Episodes

  • Episode 19: Part 2 - Many Splendored Hong Kong

    Episode 19: Part 2 - Many Splendored Hong Kong
    Oct 4 2023
    EPISODES #18 AND #19: Explore the history of Hong Kong and its public transportation as we delve into the movie Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and the bestseller book that preceded it. In Part 1, we start with the movie and then look at Hong Kong's history and explosive population growth before discussing public transportation. In Part 2, we delve into the history of the amazing Hong Kong subway system, its rail-plus-property model, which generates revenues, and then recent developments and the ending to Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.Our moments in equity explore the dislocation and refugee movement during the Chinese Revolution in Part 1 and in Part 2 we look at income inequality in the US and China. Resources Moment in Equity – Episode #18· Terry Hong, Last Boat Out of Shanghai' has four stories at once personal and universal, Christian Science Monitor (Jan. 24, 2019) (reviewing Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution by Helen Zia) – available for free through ProQuest if your library subscribes· 'Last Boat Out Of Shanghai': The Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution, Morning Edition, National Public Radio (Interview) (Feb. 19, 2019) – https://www.npr.org/2019/02/19/695874055/last-boat-out-of-shanghai-the-chinese-who-fled-maos-revolution Moment in Equity – Episode #19· Lindsey Maizland, Income inequality in China is bad, but it’s worse in the US, Vox (Feb. 16, 2017) – https://www.vox.com/world/2017/2/16/14636472/income-wealth-inequality-gap-china-bad-us-worse · Wealth & Inequality In The U.S. And China, USC US-China Institute at USC Annenberg (Nov. 19, 2020) – https://china.usc.edu/wealth-inequality-us-and-china · Fatema Z. Sumar, Why inequality is growing in the US and around the world, The Conversation (Jan. 2, 2023) – https://theconversation.com/why-inequality-is-growing-in-the-us-and-around-the-world-191642#:~:text=The%20Gini%20index%20rose%20by,triggered%20%E2%80%93%20worsened%20global%20income%20inequality. Book and Movie· A Many Splendored Thing – novel by Han Suyin· Love Is a Many Splendored Thing – 1955 Movie available on Amazon Prime (not free) History of Hong Kong and its public transportation· History of Hong Kong, Wikipedia (Updated Mar. 8, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Hong_Kong · Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Wikipedia (Updated Aug. 21, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occupation_of_Hong_Kong · Ladder Streets, Wikipedia (Updated Feb. 20, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_streets#:~:text=Ladder%20streets%20are%20narrow%20streets,Road%20at%20the%20Mid%2DLevels. · Ladder Street, Wikipedia (Updated Feb. 27, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_Street · Peak Tram, Wikipedia (Mar. 23, 3023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_Tram · Ngai Yeung, Hidden Hong Kong: A busy history of the Hong Kong bus, localiiz (Updated Apr. 26, 2022) – https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-history-bus-local-public-transportation-hong-kong · MTR, Wikipedia (July 29, 3023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTR#:~:text=Construction%20of%20the%20MTR%20was,first%20line%20opened%20in%201979 · Chris Wood, The 18 years it took Hong Kong to get first MTR subway line – how the Post reported the story, South China Morning Post (Sept. 29, 2017) – https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/2113217/archives-how-hong-kongs-first-subway-system-got · Matthew Keegan, How public transport actually turns a profit in Hong Kong, The Guardian (Mar. 19, 2019) – https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/mar/19/how-public-transport-actually-turns-a-profit-in-hong-kong (The Guardian remains free to all and it seeks donations and subscriptions in order to continue to offer its articles without charge.0· Maggie Hiufu Wong, Hong Kong’s MTR: Taking a ride on the world’s most envied metro system, CNN Travel (Mar. 31, 2015) – https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-mtr-success-story/index.html · Dean Napolitano, Hong Kong struggles to win back tourists, ‘World City’ crown, AlJazeera (Mar. 20, 2023) – https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/3/20/hong-kong-struggles-to-win-back-tourists-world-city-crown Interviews with Han Suyin on YouTube (sample)· Webster! Interview: Dr Han Suyin, Royal BC Museum (Jan. 28, 1985) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQBtAiWMmyw&t=232s · Han Suyin speaking at UCLA 3/24/1965 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9upkez7iNI · Entrevue avec la romancière Han Suyin en 1959 (in French) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUJbAvo-lf4 Princess Alexandra· Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, Wikipedia (Updated Aug. 2, 2023)
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    38 mins
  • Episode 18: Part 1 - Many Splendored Hong Kong

