Radicals, Renegades, and Rebels showcases the lives of courageous men and women who dared to live life on their own terms. Some will be names you recognize, others, not so much. Whether they wrought good or evil, we can learn something of value from them.
When we imagine the Athens of the third century BCE, we think of marble columns, togas, and deep thinkers unmoved by material things – a world apart. Ancient Athens wasn’t so different from our own life, technology notwithstanding. Wealth meant status. Public image mattered. Citizens competed for influence in politics, philosophy, and even generosity. Homes…
What happens when one determined journalist goes head-to-head with the most powerful company in America? More than a century before Zuck built Meta, Bezos built Amazon, and Apple reached the trillion market cap mark, took on a man with more power than Mark and Jeff combined – but without the charisma of Steve Jobs. Today’s…
A poor blacksmith’s son builds an empire that revolutionizes mobility worldwide — sounds like the epitome of the American Dream, doesn’t it? But this isn’t a story from the U.S. It’s the story of Soichiro Honda — a man who defied corporate conformity, academic tradition, and conventional thinking. And that makes him a perfect fit…
I’ll confess that it was an episode of Gossip Girl that reignited my interest in Josephine Baker. However, I remember seeing part of The Josephine Baker Story in the early 1990s. Like the other subjects in my Radicals, Renegades, and Rebels series, Josephine Baker was never just one thing. She was a dazzling singer, a…
She walked 1,700 miles behind a wagon train, arrived in California enslaved, and died one of the richest women in Los Angeles. In today’s Radicals, Renegades, and Rebels segment, I introduce you to Bidget “Biddy” Mason. Biddy rose from the bonds of slavery and became known for her generosity as much as her wealth. A…
History remembers those who played by the rules—but it doesn’t always do justice to those who shattered them. I introduced the section Radicals, Renegades, and Rebels to tell the stories of the people who pushed boundaries, broke molds, and defied convention, whether for better or worse. These are the figures who refused to blend in,…
Mary Ellen Pleasant fits all the descriptions of “radicals,” “renegades,” and “rebels” in a fascinating way. I love telling the stories of courageous women. When I read that she said of herself, “I wonder what I could have been with an education,” I knew I had to know more. In all my research on her,…
Think about the boldest, most daring thing you’ve ever done. Now, imagine living a life so bold and so daring, that your biggest secrets weren’t uncovered until after your death. Charlotte Parkhurst’s story is one of grit, deception, and unexpected milestones—an ordinary name tied to an extraordinary life. You may not have heard of her,…
Coming in December (because I’ve already gotten started on all my November content), I’m adding a new category of content. Radicals, Renegades, and Rebels is a topic that has captivated me for a long time. I had thought to do a podcast on the subject, and I’m reasonably sure there are enough radicals, renegades throughout…
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