First hour: MCDC Executive Vice Chair Anthony Plonczynski-Figueroa on the state of the Democratic party
Second hour: The life and legacy of William Jacob Knox, Jr.
How do local Democrats feel about the current state of their party, both locally and nationally? Last week, we spoke with new acting chair of the Monroe County Republican Committee Larry Staub about the state of the GOP. This hour, we turn our attention to the Democrats. Our guest:
- Anthony Plonczynski-Figueroa, executive vice chair of the Monroe County Democratic Committee
Then in our second hour, did you know Rochester had ties to the Manhattan Project? That’s the question “ABOUT…TIME Magazine” publisher and human encyclopedia Jim Blount asked the Connections team last week. Blount is referring to the work of chemist William Jacob Knox, Jr. Knox, an African American man, was invited by Columbia University in 1942 to work on the project. He was later appointed head of the all-white Corrosion Section. According to the Science History Institute, Knox later said that the war provided his first taste of true membership in an active scientific community. In 1945, Kodak hired Knox as a research associate; he was the second Black Ph.D. chemist hired by the company. This hour, we discuss Knox’s life and work with Blount and one of Knox’s former colleagues, the remarkable Walter Cooper. Our guests:
- James M. Blount, publisher of “ABOUT…TIME Magazine”
- Walter Cooper, Ph.D., scientist, humanitarian, activist, and educator
