Disrupted

This year, Michael Morand, director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, was appointed New Haven's official city historian. We return to our conversation with him about bringing New Haven’s history to life and the exhibit he collaborated on at the New Haven Museum. The exhibit includes years of Michael's research as part of The Yale and Slavery Research Project documenting Yale’s historical ties to slavery. The exhibit, which is on view until March, 2025, is called Shining Light on Truth: New Haven, Yale, and Slavery. Guest: Michael Morand: Director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and New Haven's official city historian. You can read about Michael Morand's role as New Haven's official city historian on CT Public's website. Special thanks to our intern Frankie Devevo. This episode originally aired on September 11, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we learn about some of the ways that millennial and gen z politicians are making their mark on the U.S. Up first, Brandon Scott is the youngest mayor of Baltimore in more than 100 years. A new documentary film called The Body Politic follows Mayor Scott during his first term in office, focusing on his campaign to reduce gun violence. We are joined by that film's director and producer, Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough. Then, Layla Zaidane is President and CEO of Future Caucus, an organization that brings together young lawmakers to collaborate across party lines. She reframes the idea of civility in politics and tells young people they can have an impact on government. GUESTS: Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough: Director and Producer of the documentary film The Body Politic, which follows Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s efforts to reduce gun violence in the city. The film will be broadcast as part of PBS's POV series on November 25th. Layla Zaidane: President and CEO of Future Caucus, an organization that brings together young lawmakers to collaborate across party lines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her new book Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal, Dr. Bettina Love says that Black public school students like her in the 1980s and 1990s were "labeled disposable because of our zip code, test scores, and Black skin." Dr. Love is this year's winner of the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism. She joins us to explain how she sees anti-Black racism baked into U.S. education policy. And Professor Anthony Abraham Jack, author of Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality & Students Pay the Price says there is more to making college campuses inclusive than admitting a diverse student body. GUESTS: Dr. Bettina Love: William F. Russell Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She’s winner of the 2024 Stowe Prize for Literary Activism and author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal. Anthony Abraham Jack: Inaugural Faculty Director of the Boston University Newbury Center and Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership at the Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. His new book is Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality & Students Pay the Price. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disrupted is about the changes we all encounter and the forces driving those changes. Some disruptions spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. But the show isn't just about those disruptions; it’s about embracing them, exploring new perspectives, and feeling more connected to ourselves and our communities. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world. And Black people bear the burdens of mass incarceration the most. In 2019, Connecticut was one of seven states where Black people were incarcerated at over nine times the rate of white people. That’s according to an analysis done by The Sentencing Project. These problems aren't new, but they also aren't going away. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Yale law professor James Forman Jr. hopes the new book he co-edited, Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change, will inspire readers to work towards change. It talks about finding solutions at every level of what he calls "the criminal system," from policing to prisons to courts. GUEST: James Forman Jr.: J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale University. His book Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018. He recently co-edited Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've never spent time in Appalachia, your idea of the region might be shaped by what you see in media like vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and its subsequent movie adaptation. But many popular depictions of Appalachia ignore its rich diversity. This hour, we talk to people who grew up in Appalachia to go beyond the stereotypes. Neema Avashia discusses her book Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place and tells us about the finding belonging in a place where you don't see many other people like you. And Crystal Wilkinson, former Poet Laureate of Kentucky and author of the culinary memoir Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, reflects on her family's long and complex history in Appalachia stretching back to a marriage between a white man and an enslaved Black woman. GUEST: Neema Avashia: Educator and author of Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place. Crystal Wilkinson: Writer and former Poet Laureate of Kentucky. She teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky and is author of Perfect Black. Her latest book is Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a Washington Post analysis, from 2021 to 2023, states passed 70 laws restricting education about race, sex and gender. In the four years before that, states passed zero such restrictions. That change accompanies a wave of criticism of U.S. universities brought forward by politicians like Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance. This, hour, we look into what is behind these attacks on education. Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley's latest book is called Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. He argues that restrictions on education parallel the methods of fascist leaders and discusses why some politicians who graduate from selective universities later criticize them. GUEST: Jason Stanley: The Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. His newest book is Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. Special thanks to our intern Frankie Devevo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, Dr. Jonathan Metzl thought about gun violence as a public health issue. His approach treated it like an epidemic and treated guns as a health risk. But as he studied a mass shooting that happened near where he lives in Nashville, he realized he had been missing something crucial for years— the cultural power of guns. He joins us to talk about his new book, What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. GUEST: Dr. Jonathan Metzl: Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, at Vanderbilt University. His latest book is What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Amy Tan is best known for popular novels like The Joy Luck Club and its 1993 film adaptation. The book and movie explore several mother-daughter relationships — some of which were shaped by Amy’s own experiences. Amy’s latest book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, hits close to home in a different way. In it, she brings the birds in her backyard to life with humor and tragedy through observations and drawings from her nature journals. But the book isn’t just a recounting of wildlife. Amy vividly imagines the birds’ inner thoughts and comes away with piercing observations about wildlife, humanity and the relationship between them. This hour, Amy talks to us about that book and offers her insights on a wide range of topics including how birds have led her to reflect on mortality, her changing experience of racism and overcoming her fear of sharks. A note to our radio listeners: Starting the week of September 23, Disrupted moves from Wednesdays at 2:00 PM to Fridays at 9:00 AM and a rebroadcast at 8:00 PM, plus our Sunday at 2:00 PM rebroadcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we are returning to conversations 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 Black-ish and Beyond,' talks to us about shows centering Black characters from 1968's Julia up to the present day. GUESTS: Elizabeth Ito: writer, director and storyboard artist in the animation industry. She is the creator of the series 'City of Ghosts,' which is currently on Netflix. She also worked on Adventure Time. Bethonie Butler: author of 'Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond.' Bethonie is a former reporter for The Washington Post where she covered television and pop culture. This episode originally aired on February 21, 2024. Disrupted is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, Michael Morand, director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, was appointed New Haven's official city historian. We talk with him about bringing New Haven’s history to life and the exhibit he collaborated on at the New Haven Museum. The exhibit includes years of Michael's research as part of The Yale and Slavery Research Project documenting Yale’s historical ties to slavery. The exhibit, which is on view until March, 2025, is called Shining Light on Truth: New Haven, Yale, and Slavery. Guest: Michael Morand: Director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and New Haven's official city historian. Disrupted is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listening to the news, it feels like there are more natural disasters than ever. This hour, we return to conversations about why flooding and droughts are becoming so common and how the word "disaster" affects the way we view an event. First, Connecticut State Historian Andy Horowitz explains why understanding disasters involves looking at the decisions people made before the devastation, sometimes decades before. And Professor Mohammed Ombadi breaks down the science behind how climate change is causing an increase in extreme weather. GUESTS: Andy Horowitz: Associate Professor of History at UConn, Connecticut State Historian, author of 'Katrina: A History, 1915-2015' Mohammed Ombadi: Assistant Professor in the department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan Special thanks to interns Lateshia Peters and Joey Morgan. This episode originally aired on November 8, 2023. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disrupted will be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, as we prepare for the election, we are bringing you some highlights from the New Hampshire Public Radio series 'Civics 101.' Why Vote, And How To Do It The United States is supposed to be a representative democracy. We vote for our leaders, and those leaders represent our interests. But the impact of your vote isn't always so clear. On Civics 101, NHPR's show about the basics of how our democracy works, we talk about why you should vote, and provide wisdom to help you prepare for the polls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disrupted will be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, as we prepare for the election, we are bringing you some highlights from the New Hampshire Public Radio series 'Civics 101.' Are We A Democracy Or A Republic? Civics 101 has a tagline: we’re a show about the basics of how our democracy works. And there’s a complaint we