Hot Dog Empire, The Uncomfortable Truth

How a Man Named Nathan Built a Hot Dog Empire Guest: Lloyd Handwerker, Author of “Famous Nathan: A Family Saga of Coney Island, the American Dream, and the Search for the Perfect Hot Dog,” Director of “Famous Nathan” At least one Fourth of July Tradition is happening undeterred by the pandemic this year: Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Competition will happen this year in a private location without the massive crowd, but still broadcast live on ESPN.  Nathan’s Famous has been synonymous with hot dogs for more than 100 years, and the annual July 4th contest is part of its fame. But more than anything Nathan’s is famous for the iconic yellow and green sign at the corner of Surf and Stillwell on Coney Island where Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker opened a small counter and started selling hot dogs for a nickel in 1916.  How that simple food stand became a multi-million-dollar business is a quintessential American story. (Originally aired: Sept. 23, 2016) The Uncomfortable Truth About Race in America Guests: Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, Civil Rights Activist and Author; Loki Mulholland, Documentary Filmmaker, "The Uncomfortable Truth" This moment of anti-racism protests in America has many people turning to books and films that can help them better understand why race matters. One independent documentary from 2017 has now started trending – with close to half a million views – on Amazon Prime since it’s been featured in the Black Lives Matter Channel. The film is called, “The Uncomfortable Truth” and it’s about filmmaker Loki Mulholland’s journey to understand just how being white has benefited his family across generations. Mulholland’s story is particularly intriguing because his mother descends from a line of slaveholders in the South, but she made her name as a civil rights activist jailed for her participation in the Freedom Rides and targeted by the Ku Klux Klan. (Originally aired: Oct. 27, 2017)