Holy Week

199
History #52

The story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968, is often recounted as a conclusion to a powerful era of civil rights in America, but how did this hero’s murder come to be the stitching used to tie together a narrative of victory? The week that followed his killing was one of the most fiery, disruptive, and revolutionary, and is nearly forgotten. Over the course of eight episodes, Holy Week brings forward the stories of the activists who turned heartbreak into action, families scorched by chaos, and politicians who worked to contain the grief. Seven days diverted the course of a social revolution and set the stage for modern clashes over voting rights, redlining, critical race theory, and the role of racial unrest in today’s post–George Floyd reckoning.

More
Recent Episodes
  • Part 8: Resurrection
    Mar 14, 2023 – 47:54
  • Part 7: Covenant
    Mar 14, 2023 – 39:26
  • Part 6: Kingdom
    Mar 14, 2023 – 39:21
  • Part 5: Prophecy
    Mar 14, 2023 – 38:49
  • Part 4: Overcome
    Mar 14, 2023 – 50:10
  • Part 3: Black Messiah
    Mar 14, 2023 – 29:53
  • Part 2: Inferno
    Mar 14, 2023 – 29:35
  • Part 1: Rupture
    Mar 14, 2023 – 21:08
  • Introducing Holy Week
    Feb 28, 2023 – 03:13
Recent Reviews
  • Espo58
    Exceptional!!
    Mike Esposito 67 in 2025, I was about 11 watching TV every night in Fairfax County when it all happened. I didn’t know what all the violence was, as a child all I saw was bombing, fire & death every night for weeks. I’m so ashamed for it all and can’t imagine being black. Your episode brought me understanding and connection for. I rurally Love Vanesa and feel for her plight. No, our country was not founded on black discrimination( sarcasm) Have you ever heard of Slavery or Dr Martin Luther King and on and on and still in 2025 Discrimination abounds.
  • DavidRich7
    Not about Holy Week…
    This is not about Holy Week 🤦‍♂️
  • Teetads
    Excellent
    I enjoyed this podcast so much. Excellent storytelling, detail, research. Thoughtful, emotional, poignant. I loved it and will be looking to more of this content from The Atlantic.
  • Conchs82
    So Good
    I have listened x 2. And each time I hear something different. By the end I had more questions and wanted to listen again. The story is exquisite. Thank you.
  • Dream331
    Not Long Enough
    This was really a great podcast series. It was so good that my only criticism of it is that it wasn’t long enough! Should’ve been at least a 20 part series. Really well done storytelling mixed with radio broadcasts and voices from the past. It was put together in such a way where it really felt like I jumped into a Time Machine and returned back to those days. Sometimes, I actually wish I could do just that but I definitely appreciate when something is done so well with obviously great research, storytelling, editing, etc. This was really good!
  • Aaronmb7
    Incredible story telling
    Got sucked into all 8 episodes in a day. Wonderful interviews. Fascinating historical facts shared. It’s incredibly interesting, sad, and amazing all at the same time.
  • Donald Quist
    Excellent!
    Well-researched and well-produced. An excellent work.
  • Dippersouth
    Revelatory — thank you.
    This podcast informed my head and cracked open my heart. “Holy Week” is podcast journalism at its finest. I commend it to everyone who cares about America, and still yearns to help our nation realize Lincoln’s sacred prophesy at Gettysburg, a “new birth of freedom.”
  • Nymike1961
    With Gratitude
    Well done and very moving. I was only a kid when Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated but this brought back suppressed memories. I often wonder what could have been. Thank you for this enlightening podcast.
  • GAME 2 WIN
    Holy Week the story of the aftermath of MLK assassinaton in America
    This recounted the story of the difficult period in American history before and after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther in 1968 captures the emotion and attitudes of central black leaders and local individuals of the Black non violent movement, the growing division between key Black leaders and communities on the direction of the non violent black movement and the the outrage from the white community and government to the riots and the aftermath in many urban cities. This Podcast story is Educational without blame and helps us all understand better an important period in American History. Well done !
  • -/ben/-
    :(
    A lot of information is wrong
  • The Window Whisper
    Dangerous and idolatrous
    Black liberation theology overreach.
  • Baker Pat
    The Research, The Writer, and The Story
    How do you remain calm as you narrate this story? You must be made of steel. The truth of inequality requires a calm voice, sterling research and a podcast because we live in a time of revolution not unlike the Sixties, which were pivotal for me. History will be distorted and teachers now walk a tightrope so the truth needs a place and a calm voice that can be accessed at any time and for free. The same review goes for FLOODLINE. Great work, everybody. Pat K
  • 1533Coventry
    Holy Week
    I really am enjoying this series. I lived far from these events and was a too young to know and understand what was going on in 1968. Hearing from people who were participants in or witnesses to the events surrounding and following the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination greatly enhances the narration. I have just one nit to pick: I would appreciate some kind of notice at the end of each episode that it has ended. Merely repeating an ad I’ve already heard twice isn’t enough.
