As a producer on The Atlas Obscura Podcast, I have produced the below episodes. All are about 15 minutes or less in length.

(Click on photos to be linked to episodes on iTunes)

 
 

Journey to Black Star Square

Producer Baudelaire brings listeners to Accra, Ghana and a gigantic public square dedicated to Ghanaian independence.

Priscilla’s Homecoming

The story of Thomalind and Priscilla is 300 years in the making and brings listeners to Bunce Island, off the coast of Sierra Leone.

Leimert Park

Baudelaire travels to Leimert Park, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles characterized by its historical relationship to Black liberation.

 

Elmina Castle

At one time thirty thousand Africans per year were forced through Elmina Castle in Ghana, before they were taken across the world as part of the trans-atlantic slave trade.

Great Zimbabwe

Visit the ruins of an ancient economic powerhouse’s capital city, Great Zimbabwe in the nation of Zimbabwe and learn how a colonial empire was determined to rewrite its story.

Pyramid of Djoser

Travel to the world’s oldest intact pyramid in Egypt - and learn about the genius who also influenced the fields of architecture, astronomy, and medicine.

 

Kalakuta Museum

Iconic musician Fela Kuti declared his home in Lagos, Nigeria, an independent state. He called it Kalakuta - and in 1977 it was invaded by the Nigerian Army.

The Hampton House

This simple brick building in Chicago, Illinois was the boyhood home of Civil Rights icon, Fred Hampton Sr. and a continued site for community organizing.

Haitian Monument

The Haitian Monument in Savannah, Georgia was built to commemorate the Haitian soldiers who came to the rescue of Patriots fighting in the Revolutionary War.

 

Providence Island

In 1820 a group of Black Americans set off to make a home in Africa. They landed in Providence Island and set the stage for the development of the country Liberia.

Hotel Theresa

The Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York played a pivotal role in the influential neighborhood's cultural identity.

Oyotunji African Village

Oyotunji is an African Village with real homes and real community founded in the 1970s and located in the US - just an hour south of Charleston, South Carolina.

 

The Timbuktu Manuscripts

These documents highlight the intellectual legacy of an ancient civilization based in Timbuktu, Mali.

Benin Bronzes

Thousands of masks from the former Kingdom of Benin are spread throughout museums across the world. Is that where they belong?

Big Apple Inn

This restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi was a haven for Civil Rights leaders and has stood for four generations, 83 years, and a whole lotta pig ear sandwiches.

 

Marchand Dessalines

Marchand Dessalines, Haiti is a town named after Jean Jacques Dessalines one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and one of the country’s founding fathers.

 

The Citadelle Laferriere

The Citadelle Laferriere in Haiti was built to ensure the island remained free after Haitians defeated French colonizers.

Fendika Cultural Center

The story of the Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is the story of Melaku Belay and his journey from homelessness to international acclaim as a community leader.

 
 

The Tanks of Flamenco Beach

This beautiful beach in Puerto Rico made of sand and worn down coral is covered in the wreckage of tanks once used by the U.S. military for target practice.

Ruins of Le Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale

This garden park in Paris, France contains the ruins of a French colonial exhibition from 1907.

 
 
 

Père Lachaise Cemetery

Producer Baudelaire Ceus searches for the resting place of famed author Richard Wright among the graves of other cultural icons like Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Sadegh Hedaya.

 

For Keeps Books

In Atlanta, on this historic Auburn Avenue, sits a small bookstore and reading room that’s been called “an interactive art museum of Black Thought.”

The Wren’s Nest

The Wren’s Nest in Atlanta is both a museum and former home of journalist Joel Chandler Harris and a hub for modern storytellers.

The Ashley House

For decades, the Ashley House in Sheffield, Massachusetts preserved and promoted the story of Col. John Ashley, a wealthy businessman who opened his home to those fighting against British rule on the eve of America’s war for independence. But in this episode we hear a new narrative, about an enslaved woman and true patriot who tested the rhetoric of the revolution.

 

Tiwai Island

Civil war in Sierra Leone brought this beautiful island to the brink of destruction - now it’s making its comeback.

Congo Square

Congo Square in New Orleans is the heart of where African drumming found its way into American music and the birth of Jazz.

Tina Turner Museum

The Flagg Grove School in Brownsville, Tennessee has become a museum dedicated to its most famous student.

 

Okomfo Anokye’s Sword

Nestled in a hospital courtyard in Kumasi, Ghana, you’ll find the strength of the Asante people: the sword of Okomfo Anokye, planted in the ground over 300 years ago.

 

John Brown’s Farm

In the Adirondacks of northern New York sits John Brown's Farm, a monument to the famous abolitionist, and the last vestige of Timbuctoo, an ambitious but failed settlement that some hoped could help African Americans secure the right to vote.

Fugitive Train Wreck

A North Carolina town has become a draw for people who want to see the wreckage of the train wreck from the movie “The Fugitive.” But a more interesting – and true – story happened just a pistol shot away.

 

Temple of Pythons

We visit southern Benin to hear the story of the Temple of Pythons, and clear up some misconceptions about one of the world’s most misunderstood spiritual systems, Vodun.

Baobab Fare

The story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice of Burundi in the Motor City.

Gullah Museum

We visit a museum in Georgetown, SC that’s dedicated to preserving and prioritizing the rich and historic Gullah Geechee culture.

 

The Story of Jacko

We go to the Caribbean island of Dominica and hear the story of Jacko, a formerly enslaved man who became a national hero for his ingenious escape and emancipation efforts

Koutammakou

A race is on to save this world heritage site that straddles the border of Togo and Benin. It’s home to remarkable earth tower homes called Takienta, and the Batammariba people, whose existence is threatened by climate change and migration.