Introducing Unpopular

Throughout history, people have been denounced and demonized for dissenting from the majority. But that didn’t stop them from speaking up. Unpopular is about resisters and pariahs, rebels and revolutionaries. People like Sitting Bull, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Galileo, and the Mirabal Sisters took a chance on what they believed in – and inspired real change. Every week, host Yves Jeffcoat tells the story of someone who challenged the status quo, connecting the dots between their history and the history we’re making today. Unpopular launches on May 30th. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, and wherever else you get your podcasts. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Imagine for a moment a world where nobody ever questioned
the way things are, one where no person ever challenged
common thought or believed in thinking beyond the limitations of
contemporary knowledge, where no one ever had the guts to
propose new ideas for fear of being shunned or killed.

(00:31):
Without protest, there would be no progress. I for one,
am thankful that there were plenty of people in history
who refused to accept the conventions of their times, people
like Galileo, who was punished and confined for suggesting facts
that other people couldn't fathom, and Fumilao Ransom Coutie, who

(00:55):
stood up for women in Nigeria when their needs were
being ignored. When they were alive, their ideas, their actions,
their audacity was despised by so many people. Of course,
they had supporters, but their opposition made them targets of
hate and state sanctioned denouncement. Even though their descent was

(01:19):
based in research and experience and driven by desire for
meaningful change, they still need lots of enemies for it.
It's human nature to value stability and patterns. It makes
sense for us to be resistant to change and being
wrong just sucks, But change is inevitable, and we have

(01:40):
to think forward if we're going to move forward, even
if it costs us. I'm eve chef Cook. Every week
on Unpopular will reach back into the past to tell
the story of someone who challenged the status quo, connecting
the dots between their history in the history that we're

(02:01):
making today. We can be so quick to dismiss people's
ideas when they seem too big, don't align with how
we see the world, make us uncomfortable, or shatter our
pride or power. It's easy to reject change, it's harder
to be open to new ideas, and often it's hard

(02:23):
to be the person who's calling for meaningful change in
the face of people who can be arrogant, stubborn, and
unwilling to accept that change. But somebody has to do it,
and sometimes it pays off. Is it worth it to
speak out when it feels like the world is against you?

(02:44):
The first episode of Unpopular comes out on May. After that,
you can look forward to a new episode every tunesday.
Click the subscribe button in the I Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast to make
sure you don't miss a single episode. M HM