Best South Carolina Stingrays Podcasts (2024)

1
The other Declaration of Independence 18:17

6d ago18:17

18:17

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…

1
The surprising cricket capital of the South 21:03

13d ago21:03

21:03

The game of cricket is rapidly gaining popularity across the US. The country is currently co-hosting the Men's T20 Cricket World Cup for the very first time at venues in major cities like New York, Miami and Dallas. But if you want to see what the future of the sport in America might look like, you need to visit a field next to an airport in the sm…

1
The science behind saving an island 17:57

20d ago17:57

17:57

Sugarloaf Island protects the community of Morehead City from hurricanes and storm surge. But in recent decades, it’s begun to disappear. A multimillion dollar project is underway to save this North Carolina town's last line of defense from the pounding waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The plan's mix of science and engineering could offer a solution fo…

1
Craft beer’s emerging Southern flavor (Revisited) 19:18

27d ago19:18

19:18

In the last decade, the craft industry’s boom has steadily spread across Southern states. There are now thousands of breweries in the region (400 in North Carolina alone). But what exactly is a Southern beer? Featuring: Sean Lilly Wilson, Founder of Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC Tinu Diver, Documentary Filmmaker Owen Racer, Freelance Journalist T…

1
Charlotte the stingray's tangled web 21:31

1M ago21:31

21:31

Earlier this year, an aquarium in a small-town in Western North Carolina claimed that a stingray named Charlotte got impregnated by a shark. Charlotte became an internet sensation in the aftermath and quite possibly the most famous fish in the world. Then, things got weird. Featuring: Emily Cataneo, reporter for The Assembly Links: Check out Emily’…

1
The hunt for a long-lost musical masterpiece 21:58

1M ago21:58

21:58

Perhaps more than any other artform, the 20th century was shaped by jazz. And piano player and composer Mary Lou Williams was there at nearly every turn. In recent years, historians have documented and dissected her career and its big impact on American music. But the final chapter of her life—spent teaching at Duke University—was shrouded in myste…

1
Billy Graham’s statue and the legacy of ‘America’s Pastor’ 21:37

2M ago21:37

21:37

During his prolific six-decade career, Billy Graham traveled across the world preaching Christianity to millions. Along the way, he became one of the most influential religious figures in America. His prominence sparked friendships with several American presidents, and he became a regular presence as an advisor in the Oval Office. But his home was …

1
NASCAR's racing simulator revolution (Revisited) 21:09

2M ago21:09

21:09

NASCAR is the most popular motorsport series across America, but its roots run deep as a regional sport in the South, especially in our home state of North Carolina. That history has heavily influenced the growth of motorsports in the US, which has produced a disproportionate amount of Southern drivers — and fans. But in recent years, a surprising …

1
Our trash lives next to this community 17:59

2M ago17:59

17:59

When it comes to where our trash goes, for most of us it's out of sight, out of mind. But for the residents of a once-thriving Black community in North Carolina, it’s right next door. Sampson County is the site of the largest landfill in the state, and isn’t projected to be full for another 20 years. For the people who live next to it, this mountai…

1
How many dollar stores are too many? (Revisited) 21:18

2M ago21:18

21:18

This week, we're revisiting a story from last year that's recently been back in the headlines. Discount stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General have become ubiquitous in the American landscape — especially in the South. They can be convenient and even necessary, but some advocates warn that their rapid spread is creating food deserts. But whil…

1
Zombie deer and our looming conservation crisis 20:42

3M ago20:42

20:42

The majority of funding for state wildlife programs comes from hunting licenses and taxes associated with hunting, fishing and guns. But a generational decline in hunters and a deadly disease are threatening the foundation of that wildlife management system. In North Carolina, a coalition of hunters and conservationists are trying to head off this …

1
Can we save the banana from extinction? 12:53

3M ago12:53

12:53

The grocery store banana as we know it is a monoculture, which means that from Tokyo to Tulsa nearly everyone eats the same variety. That lack of diversity makes the plant incredibly vulnerable, and it’s facing an existential threat in the form of a devastating fungus. The cure may be growing in an office park in North Carolina. Featuring: Bradley …

1
Breaking Southern baseball's color barrier 21:23

3M ago21:23

21:23

A little more than 75 years ago, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball's major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But integration in the South was slow going and took a slightly different path. This week, we look at what it took to integrate Southern baseball and how one group in rural North Carolina is ensuring that the next generati…

1
The toxic spill that left a legacy of change 20:22

3M ago20:22

20:22

A decade ago, thousands of tons of toxic coal ash poured into the Dan River. The spill—the third largest of its kind in US history—was a devastating environmental disaster. But today, the event is perhaps best known for its legacy of legislation, as environmental activists and communities across North Carolina turned a local disaster into a nationa…

1
Teachers challenge the nation's toughest union ban 22:22

3M ago22:22

22:22

North Carolina and South Carolina are home to the most restrictive public sector collective bargaining laws in the country. In fact, they’re the only two states that ban all government employees from unionizing. And that doesn’t show signs of changing anytime soon. But a group of educators in Durham, North Carolina isn’t letting that stop them from…

