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The past and present of beach segregation in Connecticut

Activist Ned Coll, in striped shirt, talks with a police officer and community members as part of his campaign to enable Black, inner-city residents to access Connecticut's beaches in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bob Adelman
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Republished with permission from Adelman Images
Activist Ned Coll, in striped shirt, talks with a police officer and community members as part of his campaign to enable Black, inner-city residents to access Connecticut's beaches in the 1960s and 1970s.

Connecticut has hundreds of miles of shoreline, extending from Greenwich in the west to Stonington in the east.

But many of these coastal communities have found ways to exclude certain people. In fact, there's a long history of segregation on our shores, dating back decades. This hour, we’ll unpack past and present beach access in Connecticut.

Plus, we’ll look at who does — and does not — get access to quality public spaces like parks.

GUESTS:

Hear more from Andrew Kahrl in this episode of Disrupted.

This episode originally aired on July 5, 2023.

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Frankie Graziano is the host of 'The Wheelhouse,' focusing on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.
Meg Dalton is the director of audio storytelling and talk shows for Connecticut Public where she oversees the station’s talk shows and podcasts, including the limited series 'In Absentia'.