    Episode 18: Part 1 - Many Splendored Hong Kong
    Sep 20 2023
    EPISODES #18 AND #19: Explore the history of Hong Kong and its public transportation as we delve into the movie Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and the bestseller book that preceded it. In Part 1, we start with the movie and then look at Hong Kong's history and explosive population growth before discussing public transportation. In Part 2, we delve into the history of the amazing Hong Kong subway system, its rail-plus-property model, which generates revenues, and then recent developments and the ending to Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.Our moments in equity explore the dislocation and refugee movement during the Chinese Revolution in Part 1 and in Part 2 we look at income inequality in the US and China. Resources Moment in Equity – Episode #18· Terry Hong, Last Boat Out of Shanghai' has four stories at once personal and universal, Christian Science Monitor (Jan. 24, 2019) (reviewing Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution by Helen Zia) – available for free through ProQuest if your library subscribes· 'Last Boat Out Of Shanghai': The Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution, Morning Edition, National Public Radio (Interview) (Feb. 19, 2019) – https://www.npr.org/2019/02/19/695874055/last-boat-out-of-shanghai-the-chinese-who-fled-maos-revolution Moment in Equity – Episode #19· Lindsey Maizland, Income inequality in China is bad, but it’s worse in the US, Vox (Feb. 16, 2017) – https://www.vox.com/world/2017/2/16/14636472/income-wealth-inequality-gap-china-bad-us-worse · Wealth & Inequality In The U.S. And China, USC US-China Institute at USC Annenberg (Nov. 19, 2020) – https://china.usc.edu/wealth-inequality-us-and-china · Fatema Z. Sumar, Why inequality is growing in the US and around the world, The Conversation (Jan. 2, 2023) – https://theconversation.com/why-inequality-is-growing-in-the-us-and-around-the-world-191642#:~:text=The%20Gini%20index%20rose%20by,triggered%20%E2%80%93%20worsened%20global%20income%20inequality. Book and Movie· A Many Splendored Thing – novel by Han Suyin· Love Is a Many Splendored Thing – 1955 Movie available on Amazon Prime (not free) History of Hong Kong and its public transportation· History of Hong Kong, Wikipedia (Updated Mar. 8, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Hong_Kong · Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Wikipedia (Updated Aug. 21, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occupation_of_Hong_Kong · Ladder Streets, Wikipedia (Updated Feb. 20, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_streets#:~:text=Ladder%20streets%20are%20narrow%20streets,Road%20at%20the%20Mid%2DLevels. · Ladder Street, Wikipedia (Updated Feb. 27, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_Street · Peak Tram, Wikipedia (Mar. 23, 3023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_Tram · Ngai Yeung, Hidden Hong Kong: A busy history of the Hong Kong bus, localiiz (Updated Apr. 26, 2022) – https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-history-bus-local-public-transportation-hong-kong · MTR, Wikipedia (July 29, 3023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTR#:~:text=Construction%20of%20the%20MTR%20was,first%20line%20opened%20in%201979 · Chris Wood, The 18 years it took Hong Kong to get first MTR subway line – how the Post reported the story, South China Morning Post (Sept. 29, 2017) – https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/2113217/archives-how-hong-kongs-first-subway-system-got · Matthew Keegan, How public transport actually turns a profit in Hong Kong, The Guardian (Mar. 19, 2019) – https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/mar/19/how-public-transport-actually-turns-a-profit-in-hong-kong (The Guardian remains free to all and it seeks donations and subscriptions in order to continue to offer its articles without charge.0· Maggie Hiufu Wong, Hong Kong’s MTR: Taking a ride on the world’s most envied metro system, CNN Travel (Mar. 31, 2015) – https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-mtr-success-story/index.html · Dean Napolitano, Hong Kong struggles to win back tourists, ‘World City’ crown, AlJazeera (Mar. 20, 2023) – https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/3/20/hong-kong-struggles-to-win-back-tourists-world-city-crown Interviews with Han Suyin on YouTube (sample)· Webster! Interview: Dr Han Suyin, Royal BC Museum (Jan. 28, 1985) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQBtAiWMmyw&t=232s · Han Suyin speaking at UCLA 3/24/1965 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9upkez7iNI · Entrevue avec la romancière Han Suyin en 1959 (in French) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUJbAvo-lf4 Princess Alexandra· Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, Wikipedia (Updated Aug. 2, 2023)
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    56 mins
  • Episode 17: The Gondolas of Medellin

