COVID has exacerbated existing inequities in race and disability

Disrupted

#Rob Gabaree #Connecticut Public Radio #Society #Black American

1:15:36

In this episode, we welcome back David French, columnist for The New York Times , former constitutional attorney, and author of Divided We Fall . We discuss the current state of American democracy, the challenges of political division, and how we can engage in civil discourse despite deep ideological differences. David also shares a personal update on his family and reflects on the profound trials and growth that come with adversity. 📌 What We Discuss: ✔️ How David and his family navigated the challenges of a serious health crisis. ✔️ The rise of political polarization and the factors driving it. ✔️ Why distinguishing between “unwise, unethical, and unlawful” is crucial in analyzing political actions. ✔️ How consuming different perspectives (even opposing ones) helps in understanding political dynamics. ✔️ The role of Christian values in politics and how they are being redefined. ⏳ Episode Highlights 📍 [00:01:00] – David French’s background and his journey from litigation to journalism. 📍 [00:02:30] – Personal update: David shares his wife Nancy’s battle with cancer and their journey as a family. 📍 [00:06:00] – How to navigate personal trials while maintaining faith and resilience. 📍 [00:10:00] – The danger of political paranoia and the pitfalls of extreme polarization. 📍 [00:18:00] – The "friend-enemy" paradigm in American politics and its influence in Christian fundamentalism. 📍 [00:24:00] – Revisiting Divided We Fall : How America’s divisions have devolved since 2020. 📍 [00:40:00] – The categories and differences of unwise, unethical, and unlawful political actions. 📍 [00:55:00] – The balance between justice, kindness, and humility in political engagement. 📍 [01:00:00] – The After Party initiative: A Christian approach to politics focused on values rather than policy. 💬 Featured Quotes 🔹 "You don't know who you truly are until your values are tested." – David French 🔹 "If we focus on the relational, we can have better conversations even across deep differences." – Corey Nathan 🔹 "Justice, kindness, and humility—if you're missing one, you're doing it wrong." – David French 🔹 "The United States has a history of shifting without repenting. We just move on." – David French 📚 Resources Mentioned David French’s Writing: New York Times David’s Book: Divided We Fall The After Party Initiative – More Info Advisory Opinions Podcast (with Sarah Isgur & David French) – Listen Here 📣 Call to Action If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion 🔗 Connect With Us on Social Media @coreysnathan: Bluesky LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook Substack David French: 🔗 Twitter | BlueSky | New York Times Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com Let’s keep talking politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡…

8 days ago 49:00

MP3•Episode home

This hour, we’re talking about COVID-19’s impact on existing inequities. We talk about the diverse experiences of disabled people over the last five years, and take a broader look at the history of health and race.

GUESTS:

Mara Mills: Associate Professor and Ph.D. Director in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. She is Co-Founder and Director of the NYU Center for Disability Studies. She co-edited the recent book How to be Disabled in a Pandemic.
Edna Bonhomme: Historian of science. Her new book is A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19.

To learn more about public health and COVID-19, you can listen to our episode reflecting on four years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

234 episodes

COVID has exacerbated existing inequities in race and disability

Disrupted

published 8 days ago

MP3•Episode home

GUESTS:

Mara Mills: Associate Professor and Ph.D. Director in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. She is Co-Founder and Director of the NYU Center for Disability Studies. She co-edited the recent book How to be Disabled in a Pandemic.
Edna Bonhomme: Historian of science. Her new book is A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19.

To learn more about public health and COVID-19, you can listen to our episode reflecting on four years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

234 episodes

#Rob Gabaree #Connecticut Public Radio #Society #Black American

All episodes

1
Martha S. Jones explores racial identity by looking at her own family history 49:00

14 hours ago49:00

49:00

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 in her new book The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir . GUEST: Martha S. Jones : The Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, Professor of History and Professor at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Her latest book is The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
COVID has exacerbated existing inequities in race and disability 49:00

