Flatbush + Main: A Podcast from Brooklyn Historical Society

In the final episode of Flatbush + Main, Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia revisit their favorite segments from the podcast. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 36: Making Brooklyn History appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 35 of Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia trace Walt Whitman's footsteps around Brooklyn. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 35: Wandering Brooklyn With Walt Whitman appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 34 of Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia discuss Brooklyn's long farming history. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 34: Land and Labor in Agricultural Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 33 of Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia and guest Hugh Ryan explore Coney Island's queer history. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 33: Queer Coney Island appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 32 of Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine the history of Muslims in Brooklyn. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 32: Muslims in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 31 of Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia discuss the infamous Blackout of 1977 The post Flatbush + Main Episode 31: The Blackout of 1977 appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 30 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia discuss Brooklyn Historical Society's Puerto Rican Oral History Project (1973-1975), the institution's first oral history collection, which resulted in over 80 interviews with narrators born as early as the 1880s. They situate this landmark undertaking in the social and intellectual developments of the 1960s and 1970s, from the Civil Rights Movement to the rise of Ethnic Studies programs. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 30: Listening to Puerto Rican Brooklynites appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 29 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, host Zaheer Ali and guest-host Erin Wuebker, fellow BHS historian, discuss the impact of cholera on Brooklyn, which led to the illness and death of thousands of residents in the 19th century. Zaheer and Erin consider how epidemics of cholera were both symptoms of the city’s tremendous growth and change in this era, and catalysts for Brooklyn to develop basic infrastructure we associate with a modern city. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 29: Cholera in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 28 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia discuss the impact on Brooklyn of the 1863 New York City draft riots, the largest domestic uprising in American history after the Civil War itself, resulting in the death of hundreds of Black New Yorkers. Zaheer and Julie consider the complex--and sometimes violent--racial dynamics that made Brooklyn a place of both refuge and danger for its Black residents during this perilous moment. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 28: The New York City Draft Riots appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 27 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia are joined by guest Joshua B. Freeman, author of Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World. They consider the impact of factories on Brooklyn's social and economic history, and discuss the experiences of factory workers that worked and lived in Brooklyn. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 27: Factories in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 26 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia discuss the tragic 1978 killing of Crown Heights resident Arthur Miller Jr. by police, and consider his important legacy as a community leader, activist, and businessman. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 26: The Police Killing of Arthur Miller Jr. appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 25 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia, joined by fellow BHS historian Erin Wuebker, explore the fascinating history of gender and medicine in Brooklyn and learn about some of Brooklyn's pioneering female physicians. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 25: Brooklyn’s Pioneering Women Doctors appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 24 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia discuss a Revolutionary War tragedy: the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans inside prison ships during the British wartime occupation of New York from 1776 to 1783. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 24: Brooklyn’s Revolutionary War Prison Ships appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 23 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia revisit Brooklyn Historical Society DUMBO to celebrate the opening of its new longterm exhibition, Waterfront. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 23: Revisiting Brooklyn Historical Society DUMBO appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 22 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine the legacy of black-owned businesses in Brooklyn. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 22: Black Businesses in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 21 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia dig into what we do at Brooklyn Historical Society: engaging our many visitors and constituents in the process of doing history. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 21: Doing History appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 20 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia use one seemingly inconsequential manuscript collection to explore themes of memory and history-making over many generations. In 1915, Brooklynite Francis Morrell wrote a small tract called "Recollections of Old Williamsburgh." This self-published work of genealogy reminds us that historical writing tells us just as much about the time that it was written as about the time period it purports to study. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 20: Memories of Old Williamsburgh appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 19 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine an important but long-forgotten tragedy in Brooklyn's past: the Brooklyn Theatre Fire of 1876, and discuss the Gilded Age, municipal reform, class relations, the culture of leisure, and the politics of memory in the 19th century - and today. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 19: The Brooklyn Theatre Fire appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 18 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia consider what it means to remember and document Hurricane Sandy five years after the storm devastated many parts of Brooklyn. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 18: Hurricane Sandy, Five Years Later appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 17 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine the meanings and global roots of a time-honored tradition in Brooklyn, the West Indian Carnival. For complete show notes, The post Flatbush + Main Episode 17: Brooklyn’s West Indian Carnival appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 16 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine the many identities of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Fort Greene. For complete show notes, go to www.brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main The post Flatbush + Main Episode 16: Living in Fort Greene appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 15 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia dive into the history of Empire Stores, the historic 19th-century waterfront warehouse that is now the home of BHS's new satellite museum, BHS DUMBO. For complete show notes, go to www.brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main The post Flatbush + Main Episode 15: Welcome to BHS DUMBO appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 14 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia reflect on Malcolm X's enduring influence on the borough of Brooklyn. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 14: Malcolm X in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 13 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia celebrate the podcast's first birthday by looking back on the year's most memorable segments and guests. For complete show notes, go to www.brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 13: A Year of Podcasting Brooklyn History appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 12 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine the work of a group of remarkable female photographers who have taken Brooklyn as their subject. Featured are an interview with "The Face of Brooklyn" artist Nora Herting, a discussion of the life and legacy of street photographer Lucille Fornasieri Gold, and excerpts from oral histories with three Brooklyn photographers--Lucille Fornasieri Gold, Marianne Engberg, and Delphine Fawundu-Buford. For complete show notes, go to www.brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flatbush + Main on iTunes at brooklynhistory.org/fm-itunes. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 12: Women Photographers, Framing Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 11 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia explore the last decade of the life of iconic Civil Rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, when he called Brooklyn home. Featured are an interview with Du Bois biographer David Levering Lewis, an oral history with activist and Du Bois collaborator Esther Cooper Jackson, and William Howard Melish's eulogy for Du Bois. For complete show notes, go to www.brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flatbush + Main on iTunes at brooklynhistory.org/fm-itunes. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 11: W.E.B. Du Bois in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

