On Being with Krista Tippett: religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas -- on public radio and online [OnBeing.org]

February 2, 2012
For Black History Month: public historian Tiya Miles. She's a MacArthur "genius" who's unearthing an especially painful chapter of the American experience — the intersecting history of African-Americans and Native Americans, and the little-known narratives that Cherokee landowners held black slaves. Even with history this difficult, Tiya Miles shows us the possibility of stretching the canvas of the past wide enough to hold both hard truths and healing. » Learn more + listen to the show.

About the Image

Students from Tiya Miles' senior seminar on American slavery visit the Ypsilanti Historical Museum during a tour of Underground Railroad sites in Michigan.

(photo: Tiya Miles)

In the Know:

» The Echoing Silence of Your Mind
Just a lovely pairing of poetic prose + lyrical photos to ease into the day. Take a few minutes for yourself and reflect with this contemplative piece.

Recent Shows:

The Inner Landscape of Beauty
The late Irish poet and philosopher John O'Donohue insisted on beauty as a human calling. He believed that people can live through the toughest times if they manage to keep something beautiful in their mind.

Becoming Detroit
Detroit is a place where neighbors are reimagining work, food, and the very meaning of humanity. We speak with civil rights legend and 96-year-old philosopher Grace Lee Boggs. She's at the center of a community of passionate people who are recreating their corners of the world.

The Art of Peace
"Peace" is a strangely generic and divisive word. We infuse it with unpredictable images from a wise and adventurous life in conflict transformation around the world. Learn the difference between conflict resolution and enduring change.

Rosanne Cash, Time Traveler
The legacy of Johnny Cash weaves throughout our conversation with singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash. Hear about her life "circumscribed by music" and where art intersects with her religious desire.

Pursuing Happiness with the Dalai Lama
An invigorating and unpredictable public conversation on happiness, exploring the themes of suffering, beauty, and the nature of the body. Krista moderates a discussion between the Dalai Lama and three other world religious leaders.

The Prophetic Imagination of Walter Brueggemann
One of the world's greatest theologians says that prophetic imaginations are poetic imaginations whom "you cannot silence." But how do these prophets' metaphors — whether in ancient times or current day — transform this chaotic moment of history?

Sponsors:

Upcoming Shows:

"Journalism and Compassion" (Feb 9, 2012)

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, on journalism, compassion, and the wide ethical lens he's gained on human life — both personal and global.

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On Beingon

We take submissions. Get published!

1»
Detroit Becoming, Detroit Jesus
We received this inspired response + poem, "Detroit Jesus," after a listener heard our recent show with Grace Boggs. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks Peter Putnam.

2»
Unearthing a Cherokee-Slave Narrative at a Plantation Home
A selected short from our this week's show "Toward Living Memory." Tiya Miles tells the story of how "public history" effects real change in a plantation home exhibit.

3»
What Inspires You?
Krista and our staff answer the question: "What inspires you?" How about you? What inspires you? Drop us a note. It can be a short sentence or two, one thing or a list; it can be light-hearted or grave. Whatever comes to the top of your head.

4»
Shared Paradise: Church of Kopimism Reshapes Society with File Sharing
Whether one thinks of the Church of Kopimism as legitimate or an "authentic fake," the new religion may serve as a bridge between the "social distortion caused by media technologies" "a worldview that accommodates it."

5»
Civil Pen Pals as a Way to Know the Other
How might we set up a website in which people could find political pen pals for civil, substantive conversations? Offer your suggestions and please share with others. They might have the answer!