Today, we sit down with award-winning author Lois Lowry to explore the power of storytelling in the face of censorship. We discuss her journey from first-time novelist to two-time Newbery Medal winner, the controversy that has made The Giver one of America's most banned books, and why Lowry continues to trust young readers with difficult truths even as book challenges sweep the nation.

Today, we uncover two pivotal chapters of Dallas's Mexican American history with historian Albert Valtierra. We explore the 1973 killing of twelve-year-old Santos Rodriguez that ignited Dallas's first major civil rights march, and the stories of Mexican American veterans from Little Mexico who fought for their country abroad, then returned home to battle for dignity and justice in their own community.

Today, we examine America's use of the death penalty with Dr. Rick Halperin, Director of SMU's Human Rights Program. We explore why the U.S. still practices capital punishment, the reality of wrongful convictions, and what decades of abolition work in Texas reveals about justice and the possibility of change.

Date recorded: Oct. 12, 2025

In part two of our conversation with Professor Aranzazu Borrachero, we examine the ideological roots behind Spain's stolen babies scandal and the ongoing fight for justice. Our guest discusses how the "Pact of Forgetting" continues to block accountability and how families are still searching for truth decades later.

Mujer y Memoria: https://www.mujerymemoria.org/web/

Date recorded: Oct. 10, 2025

Today's conversation uncovers one of Spain's darkest secrets, the systematic theft of babies under Franco's dictatorship. We speak with Professor Aranzazu Borrachero, founder of Mujer y Memoria, about how the regime targeted women and stole their children, a practice that remained hidden for decades until survivors began speaking out in the 2000s.

Mujer y Memoria: https://www.mujerymemoria.org/web/

Date recorded: Oct. 10, 2025

A firsthand account of living in Medellín during the Pablo Escobar era. Our guest shares how cartel violence shaped daily life—from curfews and nearby bombings to the fear that changed her neighborhood, and reflects on the resilience that helped her community survive Colombia's darkest period.

Date recorded: Sep. 28, 2025

Today, we explore the fight for girls’ education in Afghanistan through the story of Omid for Girls. Founder Sophie Lee shares how her organization connects volunteer tutors worldwide with Afghan girls who continue their education despite the Taliban’s ban.

Omid for Girls: https://www.omidforgirls.org/

Date recorded: Aug. 20, 2025

Today's conversation tackles period poverty; an issue affecting millions of people globally who lack access to menstrual products. We hear from Amelia Thompson, the founder of RenewToday, about the work being done to solve this problem and how listeners can get involved.

Disclaimer: Non-native English speakers may need to listen at a slower speed.

RenewToday: https://renewtoday.net/#initiatives

Date recorded: Aug. 18, 2025