get pretty often around here, that our tagline contains the word "democracy," but the United States is actually a republic. So...do we need to make a change? We dig into that question, and talk about how our two-party system compares to other countries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Disrupted, we dive deep into one of the wildest election cycles in recent history. Journalist and editorial director for Mother Jones, Jamilah King, offers her take on some of the latest political developments. We also discuss Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy with Higher Heights for America, an organization that supports Black women in politics. You can also watch Disrupted host Khalilah Brown-Dean's interview with C-Span's Washington Journal about the role of black sororities and fraternities and why they could play a huge role in the election. Guests: Jamilah King: Editorial Director at Mother Jones Glynda C. Carr: President and CEO of Higher Heights for America See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we listen back to conversations with 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 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. Three Gen Z-ers talk about their relationship with religion and spirituality. Later in the show, we’ll hear from Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin. She’s the first person of African-American and Japanese descent—and the only American woman—to be fully ordained as a Buddhist priest in the Nichiren lineage. GUESTS: Sarah McCammon: NPR National Political Correspondent and author of The Exvangelicals - Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church Myokei Caine Barrett, Shonin: Resident Priest of Myoken-Ji Temple in Houston This episode originally aired on April 3, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we explore Connecticut music. Violinist Kersten Stevens recently 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 work supporting women DJs as the Owner and Founder of the Female DJ Association. And filmmakers Andy Billman and Joe Franco tell us about their upcoming documentary on music venue Toad's Place in New Haven. GUESTS: Kersten Stevens: violinist with the nickname “Queen of the Violin.” She’s won Amateur Night and Showtime at the Apollo a total of six times. She plays in a range of styles, but her latest album, Queen Rising, is jazz. Qiana Coachman-Strickland a.k.a DJ Q-Boogie: professional DJ, Female DJ Coach and Owner and Founder of Female DJ Association. Qiana is based in Connecticut. Andy Billman: director of the upcoming documentary on New Haven music venue Toad’s Place. He has worked on a number of projects for ESPN, including the award-winning series 30 for 30. Joe Franco: one of the producers of the upcoming documentary on New Haven music venue Toad’s Place. He worked at ESPN from the very first year it launched and spent over 30 years there doing everything from covering sporting events to working in HR. Special thanks to Meg Fitzgerald. This episode originally aired on January 17, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its early stages, Miss America was mostly about physical beauty. Today, pageants have placed more emphasis on interviewing skills, social platform and inclusiveness. Shavana Clarke is the first openly queer and lesbian woman to win Miss Connecticut USA. She shares her pageant journey and her mental health experience through her personal blog. We also hear from Sally-Ann Fawcett, one of the judges in the first ever Miss AI Beauty Pageant. It’s a competition where teams from around the world digitally create the contestants. GUESTS: Shavana Clarke: 2024 Miss Connecticut USA. Sally-Ann Fawcett: Miss AI Pageant judge. Head judge, Miss Great Britain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we prepare for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. We'll hear from competitors, including a Connecticut native who lost part of her leg in a shark attack one year ago. She will now swim for Team USA in the Paralympics. We'll also check in on the geopolitical implications of this year's Olympics and talk to Logan "Logistx" Edra, who is competing in breaking— a style of dance rooted in hip-hop culture. It is the first time that breaking will be an Olympic sport. GUESTS: Ali Truwit: swimmer from Connecticut who will be competing in the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games Les Carpenter: Olympics writer for The Washington Post Logan Edra aka "Logistx": one of the four breakers competing for Team USA in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for our second annual summer movie panel! This time we are talking about the possible end of the summer blockbuster (as we know it) and the end of the world in film. The panelists discuss the lack of hype around any specific movie(s) this year as compared to what we saw with last year's Barbie/Oppenheimer pairing and the trend in post-apocalyptic imagery in films like Dune: Part Two and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. We also hear about movies for kids like Inside Out 2 and talk about what made Challengers so successful. GUESTS: Alissa Wilkinson: Movie Critic at the New York Times. She is also an author who co-wrote the book 'How to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at the End of the World.' Nadira Goffe: Associate Culture Writer at Slate James Hanley: one of the founders of Cinestudio in Hartford A few of the films discussed in this episode: 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (2024) 'Inside Out 2' (2024) 'Dune: Part Two' (2024) 'Challengers' (2024) 'Anyone but You' (2023) 'Poor Things' (2023) 'This is Cinerama' (1952) 'Evil Does Not Exist' (2023) 'The Idea of You' (2024) 'Exhuma' (2024) You can listen to last year's Disrupted summer movie panel on our website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.