The Regional Roundup – Presidents’ Day

Learn the story of Private Oliver Cromwell, a Black Revolutionary War hero from New Jersey who crossed the Delaware River with George Washington.

Listen 49:26
Washington Crossing the Delaware is a famous painting by Emanuel Leutze (Public Doman from Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Washington Crossing the Delaware is a famous painting by Emanuel Leutze (Public Doman from Metropolitan Museum of Art)

History has often disregarded the large number of Black soldiers who fought for our country’s independence during the American Revolutionary War. One of those soldiers, Private Oliver Cromwell, was a Burlington, NJ native who crossed the Delaware River with George Washington – and he’s finally getting official recognition. On this Presidents’ Day episode, we’ll talk with one of his descendants, JANE FOX LONG, and DEB HVIZDOS, state historian for New Jersey’s DAR.

We’ll also hear from University of Pennsylvania professor SIGAL BEN-PORATH about a recent uproar on Penn’s campus after a controversial Ecuadorian political figure was invited to Penn as a visiting scholar. Ben-Porath is the author of Free Speech on Campus and joins us to talk about what happens when students push back on contentious speakers at universities across the US. [originally broadcast 12/13/21]

And, when you think about fashion waste, you might picture piles of shirts and pants in a landfill. But everything leading up to garment production, like fabric testing and sourcing, contributes to climate change, and one organization is working to change the cycle. We talk with CAMILLE TAGLE, co-founder and creative director of FABSCRAP. [originally broadcast 1/10/22]

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