In The Thick

To emphasize the significance of black feminism, Maria and Julio talk with Feminista Jones on the release of her latest book, “Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World From the Tweets to the Streets.” They also talk about the influence of hip hop on women's sexual liberation, the importance of mental and spiritual health, and black women speaking out on their experiences with sexual abuse in the #MeToo era. 

Maria and Julio discuss this week's news about Puerto Rico. After weeks of massive protests from the people, governor Ricardo Rosselló finally announced his resignation. They also talk about Robert Mueller’s testimony and the Trump Administration’s bringing back the death penalty.

More than forty years after the Vietnam war, Vietnamese refugees are being deported under Trump's immigration policies. Maria and Julio are joined by James Boo, documentary filmmaker and managing producer of the podcast Self Evident: Asia America's Stories, and Phi Nguyen, litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice. They discuss the historical context of the Vietnamese immigrant community and the political and civic engagement of Vietnamese Americans. 

Maria and Julio discuss the latest about the ongoing manifestations in Puerto Rico, where the people are demanding that Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigns after the leaked text messages scandal. They also talk about Trump’s racist tweets urging “The Squad” to go back to their countries, and the tourist deaths of U.S. Citizens in the Dominican Republic.

To catch up on the latest in immigration, Julio and guest co-host Maggie Freleng of Futuro Media chat with immigration attorney Amy Maldonado, and the Professor of Law and Migration Studies at the University of San Francisco, Bill Ong Hing. They talk about the threat of ICE raids, the complicity of big corporations supporting detention centers and the current conditions in these facilities.

This week’s sound-off is packed with all the madness going on in Washington. Futuro Media’s very own Erika Dilday guest co-hosts with Julio to breakdown the latest on: Alex Acosta’s resignation after facing backlash for Jeffrey Epstein’s secret plea deal, the administration’s insufficient reasoning behind the citizenship question on the Census, and the importance of Kamala Harris as a 2020 candidate.  

In the United States, 2018 marked the deadliest year for gun violence in the past 50 years. Amidst this violence, youth of color have been organizing to change Chicago and cities across the country to become more peaceful and just places. Maria and Julio are joined by guests Edna Chavez, national activist and member of Community Coalition and Cosette Hampton, leader with BYP100 Chicago Chapter. Special thanks to spoken word artist, Assata Lewis for sharing her powerful words in this live show.

Julio and guest co-host ITT fellow, Nour Saudi, talk to Chimene Suleyman, writer and co-editor of The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America. They discuss the common immigrant experience, what makes an immigrant “good”, and how literature can be a form of political activism in the age of Trump. This episode was mixed by Jeanne Montalvo. 

Maria and Julio talk with Bill Ong Hing, professor of Law and Migration Studies at the University of San Francisco about his latest book, American Presidents, Deportations, and Human Rights Violations from Carter to Trump. They discuss the history of anti-immigrant policies in the United States and why Bill is hopeful for immigration reform come 2021.  This episode was mixed by Jeanne Montalvo.

The first 2020 Democratic presidential debates took place in Miami this week. Climate change, gun violence, immigration reform and healthcare were the reigning topics of discussion among candidates. In this exciting late-night hot take, In The Thick’s New York Women’s Foundation IGNITE fellow, Nour Saudi, joins Julio and All-Star Jamilah King, to talk all things from their biggest takeaways to the highlights of the first round of the debates. 

On the brink of Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary, this year's Pride is historic. In the Thick's, New York Women’s Foundation Ignite Fellow, Nour Saudi, reports on the significance of pride and how the LGBTQ community of color is continuing to organize, in the city where the Stonewall rebellion originally took place. 

To discuss the Women's World Cup being held in France, Julio is joined by Shireen Ahmed, writer and co-host of the feminist sports podcast, Burn It All Down. They talk about the media coverage, issues of representation and access in the sport including FIFA corruption and pay equity, plus they shout out the Cup's key players and their stellar moments.

Maria and Julio are joined by Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood and co-founder of Supermajority, and Yvonne Gutierrez, head of community engagement at Supermajority, for a conversation about gender equity. They talk about the current state of reproductive rights in our country, their new group that's working to mobilize women to be politically active, and their thoughts on the 2020 race. 

For this live show from New York City co-hosted with Alianza HBO and SOMOS Viacom Maria and Julio are joined by Doris Casap, senior vice president of HBO film programming and Erica Soto Lamb, vice president of social impact for Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land, as well as Jessica Leonardo, production assistant at HBO. They discuss how immigrants are represented in entertainment and how the industry in changing to better represent diverse communities. This episode was mixed by Jeanne Monta

Maria and Julio are joined by All-Stars Eddie Glaude Jr., James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University, and Christina Greer, Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University at Lincoln Center, to discuss the Mexico-US immigration debate, the increasing number of black trans women deaths across the country and particularly in Dallas, Ava DuVernay's new series, "When They See Us", and whether age matters in the 2020 presidential race.