    Episode 17: The Gondolas of Medellin
    Jun 1 2023
    The story of the gondolas of Medellin, Columbia, is the history of Medellin itself. We explore how Medellin went from Spanish colonial mining town to industrial city and then, via building a robust public transportation system - and in particular the gondolas - Medellin transformed itself from a murder capital to a tourist-magnet destination. Medellin took a no-wrong-door, holistic approach to its many problems. In the process, the city built a responsive, but inexpensive, form of public infrastructure well suited to its mountainous, but urban, terrain. Resources Moment in Equity Wealth Inequality by Country 2023 – https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/wealth-inequality-by-country Adriaan Alsema, Colombia’s wealth gap bogging down economic growth and progress: World Bank, Columbia Reports (Oct. 28, 2021) – https://colombiareports.com/colombias-wealth-gap-bogging-down-economic-growth-and-progress-world-bank/ Geography and history of Medellin Political Map of Columbia, nationsonline.org (Undated) – https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/colombia_map.htm#:~:text=About%20Colombia&text=It%20is%20bordered%20by%20Brazil,Cayman%20Islands%20(United%20Kingdom). Medellin, Britannica (Updated Sept. 7, 2022) – https://www.britannica.com/place/Medellin-Colombia Medellin FactFile, MedellinColumbia.co (Undated) – https://www.medellincolombia.co/general-information/medellin-factfile/ Brief History of Medellin, casacol (Undated) (author name as Patrick, with no other information) – https://en.casacol.co/2022/06/11/brief-history-of-medellin/ Kenneth Fletcher, Columbia Dispatch 9: The Story of Medellin, Smithsonian (Oct. 28, 2008) – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatch-9-the-story-of-medellin-88441797/ David Freedman, How Medellin, Columbia, Became the World’s Smartest City, Newsweek (Nov. 18, 2019) - https://www.newsweek.com/2019/11/22/medellin-colombia-worlds-smartest-city-1471521.html Gondolas Gondola, Cambridge Dictionary (Undated) (definition) – https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/gondola Gondola, Online Etymology Dictionary (Undated) – https://www.etymonline.com/word/gondola#:~:text=gondola%20(n.),open%20railway%20cars%20by%201871. Gondola (disambiguation), Wikipedia (Updated Feb. 20, 2023) (discussing less common transportation-related meanings of the word “gondola”) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondola_(disambiguation) Frequently Asked Questions, Georgetown-Roslyn Gondola (Undated) – http://www.georgetownrosslyngondola.com/faqs Gondolas of Medellin Steven Dale, Medellin/Caracas, Part 1, The Gondola Project (Oct. 5, 2015) – https://www.gondolaproject.com/2015/10/05/medellincaracas-part-1/ Steven Dale, Medellin/Caracas, Part 2, The Gondola Project (Mar. 12, 2010) – https://www.gondolaproject.com/2010/03/12/medellincaracas-part-2/ Steven Dale, Medellin/Caracas, Part 3, The Gondola Project (Mar. 14, 2010) – https://www.gondolaproject.com/2010/03/14/medellincaracas-part-3/ Cable Cars as Urban Public Transport in Medellin, Seeds of Good Anthropocenes (Undated (seems like 2019) – https://goodanthropocenes.net/cable-cars-as-urban-public-transport-in-medellin/ Video: Medellin: Columbia’s Sustainable Transport Capital, Streetfilms (2012) – https://vimeo.com/39704761 Charles Parkinson, Medellin’s Strategy for Driving Down Crime: Add More Gondolas, The Future of Resilience (blog), Next City (Nov. 11, 2013) – https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/medellin-expands-the-transit-system-that-helped-tame-its-rampant-crime Metrocable (Medellin), Wikipedia (Updated May 22, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrocable_(Medell%C3%ADn) Venezuela: Avila National Park, parkswatch.org (March 2002) – http://parkswatch.org/parkprofiles/pdf/avnp_eng.pdf Metrocables in Medellin, Columbia, Oxfam International (case study) (Jan. 2021) – https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/621119/cs-metrocables-medellin-colombia-270121-en.pdf;jsessionid=68262E16B5AE71A0EF680FA5E085B1AF?sequence=1
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    50 mins
  • Episode 16: Movie - You've Got Mail

