Studs Terkel interviews Fred Christy about how he hopes to change the young lives of African-American. He also travels with Fred to places of African-American community.

Terkel comments and presents a musical performance by Wynton Marsalis

Studs interviews Willie Dixon and Koko Taylor about the blues. They discuss their song "Insane Asylum" and their work together. Dixon uses his song "Little Red Rooster" to help explain how the blues are created from life experiences. Taylor reflects on singers like Willie Dixon, Memphis Minnie, and others who influenced her desire to sing the blues. Taylor also discusses European audiences and blues influence there. The musical numbers are removed from this edited version of the original recording.

Mr. Brashler converses with Studs about his research for the novel and the players he had spoken with to gather information for the book. The novel tells the story of a baseball team that revolts from a tyrannical Negro League owner and spends the 1939 season barnstorming around the Midwest. Includes two excerpts of a Cool Papa Bell interview talking about their travel as "barnstormers". Studs and Mr. Brashler read several exchanges of dialogue from the book.

William Bradford Huie discusses his novel The Klansman. Includes recordings of interviews from Rev. Paschal Carlton, an unknown Alabama cab driver, and an unknown woman of Birmingham, Alabama.

Author William Bradford Huie discusses his book "Three Lives for Mississippi;" reads passages from book.

Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion. Will D. Campbell, minister, activist, and author of “Providence," discusses religion, civil rights, and American history.

Preacher Will Campbell discusses and reads from his book “Forty Acres and a Goat: A Memoir” and recounts his experience during the Civil Rights movement in the South. Studs plays “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” - Mahalia Jackson (1958).

Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion. Wallace Terry felt it was an important mission to tell people about the Black men who fought in Vietnam. There are stories from 20 men.

Virginia Collins said her grandfather believed if the parish communities could afford to provide a white teacher for white school children, then the parishes of Black communities must do the same for the Black children. Collins also talks about her son Walter's legal case and his being in jail for violating six counts of induction to the army.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Studs interview with Virgil Thomson about his career as a music composer. Thomson shares his work with Gertrude Stein in operas "Mother of Us All" and "Four Saints In Three Acts." He discusses his preference for black artists. Thomson describes his work in documentary films such as "Plow That Broke the Plains." He also shares information about the cajun music "Squeeze Box" in the film "Louisiana Story." This edited version does not include the music pieces.

Studs Terkel interviews writer Toni Morrison. This interview begins with a reading from the book, "Sula" by Morrison Morrison continues to read excerpts from her novel "Sula" and discusses her literature.

Toni Morrison talks about her books and themes of memory, excessive love, possession, and recovery. It includes an excerpt from an interview with Emanuel Dunn.