Weekly Show Acknowledges Inventors, Scientists, Educators, Musicians, Artists and Activists from Underrepresented Groups for Their Extraordinary Accomplishments
First Episode is Available Now
New York, NY – October 27, 2022– Somethin’ Else, a Sony Music Entertainment company, today debuts They Did That, a new podcast showcasing incredible stories of global innovators and trailblazers who’ve been forgotten from history books because of who they were — women, people of color, LBGTQ+, and more — and the stories about how their life’s work has changed our lives for the better. The first episode premieres today, featuring the story of Alice Ball – a woman who developed the first known long-term treatment for leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, in the early 1900s, but died shortly after at just 24 years old, which allowed her work to be stolen and credited to a male colleague.
Each week, journalist, and broadcaster Takara Smallwill shine a light on stories about extraordinary people whose remarkable inventions and contributions were largely ignored due to systemic bias and prejudice. This season will highlight the stories of people like Alice Guy-Blaché, who innovated countless film techniques and cinematography that we know today to be a regular part of movie watching, like close-up shots and special effects, Guillermo González Camarena, who created the original color television wheel, and Big Momma Thornton who recorded the now classic song ‘Hound Dog’, three years before Elvis Presley topped the charts – her version, considered an anthem for female Black empowerment.
Takara Small said, “I have spent much of my career researching and studying incredible innovators whose accomplishments have been erased from history because of who they were. This podcast will share the stories of extraordinary people who built our modern world only to be simply forgotten or have their discoveries deliberately stolen”
They Did That is based on an original idea by Takara Small. The podcast is produced by Tiffany Walker and Ava Ahmadbeigi and executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs at Somethin’ Else.
Listeners can subscribe to They Did That on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. For more information on all other Sony Podcast shows, follow @SonyPodcasts on Twitter and Instagram. Listeners can use #TheyDidThat on social to follow along throughout the season.
