On today's episode we discuss what happened to Beirut's City Centre after the Civil War in Lebanon. We take a look at how the land was reclaimed after the conflict, who was served best by the expropriation of land, and the consequences that the reconstruction had for regular citizens. Please join us, as Professor Kevin Lewis O'Neill sits down with Professor Nada Moumtaz, from the University of Toronto. -- This podcast is sponsored by the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the...

How does a colony build nationhood after independence? How do they define who they are, and how they're different - through their sovereignty? How can music help shape and build a nation? In today's episode, we discuss all these questions, as we examine the Independence movement in Jamaica. In particular, we will discuss how one LP (and the musicians behind it) reflected the attitudes and beliefs of pro-black civil rights movements of the 60's. Please join us, as Professor Kevin Lewis...

Thousands fleeing violence Thousands desperate for hope A long, dangerous journey across an unforgiving sea. The result: thousands drowned, displaced, orphaned, stranded, and alone. Professor Kevin Lewis O'Neill is joined by Professor Naor Ben-Yehoyada, from the University of Columbia - in a conversation recorded in 2019. In this episode, we will discuss the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, -- and how re-framing the conversations we have about refugees can open a political avenue to...

During the 19th Century, Britain still held onto many of its colonial territories. But throughout the world, the abolishment of slavery was spreading fast. In the Caribbean and at home, amelioration became a heated topic, used both by abolitionists and slave-owners, to advocate for their interests and decide the future of the sugar-cane industry and the people bound to it.  Today, Professor Kevin Lewis O'Neill is joined by Professor Padraic Scanlan, from the University of Toronto. In this...

*This episode features some graphic content. Listener discretion is advised* Music is often the only way to express sorrow, loss, and perhaps leave your story behind. This might be especially true for some Jewish communities, who were rounded up and killed during the Holocaust.  Today, Professor Kevin Lewis O'Neill is joined by Professor Anna Shternshis - Director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto In this episode, we will discuss Yiddish Glory -...

Ballet appears to have a very well studied and rigid history. But what happens when you dig a little deeper into its less well-known past? What can ballet tell us about Peruvian emperors and french colonizers?  Today, Professor Kevin Lewis O'Neill is joined by Professor VK Preston, from the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto. In this episode, we will discuss how the history of French ballet allows us to explore themes of appropriation, extraction,...

Colombia's history of armed conflict has left its scar on the country... But even through war, one thing that never seemed to stop was the shipping of goods through the Magdalena River. This river is an ever-changing fluid highway of bends, sandbars, and channels that can only be navigated by the expert hands of the captains and crews of Colombia's tugboats.  It is a world dominated by men, where strangers are rarely permitted. Please join us as Professor Kevin Lewis O’Neill sits down with...

Filipino fashion is a system that opens a window to questions of nationalism, colonialism, and the politics of respectability. Couture fashion there serves the powerful, the wealthy, and is integral to the life the elites. Today, Professor Kevin L. O'Neill is joined by Professor Denise Cruz, from the Department of Anthropology and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. In this episode, we will explore how the world of Filipino couture disrupts the romance of globalization through :...

There is a lot of research about LGBTQ+ communities. Right? Maybe. But is there enough?  Professor Andrea Allen argues not.  In today's episode of Between, Across, and Through, we travel with her to examine the lives and relationships of lesbian women in Brazil.    Please join us as Professor Kevin Lewis O’Neill sits down to discuss how the embodiment of lesbian sexuality sits at an intersection of race, socioeconomic status, and gender roles.  -- This podcast is sponsored by the Centre for...

If Life is Gouda...why are we talking about cheese? Cheese production is about something larger than whether you throw a good cheese party or not. It’s larger than whether a single cheese shop -- in your trendy neighbourhood stays open or closes. Cheese is about a multi-billion dollar industry - that ties together networks of people across the world. It is a commodity that sustains us, and makes us into certain kinds of people... someone who likes Kraft Singles, or Gruyere.  It's just one...

Do you love research, but have a hard time narrowing down on your scope? You're not alone. On today's episode we'll look at the research agenda designed by Professor Tania Li to organize, guide, and develop research on the topic of "the proper job."  Please join us as Professor Kevin Lewis O’Neill sits down with Professor Li to discuss the research possibilities that the idea of the "proper job" has to offer.  -- This podcast is sponsored by the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies...

How do you fight racism in a world where race is imaginary? What does it mean to be truly diverse, or multicultural? Find out in this month's episode of Between, Across, and Through.

We like to imagine that our understanding of the past is well rounded. But history has secrets and too often, we’ve settled for incomplete stories. Mostly, we know tales that are loud, bold, and dominant.  They dictate what stories are told...and what is left to be forgotten. Today, Professor Kevin Lewis O’Neill sits down with Professor Nhung Tran... to look at the life of Vietnamese Catholics in the 17th Century. They discuss how taking a closer look and reading between the lines, can unlock...

Professor Kevin Lewis O’Neill sits down with Professor Farzaneh Hemmasi to discuss how the Googoosh Music Academy stirred up the emotions of millions of people across the globe, and how those emotions were tied to a deep understanding of what it means to be Iranian.

How does Freud understand language, and how does this language change between the different levels of id, ego, and the super-ego? This episode explores the diasporic nature of psychoanalysis, by looking at jokes, dreams, and the very history of its founder. Please join us today for a conversation with Professor Naomi Seidman from the University of Toronto. -- This podcast is sponsored by the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto. Our Host is Professor...

Space… space… space-  Yes there’s a whole lot of it out there.  But it’s also… here. The shape of the metro trolley,  the street names you glance at as you walk by,  the inside of a mascot’s costume. All these spaces govern the way we interact with each other, And the way we understand our world. How? Join us today for a conversation with Professor Ato Quayson from Stanford University. -- This podcast is sponsored by the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of...