This week we celebrate Independence Day (July 4th) by discussing one of America’s most beloved cultural experiences – the circus!

Our guest this week is Jonathan Lee Iverson, who served as the most recent (and last) ringmaster of the Ringling Bros. and Barney & Bailey Circus from 1998 to 2017. Iverson also made history during his tenure with Ringling Bros. as the first African-American ringmaster of a major U.S. circus. Today he is President and ringmaster of Omnium: A Bold New Circus.