Past Present

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss controversy over the “OK” sign, the Black Israelite sect, and the history of CIA disguises. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:  When cadets flashed the “OK” sign, a gesture that has become a symbol of white power, an investigation by Army and Navy officials ensued. Natalia cited anthropologist Clifford Geertz’ “Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture.” Niki recommended ProPublica’s ongoing coverage of white nationalism. Recent murders in Jersey City have directed new attention to the fringe sect that calls itself the Black Hebrew Israelites. Niki referred to this Code Switch interview with historian Marc Dollinger about his book, Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s. The CIA’s former Chief of Disguise has donated some of her collection to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Natalia