1
Women's basketball is having its moment 20:48

4M ago20:48

20:48

Women have been playing basketball since the game was invented, but the most fervent fandom has always been reserved for the men's game — until now. We explore why it took so long for us to pay attention to women's basketball, and what that means for the future of the sport. Featuring: Kate Fagan, journalist and author of Hoop Muses: An Insider's G…

1
Tornado Alley is moving to the South 17:38

4M ago17:38

17:38

Each year, as March fades into April, violent storms unleash dozens of tornadoes across a huge swath of the country. The Midwest is where most of these events occur, but scientists have begun to observe a major shift in traditional tornado patterns and the South is directly in the path. Featuring: Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Professor and Director of th…

1
Why cola became king 21:18

4M ago21:18

21:18

The South is the birthplace of all the big cola brands. Since the first Coca-Cola was poured in Atlanta in 1886, it's become an American icon. For many of us, these drinks are part of key childhood memories. But whether we're loyal to Coke, Pepsi, or something else, we don't drink as much soda as we used to. So why do we care so much about these br…

1
Robert F. Williams' bold history lesson 26:07

4M ago26:07

26:07

As the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, Robert F. Williams led the small town of Monroe, North Carolina in protesting racism and segregation during the 1950s. But he was also head of a local NRA chapter that urged African Americans to defend themselves by meeting violence with violence. His story is one of the most fascinating and unusu…

1
Purple, teal and the rise of basketball fashion 16:36

5M ago16:36

16:36

In 1988, the NBA finally came to North Carolina — and the newly minted Charlotte Hornets made an unconventional choice to hire a fashion designer to create their jerseys. They lost 60 games that year, but they looked incredible while doing it. The iconic fit, inspired in part by Michael Jordan, would launch a global fashion trend that endures today…

1
More power poles, more problems 15:15

5M ago15:15

15:15

Electric vehicles and renewable energy sources are in their boom era — and that means the need for electricity is higher than ever before. The construction of an expanded energy grid to meet that demand is going to require a lot of raw minerals, metals… and a surprising commodity: lumber. This week, we take a trip to the forests of the Southern Pin…

1
Craft beer’s emerging Southern flavor 19:18

5M ago19:18

19:18

In the last decade, the craft industry’s boom has steadily spread across Southern states. There are now thousands of breweries in the region (400 in North Carolina alone). But what exactly is a Southern beer? Featuring: Sean Lilly Wilson, Founder of Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC Tinu Diver, Documentary Filmmaker Owen Racer, Freelance Journalist T…

1
How one business built Black Wall Street 24:45

5M ago24:45

24:45

At the turn of the 20th century, the epicenter of America’s Black middle class was in a midsize city in central North Carolina. Durham was home to NC Mutual, an insurance company that provided a foundation for Black wealth in the South amidst Jim Crow segregation. Recently though, NC Mutual closed its doors, marking the end to more than a hundred y…

1
NASCAR's racing simulator revolution 20:39

6M ago20:39

20:39

NASCAR is the most popular motorsport series across America, but its roots run deep as a regional sport in the South, especially in our home state of North Carolina. That history has heavily influenced the growth of motorsports in the US, which has produced a disproportionate amount of Southern drivers — and fans. But in recent years, a surprising …

1
Place, Erased: Environmental ghost towns 19:37

6M ago19:37

19:37

Any kind of environmental crisis – whether it's caused by an act of God or big industry – can upend a community. That's especially true for the smaller, more rural towns that dot the landscape of the South. In the past century, natural and man-made environmental changes have transformed and even erased some of these places. What happens to small to…

1
EVs are reshaping the South one small town at a time 17:41

6M ago17:41

17:41

Stanton, Tennessee -- population 400 -- is getting ready to welcome a Ford auto-manufacturing campus that will employ 6,000 people. And with it, prosperity and some serious growing pains. This one small town is a microcosm of the powerful new economics at play in states throughout the American South. Featuring: Nora Eckert, Auto Industry Reporter a…

1
The remarkable story of daredevil Tiny Broadwick 25:13

6M ago25:13

25:13

This year marks the 120th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's powered airplane flight at Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But the Wright Brothers aren’t the only icons of aviation with ties to the South. This week, we tell the unlikely story of a woman named Tiny Broadwick. Born into extreme poverty, Broadwick went on t…

1
Featuring: Embodied - How fandoms build community 36:47

6M ago36:47

36:47

This week we're highlighting a recent episode of the award-winning podcast Embodied (which is also produced at WUNC). We hear a lot about toxic fandoms in our culture — but there's also a lot to share about the brighter side. Guest host Anisa Khalifa first became a fan in high school. She gets an explanation from a psychologist about how being in f…