This month, Flatbush + Main listeners get a bonus segment of "Voices of Brooklyn!" On January 21, 2017, hundreds of thousands of people, including countless Brooklynites, took part in the Women's March on NYC. Julie spoke to several participants about why they marched, what activism means to them, and how their beliefs have evolved since the 2016 election. We're honored to share their thoughtful reflections. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flatbush + Main on iTunes at brooklynhistory.org/fm-itunes. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 10 Bonus Segment: Voices from the NYC Women’s March appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

Episode 10 of Flatbush + Main is a special one - it was recorded live on January 11, 2017 in BHS's beautiful Othmer Library. In a public program called "Civic Responsibility, Then and Now: A View from the Archives," co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia honored the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. by exploring the practice of history as a form of civic engagement, and reflected on the recent election by considering lessons from Brooklyn activists of the past. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 10: Civic Responsibility, Then and Now – Recorded Live! appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 09 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia dig into their most delicious topic yet: food and identity in Brooklyn. They speak to historical gastronomist Sarah Lohman to find out exactly what a historical gastronomist is, and to learn about some ingredients that have shaped the course of American history. In "Into the Archives," they explore a 19th-century recipe book created by two generations of Brooklyn women and think about gender roles, the politics of food preparation, and the preservation of Dutch culture in Flatbush. Finally, they listen to a clip from the oral history of Ericka Basile, a Brooklynite of African, French and Taíno ancestry. Basile reflects on the ways that Creole food informed her childhood, her relationships, and her identity. In their endorsements, Julie and Zaheer share some of the foods that have shaped who they are today. We'd love to hear about how food has shaped your identity. Share your food memories by using the hashtag #flatbushandmain. For complete show notes, go to www.brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 09: Food and Identity, Brooklyn Style appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In Episode 08 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia explore the legacy of veterans from Brooklyn and beyond, and consider the ways that historians have analyzed the often fraught history of American veterans. In the first segment, Julie and Zaheer sit down with historian Phil Napoli to discuss the the historical meanings of the American veteran throughout history. Phil also discusses his work interviewing New York City's Vietnam Vets, and the essential role that oral histories can play in the preservation of veterans' experiences. Our hosts head into the archives with BHS Assistant Curator Erin Wuebker to learn the stories embedded in one Civil War-era surgeon's kit. in "Voices of Brooklyn," they listen to and honor the experiences of Second Lieutenant Joan Furey, a Brooklynite who served in Vietnam. Following endorsements, Zaheer and Julie offer their thoughts on the recent presidential election and the importance of historical thinking in this unprecedented political age. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 08: Brooklyn’s Veterans appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In less than a week, Americans will go to the polls to choose a new president - and for the first time, one of the major party candidates is a woman. In episode 07 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia consider the important legacies left by several of Brooklyn's female politicians, and the intersectional nature of gender and politics in this incredibly diverse borough. They learn about the remarkable career of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm from historian Zinga Fraser, and draw connections between Chisholm's politics and today's political landscape. In their explorations of the papers of NAACP staffer Richetta Randolph, they expand definitions of what constitutes political work. In "Voices of Brooklyn," they listen to influential activist Elsie Richardson describe her interactions with Robert Kennedy during his 1965 visit to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant. Finally, they welcome BHS Manager of Teacher and Learning Alex Tronolone, who plugs BHS's Election Day Professional Development programming for New York City's K-12 teachers. