Jim Clyburn and John Yarmuth

Jim Clyburn and John Yarmuth

From Great Podversations by Louisville Public Media

January 16, 2026 · 56 min

About this episode

Jim Clyburn discusses his book on pioneering Black Congressmen with John Yarmuth at the Kentucky Author Forum.

This conversation features United States Congressman Jim Clyburn, interviewed by former U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth. They discuss Clyburn’s book “The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on November 24th, 2025, at the Kentucky Center in Louisville. James E. Clyburn is the Congressman representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2024, he was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Clyburn’s book, “The First Eight” explores the powerful, untold story of the pioneering Black politicians from South Carolina who were elected to Congress in the aftermath of the Civil War, and a revealing explanation of why it took nearly a century before the ninth, James Clyburn, was elected. John Yarmuth is a retired United States Congressman who served eight terms as the representative of Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District and was chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2019-2023. He was the primary sponsor of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the…

People in this episode

Host: John Yarmuth

Guest: Jim Clyburn

Topics covered

  • politics
  • history
  • literature
  • civil rights
  • congressional history

Keywords

  • Jim Clyburn
  • John Yarmuth
  • The First Eight
  • Black Congressmen
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kentucky Author Forum

Books & works: The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation

Places: South Carolina, Kentucky

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