Unsettled

The Corinthian Baptist Church, a majority Black congregation, sits just three miles away from Plymouth Congregational Church, a majority white congregation. Two members of each decided to cross the racial divide, bring the congregations together and build relationships. Now, the church members hold joint Bible studies, watch sporting events and sing in choirs together. In this episode, we meet Caroline Peterson and Leslie Jackson, the women who made this happen, plus other community builders from across Iowa.

The United States was explicitly founded with religious freedom as a core value. But a rise in Christian nationalism has inserted religion into politics. We talk to journalist Katherine Stewart about this movement, what the goals of the leaders are and how those goals are different from typical religiously-motivated voters. Then, we gather Christian faith leaders for a conversation about religion, politics and how the two relate in their congregations.

Poynter’s Jon Greenberg remembers watching news reporters during the Vietnam War on television as a 12-year-old kid. He said when there were only three networks they had to appeal to a broader market with a more vague political consensus. Today, there are endless channels, publications and accounts to get information from, and it’s easy to consume news in a way that doesn’t challenge your beliefs — or to avoid consuming news altogether. In this episode, we look at today’s media landscape and consider how a lack of trust and fractured realities in media have sowed division.

Highway construction and urban renewal projects destroyed the Center Street Neighborhood, a thriving Black community in Des Moines. Families and businesses went into debt, shifting from entrepreneurship and owning to renting, which had a lasting effect on generational wealth. On this episode, we look at how economic inequality drives division, from Center Street in Des Moines to meat packers in rural Iowa. We also look at the income wealth of the Gilded Age and what that has in common with our current times.

Driving through a small-town main street, you can see the facades of once thriving small businesses, grocery stores and newspapers that have now shuttered. While rural towns had held up a traditional ideal of tight knit communities, many have hollowed out since the farm crisis of the 1980s. On this episode of ‘Unsettled,’ rural sociologist David Peters explains how many small communities lost social involvement, as many rural residents now must travel out of town for work, school, healthcare and more. Also, most U.S. adults recently surveyed by the American Psychological Association reported that societal division is a significant source of stress in their lives. Lynn Bufka from the APA unpacks these findings and how division impacts our wellbeing.

Social isolation, disconnection, political polarization — it's no secret we're living in a time of deep division. In this season of 'Unsettled,' we dive into the great divide in our communities, our economy, faith, politics and the way we get our information. We’ll also meet people who are building bridges and bringing people together.

Men discuss what gender and masculinity mean to them in the year 2025.

Though women and girls are taught to be vigilant about their safety in public and around strangers, they are still far more likely to be murdered by an intimate partner.

Women are less likely to be believed at the doctor when they're experiencing pain. Meanwhile, men are more likely to die by suicide. On this episode, we discuss the origins of this discrepancy.

Girls are more likely to take advanced courses and graduate high school on time. In school, boys, particularly boys of color, are being left behind.

Social media algorithms and differing stances on policy have contributed to a political gap between Gen Z women and men.

On this season of Unsettled, we mind the gender gap in all facets of life.

Imagine your world without women: the women you work with, the women you encounter in the service industry, maybe even the women who teach or care for your children. Women across the country are going on strike — on this episode of Unsettled.

Roxane Gay's collection of essays Bad Feminist became a New York Times best-seller after its 2014 release, and her voice has since become an important part of our social discourse. On this episode of Unsettled, Roxane Gay joins Charity to discuss her work and how she views feminism, reproductive rights and the power of literature.

Looking back at 100 years of the Equal Rights Amendment and looking ahead to what's next

Caitlin Clark's abilities have captured national attention and brought new excitement to collegiate women's basketball. As she looks to the WNBA, what could her career mean for women's sports more broadly?

To identify and understand what it means to be a woman, it's important to start with understanding identity and how we establish our own identities. Then, how our identities shape - and are shaped by - our communities and the world around us. From there, we use our identities to establish our own autonomy.

We've come a long way, baby! But how far? Women's roles, women's rights and women's identities in our culture are constantly shifting. On the new season of Unsettled, we explore different aspects of womanhood. We're starting with pivotal moments for women in popular culture. Then we talk feminism, women's reproductive responsibilities, women's labor at home and in the workplace. And - we ask: what does it mean to be a woman today?

Human trafficking is one of the world’s largest criminal industries. It’s a form of human slavery, often a form of sexual exploitation, and it happens everywhere, even in Iowa.

"Men are afraid women will reject them. Women are afraid men will kill them." This is a phrase we've seen quoted all over the internet since #MeToo went viral last year.

When a well-known and influential writer, actor, or filmmaker gets accused of inappropriate or even illegal behavior, what happens to their body of work? Has the art that was created lost its value? How should people who loved and were influenced by that art respond?

Talking to kids about sex has long been a challenge for parents, and these conversations often focus solely on the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.