With Good Reason

Even though transgender-themed TV shows like Transparent and Pose have achieved mainstream popularity, trans people still face huge barriers to employment, housing, and safety. In fact, many trans people of color say that their lives are harder than ever before. Transcripts, a new podcast hosted by Myrl Beam and Andrea Jenkins, investigates how trans activists are trying to change that. Later in t...

When writer and radio producer Lulu Miller (Invisibilia) discovered she’d have to leave Virginia, she wrote a startling love letter to the state -- one that charges everyday people to stay angry about injustice. A.D. Carson (University of Virginia) uses hip-hop and spoken word to tell hard truths about racist history, cutting through denial with metaphor. Later in the show: Tawnya Pettiford-Wates...

Colleges all over the country closed campus and shifted to online classes at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Despite fears of a virus resurgence, Virginia Tech and William & Mary are among a growing number of colleges planning to re-open in the Fall. Katherine Rowe (William & Mary President) and Tim Sands (Virginia Tech President) discuss their plans for keeping students safe and how the in...

In 1855, an outbreak of yellow fever devastated the port city of Norfolk, VA. Annette Finley-Croswhite (Old Dominion University) says the similarities with the handling of the coronavirus pandemic are chilling. And: Marie Antoinette had wacky hairdos and threw lavish parties. She was also smart and never said,“Let them eat cake.” Ron Schechter (William & Mary) has uncovered her secret library of b...

As more cities close down streets to traffic, new riders are hopping on bikes every day. Evan Friss (James Madison University), author of On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City, talks about the rise in pandemic pedaling and why New York’s bike share program is so successful. And: With so few cars on the road, CO2 emissions have dropped dramatically. But if every silver lining...

After the police killing of George Floyd, protests around the country have erupted, calling for an end to police brutality against Black Americans. Sociology professor Alex Vitale (Brooklyn College) says it’s not enough to reform the police. Instead, we must actually defund police and essentially end policing. And: Justin Hansford (Howard University School of Law) explains why one popular reform k...

Southwest Virginia has seen a decline in coal and tobacco—two industries that once boomed in the region. Could hemp be a way to boost the local economy? Ryan Huish (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) and Michael Timko (University of Virginia) are collaborating on an Industrial Hemp project to explore hemp’s potential for repairing lands damaged by coal mining. Plus: When the Food and Drug A...

“Take Me Out To The Ball Game” is the most popular song in American sports, but did you know that the woman who inspired its creation was a feminist Vaudeville actress of the 1920's? And: Before the pandemic struck, Nick Heath was a rugby announcer in England. Now that rugby games are shut down, his hilarious play-by-play videos of everyday activities have gone viral. Plus: 80% of new referees don...

People across the nation are starting gardens. From six feet away, of course. Lilia Fuquen (Virginia Humanities Food and Community Program)is collaborating with organizations to bring people “immunity gardens.” Plus: Jinny Turman (University of Virginia College at Wise) tells us about the 70s back-to-the-land movement, and how the fallout of COVID-19 could lead to another movement. Later in the sh...

With coronavirus cases multiplying, COVID-19 test kits were scarce and hospitals were frantic. Two doctors, Dr. Amy Mathers (University of Virginia) and Dr. Melinda Poulter (University of Virginia) decided to make their own tests and shared thousands of them with medical centers across the nation. And: Like most users, Jeanine Guidry (Virginia Commonwealth University) clicked through Pinterest for...

he Fall of Saigon marked the bitter end of the American War in Vietnam and the loss of a homeland for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people. We share stories of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops, along with heroic rescues and harrowing escapes of Vietnamese citizens. Then we take a glimpse into post-war life under communist rule in Vietnam. Later in the show: Some of the Vietnam War’s mos...

As a visual effects artist for movies like Star Wars, Watchmen, and Jurassic Park, Matt Wallin (Virginia Commonwealth University) has built his career on melding art with science. At the prestigious MARS conference, hosted by Jeff Bezos, he spoke about how the arts inspire science and drive innovation. And: In the blockbuster hit, The Martian, Matt Damon escapes Mars by using a spacecraft based on...

