IPPH On Air: Recent Episodes
Sharon Pratt
IPPH On Air is hosted by former DC Mayor and the Institute of Politics Policy and History’s Founding Director, Sharon Pratt. Each program, we take a deep dive into pressing issues of the day, exploring them through the lens of comparable historical events in our city - Washington, D.C. - and the nation. Each podcast features a diverse panel of compelling, expert personalities who can speak with authority on critical contemporary issues always bracketing conversations with relevant historical insights.
Season 1 of "In the Room Where It Happened" focuses on America's defining father, Abraham Lincoln. In the final and fourth episode of the season, former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt speaks with New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini. The pair discuss Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker, the role she played in the Lincolns' lives and how she influenced emancipation.
Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including critically acclaimed historical fiction such as “Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker,” “Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters” and “Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth.” In 2020, Jennifer was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association for her novel Resistance Women. In 2023, the WLA awarded her the honor of Notable Wisconsin Author for her significant contributions to the state’s literary heritage.
Season 1 of "In the Room Where It Happened" focuses on America's defining father, Abraham Lincoln. In episode three, former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt speaks with historian and scholar Dr. Allen C. Guelzo about how Abraham Lincoln managed public opinion as a president through patience and humility.
Dr. Allen C. Guelzo is Senior Research Scholar at the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University. He is the author of several books about the Civil War and early-nineteenth-century American history. He is a recipient of the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize for Military History and has been awarded the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize three times.
Season 1 of "In the Room Where It Happened" focuses on America's defining father, Abraham Lincoln. In episode two, former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt speaks with professor and scholar Catherine Clinton about the life of Mary Todd Lincoln and her influence on Abraham Lincoln's presidency.
Professor Catherine Clinton is a pioneering historian of American women, the American South and the Civil War. She is the author or editor of over 30 books, including “The Other Civil War: American Women in the Nineteenth Century,” “Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom” and “Mrs. Lincoln: A Life.” She served as a consultant for Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film “Lincoln.” She earned a B.A. from Harvard, her M.A. from the University of Sussex, and her Ph.D. from Princeton. She has taught previously at Harvard University, Wesleyan University and Brown University. She is currently a Professor of History at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Season 1 of "In the Room Where It Happened" focuses on America's defining father, Abraham Lincoln. In episode one, former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt, dives deeper into the life and death of President Abraham Lincoln with author and scholar Terry Alford. The pair discuss Lincoln's connection to spiritualism and the parallels between Lincoln and his assassinator, John Wilkes Booth.
Terry Alford is an author and historian. He received a Ph.D. in history from Mississippi State University and did post-doctoral work in family history at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Alford is a founding board member of the Abraham Lincoln Institute of Washington, D.C., and is a recognized authority on John Wilkes Booth and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. He is the author of “Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth” and “In the Houses of their Dead: The Lincolns, the Booths, and the Spirits.”
In episode nine of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington DC Mayor Sharon Pratt continues her exploration of America's first president, George Washington. She speaks with historical writer David O. Stewart about Washington's persona and political rise, as well as his experience leading an army.
Check out David O. Stewart's book here: https://davidostewart.com/books/george-washington-the-political-rise-of-americas-founding-father/
In episode eight of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington DC Mayor Sharon Pratt dives into the life of America's first president, George Washington. She speaks with professor and Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning historian, Joseph J. Ellis. Professor Ellis discusses George Washington's public persona, his view on the presidency and his role in bringing the capital to Washington D.C. He also discusses Washington's involvement in slavery and how he was perceived by others, including the other Founding Fathers.
Check out Joseph Ellis' book here: https://www.amazon.com/His-Excellency-Washington-Joseph-Ellis/dp/1400032539
For the final episode on Thomas Jefferson, Former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt hosts the "Where Do We Go From Here Symposium" live from Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.
The Series examines the education, philosophical influences, personal experiences, and the economic influences on these three Founding Fathers. The Series hosts 4-5 audio podcasts per President highlighting their education, their wives, their early careers, and their economic influences. With each President, the final episode is at their home (Montpelier, Monticello, and Mount Vernon.)
