TED Talks
Let's get real about free speech | Greg Lukianoff
Too many people believe in something closer to freedom from speech rather than freedom of speech, says attorney Greg Lukianoff. In a timely talk, he warns against the rise of "mob censorship" — and reminds us why free speech is the best...
TED Talks
What I learned about freedom in a secret Chinese prison | Lei Cheng
Accused of leaking state secrets, journalist Lei Cheng was imprisoned in China for more than three years, where she was detained in tight quarters and kept under constant supervision. “Freedom is wasted on the free,” she says, recounting...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Is safety worth the loss of privacy? | Sarah Stroud and Michael Vazquez
Your government has introduced a plan to address record-breaking rates of traffic tickets and deadly hovercar accidents. They propose assigning “driver credit scores” to every citizen, but would need to install cameras and microphones in...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How could so many people support Hitler? | Joseph Lacey
Philosopher Hannah Arendt was a German Jew who dedicated herself to understanding how the Nazi regime came to power, and more specifically, how it inspired so many atrocities. She believed the true conditions behind the unprecedented...
TED Talks
TED: What the world can learn from Ukraine's fight for democracy | Olesya Khromeychuk
A flourishing democracy next door is a scary thing for an autocrat, says Ukrainian historian Olesya Khromeychuk. Detailing the history of Ukraine's long struggle for sovereignty and freedom — against Russian tsars, communist dictators...
TED Talks
TED: Fight for justice — even if you don't live to see it | Golriz Lucina
Storyteller Golriz Lucina recounts how the historic sacrifice of Iranian 19th-century poet and mystic Táhirih planted the seeds for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests today, offering an inspiring lesson in the value of acting with...
TED Talks
TED: The ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Ukraine | Oleksandra Matviichuk
How do we defend people's freedom and dignity against authoritarianism, when the "law of war" doesn't seem to apply anymore? In the face of the Russian occupation of Ukraine, human rights lawyer and Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk...
TED Talks
TED: The surprising psychology behind your urge to break the rules | Paul Bloom
We all experience it: that desire to do something wrong just for the sake of it. Whether it's walking on manicured grass or sticking your finger in a friend's ice cream, psychologist Paul Bloom invites us to see the clever, creative and...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: When did slavery actually end in the United States? | Karlos Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio
At the end of the Civil War, though slavery was technically illegal in all states, it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy. This was the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas...
PBS
A Conversation With ‘We The Corporations’ Author Adam Winkler
Adam Winkler, author of our October pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins William Brangham to discuss “We the Corporations,” and William announces the November book selection.
PBS
Taylor Branch: At Canaan's Edge
Taylor Branch, author of "At Canaan's Edge", the final installment of his three-volume biography of Martin Luther King Jr., discusses the civil rights leader's life and legacy.
PBS
When we talk about North Korea, we forget whatâs happening to its people
When Min Jin Lee sees the latest headlines about nuclear weapons in North Korea, she thinks of her father, who fled the republic when he was 16, and lost touch with his family. And Lee thinks of not just the remains of her family still...
PBS
Taylor Branch: Pillar of Fire
Taylor Branch, author of "Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-1965" discusses Martin Luther King Jr.'s spiritual and political legacy.
PBS
Police Search
John Hope Franklin, a descendent of slaves and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in civil rights, talks about his autobiography
PBS
New national park celebrates Harriet Tubman's legacy
After Harriet Tubman, famed conductor of the Underground Railroad, rescued dozens of people from slavery and served in the Civil War, she settled down in the small city of Auburn in upstate New York and continued a life of service. The...
PBS
Underground Railroad
Jeffrey Brown looks at the newly-opened National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which chronicles the struggle of slaves seeking freedom in pre-Civil War America.
Crash Course
Political Thought in the Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course Black American History
When we think about the Harlem Renaissance, the arts come immediately to mind. But new political theories were also blossoming during this time. We'v talked about Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, but today we'll get into some...
TED Talks
Aja Monet and phillip agnew: A love story about the power of art as organizing
In a lyrical talk full of radical imagination, poet Aja Monet and community organizer phillip agnew share the story of how they fell in love and what they've learned about the powerful connection between great social movements and...
TED Talks
Darrick Hamilton: How "baby bonds" could help close the wealth gap
Hard work, resilience and grit lead to success, right? This narrative pervades the way we think, says economist Darrick Hamilton, but the truth is that our chances at economic security have less to do with what we do and more to do with...
Crash Course
Modern Life: Crash Course European History
So, "modern" is kind of a loaded term, but today we're going to talk about modern life in Europe, as it looked around the time the 19th century turned into the 20th. We'll look at what life was like in the rapidly growing urban centers...
Crash Course
The Louisiana Rebellion of 1811 Crash Course Black American History
Uprisings of enslaved people in the United States were not uncommon, and they had a big influence on how the institution of slavery evolved. One uprising that gets less attention, historically, is the German Coast Uprising that took...
SciShow
How Does Reverse Psychology Work?
Oh hey, seems like reverse psychology works to motivate you to check out this video! Now, let us explain how it works.
TED Talks
TED: Why Libya's revolution didn't work -- and what might | Zahra' Langhi
In Libya, Zahra' Langhi was part of the "days of rage" movement that helped topple the dictator Gaddafi. But -- then what? In their first elections, Libyans tried an innovative slate of candidates, the "zipper ballot," that ensured equal...
Crash Course
The Raft, the River, and The Weird Ending of Huckleberry Finn: Crash Course Literature 303
This week, we're continuing our discussion of Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' This is part two of our talk about Huck Finn, and this time we're looking at the metaphors in the book, a little bit about what the...