On the Yard

On the Yard is where Black history speaks.From the archives of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University, each episode uncovers a powerful artifact—photographs, letters, rare books, film, and everyday objects—and traces the lives, ideas, and movements behind it. Guided by Dr. Benjamin Talton, Director of MSRC, alongside scholars and cultural voices, On the Yard connects memory to the moment, revealing how the past continues to shape Black life, creativity, and imagination across the globe.

On the Yard is a society podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 10 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts On the Yard, a society show with 10 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #9

  Enacting Social Change by Looking to the Past with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

  May 21, 202646 minS0

  <p>On the season one finale of On the Yard, MSRC Director Dr. Benjamin Talton sits down with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, historian, author, and the inaugural Carter G. Woodson Endowed Chair in History for the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. </p> <p>The conversation covers Dr. Kendi’s new book, Chain of Ideas, which examines the origin and rise of “the great replacement theory” as a dominant political idea. They also discuss Dr. Kendi’s new position at Howard, his groundbreaking work studying anti-Black racism, and his goals for advancing influential scholarship on Black history, social justice...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #8

  Haile Gerima and the Power of Storytelling

  Apr 30, 202641 minS0

  <p>Just across the street from The Yard, sits Sankofa Video, Books, and Cafe. For nearly 30 years, Sankofa has provided an expansive selection of film and literature on the global Black experience, but it has also long been a community center for Howard University students and residents of northwest D.C. </p> <p>For this episode of On The Yard, MSRC Director Dr. Benjamin Talton pays a visit to Sankofa Cafe and sits down with owner, storyteller, renowned filmmaker, and Howard alum Haile Gerima. They discuss Gerima’s films focused on the lives and experiences of people of African descent, inc...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #7

  Chocolate City

  Apr 16, 202647 minS0

  <p>By the early 1970s, Black residents comprised nearly 73% of Washington, D.C.’s population, making it one of the most prominent majority Black cities in America.  As a testament to that identity, residents in D.C. nicknamed it “Chocolate City.” </p> <p>Chocolate City was a rare urban space in the 1970s where Black-owned businesses thrived, go-go music dominated the radio stations, and Black people held genuine political power. Standing at the intellectual heart of this world was Howard University, the nation's most prominent HBCU, which featured as a crown jewel of Black academic and cultural life training generations of lawyer...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #6

  The Spectre on Stage

  Apr 2, 202645 minS0

  <p>Theater, as a medium, has historically offered unique and groundbreaking ways to illuminate singular visions of and insights into Black life that challenge and move beyond more accessible or commodified forms of representation.</p> <p>On this episode of On the Yard, MarQuis Bullock, Head of Collections in MSRC’s Manuscripts Division, is joined by special guest Dominique Morriseau, award-winning playwright and author. Morriseau’s work includes the Tony Award-nominated play Skeleton Crew, Paradise Blue, Detroit 67, Confederates, Pipeline, Sunset Baby, Blood at the Root, and Follow Me to Nellie’s.  She's also the Tony Award-nominated book writer on the Broadway...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #5

  The Meteoric Rise of Howard’s Swim and Dive Program

  Mar 19, 202636 minS0

  <p>For more than a decade, Howard University’s swim and dive team was plagued with a losing streak they just couldn’t seem to shake. But that all changed in 2014, when Howard swim team alum Nicholas Askew took over the program.</p> <p>By Coach Nic’s second season, the swim and dive team won its first dual meet in 15 years. Since then, he’s catapulted the program into success with record-breaking, undefeated seasons and even a cover feature in Sports Illustrated. While today it’s the only NCAA Division I swimming and diving program from an HBCU, it also happe...

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on On the Yard. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.