Disrupted

This hour on Disrupted , we're taking a look at Connecticut fiscal policy. Connecticut State Treasurer Erick Russell is the first openly gay Black person to be elected to statewide office in the country. We talk to Russell about his take on Connecticut's finances and the delayed Baby Bonds program. Then, Emily Byrne of research-based advocacy organization Connecticut Voices for Children tells us a...

When journalist Stephanie Foo was 30, she finally learned her mental health diagnosis. She had complex post-traumatic stress disorder or C-PTSD, a condition caused by repeated exposure to trauma. At first, learning that fact made Stephanie feel hopeless. But she soon embarked on a journey of healing that helped her better understand what having C-PTSD really meant. In the process, she not only lea...

We examine how funding at different levels of government impacts urban revitalization efforts across Connecticut. CT Mirror/CT Public Federal Policy reporter Lisa Hagen outlines the government spending bill that was passed in December and how Connecticut will appropriate its earmarked funds. We’ll hear from Dr. Karen DuBois-Walton, President and CEO of Elm City Communities and The Glendower Group;...

Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space is a new documentary from the PBS series American Experience . The film explores the life of the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God and reveals that in addition to her work as a novelist, Hurston was also an anthropologist whose methods were ahead of her time. Tracy Heather Strain, the director, writer and producer of the film, joins us. We also listen back...

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest has renewed conversations about the physical toll that football takes. This hour, we take a closer look at what happened during that Monday night game. Ben Strauss of The Washington Post gives us the context around what happened, and Ryan Stewart, a former safety for the Detroit Lions, remembers when his teammate Reggie Brown was given CPR on the...

After a statue of General Robert E. Lee came down in his hometown of New Orleans, Dr. Clint Smith began visiting sites like Monticello Plantation and Angola Prison to learn more about the ramifications of slavery in the United States today. It became the basis for his best-selling book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America . On this week's Disrupted , he j...

According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults have a chronic disease . This hour on Disrupted, we are exploring the sometimes invisible suffering of those with long-term health conditions. Professor and writer Sonya Huber talks about her book Pain Woman Takes Your Keys, and Other Essays from a Nervous System , an experimental collection that details her experience with rheumatoid arthritis as she navigates...

This hour on Disrupted, Connecticut’s 12 community colleges will officially merge into a single institution in July of 2023. John Maduko is the president of the new Connecticut State Community College . He tells us his vision for what the merger could mean for the state. We also hear from students, faculty, and staff. Hearst Media reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas also joins us to provide additional...

In this episode of Disrupted, how artists in Connecticut are using their talents to empower their communities. Titus Kaphar and Jason Price co-founded NXTHVN , a nonprofit that brings artists from around the world to New Haven. They'll talk about how that organization is empowering young people. And, Connecticut’s 8th State Poet Laureate Antoinette Brim-Bell talks about the collaborations that are...

Program Advisory: clips used in this episode contain antisemitic language used for the purpose of providing context. This week, we discuss antisemitism today, how we teach the history of the holocaust and Nazi racism’s connection to American Jim Crow laws. We also hear about the Fortunoff Video Archive For Holocaust Testimonies. This conversation was part of a panel moderated by host Khalilah Brow...

Organized religion plays an important role in many Americans' lives. But the Christian church isn't always a welcoming place. This week, one woman’s journey of connecting with God in and outside the confines of organized religion. And how she's on a mission to make faith more accessible to everyone. GUESTS: Candice Marie Benbow:  Theologian , Essayist, Columnist, and Educator. She is the author of...

History is littered with promising innovations that failed to live up to their hype. This week on Disrupted, a look at three revolutionary but doomed disruptions and their legacy on our world today. What became of the made-up language Esperanto, the music streaming platform Napster, and the once-popular treatment for mental illness, the lobotomy? GUESTS: Andrew Scull: Distinguished Professor of So...

This hour, we talk with Pulitzer Prize nominee Nicholas Dawidoff. His latest book, The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice and The American City , examines a wrongful conviction in New Haven, and what that case says about inequality around the country. And we talk to journalist and filmmaker Soledad O'Brien about the importance of diversifying newsrooms, and about her new docume...

According to Professor of Developmental Psychology Christia Spears Brown, focusing on gender labels for children has a major impact on how those children view the world. This hour on Disrupted, we explore how kids experience gender and stereotypes, and including how parents impart biases on their children, and what we can do about it. We also hear from a professor of English who breaks down the la...

The American working world has been flipped upside down. Since 2020, many employees have adapted to working from home, managing hybrid schedules and countless remote meetings. But as we look to a future with, hopefully, fewer pandemic disruptions, what temporary work practices will become permanent? And what can we expect for the future of work? We’ll also hear how the pandemic influenced the orga...

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 Term...

This hour on Disrupted, we explore how to communicate across the political divide. Mónica Guzmán joins us, author of 'I never thought of it that way: how to have fearlessly curious conversations in dangerously divided times' — and we hear about a controversial vocabulary worksheet at a Connecticut high school.  Guests: Mónica Guzmán : Senior Fellow for Public Practice at  Braver Angels , author of...

Civil rights icons like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Justice Thurgood Marshall have become household names. But the historic work of New Haven native Constance Baker Motley is still unknown to many Americans. This week, a look into the life and legacy of the first Black woman appointed to a federal court in American history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Disrupted, how artists in Connecticut are using their talents to empower their communities. Titus Kaphar and Jason Price co-founded NXTHVN , a nonprofit that brings artists from around the world to New Haven. They'll talk about how that organization is empowering young people. And, Connecticut’s 8th State Poet Laureate Antoinette Brim-Bell talks about the collaborations that are fueling h...

On this week's episode of Disrupted, Dr. Clint Smith joins us to talk about his recent book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children's programming has evolved significantly since Sesame Street first debuted on PBS in 1969. On this week's Disrupted, we revisit our conversation with actor Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on Sesame Street for more than 40 years. And we talk to a child psychologist who consulted on the creation of kids shows like Bear in the Big Blue House and Gullah Gullah Island . GUESTS: Sonia Manzano: ...

This episode originally aired on November 10, 2021 Spiritual practices such as Brujeria and Hoodoo have long been portrayed by colonial powers as deviant or even evil. On this week's episode of Disrupted, we learn more about the history of these religions. And, take a look at the growing popularity of tarot through the art and legacy of Pamela Colman Smith. GUESTS: Yvonne Chireau: Professor of Rel...

Disrupted debuted on Connecticut Public on October 7, 2020. At the time, the 2020 general election was still weeks away. The world was less than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic. And, the United States was grappling with the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement. As we near our 100th episode, we invite three prominent former guests back to the program to take a...

Historian Tanisha C. Ford says she was always obsessed with style, but it wasn't until she became a college student that she saw fashion as both being deeply connected to her fellow Black students and a site of appropriation by the mainstream. On this week's Disrupted , we revisit our conversation with Ford from this spring. We also look at the economic and environmental ramifications of the fast...

Democratic and Republican voters cast their ballots last Tuesday during Connecticut's primary elections. On this week's episode of Disrupted, we take a look at the outcomes of local, state, and federal races. We also learn more about how shifting demographics, class, and low voter turnout could impact state politics in the coming years. GUESTS: Dan Haar: Columnist and Associate Editor at Hearst Co...