Grapevine

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In August 2022, at a packed school board meeting in Grapevine, Texas, a mom approaches the microphone and describes the exact nightmare that Republican politicians have been warning about. She accuses a teacher of convincing her child to change genders. As a result, she says, “I lost my son.” But when NBC News reporters Mike Hixenbaugh and Antonia Hylton look into this mother’s allegations, they find a different story: of a transgender child desperately wanting to be heard, a mother determined to put God first — and an English teacher caught in the middle. And they discover this isn’t just a story about one broken family. It’s also a story about a fringe religious movement wielding newfound power and the revival of a long-simmering quest by evangelicals to remake American education based on their version of biblical values. From NBC News Studios and the team behind the Peabody Award-winning series Southlake, Grapevine is a podcast about faith and power — and what it means to protect children — in an American suburb.

NBC News


    • Feb 15, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 35m AVG DURATION
    • 8 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS

    Ivy Insights

    The Grapevine podcast is an incredibly well-made and timely podcast that delves into the horror being inflicted on teachers and its impact on them and their students. As someone who comes from a family of teachers, I found this podcast to be highly relatable and informative. It addresses the challenges faced by teachers in recent years, from the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to outrageous accusations like making kids gay or trans. The podcast emphasizes that teachers just want to do their job and teach children essential subjects like math.

    One of the best aspects of The Grapevine podcast is its thorough coverage of the issue at hand. It provides detailed information that may not be readily available in national news, giving listeners a deeper understanding of what's happening in schools. The podcast also takes time to explore different perspectives, attempting to present all sides of the story. This balanced approach helps listeners gain a broader view of the situation.

    However, one possible weakness of The Grapevine podcast is that it focuses solely on the experiences in TexAss (Texas). While this allows for an in-depth examination of a particular region, it would be interesting to hear about similar issues occurring in other parts of the country as well. Adding more diverse perspectives from different states would help paint a more comprehensive picture of what's happening nationwide.

    In conclusion, The Grapevine podcast is an excellent piece of journalism that sheds light on crucial issues facing educators in Texas schools. It effectively captures the struggles faced by teachers and students alike due to political and religious influences. Despite some minor limitations, this podcast serves as an eye-opening exploration of education-related challenges faced by communities across America today.



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    Latest episodes from Grapevine

    Special preview of Into America presents: Uncounted Millions

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2024 6:12


    On Into America presents: Uncounted Millions: The Power of Reparations, award-winning MSNBC correspondent Trymaine Lee dives into one of today's most pressing debates: reparations. Months ago, Trymaine discovered the little-known story of Gabriel Coakley and it blew his mind. In the midst of the Civil War, Coakley was among a handful of Black people who found a way to get compensated for slavery by the US government. On Uncounted Millions, Trymaine talks to Coakley's descendants about how reparations forever changed their family's trajectory. And as more cities and states consider the issue at a policy level, he imagines how reparations might shape the whole of Black America.  Listen to this special preview now. And follow the show: https://link.chtbl.com/iapum_fdlw

    A Final Lesson

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2023 49:07


    Grapevine goes to the polls in a contentious school board election driven by the fight over the role of religion and LGBTQ inclusion in public schools. As the dust settles, Ren reflects on the impact of her mother's allegations. And, after months of feeling as if she's had to erase herself, Em Ramser reclaims her voice.

    Open The Floodgates

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 44:42


    Evangelical activists open a new front in their campaign to impose their version of biblical morality in public schools — at the Texas statehouse. While legislators debate bills requiring the Ten Commandments and banning mention of gender identity in classrooms, three nonbinary students share the trauma they've endured at Grapevine High. Meanwhile, a coalition of progressive parents and disillusioned conservatives pledge to retake control of their school system.

    A Raging Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 43:09


    Weston Brown, 28, sees a video of his homeschooling mother calling for dozens of books on sexuality and gender to be banned from public schools in another Texas school district. To counter her political activism, Weston publicly shares his story of growing up gay in a fundamentalist Christian family. Feeling pressured by parents and school officials, Em Ramser removes LGBTQ symbols from her classroom and no longer recognizes the teacher she's become.

    The Seven Mountains

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 44:26


    Conservatives are gaining power in Grapevine, fueled by a once-fringe movement that calls on evangelicals to control the seven key “mountains” of American society — including education. A cellphone company with a Christian nationalist agenda heeds that call and sets its sights on winning school board seats in Grapevine, following an example set a year earlier in the neighboring city of Southlake.CORRECTION (Oct. 4, 2023, 08:40 p.m. ET): A previous version of this episode misstated the amount of money Patriot Mobile Action spent in school board elections in North Texas in spring 2022. It was nearly $500,000, not $600,000.

    The Girl And The English Teacher

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 43:21


    Introducing: Grapevine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 3:08


    Two years after conservative activists turned critical race theory into a right-wing rallying cry, the political fight has shifted. The team behind the Peabody Award-winning podcast Southlake tells the story of one family broken apart in the midst of a new anti-LGBTQ culture war, and the high school English teacher caught in the middle.

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