Disrupted Connecticut Public

While many Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1865, the holiday has often been overlooked by non-Black Americans. This hour, we look at the tradition of the holiday and recognize its importance as a time to learn more about Black history in the U.S.

Alliah L. Agostini is a mom and children’s book author. Her books The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States and The Juneteenth Cookbook teach the history and joy of Juneteenth.

Distinguished Professor Dr. William Darity explains the history of reparations and today's racial wealth gap.

 

GUESTS:



Alliah L. Agostini: children’s book author - The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States and The Juneteenth Cookbook



Dr. William Darity: Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Duke University. Co-author, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century


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For parents, thinking about mental health is also about the lessons they impart on their children. This hour, we talk to two parents who advocate for mental health. First, Medina Jett, author of 'Peace Be Still: Navigating My Son’s Bipolar Disorder,' opens up about being a mother to a young adult with a mental illness. Then, Michell Clark discusses his book 'Eyes on the Road' and offers advice on how he's prioritized his mental health as a parent and beyond.

GUESTS:



Medina Jett: attorney, real estate developer and President of Jett Speaks. She’s also a mental health advocate whose newest book is 'Peace Be Still: Navigating My Son’s Bipolar Disorder'



Michell Clark: mental health advocate and author of Eyes on the Road



If you or someone you know is struggling, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national helpline is 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357).
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This hour, we are taking a look at friendship. While friends seem ubiquitous in our culture, they aren't often prioritized in the same way that romantic partners are. Rhaina Cohen discusses that topic in her new book 'The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center.' Then, we turn to the idea of having friends from different generations. We'll hear from two Quinnipiac University students who spent their first year of grad school living with the residents of Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, a retirement community in Wallingford, CT. And Eunice Lin Nichols, Co-CEO of CoGenerate, will explain the value of intergenerational connections, including how they can help in a polarized society.

GUESTS:



Rhaina Cohen: Producer and editor for NPR. Author of 'The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center'



Elise Maiorano: grad student at Quinnipiac University studying occupational therapy. Elise spent her first year of grad school living at Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, a retirement community



Annemarie Allen: grad student at Quinnipiac University studying occupational therapy. Annemarie spent her first year of grad school living at Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village, a retirement community



Ben Paige: Resident of Pond Ridge at Ashlar Village



Eunice Lin Nichols: Co-CEO of CoGenerate, an organization that brings people from different generations together to solve problems



This episode originally aired on February 14, 2024.
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Both Democrats and Republicans are hoping immigration policy will win them votes in 2024. This hour, we take a look at immigration laws from the past and present. Atlantic Staff Writer and 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winner Caitlin Dickerson talks about Biden and Trump's records on immigration and tells us who is immigrating to the U.S. today. We also hear from a group that supports immigrants through community organizing in Bridgeport and Hartford, and we learn about a restrictive immigration act that was signed 100 years ago.

GUESTS:



Caitlin Dickerson: Staff Writer for The Atlantic. In 2023 she won a Pulitzer Prize for her work on the U.S. policy of separating migrant children from their families.



Barbara López: Director of Make the Road Connecticut



Mae Ngai: Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies and Professor of History at Columbia University. Her most recent book is The Chinese Question: The Gold Rushes and Global Politics.



For more on the history of U.S. immigration policy, you can listen to our episode on Chinese American exclusion and resistance.
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As election day steadily approaches, we hear two conversations about voting. Back in March, Khalilah hosted a live event with MSNBC Legal Analyst Charles Coleman Jr. We take a listen to that event and learn how Black voters can make a difference in their communities. The discussion was part of The Legacy Foundation of Hartford's Black Excellence Speaker Series.

Then, Jacqueline De León, Senior Attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, talks about a 2020 report on barriers to voting access that Native Americans face and how those could impact the 2024 elections.

GUESTS:



Charles Coleman Jr.: MSNBC Legal Analyst, Civil Rights Attorney and Co-Host of 'Black Men in America: Road to 2024,' which aired on MSNBC in February



Jacqueline De León: Senior Attorney with the Native American Rights Fund and co-author of the report Obstacles at Every Turn: Barriers to Political Participation Faced by Native American Voters. She is an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo.


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Seventy years ago, Brown v. Board of Education outlawed racial segregation in public schools. This hour, we look at the historic Supreme Court decision — and some of the inequities that still exist in education today.

We speak with the Executive Director of a youth development organization in Hartford working to close education opportunity gaps.

And later, we talk about the legacy of Ellen Peters, the first woman appointed Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. She wrote the opinion in Sheff v. O’Neill, a landmark school desegregation case here in Connecticut.

 

GUESTS:

Kathy Trusty: Independent historian and children’s author.

Andrea Williams: Executive Director, ConnectiKids.

Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson: Chief Justice, Connecticut Supreme Court.

Richard Palmer: Former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice, Chairman of the state Public Defender Services Commission.
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