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New Books in African American Studies

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This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: newbooksnetwork.com Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ge... more

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Latest Episodes

In Searching for Jane Crow: Black Women and Mass Incarceration in America from the Auction Block to the Cell Block (Beacon Press, 2022), historian Talitha L. LeFlouria centers Black women at the core of a fresh argument: that the system of mass incar... more

Born in Florida to a religious family, Lillian Smith (1897-1966) was a white Southern woman living in the Jim Crow South who defied all stereotypes: She lived with her lover, Paula, first running a summer camp in the foothills of the Appalachian Moun... more

For three years in the early 1900s, a serial killer zigzagged across the rice belt region of the United States, using an everyday ax to slaughter Black families living within a mile of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Sunset Route. The similarities am... more

The Centrality of Slavery: Empire and Enslavement in Colonial Illinois and Missouri (U Pennsylvania Press, 2025) examines how French and American colonizers used the powers of various imperial regimes to create slave societies in present-day Missour... more

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Recent Guests

Lauren Nicole Henley
Assistant Professor in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
Episode: Inquisition for Blood: The Making of a Black Female Serial Killer in the Jim Crow South with Lauren Nicole Henley (LSU Press, 2026)
Kelly Lytle Hernández
Author, Professor of History, African American Studies, and Urban Planning at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
Episode: Racist by Design: Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control with Kelly Lytle Hernández (Norton, 2026)
Nicholas P. Wood
Author of Let the Oppressed Go Free, Abolitionism in Colonial and Revolutionary America
U. Pennsylvania Press, 2025
Episode: Let the Oppressed Go Free: Abolitionism in Colonial and Revolutionary America with Nicholas P. Wood (U Pennsylvania Press, 2025)
Dr. Catherine John
Author of Afroindigenization, A Theory of Grassroots Cultural Practice
Duke University Press (book publisher)
Episode: Catherine A John, "Afroindigenization: A Theory of Grassroots Cultural Practice" (Duke UP, 2026)
Dr Samantha Barbas
Author and law professor specializing in the history of free speech
University of California Press; University of California (law professor)
Episode: Samantha Barbas, "Hate Speech: The Legal and Cultural History of an American Dilemma" (U California Press, 2026)
Justin Ellen
Baker and creator of Everything Just Bake; author of Better Than Grandma's Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving
Everything Just Bake / Rolling Pin Press
Episode: Justin Ellen, "Better Than Grandma's: Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving" (Rolling Pin Press, 2026)
Douglas Hurt
Professor Emeritus, Purdue University; Agricultural historian
Purdue University
Episode: R. Douglas Hurt, "The Country People: An Agricultural History of the American Revolution" (U Georgia Press, 2026)
Christopher Freeburg
Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Episode: Christopher Freeburg, "Soul: A Brief History of Black Cultural Life" (Yale UP, 2026)
Patrick Griffin
Author of The Age of Atlantic Revolution, The Fall and Rise of a Connected World
University of Notre Dame
Episode: Patrick Griffin, "The Age of Atlantic Revolution: The Fall and Rise of a Connected World" (Yale UP, 2023)

Host

Dr. Zachary Williams
Host of The New Books Network

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 216 ratings
  • Interesting

    Really interesting episodes and I’m glad to have somewhere to go when I’m either looking for a new book or something new to me.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BreOutside
    United States4 months ago
  • They always feature my fav scholars and thinkers

    Anytime I’m looking to learn more about a new author that I️ come across, chances are, they’ve already been interviewed by you all!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @bodegaautumn
    United Statesa year ago
  • Varied and interesting

    So many excellent authors discuss their books on this podcast that I wouldn’t have found out about otherwise. Thank you for this great channel of information!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sol na Laje
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Host needs moderation work

    First, honor and excitement for this podcast — Listened to the “Silencing the Past” Trouillot episode which brought together some stellar scholars to a round table to discuss the impact of the text in our recent years, in and following 2020. Interspersed between scholars’ remarks about the text or social events, McNeil might chime in, “that’s really interesting” or “wow, that’s incredible” or but added so very little in the way of building, or drawing connections between ideas, I found myself sk... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    technique over topics
    United States3 years ago
  • Really

    Are there African Americans who write books on African American history? Really!?!? Do better or end this.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Clone B.
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Strong guest diversity and archival context.
Scholarly depth with accessible storytelling.
Some listeners want tighter interview structure and fewer host asides.
A valuable resource for discovering new Black studies authors.
Critical voices note perceived emphasis on white authors in some episodes.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Racist by Design: Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control with Kelly Lytle Hernández (Norton, 2026)
Q: How have immigration advocates and communities fought back within this system, and what is the hopeful takeaway from these efforts?
Advocates have pursued multiracial campaigns, used architectural cases to expand due process, organized around the history of exclusion to mobilize support, and in recent years have pushed to decriminalize border crossings. Although not always successful, these efforts reveal an ability to disrupt the machine and educate the public about the system's racial foundations.
Racist by Design: Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control with Kelly Lytle Hernández (Norton, 2026)
Q: What do you mean by the 'exclusion quartet' and why are these rulings pivotal for today's immigration framework?
The quartet—Chai Lung v. Freer, Chae Chan Ping, Fong Yu Ting, and Wang Wing—established federal authority, plenary power, and limited due process for detainees and deportees, laying the groundwork for the modern immigration regime where the federal government controls who can enter, stay, or be removed.
Racist by Design: Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control with Kelly Lytle Hernández (Norton, 2026)
Q: Could you talk a little bit more about the major phases of immigration policy as you see them and the big changes over time?
The author argues for a periodization that starts with local, slaveholding-era enforcement (1790-1875), then federalization after 1875, then consolidation of a whites-only system through 1929, followed by a shift in 1952 that preserved the system while expanding enforcement and guest workers, and finally the post-1965 era where demographics shifted due to family-based immigration and asylum, but the underlying whites-only logic persisted.
Lucas L. Johnson II, "Remembering Roots: How an American Classic Transformed the World" (Broadleaf Books, 2026)
Q: How do you view the legacy of Roots in today's media landscape and in genealogical research culture?
The legacy lies in showing how storytelling can unify people across races while encouraging critical examination of history, which catalyzed the modern genealogical boom and remains a touchstone for discussions about heritage, memory, and national history.
Lucas L. Johnson II, "Remembering Roots: How an American Classic Transformed the World" (Broadleaf Books, 2026)
Q: What was the most surprising reaction you encountered when discussing Roots with people across generations?
Many people shared personal memories of the scene where a father lifts a newborn to the sky, connecting to a sense of inherited greatness; this moment highlighted how Roots transcended media to influence rituals and personal meaning in families.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in African American Studies

What is New Books in African American Studies about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers scholarly conversations around recently published books and research in African American studies, frequently featuring historians, literary scholars, and interdisciplinary academics. Episodes cover topics like care economics, Black Atlantic history, Indigenous sovereignty, Black urban life, and transnational Black print culture, often with a focus on archival detail, method, and the broader implications for public education and policy. A standout pattern is in-depth author interviews that blend historical context with contemporary relevance, plus thoughtful discussions of race, gender, and empire. The format tends to attract listeners who are researchers, students, and professionals in academia or libraries, and it often h... more

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4. Culture Study Podcast
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New Books in African American Studies launched 16 years ago and published 1983 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in African American Studies?

Recent guests on New Books in African American Studies include:

1. Lauren Nicole Henley
2. Kelly Lytle Hernández
3. Nicholas P. Wood
4. Dr. Catherine John
5. Dr Samantha Barbas
6. Justin Ellen
7. Douglas Hurt
8. Christopher Freeburg

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