Black Jonestown

About Black Jonestown

Black Jonestown is a storytelling and documentary channel dedicated to honoring the Black members of the People’s Temple — those who lived, died, and those who survived the tragedy in Jonestown, Guyana on 11/18/1978 This channel reclaims their narrative. Through historical storytelling, interviews with survivors, and documentary-style reflections, Black Jonestown explores their lives, their roots, and the social and spiritual movements that led them from California to the jungles of Guyana. Here, we honor their humanity, their strength, and their enduring impact on Black American history.

Publisher

Leslie Wagner-Wilson

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Dec 2025

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   EPISODE 10: Beatrice “Bea” Orsot - The Woman Who Said She Was Left Behind | Every Child Remembered

   A highly educated Black woman, civil rights advocate, mother, and writer, Bea fought racial discrimination long before she encountered Jim Jones in 1970.Her father, Antonio Orsot, was a distinguished architect who designed several historic buildings at Savannah State College.After surviving the tragedy of November 18, 1978, Bea continued to defend Jim Jones and the beliefs that had shaped her life in Peoples Temple.In this episode of Black Jonestown, we explore Bea's extraordinary life, her unwavering loyalty, and the contradictions revealed through her own writings.We also pause to honor and remember the innocent lives of the two- and three-year-old children who perished in Jonestown. Though their lives were tragically cut short, their names, their stories, and their memory deserve to live on.Preserve the Evidence. Honor the Voices. Tell the Truth.

2. 

   11 Aug 2026

   Virginia Taylor, A Life Remembered & Honoring the 1 year old children

   Every person who died in Jonestown had a name, a story, and a life that mattered.In this special memorial episode of Black Jonestown, we step away from the interview format to honor Virginia Taylor, one of the senior citizens who lost her life on November 18, 1978. Through the memories of those who knew her and the historical record she left behind, we reflect on the life of a woman whose journey deserves to be remembered beyond the tragedy.As the episode concludes, we pause for a solemn memorial honoring the one-year-old children who perished in Jonestown. These innocent lives never had the opportunity to grow, dream, or tell their own stories. We remember them not as statistics, but as precious children whose lives were cut tragically short.Black Jonestown is committed to preserving the humanity of those who lived—and died—in People's Temple by ensuring that every story has the opportunity to be heard and every life is remembered with dignity."To remember is an act of justice. To tell their stories is an act of love."If you believe these stories deserve to be preserved, please like, subscribe, and share this episode so that future generations will never forget.#BlackJonestown #Jonestown #PeoplesTemple #VirginiaTaylor #JimJones #VirginiaMomDeanTaylor #JonestownRemembered #Jonestown1978 #JonestownHistory #TrueHistory #RememberingJonestown #JonestownMemorial #NeverForgotten #InMemory #November18th1978 #PeoplesTempleHistory#leslieWagnerwilson#Cults

3. 

   25 Jul 2026

   Who Was Leslie Before Peoples Temple

   Before there was People's Temple… before Jonestown… there was a little girl with dreams, a family, and a life that shaped the woman she would become.In this deeply personal episode of Black Jonestown, special guest interviewer Janet Shular sits down with survivor Leslie Wagner-Wilson for an intimate conversation about the years before Jim Jones entered her life. Leslie shares never-before-told stories of her childhood, her family, and the experiences that molded her long before the tragedy that would forever change history.Most documentaries begin with People's Temple. This one begins with Leslie.Join us as we explore the foundation of a remarkable woman whose strength, resilience, and voice would one day help tell one of history's most important stories—from the perspective of someone who lived it.If you've ever wondered who Leslie Wagner-Wilson was before People's Temple, this is where her story truly begins.This episode concludes with a special memorial honoring the infants and young children whose lives were tragically lost in Jonestown on November 18, 1978. They had no voice in the decisions that led them there, yet their lives mattered, their names mattered, and their stories deserve to be remembered.May this tribute serve as a moment of reflection, remembrance, and respect for the youngest victims of one of history's greatest tragedies. They will never be forgotten.

4. 