A historic discussion with panelists:
Former Mayor Sharon Pratt, IPPH Founding Director
Michael Steele, Former RNC Chair, "MSNBC" political analyst, and former Lt. Gov. Maryland
Niya Bates, Ph.D. candidate, Department of History & Department of African American Studies, Princeton University
Lisa A. Francavilla, Ph.D., Senior Managing Editor, Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, International Center for Jefferson Studies
John A. Ragosta, Ph.D./J.D., Interim Saunders Director, Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello
With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation & MFS Investments
Coming up next: George Washington.
In episode seven of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington D.C Mayor Sharon Pratt speaks with Gayle Jessup White to examine Thomas Jefferson's legacy, his descendants and America’s complex racial history.
Gayle Jessup White is the Public Relations & Community Engagement Officer at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s legendary estate, and a direct descendant of Jefferson. She speaks with Sharon Pratt about her quest to research her connection to Thomas Jefferson after hearing stories passed down from her father's family that they were descendants of Thomas Jefferson.
Gayle Jessup White is also the author of "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy." The book chronicles her remarkable journey to understand and reclaim her heritage and ensure the nation lives up to the ideals advocated by her legendary ancestor.
In episode six of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington D.C Mayor Sharon Pratt dives into the life of Thomas Jefferson. Of all the founding fathers, he stood out as perhaps the most controversial and the most confounding. In this episode, she speaks with Professor Robert MacDonald about the complicated and powerful impact of the third president on our founding and our early years as a nation. Professor MacDonald discusses how Jefferson was unique among the Founding Fathers, what his greatest influences were, and Jefferson's bitter relationship with John Adams. They also discuss Jefferson's complicated relationship with slavery and how the man who wrote the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” did not provide liberty to the enslaved children he fathered with Sally Hemmings until they became adults. While we can see his limitations, we can also look to him for inspiration.
Professor Robert MacDonald teaches history at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is the author of multiple books on Thomas Jefferson, including "Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson’s Image in His Own Time" and "Thomas Jefferson’s Lives: Biographers and the Battle for History."
Join us in the next episode when we speak with Gayle Jessup White, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, as we explore Jefferson through the prism of America’s racial divide.
For the final episode on James Madison, Former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt hosts the "Where Do We Go From Here Symposium" live from Montpelier, the home of James Madison.
The historic discussion includes guests:
Michael Steele (Former RNC Chair, MSNBC political analyst and former Lt. Gov., Md)
James French, Chair, Montpelier Foundation Board of Directors
Professor Hasan Jeffries, Associate Professor of History, The Ohio State University, and Vice Chair Montpelier Foundation
Dr. Tyson Reeder: Assistant Professor and Assistant Editor, Papers of James Madison, The University of Virginia
Dr. Holly Cowan Shulman, Associate Professor for Studies in Women and Gender at the University of Virginia and author “Dolley Madison: Her Life, Letters, and Legacy.”
Coming up next: Thomas Jefferson and the role he played in establishing the Nation’s Capital in the South, along the banks of the Potomac.
In episode four of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington D.C Mayor Sharon Pratt engages in a deeper dive around Madison’s legacy – in particular how his legacy is complicated by his enslavement of men, women, and children on his plantation.
In 2019, the Montpelier Descendants Committee was established to ensure the narratives of the enslaved at Montpelier are remembered and honored. The Montpelier Descendants Committee is the “nation’s first independent, descendant led organization to be associated with a major historic site.” Until recently, the histories and memories of enslaved peoples have been amazingly excluded from reflection and interpretation at any of the iconic founding father sites, while the question of who gets to tell history has always been – and likely will always be – rife with tensions.
Sharon Pratt speaks with James French, chairman of the Montpelier Foundation Board of Directors and Founding Chairman of the Montpelier Descendants Committee.
For the final episode on James Madison, James French joins Michael Steele and Mayor Pratt at Montpelier for a live event, with Dr. Hasan Jeffries, Dr. Tyson Reeder and Dr. Holly Shulman.
In episode three of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington D.C Mayor Sharon Pratt examines Montpelier, the family home of James Madison and the place that shaped his life. It is a place where he spent countless hours drafting iterations of his vision for a strong national government. It is also a place which embodies the paradoxes of the American Revolution – the fight for liberty while aggressively preserving the practice of slavery.
