Black Cowboys

From the fall of the Taliban until its return, people all over Afghanistan planned their lives around Afghan Star. People would pack into apartments. Villages would hook up generators to a single tv so crowds could watch. New Year's celebrations would come to a halt, all to watch this one show. Over its 15 seasons, Afghan Star spotlighted an Afghanistan that could be: women singing without hijabs, Afghanistan's first rapper, people of warring ethnic groups hugging and cheering for each other on stage. And it launched a cultural revolution. This is the story behind it all– from how a ragtag team scrambled to make the show every week, to the dangers they faced for trying to push the country forward. In Afghanistan, a cultural revolution was televised through a musical talent show, and this is its story. Hosted by John Legend. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild in the “Wild West.” But there was a lot more to the story that didn't make the papers. * Very Special Episodes is a podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas ReillyVoice Actors: Josh Fisher, Zaron Burnett, Karl KeadleOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Episode, Dana, Zaron and Jason tackle a 130-year-old mystery. Although American schoolchildren still recite The Pledge every morning in nearly every classroom, we still aren't sure who actually wrote it. And all these years later, the long-accepted story is showing some cracks. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan WashingtonMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editor is Aaron EdwardsResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Dave RoosOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Very Special Episodes, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio apple. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Killed JFK? For 60 years, we are still asking that question. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's tragic assassination, legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner teams up with award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien to tell the history of America's greatest murder mystery. They interview CIA officials, medical experts, Pulitzer-prize winning journalists, eyewitnesses and a former Secret Service agent who, in 2023, came forward with groundbreaking new evidence. They dig deep into the layers of the 60-year-old question ‘Who Killed JFK?', how that question has shaped America, and why it matters that we're still asking it today. Listen to Who Killed JFK? on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-who-killed-jfk-127000428/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Black Cowboys fans! iHeartPodcasts is pleased to introduce the second installment of the "What Happened to" series, which covers the tragic story of Libby Caswell. You can expect host Melissa Jeltsen's same in-depth, thorough reporting and exceptional storytelling in each episode of "What Happened to Libby Caswell," starting on November 2nd. Here's a peek into the season, so check it out and start listening to Libby's story today! Show Description: In 2017, Libby Caswell was found dead in a motel room in Independence, Missouri. Police quickly ruled her death a suicide. But her mother Cindy thinks she was murdered — and she believes she has proof the crime scene was staged. Award-winning investigative reporter Melissa Jeltsen dives deep into Libby's final days, finding new evidence that unravels the official story and threatens to implicate more than just those in the motel room that day. In her search for answers, Jeltsen exposes the web of failures that left Libby vulnerable and explores how her story fits into one of America's most deadly epidemics. Listen to What Happened to Libby Caswell on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since she was a little girl, Marcy DePina felt drawn to a man called Daddy Grace, a charismatic immigrant from Cabo Verde, West Africa, who – during the violent Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras – traveled around the United States preaching, healing, and building his megachurch.  But who was Daddy Grace? For all his accomplishments, he seems to raise more questions than answers. Like why isn't he more known and celebrated in the Cape Verdean community? And when Marcy brings him up to her family, why do some people refuse to talk about him? And most importantly: Marcy wants to know, are she and Daddy Grace actually related? Listen to Sweet Daddy Grace now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! For more on Sweet Daddy Grace, check out SweetDaddyGrace.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Black Cowboys fans! Learn more about Bishop Charles Manuel “Sweet Daddy” Grace who was once the richest Black man in America! Six decades after his death, his descendants grapple with his life and legacy. Listen now on Sweet Daddy Grace. About Remus: Sweet Daddy Grace: A personal deep dive into the life of Bishop Charles Manuel ‘Sweet Daddy' Grace, an ambitious and gifted African immigrant and one of the 20th century's most fascinating and overlooked figures. With hundreds of churches across the country and a congregation said to be upwards of three million, he was thought to be one of the richest Black men in America—but was he an anointed genius or a blasphemous opportunist? Marcy DePina lifts the veil on Sweet Daddy's triumphs, scandals, and fascinating eccentricities—all the while trying to understand her own unique bond with him. Listen to Sweet Daddy Grace now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since she was a little girl, Marcy DePina felt drawn to a man called Daddy Grace, a charismatic immigrant from Cabo Verde, West Africa, who – during the violent Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras – traveled around the United States preaching, healing, and building his megachurch.    But who was Daddy Grace? For all his accomplishments, he seems to raise more questions than answers. Like why isn't he more known and celebrated in the Cape Verdean community? And when Marcy brings him up to her family, why do some people refuse to talk about him? And most importantly: Marcy wants to know, are she and Daddy Grace actually related? For more on Sweet Daddy Grace, check out SweetDaddyGrace.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays, most people can agree that fascism is, well, a bad thing. But back in the 1930s, life absolutely sucked for most Americans, and fascism still had a sort of new car smell. Wall Street bankers were convinced they could take their country back from the clutches of ‘class traitors' like Roosevelt, sink the New Deal and put the United States on a better – meaning more profitable – path.  They had the money. They had an army. Now all they needed was a leader.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean Reed's Hollywood career was brief, but he became an international superstar during the height of the Cold War, living in Latin America and communist Europe. After going public about wanting to return home to the United States, Dean's life came to a mysterious end. Decades later, his daughter Ramona is determined to find out what really happened to him. Listen to Red Elvis on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-red-elvis-105219647/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Black Cowboys fans! We're excited to share the latest iHeart Original podcast, Stealing Superman. Since you love our show, we think you'll be intrigued by this story about priceless comics stolen from Nicolas Cage (yes, that Nicolas Cage!). Check out the trailer and decide if Stealing Superman is your next podcast obsession! About Stealing Superman: It was the most unlikely art heist of all time. Join the country's only art detective and a vigilante comic book dealer as they investigate the mysterious theft of the most important comic in the world ... a comic stolen from Nicolas Cage. Listen to Stealing Superman on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Day University give you the chance to sit in on the best lectures delivered by the most highly rated professors from the world's top colleges. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Black Cowboys fans! Zaron Burnett has a new podcast with journalist Noor Tagouri. It's called Rep. Rep is a bold, wide-ranging podcast created when Noor began examining the misrepresentation of Muslims in US media and how this impacts American culture. She discovered a fuller exploration of the ever-evolving story of America, which challenged the stories we've known…and revealed how the stories we tell affect all of us. Rep is a thoughtful investigation of our beliefs and understandings and how they exist within the dynamic of politics, pop culture, and public opinion. This is a story about the stories we tell. Welcome to Rep. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Black Cowboys fans! The newest iHeart Original podcast is called Autism's First Child, an informative series tracing the history of the first person diagnosed with Autism. An eye-opening story about creating a better world for those who are different, but don't just take our word for it. Check out the trailer to decide for yourself!     About Autism's First Child: Donald Triplett was the first person diagnosed with autism. Now 88, "Case 1, Donald T" has lived a full and happy life in Forest, Mississippi. What can his story teach us about creating a better world for those who are different?   Listen and subscribe to Autism's First Child on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zaron grew up watching Westerns with Pop, and together they explore the history of Black cowboys on the big screen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

