Disrupted

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.

This week on Disrupted, our politics roundtable explores recent headlines: The United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, the fight for reproductive rights in Texas, California's recall election, and the legacy of Michael K.Williams.

Guests:

• Bilal Sekou -Associate professor of Political Science at the University of Hartford
• Maya King - National politics reporter at POLITICO
• Janelle Wong - Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted the return to school for the second year in a row. On this week’s Disrupted, we celebrate this anniversary with a back to school special.

We hear from students about their hopes and fears for the coming fall semester. We’ll speak with a professor about the similarity between Hurricanes and the pandemic. And an ESPN writer on the changing economic landscape of college sports.

Guests:

• Alex, Emani, Xochiquetzaly “ZoChee”, and Airiqa- Students at the High School in the Community in New Haven, Connecticut. 
• Cassandra R. Davis - Research Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Mechelle Voepel - Women's Basketball and College Sports Writer for ESPN and ESPNW.

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

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This episode originally aired on July 7th, 2021

For the first time in league history, a non-white racer has won NASCAR’s Cup Series. Kyle Larson’s win comes only a year after the sport banned one of it’s most well known symbols -- the confederate flag. On this week's Disrupted, we replay a conversation on NASCAR’s push for diversity with racing legend Bill Lester.

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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The feminist movement has led to groundbreaking legislation like the 19th Amendment, Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act. But when did the movement start? And whose voices are still missing from the conversation?This hour, we’ll dive into the history present of feminism and hear from an activist creating public art to spread information about women’s issues.

GUESTS:

• Brittney Cooper - Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University and co-founder of the Crunk Feminist Collective
• Karen Buenavista Hanna- Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies at Connecticut College
• Camille -Founder of the New York based intersectional feminist collective Feminist Collages NYC

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

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Video Game revenue reached nearly 180 billion dollars in 2020. The industry’s continued growth and impact is being seen across our society. This week, an insiders’ look at the future of pro gaming. And how gaming’s growth is affecting our climate.

GUESTS:

• Jason Chung - Assistant Professor and Executive Director of Esport Business Programs at the University of New Haven
• Corey Parks - Director of Esports and Head Coach of the University of New Haven Esports team and a former pro Esports player.
• Gary Cook - Global Climate Campaigns Director for the climate change advocacy organization Stand.Earth.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.