Disrupted

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...

This week on Disrupted, we look at how technology influences us and how we influence technology. We speak with journalist Karen Hao about the ways artificial intelligence is mirroring historical European colonial practices. Policy expert Dr. Nicol Turner Lee joins us to talk about the state of digital privacy in post-Roe America. And, PC Mag's Sascha Segan talks about what the T-Mobile/Sprint merg...

This week on Disrupted, we hear from two Black Americans who helped pave the way for the next generation of NASA astronauts and administrators. We’ll speak to NASA director Greg Robinson about the revolutionary James Webb space telescope. And a conversation with Astronaut Leland Melvin, which recently won an award from the Public Media Journalists Association . GUESTS: Leland Melvin - Engineer, fo...

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...

Vanessa Roberts Avery became the U.S. Attorney for the district of Connecticut just two months ago. But she’s already changing the way her office connects with the public. This week, we talk with Avery about what it's like being the first African American woman in the role and her goals for her tenure. And we hear from the executive director of a new Yale program that is making law school more acc...

For decades, the American sports betting industry was only accessible via seedy back rooms and offshore banking accounts. But after a 2018 supreme court ruling , betting on your favorite team is as easy as pressing a button on your phone. This hour, an exploration of the bustling legal world of sports betting. We’ll speak to a gambling researcher on the impact of sport betting on problem gaming. A...

As summer heats up, people across New England are flocking to the beach. But there’s been a long battle in CT, for access to the shoreline. This week on Disrupted, we look back at an episode about the history of exclusion on the Long Island sound. And we hear from descendants of the historically Black communities of Oak Bluffs and Sag Harbor. GUESTS: Andrew Kahrl: Professor of African-American Stu...

In a year dominated by gun control debates and the midterm elections, the climate crisis has taken a back seat. But we’re seeing its impact across the country and here in Connecticut. This week, we look at the ways climate change has impacted our state, from an explosion of ticks to flooding on our shorelines. GUESTS: Kirby C. Stafford : Chief Entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experime...

This week, we talk about how teachers, parents, and students are holding up after a year of violence, COVID-19 and mental health struggles. And later, we'll hear from a political scientist who’s leading a new research center at UCONN, looking at solutions to gun violence. GUESTS: Fran Rabinowitz: Executive Director of Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Edward Singleton: Inter...

Podcasting used to be a niche hobby for internet bloggers. Now, companies like Spotify, Amazon and Sirius XM dominate the industry. This week, we look at the rapid growth and commercialization of podcasting and how it’s shaping our culture. We’ll hear about a podcast studio that centers its work on diverse and undeserved communities. And a look at the role podcasters played in spreadin...

Reality TV shows rank among some of the most popular in America. And often people don’t even realize they’re favorite program is reality TV. This week, the hidden ways we shape reality TV and it shapes us. GUESTS: Danielle J. Lindemann : Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University. She is the author of the new book True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us Disrupted is produc...