H-Town Progressive

Trans stories should be told by trans people. So this week transgender Houstonian Pete Makopoulos-Senftleber shares his story with guest host Lou Weaver.

Attorney General Ken Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott have opened up their party's anti-trans reign of terror to the executive branch of Texas government and focused their cruel sights on transgender children. This week we talk to one of the attorneys fighting to defend Texas transgender children.

Texas Republicans have caricatured critical race theory into a boogie man in order to give them the political justification to change the narrative of history itself. Join us this week as we discuss  the GOP attempt to whitewash Texas history.

Georgia progressives are clearly doing something right.  So what should Texas learn from Georgia? Our guest this week, Delilah Agho-Otoghile, is uniquely situated to provide an answer, as a Houston organizer and Democratic strategist who played a leading role in Georgia's success!

Progressives must embrace the indispensable digital tools of our age.  So join us this week as we discuss the State of Digital for Progressives in 2022 with Benjamin Hernandez!

Join us this week as we check in on the status of US immigration under the new administration with Houston immigration attorney, Ruby Powers.

Democracy is fragile during any time. But during times like this, when it is directly under assault, it cannot survive without a Mass Movement. We must fight for it. And that “we,” must be literally everyone.

Join us this week as we revisit the topic of our community and governmental response to flooding in the first of a series of episodes on climate justice.

It's that time of year again, election season! In what is becoming an H-Town Progressive tradition, this week we cover the eight ballot propositions that will appear on this November's ballot, with the great Andrea Greer!

It feels like we're experiencing a Great Unraveling right now, with facts, science, decency, and humanity itself giving way to hatred, greed & bigotry. So how do you build bridges amid all this? With creative, thoughtful, resilient, and tough progressives, like our guest today, Sasha  Legette.

The Texas GOP anti-abortion law is now in effect. It employs an insidious strategy, to destroy the entire community around the person seeking care.  What can we do? What are the facts, and who do we turn to now? A good start is with our guests today, who are on the front lines, fighting the fight every day.

As the story of America's longest war slowly finds its way into the history books, we must be vigilant to make sure the perspective and unique experience of American Muslims during all of this is not forgotten or ignored. Join us this week as we discuss the international crises through the lens of Houston's Muslim Community with our guest, Sarah Syed.

The art a community elevates can be one of the truest reflections of that community's identity. But if art must first be filtered through the whims of the rich and powerful, then the story it tells will be, at best, incomplete. And so, if we are to embrace our collective humanity, treat with dignity the unique lived experiences that we each bring to the table, honor with humility and curiosity the perspective of the other, so we can appreciate a more complete story of our community, we must develop mechanisms to elevate art that do not rely primarily on the rich and the powerful. So today we talk about the effort to do so through grassroots arts advocacy, right here in Houston.

Black Lives Matter is more than just words, it's a simple and short, yet powerful and complex verbal manifestation of American history. It rings true always, not just when our screens are filled with the blood of Black bodies. So today, a day when our media is distracted by other problems - and there are many -  we take a moment to remind ourselves that the work must continue, especially on a day like this, because Black Lives Still Matter.

Our criminal justice system is broken.  But with the next election approaching quickly, we have a real opportunity to bring meaningful change to our community. Join us this week as we discuss the Harris County criminal bench with three of Harris County's top criminal law experts and criminal judicial candidates, Judge Genesis Draper, Nata Cornelio and Te'iva Bell!

One way to stop the perpetuation of racism in America is to publicly call out and hold racist institutions responsible. Houston's St. Thomas' Episcopal School is one such institution, and Donato Clay, a Black alum of the school, has lead a recent movement to demand atonement.  Join us this week as three STE alums, including our host, State Rep. Gene Wu, and Mr. Clay, discuss one Houston example of challenging a racist institution.

Protests are good, but they are not enough. Non-black Americans need to act. And those actions need to be informed by understanding. So we must listen. And that’s what we’re going to do today, listen. This week Odus Evbagharu shares his thoughts about the ongoing racist American police state.

