We can’t change our history, but we can let it guide us to understanding.

Buried Truths acknowledges and unearths still-relevant stories of injustice, resilience and racism in the American South. The podcast is hosted by journalist, professor, and Pulitzer-prize-winning author, Hank Klibanoff.

Buried Truths SeasonsSeason 1 tells the story of Isaiah Nixon, a father of six who, in 1948, exercised his right to vote and paid with his life. Isaiah’s story provides insight into voter suppression, disenfranchisement, and much more. Season 2 tells the story of A.C. Hall, a black teenager who was mistakenly identified as a gun thief in 1962, Macon, Georgia. Through A.C.’s story, host Hank Klibanoff examines police privilege, racial conditioning, community activism, and much more. Season 3 is in production.

Buried Truths has been widely recognized for its deep, historical understanding, intensive research, and moving storytelling – winning the Peabody Award, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award, Edward R. Murrow Award and a Webby honoree. Lesson plans based on the podcast received the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Award.

 

Connect With The Show And Spread The Word

There are many ways to connect with Buried Truths:

Videos

  • An in-depth look at Emory students’ work on the Isaiah Nixon case as part of the Georgia Civil Rights Cold Cases Project at Emory University, which Hank directs – Watch Now
  • Peabody acceptance speech for Season 1 – Watch Now
  • Season 2 Trailer – Watch Now

Featured Episode

R-E-S-P-E-C-T | S2 E2

Hank Klibanoff •

What was life like in the South in the 1960s? Why did A.C. run? Revealing details from A.C.’s friends, community members and the ruling politicians of the time.

Find out more about what’s covered in this episode:

– Slavery By Another Name documentary and educational resources, PBS, Douglas Blackmon

–  “Debate Over Empty Lot Unearths Ugly Piece of Atlanta History”, WABE, Molly Samuel

–  Growing Up Jim Crow: How Black and White Southern Children Learned Race by Jennifer Ritterhouse

–  A conversation with Mary Frances Early, the first African American student to earn a degree from the University of Georgia in 1962, WABE, Rose Scott

56 Years | S2 E3

Hank Klibanoff •

A rookie black lawyer, who’s never examined a witness, who doesn’t even know what a coroner’s inquest is, gets his chance in a Macon, Georgia, courtroom against a legendary segregationist lawyer and politician. Can this possibly go well? Listen to the actual testimony — and that rookie’s reflections, in that same courtroom, 56 years later. 

Call Him Up | S2 E4

Hank Klibanoff •

Sixteen year old Eloise Franklin takes the stand in front of five white jurors, three attorneys and a courtroom full of spectators. The police officers’ defense attorney Denmark Groover, a staunch segregationist who tried to stop clocks and change flags, asks her more than 230 questions. Years later, Eloise recalls the experience. The inquest takes a break.

As Traditional As Grits | S2 E5

Hank Klibanoff •

It’s the wrong gun. As Barnett Hopper takes the stand, saying the gun that police found isn’t his after all, we examine the kind of training that officers like Brown and Durden received. Hank discusses police culture and training with a former police officer, now law professor. His focus – policing the police.

The Shirttail | S2 E6

Hank Klibanoff •

How accurate is eyewitness identification? Donald Hollowell, one of the civil rights attorneys representing A.C. Hall’s family, questions what Doris Hopper actually saw. Hank looks at the science…and he speaks to Doris.

Listen to all episodes from your favorite podcast app.