    Episode 16: Movie - You've Got Mail
    May 17 2023
    In this episode, we cover You’ve Got Mail, a film from 1998 set in Manhattan, in New York City. The movie features Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as the romantic leads, who, as in many a romantic comedy, loathe each other before realize they are in love. Supporting actors shine brightly and they include Jean Stapleton, Dabney Coleman, Parker Posey, Dave Chappelle, Greg Kinnear and Steve Zahn. Nice appearances also by Jane Adams, Veanne Cox, and Deborah Rush. In this episode, we explore the histories of two neighborhood parks, one small and one quite large, as well as a train station of the NYC subway. What we like about the use of these spaces in the movie and generally the employment of locations in the movie on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is that viewers are treated to a neighborhood feel and an affectionate view of what it’s like to live there.Resources Moment in Equity · Jessica Dalley, What Would $50 In 1940 Rent A New Yorker Today?, Curbed New York (Nov. 21, 2013) – https://ny.curbed.com/2013/11/21/10172014/what-would-50-in-1940-rent-a-new-yorker-today · Peggy Taylor, Lamenting the Loss of My Black Brothers and Sisters, West Side Rag (Feb. 3, 2023) – https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/02/03/lamenting-the-loss-of-my-black-brothers-and-sisters · Andrew Woo, How Have Rents Changed Since 1960?, Apartment List (Jun. 14, 2016) – https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/rent-growth-since-1960 Movie · You’ve Got Mail (1998) – available on HBO Max West 72nd Street Station · Michael Minn, 72nd Street Subway Station, Michael Minn (blog) (Sept. 1, 2001) – https://michaelminn.net/newyork/areas/upper-west-side/72nd-street-subway-station/index.html · 72nd Street station (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line), Wikipedia (Updated Apr. 25, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/72nd_Street_station_(IRT_Broadway%E2%80%93Seventh_Avenue_Line)#:~:text=The%2072nd%20Street%20station%20opened,of%20the%20Upper%20West%20Side. Verdi Square· The musical history of 72nd Street’s Verdi Square, Ephemeral New York (Dec. 19, 2012) – https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/the-musical-history-of-72nd-streets-verdi-square/ · Verdi Square, NYC Parks (Undated) – https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/verdi-square/highlights/6534 · Verdi Square, Landmarks Preservation Commission (Jan. 28, 1975) (NYC landmark designation approved) – http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0857.pdf Riverside Park· Lucie Levine, 10 things you might not know about Riverside Park, 6sqft (Feb. 12, 2019) – https://www.6sqft.com/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-riverside-park/· Riverside Drive (Manhattan), Wikipedia (Updated Feb. 7, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Drive_(Manhattan) · Jay Shockley, Riverside Drive-West 80th - 81st Street Historic District: Designation Report, Landmarks Preservation Commission (of the City of New York) (Mar. 26, 1985) – http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1429.pdf · Riverside Park History, Riverside Park Conservancy, Zippia (Updated Sept. 9, 2022) – https://www.zippia.com/riverside-park-careers-82270/history/ · Riverside South (Manhattan), Wikipedia (Updated Mar. 16, 2023) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_South,_Manhattan · Riverside Drive Scenic North-South Thoroughfare From Harlem And Beyond 1865-, Harlem World (Undated) – https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/riverside-drive-scenic-north-south-thoroughfare-from-harlem-and-beyond-1865/ Other · Tricia Kang, 160 Years of Central Park: A Brief History, Central Park Conservancy Magazine (June 1, 2017) – https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/central-park-history · Rochelle Heath-Harris, The Story of the Dakota Apartment Building, CitySignal (Aug. 11, 2022) – https://www.citysignal.com/the-story-of-the-dakota-apartment-building/ · North Dakota and South Dakota Were Admitted to the Union November 2, 1889, America’s Story from America’s Library, Library of Congress (Undated) – https://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/gilded/jb_gilded_dakotas_1.html · Tweed in New York, Loc.Gov Wise Guide, Library of Congress (Dec. 2004) – https://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/dec04/tweed.html · Walter Karp, The Central Park, Vol. 32 American Heritage (Issue 3, April/May 1981) – https://www.americanheritage.com/central-park · Sherman Square, Wikipedia (Updated Nov. 5, 2022) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Square
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    59 mins
  • Episode 15 - Part 3: First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson

    Episode 15 - Part 3: First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson
    Apr 5 2023
    We are exploring in a three-episode series two First Ladies, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson, who made their marks in the 1960s and 70s. Warning: We will be discussing some matters in these three episodes that could be upsetting or inappropriate for children or individuals with triggers due to mentions of violence or inappropriate behavior in relationships.These two First Ladies each had a significant affect on transportation and public spaces. Why even talk about other aspects of their lives in a podcast that focuses on public space and transportation? My answer is because plans, ideas, and whether they come to fruition often have as much to do with personality as with laws, politics, and societal attitudes. Who these prominent women were and how they were perceived greatly affected how their projects and conduct were accepted, embraced, or rejected. Tumultuous events and societal attitudes would affect their legacies.In Part 1 (Episode 13), we’ll be comparing and contrasting Lady Bird's and Jackie's backgrounds and experiences in the public eye as they approach and become First Ladies. In Part 2 (Episode 14), we’ll be looking at Jackie’s involvement in preventing the destruction of the character of Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, and Lady Bird’s beautification/environmental efforts and her work in urban planning outside of tourist, official and wealthy Washington. That topic will continue into Part 3 (Episode 15) and we will then conclude the series with Jackie’s advocacy to save Grand Central Terminal/Station.Resources Equity· Sarah Shoenfeld, Mapping Segregation in DC, DC Policy Center (2019) – https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/mapping-segregation-fha/#_ftnref8· Kevin Baker, 'Welcome to Fear City' – the inside story of New York's civil war, 40 years on, The Guardian (May 18, 2015)· Joe Heim, New Lafayette Square marker highlights role of slavery in building White House, Washington Post (July 28, 2021) – https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/New-Lafayette-Square-marker-highlights-role-of-slavery-in-building-White-House_Washington-Post-07.28.21.pdf · Joe Heim, The enslaved people who built and staffed the White House: An afterthought no more, Washington Post (Feb. 17, 2020) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-enslaved-people-who-built-and-staffed-the-white-house-an-afterthought-no-more/2020/02/17/5e5393ea-483c-11ea-8124-0ca81effcdfb_story.html · Lina Mann, Building the White House, White House Historical Association (Jan. 3, 2020) – https://www.whitehousehistory.org/building-the-white-house Biographies· Books in order of first ladies· Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story, Barbara Leaming (2014), is a full biography and argues that Jackie suffered for years after the assassination with post-traumatic stress disorder. · A Woman Named Jackie, C. David Heymann (1989), a bit of a trashy biography, but it hits the high and low points.· Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson (1999), a full biography that concentrates on the Lady Bird’s childhood and marriage, and her place in her husband’s political career· Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, Julia Sweig (2021) focuses on Lady Bird’s time as first lady, specifically her role as political advisor and her activities as an environmentalist, urban planner, and women’s advocate during those years.) · Lady Bird Johnson and the Environment, Lewis L. Gould (1988, 2021) (Chapter 6: A Pattern of Quality for Washington’s Neighborhoods, provides in-depth, scholarly coverage of the involved work of Lady Bird, her staff, and those she brought in as donors or staff for small and large-scale projects in black neighborhoods of Washington, DC.) – available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1p2gjzg Podcasts· History Chicks· Lady Bird Johnson – Episode 157 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-157-lady-bird-johnson/ · In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson – 10-part series – http://www.juliasweig.com/new-page-4 · Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis – Part One – Episode 101 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-101-jacqueline-bouvier-kennedy-onassis-part-one/ · Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis – Part Two – Episode 102 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-101-jacqueline-kennedy-onassis-part-two/ · Bowery Boys, The Rescue of Grand Central Terminal: Jackie and the Landmark Express Go to Washington - https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2018/02/rescue-grand-central-terminal-jackie-landmark-express-go-washington.html Other sources· A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy · Wikipedia summary - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tour_of_the_White_House_with_Mrs._John_F._Kennedy· Video of the entire television special – https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x74jyr0 · The Historic ...
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    38 mins
  • Episode 14 - Part 2: First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson

