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Fifty-One Percent

Fifty-One Percent

  • Jennifer Bradtke
    On this week’s 51%, we speak with psychologist Dr. Jennifer Bradtke about the physical and emotional impacts of stress and burnout, and how you can better implement tools to de-stress. Burnout can affect not just working women, but caregivers, moms and activists as well. Contrary to what you might think, Bradtke says the key to addressing burnout is not getting away from it all, but creating daily habits that protect your time, energy and mental wellbeing in the wake of stress. We also hear from New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal about a package of bills she has introduced to establish workplace protections and better healthcare coverage for women experiencing menopause.
  • G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Ingrid Clayton
    On this week's 51%, we speak with psychologist Dr. Ingrid Clayton about her new book, Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves — and How to Find Our Way Back. Many of us are familiar with the three main survival responses: fight, flight and freeze. When those options seem too dangerous or unavailable, Clayton says drawing closer and appeasing a painful person/situation can feel like the last resort. Often confused with “codependency” and “people pleasing,” Clayton says “fawning” is an unconscious trauma response that takes time and patience to unlearn.
  • On this week’s 51%, we hear from Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer Renée Elise Goldsberry about her solo debut record Who I Really Am. Goldsberry is perhaps best known for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway hit Hamilton and her portrayal of “Wickie” in the Netflix series Girls5eva. Blending pop, soul, funk and gospel, Who I Really Am allows Goldsberry to get personal, rather than playing a character.
  • On this week's 51%, we learn about a Girl Scouts program that aims to teach young girls how to identify their emotions and talk about their mental health. Brenda Episcopo, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York, walks through how the “mental wellness patch program” helps girls Grades 4-12 build their emotional literacy and self-soothe in times of stress. We also speak with the woman behind “Erin’s Law” about how teaching kids body safety helps prevent child sex abuse.
  • On this week's 51%, we speak with attorney Heather Lothrop of the Urban Justice Center about what immigrant survivors of domestic violence should know as they're planning to leave an abusive partner or bring them to court. We'll also discuss how the Trump administration's deportation efforts are impacting such cases, and learn about a bill in Congress that would expand childcare options for police officers.
  • On this week's 51%, we speak with Shani Adess, vice president of the New York Legal Assistance Group, about the importance of providing sound legal advice to survivors of domestic violence, and what people should know if they bring their abuser to court.
  • On this week’s 51%, we speak with journalism Becky Aikman about her new book, Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II. Desperate for pilots in 1942, Great Britain recruited 25 American women to ferry bombers, fighter planes, and damaged craft between air bases. Drawing from diaries, letters, and personal interviews, Aikman tells the story of the first American women to ever command military aircraft, and how they still struggled to find piloting work in the U.S. after the war. We also speak with former CIA intelligence officer Christina Hillsberg about her book, Agents of Change, and why she feels women make better spies.
  • On this week's 51%, we speak with the authors of Breaking Trail: Remarkable Women of the Adirondacks. Compiling both historical research and folk songs, Breaking Trail spotlights some of the women hikers, hunters, artists and legends who had a profound impact on New York's Adirondack Park.
  • On this week’s 51%, we take a feminist self-defense course with IMPACT Boston Executive Director Meg Stone. In her new book, The Cost of Fear, Stone says a majority of the safety advice given to women – like “Don’t walk at night,” “Don’t put your hair in a ponytail” – is well-meaning, but sexist, and doesn’t actually address gender-based violence on a large scale.
  • On this week’s 51%, we chat with rising Broadway star Jasmine Amy Rogers about her Tony-nominated performance in BOOP! The Musical, and how she gets in character for the iconic role of Betty Boop. We also stop by a lecture with the author of Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her.
  • On this week's 51%, we hear from NPR’s Emily Feng about her experience reporting in China, and her new book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China. Telling the stories of nearly two dozen people Feng encountered in China – before she ran afoul of the government herself – Let Only Red Flowers Bloom depicts how ordinary people continue to go against the grain under a government that restricts free expression.
  • On this week’s 51%, we learn about an organization offering community to children and teens impacted by incarceration and deportation. The Pathfinder Network, which merged with the POPS Club in 2022, has support groups in schools across the country, where students can share their thoughts and fears stigma-free. POPS Founder Amy Friedman also edits a regular anthology of students’ creative work. The latest edition is titled Home and Away.