I’d really like to know more about John Brown, but I just can’t get through biographical books, for anyone. Any good documentaries on the man, the myth, the legend?
I will try to say this gently, I get we valorize John Brown because his starting point is similar to most of the people here, but I feel like there are many many more black & indigenous people who fought valiantly and died trying to liberate themselves that we could focus on as role models instead
One time I went to the blacksonian in DC expecting John Brown to have a fairly sizeable presence and was surprised to see he was a footnote in one small windowed exhibit off the main hall. I think a lot about that feeling of surprise I had and what it means.
I love John Brown but will shamefully admit some of it comes from a vestigial West Wing brain compartment that reads all his letters and speeches and feels intoxicated by the illusion of them powerfully moving people to change. I’ll still enjoy them as a treat but I’m trying to kill my inner Aaron Sorkin.
Tbh, I’m surprised he was mentioned at all. American history up until recently really hasn’t been very polite to him. He’s pretty much treated as a traitor. The one big feature he’s got in popular media (The Good Lord Bird) treats him like a clown. I kinda suspect the author of it, James McBride, doesn’t even like Brown.
I found the Extra History videos to be entertaining, but it’s not a deep dive.
I found YouTube links in your comment. Here are links to the same videos on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Link 1:
Link 2:
That lib podcast American carnage was pretty decent.
https://open.spotify.com/show/1odZUkTUBpuquz4jK24PDt
The Dollop did a really good 3 patter on Brown but I can’t find a working link that isn’t apple podcasts right now.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/438-john-brown-part-1/id643055307
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