Kentucky History with Stephanie Lang
Dr. Stephanie Lang, editor of the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, brings the publication's many contributors to our listeners to share their accounts of Kentucky's colorful and often complicated history.
The interviews:
November 12, 2020 - Expanding the inclusiveness of Kentucky history. Stephanie's guest: UK Professor of Appalachian History, Kathryn Newfont. LISTEN
January 7, 2021 - Stephanie Lang in conversation with Dr. Jonathan Coleman on LGBTQ history in Eastern Kentucky with a focus on Hindman-born gay rights activist Elijah "Lige" Clarke. LISTEN
March 11, 2021 - Appalachia's important role in the origins of distance learning. Stephanie's guest: UK doctoral candidate Carson Benn. LISTEN
May 13, 2021 - You don’t need us to tell you that the coal story is complicated. We know that mining it and selling it kept roofs over the heads of many and enriched a few, while powering the country even as it fouled air and water with heavy metals and other toxins. It paid for schools and hospitals that educated and treated miners with black lung disease. So..complicated. Stephanie looks at an important side of this many faceted story: the opposition. LISTEN
July 22, 2021 - Kentuckians have gone on to do great things out in the world. Stephanie focuses on one of them: former NBC President Julian Goodman. Her guest: Western Kentucky University history professor Anthony Harkins. LISTEN
April 21, 2022 - Stephanie Lang discusses life for the disabled prior to passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act with Laurel Daen, Assistant Professor of American Studies at Notre Dame University. LISTEN
August 18, 2022 - The Gensing harvest season officially begins on September 1 in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. In the late 1800s across the region, independent women, farmers and even whole towns gathered ginseng for international export. But that rich history has largely been eclipsed by modern day poaching and regional stereotypes — until now. A new book by environmental historian Luke Manget explores the complicated history of ginseng harvest in the Appalachians. In Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia, Manget reveals a savvy culture of gatherers and shatters those stereotypes about "sangers." He shares details with Stephanie Lang, editor of the Register of the Kentucky Historical SocietyLISTEN