DeepSummary
In this podcast episode, Ba Parker and Sandia Dierks of NPR's Code Switch discuss the legacy of Carter G. Woodson, known as the "father of Black history." They introduce Brett Woodson Bailey, Woodson's great-great-grandnephew, and Craig Woodson, a white man who discovered his ancestors had enslaved Brett's ancestors. The episode explores how Craig and Brett's families became intertwined through Craig's efforts to acknowledge and apologize for his family's past as enslavers.
Craig Woodson initially hid the truth about his family's history, but eventually organized a ceremonial apology to the Black Woodsons, including Edgar and Aileen Woodson, Carter G. Woodson's grandnephew and his wife. Despite the awkwardness, the apology ceremony brought the families together, though it couldn't heal the wounds of slavery or address ongoing systemic racism.
The episode examines the complexities of reconciling the past, with Craig trying to "show up" and become part of the Black Woodsons' lives, while Brett grapples with what it means to carry on Carter G. Woodson's legacy and navigate life as a Black student on a predominantly white college campus. Their bond shows how facing the truth can create something real, even if it can never truly repair the past.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The legacy of Carter G. Woodson, known as the 'father of Black history,' continues to resonate today through his descendants like Brett Woodson Bailey.
- Acknowledging and confronting the brutal history of slavery and its enduring impacts is a complex and ongoing process, even within families.
- A ceremonial apology from a white descendant of enslavers to the Black descendants of the enslaved people his ancestors owned helped foster an unlikely bond between the two families.
- While symbolic acts like apologies are meaningful, they cannot undo or fully heal the profound, systemic harms caused by slavery and racism.
- Racism and stereotyping persist on college campuses and in society, shaping the lived experiences of Black students like Brett Woodson Bailey.
- Efforts to 'show up' and engage honestly with history can create real familial connections across racial lines, even if discomfort and complexities remain.
- Legacies and family histories, however painful, shape personal identities and world views in profound ways.
- Reconciling the past requires ongoing work beyond just acknowledgment or apology to truly move forward.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I am now going to say again to Edgar that I apologize on behalf of my ancestors for the Holocaust that has caused to your family and your ancestors and I ask for your forgiveness.“ by Craig Woodson
- “I feel like, just, like, minor stereotypes are hard to erase in your head. I feel like I get looked at, like, in weird ways sometimes. Maybe it's just in my head, but that's, like, how it feels sometimes.“ by Brett Woodson Bailey
- “Maybe in the back of my head I thought it was kind of weird that he was white. I'm like, hmm, I don't have any other white cousins.“ by Brett Woodson Bailey
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Episode Information
Code Switch
NPR
2/22/23
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