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 returning to our conversations with two Connecticut residents about the stories they have preserved through oral history.

Author and educator Mary Romney-Schaab talks about her father's experience as a Black person imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. And Amanda Rivera, a PhD candidate in American Studies at Yale University, discusses the history of Connecticut's Puerto Rican communities.

GUESTS:


Mary Romney-Schaab: retired teacher and author of An Afro-Caribbean in the Nazi Era: From Papiamentu to German. The book details her father’s experience in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II


Amanda Rivera: PhD candidate in the Department of American Studies at Yale University. Her work explores activism and education reform in Puerto Rican communities in southern Connecticut.

This episode originally aired on April 25, 2025. 

Oral history preserves the past by recording people&rsquo;s real voices. It&rsquo;s not just about recording the stories people tell. It&rsquo;s also about the way they tell them. Oral history is about memory and humanity. It&rsquo;s a form of history that anyone can be a part of.
This hour, we&rsquo;re returning to our conversations with two Connecticut residents about the stories they have preserved through oral history.
Author and educator <a href="https://afrocaribww2.net/about/">Mary Romney-Schaab</a> talks about her father's experience as a Black person imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. And <a href="https://americanstudies.yale.edu/people/amanda-rivera">Amanda Rivera</a>, a PhD candidate in American Studies at Yale University, discusses the history of Connecticut's Puerto Rican communities.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://afrocaribww2.net/about/">Mary Romney-Schaab</a>: retired teacher and author of <a href="https://afrocaribww2.net/book">An Afro-Caribbean in the Nazi Era: From Papiamentu to German</a>. The book details her father&rsquo;s experience in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://americanstudies.yale.edu/people/amanda-rivera">Amanda Rivera</a>: PhD candidate in the Department of American Studies at Yale University. Her work explores activism and education reform in Puerto Rican communities in southern Connecticut.
</li>
</ul>
This episode originally aired on April 25, 2025.&nbsp;

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. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together.

Visit ctpublic.org/disrupted for more! 

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. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together.
Visit <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted">ctpublic.org/disrupted</a> for more!

Disrupted

Oral histories preserve the stories of communities that might otherwise be lost

For students and families, navigating the world of higher education isn’t easy. Some of the challenges, like student loan debt, have been going on for years. Other challenges come from more recent changes in how the federal government approaches universities.

To explore these challenges, we're talking to John Maduko, who was appointed Interim Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system in June. We'll also hear from Jamal Watson, whose new book is The Student Debt Crisis: America’s Moral Urgency.

GUESTS:


Jamal Watson: Journalist covering higher education. He’s also Associate Dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies and Professor of Strategic Communication and Public Relations at Trinity Washington University. His new book is The Student Debt Crisis: America’s Moral Urgency.


John Maduko: Interim Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.

If you want to learn more about higher education, you can listen to our recent interview with Beverly Daniel Tatum. You can also listen to our 2022 interview with John Maduko.

For students and families, navigating the world of higher education isn&rsquo;t easy. Some of the challenges, like student loan debt, have been going on for years. Other challenges come from more recent changes in how the federal government approaches universities.
To explore these challenges, we're talking to <a href="https://www.ct.edu/chancellor/bio">John Maduko</a>, who was appointed Interim Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system in June. We'll also hear from <a href="https://www.jamalwatson.com/">Jamal Watson</a>, whose new book is <a href="https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506495163/The-Student-Debt-Crisis">The Student Debt Crisis: America&rsquo;s Moral Urgency</a>.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.jamalwatson.com/">Jamal Watson</a>: Journalist covering higher education. He&rsquo;s also Associate Dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies and Professor of Strategic Communication and Public Relations at Trinity Washington University. His new book is <a href="https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506495163/The-Student-Debt-Crisis">The Student Debt Crisis: America&rsquo;s Moral Urgency</a>.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ct.edu/chancellor/bio">John Maduko</a>: Interim Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.
</li>
</ul>
If you want to learn more about higher education, you can listen to our recent <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted/2025-10-10/dr-beverly-daniel-tatum-reflects-on-the-peril-and-promise-of-being-a-college-leader-today">interview with Beverly Daniel Tatum</a>. You can also listen to our <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted/2022-12-14/from-12-community-colleges-to-1-a-new-connecticut-state-community-college">2022 interview with John Maduko</a>.

John Maduko on CT’s state college system and Jamal Watson on the student debt crisis

Being the first person to do something isn’t easy. There’s no blueprint for what you are doing, no conventional wisdom to fall back on when all else fails. There is also the pressure of expectations and all the people who are counting on your success. But it’s a way to show people what is possible. Being first means being a pioneer. And here in Connecticut, people are pioneering a wide range of fields every day.

GUESTS:


Shelly Carter: Fire Chief at the Hamden Fire Department. She is the first woman and first person of color to serve in that role.


Dawn Leaks Ragsdale: Inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Inclusive Growth, a group created through a partnership between Yale and the city of New Haven that seeks to build opportunities for economic growth for allNew Haven residents.


Shiang-Kwei Wang: Campus President at CT State Gateway. She’s the first person to hold the title of “Campus President” and the first Asian American leader of Gateway.

This episode originally aired on September 26, 2025. 

Being the first person to do something isn&rsquo;t easy. There&rsquo;s no blueprint for what you are doing, no conventional wisdom to fall back on when all else fails. There is also the pressure of expectations and all the people who are counting on your success. But it&rsquo;s a way to show people what is possible. Being first means being a pioneer. And here in Connecticut, people are pioneering a wide range of fields every day.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Shelly Carter: Fire Chief at the Hamden Fire Department. She is the first woman and first person of color to serve in that role.
</li>
<li>
Dawn Leaks Ragsdale: Inaugural Executive Director of the <a href="https://www.ignewhaven.org/">Center for Inclusive Growth</a>, a group created through a partnership between Yale and the city of New Haven that seeks to build opportunities for economic growth for all New Haven residents.
</li>
<li>
Shiang-Kwei Wang: Campus President at CT State Gateway. She&rsquo;s the first person to hold the title of &ldquo;Campus President&rdquo; and the first Asian American leader of Gateway.
</li>
</ul>
This episode originally aired on September 26, 2025.

Connecticut leaders breaking barriers with historic firsts

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 poetry to build connections. Her new book is Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times.

GUEST:


Tracy K. Smith: Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019. Her 2011 collection Life on Mars won the Pulitzer Prize. Her latest book is Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times.

You can find both of the poems Tracy reads on this episode, "Everybody's Autobiography" and "Charity," online.

When <a href="https://tracyksmithpoet.com/">Tracy K. Smith</a> 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&rsquo;s two terms as poet laureate ended in 2019, she is still using poetry to build connections. Her new book is <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324050988">Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times</a>.
GUEST:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://tracyksmithpoet.com/">Tracy K. Smith</a>: Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019. Her 2011 collection Life on Mars won the Pulitzer Prize. Her latest book is <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324050988">Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times</a>.
</li>
</ul>
You can find both of the poems Tracy reads on this episode, "<a href="https://poets.org/poem/everybodys-autobiography">Everybody's Autobiography</a>" and "<a href="https://onbeing.org/poetry/charity/">Charity</a>," online.

Oral histories preserve the stories of communities that might otherwise be lost

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