Speak Your Piece: a podcast about Utah's history

The past is never truly “in the past.” It’s all around us, it informs us. It speaks to our shared and to our separate identities. “Speak Your Piece” is a podcast where contributors share their insights and discoveries about Utah's 12,000 year (plus) human story. Hosted by Brad Westwood, Senior Public Historian (Utah Dept. of Culture & Community Engagement), and co produced by Chelsey Zamir, a new episode is released every other week, sometimes more, sometimes less. SYP explores the key arguments with new and worthwhile older publications, articles or websites; or delves into a notable museum, archival collection, archaeological report; or allows a respected writer, curator or historian to speak freely, sometimes about difficult history. SYP seeks to tell a history of Utah in a way you might not heard it before., told by the people who know it best: historians, writers, curators, archaeologists, rare book dealers, archivists, librarians and more. Speak Your Piece is recorded and engineered at the Utah State Library in Salt Lake City. Jason Powers is the sound and post-production engineer. The SYP logo is a photograph entitled "Canyonlands," taken by Utah outdoor photographer Al W. Morton, circa 1955, within the Canyonlands National Park (NPS). The lone man in the image is Kent Frost, looking over a series of needle rock formations located in San Juan County, Utah. The image and rights are owned by the Utah State Historical Society.

All Episodes

Speak Your Piece: a podcast about Utah's history

“Run it up the Flagpole...” Utah Considers a New State Flag (Season 3, Ep. 7)

August 23, 2021 • Brad Westwood, Senior Public Historian, Utah Dept. of Heritage & Arts • Season 3 • Episode 7

Date: June 21, 2021 (Season 3, Episode 7; 55:28 minutes). Click here for the complete Speak Your Piece shownotes for this episode.

Podcast Content:

In this Speak Your Piece episode, three guests: political historian Ronald Fox, State Representative Stephen Handy and State Senator Daniel McCay, discuss the idea of a new flag for Utah. Law SB-48 which was passed during the last legislative session (sponsored by Handy and McCay) and signed by Governor Spencer Cox, does not actually call for a new flag, but creates a task force to look into the possibility of one.

If you are against the idea, or supportive, or you are not sure and want to hear more regarding the matter, here is the place to start.

This episode also includes the history of Utah’s current flag, and outlines SB-48’s intentions, and Governor Spencer Cox June 14th, American Flag Day press release, where the governor announced that he will, at least initially, serve as chair of the task force, joined by Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson, Jill Remington Love, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Culture & Community Engagement, along with three state senators and three state representatives, all to offer a transparent and all encompassing statewide process, for considering the idea. See also "Additional Reading & Sources," and “Topics Discussed in Time '' listed on the "Speak Your Piece: A Podcast About Utah's History" website, to see these lists click here.

Guests:

Bio: Senator Daniel McCay represents District 11 (R-Riverton, Draper and Bluffdale), and was formerly a member of the Utah House of Representatives, representing District 41 (R-Riverton and Bluffdale) from 2013 to 2018. Among numerous other committee and subcommittee assignments, McCay serves on the Infrastructure & General Government Asppropriations Subcommittee and the Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee. McCay earned a JD from Willamette University, and professionally is an attorney, real estate portfolio manager and vice president of the Suburban Land Reserve, Inc. He lives in Riverton with his wife, Tawnee, and their six children.
Bio: Representative Stephen G. Handy (R-Layton) represents Utah’s 16th Legislative House District. Appointed in 2010 he has been re-elected five times thereafter. Two of his committee assignments include serving as Chair of the Political Subdivisions Committee, and as a member of the Public Utilities, Energy & Technology Committee. Handy also serves as co-chair of the Utah Legislature’s Bi-Partisan Clean Air Caucus. Handy owns a public relations and marketing firm which he launched after 17 years as the marketing director for the Ogden Standard-Examiner and the Deseret News. A graduate of the U of U, Steve has a bachelor’s degree in English and a masters degree in Human Resources Management. He and his wife Holly, have six children and 16 grandchildren and have lived in Layton for 42 years.
Bio: Ronald L. Fox is a long-time rare book, artifact and photograph dealer. He is also an author and political historian, and a former owner of a public affairs firm focusing on government advocacy. Fox has served as an advance coordinator for Executive Branch visits to SLC from Washington, D.C., and he served on the Utah Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Committee. He was recently appointed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, to be a co-chair of Utah’s Semiquincentennial (1776-1926) United States of America Committee.

Do you have a question or comment? Write us at “ask a historian” – askahistorian@uta