The first episode of the podcast series, “Wading Between Two Titans” was incredibly insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience learning from this podcast. I think that the commentary was thoughtful, engaging, and a very vulnerable depiction of racial justice in Norfolk, Virginia. Interviews with these residents have offered a diverse perspective from various leaders, innovators, and experts that understand the relationship between the community and various elements of environmental justice. As it relates to the production of the podcast, I found myself being transported into this very serene and peaceful space while being able to listen to an engaging and insightful conversation. The host had an incredible group of people contributing to this conversation, which allowed for an array of perspectives and solutions to be brought to the table. Overall, “Wading Between Two Titans” is such an important podcast that everyone should listen to in order to broaden their perspectives and educate themselves and those around them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast and found it very informative on the climate and housing issues in Norfolk, Virginia. I enjoyed the use of personal testimonies and antic-dotes from those affected by water level and housing redlining issues. This podcast tells the story of Norfolk, from start to finish, in the environmental and political events that have shaped the area to what it is today. It highlights the disheartening reality that the injustices in Norfolk have not been resolved and thousands of victims still remain.

This podcast does a wonderful job of overviewing both the history and the problems within Norfolk, specifically with the two titans of sea level rise and the housing crisis. Norfolk is clearly at an important part of the history with such a high flood risk and is a historically important Black city. It is truly horrifying to see the gentrification of an area that was always somewhere where Black people were not really given a choice but to live. The history within the first episode specifically sets up a strong base for how we got to where we are and why it is important. The area has always been important and provided opportunities, mainly through the sea, for slaves to be free and work. The former “utopia for Black folks” is now seen as a target for wealthy, white homeowners. The water that has played such a large role in the history is now one of the greatest dangers facing the city. The voices and music of the podcast are calm and smoothing, making it easier to listen to the difficult topics discussed. The music adds to the mood and severity of the podcast. Although the voices and music are calming, there is an air of severity constantly surrounding such an important issue. The general aesthetic of the podcast is very effective at communicating the message. Overall, this podcast is interesting, engaging, and important within the message.

I love how the narrator presented the ideas in subtle yet powerful ways, and I love that the podcast gave a voice to those who are directly affected by these environmental injustices because way too often, these voices are silenced. My favorite episode was the one about Norfolk, and I found it very disheartening, how the issues of Norfolk are not resolved for the sake of existing residents, but for that of potential ones.

As a student studying environmental justice, this podcast has been incredibly insightful to my understanding of how decades of public policies have continued to assault the dignity of black people through segregation, lack of accessible housing, and economic hardship.Throughout the podcast, listeners are informed about the historically racist housing patterns of the Norfolk housing market, and how the legacy of redlining still persists today. The podcast does a great job at intertwining personal testimony of local community members and academic scholars. In doing so, listeners can better understand the impact of such discriminatory policies enacted by the government on the lives of Norfolk residents. In addition, the podcast also touches on the impact of climate change on accelerating environmental hazards to communities that lack adequate infrastructure. The outcomes of extreme weather that is caused by climate change continue to challenge the most vulnerable communities in Norfolk. Overall, this podcast is a great introduction to how environmental movements intersect issues of race.

I found this podcast to be really eye opening to the effects that climate change has on gentrification, and the residents from Norfolk did a great job at explaining how they have been personally affected. The podcast explains how at a certain point in the past these predominantly black neighborhoods were placed where they were because of the lack of land value. However, now people have realized the location of these neighborhoods provide significant protection from flooding so they want to displace the black residents. They go into detail about how these solutions to the climate crisis, specifically the rising sea levels in Norfolk, have resulted in the pricing out of lower income residents. One way they would go about this is by increasing the income requirements on a certain property to bring in wealthier residents. It is disheartening to see this pattern of black neighborhoods residents being pushed out continue today, however I am glad to see this podcast shining a light on this topic because the connection between climate change and housing is often overlooked.

