Podmass_In [Podmass](https://www.avclub.com/c/podmass),_ The A.V. Club _sifts through the ever-expanding world of podcasts and recommends the previous week’s best episodes. Have your own favorite? Let us know in the comments or at [podmass@avclub.com](mailto:podmass@avclub.com)._ 
The 1619 Project from The New York Times launched in August, a major initiative covering the legacy of slavery in the United States that includes a powerful series of essays, reported work, and poetry on race, slavery, and the ongoing ripple effects 400 years after the arrival of African slaves in Virginia. The related podcast, 1619, is a beautifully intricate companion to the project hosted by reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones. In each episode, a different expert voice reveals and discusses this history that has been hidden from mainstream view. In this episode, critic-at-large Wesley Morris tracks the huge influence and theft of Black music embedded into what is known as American music. Morris’…
