Covering every hamlet and precinct in America, big and small, the stories span arts and sports, business and history, innovation and adventure, generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love, past and present. In short, Our American Stories tells the story of America to Americans.
About Lee Habeeb
Lee Habeeb co-founded Laura Ingraham’s national radio show in 2001, moved to Salem Media Group in 2008 as Vice President of Content overseeing their nationally syndicated lineup, and launched Our American Stories in 2016. He is a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, and writes a weekly column for Newsweek.
For more information, please visit ouramericanstories.com.
Into the Vast Unknown: The First American Ascent of Mount Everest
Locks of Love: How One Mother Built a Hair Donation Nonprofit
On this episode of Our American Stories, Madonna Coffman had already experienced hair loss once as a young woman. Years later, when her four-year-old daughter began losing her hair, she didn’t need a diagnosis to know what was coming or how difficult it would be. What she couldn’t find was something designed for a child trying to live a normal life, so she set out to create it herself. That effort became Locks of Love.
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Rediscovering My Dad Cy Walter: The Art Tatum of Cocktail Pianists
On this episode of Our American Stories, Cy Walter played piano in bustling New York City during the years when tunes from the Great American Songbook filled smoke-filled rooms and carried late into the night. He built a following at places like the Drake Hotel, where people came as much for him as for the music itself, becoming something of a local legend.
After his death, his son Mark set out to piece together his father’s story. After all, he had only known his dad for a short time. Along the way, he discovered a buried legacy that had been carried forward by those who remembered him best.
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What Happened When Buck O’Neil Missed the Hall of Fame by One Vote
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2021, former Negro Leagues baseball player Buck O'Neil was finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, years after being denied by just one vote, a decision that surprised many of his friends and supporters.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, tells the story of how Buck handled that loss, in Kendrick’s words, “like a man.”
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Before Billy Graham, There Was Billy Sunday
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became evangelist Billy Sunday, William Ashley Sunday played professional baseball in the major leagues, known for his speed and energy on the field. In the 1890s, at the height of his athletic career, he walked away from the game and turned to preaching, eventually becoming one of the most influential evangelists of his time.
Drawing on his background as an athlete and his dynamic speaking style, Sunday delivered sermons that drew massive crowds and resonated with everyday Americans. Robert J. Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, shares the story of how Billy Sunday’s message spread across the nation and why it had such a powerful impact.
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Paul Revere’s Ride: The Poem That Made a Legend
On this episode of Our American Stories, on April 18, 1775, a Boston silversmith set out on horseback with a warning that would travel from town to town in the dark. The ride itself was real, but the version most Americans remember came later, shaped by a poem that gave it a place in the national memory.
In this dramatic reading, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalizes Old North Church and Paul Revere in American folklore.
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George Washington: The Definitive Story of America’s First President
On this episode of Our American Stories, most of us meet George Washington through half-remembered legends: the cherry tree story, his face on the dollar bill, the grand portraits, and the monuments across the country. Before he became the first president of the United States, he spent years trying to earn respect in a world that did not offer it easily.
The late historian Don Higginbotham, author of George Washington: Uniting a Nation, and actor James O’Connor share the definitive story of one of the most important men in American history.
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The SR-71 Blackbird Disaster at 78,000 Feet: How One Pilot Fell from Space and Survived
On this episode of Our American Stories, when an SR-71 Blackbird disintegrated midair at over 2,000 mph, pilot Bill Weaver was ejected at a speed and altitude few humans have ever survived. He thought he was dead, but what followed became one of the most remarkable survival stories in aviation history.
Our regular contributor, The History Guy, shares this incredible story.
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From Wall Street Workaholic to Foster Care Reformer: Paul Blavin's Mission
On this episode of Our American Stories, what happens to children when they age out of foster care? For many, it means stepping into adulthood alone, without the support systems most young people take for granted. After learning how often these young adults face homelessness, incarceration, and limited opportunities, Paul Blavin walked away from a successful career on Wall Street to do something about it.
What started as a sudden realization grew into the Blavin Scholars Program, a holistic effort designed to help former foster youth not just attend college, but succeed in life through mentorship, housing support, and a strong sense of community. Paul joins us to share his story.
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The South Vietnamese Pilot Who Stole a Plane to Save His Family
On this episode of Our American Stories, as Saigon fell during Operation Frequent Wind and thousands tried to escape, one South Vietnamese pilot refused to leave his family behind. With only a small observation plane and no guarantee of survival, Major Buang-Ly took to the air in search of help.
When he reached the USS Midway, the crew faced a difficult choice that would determine whether his family lived or died. Historian Hill Goodspeed of the National Naval Aviation Museum brings us this incredible story of a father doing whatever it took to save his family.
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