8 days ago49:00

49:00

Five years ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Since that time, the world has changed dramatically, from the way we think about public health to the way we socialize to the way we watch movies. But those changes haven't had the same impact on everyone. This hour, we’re talking about COVID-19’s impact on existing inequities. We talk about the diverse experiences of disabled people over the last five years, and take a broader look at the history of health and race. GUESTS: Mara Mills : Associate Professor and Ph.D. Director in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. She is Co-Founder and Director of the NYU Center for Disability Studies . She co-edited the recent book How to be Disabled in a Pandemic . Edna Bonhomme : Historian of science. Her new book is A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19 . To learn more about public health and COVID-19, you can listen to our episode reflecting on four years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Why mothering is 'Essential Labor' with Angela Garbes 49:00

15 days ago49:00

49:00

This hour on Disrupted , we're challenging long-held assumptions about parents and caregivers. First, Angela Garbes, author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change , explains how care workers are undervalued. She touches on the way the early days of the pandemic spotlighted issues in caregiving and why the legacy of American colonialism in the Philippines influenced both her family history and the disproportionate number of Filipinx nurses who died from COVID. Then, UConn professor Kari Adamsons talks about her research on fathers and the problem with the way many people think about "traditional families." GUESTS: Angela Garbes: author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change Kari Adamsons: Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut This episode originally aired on February 15, 2023. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
To understand homeownership inequities today, Bernadette Atuahene takes us back generations 49:00

22 days ago49:00

49:00

Bernadette Atuahene initially moved to Detroit, Michigan to study squatters rights. But she discovered a more urgent issue once there— that many Black residents were losing their homes. The reason was property tax foreclosure, and it came as a result of property taxes that were illegally inflated. It’s one of several racist housing policies that shapes who does or doesn’t have generational wealth in the U.S. This hour, we’re talking about government policies that impact the homes and neighborhoods people live in. GUEST: Bernadette Atuahene : Professor of Law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Her new book is Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
What Black History Month means in today’s political climate 49:00

29 days ago49:00

49:00

Every February, the United States celebrates Black History Month. But this year, the celebration might feel a bit different. On January 31st, the Department of Defense announced it would no longer use official resources to celebrate cultural awareness months, including Black History Month, which began the following day. That announcement came after the Trump administration's rollback of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives within the federal government. This hour, we’re joined by a panel of experts to talk about Black History Month and what it means today. GUESTS: Kevin Gaines : Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice and Interim Director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia. Christina Greer : Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University Michael Harriot : founder of ContrabandCamp and bestselling author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America In this episode, the guests mention several Black Americans who have made an impact on U.S. history. Here are some of the names if you want to learn more: Ella Baker, Mary McLeod Bethune, George Washington Carver, James Chaney, Septima Clark, John Henrik Clarke, David Dennis Sr, Fannie Lou Hamer, Steven Henson, bell hooks, Barbara Jordan, Garrett Morgan, Constance Baker Motley, Gloria Naylor, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Gloria Richardson, Amelia Boynton Robinson, Jo Ann Robinson, Cleveland Sellers, Robert Smalls, The students in the court case Edwards v. South Carolina, Ida B. Wells-Barnett See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
The power of books in prison with poet Reginald Dwayne Betts 49:00

5 weeks ago49:00

49:00

Poet Reginald Dwayne Betts was part of a carjacking in a Virginia mall parking lot when he was 16 years old. He was charged as an adult and sentenced to 9 years in prison. Dwayne was released in 2005. Today, he’s a lawyer and award-winning poet. He’s also the founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization called Freedom Reads . It provides handcrafted bookcases full of brand new books to prisons. For Dwayne, and other incarcerated people, those books can be a lifeline— a connection to the rest of the world. This hour, listen back to our candid conversation with Dwayne as he reflects on his poetry, the power of books, and life after prison. We also take a visit to the Freedom Reads workshop and hear from some of the formerly incarcerated people who build the bookcases and bring them to prisons. GUEST: Reginald Dwayne Betts : Award-winning poet, whose books include Felon and the upcoming Doggerel . He's also a lawyer and the Founder and CEO of Freedom Reads Michael Byrd : Library Production Assistant at Freedom Reads Steven Parkhurst : Communications Manager at Freedom Reads James Flynn : Library Production Assistant at Freedom Reads Special thanks to Kevin Baker and Ivan Dominguez at Freedom Reads. This episode originally aired on December 6, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
From romance to organizing, a look at how love can be political 49:00

