Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise to feature President Barack Obama

The HISTORY Channel™ today released its new original podcast “Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise” featuring commentary from President Barack Obama and hosted by Malcolm Gladwell. Produced in collaboration with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, Malcom Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries and Audible, the powerful eight-part audio series is available today, Thursday, June 4 exclusively from Audible. All episodes from the series will later be released on all podcast platforms beginning Thursday, June 18 through Thursday, July 16.

“The Reconstruction Era was a brief but pivotal and turbulent chapter in our nation’s history – one that is often overlooked, even though its consequences are still felt today,” said President Barack Obama. “In confronting this period honestly, I hope audiences can rediscover an essential part of our past and remember that even in moments of deep conflict and contradiction, persistence and perseverance remain powerful sources of hope.”

Exploring the history, complexities and enduring legacy of America’s Reconstruction Era, the podcast examines a pivotal period beginning in 1865 when the United States had the opportunity to reimagine society—from the foundations of its economy to the very nature of citizenship itself. The audio series highlights the missed opportunities and complicated legacy of that moment while drawing lessons that continue to shape the nation today.

Reconstruction begins where, for most Americans, the story of the Civil War ends – the North is victorious, and slavery is abolished. But what happened next was one of the most important decades in American history, a moment when our country grappled with its original sin and imagined, and briefly enacted, a more perfect union. Drawing from archives, letters, diaries, court records, eyewitness testimonies and some of America’s most accomplished scholars and storytellers, “Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise” explores this unprecedented historical moment in rich, kaleidoscopic detail. The series unpacks a time when a determined band of reformers attempted to radically reimagine American society, from the Constitution to the roots of its economy to the very nature of citizenship itself. 

Both beginning and concluding with a candid conversation between President Barack Obama and Malcolm Gladwell, the series features commentary from cultural luminaries such as Jelani Cobb, Wyatt Cenac, David Blight, Kai Wright, Kellie Carter Jackson, Ashley C. Ford, Manisha Sinha, Kidada Williams, and Eric Foner. Each episode examines the complexities of the era, the stakes at play, and the efforts of determined reformers, while asking whether the democratic promises of the Reconstruction era are still possible for achievement today. 

“Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise” is part of the HISTORY Honors 250 campaign. Leading up to the landmark 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in July 2026, The HISTORY Channel is marking this historic milestone with HISTORY Honors 250, a dynamic, multiplatform initiative spanning nearly two years. The epic commemoration includes long-form and short-form programming, digital and social content, custom partnerships, premium events, and more. HISTORY Honors 250 highlights breakthrough innovations, major achievements, and unsung heroes that have shaped the United States since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For more information, visit history.com/250.

Higher Ground, an Academy Award® and Emmy® Award-winning media company, collaborates with Audible on hit podcasts under their first-look deal, such as Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, Your Mama’s Kitchen: Conversations from the Heart of the Home hosted by Michele Norris, The Wonder of Stevie hosted by Wesley Morris, and Peabody Award-winner Fela Kuti: Fear No Man hosted by Jad Abumrad. Higher Ground’s other hit podcasts also include IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, which features the former First Lady and her older brother giving their opinions and candid perspectives to the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships, and the world around us; Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, the weekly podcast featuring intimate, long-form interviews with people from all walks of life; Stories from a Stranger with Hunter Prosper, based on Prosper’s hit digital series; and Lemme Say This with Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix. 

A+E Global Media holds worldwide distribution rights to “Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise.”

“Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise” is produced by Higher Ground, Pushkin Industries, and Audible, in partnership with The HISTORY Channel™. Nick White, Mukta Mohan, and Dan Fierman serve as executive producers for Higher Ground. Jacob Smith and Gretta Cohn serve as executive producers for Pushkin Industries. Kate Navin, Ann Heppermann, and Glynn Pogue serve as executive producers for Audible. Eli Lehrer and Mike Stiller serve as executive producers for The HISTORY Channel.