This hour, we are taking a look at how race has impacted agriculture and the environmental movement. Leah Penniman, Co-Executive Director and Farm Director at Soul Fire Farm, talks about her book Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists. The discussion touches on everything from Leah's childhood to how the creation of some of the most prominent national parks in the U.S. is linked to the eugenics movement. And Dr. Dorceta Taylor, a professor at the Yale School of the Environment, explains what environmental justice is, and why we need to think about marginalized c ..read more

Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. returns to the show to talk about his new book, 'We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For.' The book reevaluates our understanding of leadership and argues that ordinary people need to become leaders. He also explains his views on the 2024 election and how reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X changed his life. GUEST: Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr.: James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. He is a frequent contributor to MSNBC and a bestselling author. His newest book is 'We Are the Leaders We Have Been Lo ..read more

With the release of Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter, the long and often-ignored history of Black country music is back in the spotlight. This hour, we talk to a woman who has made a career in country music, even though the industry hasn't always been welcoming. Alice Randall is a chart-topping country songwriter and author of the new book 'My Black Country A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future.' She'll explain how she co-wrote the lyrics to a number one country song and tell us about the Black musicians who have shaped the genre from the very beginning. GUEST ..read more

This hour, we hear from people who think a lot about religion - both their own experiences and how it impacts society. NPR National Political Correspondent Sarah McCammon grew up in Kansas City as an Evangelical. Her new book, The Exvangelicals - Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church tells her story and the story of others who felt disenchanted by the movement and walked away. Hear from three Gen Z-ers about their relationship with religion and spirituality. Later in the show, we’ll hear from Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin. She’s the first person of African-American and Japane ..read more

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 "trad ..read more

This week on Disrupted, we learn about two women who played important roles in the Civil Rights Movement. Historian Tanisha C. Ford wrote about Mollie Moon, a fundraiser in the 1940s in her new book 'Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement,'. Later in the show, we’ll listen back to our conversation about New Haven’s Constance Baker Motley. She was the first Black woman to become a federal judge in the U.S. GUESTS: Tanisha C. Ford: Professor of History at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). Her most recent b ..read more

The First Lady of the United States is not an elected position. But even so, the office plays an important role in our government. This week on Disrupted, an Art Historian talks about the powerful First Ladies of American history who don't get the recognition they deserve. Also, how gender quotas are changing politics in Latin America. GUESTS: Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw: Class of 1940 Bicentennial Term Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she was the Senior Historian and Director of History, Research, and Scholarly Programs at the National Portrait Gal ..read more

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 e ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more