Best Rob Gabaree Podcasts (2025)

1
Oral histories preserve the stories of communities that might otherwise be lost 49:00

6d ago49:00

49:00

Oral history preserves the past by recording people’s real voices. It’s not just about recording the stories people tell. It’s also about the way they tell them. Oral history is about memory and humanity. It’s a form of history that anyone can be a part of. This hour, we’re talking to two Connecticut residents about the stories they have preserved …

1
Representation on television from 'Julia' to 'City of Ghosts' 48:30

13d ago48:30

48:30

This hour, we are returning to conversations 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: F…

1
Julia Bullock and Terence Blanchard are changing how we understand opera 41:00

20d ago41:00

41:00

Legendary trumpeter Terence Blanchard is the first Black composer to have had an opera performed at the Metropolitan Opera. But, as he says, he isn't the first Black composer qualified to do so. This hour, we talk to musicians who are changing the face of opera by bringing new stories to the fore. GUESTS: Terence Blanchard: Executive Artistic Direc…

1
The legacy of the Harlem Renaissance 49:00

27d ago49:00

49:00

In March of 1924, more than 100 Black and white attendees were at a dinner party in downtown Manhattan. The party was organized by prominent thinkers Charles S. Johnson and Alain Locke and included people like W.E.B. DuBois. Their goal was to bring together Harlem’s young Black writers with white publishers to help the writers’ work find a national…

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

1M 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 …

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

1M 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 …

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

2M 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…

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

2M 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 sh…

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

2M 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…

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

2M 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 …

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

3M 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. …

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

3M 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. I…

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

3M 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 port…

1
How young politicians are working toward change 47:30

3M 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 re…

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

3M 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 nonpro…

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

4M 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…

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

4M 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 Th…

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

4M 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 …

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

4M ago49:00

49:00

In March of 1924, more than 100 Black and white attendees were at a dinner party in downtown Manhattan. The party was organized by prominent thinkers Charles S. Johnson and Alain Locke and included people like W.E.B. DuBois. Their goal was to bring together Harlem’s young Black writers with white publishers to help the writers’ work find a national…

1
Purple-Colored Glasses 41:47

5M ago41:47

41:47

Barney made kids feel loved. He was a friend, sometimes even a father figure, to Millennials and Gen Zers. To this day, many are finding comfort in this purple dinosaur and trying to put his values into practice. So, why do the things we loved as kids stick with us? What draws us back to them decades later? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. …

1
The surprising history of sex and sexuality in America 41:10

5M ago41:10

41:10

We hear a lot of of debate around sex and sexuality from our political leaders these days. Proposed legislation in areas like reproductive rights and education are constantly in the news. And while that debate may seem intense today, it isn’t new. Americans have long argued over which kinds of sex are, and aren’t “acceptable.” You need to understan…

1
Kid Bopz 43:34

5M ago43:34

43:34

“Barney & Friends” was all about the music. Barney and the kids on the show would learn about everything through song. The people behind Barney’s tunes had to make sure toddlers could easily understand what they were hearing — that meant songs had to be active, repetitive, and simple. But those same ingredients? They made some parents cringe. For a…

1
Purple Dino Puppeteers 31:50

5M ago31:50

31:50

For a lot of young viewers, Barney wasn’t just a character on TV. He was more like a friend. Barney even became a kind of mentor for some kids. For one group of friends, their friendship — and even careers — might’ve turned out totally different had it not been for a purple dinosaur. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a tr…

1
Poet Crystal Wilkinson connects to kitchen ghosts through cooking 49:00

5M ago49:00

49:00

Poet Crystal Wilkinson says people are always surprised to hear that there are Black people in Appalachia. That’s despite the fact that two million Black people live in the region. The Black presence in Appalachia goes all the way back to the time of enslavement. And Crystal’s own family is a part of that history— her relatives Aggy and Tarlton Wil…

1
Purple Capitalism 36:08

5M ago36:08

36:08

On “Barney & Friends,” Barney starts off as a plush toy and then comes to life. That iconic stuffed animal wasn’t just on the small screen; it was in the homes of children around the world. Merchandise was a huge part of the show’s success. But “Barney & Friends” wasn’t the first movie or TV show to connect with fans through merch. That dates back …

1
Playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith on the politics of art 49:00

5M ago49:00

49:00

Actress Anna Deavere Smith is known for her roles on TV series like The West Wing, Nurse Jackie and Black-ish. She’s also the playwright and performer behind more than fifteen one-woman shows including the Tony-nominated Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 and the new This Ghost of Slavery: A Play of Past and Present. She writes scripts based on her interv…

1
Love 2 Hate 39:46

5M ago39:46

39:46

Kids all over the world loved Barney. But even though Barney loved everybody, not everybody loved him back. Some parents found the character pretty annoying. Other grown-ups took things a step further. In some cases, the Barney backlash even got violent. That extreme reaction from adults? It can tell us a bit about our culture today — and how much …

1
New Haven’s historian Michael Morand on bringing the city's past to the present 48:30

6M ago48:30

48:30

This year, Michael Morand, director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, was appointed New Haven's official city historian. We return to our conversation with him about bringing New Haven’s history to life and the exhibit he collaborated on at the New Haven Museum. The exhibit includes years of Michael's res…

1
Toddler TV 42:20

6M ago42:20

42:20

In the 90s, preschoolers went nuts for “Barney & Friends” — and that’s kind of by design. The people behind the show put a lot of thought into every detail, from the word choices in scripts to the behaviors Barney modeled. Barney spoke to kids in a language they could understand. And those little ones? They were also central to the creation, and ev…

