Disrupted

Many people think of libraries as quiet places to study, work or read a book. But the quiet rooms of libraries have also been centers of social change. This hour, we look at how libraries help people build community and explore their identities. First, we talk about a recent drag story hour in Enfield, CT that was successfully rescheduled after it had initially been canceled due to safety concerns...

This hour on Disrupted, we’re looking at the First Amendment and its impact on colleges and universities. Students are demanding their schools divest from Israel over its war in Gaza. Some colleges have allowed protests with police presence, while others have forcibly removed demonstrators. There have been allegations of antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian speech at some protests — and...

This hour, we are taking a look at how race has impacted agriculture and the environmental movement. Leah Penniman, Co-Executive Director and Farm Director at Soul Fire Farm , talks about her book Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists . The discussion touches on everything from Leah's childhood to how the creation of some of the most prominent national parks in the...

Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. returns to the show to talk about his new book, ' We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For .' The book reevaluates our understanding of leadership and argues that ordinary people need to become leaders. He also explains his views on the 2024 election and how reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X changed his life. GUEST: Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. : James S. McDonnell Disti...

With the release of Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter , the long and often-ignored history of Black country music is back in the spotlight. This hour, we talk to a woman who has made a career in country music, even though the industry hasn't always been welcoming. Alice Randall is a chart-topping country songwriter and author of the new book ' My Black Country A Journey Through Country Music's Bl...

This hour, we hear from people who think a lot about religion - both their own experiences and how it impacts society. NPR National Political Correspondent Sarah McCammon grew up in Kansas City as an Evangelical. Her new book, The Exvangelicals - Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church tells her story and the story of others who felt disenchanted by the movement and walked away. H...

This hour on Disrupted , we're challenging long-held assumptions about parents and caregivers. First, Angela Garbes, author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change , explains how care workers are undervalued. She touches on the way the early days of the pandemic spotlighted issues in caregiving and why the legacy of American colonialism in the Philippines influenced both her family history...

This week on Disrupted, we learn about two women who played important roles in the Civil Rights Movement. Historian Tanisha C. Ford wrote about Mollie Moon, a fundraiser in the 1940s in her new book 'Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement,' . Later in the show, we’ll listen back to our conversation about New Haven’s Constance Baker Motley...

The First Lady of the United States is not an elected position. But even so, the office plays an important role in our government. This week on Disrupted , an Art Historian talks about the powerful First Ladies of American history who don't get the recognition they deserve. Also, how gender quotas are changing politics in Latin America. GUESTS: Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw: Class of 1940 Bicentennial Ter...

COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. It continues to impact our lives to this day. This hour, we’re looking back at the four years since the pandemic started to understand what we’ve learned. Health policy expert Scott L. Greer analyzes the U.S. government's response to COVID-19. And critical care and infectious disease physician Taison Bell talks about health equity in a...

This hour, we talk to Black creators who are making their marks in the arts. Andre Rochester is a fine artist based in greater Hartford. He discusses self-expression and social consciousness in art. We'll hear from Andre's mentor, Stanwyck Cromwell about how he and Andre have both taught each other. And Busayo Olupona, who spoke with us amidst the bustle of New York Fashion Week, explains her jour...

This hour, we are talking about the stories we see represented on the small screen. Elizabeth Ito is the creator of ' City of Ghosts ' and also worked on Adventure Time . She'll discuss using people's real voices in her work and covering topics like gentrification on a series that children watch. Bethonie Butler, author of ' Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Bl...

This hour, for Valentine's Day, we are taking a look at friendship. While friends seem ubiquitous in our culture, they aren't often prioritized in the same way that romantic partners are. Rhaina Cohen discusses that topic in her new book ' The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center .' Then, we turn to the idea of having friends from different generations. We'll he...

This hour on Disrupted, we discuss the First Amendment and its impact on higher education. College campuses are in the spotlight as students have continued to hold protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. There have been allegations of antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian speech at some protests — and that’s left many wondering how to address harmful speech without curbing free...

In a new essay, NPR host Ayesha Rascoe writes about how Howard University helped shape her into the person she is today. The essay is part of a collection that she edited called ' HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience ' and features contributors like Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams and comedian Roy Wood Jr. This hour, she tells us about the book and her career, discussing everythin...

Black news outlets have long shed light on important stories ignored by other organizations. This hour, we’re taking an in depth look at the Black press. Professor Trevy A. McDonald tells us about the role the Black press played during important moments in history such as the civil rights movement. Akoto Ofori-Atta of Capital B explains her goals in helping to create a non-profit newsroom dedicate...

This hour, we explore Connecticut music. Violinist Kersten Stevens just released a jazz album that she worked on with eight-time Grammy winner Christian McBride. She talks to us about facing imposter syndrome and how her unique sound came out of her experience playing a wide range of genres while growing up in Connecticut. Qiana Coachman-Strickland, also known as " DJ Q-Boogie ," discusses her wor...

The Disrupted team has been welcoming the new year by choosing a few of the episodes we loved from 2023. We have so many favorites that we couldn't reair all of them, but these are a few that we wanted to listen back to. This week is the last of our "2023 favorites" episodes. Producer Kevin Chang Barnum chose our episode on Chinese American exclusion and resistance not only because of how it highl...

The Disrupted team is welcoming the new year by choosing a few of the episodes we loved from 2023. We have so many favorites that we couldn't reair all of them, but these are a few that we wanted to listen back to. This week, Producer Wayne Edwards chose our episode on media literacy. We look at how media is understood across generations and why media literacy is more than just identifying misinfo...

The Disrupted team is welcoming the new year by choosing a few of the episodes we loved from 2023. We have so many favorites that we couldn't reair all of them, but these are a few that we wanted to listen back to. This week, our host Khalilah Brown-Dean chose our episode on how race has impacted agriculture and the environmental movement. Leah Penniman, Co-Executive Director and Farm Director at...

A recent report found that one in five young people in Connecticut is dealing with challenges like disconnection from education and employment, being at-risk of not graduating high school and incarceration. This hour, we take a closer look at that report. First, Andrew Ferguson walks us through the numbers. He is Co-CEO of Dalio Education, the organization that commissioned Boston Consulting Group...

This hour, we talk to people who are disrupting the way we think about parenting. Mr. Chazz has hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram . He tells us how social media can be used to break generational cycles of unhealthy parenting behaviors. And cultural developmental psychologist Nandita Chaudhary discusses her realization that the developmental psychology she was studying didn...

As we gather with friends, family or co-workers, questions about social courtesies may arise. This hour on Disrupted, we learn holiday etiquette tips from lifestyle and etiquette expert Terri Bryant. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are the more recognizable holidays of this season, but have you heard of or celebrated Bodhi Day or Pancha Ganapati? Dr. Aaron M. Gale educates us about religious holi...

On November 14th, Disrupted held a live event at Quinnipiac University to talk with leaders from across our state about the economic inequities that women face. The discussion focused on housing, childcare and economic mobility and coincided with the release of a report titled " Elusive Equity: Continuing Effects of the Pandemic on Women’s Economic Security .” First, Michelle Riordan-Nold of CTDat...

Ned Blackhawk's book ' The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History ,' just won a National Book Award. In recognition of that award, we listen back to our interview with Professor Blackhawk. We also hear Professor of Law Matthew L.M. Fletcher give us the context around the Supreme Court ruling on the Indian Child Welfare Act from earlier this year. GUESTS: Matthew L....