In The Thick

We continue our Best of ITT series with this live episode from May 2018. Maria and Julio take the stage at DePaul University in Chicago with David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez , artist and a former juvenile lifer, to talk about Latinos and mass incarceration. Along with hearing Suave's story, Julio also interviews Maria, who at the time had been covering Suave's story for more than 25 years.   ITT Staff...

Our Best of ITT series continues, as we celebrate our 7th year anniversary! In this episode from July 2020, Maria and Julio are joined by authors and historians Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross to talk about their book “A Black Women's History of the United States.” They analyze the history of Black women in America and their legacy of activism, resistance and entrepreneurship. ITT Staff Pi...

We’re continuing our Best of ITT series to celebrate seven years of In The Thick with this episode from June 2022. Maria and Julio are joined by Ibram X. Kendi , founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, for a conversation about his book “How to Raise an Antiracist.” They discuss the evolution of his antiracist scholarship, the rise in mass shootings and white supr...

To celebrate ITT’s 7th year anniversary, we’re going back into the vault to share some of our best episodes that have helped shape our show. In this episode from our first year in 2016, Maria is joined by ITT all-star Terrell Jermaine Starr , host of the Black Diplomats podcast, Zak Cheney-Rice , a features writer for New York Magazine, and Tracey Meares , the Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law...

Julio and guest co-host Renée Graham , opinion columnist and associate editor at The Boston Globe, discuss Tyre Nichols’ funeral and the white supremacy behind the undercounted number of police violence cases in the U.S. They also discuss the College Board’s amendments to its AP African American Studies course, which were made shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected the course in the state of Flo...

This week, we’re talking about the second season of “La Brega,” a co-production from WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios. Julio is joined by Alana Casanova-Burgess , co-creator, host and producer of “La Brega,” and Jeanne Montalvo , grammy-nominated audio engineer and radio producer with Futuro Studios, to talk about the series, which takes us through the Puerto Rican experience in eight songs. They d...

Julio and guest co-host Fernanda Santos , editorial director of Futuro Media, discuss the recent mass shootings in California, two of nearly 40 that have happened this year so far. They also unpack the anti-government protests in Peru that have resulted in a nationwide state of emergency, and they get into Meta’s decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts...

A year after the Twin Parks fire in the Bronx, Maria and Julio are joined by Amir Khafagy , a journalist and Report for America corps member with Documented, to discuss the systemic issues exposed by this tragedy, such as the ongoing housing crisis. They also talk about what the victims and families are still owed one year later, and get into the intersections between labor issues and immigration...

Julio and guest co-host Renée Graham , opinion columnist and associate editor at The Boston Globe, discuss the latest with the House GOP, including the recent House committee assignments under new Speaker Kevin McCarthy. They also get into the arrest of Republican ex-candidate Solomon Peña in New Mexico and the response to the new sculpture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King in B...

In this rebroadcast episode from 2021, Maria and Julio are joined by Jeanne Theoharis , distinguished professor of political science at Brooklyn College, historian, author and co-editor of “Julian Bond’s Time To Teach: A History of the Southern Civil Rights Movement.” They talk about the legacy of activist, politician and educator Julian Bond and the lessons from his lectures - compiled in the new...

Julio and guest co-host Renée Graham , opinion columnist and associate editor at The Boston Globe, get into the implications of classified documents found at President Biden’s home and former office. They also talk about the severe storms and flooding that have impacted California over the last few weeks and the growing pressure on the Biden administration to expel Brazil’s former president Jair B...

Maria and Julio are joined by Jamil Smith , essayist for the Los Angeles Times, and Sabrina Rodríguez , national political reporter for The Washington Post, to discuss the storming of Brazil’s Congress by far-right Bolsonaro supporters, and the similarities to the January 6th Capitol attack in the United States. They also get into Biden’s brief visit to the southern border city of El Paso and the...

