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PODCAST

Disrupted

Connecticut Public Radio

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

society & culture

All Episodes

41:00

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum reflects on the 'Peril and...

Disrupted ·

2025/10/10

From COVID-19 to protests to legal battles with the federal government, college and university leaders have been in the spotlight a lot in the last five years. Because of that attention, if we want to understand the news, we need to understand higher education. Disrupted first aired five years ago this week. Thank you to our listeners for returning week after week and making these five years possible. GUEST: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum: President Emerita of Spelman College in Atlanta. She recently

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49:00

From woodworking to summer camp, there are endless...

Disrupted ·

2025/10/03

For Black Americans, following the news can be a psychological challenge. 4 in 5 Black adults say they see or hear racist or racially insensitive coverage about Black people at least sometimes. That’s according to a 2023 Pew Research survey. And coverage can be hard to watch even if it isn’t insensitive. While news about violence against Black people is important for communities to know, it can also affect one’s mental health. This can be a lot to deal with, so some people are

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49:00

Connecticut leaders breaking barriers with historic...

Disrupted ·

2025/09/26

Being the first person to do something isn’t easy. There’s no blueprint for what you are doing, no conventional wisdom to fall back on when all else fails. There is also the pressure of expectations and all the people who are counting on your success. But it’s a way to show people what is possible. Being first means being a pioneer. And here in Connecticut, people are pioneering a wide range of fields every day. GUESTS: Shelly Carter: Fire Chief at the Hamden Fire Department. She

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49:00

Oral histories preserve the stories of communities...

Disrupted ·

2025/09/19

Oral history preserves the past by recording people’s real voices. It’s not just about recording the stories people tell. It’s also about the way they tell them. Oral history is about memory and humanity. It’s a form of history that anyone can be a part of. This hour, we’re returning to our conversations with two Connecticut residents about the stories they have preserved through oral history. Author and educator Mary Romney-Schaab talks about her father's experience as

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48:00

The cultural forces that shape gun violence with Dr....

Disrupted ·

2025/09/12

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. This hour, as we reflect on the gun violence that has shaken the U.S. in recent weeks, we are listening back to our conversation with Dr. Metzl on his book What

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49:00

Elizabeth Bruenig on witnessing executions and...

Disrupted ·

2025/09/05

According to Amnesty International, 15 countries used the death penalty in 2024. The United States was one of those countries. Capital punishment is illegal in 23 states and isn’t used in some of the states where it is legal. But the United States still executed 25 people last year. We’vesurpassed that number already in 2025. Capital punishment can be a contentious topic. And it’s a debate that has been reignited in recent weeks — President Donald Trump has said he wants to

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48:30

Why 'natural' disasters aren't as natural as their...

Disrupted ·

2025/08/29

Listening to the news, it feels like there are more natural disasters than ever. This hour, as we reflect on 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, 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

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49:00

The power of craft, from activism to connecting with...

Disrupted ·

2025/08/22

When people think of craft, certain images might come to mind, like knitting in a rocking chair by a warm fireplace. People often think of it as a quiet, solitary activity— one that doesn’t make much of a public statement. But crafts like knitting can be radical. The rocking chair by the fireplace isn’t just quiet and solitary— it can also be a site of real political change. This hour, we’re talking about the power of craft. We’ll hear from a crafter who helped

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48:57

Local Black entrepreneurs on building a business and...

Disrupted ·

2025/08/15

Black Americans make up close to 14 percent of the US population. But only about three percent of U.S. businesses are Black-owned. That’s according to the 2023 Annual Business Survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. August is National Black Business Month, so we are spotlighting some of the Black entrepreneurs right here in Connecticut who have found success despite underrepresentation. We'll hear from the owners of a

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49:00

80 years ago, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Japan....

Disrupted ·

2025/08/08

On August 6th, 1945, the United States’ military dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. Three days later, they dropped another bomb, this time on Nagasaki. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, estimates of people killed by these bombs range from around one hundred thousand to more than two hundred thousand. And the impact of the bombs isn’t limited to the people who died. They also changed the lives of survivors and generations of people who came after

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49:00

Innovations in the care and treatment of Alzheimer's...