   19 Jun 2026

   Episode 7: Why They Came: Hope and the Black Community

   In this episode, host and Jonestown survivor Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with Sikivu Hutchinson to explore what drew so many Black families to the San Francisco area during the 1970s — and the deep sense of hope that the Peoples Temple represented for the Black community.Together, Leslie and Sikivu unpack the social and political climate of the era: the search for racial equality, economic opportunity, and genuine community in a country that had so often denied all three. They examine why the Temple's message of integration, dignity, and collective purpose resonated so powerfully with Black Americans — and how that hope was ultimately betrayed.This is a conversation about faith, longing, belonging, and the dreams that brought a generation to the Bay.🎙️ Host: Leslie Wagner Wilson, Jonestown survivor and author🎙️ Guest: Sikivu Hutchinson, author and scholarSikivu Hutchinson, PhD. is an educator, writer, and stage director with a background in gender and social justice youth leadership, professional development and training, as well as research on culturally responsive teaching, Black feminism, women of color feminism, sexual violence, LGBTQ+ youth and family affirming best practices, humanism and atheism. As the founder of the Women’s Leadership Project and Young Male Scholars’ programs she has successfully assisted first generation, foster care, undocumented, and LGBTQ students of color go on to college and careers. Show Notes and Linkshttps://www.amazon.com/White-Nights-P... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkhjVVhlOENzUS1iVzZUQ3Q0WEhYUlo2akNsQXxBQ3Jtc0ttZXZ6TnpBNnZCaDgzaWxfM0tLVENGLVA2M1hSTG1MNkd0TTR2TlNveDJUNmFIX3BZaDRfQkNVLW9wbVF3WHY1T2N5dk1TVjh1cEJibDdpUVI3RWRLeVVnVjQtUGM3VmxHejBSOVdubWtwNW9RTmNMMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWhite-Nights-Paradise-Sikivu-Hutchinson%2Fdp%2F0692267131%2Fref%3Dsr_1_3%3Fcrid%3D313AIKQR7FHDP%26dib%3DeyJ2IjoiMSJ9._sPUd_xpZH3l5SrjeGbKDp8QkvjQpWt8UBNj_MbxXTpXcSRCnY_VcWSGhdk-Fb8pxkgMr1pm0rGgLI5pMmjOvfEwaE0nT5A41V_y1l8DWZ0r_JXtnwWmNkHoIkz01yzaCdsYTdGkAMQogkfT2RYRcwWoqnCuU76SdTd3VpxYTzY6g7YQ3cDEdgvaILzaap0_RsOFVRyG2IUoqcIaVnZEjhKU3chVNEnYiIsp0xwuJos.oHqL8cFHI20nrbF0VgkrW0OtpRdGu_XMdJEXdBD1Vvc%26dib_tag%3Dse%26keywords%3DSikivu%2BHutchinson%26qid%3D1781829596%26sprefix%3Dsikivu%2Bhutchinson%252Caps%252C143%26sr%3D8-3&v=a9N52wRQ8HI)https://thehumanist.com/magazine/wint... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTZWa1pabzFuaGtLWjd5WHd1dG9Dbk0xRXNLd3xBQ3Jtc0tuS05ZT3ZuR01pX0w1cHJ5Y01XaUpKd1FtR25VRkZIUTR5YzdIMENsRWtRWGp2LUN5aWJJLVR2WWFaUXNVZFlVMlRpMG5Ha1N3Z2ZRX19RNlA1NU5wUDRNVHhMVDJsblJWSnhTTGQwbFZzcGdodHc2aw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fthehumanist.com%2Fmagazine%2Fwinter-2022%2Ffeatures%2Fwhy-we-need-more-black-humanists-in-academia&v=a9N52wRQ8HI)https://www.amazon.com/Humanists-Hood... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndWVW8wNTFBWl9FY1YybEZmLVJ4LXQtSTN5UXxBQ3Jtc0trcmpBX3cwQnAwYzQ1LUM3eVk1dVB2NjFzMTFUeGxFZlprVXloV1ZJekJNN1VkTDZ0MEhxTHBNcjYwWWE1aER4OFlkMzk2cHhMV3BGMGRscl9wMXVFdFBFR2QwQ0NPMG9qQmE0YXpCWV9PNEZBMWJHZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHumanists-Hood-Unapologetically-Feminist-Heretical-ebook%2Fdp%2FB085F3C8N1&v=a9N52wRQ8HI)Womens Leadership Projecthttp://www.sikivuhutchinson.com (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDZWeE1OV25xWnZOU2hTTGlnd25sUzRkN011d3xBQ3Jtc0tsMzdaNXNuRy1vQlZZWWlrQWhZV1RTeTdnX0E4SVpCNG9MVVVMaDgxaDlGdFlWNTd4a3lwb2R6bFp3cjZBZFYyUFhCMnpocWlLVmw1NEp5TGtZdkFlV0YteXEwbTcxVU5iZmdhWUk3MDNibDVTSVJ5NA&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sikivuhutchinson.com%2F&v=a9N52wRQ8HI)https://hollywoodprogressive.com/stag... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbF94YVBoRTl5S2hJZjUzZldVQ3RTTnhqQjVJd3xBQ3Jtc0tsa0NXaXFvYWRYNTdHaEtEaGRaam1YbUdzUzVKcnItSHRaRXNGQmhkejF0T3V6RC1XV1IwbEUwT0VvN09DY1p4LU1iNmsxS2xUOWFEdjRTVWxMNDNpYU44UlJEb3hXNGJLalI3MkRIamFvaEtJdXlLaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fhollywoodprogressive.com%2Fstage%2Fwhite-nights-black-paradise&v=a9N52wRQ8HI)https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jonest... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUNyNFJ1UHFycGROSzhWM1RsaF9WV0RaVmhHUXxBQ3Jtc0trWlNRbHJxQjU5OGNDSVd2WnBpVWY2ancySWdwU2pEaWhoUWduejN4ZnNaU3dHa2RpdjZ5cVE4M2lKRWdNVzNOaTVZTHNCWE9xdElqZ21KYy1RZ0FiV1Y3aFJVaU14TC1sbWZpcEo1MG8yd3RUU21Sbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fjonestown-in-the-trump-era-commemorating-the-black_b_582d2396e4b0eaa5f14d4054&v=a9N52wRQ8HI) #BlackJonestown (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackjonestown) #PeoplesTemple (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/peoplestemple) #JimJones (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/jimjones) #Jonestown (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/jonestown) #JonestownSurvivor (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/jonestownsurvivor) #LeslieWagnerWilson (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lesliewagnerwilson) #SikivuHutchinson (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sikivuhutchinson) #BlackHistory (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackhistory) #BlackCommunity (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackcommunity) #SanFrancisco (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sanfrancisco) #BayArea (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/bayarea) #CivilRights (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/civilrights) #BlackChurch (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackchurch) #Cult (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cult) #CultSurvivor (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cultsurvivor) #AmericanHistory (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/americanhistory) #blackvoicesmatter (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackvoicesmatter) Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Black Jonestown.