6 weeks ago49:00

49:00

When you think about love, what comes to mind? Maybe a movie like Love Actually or Love & Basketball . Maybe Dolly Parton or Whitney Houston singing "I Will Always Love You." Love shows up a lot in our pop culture— but what about in our politics? The relationships we build…the people we love…the way we treat each other…all of that can be political. This hour, we hear about the importance of love in political organizing and the way even our most intimate relationships can be political. GUESTS: Dean Spade : Author, activist and professor at the Seattle University School of Law. His latest book is called Love in a F*cked Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell, Together Terri Conley : Professor of Psychology at University of Michigan. She co-wrote a chapter called “Love is Political: How Power and Bias Influence Our Intimate Lives” in the book The New Psychology of Love See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Actor and director Brandon J. Dirden says art is about problem solving 48:30

7 weeks ago48:30

48:30

Brandon J. Dirden is an actor and director who has appeared in TV shows like The Americans and plays like the Tony Award-winning All The Way (he played Martin Luther King Jr. alongside Bryan Cranston as Lyndon B. Johnson). He's also a director — most recently of Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Eden . The play takes place in 1920s Manhattan. It focuses on two families living in the same apartment building. Eustace Baylor comes from the south and falls in love with Anetta Barton. Anetta’s family is from the West Indies. Her father, Joseph, does not approve of Eustace. This hour, we talk to Brandon about the complex racial dynamics in Eden and the power of theater. GUEST: Brandon J. Dirden : actor, director and Associate Arts Professor in the Graduate Acting Department at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He directed Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of Eden , which runs until February 8th. You can learn more about Yale Repertory Theatre's production of Eden on their website . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
How the legacies of James Baldwin and Martin Luther King Jr. resonate today 41:32

8 weeks ago41:32

41:32

James Baldwin and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were two of the most influential thinkers of the Civil Rights Movement. This hour, we reflect on their legacies as we think about our present political moment. Kyle Bass wrote the play Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country , which will be performed in Hartford in February. It portrays a young James Baldwin at an inflection point in his life, before he became a renowned writer. And Randal Maurice Jelks is the Ruth N. Halls Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. His book Letters to Martin: Meditation on Democracy in Black America started as a talk he gave shortly after President Donald Trump’s first inauguration back in 2017. It puts Dr. King’s ideas in conversation with present-day political questions. GUESTS: Kyle Bass : Resident Playwright at Syracuse Stage and Assistant Professor of Theater at Colgate University. His play Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country is being performed by Hartford's Heartbeat Ensemble in February. Randal Maurice Jelks : The Ruth N. Halls Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. He is also a documentary film producer and author whose books include Letters to Martin: Meditations on Democracy in Black America . You can find more information about Heartbeat Ensemble's performances of Kyle Bass' play Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
How young politicians are working toward change 47:30

9 weeks ago47:30

47:30

This hour, we listen back to our episode about some of the ways that millennial and gen z politicians are making their mark on the U.S. Up first, Brandon Scott is the youngest mayor of Baltimore in more than 100 years. A new documentary film called The Body Politic , follows Mayor Scott during his first term in office, focusing on his campaign to reduce gun violence. We are joined by that film's director and producer, Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough. Then, Layla Zaidane is President and CEO of Future Caucus , an organization that brings together young lawmakers to collaborate across party lines. She reframes the idea of civility in politics and tells young people they can have an impact on government. GUESTS: Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough : Director and Producer of the documentary film The Body Politic , which follows Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s efforts to reduce gun violence in the city. The film is currently streaming on PBS's website . Layla Zaidane : President and CEO of Future Caucus , an organization that brings together young lawmakers to collaborate across party lines. Special thanks to intern Frankie Devevo. This episode originally aired on November 8, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
New Haven nonprofit leader Erik Clemons on community, hope and love 49:00

