Episodes

Nov. 14, 2024

Feeding the Hungry in Inland SoCal

Southern California’s vibrance and abundance bely the fact that a number of our neighbors don’t have enough food to eat. Led by CEO Carolyn Fajardo, Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino, the region’s largest food bank,…
Oct. 31, 2024

Black Maternal Health in SoCal

Alarming statistics reveal that Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Dana Sherrod, co-founder and executive director o…
Oct. 3, 2024

Election 2024: The Young Vote, Part III

Forty-million adults under 30 are eligible to vote in the November election. About eight million of them are first-time voters and they’re registering to vote in record numbers. While many young people between 18 - 30 say th…
Sept. 19, 2024

Election 2024: The Young Vote, Part II

People under 30 are registering to vote in record numbers. The uptick is attributed in part to “the switch” when President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nominat…
Sept. 5, 2024

Election 2024: The Young Vote, Part I

The 2024 Presidential Election is under way and since President Joe Biden left the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic party’s nominee, young voters have responded to her candidacy with record…
Aug. 8, 2024

Community Development in SoCal

Community development is essential to how all the elements of where we live fit together and impact how we experience our communities. Eric Nelson is a 20-year community development expert who has impacted the lives of thous…
July 25, 2024

Leading Homeboy Industries: A Radical Approach to Business and Life

For more than 30 years, Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles has been helping former prisoners and ex-gang members redirect their lives to become productive, contributing members of the community. A human services agency offeri…
July 11, 2024

Beyond Her Diagnosis: Jennifer Gasner’s Unexpected Life

When she was 17 years old, San Diego author Jennifer Gasner was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia or FA, a rare progressive neuromuscular disease. The impact of FA varies from person to person, but generally causes difficul…
June 27, 2024

Embracing Change: A Conversation on Thriving in SoCal

Born in China and raised in Los Angeles, certified life coach, podcaster, speaker and author Lucy Liu is a self-described ex-overachiever and recovering perfectionist who is thriving in Irvine. On this episode of SoCal Voice…
June 13, 2024

How SoCal’s “The Mighty 690” inspired a novel

Long before podcasting and FM radio, AM radio ruled. And in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the biggest dog on the porch was THE MIGHTY 690. The 50,000-watt station was heard throughout SoCal. And its top-40 format was popul…
May 30, 2024

How the Arts Teach Life Skills: Dancing with Tamaira “Miss Tee” Sandifer

Tamaira “Miss Tee” Sandifer is having a strong impact on young people from SoCal and beyond as she helps youth develop critical life skills through exposure to the arts. She has developed some of Hollywood’s most sought-afte…
May 23, 2024

Boosting Confidence in SoCal Girls: The 20/20 Club

Studies and surveys have shown that children start life with similar levels of confidence and self-esteem, but as girls become pre-teens, their confidence and self-esteem decline. LaTina McGhee-Simmons, a teacher at Virginia…
May 16, 2024

Mental Health and a Memoir

If you have struggled with anxiety, you may find some inspiration in this episode featuring San Diego author Jessica Keith. Her debut memoir, Saying Inshallah with Chutzpah, is a humorous and poignant coming-of-age story abo…
May 2, 2024

Healing the Mother-Daughter Relationship

The mother-daughter relationship has been described as many things - special, complicated, loving, perplexing and more. For many people, it can be one of the most rewarding relationships in their lives. For others, the bond …
April 18, 2024

Organ Donation in Southern California: The mission of OneLegacy

Do you have the pink “donor dot” on your driver’s license? Do you know why you should? April is Donate Life Month and there’s an organization in southern California that’s dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tis…
April 4, 2024

Breaking Barriers: How Black Women Invest is Bridging the Wealth Gap

Schelo Doirin Collier is all about helping Black women become strong investors. Her organization, Black Women Invest , started as a small social media group and has grown into a national community of more than 14,000, includ…
March 21, 2024

A safe haven: Her Sisters Keeper Foundation

Her Sisters Keeper Foundation provides a safe space for women in SoCal’s Inland Empire to recover from major setbacks or simply reset from the daily stress in their lives. In this episode of SoCal Voices, founder and executi…
March 7, 2024

Can police reform work? Reimagining Safety

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of police focused the world’s attention on the problem of police abuse and misconduct in ways that few other cases have. In the US, the murder of Floyd renewed calls for police reform…
Feb. 29, 2024

2024 Presidential Primary Election - Who will voters choose?

The 2024 Presidential Primary is underway in California and voters are navigating a range of issues as they make decisions on candidates and propositions. From debates about the age of the likely presidential candidates to t…
Feb. 22, 2024

Black History and Music: Center for African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians

The second episode in our series on Black History and Music spotlights The Center for African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians at California State University, Dominguez Hills. The Center is known as the preeminent site fo…
Feb. 8, 2024

Black History and Music - A Concerto in Riverside

As Black History Month 2024 gets under way in Southern California, the Riverside Philharmonic will present two special pieces in a performance on February 24: Negro Folk Symphony, by the late African American composer Willia…
Jan. 25, 2024

Impact Investing: Aligning your investments with progressive values

Conventional wisdom says that your personal wealth often has to come at the cost of your personal values — that you have to sell out. Financial advisor Marie Thomasson of Modern Assets says it is possible for your investment…
Jan. 11, 2024

Is DEI Dead?

In a marked change from the racial reckoning that occurred in 2020, some have declared that DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is dead. Is it? Where exactly are we with DEI initiatives? In this episode of SoCal Voices, J…
Nov. 30, 2023

How to Succeed Without A Role Model

Jackie Gutierrez is Founder of Women Kick Balls — an independent, one-woman multi-media company aiming to elevate the standard of soccer media. She’s living her dream as a journalist and content creator, interviewing profess…