Here's how 2020 is almost exactly like 1919

Exit 43

There are too many parallels between the summers of 1919 and 2020 to ignore. There are inferences to make and parallels to draw, but it’s important, according to historian and author Kenneth C. Davis, to remember that history doesn’t repeat itself. In both cases, racially charged civil unrest followed a global pandemic. In both cases, conservatism was on the rise. In both cases there was economic fear and ongoing cultural shifts. And, in both cases, blame for the civil unrest — or “race riots” as they were called in 1919 — fell on anarchists and communists. On this week's episode of Exit 43, we conclude our mini-series in an attempt to examine solutions to the overarching issues of racist inequity. Are there economic solutions? Is political upheaval the only way forward? Or does it come down to community-level, kitchen-table solutions? Why is the podcast called Exit 43? As anyone who drives the Merritt Parkway knows, there is no exit 43, and the reasons why touch on issues of privilege, access and the history of the state itself. Each week we’ll dive into a local news issue, examining an aspect of life in and around Connecticut you probably didn’t know about.

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