Watch Dr. Berry's June 29, 2017 talk in the Our Path Forward series as she discusses her book, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh.

Trump and Nixon, Parent Confidence, Slavery and Human Value

Interviewer: Julie Rose

Guest: Daina Ramey Berry

Aired live on May 10, 2017, Dr. Berry joins a fascinating lineup of scholars addressing pressing topics in American society. Listen as she talks about her new book and how enslaved people defined their own worth even when the institution of slavery commoditized their very being.

UT News

UT Austin Professor of History and Black Studies, Daina Ramey Berry, tackles a very difficult subject in her new book, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved from Womb to Grave, in the Building of A Nation. In the book, Dr. Berry attempts to answer two main questions: “What is a human life worth?” and “How do you define a person’s value?”

Trump is right. Slavery ‘is not good.’ This new book can show him how horrific it was.

Interviewer: Jonathan Capehart

Guest: Daina Ramey Berry

In response to President Donald Trump's comments during his tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Dr. Berry addresses the nation's troubling history with slavery. Her new book, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh, explores the realities of the peculiar institution through the experiences of the enslaved. Listen to the discussion here.

The Value of Slaves

Listen to this engaging dialogue as Daina Ramey Berry discusses both how enslavers maximized their profits and how the enslaved responded to their commodification. Inspired by her new book, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh, this conversation explores how money values could never capture the very human experiences of the enslaved.

Writing on the Air

Listen as Daina Ramey Berry sits down with KOOP to talk about her new book, The Price for their Pound of Flesh.

Your Rights At Work

Hosts: Chris Garlock and Ed Smith

Guest: Daina Ramey Berry

Aired February 16, 2017, Dr. Berry describes how she came to study her current interests and talks about her new book, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh.

For Historian, the Value of the Enslaved Encompassed More Than Price

Interviewer: Jennifer Stayton

Guest: Daina Ramey Berry

Streamed on January 26, 2017 just two days after The Price for Their Pound of Flesh hit shelves, this illuminating interview forcefully argues for the inclusion of soul value into the enslaved experience during the nineteenth century.

Watch one of the first public talks Dr. Daina Ramey Berry gave after The Price for Their Pound of Flesh was released in January. In this thought-provoking interview Dr. Jennifer Morgan asks Dr. Berry some challenging questions about her new work, situates the text in a broadly scholarly context, and opens the floor to engaging discussion.

Listen to this insightful interview as Dr. Berry explains the contemporary ramifications of slavery through the framework of her new book, The Price for Their Pound of Flesh.

Listen to this fascinating podcast examining enduring love among African American couples.
Read more in this Washington Post article.

Scholars talked about the historical significance of the decision to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the front of the twenty dollar bill, as well as the reactions to the announcement. On April 20, 2016, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that abolitionist Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the twenty dollar bill. The Treasury Department planned to unveil the final concept design in 2020.
This event was part of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History annual meeting and conference.

Historian Daina Ramey Berry on Keeping 'Roots' Accurate and Finding Strength in Studying Slavery

Interviewer: Jennifer Stayton

Guest: Daina Ramey Berry

In 2016 the remake of Roots has generated a lot of buzz and Hollywood has noticed. The mini-series was nominated for seven Emmys and, in this interview, Dr. Berry talks about the importance of producing work with historical integrity for public audiences.
Listen to the interview here and read the accompanying article here.

Alfre Woodard, a well-known actress, television personality, and political activist tackles her family's past in this episode of the hit show, Who Do You Think You Are? Join Dr. Berry and Woodard as they piece together a compelling narrative of her paternal grandfather’s family. Catch a brief synopsis of the story here.

Catch a brief glimpse of Drs. Daina Ramey Berry, Eric Walther, and Allyson Hobbs as they discuss the legacy of the American Civil War after 150 years with Tavis Smiley. Read more here.

Aisha Tyler's journey reveals an ancestor who, as a politician, struggled to keep his illegitimate son a secret. Catch a glimpse of the story here.

Episode 54: Urban Slavery in the Antebellum United States

Host:
Joan Neuberger, Editor, Not Even Past and Professor, Department of History

Guests:
Daina Ramey Berry, Associate Professor, Department of History
Leslie Harris, Department of History, Emory University

Episode 42: The Senses of Slavery

Host:
Joan Neuberger, Editor, Not Even Past and Professor, Department of History

Guest:
Daina Ramey Berry, Associate Professor, Department of History

Written and presented by Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this six-part series is the first documentary film to air since 1968 to chronicle the full sweep of African-American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent through more than four centuries of remarkable historic events up to 2013, when the series aired. It addresses the obstacles people of African descent in the United States have undergone to forge freedom, highlighting the complex lives of myriad individuals over five centuries. Dr. Berry appears in the episode entitled The Age of Slavery (1800-1860).

Host:
Joan Neuberger, Editor, Not Even Past and Professor, Department of History

Guests:
Daina Ramey Berry, Associate Professor, Department of History

American slavery was a dynamic institution. And though slavery was mainly a system of labor, those who toiled in the fields and catered to the most private needs and desires of enslavers were more than just workers. Although utterly obvious, it must be reiterated that the enslaved were indeed people. Dr. Berry address the humanity of the enslaved in this interview and accompanying article about her book, Swing the Sickle.

Spike Lee is one of America’s best known film directors. He has done more than anyone in his generation to bring African-American history and experience to the screen. The name of his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, refers to the broken promise made by the federal government to provide ex-slaves with land and a mule. In this episode, Dr. Berry examines Lee's past to uncover more about his mother's slave ancestry. Through this journey he discovers more about his slave roots and the people who owned his ancestors.

This History Channel mini-series presents a fresh perspective on how the Oval Office has evolved over the past 200 years through stories about the 43 men who have served as commander-in-chief. The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents concentrates on the ebbs and flows of presidential power and responsibilities as each of America's leaders deal with the events, expectations, and challenges of his time. Dr. Berry appears on this show discussing slavery and the presidency.