This week, we're sharing an episode of Some of My Best Friends Are... The show is hosted by Khalil Muhammad and Ben Austen, two best friends who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago in the '80s. Khalil is Black; Ben is white. They invite listeners into their conversations about the absurdities and intricacies of race in America. Mixing anecdotes, entertaining storytelling, and thoughtful debate, Some of My Best Friends Are... helps listeners make sense of our deeply divided country. In this episode, Khalil and Ben ask: Can you stop history from repeating itself? Amid conservative attacks and country-wide legislation against the teaching of our shared history, they discuss the 1619 Project, the weaponizing of “Critical Race Theory" and its backlash, and the best ways to actually teach American history. You can hear more episodes of Some of My Best Friends Are... at https://link.chtbl.com/inthethick  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In The Thick

Some Of My Best Friends Are

Maria and Julio are joined by ITT All-Star Imara Jones, creator and producer at TransLash Media, and Kate Sosin, LGBTQ+ reporter at The 19th News, for a conversation about the latest headlines. They talk about former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s death, the Biden administration's actions around immigration, and the recent anti-trans bill out of Texas. And, they discuss the latest controversy at Netflix regarding comic Dave Chappelle’s special, “The Closer.”ITT Staff Picks: There is a deep-rooted history of lynchings and violence against migrants, folks of Mexican heritage and Black people in Texas, reports Bill Minutaglio for Texas Monthly. For The 19th, Kate Sosin reports about how the near-total abortion ban and closures of clinics in Texas could affect LGBTQ+ folks.“His routine—controversial as it is—accomplished exactly what he set out to do,” writes Nicole Lewis about Dave Chappelle’s recent Netflix special, “The Closer,” for Slate.Photo credit: ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We Need to Center Humanity

Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor at Buzzfeed News, give an immigration update, including Maria Hinojosa’s reporting in Mississippi for Latino USA which followed up on the massive ICE workplace raid in 2019. They also talk about NFL coach Jon Gruden’s resignation in light of emails revealing misogynistic, racist and homophobic comments. And, they debrief the controversy around Dave Chappelle’s recent comedy special on Netflix.ITT Staff Picks: Be sure to listen to Latino USA’s recent episode, where Maria Hinojosa and producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. traveled back to Mississippi this year to follow up on their reporting about the massive immigration raid that took place in 2019.On the controversy surrounding former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, Jemele Hill writes that the NFL “will never fix its own corrosive, institutionalized racism without more fundamental change,” for The Atlantic. For GQ, poet and author Saeed Jones writes about the hurt and betrayal he felt on watching Dave Chappelle make transphobic and homophobic comments in his new Netflix special, “The Closer.”Photo credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITT Sound Off: The Backlash

Maria and Julio are joined by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, historian and author of the new book “Not A ‘Nation of Immigrants’: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion.” They dive into a conversation about U.S. imperialism and colonialism, immigration and dismantling the myth around Christopher Columbus. This episode was mixed by Rosana Cabán.ITT Staff Picks: Teen Vogue published an excerpt from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s “Not A ‘Nation of Immigrants,’” on how Italian immigrants used Christopher Columbus to assimilate to the United States.Kyle T. Mays writes about the history of Black and Indigenous solidarity, and how they “have tried to reimagine the foundations of American society,” for George Washington University’s History News Network.  Kathleen Foody and Wilson Ring report on the issues and tensions around celebrating Columbus Day, for The Associated Press. Photo credit: Courtesy of Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Settler Colonialism

Maria and Julio give a brief update on the latest in Congress. Then they get into the outage across Facebook’s platforms this week and the congressional testimony from whistleblower, Frances Haugen. They also talk about the scandals emerging around Ozy Media, and the Pandora Papers leak.ITT Staff Picks: Billy Perrigo reports for Time Magazine about Facebook’s decision to shut down its civic-integrity team, and the reckoning that followed. Read more from Lauren Williams, CEO of Capital B, about the scandal surrounding Ozy Media, via New York Times Opinion.Elías Camhaji reports about the Spanish and Latino artists revealed in the Pandora Papers in this piece for El País. Photo credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITT Sound Off: Media Controversies

