# Eddie Glaude on the tension at the center of America's milestone birthdays

An episode of [NPR's Book of the Day](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1587369865), 9 Jul 2026, 12 min.

Audio: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510364/npr.simplecastaudio.com/c3f326c7-02ae-4df0-b95a-b35e58973e1a/episodes/10eec332-5da0-4103-b6a6-683f349167e2/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=c3f326c7-02ae-4df0-b95a-b35e58973e1a&awEpisodeId=10eec332-5da0-4103-b6a6-683f349167e2&feed=tZrJMl4P&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5886615&p=510364&d=693&size=11097696

As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. In Eddie Glaude’s new book, the Princeton professor says the United States has a “double consciousness.” Glaude expands on a concept from W.E.B. Du Bois, arguing the country imagines itself at once as a beacon of freedom and as a white republic. In today’s episode, Glaude joins Here & Now’s Scott Tong for a conversation about America, U.S.A., which traces that contradiction as it has bubbled up across the country’s milestone birthdays. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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