5. 

   8 Jun 2026

   Episode 6: The Man with the File- Inside the Peoples Temple Investigation

   Before Jonestown became a tragedy the world could no longer ignore, someone was already watching. In this episode, host and Jonestown survivor Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with David Reuben, Special Investigator with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. David Reuben shares how he became involved in the investigation, what drew law enforcement's attention to Jim Jones and his organization, and what the evidence revealed about the Temple's activities. He takes us inside the findings — the files, the witnesses, and the disturbing picture that began to emerge. He reflects on the aftermath — what happened to the investigation, the evidence, and the people connected to it. This is the side of the Jonestown story that rarely gets told — the paper trail that existed before the tragedy, and the man who followed it. Show Notes: Church Vs. Statehttps://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/artic... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTg1VTVOUW5td1Robk9tOUtYaVRqdkoxVVNWd3xBQ3Jtc0ttdUM2cGZnMjhkSk5lTFF4MTFDU2puVGJyWTJMTXlWZHNDbzRYcHBsVnB0ZlZHdlN3UFcyUUdhR0ExTHduUkhrX3lRQnJ4cnJsai1SR0NmUll5d1JtUmVWSTJUUndHRWJwMUs0cDI3ZXA4My1VMFA5OA&q=https%3A%2F%2Ffirstamendment.mtsu.edu%2Farticle%2Festablishment-clause-separation-of-church-and-state%2F%3Futm_source%3Dchatgpt.com&v=k8Vw-S3osPM)New West Article/Linda Mertle Abusehttps://jonestown.sdsu.edu/wp-content... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmdzcnBtUDR2X2NRTUEyeThWa3hTQ3VfWHF5UXxBQ3Jtc0ttQ19zaHFFbUlHU0NCZ1FaN3E0c0JlellLUmtjMEZ4S2xhejJjUDVxUGhGQzhfc2FZaHF3SWFseEpVdWVsVElDVnJVcWl3Q2kwVmxWV0p5NGdSNVVJOGY0YkFhTXp1R3ZUb29DZ0xGblNrdGJfRkozbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjonestown.sdsu.edu%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2FnewWestart.pdf&v=k8Vw-S3osPM)Affidavits & Lettershttps://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=8... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1MxaW80dkxnN1RNRG5SU1VNRWxYaE45VjFuZ3xBQ3Jtc0trTUNoV1pmQ1pVdHd6N1YxQVJ0cnJYVFVQSHBtWEdHaGJkZHBGalBfcUtkTGd4Zk1QOUVrSUVjV1NZcDNXZGhFWFhLU19kZFVvRGRFTFVCVEx3STc3bkN2Y1prNE11cV9JZWRhekloOWt6XzlqVU1FMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjonestown.sdsu.edu%2F%3Fpage_id%3D88147https%3A%2F%2Fjonestown.sdsu.edu%2F%3Fpage_id%3D109000&v=k8Vw-S3osPM)

6. 

   8 Jun 2026

   Episode 5: The Grift: Jack Colbert - Life Inside Peoples Temple

   In this powerful episode, survivor and Host Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with Jack Colbert, a former member of People's Temple, for an intimate and unflinching conversation about what it meant to grow up inside of a movement that weaponized hope against the very people it claimed to serve. Jack opens up about his childhood within the Temple — the community, the faith, and the sense of belonging that drew so many families in. He reflects on what daily life looked like under Jim Jones, the control, the contradictions, and the moments that slowly began to crack the foundation of everything he believed. This is more than a story about a cult. It's a story about community, survival, and the complicated search for something real.

