Empower House Radio KXEP-LP

In an intimate and layered conversation, Gina Ortiz Jones, a proud daughter of San Antonio’s Westside and former Under Secretary of the Air Force, shared how her upbringing, military service, and education have shaped her deep commitment to public service and social justice. From formative years at John Jay High School and lessons learned from her mother—a Harlandale High School teacher for 25 yea...

In honor of National Poetry Month, I began this conversation by reading Dr. Carmen Tafolla’s poem “Fashion Advice to Women over 40” from the SOMOS XICANAS anthology—a reminder that style and self-worth deepen with time, and that fashion can be a radical, poetic act. In this special plática, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessica Betancourt, also known as Palo Santo Poet—a San Antonio nati...

For this Women’s History Month episode of Plática y Poetics, we opened the show by honoring the powerful SOMOS XICANAS anthology from Riot of Roses Press—an offering of lyrical solidarity and a celebration of the Xicana woman in all her poder. Featuring voices like Dr. Carmen Tafolla, Irene Lara-Silva, Ada Limón, Sandra Cisneros, Jen Yanez Alaniz, and publisher Brenda Vaca, the anthology speaks to...

In my sit down with Mx. Ratiqing Rios—a poet, artist, teacher, and education advocate a profound understanding of artistry and advocacy arose. Speaking about how their work bears witness to the struggles of marginalized youth meanwhile affirming the power of creativity as a tool for survival and transformation. Their poetry transforms everyday experiences into powerful narratives of identity, resi...

Season 3 is about self-care, because self-care is community care. Independent filmmaker Sonya Rosario shares her powerful story of self-determination and empowerment as a daughter of Mexican -American heritage who was ready to break out of the confinements of patriarchy. She also shares one of the most important acts self-care she could give to herself: forgiveness of her father, and ultimately ev...

Season 3 is about self-care, because self-care is community care. Violeta Garza sat with me in the studio and shared some of her journey from external validation to internal knowing. After a series of TBI’s (traumatic brain injuries), she realized she had no choice but to ✨slow down✨ and pay attention to her body’s needs and capacities. This stance of radical self-care has led her into a beautif...

Lesley Ramsey believes that self-care is community care, and also that community care is self-care. She shares how as an activist she found herself in burnout because of the demand of urgency that didn’t allow time for personal needs, including grieving the loss of her mother. She finally took a year off and went on the road with her mom’s dog, where she realized she wanted to help others in the n...

In honoring Women’s History Month, we engaged in a profound platica with poet Amber Ortega, exploring the intersections of embodied writing, ancestral memory, and the healing power of the natural world. The episode opened with a tribute to influential female poets, including Gabriela Mistral, Sylvia Plath, Gloria Anzaldúa, Audre Lorde, Idea Vilariño, Rupi Kaur, Laura Esquivel, Isabel Allende, Alej...

In this interview, Autumn Crane delved into the emotional landscapes explored in Dead People’s Clothes, a self-published poetry collection that intimately navigates love, grief, and acceptance. Autumn reflects on the personal catalyst behind the collection and how writing became a vessel for processing loss. Our platica highlighted the symbolic weight of clothing in grief and memory, as well as th...

Alejandra, host of Plática y Poetics, is a queer translingual poet, songwriter, radio DJ, and abstract artist whose work dissolves the boundaries between language, music, and visual art. A lyrical architect of sensory experiences, they merge auditory, poetic, and visual elements into an intoxicating tapestry of expression. Drawing from their background as a language teacher and music mixer, Alejan...

In this electrifying conversation that took place in his atelier in Southtown, I welcomed avant- garde designer and San Antonio fashion icon Agosto Cuellar, known for his bold, Rasquache- infused sustainable designs and unapologetic approach to style as resistance. This episode is a love letter to creativity, sustainability, and the power of fashion as a revolutionary act. We began by unpacking th...