    Episode 14 - Part 2: First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson
    Mar 22 2023
    We are exploring in a three-episode series two First Ladies, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson, who made their marks in the 1960s and 70s. Warning: We will be discussing some matters in these three episodes that could be upsetting or inappropriate for children or individuals with triggers due to mentions of violence or inappropriate behavior in relationships.These two First Ladies each had a significant affect on transportation and public spaces. Why even talk about other aspects of their lives in a podcast that focuses on public space and transportation? My answer is because plans, ideas, and whether they come to fruition often have as much to do with personality as with laws, politics, and societal attitudes. Who these prominent women were and how they were perceived greatly affected how their projects and conduct were accepted, embraced, or rejected. Tumultuous events and societal attitudes would affect their legacies. In Part 1 (Episode 13), we’ll be comparing and contrasting Lady Bird's and Jackie's backgrounds and experiences in the public eye as they approach and become First Ladies. In Part 2 (Episode 14), we’ll be looking at Jackie’s involvement in preventing the destruction of the character of Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, and Lady Bird’s beautification/environmental efforts and her work in urban planning outside of tourist, official and wealthy Washington. That topic will continue into Part 3 (Episode 15) and we will then conclude the series with Jackie’s advocacy to save Grand Central Terminal/Station.ResourcesSources for more information:Please note that the newspaper articles are available for free through many public library systems. They are not all available otherwise on the Internet. Equity· Sarah Shoenfeld, Mapping Segregation in DC, DC Policy Center (2019) – https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/mapping-segregation-fha/#_ftnref8· Kevin Baker, 'Welcome to Fear City' – the inside story of New York's civil war, 40 years on, The Guardian (May 18, 2015)· Joe Heim, New Lafayette Square marker highlights role of slavery in building White House, Washington Post (July 28, 2021) – https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/New-Lafayette-Square-marker-highlights-role-of-slavery-in-building-White-House_Washington-Post-07.28.21.pdf · Joe Heim, The enslaved people who built and staffed the White House: An afterthought no more, Washington Post (Feb. 17, 2020) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-enslaved-people-who-built-and-staffed-the-white-house-an-afterthought-no-more/2020/02/17/5e5393ea-483c-11ea-8124-0ca81effcdfb_story.html · Lina Mann, Building the White House, White House Historical Association (Jan. 3, 2020) – https://www.whitehousehistory.org/building-the-white-house Biographies· Books in order of first ladieso Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story, Barbara Leaming (2014), is a full biography and argues that Jackie suffered for years after the assassination with post-traumatic stress disorder. o A Woman Named Jackie, C. David Heymann (1989), a bit of a trashy biography, but it hits the high and low points.o Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson (1999), a full biography that concentrates on the Lady Bird’s childhood and marriage, and her place in her husband’s political careero Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, Julia Sweig (2021) focuses on Lady Bird’s time as first lady, specifically her role as political advisor and her activities as an environmentalist, urban planner, and women’s advocate during those years.) o Lady Bird Johnson and the Environment, Lewis L. Gould (1988, 2021) (Chapter 6: A Pattern of Quality for Washington’s Neighborhoods, provides in-depth, scholarly coverage of the involved work of Lady Bird, her staff, and those she brought in as donors or staff for small and large-scale projects in black neighborhoods of Washington, DC.) – available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1p2gjzg · Podcastso History Chicks§ Lady Bird Johnson – Episode 157 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-157-lady-bird-johnson/ § In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson – 10-part series – http://www.juliasweig.com/new-page-4 § Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis – Part One – Episode 101 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-101-jacqueline-bouvier-kennedy-onassis-part-one/ § Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis – Part Two – Episode 102 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-101-jacqueline-kennedy-onassis-part-two/ o Bowery Boys§ The Rescue of Grand Central Terminal: Jackie and the Landmark Express Go to Washington - https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2018/02/rescue-grand-central-terminal-jackie-landmark-express-go-washington.html · Other sourceso A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy § Wikipedia summary - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tour_of_the_White_House_with_Mrs....
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Episode 13 - Part 1: First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson

    Episode 13 - Part 1: First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson
    Mar 9 2023
    We are exploring in a three-episode series two First Ladies, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lady Bird Johnson, who made their marks in the 1960s and 70s. Warning: We will be discussing some matters in these three episodes that could be upsetting or inappropriate for children or individuals with triggers due to mentions of violence or inappropriate behavior in relationships.These two First Ladies each had a significant affect on transportation and public spaces. Why even talk about other aspects of their lives in a podcast that focuses on public space and transportation? My answer is because plans, ideas, and whether they come to fruition often have as much to do with personality as with laws, politics, and societal attitudes. Who these prominent women were and how they were perceived greatly affected how their projects and conduct were accepted, embraced, or rejected. Tumultuous events and societal attitudes would affect their legacies.In Part 1 (Episode 13), we’ll be comparing and contrasting Lady Bird's and Jackie's backgrounds and experiences in the public eye as they approach and become First Ladies. In Part 2 (Episode 14), we’ll be looking at Jackie’s involvement in preventing the destruction of the character of Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, and Lady Bird’s beautification/environmental efforts and her work in urban planning outside of tourist, official and wealthy Washington. That topic will continue into Part 3 (Episode 15) and we will then conclude the series with Jackie’s advocacy to save Grand Central Terminal/Station.Resources Sources for more information:Please note that the newspaper articles are available for free through many public library systems. They are not all available otherwise on the Internet. Equity· Sarah Shoenfeld, Mapping Segregation in DC, DC Policy Center (2019) – https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/mapping-segregation-fha/#_ftnref8· Kevin Baker, 'Welcome to Fear City' – the inside story of New York's civil war, 40 years on, The Guardian (May 18, 2015)· Joe Heim, New Lafayette Square marker highlights role of slavery in building White House, Washington Post (July 28, 2021) – https://tudorplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/New-Lafayette-Square-marker-highlights-role-of-slavery-in-building-White-House_Washington-Post-07.28.21.pdf · Joe Heim, The enslaved people who built and staffed the White House: An afterthought no more, Washington Post (Feb. 17, 2020) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-enslaved-people-who-built-and-staffed-the-white-house-an-afterthought-no-more/2020/02/17/5e5393ea-483c-11ea-8124-0ca81effcdfb_story.html · Lina Mann, Building the White House, White House Historical Association (Jan. 3, 2020) – https://www.whitehousehistory.org/building-the-white-house Biographies· Books in order of first ladieso Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story, Barbara Leaming (2014), is a full biography and argues that Jackie suffered for years after the assassination with post-traumatic stress disorder. o A Woman Named Jackie, C. David Heymann (1989), a bit of a trashy biography, but it hits the high and low points.o Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson (1999), a full biography that concentrates on the Lady Bird’s childhood and marriage, and her place in her husband’s political careero Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, Julia Sweig (2021) focuses on Lady Bird’s time as first lady, specifically her role as political advisor and her activities as an environmentalist, urban planner, and women’s advocate during those years.) o Lady Bird Johnson and the Environment, Lewis L. Gould (1988, 2021) (Chapter 6: A Pattern of Quality for Washington’s Neighborhoods, provides in-depth, scholarly coverage of the involved work of Lady Bird, her staff, and those she brought in as donors or staff for small and large-scale projects in black neighborhoods of Washington, DC.) – available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1p2gjzg · Podcastso History Chicks§ Lady Bird Johnson – Episode 157 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-157-lady-bird-johnson/ § In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson – 10-part series – http://www.juliasweig.com/new-page-4 § Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis – Part One – Episode 101 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-101-jacqueline-bouvier-kennedy-onassis-part-one/ § Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis – Part Two – Episode 102 – http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-101-jacqueline-kennedy-onassis-part-two/ o Bowery Boys§ The Rescue of Grand Central Terminal: Jackie and the Landmark Express Go to Washington - https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2018/02/rescue-grand-central-terminal-jackie-landmark-express-go-washington.html · Other sourceso A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy § Wikipedia summary - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tour_of_the_White_House_with_Mrs...
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    1 hr
  • Episode 12 Movie - West Side Story - 1961 and 2021 Versions