7. 

   7 Jun 2026

   Episode 4: The Grift; Power, Money and the Promise

   In this episode of Black Jonestown, we trace the ideological blueprint that shaped Jim Jones long before Jonestown existed. Episode 4 examines Jones’s formative influences—specifically his ties to William Branham, a controversial revivalist whose theology, healing theatrics, and authoritarian control methods helped model how spiritual authority could be performed, protected, and monetized. We then widen the lens to Father Divine and the Peace Mission Movement, whose structure demonstrated something even more powerful than charisma: infrastructure. Through Father Divine, Jones witnessed how religious devotion could be fused with: Economic systemsCommunal livingLand ownershipPolitical accessCarefully managed racial opticsThis episode explores how Jones did not invent his methods—but studied them. Adapted them. And ultimately weaponized them. The Grift: Part 1 reveals how belief becomes currency, how loyalty becomes labor, and how power disguises itself as promise.This is not the story of a madman. This is the story of a student.

8. 

   18 Dec 2025

   Episode 3: Janet Shular Interview

   Episode 3 of Black Jonestown centers the voice of Janet Shular, the oldest known surviving former member of People’s Temple, as she reflects on her life, her time within the movement, and the experiences that shaped her understanding of faith, community, and survival.

9. 

   14 Dec 2025

   EPISODE 3 : PREVIEW

   In Episode 3 of Black Jonestown, we sit down with Janet Shular, the longest living former Peoples Temple, member as she shares her journey in her own words.An educated, accomplished professional in early childhood education, Janet joined Peoples Temple believing it was a place where her gifts could serve children and build community. And for a time, it was. But as the cracks began to show, Janet realized Jim Jones was not the man he claimed to be. What followed was a quiet awakening — and a carefully planned escape that saved her life and the lives of her family. This episode challenges the long-standing stereotypes about who followed Jim Jones. Janet Shuler was not ignorant or helpless. She was thoughtful, perceptive, and courageous — a woman who chose truth over fear.We also honor the life and legacy of Deanna Wilkinson, one of Peoples Temple’s most extraordinary voices. Her music brought joy to many, and her story reminds us that behind every headline were real people with real gifts and real lives.

10. 

    3 Dec 2025

    Episode 2: Her Mother, Her Grandmother, Her Truth — Remembering Elsie Bell

    In Episode 2 of Black Jonestown, Leslie Wagner Wilson sits down with Nancy Shaw — a woman whose family was forever changed by the promises and deceptions of Jim Jones.Nancy opens her heart about losing her mother, who died believing Jones would heal her, and her grandmother, who perished in Jonestown. Through honesty, pain, and clarity, she brings forward a story few have ever heard directly from those who lived it.This conversation is raw, intimate, and deeply human.It speaks to faith, manipulation, grief, and the resilience it takes to reclaim your narrative after unimaginable loss.Following the interview, we honor the life of Elsie Bell, remembering her not just as a victim of Jonestown, but as a woman whose life, hope, and humanity mattered.Black Jonestown is dedicated to telling the stories behind the headlines — to show the family, not the spectacle.If this episode moved you, please like, comment, and subscribe so we can continue sharing the voices and stories that history tried to silence.

11. 

    2 Dec 2025

    Who We Are

    In our very first episode of Black Jonestown, we begin with the voices behind the mission. I’m Leslie Wagner Wilson—one of the nine people who escaped Jonestown on November 18, 1978. For decades, others have told our story for us. This podcast changes that. “Who We Are” introduces the storytellers, survivors, researchers, and descendants whose lives were shaped by Peoples Temple and Jonestown. We reclaim our narrative, honor the truth, and bring forward the voices—especially the Black voices—too often erased from history. This is where the journey begins. This is our truth. Welcome to Black Jonestown.

12. 

    1 Dec 2025

    Black Jonestown- The Untold Story

    Welcome to Black Jonestown. My name is Leslie Wagner Wilson, also known as Leslie Cathey—and I am one of the nine people who escaped Jonestown, Guyana on November 18, 1978. On that horrific day, I lost my mother, Inez, 50 years old; my sister, Michelle, 24; my brother, Mark, 16; my nephew, Daron, 1 year old; my niece, Dawnyell, 4 years old; and many others I had grown up with since I was thirteen. For decades, the story of Jonestown has been told about us—picked apart, sensationalized, distorted, and reduced to a single, haunting photograph. But those of us who lived it… the families, the children, the elders, the believers and the broken… our voices have rarely been centered. This podcast changes that.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.