This administration has been targeting and ruthlessly persecuting the immigrant community literally from the day it took power. And unfortunately, as is the case with pretty much all of our structural inequities, the pandemic has made the situation worse. Join us this week as we discuss COVID-19 and Houston’s immigrant community with Dr. Dona Kim Murphey.

Months now into the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas has entered the second phase of the Governor’s plan for reopening. Yet key benchmarks in his own plan have not been met. Join us this week as we discuss Phase 2 of the Reopening of Texas with Houston physician Dr. Bich-May Nguyen.

It seems that abortion care is always politically charged and under attack. That’s true now more than ever, as political fanatics use the pandemic to serve their brutal interests. Today we talk to Dr. Bhavik Kumar, a family physician with Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast about the state of abortion care in Houston amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Dr. Cedric Dark is a professor at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine who works in the ER at Ben Taub Hospital, which is part of the Harris County Health System. Join us this week as Dr. Dark shares his experience on the front lines of Houston’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Vian Nguyen is a doctor with Legacy Community Health, a critical wraparound health services provider in Houston. Join us this week as she shares her experience working on the front lines of Houston's response to Covid-19.

So many things outside the classroom affect the possibility of success inside the classroom. Join us this week as we discuss Houston's education infrastructure with education advocate Raj Salhotra.

Join us this week for an important discussion with Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin, covering the Houston City government response to Covid-19.

Trans rights are human rights, period. And we all need to be doing everything we can to support, uplift and embrace with love, our trans siblings. Join us this week as we discuss the condition of the trans community with human rights activist, Monica Roberts. 

Justice for all is an ever-elusive goal that we have yet to achieve. And this is no more evident than in our criminal justice system among communities of color. Join us this week as we discuss racial disparities in the criminal justice system with civil rights attorney, Natalia Cornelio.  

Excessive bail, even though prohibited by our Constitution, has been used as a tool for generations to propagate the existing power structure and suppress marginalized people. Join us this week as we discuss bail reform in Harris County with lawyers Te’Iva Bell and Christian Menefee!

Our LGBTQIA+ siblings have a unique perspective and a lived experience that is valid.  Queer voices are worthy of being heard, and so queer questions must be asked. The 2081 Project is a new podcast that does just this. Join us this week as we discuss queer questions in Houston and The 2081 Project with co-host Vince Pryor!

Advocacy through art can take many forms. If we want art to flourish in a way that encourages and facilitates the creation and experience of art across boundaries, we must actively advocate for equity in the arts. H-Town Progressive is back! So join us this week as we discuss equity in the arts with Deidre Thomas and John Abodeely of the Houston Arts Alliance!

Hate is an ever present human infection that demands constant vigilance. Join us this week as we discuss the Houston Coalition Against Hate's systematic and analytical approach to this vigilance with their Coordinator, Marjorie Joseph. 

Art is a uniquely human thing. It's also progressive at its core, as it connects communities and ignores boundaries. Join us this week as we discuss advocacy through art with lead singer of The Suffers, Kam Franklin!

Justice for our youth homeless population is yet another strand of the broader issues of racial justice and justice with sex and gender identity. It’s all connected. And it cannot stand, as justice for some is justice for none. Join us as we discuss youth homelessness in Houston with Courtney Sellers,  Executive Director of Montrose Grace Place.

H-Town Progressive celebrates our 1 Year Anniversary with Lillie Schechter and Nisha Randle as we discuss The Road to the 2020 Election!

Even though our brains are very much a part of our bodies, for some reason our culture does not regard the health of the stuff that happens in your brain, with the same level of understanding as it does the health of the stuff that happens in the rest of your body!  Join us this week as we discuss the importance of mental health awareness with Patrick McIlvain, founder of The Walk for Mental Health Awareness - Houston.

The burden of trauma inflicted by disaster, may be suffered by everyone, but it is not borne equally by everyone. Rather, the already immense inequalities that we see and experience everyday are ripped open and made worse by disaster. So our challenge is to make sure we put our labor and the power of our industry into a recovery that acknowledges these facts and is guided not by the means of the few, but by the needs of the many. Join us as we discuss equity in disaster relief with Chrishelle Palay of the HOME Coalition.

