A single object opens onto fear, misinformation, and a defining NYC shooting
Based on the show notes, this episode examines the sharpened screwdriver linked to the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting. Roman Mars, Heather Ann Thompson, and Elliot Williams use it to explore how public fear and misinformation shaped perceptions of four Black teenagers and influenced later cases.
This preview is based only on the published show notes, not the full audio. In this installment of *A History of the United States in 100 Objects*, the focus is a deceptively ordinary item: a sharpened screwdriver. According to the notes, Roman Mars is joined by historians Heather Ann Thompson and Elliot Williams to trace how that object became central to the story of the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting. What makes the episode stand out is its framing. Rather than treating the object as a mere piece of evidence, the notes suggest it becomes a way to examine a broader social moment in New York City—one marked by fear, racialized assumptions, and a public narrative that transformed four Black teenagers into "armed criminals" in the popular imagination. If you're deciding whether to listen, this sounds like an episode for anyone interested in how media narratives form, how misinformation hardens into common belief, and how a single case can echo across decades. The show notes point to a story that is both historically specific and uncomfortably current, connecting one notorious incident to patterns that continue to unfold today. Expect a serious, historically grounded episode that uses one object to ask bigger questions about public opinion, race, and the lasting power of a misleading story.
About this episode
<p>In this episode, Roman and historians Heather Ann Thompson and Elliot Williams tell the story of the sharpened screwdriver: the object at the heart of the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting. In a difficult moment in New York City, four Black teenagers were transformed in the public imagination into armed criminals. What follows is a gripping account of how misinformation takes hold, how fear shapes public opinion, and how one narrative can ripple outward – echoing through decades of similar cases that continue to unfold today.</p> <p><a href="https://99pi.org/100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>A History of the United States in 100 Objects</i></a> is a production of <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">99% Invisible</a> and <a href="https://www.bbcstudios.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC Studios</a>.</p> <p><p>Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. <br><br>Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting <a href="http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus." target="_blank">siriusxm.com/podcastsplus</a>. </p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>