  • KBGunny
    Genuine History
    This pod is so important… I believe this information is largely unknown by the majority of the Caucasian people in this country. It isn’t taught in schools. It is such an important recounting of the historic period after MLK’s assassination and the black activism/rioting afterwards.
  • Drew Stricker
    Holy Week
    The rich storytelling from those who met with King right before he was assassinated, whose lives were ripped apart by systemic racism, and children (yes children!) reminds us that King might have been wrong on one front—the moral arc of the universe bending toward justice. Great journalism on display here. Big fan of Newkirk’s work since “The Great Land Robbery” and “Floodlines”. His work is one reason I continue to support The Atlantic
  • maxwalk123
    Holy Week
    It’s the way he tells the story. The way he makes you forget you’re listening to history, which was supposed to be dry, boring, even. But not here. Van has a way of narrating the story that forces you to listen, to hear more, to learn more, and to feel the emotions of the people in the story. Holy Week is an A rated production that takes you back to the time and space of this tragic event in our country’s history. The first hand accounts will leave marks on you, and highlight the importance of this great man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to our country and more so to individuals.
  • Llkkkklllj
    Holy Week
    58 years ago after MLK was assassinated many cities erupted in anger and frustration. This pod gives an intimate first person account to that experience. Well worth a listen.
  • mollyinlascruces
    Holy Week
    one of the very best… the history…the storytelling…the archival sound…and the amazing musical soundtrack… every american needs to listen to this story. thank you to the Atlantic and to Van Newkirk.
  • eas215
    Phenomenal
    Phenomenal. Informative. Evocative. The narration, the first person accounts, the music, the use of audio footage from the past. The way it’s all woven together. Every aspect of this is wonderfully done. This is one of the best podcasts, let alone historical podcasts, I have ever heard.
  • willbondurant
    Another great series
    I loved the Floodline series a few years ago, and this one is another excellent podcast. It’s remarkable for the interviews with first hand witnesses to those momentous events (and especially given the time is running out for these conversations). Well edited as well, with good sound alongside the stories.
  • Disappointed________one
    Excellent Podcast!
    Riveting, engaging, descriptive - this podcast tells a story we are gravely at risk of losing. The moderator sets a tone which is perfect for the story. The composition draws you in to the mood. The personal accounts inspire empathy. And the editing is top notch for telling this story. I subscribe to the Atlantic to support reporting like this!
  • pod_reviewer_12
    So far so great!
    I’m about halfway through and I’m really enjoying it. The show is good at keeping track of lots of different voices. I’m learning a lot!
  • Eitches
    Phenomenal
    The best podcast I’ve heard in a long time, and I am an avid podcast listener. The structure of the story around “Holy Week“ makes each of the episodes I cannot recommend listening to this podcast too much.
  • Kw739362
    Breathtaking
    I was totally blown away by this podcast. Vann has an unmatched talent for bringing out compelling stories from the people he interviews and weaving together a multitude of storylines into a beautiful and moving epic. This one is a brilliant retelling of the events surrounding MLKs assassination from a point of view we’ve been asked to forget. This is essential listening at a time when the true history of Black Americans in the US is being erased nationwide. When you listen to the stories told by Vanessa, John, and others, you won’t soon forget.
  • Turnup247
    GREAT Podcast
    Great content and good information‼️‼️ KEEP UP THE GREAT STUFF
  • JMoney145
    Simply extraordinary
    Listen to this podcast. You won’t regret it.
  • dtafakari
    Transportive
    Holy Week doesn’t just transport you back to King’s assassination in hopes of understanding what it meant—this podcast underscores the emotional devastation his death still wreaks. From the narration, to the interviews, to the historical sound bites, every element feels carefully placed and considered. Holy Week broke my heart for the people who lived through it. And for the rest of us, too. The country we have now—as the podcast so meticulously shows—was indelible shaped by the murder of a man who loved it to a fault.
  • Mtethiope
    Excellent series
    Well reported, compelling, and timely.
  • gorrly
    Incredible podcast
    This is so beautifully done, and is a fascinating unique look at this period — I was absolutely enthralled. I cannot recommend it enough. This is another hit out of the park for Newkirk and his team. Please check it out.
  • Polo Rocker
    Amazing
    One of the most emotionally resonant important podcasts you’ll ever hear. Wow.
  • Mekashay33
    Haunting
    This podcast is a riveting historical moment, a tale of something so profound and foreseeable, but so entirely avoidable. It takes your breath away and breaks your heart. It puts you in the moment. It’s remarkable and lingering. It captures your imagination and your soul.
  • Nita Hubbard
    Holy Week
    Brilliantly done
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.