1
Dinosync 36:05

6M ago36:05

36:05

For years, two men brought Barney to life. One was the voice, one was the body, and together they entertained kids around the world. Bob West and David Joyner created an iconic character in Barney, from the goofy laugh to those gravity-defying jumps. Just like the character meant so much to many of us, Barney meant a lot to Bob and David, too. Visi…

1
How young politicians are working toward change 48:30

6M ago48:30

48:30

This hour, we learn 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 …

1
Examining inequities in education with Dr. Bettina Love and Anthony Abraham Jack 49:00

6M ago49:00

49:00

In her new book Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal, Dr. Bettina Love says that Black public school students like her in the 1980s and 1990s were "labeled disposable because of our zip code, test scores, and Black skin." Dr. Love is this year's winner of the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism. She joins us t…

1
Disrupted Trailer 0:54

6M ago0:54

0:54

Disrupted is about the changes we all encounter and the forces driving those changes. Some disruptions spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. But the show isn't just about those disruptions; it’s about embracing them, exploring new perspectives, and feeling more connected to ourselves and our communities…

1
Trailer: Generation Barney 2:16

6M ago2:16

2:16

Why do we revisit the things we loved as kids? What is the lasting power of this media? This seven-part podcast looks for answers in a great, big, purple dinosaur. Generation Barney is produced by Connecticut Public. Learn more at ctpublic.org/barney. Support the show: https://www.ctpublic.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat…

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

6M ago49:00

49:00

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 a…

1
Exploring Appalachia beyond ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ 49:00

7M ago49:00

49:00

If you've never spent time in Appalachia, your idea of the region might be shaped by what you see in media like vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and its subsequent movie adaptation. But many popular depictions of Appalachia ignore its rich diversity. This hour, we talk to people who grew up in Appalachia to go…

1
Exploring connections between fascism and attacks on education with Jason Stanley 41:00

7M ago41:00

41:00

According to a Washington Post analysis, from 2021 to 2023, states passed 70 laws restricting education about race, sex and gender. In the four years before that, states passed zero such restrictions. That change accompanies a wave of criticism of U.S. universities brought forward by politicians like Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance. This, hour, …

1
The cultural forces that shape gun violence with Dr. Jonathan Metzl 49:00

7M ago49:00

49:00

For years, Dr. Jonathan Metzl thought about gun violence as a public health issue. His approach treated it like an epidemic and treated guns as a health risk. But as he studied a mass shooting that happened near where he lives in Nashville, he realized he had been missing something crucial for years— the cultural power of guns. He joins us to talk …

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

7M ago49:00

49:00

Author Amy Tan 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. Amy’s latest book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, hits close to home in a different way. In it, she brings the birds in her backyar…

1
New Haven’s historian Michael Morand on bringing the city's past to the present 49:00

8M ago49:00

49:00

This year, Michael Morand, director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, was appointed New Haven's official city historian. We talk with him about bringing New Haven’s history to life and the exhibit he collaborated on at the New Haven Museum. The exhibit includes years of Michael's research as part of The Y…

1
Why 'natural' disasters aren't as natural as their name suggests 48:00

8M ago48:00

48:00

Listening to the news, it feels like there are more natural disasters than ever. This hour, we return to conversations about why flooding and droughts are becoming so common and how the word "disaster" affects the way we view an event. First, Connecticut State Historian Andy Horowitz explains why understanding disasters involves looking at the deci…

1
Civics 101: Why Vote, And How To Do It 51:00

8M ago51:00

51:00

Disrupted will be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, as we prepare for the election, we are bringing you some highlights from the New Hampshire Public Radio series 'Civics 101.' Why Vote, And How To Do It The United States is supposed to be a representative democracy. We vote for our leaders, and those leaders represent our inter…

1
Civics 101: Are We A Democracy Or A Republic? 51:02

9M ago51:02

51:02

Disrupted will be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, as we prepare for the election, we are bringing you some highlights from the New Hampshire Public Radio series 'Civics 101.' Are We A Democracy Or A Republic? Civics 101 has a tagline: we’re a show about the basics of how our democracy works. And there’s a complaint we get pret…

1
What this wild election cycle could mean for November 49:00

9M ago49:00

49:00

This week on Disrupted, we dive deep into one of the wildest election cycles in recent history. Journalist and editorial director for Mother Jones, Jamilah King, offers her take on some of the latest political developments. We also discuss Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy with Higher Heights for America, an organization that supports Black …

1
The way Americans are practicing religion is changing 49:00

9M ago49:00

49:00

This hour, we listen back to conversations with 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 book, The Exvangelicals - Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church tells her story and the sto…

1
Connecticut music disruptors: From a jazz violinist to a DJ challenging stereotypes 49:00

9M ago49:00

49:00

This hour, we explore Connecticut music. Violinist Kersten Stevens recently released a jazz album that she worked on with eight-time Grammy winner Christian McBride. She talks to us about facing imposter syndrome and how her unique sound came out of her experience playing a wide range of genres while growing up in Connecticut. Qiana Coachman-Strick…

1
Beauty pageants are changing: 'It's about the whole person' 49:00

10M ago49:00

49:00

In its early stages, Miss America was mostly about physical beauty. Today, pageants have placed more emphasis on interviewing skills, social platform and inclusiveness. Shavana Clarke is the first openly queer and lesbian woman to win Miss Connecticut USA. She shares her pageant journey and her mental health experience through her personal blog. We…

1
Preview Paris 2024, from a Paralympic shark attack survivor to an Olympic sport rooted in hip-hop 49:00

10M ago49:00

49:00

This hour, we prepare for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. We'll hear from competitors, including a Connecticut native who lost part of her leg in a shark attack one year ago. She will now swim for Team USA in the Paralympics. We'll also check in on the geopolitical implications of this year's Olympics and talk to Logan "Logistx" Edra, who is…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Rob Gabaree Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen