The First Queen of Drag
Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast
06/29/24
•12m
About
Comments
Featured In
Not much is known about the first recorded drag queen in the United States, William Dorsey Swann. A man who was born into slavery in Maryland just ahead of the Civil War, Swann eventually moved to Washington, D.C. where he held parties celebrating a different form of expression.
Tune in this week as I chat about William Dorsey Swann and how his actions are considered by some to be the origins of the LGBTQ rights movement.
Previous Episode
Freeman's Challenge with Dr. Robin Bernstein
June 22, 2024
•43m
Joining me this week is Dr. Robin Bernstein. She is a historian, professor, and author whose latest book Freeman's Challenge: The Murder That Shook America's Original Prison for Profit investigates the origins of penal capitalism.
To buy yourself a copy of the Freeman's Challenge, be sure to head over to the University of Chicago Press' website here. And to learn more about Dr. Bernstein, be sure to check out her website here.
Next Episode
The First: Mary Eliza Mahoney
July 6, 2024
•14m
Mary Eliza Mahoney broke the gender and racial barrier when she became the first Black woman to earn her nursing license in 1879. Although Black women had long been performing the work of nurses, Mahoney's successful completion of a rigorous licensing programming demonstrated that African American women were capable of succeeding in medicine.
But just who was Mary Eliza Mahoney? Tune in to find out.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted