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Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Michael H. Cottman: Segregated Skies

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Michael H. Cottman on
David Harris – the First Black Commercial Airlines Pilot

When you get on a plane to fly somewhere, do you think much about the pilots in the cockpit?  I mean, sure, you hope this isn’t their first flight, and that their eyesight is good. But do you wonder if the pilot is white or black?

Back in the 60s, you wouldn’t have to wonder because the pilots were all White. That is, until David Harris came along.

Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael H. Cottman takes us through the story of Harris, the first Black commercial pilot, in his new book “Segregated Skies: David Harris’ Trailblazing Journey to Rise above Racial Barriers.”

Written for young adults, the book is a good read for all ages. In our chat, we learn some of the things that David experienced as a black man in the military and at American Airlines in the 60s. We learn about David’s tenacity, persistence, and doggedness and how he eventually became a role model for all pilots at American Airlines. Plus, how his swagger helped him change the status quo!

In our chat, we also talk about how Michael himself was racially profiled, run off the road and called names. Listen in as we talk about an aviation pioneer, and find some life lessons we can ALL take from this book.

Click the player below to hear the chat with Pam and  Michael Cottman

About Michael Cottman

Michael H. Cottman is an award-winning journalist and author. He is currently program editor for the NBCUniversal News Group’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team – NBC News/MSNBC/CNBC. He was formerly editorial manager for NBCBLK and worked as a political reporter for the Washington Post and a reporter for the Miami Herald. His past books include Shackles From the Deep, The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie, and Million Man March. He has appeared on National Public Radio’s Tell Me More, CNN, The History Channel, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Cottman was also part of Newsday’s reporting team that won journalism’s highest honor, the Pulitzer Prize, in 1992 for coverage of a deadly subway crash in New York. He lives in Maryland, where he spends most of his time reading, researching, writing — and looking for the next big adventure to share with readers.

​For his book, Segregated Skies: Click here
Follow him on Twitter: @mhcottman
And on LinkedIn: Click here
Go to his website: Click here

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Oceanographer, Activist, and Pioneer Dr. Sylvia Earle on “Ocean – A Global Odyssey”

Going Under the Sea with Oceanographer & Activist
Dr. Sylvia Earle as she discusses her new NatGeo book
Ocean – A Global Odyssey

Explorer, oceanographer, and field scientist, Dr. Sylvia Earle has been advocating for the health of our ocean for decades. The author of National Geographic’s  Ocean – A Global Odyssey, Dr. Earle navigates the deep for us and shares stories about everything from the personality of fish to what it was like to be an Aqua-Naughty!

Former Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration –  NOAA (the first female to hold that job), the designer of underwater submersibles, and the founder of Mission Blue, Dr. Earle is Time’s very first Hero for the Planet and is a pioneer for females in the study of oceanography. We talk about her time under the sea, why this book is so very important, and what over-fishing is doing to the ocean.

Click the player below to hear the chat with Dr. Sylvia Earle & Pam

About Dr. Sylvia Earle

Long recognized as one of the world’s top experts on ocean science and conservation, Sylvia Earle is the president and chairman of Mission Blue and a National Geographic Explorer at Large, and former Chief Scientist of NOAA. Called “Her Deepness” by The New Yorker and the New York Times, a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress, and a “First Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine, she is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and field scientist. In 1970, told she could not join a crew of men testing an undersea laboratory, she helped recruit and lead an all-woman team of scientists to live underwater for two weeks of research. A passionate advocate on behalf of the ocean, she continues to cross boundaries, pioneer exploration and inspire protection for wildlife and wild places.

​For her book, National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey: Click here

Follow her on Twitter: @sylviaearle

And on Facebook: Click here

For more on Mission Blue, Click here

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Lost Cities and Ancient Tombs with NatGeo Editor and Archaeologist Ann R. Williams

Lost Cities and Ancient Tombs with
Archaeologist and NatGeo Editor Ann Williams

Many of us are intrigued with history and lost cities. National Geographic editor and archaeologist Ann R. Williams is one of those people who digs around and writes about discoveries from the past. She’s often been on-hand to witness important discoveries – some that she talks about in the new book from Nat Geo called Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries that Changed the World

This book is a feast of pictures and information about astonishing discoveries – from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Lost City of the Monkey God.

In our chat, we find out how technology affected archaeology, (we even get an explanation of how LIDAR works!)  accidental discoveries, amateur archaeologists, and the woman who tried on the jewelry of Troy. Plus –  how exciting it is to make “snapshot of a moment” finds.

Click on the player below to hear the chat with Ann R. Williams and Pam

About Ann R. Williams

A National Geographic magazine staff writer for three decades, Ann is now a freelance writer and editor specializing in archaeology and cultural heritage preservation. She has a B.A. in Classical and Near Eastern archaeology from Bryn Mawr College, and an M.A. in West Asian archaeology with a minor in Egyptology from the University of Toronto.

 

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For her book, Lost Cities Ancient Tombs: Click here
Follow her facebook: Click Here

Ann is the president of the DC chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) Here’s a link to that.

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Professor and Egyptologist Kara Cooney

The Good Kings
Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World

Dr. Kara Cooney returns to discuss her new and provocative book The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. The book covers five Egyptian pharaohs – or kings, if you will – and discusses the concepts surrounding power: how is it earned, who controls it, and why the many often give up power to the few.  Oh… and does any of that correlate to our modern life?

Dr. Cooney tells us how authoritarianism starts, how that power is maintained, and if she is seeing signs of it in the world today. Plus what people gain from aligning with corrupt people in power and why cognitive dissonance is important to allow  corrupt leadership to continue.

We also discuss how in the past women had equal power to men in some areas (would you believe Los Angeles, 300 years ago?!)  And why we are starting to ask what is power, what is value, and why is there so much sexual abuse.

So. Much. Fascinating. Conversation.  Dr. Cooney will give you lots to think about, I promise.

Click on the player below to hear the chat with Kara Cooney and Pam

About Kara Cooney

Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. Specializing in craft production, coffin studies, and economies in the ancient world, Cooney received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a comparative archaeology television series, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is available online via Netflix and Amazon.

Her latest book, The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World, Kara turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs–Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa–to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. Published by National Geographic Press, this book will be released in late 2021.

Her book When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra, and shines a light on our own perceptions of women in power today. Published by National Geographic Press, the book was released in 2018.

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt was Cooney’s first trade book, and it benefits from her immense knowledge of Egypt’s ancient history to craft an illuminating biography of its least well-known female king. As an archaeologist who spent years at various excavations in Egypt, Cooney draws from the latest field research to fill in the gaps in the physical record of Hatshepsut. Published by Crown Publishing Group, the book was released in 2014.

Cooney’s current research in coffin reuse, primarily focusing on the 21st Dynasty, is ongoing. Her research investigates the socioeconomic and political turmoil that have plagued the period, ultimately affecting funerary and burial practices in ancient Egypt. This project has taken her around the world over the span of five to six years to study and document more than 300 coffins in collections, including those in Cairo, London, Paris, Berlin, and Vatican City.

She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Remy Hiramoto.

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For her book, The Good Kings: Click here
For more from Kara: Click Here
Follow her on Twitter: @KaraCooney
Instagram @KaraCooney

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National Geographic Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg on The 21st Century


The 21st Century: Photographs from the
National Geographic Image Collection

Celebrating the first 21 years of the century
with Nat Geo Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg

Can you believe we are already 21 years into the new century? National Geographic is celebrating that with a beautiful new coffee table book – The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection. We chat with NatGeo Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg about this fabulous book that is set up chronologically with 250 photos in 400 pages. We talk about some of the amazing photographs that are products not only of traditional photography, but also images from the innovations of digital, drone and smartphone photography. The book also answers our questions about what the photographer was thinking when he shot the photo and what the backstory is.

We find out how Susan chose only 250 photos from almost 65 million images in the national Geographic Image Collection, and what makes an image iconic. Plus, we also talk about the NatGeo Instagram account – that has over 190 MILLION followers! (they are the largest brand on Instagram)

In addition, Susan shares how the book helps engender compassion and empathy, and how it reminds us that we all are more alike than we are different.

It’s a wonderful book to share with friends and family – to rediscover the past 21 years, and to find new things to inspire us!

Click on the player below to hear the chat with
Susan Goldberg and Pam

About Susan Goldberg

Susan Goldberg is Editor in Chief of National Geographic and editorial director of National Geographic Partners.

As editorial director, she leads all journalism across platforms, including digital journalism, magazines, podcasts, maps, newsletters, and Instagram. She was named editorial director in October 2015 and editor in chief of National Geographic magazine in April 2014.

Susan is the 10th editor and first female editor of the magazine since it was first published in October 1888.​

For her book, The 21st Century: Photographs from the Image Collection: Click here
Follow her on Twitter: @susanbgoldberg