Disrupted ·

2025/07/31

Doctors, researchers and patients are facing a critical moment in the care and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. This hour, we talk with Jon Hamilton of NPR’s Science Desk about new medicines available to people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. He also describes the impact federal funding cuts will have on Alzheimer’s research. Plus, Sujata Srinivasan, Senior Health Reporter at Connecticut Public, joins to expound on the benefits of art therapy for patients and their

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49:00

Lizards, scallops and funding cuts: Connecticut...

Disrupted ·

2025/07/25

Studying oysters can help us understand how Connecticut’s shoreline is changing. Studying lizards can help us understand the history of life on our planet. Biologists research living organisms. And in doing so, they help us understand not only ourselves, but also the way our lives are intertwined with those of every other species. This hour— Connecticut biologists tell us how their work helps us see what’s going on in the world around us. We'll discuss everything from how someone

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49:00

Connecticut artists reflect on the power of art in...

Disrupted ·

2025/07/18

This hour, we talk to two Connecticut artists whose work reflects on the impact we have on our communities. Photographer Bill Graustein’s exhibition, “Traces,” features vast western landscapes that represent different moments in Bill’s life, but it’s not just about Bill. It also includes question prompts that give viewers a chance to reflect on how the photos relate to their own lives. Artist Katharine Owens makes life-sized portraits of animals, includes ones that she

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49:00

From 'Sinners' to 50 years of 'Jaws': What we can...

Disrupted ·

2025/07/11

Many people think of movies as an escape from reality. But even when they transport us to a different time and place, movies can help us think more deeply about our present. This year, those thought provoking films have included Sinners, The Phoenician Scheme and Mickey 17. For our third annual summer movie panel, we’re breaking down recent films to see what they say about the world we live in today. We’ll cover everything from politics to artificial intelligence. GUESTS: James Hanley:

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49:00

Megan Greenwell on the ways private equity upends the...

Disrupted ·

2025/06/26

Megan Greenwell's new book, Bad Company:Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, tells the story of four people whose lives were upended by private equity. This hour, we learn about the business of private equity, and how companies that many people don't understand play a big role in our lives. GUEST: Megan Greenwell: Freelance journalist and author of Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream. This episode was produced with help from interns Coco Cooley and

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41:39

Peniel E. Joseph on the legacy and impact of 1963

Disrupted ·

2025/06/20

1963 changed the course of U.S. history. It included the assassinations of civil rights leader Medgar Evers and President John F. Kennedy. 1963 was also the year of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I have a dream” speech that day. Future congressman John Lewis also spoke. This hour, we’re breaking down a pivotal year in the civil rights movement with Peniel E. Joseph. GUEST: Peniel E. Joseph: Professor of History; Barbara Jordan

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49:00

The history — and joy — of Juneteenth

Disrupted ·

2025/06/13

While many Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1865, the holiday has often been overlooked by non-Black Americans. This hour, we look at the tradition of the holiday and recognize its importance as a time to learn more about Black history in the U.S. Alliah L. Agostini is a mom and children’s book author. Her books The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States and The Juneteenth Cookbook teach the history and joy of Juneteenth. Distinguished

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49:00

Martha S. Jones explores racial identity by looking...

Disrupted ·

2025/06/06

Historian Martha S. Jones was looking through a book one day when she found a section mentioning her grandfather. It referred to her grandfather as white. But in reality, her grandfather’s father was a free man of color, and his mother was born enslaved. This wasn’t the first time her family’s racial identity was questioned, so she started writing down her version of her family’s history. It's that history, and her family's relationship to racial identity, that she explores

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49:00

How high school student activists push for change,...

Disrupted ·

2025/05/29

We hear a lot about politically engaged college students, but we don’t always hear about politically engaged high school students. This hour, we learn how high school students past and present have fought for change in their communities. We talk to two current students at University High School of Science and Engineering in Hartford about testifying before lawmakers to increase their access to transportation. We'll also hear about high school activism of the 1960s and 1970s, including how the

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49:00

The protests of 2020 were historic, but how much has...

Disrupted ·

2025/05/23

It has been five years since a Minneapolis Police Officer murdered George Floyd and the massive protest movement that followed. This hour, we’re reflecting on what has and has not changed in those five years. We'll look at the protests in historical context to try to understand the ways they succeeded and failed. We’ll also talk about whether have been changes in the rate of police violence since 2020. GUESTS: Alvin Tillery Jr.: Professor of Political Science and Founding Director of

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261 results

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