Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919), the daughter of former slaves, started life as a farm laborer and laundress but finished it as a pioneer of the modern African American hair care and cosmetics industry. A'Lelia Bundles, Walker's great-great-granddaughter, offers highlights of Walker's early life and her career as an innovator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to the February 13th, 2009, program; and select "Listen now." Part two can be accessed by doing the same with the February 24th, 2009, program.

Using clips from more than 300 of the greatest movies ever made, this series explores film history and American culture through the eyes of over 150 Hollywood insiders, including Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Eisner. In-depth treatments present film as a powerful economic force, potent 20th-century art form, and viable career option. "American Cinema" connects subjects such as history, business, and English with other studies. In addition, it is a perfect vehicle for developing visual and media literacy skills and can be used as a springboard for creative-writing endeavors and media production. This video instructional series on film history for college and high school classrooms and adult learners includes 10 one-hour and three half-hour video programs and coordinated books.

Narrated from the perspective of Black Elk, a holy man of the Lakota Sioux, in the 1930s, this presentation describes contact between his people and white explorers, settlers, and soldiers. It also examines life on the Pine Ridge reservation today.

Voter participation in presidential elections soared from just over 20 percent in 1824 to over 80 percent in 1840. It stayed near 80 percent until the early 1900s and then plummeted to between 50 and 60 percent for most of the 20th century. Compared to its peer nations, American voter turnout sits at the bottom of the list, with other nations consistently seeing voter participation at or over 80 percent. Professor Paul Martin of the University of Virginia explains why citizen involvement in electoral campaigns has changed so much in the United States over the past, why U.S. voter participation is so low compared to peer nations, and offers parting thoughts on why low citizen participation matters and why the 2008 presidential election might see an increase in voter involvement.

Dr. Lauranett Lee of the Virginia Historical Society explores ways to use oral history and historic preservation efforts to teach history. She is currently completing a commissioned project for the city of Hopewell in which she documents African American history. She discusses the mechanics of constructing a community history project and its applicability for teachers and students. The second half of the session focused on using the cultural landscape to teach history, including a walking tour of the historic Jefferson School.

To listen to this lecture, select "Podcast" under the September 4th session.

Dr. Marc Selverstone, of the Miller Center of Public Affairs, UVA, examines the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief, particularly how presidential powers are exercised and defined in wartime. Selverstone focuses on presidents of the 20th century.

To listen to this lecture, select "Part 2" under the December 7th listing.

Dr. Marc Selverstone, of the Miller Center of Public Affairs, UVA, examines the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief, particularly how presidential powers are exercised and defined in wartime. Selverstone focuses on presidents of the 20th century.

To listen to this lecture, select "Podcast Part 1" under the December 7th listing.

According to the Library of Congress website, "In this lecture, Timothy M. Rohan from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, discusses the exhibition he curated, "Model City: Buildings and Projects by Paul Rudolph for Yale and New Haven," which draws upon works from the Paul Rudolph Archive in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.

Paul Rudolph (1918-1997) was one of the most innovative American architects of the post-World War II period. The exhibition situates 13 works for Yale and New Haven by Rudolph in the context of postwar modernism, urban renewal, and their aftermath."

According to the Library of Congress website, "Street addressing is one of the most basic strategies employed by governmental authorities to tax, police, manage, and monitor the spatial whereabouts of individuals within a population. Despite the central importance of the street address as a "political technology," few scholars have examined the historical and contemporary practice of street addressing with respect to its broader social, political, and ontological implications. When, where, and why did the technique of house numbering historically emerge as a mechanism of spatial ordering? How did it come to be so taken for granted as part of everyday life in post-industrial societies?

In this presentation, Kluge Fellow Reuben Rose-Redwood explores the cultural and political history of street addressing in the United States, from the late 18th century to the present, including the recent shift from rural route and box numbering systems to 911 addresses."