This episode originally aired on August 11th, 2021

Trees are one of New England’s most treasured resources. But in Connecticut cities, a painful history of racism and redlining has led to fewer trees. During this holiday week, we look back at a show from this summer about our urban tree canopy in Connecticut.

And, our region loses nearly 38 square miles of forestland each year. How can we fight deforestation in our backyard?

GUESTS:

• Drew Goldsman - Urban Conservation Director for the Nature Conservancy in Connecticut
• Caroline Scanlan - Greenskills Manager at the Urban Resources Initiative in New Haven
• David R. Foster - Senior Conservationist at Harvard University's Harvard Forest and President and Board Chair of the Highstead Foundation.

 

This week's episode was produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, Catie Talarski and Vanessa de la Torre. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

And from all of our team, we'd like to wish you a holiday season full of connection, peace and understanding.

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As more people confront the realities of climate change, our society’s relationship with food is changing. This week, the ways we access our food.

We’ll hear from a man who spent just 5 dollars feeding himself over two years, by mastering the art of dumpster diving. We also hear from an indigenous ethnobotanist who shares the ways we can all lessen our impact on nature. And, a conversation with a young activist and academic fighting to end food deserts.

Guests:

 

• William Reid – Food waste expert, dumpster diver and director of the documentary "Trash Empire".
• Rosalyn LaPier – Ethnobotanist and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. She is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe.
• Katharine Morris – Sustainability Fellow for the EPA and scholar-activist focusing on environmental justice. Check out her TEDx Talk How To Collaborate For Environmental Justice.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

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America is home to many spiritual practices that were once considered evil - like Brujeria or Hoodoo. But today, more people are looking to reclaim these ancestral traditions.This hour on Disrupted, we hear how slavery gave birth to Hoodoo and how young African-Americans are embracing their past. We learn about Brujeria, a witchcraft tradition from Latin America. And, the legacy of Pamela Coleman-Smith - a forgotten artist who changed the face of tarot cards.

Guests:

• Yvonne Chireau – Professor of Religion at Swarthmore College and author of Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition.
• Lorraine Monteagut – practicing Bruja and author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color
• Elizabeth Foley O'Connor – Associate Professor of English, Director of the Gender Studies Program at Washington College in Maryland, author of Pamela Colman Smith: Artist, Feminist & Mystic 

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

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In September, TikTok surpassed over a billion monthly users. And the app is fundamentally changing how creators reach an audience online. This week, how TikTok is changing our relationship with media. We’ll hear from a TikTok creator about how he’s staying relevant. A professor reveals how TikTok's impacting childhood development. And a look at TikTok’s stronghold on the music industry.

Guests:

• Gohar Khan – TikTok creator who provides college admission tips and advice @Goharsguide, and CEO and Co-founder of Next Admit.
• Jaime Riccio – Communications and media studies professor at LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York.
• Dan Whateley – Media reporter for Business Insider. Click here to find more of his reporting.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

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Capitalism is a major driving force in American society. But the COVID-19 Pandemic has shown that the system doesn’t work for everyone and what we prioritize matters.

This hour on Disrupted, a conversation with political scientist Margaret Levi on the future of our economy and how we can find dignity in work. And economist Janelle Jones talks about the importance of the Black female workforce.

GUESTS:

• Margaret Levi - Director of Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Professor of Political Science, and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University
• Janelle Jones - Chief Economist for the Department of Labor

To learn more about moral political economy, check out the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences' website.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

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The United States is responding to an influx of refugees from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country. But what happens after they arrive in our state?This week, we take a look at the immigration process for refugees. We’ll hear from two immigration experts about how we can best support new migrants and what research tells us about their ability to thrive in America. And a housing advocate breaks down zoning policy in Connecticut and how it’s making housing more expensive.

Guests:

• Hossna Samadi - Afghan migrant who moved to Connecticut with her family in 2016. She now works with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services and Sanctuary Kitchen in New Haven.
• Martine Dherte - Refugee Services Program Manager at the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants.
• Salma Mousa - Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale University.
• Sara Bronin - Professor of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, and founder and lead organizer of Desegregate Connecticut. She was recently nominated by President Biden to chair the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode originally aired on March 3rd, 2021

Gun sales remains sky high during the pandemic – and the largest increase in purchases came from African American communities. This hour, we talk to the president of a Black Gun Association in Connecticut about what he’s seeing locally. And we hear about how these larger gun-buying trends are playing out nationally.

Also, with increased gun violence in the U.S., what’s the disconnect between the Second Amendment rights Americans have in theory, and how they play out for African Americans?

Guests:

• Will Hampton – Chapter president of the Black Gun Owners Association Norwalk CT; owner of Gullah Warriors Gun Club
• Lakeidra Chavis – reporter for The Trace
• Margareth Etienne – Professor of Law, Associate Dean and the Nancy Snowden Research Scholar at the University of Illinois College of Law; Co-author of “How Second Amendment gun rights fall short for African Americans”

This episode was originally produced by Daniela Luna, and Anna Elizabeth. The rest of our team includes James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Abe Levine, and Dylan Reyes.

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Over the last 51 episodes, Disrupted has taken a critical look at our country, our democracy, and our culture. From the world of fashion and hair, to the politics of NASCAR and sports activism, our show has asked difficult questions and attempted to understand our changing world. This week on Disrupted, we celebrate our one year anniversary by talking to our first guest, Eddie Glaude Jr.

GUESTS:

• Eddie Glaude Jr.- James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and Chair of African American Studies at Princeton University. He’s an MSNBC contributor and was a recent recipient of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Prize for his book Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lesson for our Own.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. And this year wouldn't have been possible without help from Anna Elizabeth, Daniela Luna, Meg Fitzgerald, Vanessa De La Torre, Tim Rassmussen, and the legendary producer Mr. Phat on the Track for our theme song.

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This hour we hear from two influential women: one making her mark in the world of comedy and publishing and one advocating for policies that will positively impact women across the country.

GUESTS:

• Teresa Younger - CEO and President of the Ms. Foundation for women and 2021 Inductee to the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.
• Phoebe Robinson - Comedian, Actress, and Author of the new book Please Don't Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes.  She's the founder of Tiny Reparations Books.

October marks one year since we launched this show.  The last year and a half have been disruptive in so many ways for all of us.We want to hear from you: what’s a disruption impacting your life that you are most worried about -- and a disruption that’s giving you hope? Send a voice memo to [email protected]. We’ll feature some of our favorites on an upcoming show.  

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once seen as a niche technology, the cryptocurrency market is now valued at over 2 trillion dollars. And that growth is attracting more scrutiny around the globe. This week on disrupted, how crypto’s going mainstream. We’ll hear how policymakers are pushing cryptocurrency to be more equitable. And a look at El Salvador’s rocky adoption of Bitcoin.

GUESTS:

• Emily Parker -  Managing Director at CoinDesk and co-host of the morning show “First Mover.”
• Cleve Mesidor - Founder of the National Policy Network of Women of Color in Blockchain and public policy consultant for the Blockchain Association. 
• Ricardo Barrientos - Chief Economist at the Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies

This month marks one year since we launched this show.  The last year and a half have been disruptive in so many ways for all of us. We want to hear from you: what’s a disruption impacting your life that you are most worried about -- and a disruption that’s giving you hope? Send a voice memo to [email protected]. We’ll feature some of our favorites on an upcoming show.  

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.