The Empowerment Zone

Next episode available from Monday, November 28th with guest Donna King Take the Leap!

Chiquita Lockley and Patrice Gaines: Champions of Restorative Justice —  It is a fact: the United States has the largest incarceration rate in the world. With a system that disproportionately criminalizes and incarcerates the poor and people of color, criminal justice reform has become one of the key social issues of the day. Listen in as Ramona talks to author and journalist, Patrice Gaines and f...

Next episode available from Monday, November 21st with guest Chiquita Lockley and Patrice Gaines “Masterclass: The Patrice Gaines Story”

Obery Hendricks: Exposing the hypocrisy of right-wing evangelicals —  The evangelical right has become a powerful force in US politics. Interestingly, many right-wing evangelicals have used the Bible to justify and promote white supremacy and power as well as marginalize and demonize various groups. In this episode Ramona talks to best selling author and Biblical scholar Dr. Obery Hendricks about...

Next episode available from Monday, November 14th with guest Dr. Obery Hendricks "Christians Against Christianity"

Dr. Cynthia Orozco: Highlighting the life and legacy of an American icon —  Reading biographies is one of the best ways to learn about life and history. In this episode Ramona talks to scholar Dr. Cynthia Orozco about the amazing life and legacy of Alonso S. Perales. Of Alice and San Antonio, Texas, Perales is the principal founder of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the most...

Next episode available from Monday, November 7th with guest Dr. Cynthia Orozco Alonso S. Perales: Pioneer of Mexican-American Civil Rights

Krysta McGowan and Celene Alexandria: Raising Awareness about Intimate Partner Violence —  Since 1987, October has been recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which evolved from what was known as the "Day of Unity.”  According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience physical violence by an intimate partner. Moreover, 33% of teens in the...

Next episode available from Monday, October 31st with guests Krysta McGowan and Celene Alexandria Herstory in Living Color: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Dr. Carolyne Opinde: Empowering organizations through The NGO Whisperer Center for Social Impact — The world is going through a rapid transition. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are faced with volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) at the local and international levels. What then is the future of NGOs? Listen to Ramona as she talks to Dr. Carolyne Opinde, Founder of The NG...

Next episode available from Monday, October 24th with guest Dr. Carolyne Opinde The Future of NGOs Global Summit, December 8-9, 2022

Andrew Baskin: Inspiring students to live to their fullest potential —  Since its publication in 1933, The Mis-Education of the Negro by Dr. Carter G. Woodson has influenced generations of African American educators, including Ramona’s guest Professor Andrew Baskin. Listen to Ramona's conversation with Professor Baskin as he discusses his work as a college educator and how he has encouraged and co...

Next episode available from Monday, October 17th with guest Andrew Baskin Challenging the “Mis-education" of African Americans

Grené Baranco: The lack of diversity and women of color in the dealer space -  According to Forbes, women drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions, which includes vehicle purchases. Despite the amount of money women invest in cars, the automotive industry lacks diversity when it comes to women and, particularly, women of color. In fact, there are only six black women new car dealers in the US...

Next episode available from Monday, October 10th with guest Grené Baranco Ladies, have you ever considered a career in the automotive industry?

Angela Valenzuela: Look to Academia Cuauhtli - Providing educational support with identifiable teachers are important to the academic success of all students. In today’s episode Dr. Angela Valenzuela shares her work with Academia Cuauhtli (Nahuatl for "Eagle Academy”), a partnership model with the Austin Independent School District and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center that s...

We're looking forward to starting Season 3 of The Empowerment Zone on October 3rd, 2022. Please tune in and subscribe to ensure you won't miss any new episodes. Ramona Houston

Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus -  With less than 100 days to the mid-term elections, the Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus is mobilizing voters around the world to engage in the political process and cast their votes. In this episode Jose Miguel Madrigal Hidalgo, Sruthi Venkatraman and Justin Hart of the Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus talk with Ramona on the process of voting from a...

Next episode available from Monday, August 29th with guest Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus The Power of Voting from Abroad

Dr. Emilio Zamora: The work of a scholar activist -  Scholars have always played a significant role in movements to advance racial and social justice. In Part II of his conversation with Ramona, Dr. Emilio Zamora discusses why and how scholars should be involved in the community. Dr. Zamora shares his work in Texas in the campaign for Ethnic Studies—involving petitions for inclusion in the standar...

Next episode available from Monday, August 22nd with guest Dr. Emilio Zamora Part II: The Social Responsibility of the scholar

Dr. Emilio Zamora: The evolution of a scholar activist -  Scholars have always played a significant role in movements to advance racial and social justice. In Part 1 of his conversation with Ramona, Dr. Emilio Zamora discusses his career trajectory as a Mexican Americanist historian and how his research has shaped his consciousness of social responsibility and his approach as a scholar activist. E...

Next episode available from Monday, August 15th with guest Dr. Emilio Zamora Part I: The Social Responsibility of the scholar

Sharif El-Mekki: intentionality in developing black educators —  Many individuals matriculate through their formative years in K-12 education without having an African American teacher. This is a problem for multiple reasons. Listen to Ramona’s conversation with Sharif El-Mekki as they discuss why there are so few African American teachers and what communities must do to intentionally attract them...

Next episode available from Monday, August 8th with guest Sharif El-Mekki How can communities increase the number of African American teachers?