1
The kids are alright: NPR Student Podcast Challenge finalist 17:53

7M ago17:53

17:53

NPR's annual Student Podcast Challenge is kind of a big deal. In 2023 alone, they received over 3,300 entries. This week on the Broadside, we highlight the work of one of the finalists who uncovered the history of her neighborhood -- Oberlin Village in Raleigh, NC -- and fought to bring it into the light and preserve it for future generations. Feat…

1
Recovering from long Covid could be a long journey 18:03

7M ago18:03

18:03

We now know an incredible amount about the COVID-19 virus. But long Covid symptoms and treatment options remain a blind spot. This week, we check in on a group of patients and doctors from the Carolinas who we’ve been following for over a year in order to see how we’re adapting to this second silent pandemic. Featuring: Jason deBruyn, Health Report…

1
Millions across the South can’t trust their tap water 19:15

7M ago19:15

19:15

The water supply for millions of people across the South has serious problems. Many of these folks live in majority Black cities like Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. Billions in federal funds were recently allocated to help fix cities' poor water quality, but will it be enough? Join us as we tap into the water across the region and lea…

1
One state could be a test case for tackling the opioid crisis 17:33

7M ago17:33

17:33

Recent litigation to hold drug makers accountable for the opioid epidemic has led to settlements totaling $50 billion that are being distributed to state governments throughout the United States. We explore some of the potential solutions in our home state of North Carolina and find out how its hyper local model for distributing funds could be a co…

1
Featuring: North Carolina pottery from clay to kiln 24:33

8M ago24:33

24:33

As we all take the week to reconnect with our loved ones, we're presenting a story about what's on our tables this Thanksgiving – and we don't just mean the food, but the plates it sits on. In this episode from the podcast Gravy, producer Wilson Sayre takes us to central North Carolina to tell the story of hand-thrown pottery and its relationship w…

1
The process to return Native American remains is broken 21:33

8M ago21:33

21:33

For over a hundred years, Western archeologists built vast collections of looted Native American artifacts and human remains. For many Native Americans today, those violations have left a painful legacy. A glimmer of hope appeared in 1990, with the passage of a federal law intended to facilitate the repatriation of Native American ancestors to thei…

1
My next-door neighbor is a weapon of mass destruction 24:39

8M ago24:39

24:39

An army depot in Eastern Kentucky once housed something extraordinary and terrible: an arsenal of chemical weapons. The dangers of this stockpile hovered over the residents of the nearby city of Richmond for decades. Recently, the Army fulfilled a long-standing mandate to destroy their entire supply of these deadly weapons, but the road to get ther…

1
The takeover of The Robesonian 20:14

8M ago20:14

20:14

In 1988, two armed Native American men occupied a newspaper office in a rural North Carolina community. In an effort to raise the alarm on corruption and institutionalized racism in their community, they took 17 hostages and demanded to negotiate with the governor. Decades later, the small town is still grappling with the events surrounding that da…

1
How many dollar stores are too many? 21:01

9M ago21:01

21:01

Discount stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General have become ubiquitous in the American landscape — especially in the South. They can be convenient and even necessary, but some advocates warn that their rapid spread is creating food deserts. But while pushback to dollar stores grows, researchers say that we need more data to know their true im…

1
What it takes to make music in prison 26:05

9M ago26:05

26:05

As a person incarcerated in the state of Virginia, rapper Deon Thomas doesn’t have access to a recording studio. Instead, he’s part of a small group of artists who record songs via phone calls and distribute them through a prison-only digital music service. It's a modern twist on a long and complicated tradition. Join us as we explore the influenti…

1
Asian American Studies has arrived 20:19

9M ago20:19

20:19

Asian Americans are the fastest growing demographic in the country, yet historically, they've been near-invisible in our popular culture. But that's beginning to change. We examine the long history of Asian American Studies, and why it's finally having its moment in the South. Featuring: Nayoung Aimee Kwon, professor at Duke University Esther Kim L…

1
A look inside America’s climate data bunker 21:32

9M ago21:32

21:32

Embedded in a warehouse within the Blue Ridge Mountains, climate scientists are collecting rows upon rows of weather data going back centuries. But these archives aren’t just collecting dust – they’re helping us anticipate weather events in the future and create tools to navigate the fallout of the climate crisis. Featuring: Kathie Dello, North Car…

1
How y'all conquered the world 19:46

10M ago19:46

19:46

You might have noticed that the word “y’all” is popping up everywhere. For decades, linguists have noted that regional American accents are disappearing. But at the same time, use of this traditionally Southern pronoun is rapidly spreading — and the reasons may surprise you. Featuring: Brody McCurdy, linguist and researcher at NC State Antonia Rand…

1
Introducing: The Broadside 1:28

10M ago1:28

1:28

Each week, The Broadside highlights a story from the heart of the American South and asks why it matters to you. From news to arts and culture, we dive into issues that might not be on a front page, but deserve a closer look. Along the way, we explore the nuances of our home—and how what happens here ripples across the country. Hosted by Anisa Khal…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

South Carolina Stingrays Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide