California joined the Union as a so-called free state in 1850. So how did white settlers get away with enslaving Native children until they were young adults? We explore a little-known California state law called the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians that unleashed genocidal violence against Indigenous children. And we connect the dots between that terrible past and a landmark upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case Brackeen v. Haaland. Episode Website ..read more

It's been a while but we're back with a new episode. This time we're exploring a little-known 19th century California law that helped white settlers enslave Indigenous children.  And we'll connect the dots to a current U.S. Supreme Court challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act, which threatens to dismantle tribal sovereignty altogether. Listen November 1 wherever you get your podcasts ..read more

A white man shoots and kills a prominent Black businessman in San Francisco in an unprovoked attack.  There are plenty of witnesses. But there's a problem. They're all Black. And in California in 1861, that means their testimony doesn’t count. From 1850 until 1863, California had a law that banned African Americans from testifying against white people in criminal cases. In this episode, we bring you the little-known story of the testimony laws. We meet the Black activists who fought to repeal them. And we examine these racist laws’ enduring legacy in our legal system today. Episode Websit ..read more

Three formerly enslaved Black men were living their California Gold Rush dream, building a lucrative mining supply business in just a few months. But one cool spring night in 1852, an armed posse of white men burst into their cabin and arrested them, claiming they were fugitive slaves. In our pilot episode, we explore a little-known California law that unleashed racial terror on Black people and made a mockery of the state constitution’s ban on slavery. Episode Guests: Stacey L. Smith, an associate professor of history at Oregon State University, and author of Freedom’s Frontier: Californ ..read more

Many of us were taught in school that California was a "free state" that never had slavery. It was a lie. Gold Chains unearths stories about the enslavement of Black people, which was deliberately kept out of official histories of California. And we connect that dark past to today's calls for justice. Voices featured in this trailer include Tammerlin Drummond, Stacey L. Smith, Taylor Bythewood-Porter, Candice Francis and Marshal Arnwine ..read more