Untold: A CT Mirror Podcast

Coming soon: What truths can we all still hold to be "self-evident"? Young voters and activists from around Connecticut explore the issues that matter most to them this election season. Mercy Quaye and John Dankosky challenge assumptions, seek understanding and leave nothing Untold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whose recovery is this anyway? The pandemic shutdowns threw tens of thousands of people out of work in Connecticut. Businesses had to close their doors. Essential workers risked their health for low wages and non-existent benefits. Two years later, house prices have surged, businesses are back open, and there seem to be plenty of jobs – so we should be feeling pretty good, right? But the inequalities that existed in Connecticut well before the pandemic were only worsened by COVID.  This episode, we'll hear how the boom in home prices has affected the organizations trying to tackle the affordable housing crisis, Terrell Williams shares his journey as an essential worker during COVID, and Ryan Martins visits with small business owners around the state to hear how their recovery is going. Mercy and John talk with Janée Woods Weber, the executive director of CWEALF, the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund. Organizations featured in this episode Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County The Black Business Alliance SEIU1199 NE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you had to think about a key area of life where the pandemic truly exposed the enormous divisions that already existed in this state – education would be pretty close to the top of the list. We were already the state with the largest achievement gap in the nation. A state where half-a-million people owe more than a billion dollars in student loans. And then, in March of 2020  — teachers, students, everyone, was sent home. This episode, we visit with three UConn students who transitioned out of high school during the pandemic. And Jeniece Roman talks with teachers and families around Connecticut about surviving lockdown in the K-12 system. John and Mercy talk with Cristher Estrada-Perez of the Student Loan Fund about the generational burden of educational debt. Organizations featured in this episode Higher Edge Center for Children's Advocacy Connecticut Education Association See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The opioid epidemic that has been devastating many communities in Connecticut for the last several years was only exacerbated by the stress and isolation of the pandemic. And that's on top of the influx of fentanyl that has truly led to an epidemic of overdose deaths. But the pandemic has also shown us all the importance of prioritizing recovery and mental health. Are we turning the corner on the stigma of drug use? This episode we go inside the district court in Torrington to learn how people are being given access to treatment rather than jail. And Harriet Jones will take us to New London to find out how churches there are helping in the effort to keep drug users safe. Mercy and John speak with Rushnee Vereen about her work as an overdose response technician for the City of Waterbury. Organizations featured in this episode MCCA Ledge Light Health District Alliance for Living Madry Temple Church See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaving prison and trying to re-establish life in the community comes with an incredible set of challenges – housing, employment, family relationships – and under it all, recovering from the trauma of incarceration itself. Thousands of people were released from prison in Connecticut in 2020 as the Department of Corrections tried to stem a tide of COVID in its facilities.  This episode we go inside the Hartford Re-entry Welcome Center, and Ryan Lindsay will introduce us to Antonio Rivera, who came home from prison during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. John and Mercy speak with Iliana Pujols from the Connecticut Justice Alliance about her work with young people touched by the criminal justice system. Iliana is also a member of CT Mirror's Community Editorial Board. Organizations featured in this episode Community Partners in Action See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming soon: Whose recovery is this anyway? Hear stories from around Connecticut about how people are feeling two years into the pandemic. Mercy Quaye and John Dankosky challenge assumptions, seek understanding and leave nothing Untold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.