New England’s abolitionist past hides a darker history of slavery in the region. It’s a legacy that still affects communities across the region, from housing and education to health outcomes for people of color.
New Hampshire Public Radio will air the four-part series “Racism in New England”, from America Amplified and the New England News Collaborative (NENC). Each of the four broadcasts will be hosted by a collaborative member station, and focus on different topics related to racism: housing, disparities in education and health, and the ongoing conversation around the protest movement. The series will look at the issues from a regional, New England perspective and incorporate listener questions and engagement.
The special broadcasts will air on four consecutive Fridays beginning September 18 and concluding on October 9. All four parts of the series will be pre-recorded, and all series are co-hosted by Traci Griffith, Department Chair of Media Studies, Journalism, and Digital Arts at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont.
Each special will run from 3 to 4 p.m., in the slot usually occupied by NEXT.
The broadcast lineup:
Friday, September 18 - 3 p.m. – History
NEXT host Morgan Springer will explore historical issues of race, injustice, and the history of racism in New England.
Friday, September 25 - 3 p.m. – Housing
John Dankosky, Engagement Editor of the New England Public Radio, will lead a conversation on the housing discrimination that minority populations face in New England, including how redlining and modern-day zoning limits impact people of color live in the region.
Friday, October 2 - 3 p.m. – Health Disparities
The third broadcast will be hosted by Jennifer Rooks, a host of Maine Public Radio’s Maine Calling. The episode will cover the issue of racial health disparities across the six-state regions, along with discussion of COVID-19 is exacerbating the long-standing disparities faced by people of color.
Friday, October 9 - 3 p.m. – Education Disparities
Peter Biello will host the fourth broadcast. Biello, NHPR’s local host of All Things Considered, will cover the effects that racism has had on education.
Connecticut Public,Maine Public, Vermont Public andNew England Public Radio will also air the broadcast during the allocated time period of NEXT.
Listeners can contribute to the conversation and ask questions prior to each broadcast by tweeting at @NENCNewEngland, or emailing AmericaAmplified@nepr.org.
America Amplified is a national audience engagement effort funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the New England News Collaborative (NENC). NHPR is a member of NENC – a partnership of 10 public media companies in six states.
