Earl Bridges and Craig Martin invite viewers to explore change-makers in the world of philanthropy. Returning to their “hometown” of Bangkok, the show starts with nostalgia and noodles as they recall their childhood in the city. Explore what it means to engage in one’s local community in a positive way regardless of formal occupation, religious affiliation or economic status.
Earl and Craig embark on an adventure that starts in Nairobi, Kenya and ends at a wildlife ranger base in the Chyulu Hills. The Good Road team joins a convoy helmed by TED Fellow Erik Hersman and his fellow BRCK co-founders on the expedition. Earl, Craig, the BRCK team and the rangers chat about what is possible through combining modern technology with anti-poaching efforts in the information age.
Earl Bridges and Craig Martin travel to Alabama Village, a small community only a few miles outside of Mobile, but seemingly worlds apart. It is an impoverished and often violent community with few legitimate work opportunities but with the help of the Light of the Village program, people have a chance at escaping the cycles of crime and violence.
In this episode, Earl and Craig are back with the BRCK team as they bring WiFi to several small, remote Islands in the Zanzibar Archipelago. After an overnight journey from Kenya on an ancient wooden sailboat, The Good Road and BRCK teams arrive on Pemba Island. The team discusses the implications and importance of bringing the Internet to places like Pemba.
The Good Road returns to Bangkok and ends up in the 2nd largest maximum-security prison in all of Thailand, luckily by invitation. They receive a rare tour of the grounds as well as the cells before speaking to a Thai prisoner about what daily life is like in a Thai prison. Afterward, they discover a unique approach to vocational training and pre-release development at the prison.
The Good Road explores the impact that storytelling can have on the youth of underprivileged communities in Nairobi, Kenya. Storytelling helps people from the slums tell their own stories and gives a voice to a new generation. Craig and Earl hear the stories of three individuals who grew up in Nairobi but were able to escape the crime and poverty surrounding them to build a new life.
There are so many heroes in the world of philanthropy and The Good Road crew learns so much from these heroes. Hosts Earl Bridges and Craig Martin meet two such heroes in Uganda. Their journey to find them begins in a Matatu that takes them through the countryside to a series of geographic gems discovering all kinds of bizarre, funny, and interesting Ugandan cultural details along the way.
This episode finds Earl and Craig back on the road in Southeast Asia in the former capital of one of the most politically controversial countries in the region, Myanmar. War, genocide, and conflict have raged in this country dominated by ethnic struggle for decades. But beyond the headlines, there are powerful stories of unexpected heroes.
After the killing of George Floyd, the city of Richmond, Virginia – former capital of the Confederacy – became a focus of international attention. Earl Bridges and Craig Martin speak with members of the community who fight against racial inequality including a young black entrepreneur and a museum curator. They talk about ways to set aside reminders of Richmond’s slave past.
Earl Bridges and Craig Martin explore race relations, religion, and government, and discuss the fate of journalism in Charleston, SC. Conversations with Dr. Melvin Brown and Toby Smith provide further insight into racial inequities and the negative impact of revisionist histories. They also sit down with one of a handful of black journalists at the Post and Courier to discuss diversity.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Earl Bridges and Craig Martin explore the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island. They meet with Iván “Pudge” Rodriguez, a Baseball Hall of Famer who helped the community through the baseball franchise, and his coffee farm. They visit an environmental organization which supports the town through its farms, radio station, medical labs, and solar cinema.
Earl Bridges and Craig Martin travel to Hyderabad, India to meet up with Harish Mamtani, who runs a school that helps poor students. They also visit historic places, exploring India’s ancient history, and taste the best street food in Hyderabad. Later, in a top-rated American private school, Harish explains why private education in India is a necessary supplement to India’s public education.
The Burmese border is home base to the Free Burma Rangers, founded by Dave Eubank. They serve around the world in combat zones, rescuing civilians and documenting atrocities in places like Myanmar and Syria. Craig Martin and Earl Bridges work out with them as they train in Northern Thailand. Currently, they are in the middle of the struggle with the military oppression in Myanmar.
Positioned between waterways, rivers and an ocean, Charleston, South Carolina is susceptible to flooding. This complicates life for businesses, such as oyster harvesting, and the city’s residents, especially the poor, historically black neighborhoods. Earl Bridges and Craig Martin have conversations with people addressing climate change and store owners.
Craig Martin and Earl Bridges explore San Juan and its artists. A sculptor talks about using art to enhance the lives of the poor. They tour a museum that is a collaborative artists-driven place. A filmmaker explains why art helps people struggling with their personal identity. For many on the island, political independence will still require collaboration with the US.
