Finding that the evidence for jumping the broom’s “origins” pointed to western Europe, I wanted to better understand how groups adopted and adapted rituals for their own communal needs, and what this suggested about its popularity in African American history. If the broomstick wedding was “forced” into enslaved communities, as some have claimed, how then is it remolded into something that many embraced over time? If it was accepted willingly in some circumstances, what does this suggest about agency and the evolution of Black culture in the antebellum era?

This week, Ira spoke with Tyler D. Parry, author of Jumping The Broom, The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding Ritual. In this academic episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, Tyler talks about the historical narratives vs memories of Jumping The Broom; viewing the tradition through the paradigm of resistance; the efforts of black writers to revisit the ritual; the unifying feature of jumping the broom; the importance of the community endorsing the marriage after the couple jumped the broom; the humanity of the ceremony itself; the revival of interest in the subject in the 60’s and 70’s; the booming heritage weddings industry in the 90 that featured it; the different groups around the world who utilized the ceremony; and the surprising results about the single origin point of the ritual.

Comments from a Clark County judge during a probation hearing are drawing attention. Some are calling for her to resign, while others say there's more context to the judge's comments.

An interracial couple jumped the broom at their wedding and now Twitter is throwing stones. A couple named Jana and Marcus recently tied the knot and the photos from their ceremony have gone viral. Marcus, a Black man, is being heavily criticized for jumping the broom with his white bride, Jana.

Twitter is currently abuzz with the conversation surrounding the tradition called Jumping the Broom, the meaning of which many are just learning. So let us explain to you its origin and significance here.

Our article tracks the brief but rich history of racial segregation in gaming and how this was shaped by the emergence of Jim Crow practices in casino policies and overt discrimination in hiring.

Once a symbolic way for enslaved people in the American South to recognize their marriages, modern couples say that this tradition is a way to honor those who did it before them.

As the nation faces ongoing threats of white supremacist violence and voter suppression legislation, more than 200 scholars of U.S. history have signed an open letter urging school districts to devote more time and resources to teaching the Reconstruction era in upper elementary, middle, and high school U.S. history and civics courses.