    Episode 12 Movie - West Side Story - 1961 and 2021 Versions
    Feb 8 2023

    Episode 12

    Movies - West Side Story – Original movie made in 1961 & remake made in 2021

    These two movie versions of West Side Story offer poverty, gangs, and a disappearing neighborhood as a backdrop for beautiful retellings of Romeo and Juliet. But these films are also excellent prisms through which to view attitudes about city neighborhoods and urban spaces from two different periods of time. 1961 was the heyday of suburbia in the US, while the bloom had long disappeared from that rose by the remake of West Side Story in 2021. The first version gives us a dingier and lonelier urban landscape, while the second version emphasizes the vibrancy of the neighborhood and the injustice that is being done to the people who live there with its destruction. In the neighborhood's place will be Robert Moses' "urban renewal" project of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the adjacent development of Lincoln Towers.

    We talk about Lincoln Towers, both as its future is portrayed in the movies and as it was actually planned and transformed over the decades. With so much of the films, especially the first, taking place in playgrounds, we talk about the history of the playground movement. We also visit the 72nd St. subway station, which appears in the second version of the movie, and talk about its history.

    Our moment in equity talks about the history of Lincoln Towers, who appears in each movie, and the career of Rita Moreno.

    Sources

    Megan Margino, Play Strike! Exploring NYC Playgrounds Through Historical Newspapers, New York Public Library (Aug. 26, 2014) – https://www.nypl.org/blog/2014/08/26/play-strike-nyc-playground-history

    Ariel Aberg-Riger, The Surprising History of Politics and Design in Playgrounds, CityLab Design (May 16, 2019) (an illustrated graphic history) – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-16/the-politics-behind-every-new-york-city-playground

    72nd Street Subway Station, Michael Minn (blog undated) – https://michaelminn.net/newyork/areas/upper-west-side/72nd-street-subway-station/index.html

    The Cloisters Museum & Gardens, New York Landmark’s Conservancy (Undated) – https://nylandmarks.org/explore-ny/the-cloisters-museum-gardens/

    Moment in Equity

    Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, American Masters (Season 5, Episode 10), Corporation for Public Broadcasting (Oct. 5, 2021) – https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/stream-rita-moreno-documentary/11654/#

    Adam Kapner, History of Lincoln Towers in New York City, Neighborhood: Upper West Side (Sept. 13, 2020) – https://lincolntowersnewyork.com/history-of-lincoln-towers-nyc/

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    1 hr and 2 mins