Conversations with Kenyatta
"Genealogy Roadshow" host and author of "The Family Tree Toolkit," Kenyatta D. Berry looks into genealogy, ancestry, and family history as well as what it means to have enslaved ancestors, and interviews experts in the field. The music for episodes 1-76 is "Good Vibe" by Ketsa, and 76+ is by Rheme via Pixabay.
Conversations with Kenyatta
Dr. Edward L. Ayers on Digital History, the Civil War, and Making the American Past Participatory
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of Conversations with Kenyatta, Kenyatta D. Berry speaks with historian Dr. Edward L. Ayers about social history, digital archives, and the importance of making the American past more participatory and accessible.
Ayers reflects on growing up in Kingsport, Tennessee, and how discovering the field of social history shaped his approach to studying the American South. His work emphasizes placing everyday people alongside major historical events — what he describes as putting “everybody in the same frame.”
The conversation traces Ayers’s academic path from professor at the University of Virginia to dean and president emeritus of the University of Richmond. During his leadership, the university expanded financial aid initiatives, launched the Richmond Guarantee, and significantly increased access for underrepresented students.
Ayers also discusses efforts to rethink how Americans remember the Civil War. By reframing commemorations as “Civil War and Emancipation,” he helped shift the focus toward the broader historical transformation of the era and contributed to the development of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond.
The episode also explores Ayers’s pioneering work in digital history, particularly the groundbreaking Valley of the Shadow Project, which created one of the first major digital archives comparing two communities on opposite sides of the Civil War. The project helped inform his books In the Presence of Mine Enemies and The Thin Light of Freedom.
Berry and Ayers also discuss his public-facing history projects, including Bunk and New American History, which aim to make historical sources, scholarship, and storytelling more accessible to students, teachers, and the public.
Together, they explore how technology can transform the way we understand history — not just as something to study, but as something participatory, collaborative, and connected to the present.
Episode Timeline
00:00 Meet Kenyatta and Dr. Edward L. Ayers
00:41 Appalachian Roots and Early Influences
01:41 Discovering Social History
04:56 From UVA Professor to University Leadership
09:10 Civil War and Emancipation Work
12:46 Receiving the National Humanities Medal
14:21 The Valley of the Shadow Digital Archive
18:10 Genealogy and Public History
21:19 Why These Two Counties
25:23 Writing About the Civil War and Reconstruction
28:48 Awards and Writing Craft
30:00 Writing Through Anxiety
31:59 Delayed Gratification in Historical Writing
33:41 History and Healing
37:06 Origins of American Visions
39:02 V
Conversations with Kenyatta features Kenyatta D. Berry. Music for episodes 1-76 is "Good Vibe" by Ketsa, Music for episodes 77+ is “Rheme – Afrobeat x African Instrumental x Reggae Beat,” via Pixabay.
Learn more about Kenyatta and her work at KenyattaBerry.com.
You can also connect with her on social media:
Instagram: @Kenyatta.Berry
Facebook: facebook.com/KenyattaDB
Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next time on Conversations with Kenyatta.
We are dedicated to exploring and discussing various aspects of genealogy, history, culture, and social issues. We aim to shed light on untold stories and perspectives that enrich our understanding of the world.
Disclaimer: All guest opinions expressed in Conversations with Kenyatta are their own and do not reflect the views of Kenyatta D. Berry.
.