Eddie Glaude: Storybooks, Fairy Tales & America 250

Eddie Glaude: Storybooks, Fairy Tales & America 250

June 22, 2026 · 1h 24m

About this episode

John Heilemann interviews Eddie Glaude, Jr. about his book on race and America's anniversaries.

John welcomes Princeton professor Eddie Glaude, Jr. to discuss his new book, "America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries.” Glaude lays out the historical pattern of evasion and erasure that the impending MAGA-soaked Semiquincentennial celebration fits into; the meaning of the book’s incendiary opening sentence (”I do not love America, and never have, especially now”); and Juneteenth's place on the commemorative calendar. On the heels of the Obama Presidential Center's opening, Glaude offers another controversial take: that 44’s tenure was little more than “Clintonism in blackface.”

People in this episode

Host: John Heilemann

Guest: Eddie Glaude, Jr.

Topics covered

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Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries

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