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 addition to his experience of the early days of the pandemic.

GUESTS:

• Scott L. Greer: Professor of Health Management and Policy and Global Public Health at the University of Michigan and one of the editors of the book 'Coronavirus Politics: The Comparative Politics and Policy of COVID-19'

• Dr. Taison Bell: Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia

You can see the full video of the CT Public event with Uché Blackstock that was mentioned in this episode on CT Public's recorded events page: https://www.ctpublic.org/community/live-recorded-community-events

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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 journey from being an attorney to starting Busayo, her own fashion company. She also tells us about reconnecting with her Nigerian roots.

GUESTS:

• Andre Rochester: fine artist, curator, and arts advocate in greater Hartford.

• Stanwyck Cromwell: visual artist based in Bloomfield and Andre Rochester's mentor

• Busayo Olupona: creative director and founder of Busayo, an apparel and accessories company that uses hand dyed Nigerian prints and textiles

Andre Rochester was a featured artist on Connecticut Public's series Where ART Thou? in 2023, see some of his artwork and listen to his conversation with host Ray Hardman here: https://cptv.org/programs/where-art-thou-east-hartford-wethersfield/

Special thanks to our interns Scout Raimondo and Sajina Shrestha.

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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 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.

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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 hear from two Quinnipiac University students who live with the residents of Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, a retirement community in Wallingford, CT. And Eunice Lin Nichols, Co-CEO of CoGenerate, will explain the value of intergenerational connections, including how they can help in a polarized society.

GUESTS:

• Rhaina Cohen: Producer and editor for NPR. Author of 'The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center'

• Elise Maiorano: first year grad student at Quinnipiac University studying occupational therapy and living at Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, a retirement community

• Annemarie Allen: first year grad student at Quinnipiac University studying occupational therapy and living at Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, a retirement community

• Ben Paige: Resident of Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, the retirement community that Elise and Annemarie stay at

• Eunice Lin Nichols: Co-CEO of CoGenerate, an organization that brings people from different generations together to solve problems

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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 expression.

First Amendment Specialist Kevin Goldberg explains the five protections covered in the amendment. Wesleyan University President Michael Roth talks about his role as a university administrator and how to provide safe spaces for students. Connecticut college students will share their thoughts on free speech.

GUESTS:

• Kevin Goldberg: First Amendment Specialist, Freedom Forum.

• Michael Roth: President, Wesleyan University and author of Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist’s Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness.

• Elle: Student, Yale University

• Thomas: Student, University of New Haven

• AJ: Student, University of New Haven

 

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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 everything from self doubt to sounding different from the hosts that NPR listeners are used to.

GUEST:

• Ayesha Rascoe: host of NPR’s 'Weekend Edition Sunday' and one of the hosts of 'Up First.' She edited and wrote the introduction to the new book 'HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience'

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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 dedicated to centering Black voices. And Sasha Allen Walton and Endera Allen Stevens talk about working at Connecticut's largest and longest-published Black newspaper.

You can learn more about Capital B at their website here or sign up for their newsletter here.

You can learn more about Northend Agent's at their website here.

GUESTS:

• Trevy A. McDonald: Associate Dean of ABIDE (Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity); Associate Professor of Broadcast and Electronic Journalism; Author; owner of Reyomi Media Group, an independent book publishing and consulting company based in Durham, N.C.

• Akoto Ofori-Atta: Co-founder and Chief Audience Officer at Capital B

• Sasha Allen Walton: Editor-in-Chief at Northend Agent’s

• Endera Allen Stevens: Growth Manager for Northend Agent’s

This episode originally aired on June 7, 2023.

Disrupted is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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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 work supporting women DJs as Owner and Founder of 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 aka 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 this week to Meg Fitzgerald.

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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 highlights the discrimination that Chinese Americans face, but also because it shows something that isn't covered enough in the media— the way Chinese Americans have fought against that discrimination.

This hour, Ava Chin discusses how the Chinese Exclusion Act continues to impact people today as we interview her about her book 'Mott Street: A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming.' And Russell Jeung, one of the co-founders of Stop AAPI Hate, talks about the historical precedent for the current wave of anti-Asian racism and how people who oppose it can take action.

GUESTS:

• Ava Chin: Professor of Creative Nonfiction and Journalism at the City University of New York Graduate Center and College of Staten Island. Her most recent book is Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming

• Russell Jeung: Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and a Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate. In 2021, he was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World along with his fellow Stop AAPI Hate co-founders

This episode originally aired on September 13, 2023.

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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 misinformation on the news or social media. Global media literacy educator Dr. Belinha De Abreu talks about the evolving relationship between people and the platforms they use. She also explains Connecticut's policy surrounding media literacy education. Later in the show, we hear a roundtable discussion with college journalism students as we learn how they approach finding accurate news.

GUESTS:

• Dr. Belinha De Abreu: President of the International Council for Media Literacy and professor at Sacred Heart University; author of over 13 books including, most recently, “Media Literacy for Justice: Lessons for Changing the World”

• Tyler Wells: senior journalism major at the University of New Haven, Editor-in-Chief of The Charger Bulletin campus newspaper

• Faith Arcuri: junior at the University of New Haven majoring in journalism who writes for The Charger Bulletin

• Julie Dunn: junior at Sacred Heart University majoring in media arts with a concentration of TV, film and media

• Colin Moura: sophomore at Sacred Heart University majoring in media arts, Photography Editor of campus newspaper The Spectrum

Special thanks to our interns Melody Rivera and Elizabeth Van Arnam who hosted the roundtable discussion.

This episode originally aired April 5, 2023.

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