It's election season ya'll, so get ready to put on your Democracy Pants and vote! Join us this week as we discuss the 11 ballot propositions on this year's ballot with friend of the podcast, Andrea Greer!

In a society infused throughout its history with white supremacy, it is not enough to be not racist. We must be anti-racist. Join us this week as we discuss racial justice in Houston with Alan Dettlaff, Dean of the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston.

In our ever-expanding city, as we contemplate new infrastructure decisions, like the I-45 expansion, and whether to create more light rail or build an “Ike Dike”, it is incumbent upon us all to understand how we got where we are today, so that we can infuse our major projects with values that better reflect the community that we are, and the community that we want to become. Join us as we talk infrastructure with Dr. Kyle Shelton of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research!   

Money may indeed be the root of all evil, but it’s also a precondition for quite a bit of good. From non-profits, to educational institutions, to politicians, they all need money to be able to do good. So join us this week as we discuss fundraising for Houston’s progressive community with Januari Fox, Director of Advancement for the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.

Are you vegan? No? Have you thought, seriously, about the meat products you consume? If you call yourself a progressive, then you should definitely be doing this. Join us this week as we talk about Houston’s addiction to meat with vegan activist and co-founder of non-profit, Meat Your Future, Bob Rapfogel.

Universities once were a tool for the perpetuation of an entrenched power structure. That has changed. These days universities are incredibly diverse places that are much more accessible than ever before. But diversity, by itself, isn’t enough. Institutions need to evolve into truly inclusive and accessible places. Our guest today, Tamara Siler, Deputy Director of Admissions at Rice University, has spent her career working to make this a reality.

The Latinx community in politics is often referred to as a “Sleeping Giant” because of its large size and low participation. Any supporter of democracy should want to change this, but sadly, there is strong political opposition to maintain the status quo through often insidious tactics. People like our guest today, Angie Razo of Mi Familia Vota, are on the front lines of our democracy, working hard every day to try to enfranchise and civically engage our strong and vibrant Latinx community.

Many communities have a complex relationship with law enforcement. The path to transforming that into an unequivocally positive relationship starts with oversight, accountability, and honest assessment. Join us this week as we talk to Dr. Jace Valcore about how Houston is doing this with its Independent Police Oversight Board.

Institutional knowledge is important, but breaking unjust institutions can be much more important. So when a young black millennial walks through the halls of the Texas State Capitol, it’s a big deal that the proper way to address that young man is Chief of Staff! Join us this week as we talk to Odus Evbagharu, a Houston millennial who went to Austin!

This is the second of a couple of compilation episodes where, while we’re taking a short summer break, we’re going to look back at past episodes and highlight some of the incredible progressive leaders we’ve had on our show over the almost one year since we started. We're back next week with all new episodes!

This is the first of a couple of compilation episodes where, while we’re taking a short summer break, we’re going to look back at past episodes and highlight some of the incredible progressive leaders we’ve had on our show over the almost one year since we started.

Every one of us,  at some point, will absolutely end up in a courtroom, sitting in front of a judge. So it should be a pretty important piece of our civic life to do what we can to engage the judiciary. This week we talk to Judge Kristen Hawkins about just that!

What would Medicare for All mean for Houston, a city where the healthcare economy drives things almost as much as the oil and gas industry? Join us as we discuss with Dr. Stephen Chao.

Too many people struggle to safely move about our great city to do the things that people need to do in modern society. Join us this week as we discuss transportation equity in Houston with Oni Blair.

This year in the Houston area we’ve suffered terrible environmental disasters, perpetrated by the corporate recklessness of first, ITC, and then, KMCO. What are we doing and what should be done to fight this and other threats to our environment? Join us this week as we discuss Houston’s environmental resilience with Dr. Bakeyah Nelson.

The 86th Texas Legislative Session has come and gone, and well, we’re ready for a recap! What did they fix? What did they break? What did they kick down the road to 2021? Join us this week as we recap this year’s Lege with Representative Jon Rosenthal!