Sharon Pratt speaks with Dr. Matthew Reeves, Director of Archaeology and Landscape Restoration at Montpelier for over 20 years. Dr. Reeves works to excavate the stories of those who were essential to America's (and certainly Madison's) economic progress.
She also speaks with Dr. Holly Cowan Shulman, who is the Editor of The Dolley Madison Digital Edition at the University of Virginia, the first ever complete edition of Dolley Madison's own correspondence. Her diligent scholarship provides new insights into the Madison’s as partners and their experiences at Montpelier.
Next episode, we will delve into James Madison’s legacy with James French, the Chairman of the Montpelier Foundation Board of Directors and founding Chairman of the Montpelier Descendant Committee.
In episode two of the Founding Fathers' Legacy Series, Former Washington D.C Mayor Sharon Pratt examines the world of revolutionary America, learning more about the political, social, and economic environment the Founding Fathers operated in.
Sharon Pratt speaks with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian and award-winning author of "The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution" about the early, unsettling period for our new nation, the competing ideas and symbolic importance of the new nation's capital. She also speaks with Dr. Woody Holton, the McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina, about the decision to break from Great Britain and the outsize role of Virginians in the Revolution and then the new republic.
Next episode, we will hear more about these contradictions as we explore life at Montpelier – the lifelong home of our fourth president, “the father of the Constitution," James Madison.
To understand the establishment of the city of Washington, DC by our nation’s founders is to understand the promise of the American experience and the challenges that remain to achieve that more perfect union.
In the Founding Father Legacy Series, Sharon Pratt, former Mayor of Washington D.C, explores the history of the founding of our nation’s capital, the role of the founders in the city’s creation, and the enduring idea of Washington as a symbol of democracy around the world.
This Series will look at the three men who were key to the creation of the nation and the city that is its capital, Washington, DC. Episode I explores the least well-known of the three, James Madison, and the role he played in founding our nation's capital. Mayor Pratt speaks with Fergus Bordewich, author of "Washington: The Making of the American Capital," about the characters, the compromises, and the politics of the new American capital.
The panel discusses causes for and possible solutions to the wealth divide between African-Americans and the rest of the US population. Features in-depth interviews with and bonus discussions Shawn Rochester (author of The Black Tax), Heather McGhee (author of The Sum of Us), and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Why is America an outlier in the world when it comes to gun violence and passion for gun ownership? What is the true origin of the second amendment? Find out the answer to these questions and more on this week's State of Play featuring interviews and bonus discussions with historian Dr. Carol Anderson author of The Second; Jocelyn Kiley of the Pew Research Center; Allison Anderman, Senior Counsel at the Giffords Law Center; Kourtney Redmond, President of the 761st Gun Club; and, anti gun violence advocate, Pastor Michael McBride.
The digital divide is just the beginning of the problems faced by black people because of the technology industry. Find out more about the consequences of and potential solutions for the technology gap. Interview guests include Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Dr. Allison Scott, and Dean Devdas Shetty
Black Voters Matter co-founder, LaTosha Brown asks Mayor Pratt and her co-hosts about the fight for voting rights and the fight for D.C. Statehood
Mayor Pratt speaks with Kevin Merida, ESPN Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of the sports blog The Undefeated and Bijan Bayne, award-winning Washington-based freelance columnist, critic, author and IPPH Resident Fellow in Sports. They discuss the tradition of protest in America (Boston Tea Party) and how that protest has been leveraged in sports.
Mayor Pratt discusses how popular culture/performing arts often establish “baked in” notions of “worthiness, competency—and how these notions often make appropriate demands, such as DC Statehood, uphill climbs. The two incredible expert guests are: Maria Manuela Goyanes and Nikki Giovanni.
Mayor Pratt talks with sociologist, writer and former Program Officer with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Dr. Bobby Austin and former senior vice president of corporate responsibility with John Hancock and CEO of The Partnership Carol Fulp. They discuss America's continuing dilemma around race and issues of inclusion and diversity.
