Special series announcement! For the next four weeks, we’re bringing you a special series as part of Kettering’s America 250 initiative, “Democracy, Under Construction.” It’s about key events in American history that have brought us toward, or away from, an inclusive democracy—and the work that remains to be done.
We coproduced this series with our friends at a podcast called This Day. It’s a history show, and they’re doing a whole year of episodes about major events that shaped our nation. So, for the next four Tuesdays, you’ll be hearing episodes of This Day in our feed, where their three cohosts and special guests discuss these important moments in American history. Learn more about the series here: https://kettering.org/america-250-podcast-series-begins-in-september/
If you enjoy this episode, go over to This Day’s feed for two more episodes on each of these historical topics. The Context’s host, Alex Lovit, will be the guest in the third episode each week. Listen to the episodes here: https://www.jodyavirgan.com/political-history-show
For our kickoff episode in the series, we go to 1789. That’s when the Founding Fathers spent months that summer hammering out the Constitution—and nearly forgot to include freedom. This Day hosts Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and Kellie Carter Jackson are joined by Dahlia Lithwick of Slate to look at how the Bill of Rights came to exist: the philosophical fight over whether rights even needed to be written down, what ended up in it (and what didn’t), and what it tells us about who the Founders were actually building this government for.
Be sure to check out Dahlia’s Amicus podcast and all her work at Slate.
https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick
More about This Day:
This Day podcast, hosted by Jody Avirgan and historians Nicole Hemmer and Kellie Carter Jackson, takes listeners beyond the head-spinning headlines of today and into the unexpected historical moments that have shaped American life and politics. This Day is part of the Radiotopia podcast network. Listen to the show here: https://www.jodyavirgan.com/political-history-show
And finally: if you’re in the Washington, DC, area, join us on Monday, October 19, 2026, for a live taping of This Day. Alex Lovit will join This Day hosts live on stage. The featured guest is Kettering Senior Fellow Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II.
They will be in conversation about the moment of democratic realignment we are living through right now. Are we witnessing a fundamental shift in who holds power, who gets left out, and how race and class are reshaping the coalitions that define American politics? And what can history teach us about moments like this one?
The event is open to the public, and tickets are available through the Howard Theatre
Do you ever watch the news and wonder, “How did we get here?” Or think to yourself, “Things are bad . . . What can I do?”
The Context is here to help. Our show breaks down the ideas, history, and trends that are shaping democracy. And you don’t need to be an expert to follow along. Every other Tuesday, host Alex Lovit talks about timely topics with big-picture thinkers and hands-on practitioners, like activists, writers, historians, and community leaders.
The topics are heavy, but we try to have fun along the way. To build the future we want, we’ll need knowledge—but also camaraderie and joy.
We hope you’ll join us.