Episodes

  • A History of the Political Parties
    May 19 2026

    In this episode Professor Trent Tomengo and Dr. Neil Vaz discuss the history of the political parties and their relationship to Black people in the United States of America.

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    54 mins
  • The Art of Augusta Savage (Part 2)
    May 11 2026

    In this episode, Professor Tomengo and Dr. Vaz continue their conversation on the artwork of Augusta Savage, this time giving specific attention to her sculpture Realization. They discuss the importance of her approach to portraying Black people during the Harlem Renaissance and how that approach differed from that of Aaron Douglas.

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    46 mins
  • The Art of Augusta Savage (Part 1)
    May 5 2026

    In this episode, Professor Tomengo and Dr. Vaz discuss the life and art of American sculptor Augusta Savage. The conversation centers on Savage's approach to creating sculptures of Black people and her life in the art world of the early 20th Century. Considerable attention is given to her activism, including her discontent with Mary Brady of The Harmon Foundation.

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    49 mins
  • The British Contribution to the American Concept of Race
    Apr 27 2026

    In this episode, Dr. Vaz and Professor Tomengo engage in a conversation about the British role in the founding of the United States of America. Key to this discussion are the differences between the British approach to mercantalism and slave-owning and that of the Spanish and the Portuguese. These differences, ultimately, will determine why and how the concept of "race" developed and was enforced in the nascent American psyche.

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    48 mins
  • How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
    Apr 20 2026

    This episode features a detailed discussion of why the Transatlantic Slave Trade developed and how its development slowly decimated local West African economies. Dr. Vaz revisits the topic of European mercantilism, underscoring how initial trade agreements with West Africa led to the eventual fall of some West African kingdoms and the rise of others. Key to the discussion is how these newer kingdoms were founded specifically for the implementation and propagation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade itself.

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    50 mins
  • A War of Images: Aaron Douglas's Painting, "Aspirations"
    Apr 13 2026

    In this episode, Dr. Neil Vaz and Professor Trent Tomengo discuss Aaron Douglas's painting Aspirations from 1936. They analyze Douglas's painting, giving special attention to the war of images that was waged against the proliferation of harmful stereotypes aimed at the Black population. The conversation includes a discussion on the origins of the NAACP and the efficacy of its work, primarily through its Legal Defense Fund.

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    38 mins
  • Aaron Douglas - Aspects of Negro Life (Part 4 - Song of the Towers)
    Apr 6 2026

    Dr. Vaz and Professor Tomengo conclude their conversation on Aaron Douglas's seminal series Aspects of Negro Life, addressing the final painting in the series, Song of the Towers. They cover issues related to the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, and the labor movment of the United States at time, giving special attention to the presidential administrations of Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They discuss, among other topics, how those administrations shaped race relations in our country.

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    24 mins
  • Aaron Douglas - Aspects of Negro Life (Part 3 - From Slavery to Reconstruction)
    Mar 30 2026

    This episode continues Dr. Vaz and Professor Tomengo's conversation on Aaron Douglas's Aspects of Negro Life, this time focusing on the third painting in the series, From Slavery to Reconstruction. The conversation includes a discussion of the era of Reconstruction along with the Great Migration and the challenges and opportunities Black people faced at the turn of the 20th century.

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    22 mins