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!

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