The Good Road

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.