When a young white college kid named Patrick meets up with a singing Black cowboy named Panhandle Slim, a whole world is revealed through Slim's intimate "story songs." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Bill Pickett, the greatest showman of Wild West. A Black cowboy born free, in 1870, in Travis County, Texas. He invented a whole rodeo sport, became an icon of toughness, and thrilled crowds across North America. But when his promoters set him up to face a raging bull in Mexico City, the ensuing fight over cultural supremacy has dangerous consequences. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Stagecoach Mary was a woman on her own in the world, who did most of her hard living after the age of 40. She lived with nuns in the daytime, drank whiskey with men in saloons at night. She was the first black woman to drive a wagon for the US postal service. Tough as she was, she was also known for the verdant lushness of her well-tended gardens.  Mary was a woman of dualities, and yet, also limitless complexities. Over time, her legend has outshined the facts of her life. This is the life and legend of Mary Fields, the toughest woman to ever call the west her home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Long before the divisive question of slavery was finally settled in the Civil War, there were the Seminole Wars — three of them —- and they were the largest sustained revolt of formerly enslaved people and their Indigenous allies.  On the one side there was Andrew Jackson; on the other was a Black Seminole, Chief John Horse. By the end of his long life, he would come to be called the Moses of the Seminoles. He would fight for and against the US government, successfully winning his freedom and land for his people. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The story of Black cowboys begins not on horseback riding the high plains, but with horses tied up on Spanish ships riding the high seas. Meet Esteban the Negro. Or Esteban the Moor. The Spanish called him Estevanico. Before his voyage and his adventures in North America are over, he will transform from a slave into a god.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Bass Reeves was the most lethal lawman in the wild west. Over his 32-year career Reeves arrested more than 3,000 alleged criminals, and killed more than a dozen of them. But the image of a formerly enslaved Black man riding around on horseback with a license to kill tended to make white people uncomfortable. Hear how Bass Reeves commitment to justice overcame racism, and even his own family bonds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The most famous Black outlaw from the wild west era was a Cherokee Freedmen, the mixed son of a Buffalo soldier and Cherokee mother. His name was Crawford Goldsby. But both the New York Times and his own mother called him: Cherokee Bill. This episode explores the ideas of law, order and justice at a time when there was little of any of those for Black Americans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

In this episode we meet Nat Love, the toughest Black Cowboy. But Nat Love's life was more than just wild horses and gunfights. This is the story of an enslaved man who found freedom in the West. A man who roamed America, just like they did in the westerns. He did it for real. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com