:Amar Chitra Katha comic books: https://www.amarchitrakatha.com/us/Bamshad, Michael, et a…

1
17 Race In India, Part 1 32:53

5y ago32:53

32:53

Jo's in India!...So we're taking the podcast to India, too. In part one of this two-part series, we explore how the Indian caste system served as a central proving ground for emerging racial theories in Europe and Asia during British colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some Resources:Basu, Subho. 2010 The Dialectics of Resistance: Colonial…

1
16a Race in the Enlightenment, B - Side 3 Step 5:42

5y ago5:42

5:42

Here’s what we do for fun off script. Jo and Erik debate about how we can describe—in discrete steps—the process leading to the emergence of racial science in the 18th century. All you need to know about the development of racial science and how pathetic we are in 5 minutes! GO!By Speaking of Race

1
16 Race In The Enlightenment, Part 2 - Kant And Blumenbach 35:52

5y ago35:52

35:52

In this episode, we think we’ve finally found the main culprit: Immanuel Kant! We also discuss two scientists that get a lot of undeserved blame for scientific racism: Johann Friedrich Blumenbach and Petrus Camper.Some Resources:To see where these Enlightenment views on race have ended up today, we give you two Steve King interviews. 1. At the Rep…

1
15 Race In The Enlightenment, Part 1 - Buffon And Linnaeus 26:38

5y ago26:38

26:38

In this episode we discuss two of the heavy lifters from the enlightenment when it comes to spreading a scientific concept of race: Buffon and Linnaeus.Here are some resources for this topic:Try Jim’s blog post about Buffon and race: http://jbindon.people.ua.edu/race-and-human-variation/darwins-borrowed-allegory-and-the-apocryphal-six-races-of-buff…

1
14 17th Century Development Of Ideas About Race 24:29

5y ago24:29

24:29

In this episode we discuss how ideas about human differences evolved in Europe during the 1600s. From Noah's Curse to the Lost Tribes of Israel, to pre-Adamism, to race--this was a dynamic time in the history of race.Resources:Popkin, Richard H. "Pre-adamism in 19th century American thought: “Speculative biology” and racism." Philosophia 8, no. 2-3…

1
13 Flash - Sam Harris Vs Ezra Klein Vs Actual Science 19:47

5y ago19:47

19:47

A "seismic" op-ed in the New York Times! Well known podcast host throwing down on another well known podcast host! A discredited race scientist from the 1980s-90s seemingly justified by a Harvard geneticist in 2018! What's going on here?In our first ever "Flash" episode — and our first episode attempted (foolishly) without captain-of-the-ship Jim B…

1
12 Race In 16th Century Mexico 22:09

5y ago22:09

22:09

In our last episode, we showed that pre-Columbian ideas about human differences weren't consistent with what we think of today as race. In this episode we try to answer the question of how race got culturally constructed after Columbus. We talk to Professor Rob Schwaller of the Department of History at the University of Kansas who tells us how noti…

1
11 Pre - Columbian Ideas About Race 26:21

5y ago26:21

26:21

In this episode we go back to the beginning to kick off the history of race and science and to show that race is NOT an ancient concept. First to ancient Egypt that played such a large role in the development of 19th century ideas on race, then on to ancient Greece and Biblical traditions to try to get a picture of what some of the ancients might h…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Jim Bindon Erik Peterson Jo Weaver Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide