History Can't Hide - Weekly Recap #3

All of my updates from the week of Sunday, February 23rd, 2025 in one place!

Mar 02, 2025

🚨Become a paid subscriber to History Can’t Hide🚨

History Can’t Hide has now surpassed 10,000 followers (in just three weeks) and I have more than 18 pieces published in our vault of exposed American secrets (that’s about one piece of content every single day)!

But uncovering hidden history isn’t easy. High-quality research takes time and with so much misinformation and historical erasure out there, the urgency to tell these stories is real. I want to expand this work, but I can’t do it alone.

When you upgrade to a paid subscriber, this helps me to:

📚 Invest in high-quality research to bring you the most accurate and well-sourced history content.
🎥 Expand production—I want to create longer, more in-depth videos across platforms like YouTube and video podcasts right here on Substack.
💼 Hire young historians and researchers, especially from underrepresented communities, to help uncover more stories.
✈️ Travel to historical sites and conduct primary source research for deeper storytelling.

Is there a specific topic you want me to talk about?

Now, for the Weekly Recap:

1) Big update(s):

🎖️I became a Substack Bestseller - After just a few weeks on this platform, I’m a Substack Bestseller! That means people aren’t just reading my newsletter (which is free), they’re choosing to support me monetarily. And few things express trust in media better than a paid subscription. Traditional outlets, under corporate and political pressure, have backed away from hard truths. But creators like me are filling that gap. Please continue to support me so I can continue this work.

🎬 Screening at Duke Ellington School of the Arts – I had the incredible opportunity to screen my National Geographic series, Hidden History, at Washington, D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts! After the screening, I joined the entire school for a panel discussion about my work, exploring the importance of uncovering erased histories. The students brought sharp questions, and the energy in the room was inspiring.
🎓 Returning to Yale for a College Tea – I went back to Yale—this time as a speaker—hosting a College Tea at my former residential college. In this intimate 90-minute discussion, students asked me anything about my time at Yale and my career afterward. The conversation went deep, covering everything from my experiences as student body president to my journey as a historian and content creator. Let me know if you’d like a recap or comment a question you would have asked!
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Current students, professors, and I after the College Tea

📖 Book Club Update – We’re officially one week into American Nations by Colin Woodard! Many of you asked for more time, so I’m pushing our first live discussion to Sunday, March 9th. If you haven’t checked out the calendar and instructions yet, you can find them in this post!
📺 New Hidden History Episode Tomorrow! – Episode 2 drops tomorrow, just in time for Mardi Gras! This episode is all about New Orleans, diving into its hidden past. You won’t want to miss it! It will air on the National Geographic YouTube Channel.

2) My most popular article:

History Can't Hide from Kahlil Greene

Why Is Roberta Flack Not Getting the Appreciation She Deserves?

Roberta Flack changed popular music. She was the first Black woman to win Record of the Year at the Grammys—and the first person to do it twice in a row. Her voice, soft yet commanding, turned songs into stories full of depth and emotion. Despite her influence, her name is too often left out when discussing music’s most important voices. Her death shoul…

5 months ago · 179 likes · 22 comments · Kahlil Greene

3) This Week’s Articles and Notes:

Monday: Why Is Roberta Flack Not Getting the Appreciation She Deserves?: The First Black Woman to Win Record of the Year Should Be Remembered as a Pop Icon
Tuesday: Yale University admits deep ties to Slavery: I'm returning to my alma matter, and its worthwhile to shed a light on this dark past.
Wednesday: Live Conversation with W. Kamau Bell
Thursday: Going Back to Yale for a College Tea
Friday: Waking up on Campus
Saturday: The White House Invited me to Discuss the War in Ukraine: My experience under the previous administration stands in stark contrast to what we saw this week

4) My most popular short-form video:

urbanistlive

A post shared by @urbanistlive

Shifra Clara Wasserstein

Mar 3

My goodness! this is incredible! Beyond incredible. I love hearing about your visits to schools, this gives me tremendous hope. The children are the future and you are helping build a better world for all of us and we owe it to you to help in this sacred work in every way we can!

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