Buried Truths

James and Hattie Brazier worked hard and earned more than most people in Dawson, white or black. But this black couple's prosperity was a provocation to white police.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interview with Margaret Burnham about her new book, By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners.  The book is so revealing that we wanted to share a conversation she had with the public radio program, Fresh Air (produced by WHYY in Philadelphia and distributed by NPR).   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A gruesome, unpunished 1967 murder reveals little-known stories of the civil rights movement and Black resistance in Mississippi and Louisiana. "American Reckoning" on Frontline, from PBS, tells the story of Wharlest Jackson Sr. and the search for those who killed him. In this episode of Buried Truths, host Hank Klibanoff talks to the filmmakers behind this documentary, Brad Lichtenstein and Yoruba Richen. Klibanoff also speaks with Stanley Nelson, the weekly newspaper editor who brought this story of Wharlest Jackson Sr. to light.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery have now been sentenced. Host Hank Klibanoff and his Emory colleague, professor Carol Anderson, talk about Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley’s decision on the public radio program Closer Look with Rose Scott,  from WABE Atlanta.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The jury finds all three defendants guilty of murder. Sentencing will come later, but the three will almost surely live out their years in prison. A case that was all about race comes to a close with almost no mention of race in the courtroom. Outside the court, two of the defense attorneys are condemned for comments that inflamed much of the nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the racial composition of the jury – 11 white jurors, one black – has set off alarm bells, the trial commences with three opening statements and the first prosecution witness. A Glynn County police officer’s body-cam footage filled the  somber courtroom with horrific images from the scene of Ahmaud Arbery’s killing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The murder trial for defendants Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan is set to begin in October and there have been some recent, critically important twists leading up to this point. WABE’s Rose Scott talks with Buried Truths host Hank Klibanoff and WABE legal analyst Page Pate to preview the trial and discuss the indictment of former Glynn Co. district attorney Jackie Johnson for obstructing the Ahmaud Arbery case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February 2020, Hank Klibanoff was invited back to his hometown of Florence, Alabama for a live community event. It got him thinking about growing up in a state that was notorious for its civil rights abuses. Hank’s recollection of his childhood in the 1950’s and 60’s is that Florence seemed to be more progressive than the rest of Alabama. But… was it really?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, Hank Klibanoff returns to Closer Look with Rose Scott to discuss the latest developments in the case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join host Hank Klibanoff, his team of Emory University student researchers, and the WABE production team as they deconstruct the podcast to show you how they gather information to uncover hidden history and reveal a complete and compelling story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the video released, the public outcry grew to a rolling boil.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a police officer skips school?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery come so close to escaping all scrutiny? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Georgia coast, where Ahmaud Arbery was born and killed, is steeped in history. Hank Klibanoff and his students trace the family roots of Ahmaud and the men who chased him, and marvel at what they find.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Funny, humble, and always saying “I love you.” The officer who approached Ahmaud as he sat alone in his parked car saw something different.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did they chase him in the first place? Investigators find disturbing Instagram posts and text messages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmaud Arbery went for a Sunday afternoon jog in a quiet neighborhood near the Georgia coast. He never made it home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The afternoon of February 23, 2020, was a typically beautiful winter day on Georgia’s coast. Sunny and clear with a high near 65. At about 1 p.m., Ahmaud Arbery was taking advantage of the near-perfect running weather. He’d gone for a jog down Satilla Drive, right by the home of Gregory McMichael. Tragically, Ahmaud Arbery never made it home. For months after three white men chased him to his death, Georgia of 2020 looked disconcertingly like Georgia of 1950. This is the story of the long arc of injustice in the American South -- and of the persistence that brought worldwide attention to coastal Georgia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sallie Nixon was small in stature, but large in spirit, strength and willpower. In 1948, she watched as two white men killed her husband Isaiah Nixon because he dared to vote. She lived on, overcame obstacles and inspired generations of family members, including children and grandchildren who affectionately call her Sallie Mama. In July 2020, she passed away at the age of 96.Host Hank Klibanoff remembers Sallie Nixon in this special episode, and is joined by her daughter Dorothy Nixon Williams and Dorothy's children, Joi and Tony Williams.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1936, a black man named Thomas Finch was shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer who later became leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Very little was known publicly about Finch’s death until his name appeared at a new memorial to the victims of lynching. In this special episode of Buried Truths, Hank Klibanoff sits down with Stephannie Stokes, the reporter who uncovered Thomas Finch's story, for an in-depth look at what happened, and how it's connected to the stories on Buried Truths.Read more and see images here.Stephannie Stokes reported and produced the story on Thomas Finch. It was first released on Reveal, a podcast from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX. The story was edited by David Lewis, investigations editor at WNYC, and Reveal’s Michael Montgomery. It was produced in collaboration with APM Reports, the investigative and documentary unit of American Public Media, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Special thanks to Susanna Capelouto and Chris Worthingon. David Ba