Newbery Medal-winning children’s author Meg Medina talks about the power of writing in Spanglish, and relates her own childhood to her 2019 book Merci Suárez Changes Gears. And: Nishaun Battle (Virginia State University) talks about the historic “adultification” of young black girls. Her book is Black Girlhood, Punishment and Resistance: Reimagining Justice for Black Girls in Virginia. Later in th...

This week we’re sharing a new podcast series called Overcoming Extremism, supported by the Anti-Defamation League. The series is hosted by former Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer and produced by Elliot Majerczyk. Episode 4: Amy Spitalnick fights to bankrupt the white supremacist movement. Later in the show: What would it take to induce compassion for your most sworn enemy? That’s exactly what Dan...

We all know that teenagers would rather die than hang out with their parents, right? Not so, says Jon Lohman. The Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia, brings young and old together to share traditions and songs. But how are musicians faring now, during the coronavirus crisis? Plus: The studio comes alive with song when Steve Rockenbach and Gregg Kimball bring their banjos in to share the in...

This is a good time to reflect on the role of poetry in the face of tragedy. A poet laureate shares how poetry can heal in the wake of loss. And: In college, Laura Bylenok was fascinated with genetic engineering. Now, she manipulates language, not DNA. Her poetry turns familiar forms into poetic laboratory experiments. Later in the show: To some, poetry and medicine seem like opposites. But pediat...

From start to finish, the Appalachian Trail covers a whopping 2,181 miles. Rodney Bragdon dishes on the toughest challenges he experienced while through-hiking the entire trail. And: Camping, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors are American pastimes. But for African Americans, gathering in public spaces has long been fraught. Erin Devlin discusses the racism that was built into America’s natio...

Think you don’t get your news from the paper anymore? Think again. Betsy Edwards, Executive Director of the Virginia Press Association, says that just about every big thing that’s ever happened in this country was unearthed by a newspaper reporter. And: Lewis Raven Wallace was fired from his job as a reporter at American Public Media’s Marketplace. Ever since, he’s been questioning the role of obj...

Frank Newsome is a former coal miner in Appalachia. He's also an Old Regular Baptist preacher and singer of lined-out hymnody who influenced Ralph Stanley and many others. Newsome’s new CD "Gone Away With A Friend" reveals the influence of this musical tradition on bluegrass, gospel, and old-time music. Listen to this remarkable singer and his congregation as they worship at the Little David Churc...

The first year of college can be stressful and disorienting, especially for shy students. But Madelynn Shell (UVA Wise) says shy freshmen who have at least one good friend report more life satisfaction and better emotional wellbeing. Plus: While many students on the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia can’t wait to get out, one of their teachers couldn’t wait to come back. Christina Duffman (Eastern S...

Student survivors of school shootings have made their voices heard, loud and clear. But the teacher's perspective of school shootings is less common. Megan Doney (New River Community College) is an English professor turned gun control activist who writes about her traumatic experience. Plus: Research suggests that a police strategy called "community policing" benefits those with mental illness. Ch...

One of the great American beliefs is that a college education gives us a better shot at moving up in life. But Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed, says social mobility has stalled and we should expand access to those universities admitting the largest numbers of low income students. That gets a big “yes” from Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah. He’s fighting for more resour...

It’s 2020 and online dating isn’t special anymore--it’s the norm. But that doesn’t make it easy. We explore what researchers know about finding love online. Also: Jennifer Rosier loves love and studies how to make it work better. She shares tips on forming healthy relationships and debunks the four myths about sex. Plus: Physicist Joshua Erlich spends his days pondering dark matter. But he also ex...

Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati (University of Virginia) is an opthamologist who is dedicated to ending macular degeneration, which leads to sight loss, and affects more than 10 million Americans. Now, Dr Ambati believes a cure is on the way. Plus: The Escape Room craze, where people work together to solve puzzles that unlock a door, is now a new tool in health education. Janice Hawkins (Old Dominion Unive...

AI technologies are really human issues. Sylvester Johnson (Virginia Tech) says we humans must decide for ourselves how to live in a world where intelligent machines and algorithmic systems are deciding issues of medicine, electricity, prison sentences and who is eligible for public assistance. Also: Google uses computer vision algorithms to filter out unwanted pornographic images from our search...