Freedom House and the Birth of the Paramedic I knew plenty of folks who worked in emergency services when I was growing up: cops and town constables, firefighters, EMTs, and yes, a paramedic or two. But I had no idea about the recent and fraught racial origin of the modern paramedic before I heard this episode of 99% Invisible.

It’s worth a listen, especially now in the U.S., where a dialogue about rethinking the role of the police is starting to grain traction. It’s a reminder that the current situation is neither inevitable nor immutable.