For this special 500th episode of In The Thick, Maria and Julio reflect on this milestone of centering POC voices. Then, Julio and guest co-host Wajahat Ali are joined by ITT All-Stars Terrell Jermaine Starr, foreign affairs reporter and host of the Black Diplomats podcast, and Jenni Monet, independent investigative journalist and founder of the weekly newsletter Indigenously. They get into what it means to seek out and create spaces for journalists of color, the latest developments in Congress, and they look forward to the Supreme Court’s upcoming session.ITT Staff Picks:Journalist S. Mitra Kalita reports on the need for hiring managers to holistically support women and people of color in the workplace in this joint column for Charter and TIME Magazine.For Washington Post Opinions, columnist Jennifer Rubin writes about Representative Pramila Jayapal’s tenacity and firm stance on the infrastructure bill and reconciliation package.The Supreme Court “is now poised to do what a mob of white terrorists never could: Stop progress,” writes Elie Mystal for The Nation on the court’s current term.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 500th Episode

Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor at Buzzfeed News, talk about the latest in Congress, including Thursday’s vote to temporarily stop a government shutdown, and the infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills. They hear from Representative Jamaal Bowman, of New York’s 16th Congressional District, about the frustrating delay in passing immigration reform. And, they discuss the impact of vaccine mandates on the NBA. ITT Staff Picks:Stephen Crockett Jr. writes about how Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are loving the attention that comes with being the roadblock to the Democratic agenda in this piece for The Root. “Republicans think that by voting against the debt ceiling hike, they’re showing that Democrats are responsible for the debt. But they’re really demonstrating that the security of the United States depends on Democratic control of Congress,” writes William Saletan in this piece for Slate. “But if the league’s unvaccinated players are going to use their proverbial microphone to showcase their own lack of information—and potentially threaten their team’s ability to compete—then high-profile players should use their own platform to call out their teammates,” writes Jemele Hill in this piece for The Atlantic. Photo credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITT Sound Off: The Congress Mess

Maria and Julio are joined by Dr. Rashad Richey, political analyst and host of “Indisputable” on The Young Turks Network and Zerlina Maxwell, host of “Zerlina” on Peacock, for a conversation on the latest news. They discuss the media coverage surrounding Gabby Petito’s death, and disparities when it comes to the same coverage for people of color. They also talk about the Biden administration’s handling of Haitian refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Republican-led Arizona audit. ITT Staff Picks:For The New York Times, opinion columnist Charles M. Blow writes about the “missing white woman syndrome” and the stark contrast in media coverage for people of color. “These photos from Del Rio haven’t cut fresh wounds. They’ve reopened old ones,” writes Caitlin Dickerson about President Biden having to come to terms with the U.S.’ problematic history on immigration policy, for The Atlantic. Hunter Walker reports on the House Select Committee’s investigation into the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol and their recent subpoenas of Trump allies for Rolling Stone. Photo credit: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Biased Media Frame

In this week’s sound off, Maria and Julio dive deep into the violent border enforcement we witnessed in Del Rio, Texas where thousands of Haitian refugees were being held and turned away. They discuss the horrifying images of Border Patrol agents attacking Haitian immigrants and the media’s responsibility to push back against the Biden administration’s narrative.ITT Staff Picks: Felipe De La Hoz writes about flaws and gaps in how we talk about asylum seekers: “Many seem to think that the president still has the option, the duty, to violate domestic and international law and shut down asylum,” in this March piece for The Baffler.  Patrice Lawrence, executive director of the UndocuBlack Network, writes “The Biden administration could have made a strong statement in favor of due process and dignity by allowing for an orderly asylum process. Instead, it has opted for mass expulsions of vulnerable people,” in this op-ed for CNN. Hamed Aleaziz spoke with 20 government officials at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, about the Biden administration’s approach to immigration policy, via Buzzfeed News. Photo credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITT Sound Off: Not a Humane System

Maria and Julio get into the ongoing climate crisis with Kendra Pierre-Louis, producer and senior climate reporter with the Gimlet-Spotify podcast How to Save a Planet, and Dallas Goldtooth, organizer with the Keep It in the Ground Campaign for the Indigenous Environmental Network. They discuss how communities of color are the most impacted by climate disasters globally, and also how they are at the forefront of pushing for climate justice. ITT Staff Picks:Zahra Hirji reports on the Biden administration finally setting in place initiatives to address worker-related deaths due to extreme heat, for BuzzFeed. “The climate crisis we face has been caused by the breakdown of our relationships over time, and to solve the crisis we must repair those relationships first,” writes Jena Brooker for The Grist. Michelle Gamage interviewed four experts on what Canadian politicians should do to address the climate crisis, including protecting climate activists and creating policy led by Indigenous people, for The Tyee.Photo credit: AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Feeding the Climate Monster

