Onesimus & The Great Vaccine Debate (featuring Damon Young and J-L Cauvin)
Drapetomaniax: Unshackled HistoryShow Notes
In the midst of disease and death in the colonies, an enslaved man named Onesimus introduces America to the smallpox vaccine. But much like today, the concept of a vaccine sparked skepticism, concern, counter protests and rumors that the enslaved were trying to kill off white people.
Drapetomaniax is created by Michael Harriot in collaboration between OtherTone, Sony Music Entertainment and Queer Media.
This episode featured: Damon Young as Onesimus and J-L Cauvin as Cotton Mather and James Franklin
Special thanks to our voice actors
Reporter Andrea O’Brien Vives
Slave TicTok1 Moses Soyoola
Slave Tick Tok 2 Timil Jones
Slave Tick Tok 3 Jason Vives
Dr. Kizzmkia Corbett Sabrina Harvey Merritt
Ad Lib 1 Avron Roberts
Voice Susan Haynes
Voice Christopher Toppino
Voice Magnolia McKay
Ad lib 3 Gillianne Roberts-Atkinson
Executive Producers Pharrell Williams, Scott Vener, Noleca Radway, and Moses Soyoola
Senior Producer Janicia Francis
Managing Producer JoAnn DeLuna
Production Coordinator Homero Radway
Production Assistant Gilianne Roberts-Atkinson
Head Writer Silas Miami
Writers Roderick Morrow, Danielle Solomon
Audio Engineer Marcellino van Callias
Fact checker LaPorsche Thomas
Music Supervisor Patricia Kihoro
Theme Song Freedom by Pharell Williams
This episode includes the songs “Demasked” and “Epicio” by Kevin servHis , “Thang Thang” by Tina Mina, ‘Tickety Tok’ by The New Fools, ‘Honourable Salute’ by Sage Oursler and music by Chad Milner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History
Arguably, best investigative journalist of her time, 19th-century trailblazer, anti lynching champion and a force to be reckoned with. From her days in the Deep South to her fearless exposés, we’re bringing you into the battle rap ring with the one and only Ida B. Wells!
In this episode before the season finalé… Join Michael as he goes behind the scenes to meet the people who make the Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History podcast at the cast’s wrap party.
Can you name the 19th century Black woman entrepreneur who funded hundreds of Black people to flee from slavery? Mary Ellen Pleasant reported in 1875 a net worth of 30 million US dollars. Which today would be worth just shy of one billion dollars. Join the students at Drapetomaniax Agricultural and Technical State University School as they learn all about this self-made millionaire abolitionist.
Who really invented rock n roll? The facts are clear—it was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Black queer gospel-influenced rock and roll Beyoncé of the 1930s and ‘40s. Music legends like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash stole her musical style without proper acknowledgement or credit. In a renaissance of sound, celebrity and high drama we salute the legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Have you heard about Boley, Oklahoma - the town that wished a motherfucker would? Boley was a thriving, black town founded by Abigail McCormick who had inherited the land where Boley was founded from her grandfather, a Creek Freedmen. This episode tells the story of how, in 1932, the entire town came together when a gang of white men decided to rob the bank because they thought it’d be easy. But they were in for a big surprise.