SHREVEPORT – If your television has been tuned to the History Channel at all in the past month, chances are you’ve heard an unmistakable Shreveport voice.
LSUS history professor Dr. Cheryl White has appeared as an expert on episodes of two of the platform’s most popular shows – “History’s Greatest Mysteries” and “Holy Marvels.”
White’s final appearance of the season will be aired Monday as she discusses various themes and biblical stories and figures in an episode titled “Of Biblical Proportions” on the series “Holy Marvels.”
The new episode will air at 9 p.m. Monday with streaming available the next day.
“The purpose of ‘Holy Marvels’ is to look at items and artifacts or legends and lore that has some religious significance but also some mysterious component to them,” White said. “Sometimes we look at allegorical stories and try to find a broader truth in them, the universal human story.”
White has appeared as an expert in a total of five episodes this season between the two shows.
On “History’s Greatest Mysteries,” White has offered her insight into the “Secrets of the Copper Scroll” and “The Missing Riches of Genghis Khan.”
In addition to the “Of Biblical Proportions” episode airing Monday, White appeared in “Hidden Codes” (explores the secret codes in sacred texts/art) and an “Eye for an Eye” (studies ancient codes of law like the Babylonians).
Viewers who have a cable/satellite/streaming package that includes History Channel can go to the platform’s website (play.history.com) to watch previous episodes of shows.
This is White’s second season of shows on History Channel after appearing in three episodes of “History’s Greatest Mysteries” this past spring.
White said she doesn’t know how History Channel producers initially found her (although a mention of her Red River Radio series “The Shadow Files” has come up in conversation), but a relationship has been forged.
“They have a true team of professionals, and they’ve done the research and cited their sources,” said White, who is considered a world-renowned expert in the medieval period and the rise of Christianity but has professional chops in a wide range of historical periods and places. “There’s more academic rigor in these shows than I initially expected, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
“The producers I’ve worked with, there’s a willingness for me to disagree. If something is presented in the outline that I might not embrace as historical or demonstrable fact, they’ll produce a record to challenge my view or allow me the space to give my opinion. They’ve been very respectful of my academic opinions, and even occasionally, reached out to me to fact check some things.”
White filmed her segments for all of this season’s episodes on one November weekend in Los Angeles with a blitz of interviews.
Education is at the center of White’s drive to participate in a vehicle that expands interest and knowledge of history.
“The idea of being on an internationally streamed program is a great opportunity, but the heart of that is being able to do what I really love, which is to talk about history,” White said. “And to talk about some of the weirdest history there is.
“To me this is kind of an extension of the classroom. My students also find some credibility and relatability in this, too. Young people are so media-driven, and I’ve always used that documentary or docudrama format to engage students. (The History Channel appearances) adds a whole other layer to be able to engage.”
White has been invited to interview for future episodes, allowing her to further engage in “history and the twist that there’s something unknown about it.”