10 weeks ago49:00

49:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is designated as a National Day of Service to encourage people to volunteer and improve their communities. But those communities' needs don’t end when the day of service ends. Here in Connecticut, people like Erik Clemons work year round to improve the communities they care about. Erik is the CEO of New Haven-based nonprofit Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT), which offers job training and youth programs. He is also the CEO of Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program (ConnCORP), a for-profit subsidiary of ConnCAT dedicated to economic development in New Haven. Recently, Erik wrote an opinion piece for CT Insider about ConnCORP's plans to redevelop part of New Haven’s Dixwell neighborhood . In the piece, Erik grounds those plans in his commitment to community. He compares the redevelopment to making a quilt. He writes, quote “By weaving together the stories, experiences, and perspectives of those who live in Dixwell, we aim to create a space that reflects their lived experience, resilience, and unique identity — something far more meaningful than any single piece.” GUESTS: Erik Clemons : CEO of New Haven-based nonprofit Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology , also known as ConnCAT. The organization offers job training and youth programs. He is also CEO of Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program or ConnCORP, a for-profit subsidiary of ConnCAT dedicated to economic development in New Haven. In this episode, Erik mentions the Harlem Renaissance. To learn more about the Harlem Renaissance you can listen to our recent episode about the movement . You can also find our previous interview with Erik Clemons on our website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Untangling the complexities of U.S. history in the classroom 1:07:55

11 weeks ago1:07:55

1:07:55

In recent years, politicians across the U.S. have been debating what history should be taught in the classroom. Connecticut is no exception to these debates— a 2022 press conference announcing a planned Native Studies curriculum in Connecticut's public schools turned tense when questions around the specifics of the program came up. This hour, we’re talking to historians and educators to learn what it's like to teach and study the past in all its complexity in today's polarized political climate. This panel was part of a live event hosted with The Connecticut Forum in November, less than two weeks after the 2024 U.S. presidential election. GUESTS: Andy Horowitz : Associate Professor of History at the University of Connecticut and Connecticut State Historian. His work looks at disasters and the broader implications they have for society. Fiona Vernal : Director of Engaged, Public, Oral and Community Histories and Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. Chris Newell : Co-Founder and Director of Education for Akomawt Educational Initiative . He is also Founding Director of the Native American Cultural Program and Instructor-in-Residence at the University of Connecticut . He is a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. To hear more about Professor Andy Horowitz's research, you can listen to our episode on disasters . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Our 2024 favorites: Through birding, Amy Tan finds the value of stillness 49:00

12 weeks ago49:00

49:00

The Disrupted team is welcoming the new year by choosing a couple of the episodes we loved from 2024. We have so many favorites that we couldn't reair all of them, but these are some of the ones that we wanted to listen back to. This week, host Khalilah-Brown Dean chose our interview with author Amy Tan. Amy is best known for popular novels like The Joy Luck Club and its 1993 film adaptation . The book and movie explore several mother-daughter relationships — some of which were shaped by Amy’s own experiences. Her latest book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles , hits close to home in a different way. In it, she brings the birds in her backyard to life with humor and tragedy through observations and drawings from her nature journals. But the book isn’t just a recounting of wildlife. Amy vividly imagines the birds’ inner thoughts and comes away with piercing observations about nature, humanity and the relationship between them. This hour, Amy talks to us about that book and offers her insights on a wide range of topics including how birds have led her to reflect on mortality, her changing experience of racism and overcoming her fear of sharks. Guest: Amy Tan : bestselling author of numerous books including The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter’s Daughter . Her latest book is The Backyard Bird Chronicles . It collects entries and drawings from her nature journals. This episode originally aired on September 27, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Our 2024 favorites: Rethinking mass incarceration with James Forman Jr. 49:00

13 weeks ago49:00

49:00

The Disrupted team is welcoming the new year by choosing a couple of the episodes we loved from 2024. We have so many favorites that we couldn't reair all of them, but these are some of the ones that we wanted to listen back to. This week, producer Kevin Chang Barnum chose our interview with James Forman Jr. The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world. And Black people bear the burdens of mass incarceration the most. In 2019, Connecticut was one of seven states where Black people were incarcerated at over nine times the rate of white people. That’s according to an analysis done by The Sentencing Project. These problems aren't new, but they also aren't going away. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Yale law professor James Forman Jr. hopes the new book he co-edited, Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change , will inspire readers to work towards change. It talks about finding solutions at every level of what he calls "the criminal system," from policing to prisons to courts. GUEST: James Forman Jr. : J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale University. His book Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018. He recently co-edited Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change . You can learn more about the prison system in the U.S. by listening to Disrupted 's interview with Reginald Dwayne Betts . Special thanks to intern Frankie Devevo. This episode originally aired on October 25, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
The legacy of the Harlem Renaissance 100 years later 49:00

14 weeks ago49:00