Virginia struggles between the past and present. Monacan Nation Chief talks with Craig Martin and Earl Bridges about development that threatens the tribe’s heritage. Earl and Craig visit Yogaville and learn about conservation on the James River and how a life in pursuit of locally grown food and medicine can have a positive impact. And they meet with local black leaders discuss race relations.
People are flocking to Nashville - Music City, USA and yet the tourists, transplants and dreamers come to town completely oblivious to the origins of that name. We discover the true history of music city through Jefferson St., the cultural center of the black experience in Nashville before it was erased by the construction of Interstate 40.
The Good Road goes to space! – well almost. We go to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to learn about the critical role of the newly created Space Force. Space Force Guardians protect national security and oversee all launches. We discover the surprising role they play in our everyday lives.
A journey through the unique ecosystems of Puerto Rico highlight the important role government agencies, university initiatives and local communities play in conservation and the fight against climate change. And, we explore the mangrove fields of La Paguera on kayaks with René Esteves of University of Puerto Rico’s Sea Grant. We see first-hand the delicate balance of conservation and community.
Through stories from a chef, a basket weaver and a Grammy Award winning drummer we glean a better understanding of the myriad of ways that Gullah traditions and practices impact contemporary arts and culture in the low country of Charleston. At a beloved Charleston haunt Craig and Earl discuss the deep African roots of Gullah culture with the three black professionals and a local restaurateur.
If travel changes you then traveling to space changes you completely. We explore the overview effect in which people who travel to space develop a new perspective on what it means to call Earth home. We meet the educators, entrepreneurs and rocket scientists taking the next generation of men and women into the cosmos and learn about the unique ways they will get them there.
Puerto Rico occupies a unique place in American identity. Wholly American and yet uniquely apart. We explore this paradise through the lens of anti-colonial art in the heart of San Juan and through ex-pat poetry and spoken word in the shadow of the rainforest. Along the way, Craig and Earl chat with an independence minded activist at an old San Juan watering hole.
The James River is the reason for Richmond’s existence, and yet, in the 1970s it was one of the most polluted rivers in the country. We meet the activists and scientists who transformed it from a D- to a B+ with hard work, perseverance and art. We are also introduced to the Atlantic Sturgeon - the amazing fish that survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs but was almost wiped out by humans.
When most people think of Nashville, they think Country Music and now, regrettably, bachelorette parties. But, locals know with a little effort you can find more than honkytonks and pedal taverns. We meet some of the people making space for “off brand” music and art. From Jack White’s third man records to LoveNoise promotions, we dive into the other side of music city.
Craig and Earl travel to history-rich Mosul and the Nineveh plains with non-profit Hardwired Global. We discover what it's like to bring unity to this country through the many schools Hardwired works in. The children of Kurdish Christians and those of extremist Islamic groups learn to understand each other by participating in school plays about the conflict between what else – apples and bananas.
The U.S. Virgin Islands - St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix - were formerly a colony of Denmark and were sold to the U.S. in 1917 for military reasons. Tourism on all three is under threat from coral disease. Earl and Craig follow Dr. Marilyn Brandt and her team of scuba diving scientists who study and combat this threat to coral – known to be the “lungs of the planet.”
The Good Road team takes a tour of some of the alternative venues in the Music City. A visit to the National Museum of African American Music on the Broadway strip proves to be enlightening. Just miles from there, heading away from downtown on Broadway, stands a perfect scale replica of the Parthenon. Craig and Earl talk to changemakers and musicians who see another future for Nashville.
The French Broad River is at the heart of Asheville, NC. The team meets the people and organizations trying to balance nature and development. Walking in the River Arts District reveals the critical role the river plays in the city’s identity. Next, Craig and Earl visit an urban “peace garden” to learn how Hood Huggers International is transforming a disenfranchised community in W. Asheville.
There are “islands” among the islands of the USVI. From food education and food independence to a center for technology, Earl and Craig meet the people who are turning vulnerabilities into strengths.
Many of the communities that have made the city of Charleston, SC what it is today are overlooked.Through writer and historian Harlan Greene, the team is introduced to some of these histories. From the role of the LGBTQ+ community in arts and culture to the history of the Jewish reformation. Earl and Craig also learn about the history of resistance and activism by the African American community.
Money is the root of all evil...but what is the role of money in doing good? Earl and Craig ask Wall Street. They also follow a Food Bank meal from its origin as a donation to its destination with someone in need.
From a Yazidi temple to the “court of churches” in Mosul’s old city, Craig and Earl explore Northern Iraq’s pluralistic past. Finally, a diverse group of Iraqis come together to perform ancient eastern songs.