Originally published 06/14/21
The fight for voting rights and the fight for D.C. Statehood remain linked, urgent, but also challenged and delayed. Get the history, obstacles and strategy from this week's guest on State of Play including author/journalist, Ari Berman. We'll also hear from historians Prof. Carol Anderson, Prof. Eddie Glaude, Jr., and Prof. Kate Masur. The show also features interviews with DNC Chair, Jaime Harrison; Black Voters Matter co-founder, LaTosha Brown; and, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).
This episode originally aired on 06/07/21. The digital divide is just the beginning of the problems faced by black people because of the technology industry. Find out more about the consequences of and potential solutions for the technology gap. Interview guests include Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Dr. Nashlie Sephus, Dr. Allison Scott, and Dean Devdas Shetty
This week's episode of State of Play explores The Black Homeownership Gap. Guests this week include the U.S. Sec. of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia L. Fudge; the Coleman A. Young Endowed Chair and Professor of Research at Wayne State University Department of Urban Planning, James Carr; Ass. Prof of Sociology at the University of New Mexico and author of "Race Brokers: Housing Markets and Segregation in 21st Century Urban America," Dr. Elizabeth Korver-Glenn; Chief Economist at Redfin, Daryl Fairweather, PhD; and, Mark Alston, President and CEO of Alston and Associates and Director of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers' Political Action Committee.
Post-pandemic America has changed our lives, no doubt. How has the way we feel about work, the type of work available, and the nature of work been impacted by the pandemic? We'll explore those questions and more on this week's episode of State of Play.
Featured guests include:
Former Clinton and Obama Labor Economist, and current Western Michigan University President, Dr. Ed Montgomery
Huffington Post Work and Lifestyle Reporter, Monica Torres
Career coach and Ohio State University Professor of Engineering, Dr. Monica Cox;
Startup Founders (Prosperity Market), Carmen Diane and Kara Still
Howard University School of Divinity and Psychology Professor, Rev. Ronald Hopson.
Is it about history? Is it about race? Is it about politics? Who do you find when you follow the money? Why are teachers being fired and school board members receiving death threats? Is this unusual or have we seen it before in America? This week on State of Play, it's the K-12 Culture Wars. Join host, Sharon Pratt and co-anchor, Karen Tramontano as they take a deep dive into this battle that finds educators on the frontlines. Guests this week include Historian Dr. Hasan K. Jeffries of The Ohio State University; Chandler (AZ) Unified School District Board Member, Lindsay Love; and, President and CEO of the National Education Association (the nation's largest union), Becky Pringle.
Hear from subject-matter experts on what you should be reading this summer. Guests include Dr. Brenda M. Greene; Prof. Joshua Clark Davis; Troy Johnson; and, Ramunda & Derrick Young.
The history of policing in America can help us understand the complicated consequences of avoiding reform. Yet, the discussion over how policing should evolve, especially in communities of color, remains tense and partisan. On this week's State of Play will get history, context, and proposed solutions from interviews with historian and Associate Professor of History, Dr. Elizabeth Hinton; renowned police and diversity expert and former Deputy Sheriff, Dr. Lorenzo Boyd; Ph.D. candidate and community policing expert, DeAnza Cook; and Brookings Institution Fellow, Dr. Rashawn Ray, who will offer guidance on how we move from confrontations to positive outcomes.
Why is America an outlier in the world when it comes to gun violence and passion for gun ownership? What is the true origin of the second amendment? Find out the answer to these questions and more on this week's State of Play featuring interviews with historian Dr. Carol Anderson author of The Second; Jocelyn Kiley of the Pew Research Center; Allison Anderman, Senior Counsel at the Giffords Law Center; Kourtney Redmond, President of the 761st Gun Club; and, anti gun violence advocate, Pastor Michael McBride.
The fight for voting rights and the fight for D.C. Statehood remain linked, urgent, but also challenged and delayed. Get the history, obstacles and strategy from this week's guest on State of Play including author/journalist, Ari Berman. We'll also hear from historians Prof. Carol Anderson, Prof. Eddie Glaude, Jr., and Prof. Kate Masur. The show also features interviews with DNC Chair, Jaime Harrison; Black Voters Matter co-founder, LaTosha Brown; and, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).
