The Agenda in the Summer

Reform School in the Jim Crow Era

The Agenda with Steve Paikin

American author Colson Whitehead discusses his new book "The Nickel Boys," a novel set in Jim Crow-era Florida. Based on a true story, it follows a boy named Elwood, sent to a segregated juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, where youth are physically and sexually abused by staff. Whitehead talks about novel writing that blends fact with fiction.
Episode:
Colson Whitehead: A Story of Racism in America
Related tags:
Society
Aired:
Aug 09, 2019
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