Disrupted

“History repeats itself,” the saying goes. Or, as another saying goes, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” There’s also “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.”

Together these sayings suggest the value of history in our culture and our belief that it can help us understand the present.

This hour, we’re talking ab...

At the start of May, Khalilah sat down for a conversation with historians Jill Lepore and Jon Meacham.

The conversation was titled “Lessons from History,” and it came at a time when a lot was going on in U.S. politics. In just the past week there had been gunshots fired outside the ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was being held, a Supreme Court ruling that impacted the Vot...

Many people remember #MeToo from when it went viral in 2017. And before the hashtag, there was the Me Too movement, started by activist Tarana Burke 20 years ago as a way to support survivors of sexual violence, especially Black women and girls.

This hour, we’re reflecting on what has changed since the height of the Me Too movement. We'll discuss everything from policy to social media.

GUESTS:

• ...

Some inventions change the way we see the world. Others fail to meet the lofty expectations set for them. Those are the ones that make it into a traveling museum called the Museum of Failure. It recognizes products like Nintendo's early attempt at 3-D gaming and a clear soda called Crystal Pepsi. There's also the Hawaii Chair, a chair whose cushion gyrates in a way that will supposedly help you get in shap...

Tayari Jones has had quite the literary career. Her 2018 novel An American Marriage was a New York Times bestseller and an Oprah’s Book Club Pick. Her latest novel, Kin came out earlier this year, and once again it was a bestseller and an Oprah’s Book Club Pick.

Kin tells the story of two Black girls— best friends who grow up in the Jim Crow era in a town called Honeysuckle, Louisiana. Ne...

When Tara Pringle Jefferson was 26, she was a freelance consultant and writer. She says she often worked 18 hour days. After some time, she started feeling pain in her neck and shoulder. When she went to the doctor, the doctor prescribed a treatment that she didn’t expect— rest. Tara writes, “I was only 26 but I was already working myself to death.”

A lot changed after that appointm...

When Tracy K. Smith served as Poet Laureate of the United States, she used her platform to bring people together. In 2018, she traveled the country for a series called American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Communities. At these events, she encouraged people to share their thoughts, regardless of their background. While Tracy’s two terms as poet laureate ended in 2019, she is still using ...

In 2018, the Supreme Court Case Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association reshaped gambling in the U.S. The ruling ended a ban on sports gambling— it had previously been illegal in every state except Nevada. Today, 39 states and Washington, D.C. have at least some form of legalized sports betting. Sports betting became legal in Connecticut in 2021.

This hour, we’re taking a look at how...

Housing policy impacts everyone, so this hour, we are taking some time to break down what is happening with housing policy in Connecticut's current legislative session. CT Public's own Abigail Brone joins us to talk about some of her recent reporting.

Plus, in the 1970s, a wave of arson swept U.S. cities. The arson has long been attributed to the Black and brown residents of apartment buildings, but Bench ...

Wellness is a multi-trillion dollar industry, but it's not “one size fits all.” For some people of color, Eurocentric beauty standards can be harmful, and trying to achieve an arbitrary wellness goal can actually cause stress. We talk with registered dietician, Dalia Kinsey about the book, Decolonizing Wellness: A QTBIPOC-Centered Guide to Escape the Diet Trap, Heal Your Self-Image, and Achieve...

When people think of craft, certain images might come to mind, like knitting in a rocking chair by a warm fireplace. People often think of it as a quiet, solitary activity— one that doesn’t make much of a public statement. But crafts like knitting can be radical. The rocking chair by the fireplace isn’t just quiet and solitary— it can also be a site of real political change.

This ho...

A number of student groups and grassroots organizations recently called for a day of “No work, no school, no shopping,” to protest immigration enforcement in Minnesota. This comes at a time when consumers are used to seeing reasons not to support certain brands or companies, and worker strikes are up around the country.

This hour, we take a look at labor strikes and economic boycotts, when they...

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation invests in a wide range of projects from arts to education. And they recently celebrated their 100th year in existence. With that milestone, they decided to make some changes. Their projects include building a new headquarters and increased funding for scholarships. Even the name is new— until recently, the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation was known as the Hartf...

Krystal Marquis’ debut novel, The Davenports, came out in 2023. The novel centers on four Black women navigating their careers and romances in 1910 Chicago. The book deals with class, race and gender, and it quickly joined New York Times’ bestsellers list for Young Adult Hardcover fiction. A second book, The Davenports: More Than This, was also a bestseller. And the popularity of the series may...

Every February, the United States celebrates Black History Month. But in recent years, the celebration might have felt a bit different.

On January 31, 2025, 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 Dive...

When was the last time you dabbled in something? In this episode of Disrupted, author Karen Walrond talks about the joys of dabbling and the space where dabbling and activism meet. She shares how trying activities like sports, pottery or baking—even if you're not good at them—can expand our definition of self.

We also visit Jason Ramos' New Haven dance studio, Baila Con Gusto CT, where dab...

Disrupted recently reached a milestone— five years on the air. We celebrated with a live event that included a panel discussion on “Finding Joy and Purpose in Turbulent Times.” Panelists Erik Clemons and Ryan Parker opened up about the duality between joy and turbulence in their lives, and Ryan gave us a stirring performance of his poetry.

GUESTS:

• Erik Clemons: CEO and President of ...

Connecticut’s Clean Slate law passed in 2021. The law aims to erase certain convictions from people’s records after a period of time. It was initially scheduled to go into effect in January of 2023, but the program faced delays. This hour, we'll take a look at where things stand with Clean Slate today.

We'll also hear from Joe Soss and Joshua Page. Their recent book is Legal Plunder: The Predat...

The United Nations General Assembly is currently in its 80th session. This hour we look at the status of the organization today, and the challenges it faces.

Plus, historian Thant Myint-U has a new book out about his grandfather, U Thant, who was the UN’s first non-European secretary-general, and a leading ambassador of peace during the Cold War. Myint-U joins us to talk about his grandfather's role ...