I loved this podcast! Each episode was beautifully grounded in the voices of those most affected by sea level rise and gentrification. It made complex topics feel clear and understandable. Overall it humanized the impacts of climate change in such a powerful way.

I found that the podcast did an incredible job out laying the discriminatory policies of the 30s onward and how it impacted the town of Norfolk Virginia. It provides very good historical analysis of the devastating impacts of intentional neglect these areas faced and how it was severely detrimental to the standard of living of the groups living in the region of Norfolk. We see how subjective value on property value and that social perception of minority and foreign groups can have very real consequences and it was fascinating how the podcast then relates it back to current events with another program that threatens to do the exact same thing. It was highly insightful, broadcasting the opinions of Norfolk City Council members as well as residents of Norfolk regarding their evaluations of proposed solutions and seeing its criticism on how some of these methods are fundamentally tied to racism was extremely informative. It was a genuine analysis of how we ought to move forward if we want to see a successful response to this oncoming predicted crisis that is expected to unfold on mainly minority populations regarding our climate, warning us to not repeat our same mistakes. Highly recommend.

Wading Between Two Titans is a deeply moving and informative podcast about the city of Norfolk and how it has been impacted by climate change and housing inequality. The podcast provides an overview of the history of housing in the US, with an emphasis on redlining and public housing. The podcast also examines how low-income and people of color are being disproportionately effected by programs and policies that aim to address flooding in Norfolk. With interviews both from community members and experts, this podcast makes listeners feel like they are really in Norfolk experiencing alongside the community. The production is very skilled and the pace is good. Definitely give it a listen if you haven’t yet!

As a Virginia Beach native, Norfolk buttresses where I grew up, a short drive away. It’s where I’ve had doctor appointments, visited art exhibits or friends, and somewhere I grew up visiting frequently. Hearing street names or neighborhoods on the podcast, like Tidewater Gardens or West Ghent, and learning the dangers they face as a result of climate change in flooding or the destruction of public housing was eye opening. Rising sea levels is a fear I’m acquainted with, living so close to the beach, but I had never considered how Norfolk faced that same peril. Listening to this podcast, things I had observed in Norfolk started to make more sense and came into clarity as I observed discrepancies between neighborhoods, construction projects, and other flood prevention efforts.

This podcast is an extremely useful resource for anyone interested in how the climate crisis affects historically Black neighborhoods. Its focus on Norfolk, Virginia tells the story of how redlining inadvertently moved Black communities to higher grounds and away from the more valuable beachfront properties. However, after increased flooding in the beachfront homes due to Global Warming, there are now city plans to gentrify previously redlined neighborhoods. One of the highlights of this podcast are the interviews with Norfolk residents. Hearing Black residents tell the story of their local housing crisis with their own voice draws the listener in and gets them invested in more personalized stories. The only thing the podcast could improve upon is going deeper into the current situation of local Norfolk politics that encourages the gentrification of Black neighborhoods. Listers get to really understand how the town’s history shaped its situation, but we don’t actually get that many details about current politics.

I enjoyed the podcast and information it provided. Certainly a new perspective for me.

This podcast is put together beautifully. The music and sound effects contribute to the soothing energy of the first episode. It is written excellently, and the description of Norfolk at the beginning of the episode really paints a picture of the city. The first guest speaker also supplements this description by providing a personal account of her experiences. It also sets the stage between the two “titans” of this issue – sea level rise, which poses the very real threat of flooding, and the housing crisis, which has displaced many of the city’s industrial workers. The authors of the podcast outline the problems presented by the fact that the city’s poverty level is 20%, and this combined with the history of racial disparity and the naval presence leads to a complex socioeconomic situation today. This podcast is extremely well written and includes so many different accomplished guest speakers. Five stars!

This podcast is well researched and provides a good perspective into the life of a community member. It allows the listener to be well informed of the conditions and draw various conclusions. I think at times the background music and sounds can be distracting.

Puts the voices of people living on the frontlines into historical narratives around race, housing and the ocean.