Trees are one of New England's most treasured resources. But in Connecticut cities, a painful history of racism and redlining leads to fewer trees. On this week’s Disrupted, a look at the urban tree canopy in Connecticut. And, our region loses nearly 38 square miles of forestland each year. How we can 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 Conservationists at Harvard University's Harvard Forest.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Maisy Carvalho and Kelly Langevin. Special thanks to Vanessa de la Torre.

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This episode originally aired on February 17, 2021

Historically Black Colleges and Universities have existed in the United States since 1837. Decades before the abolishment of slavery, these institutions promoted access to education, as a path toward freedom. Today, there are over 100 HBCUs across the country, graduating roughly 20% of Black students. So, what exactly are the institutions and why are they so important?

This hour, we’ll hear from a student and a professor at an HBCU in Texas who are drawing on their institution’s long history to protect voting rights. We’ll also learn more about the history of HBCUs – how they disrupted the notions of leadership and excellence to elevate Black communities.

This week's episode was produced by Daniela Luna and Catie Talarski. The rest of our team includes James Szkobel-Wolff and Zshekinah Collier. Our interns are Maisy Carvalho and Kelly Langevin.

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This hour on Disrupted, we speak with three young leaders whose faith plays a big role in their lives and communities. A Reverend on using his struggles to inspire young people. We also hear from two Muslim sisters who are breaking barriers. And, a conversation with the Director of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival about a new project trying to shake up classical music.

Guests:

• Rev. Quavon Newton - Senior Pastor at Rush Temple AME Zion Church in Queens, NY and a 2021 Graduate of the Yale Divinity School

• Ayah Galal - WFSB Reporter and Multimedia Journalist

• Bayan Galal - Student Body President at Yale University

• Melvin Chen - Director of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Deputy Dean of the Yale School of Music and Professor in the Practice of Piano

Click here to listen to Daniel Bernard Roumain's full performance.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Maisy Carvalho and Kelly Langevin.

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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 learn 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.

• Andrew Kahrl - Professor of African-American Studies and History at The Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia and author of Free the Beaches: The Story of Ned Coll and the Battle for America's Most Exclusive Shoreline

• Lee Jackson Van Allen - Innkeeper at The Inn at Shearer Cottage in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.

• Erica Stanley-Dottin - 3rd generation resident of the Azurest Neighborhood in Sag Harbor.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Maisy Carvalho and Kelly Langevin.

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Disrupted's political roundtable tackles recent news, like Nikole Hannah-Jones’s tenure controversy and her decision to teach at Howard University. They’ll give context around Critical Race Theory, how a supreme court case is impacting voting rights, and whether the Olympics need a racial reckoning. 

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Since it began in 1948, NASCAR has only fielded 8 Black drivers for its top-level cup series. The sport hasn’t been exactly welcoming to people of color.  But following the murder of George Floyd and events of last year, they’re making moves to shed that racist image.

On this week's Disrupted, a history of NASCAR’s push for diversity.

GUESTS:

• Daniel McFadin, Lead Reporter and Editor for Frontstretch, and host of the podcast “Dropping the Hammer”; Read McFadin's five part series about NASCAR in the wake of the George Floyd murder
• Bill Lester, semi-retired professional NASCAR driver and author of the memoir ‘Winning in Reverse’

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski. Our interns are Kelly Langevin and Maisy Carvalho.

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Chase W. Dillon was 9-years-old when he was cast as the role of Homer in The Underground Railroad on Amazon Prime. This hour on Disrupted, Chase talks about his life in Connecticut, his career, and how he’s giving back to his community. And you may know actor Michael Jai White from his roles in The Dark Knight, Spawn, or Black Dynamite. He grew up in Bridgeport and is now returning to the state to open a movie studio in New Haven.

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The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a fundamental fact: disparities in health outcomes by race and ethnicity exist across the country and the state, and COVID-19 has taken an unequal toll on Black people, Latinos, and Native Americans.

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After years of warning from scientists, the global climate crisis is impacting Americans across the country. 2021 has already seen unprecedented ice storms across Texas and one of the worst droughts in modern history in the west. But what kind of changes can we expect in Connecticut?

On this Disrupted, we dig into the ways our changing climate is affecting our state.

Disrupted this week was produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, Zshekinah Collier, and Catie Talarski.

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June 19th marks the 156th anniversary of Black emancipation in America. Here in Connecticut there are events around the state to mark Juneteenth - and our state is often seen as being a northern utopia for Black Americans but by the American Revolution, Connecticut had the largest number of slaves of all the New England states. In fact, slavery in Connecticut did not officially end until 1848 - the last state in New England to do so.

This week, Disrupted is looking back at how Black Americans have helped shape Connecticut History.

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

[Correction: An earlier version of this episode reported an incorrect anniversary date for Juneteenth.]

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