Antonia Hylton on ‘Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum’

Larry is joined by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Antonia Hylton to talk about her latest book ‘Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum’. They begin their conversation by talking about what inspired Antonia to write about the Crownsville mental health facility and the tribulations surrounding black mental health in the early part of the 20th century. Next, Antonia details her personal connection to the book’s subject via the tragic story of her dad’s cousin Maynard, who struggled with schizophrenia. Larry then reads a powerful passage from ‘Madness’ that leads to a discussion about residual effects of terror tactics used by racists during the Jim Crow era (22:08). After the break, they shine a light on how Crownsville evolved over time to become an integrated and valuable resource for the local Black community until its closure in the early 2000s (40:52). Antonia ends the pod by offering accessible ways to propagate positive mental health accessibility and acceptability in working class societies going forward (56:57).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Antonia Hylton

Associate Producer: Chris Sutton

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