The digital divide is just the beginning of the problems faced by black people because of the technology industry. Find out more about the consequences of and potential solutions for the technology gap. Interview guests include Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Dr. Allison Scott, and Dean Devdas Shetty
Sharon Pratt speaks with Malcolm Nance, author, counterintelligence professional, and MSNBC analyst, and Dawn Nakagawa, Executive VP of the Berggruen Institute.
Sharon Pratt speaks with Professor Emeritus Michael Holt, University of Virginia, author “By One Vote,” The Honorable Lorraine Miller, 35th Clerk, US House of Representatives, and Congressman Jamie Raskin, MD, 8th Congressional District, Judiciary Committee, key advisor to Speaker Pelosi around legal issues in presidential election.
Sharon Pratt speaks with Karin Johanson, former Executive Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and now senior official for the Biden/Harris Western Pennsylvania campaign, Pratt Wiley, former Director of the DNC Voter Protection Program, and Evelyn Perez Verdia, Florida Statewide Advisor for Latino Issues.
Sharon Pratt speaks with Laura Murphy, Lead Civil Rights Auditor for Facebook and Professor Charles Murphy, Kenan Sahin Distinguished Political Science Professor and Founding Director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.
This week's program focuses on how popular culture/performing arts, often establish “baked in” notions of “worthiness, competency—and how these notions often make appropriate demands, such as DC Statehood, uphill climbs. The two incredible expert guests are: Maria Manuela Goyanes and Nikki Giovanni.
Sharon Pratt discusses the cultural history of Washington D.C. with poet Naomi Ayala, former Executive Director of the Humanities Council of Washington, DC Joy Austin, and poet, teacher and host Ethelbert Miller.
Our guests include: Kevin Merida, ESPN Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of the sports blog The Undefeated and Bijan Bayne, award-winning Washington-based freelance columnist, critic, author and IPPH Resident Fellow in Sports. The focus is the tradition of protest in America (Boston Tea Party), how protest has been leveraged in sports—propriety and effectiveness of same.
Mayor Pratt and her panel discuss whether America's voting system can stand up under the strain imposed on it by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her guests are Charles Stewart - the Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science at MIT, where his research and teaching areas include congressional politics, elections, and American political development - and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.
Mayor Pratt speaks with Elaine Kamarck, Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution and author of "Picking the Vice President,"and former Maryland Lt. Governor, RNC Chairman, and MSNBC analyst Michael Steele about Joe Biden and the process of select a Democratic Vice-presidential candidate.
Mayor Pratt speaks this week with sociologist, write and former Program Officer with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Dr. Bobby Austin and former senior vice president of corporate responsibility with John Hancock and CEO of The Partnership Carol Fulp. They discuss America's continuing dilemma around race and issues of inclusion and diversity.
Mayor Pratt speaks with neuroscientist and former D.C. Councilmember, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, Chair of the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian Institute, Dr. Alexandra Lord, and Director of the District of Columbia Department of Health Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt. They bring science-based insights, personal stories and reflections on how the nation and Washington D.C. has previously endured pandemics and how to manage expectations and behavior as we wrestle with COVID-19.
Mayor Pratt speaks with Dr. Edna Greene Medford, professor of history at Howard University, Fergus Bordewich, author of Washington: The Making of the American Capital, and activist Rev. Mark Thomspon, the host of the podcast Make It Plain. They discuss the impact that the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and racism in the United States and Washington D.C. have on the unrest we're experiencing in 2020.
Host, IPPH Founding Director, and former Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt discusses the state of business in the District during COVID-19 and the George Floyd protests with Vincent Orange, President and CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, and Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BGC Henderson Institute.
Coming soon - IPPH On Air is hosted by former DC Mayor and the Institute of Politics Policy and History’s Founding Director, Sharon Pratt. Each program, we take a deep dive into pressing issues of the day, exploring them through the lens of comparable historical events in our city - Washington, D.C. - and the nation. Each podcast features a diverse panel of compelling, expert personalities who can speak with authority on critical contemporary issues always bracketing conversations with relevant historical insights. Most importantly—we invite you, our listeners, to ask direct questions of our panelists which we capture and answer! More at https://twitter.com/PoliticsPolicy1