Maria and Julio unpack what’s happening in the House of Representatives and the numerous votes to elect a new House Speaker. They also connect this to the January 6th attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol, which happened two years ago today. Finally, they discuss President Biden’s latest announcement regarding new immigration restrictions and expanding Title 42. ITT Staff Picks: Molly Jong-Fast write...

Maria and Julio reflect on the state of our democracy with Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. , James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University, and Ese Olumhense , reporter for Reveal. They discuss the takeaways from the 2022 midterm elections, including the increase in voter suppression tactics since 2020. They also look ahead to the 2024 presidential election and talk about what...

Wrapping up another amazing year at In The Thick, Maria and Julio reflect on some of their favorite moments of 2022, including ITT’s first in-person live show since the pandemic, election coverage in collaboration with Latino USA, and the opportunity to speak to and elevate brilliant guests on the show. They also unpack some very tough moments that happened this year, from ongoing gun violence to...

In this rebroadcast episode from 2020, Maria and Julio welcome Valarie Kaur , renowned Sikh activist, civil rights lawyer, and author of the book “See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love.” They reflect on Valarie’s activist roots and her experience writing her book. They also discuss America’s history of state-sanctioned violence against communities of color and explore how r...

As Futuro Media is off for winter break, Maria and Julio check in with all of you, our dear ITT listeners. We’re sending you lots of love and joy this holiday season. But don’t go away for too long– In The Thick will be back in the new year with brand new episodes and our always fire guests! We'll see you next year, familia. No te vayas! Photo credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel Want to support our in...

In The Thick is excited to present an episode from our sister podcast, Latino USA. In this episode, Maria talks with Rafael Reif , who is stepping down as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the end of the month. Reif reflects on his tenure, how his upbringing in Venezuela brought him to the helm of one of the world’s top universities, and shares his message for Latino and La...

In The Thick is excited to share this week’s episode of Latino Rebels Radio . Julio talks to Nelson Rauda , a Salvadoran journalist for El Faro, about a lawsuit he and other journalists at El Faro filed against NSO Group, an Israeli company whose surveillance software was used to track their communications. They talk about what this lawsuit says about the media landscape in El Salvador, and what i...

Julio is joined by Anjali Enjeti , author and co-founder of the Georgia chapter of They See Blue, and Anoa Changa , journalist and editor at NewsOne, to unpack the results of the Georgia Senate runoff election, and what it signals about party dynamics in the state and across the country. They get into voting issues in Georgia, including barriers to voting, the impact of organizing and voter outrea...

Maria and Julio discuss the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from a Russian penal colony in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. They also get into Senator Raphael Warnock’s win in the Georgia runoff election, and the news of the Trump Organization being found guilty on multiple charges of tax fraud and falsifying business records. ITT Staff Picks: Orion Rummler spoke to Black LGBTQ+...

Maria and Julio are joined by Peniley Ramírez , executive producer of Futuro Unidad Hinojosa and Futuro’s Special Projects and Investigative Units to discuss the new upcoming podcast “USA v. García Luna.” Maria and Peniley talk about their experience reporting and hosting the five-episode series that examines the rise and fall of Genaro García Luna, a former high-ranking Mexican official facing tr...

Maria and Julio unpack the latest with Congress, including the Senate vote against paid sick leave for railway workers. They also discuss the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require that all same-sex and interracial marriages be protected at the federal level. Finally, they get into immigration policy and New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ new plan to allow involuntary hospitalization of people...

Maria is joined by Renée Graham , opinion columnist and associate editor at The Boston Globe, and Wajahat Ali , Daily Beast columnist and co-host of the podcast Democracy-ISH, to unpack the mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado as well as the growing white supremacy within the Republican Party. They also discuss the latest with the midterm elections, including the upcoming Georgia runoff, and...

Maria and Julio are joined by Daniela Pierre-Bravo , reporter for MSNBC’s Morning Joe, to discuss her new book, “The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color.” They talk about overcoming imposter syndrome and biases within our own communities. They also unpack the inequities and systemic issues in workplaces that contribute to feelings of otherness for Black and brown women.  ITT S...