Maria and Julio talk about the election in California to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. They hear from Jean Guerrero, an opinion columnist for the Los Angeles Times about how this effort was rooted in white supremacy. They also get into the Senate hearing on how FBI agents failed to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against former physician, Larry Nassar. And finally, they debrief the Met Gala. ITT Staff Picks: Nathalie Baptiste writes about the flaws of California’s recall election process in this piece for Mother Jones. Danielle Campoamor writes “The strength required of those who testified during the hearing, and of every sexual assault victim who comes forward, is not innate, but born out of necessity. It is the result of the blatant and consistent failures of others,” in this piece for The Lily. Zeeshan Aleem writes about why Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dress broke Twitter in this op-ed for MSNBC. Photo credit: AP Photo/Ashley Landis  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITT Sound Off: Agents of White Supremacy

Maria and guest co-host Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, are joined by Lina-Maria Murillo, assistant professor of gender, women’s and sexuality studies, and history, at the University of Iowa, and Veronica Martinez, journalist covering gender and immigration, for a conversation about reproductive justice. They unpack the latest on the Texas abortion ban and Mexico’s Supreme Court ruling that decriminalizes abortion, and also get into how people historically have crossed these borders for abortion care.ITT Staff Picks: For the Washington Post, Lina-Maria Murillo writes about the history of abortion bans and flights: “No matter what antiabortion crusaders try, pregnant people will always find ways to have abortions — and networks that go beyond borders have long helped them navigate treatment options.”The Texas abortion ban will heavily affect immigrant, Black, poor women of color and Texans with disabilities, report Jolie McCullough and Neelam Bohra, for The Texas Tribune. Veronica Martinez reports about Mexico and Texas’ recent actions on abortion and how this will affect women on either side of the border, for El Paso Matters.Photo credit: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cross-Border Abortion Care

Maria and Julio dive deep into the latest news with reproductive rights, including the Texas law that came into effect earlier this month, prohibiting abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, and a recent decision from Mexico’s Supreme Court to decriminalize abortion. They also reflect on the damage from Hurricane Ida in Louisiana and along the Northeast coast. ITT Staff Picks: Elie Mystal writes for The Nation about all the things Democrats can do to fight Texas’s abortion ban, and protect reproductive rights. Juanita Ramos Ardila reports for Latino Rebels about the decision by Mexico’s Supreme Court to decriminalize abortion. “By shutting down operations in a controlled manner well ahead of the hurricane making landfall and installing equipment that prevents excess flaring, refineries can prevent enormous pollution events during hurricanes,” write Naveena Sadasivam and Jake Bittle for Mother Jones. Photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Salter  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITT Sound Off: Constant State of Whiplash

Maria and Julio are joined by Rose Arce, journalist and executive producer at Soledad O’Brien Productions, and a former colleague of Maria’s, for an intimate conversation about their on-the-ground reporting on 9/11. They get into what it was like to cover these events and how it has impacted their personal lives and journalistic careers 20 year later. ITT Staff Picks:In this piece for CNN, Rose Arce writes about how she began teaching her daughter, Luna, about 9/11. For The New Republic, Jordan Michael Smith writes about the lasting impacts of 9/11 over the last 20 years, leading up to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.Sewell Chan recounts his coverage of 9/11 in this opinion piece for the LA Times: “for me it was a turning point — a rupture between the first two decades of my life (hopeful striving) and the next two (anxious striving).”Photo credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Lessons of 9/11

Maria and Julio are joined by Mansoor Adayfi, a former Guantánamo detainee and author of the new book “Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo.” They talk about Mansoor’s experience being detained for 14 years, without charge or trial, at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and get an inside look into the place that has tortured detainees and restricted access to the media for nearly two decades.  ITT Staff Picks: As U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, Mansoor Adayfi writes about how the end of the war on terror must include closing Guantánamo, for The Boston Globe.Benjamin R. Farley, law-of-war counsel at the U.S. Department of Defense, Military Commissions Defense Organization, writes about what President Biden must do to right the wrongs of Guantánamo, for The Atlantic.For Foreign Policy, Fatima Bhutto writes about Ahmed Rabbani, one of the last prisoners still being detained at Guantánamo: “U.S. officials have been explicit about what they call “forever prisoners,” men who will never be charged with a crime; Rabbani is one such prisoner.”Photo credit: Courtesy of Mansoor Adayfi  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

14 Years in Guantánamo

Journalists of color tell you what you’re missing from the mainstream news. Co-hosted by award-winning journalists Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela, IN THE THICK has the conversations about race, identity and politics few people are discussing or want to discuss.

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In The Thick

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