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 07: Brooklyn’s Women Politicians appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In episode 06 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia explore the complicated relationship between race, power, and policy in Brooklyn's educational system over two centuries. They speak with journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and historian Ansley Erickson about the rezoning of one Brooklyn school, P.S. 307, and the roots of school segregation in New York City; head into the archives to analyze an 1863 letter written by William J. Wilson, an educational leader in Brooklyn's African American community; and listen to the experiences of Mary Barksdale, who served as a local school board representative and president of the parent-teachers association in her son's school in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. Finally, they get a glimpse into one of BHS's most innovative after school programs from Shirley Brown-Alleyne, BHS Manager of Teaching and Learning. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 06: School Segregation in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In episode 05 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia do a deep dive into the history and future of Crown Heights, a neighborhood in central Brooklyn, on the 25th anniversary of the 1991 Crown Heights Riot. Throughout Crown Heights' history, its many diverse residents have debated the boundaries, ownership, and meaning of this ever-evolving neighborhood. Julie and Zaheer consider how the question "Whose Crown Heights?" has shaped the neighborhood's history from the 18th century to the present, they crack open the "Crown Heights" folder from the Vertical File in BHS's Library and Archives, and listen to residents Rabbi Simon Jacobson and Iyedun Ince reflect on their relationship with and observations about Crown Heights. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 05: Whose Crown Heights? appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In episode 04 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia examine the history and evolution of hip hop in Brooklyn. Joined by Wes Jackson, founder and Executive Director of the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, we consider how Brooklyn shaped the trajectory of this powerful cultural genre - and how hip hop, in turn, shaped Brooklyn and Brooklynites. We chat with media producer, archivist, and educator Martha Diaz about what it means to document and archive such a multilayered and global movement as hip hop. Finally, in the "Voices of Brooklyn" segment, we listen to author, filmmaker, and cultural critic Nelson George describe how hip hop communities operated on the ground in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Fort Greene. For complete show notes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 04: Hip Hop in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In episode 03 of Brooklyn Historical Society's podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia tackle the history of queer spaces in Brooklyn. We sit down with curator and writer Hugh Ryan, who helps us define "queer" as a historical construct and shares some amazing hidden queer histories that he has uncovered. We also visit the Lesbian Herstory Archives in the neighborhood of Park Slope to talk with co-founder Deborah Edel, and listen to the reflections of one Brooklynite who shared his life and experiences in our oral history collections. For complete shownotes, go to brooklynhistory.org/flatbush-main. The post Flatbush + Main Episode 03: Queering Brooklyn Spaces appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

In the past several years, Brooklyn’s waterfront has transformed into a high-value, celebrated space lined with bucolic parks and new developments. In Episode 02 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main, co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia travel back in time to a different waterfront: a 19th- and 20th-century site of production, storage, and […] The post Flatbush + Main Episode 02: Brooklyn’s Working Waterfront appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

Last Friday, April 22, was Earth Day, recognized since 1970 as a day to agitate for environmental consciousness and protection. In honor of that, Episode 01 of Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main tackles one of the most pressing topics shaping Brooklyn’s past and future: waste. With the help of guests historian Elizabeth Pillsbury […] The post Flatbush + Main Episode 01: Histories of Waste in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.

Brooklyn Historical Society is excited to launch Flatbush + Main, a monthly podcast dedicated to Brooklyn’s many-layered history and its dynamic present. Each week you’ll hear co-hosts Zaheer Ali and Julie Golia dig into some of the most compelling stories that we come across everyday in our work as historians at BHS. Primary sources are […] The post Flatbush + Main Episode 00: Welcome to Flatbush + Main, a podcast from Brooklyn Historical Society appeared first on Brooklyn Historical Society.