About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of the Scopes trial on religious freedom in the U.S. and recent court rulings related to this issue.
This summer marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes trial, a Tennessee case where science and religion squared off in court — and the whole country tuned in. This week, the ACLU’s Daniel Mach joins Kamau to discuss the landmark trial, how it shaped our contemporary understanding of religious freedom in the United States, and what the Constitution actually says about the separation between church and state. One note is that this episode was recorded just before a court ruled that an Arkansas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools is unconstitutional. This is a victory for religious freedom. It is also a reminder that this freedom is increasingly under threat. To learn more about this case and others like it, visit aclu.org Daniel Mach is the director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. Our senior executive producer is Sam Riddell. This episode was executive produced by Jessica Herman Weitz for the ACLU, and W. Kamau Bell, Kelly Rafferty, PhD, and Melissa Hudson Bell, PhD for Who Knows Best Productions. It was recorded at Skyline Studios in Oakland, CA. At Liberty is edited and produced by Erica Getto and Myrriah Gossett for Good…
People in this episode
Host: Kamau Bell
Guest: Daniel Mach
Topics covered
- religious freedom
- Scopes trial
- separation of church and state
- constitutional law
- court rulings
Keywords
- Scopes trial
- religious freedom
- ACLU
- church and state
- constitutional law
- court ruling
- Ten Commandments
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ACLU, Who Knows Best Productions
Places: Tennessee, Oakland, CA
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