The Empowerment Zone

How can municipalities produce academic success and teacher pipelines within the Latino community?

Angela Valenzuela: Look to Academia Cuauhtli -
Providing educational support with identifiable teachers are important to the academic success of all students. In today’s episode Dr. Angela Valenzuela shares her work with Academia Cuauhtli (Nahuatl for "Eagle Academy”), a partnership model with the Austin Independent School District and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center that supports the educational development of students and creates pathways into the teaching profession for bilingual and dual language educators. Listen and learn how the Academy incorporates culturally relevant teaching methods and uses bilingual educators to elevate academic achievement among Latino students.
Dr. Valenzuela is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin in both the Cultural Studies in Education Program within the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the Educational Policy and Planning Program within the Department of Education Leadership and Policy, where she also serves as the director of the Texas Center for Education Policy. Dr. Valenzuela also founded and operates an education blog entitled, "Educational Equity, Politics, and Policy in Texas.” Originally from San Angelo, Texas, Dr. Valenzuela now makes Austin her home.
To learn more about Dr. Angela Valenzuela, her blog, and Academia Cuauhtli, visit https://education.utexas.edu/faculty/angela_valenzuelahttp://texasedequity.blogspot.comhttps://academiacuauhtli.com/

Welcome to Season 3

We're looking forward to starting Season 3 of The Empowerment Zone on October 3rd, 2022. Please tune in and subscribe to ensure you won't miss any new episodes.
Ramona Houston

The Power of Voting from Abroad

Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus - 
With less than 100 days to the mid-term elections, the Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus is mobilizing voters around the world to engage in the political process and cast their votes. In this episode Jose Miguel Madrigal Hidalgo, Sruthi Venkatraman and Justin Hart of the Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus talk with Ramona on the process of voting from abroad, why voting is important, and how voting empowers the community. Providing a plethora of perspectives from different parts of the globe, these three tell us why young people should get more involved in the voting process and how Democrats Abroad supports their political journey. Go to Vote From Abroad to register to vote and Democrats Abroad to join the fun!
To learn more about the Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus, visit https://www.democratsabroad.org/yc.

Trailer! Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus

Next episode available from Monday, August 29th with guest Democrats Abroad Global Youth Caucus
The Power of Voting from Abroad

Part II: The Social Responsibility of the scholar

Dr. Emilio Zamora: The work of a scholar activist - 
Scholars have always played a significant role in movements to advance racial and social justice. In Part II of his conversation with Ramona, Dr. Emilio Zamora discusses why and how scholars should be involved in the community. Dr. Zamora shares his work in Texas in the campaign for Ethnic Studies—involving petitions for inclusion in the standard curriculum and workshops to help teachers incorporate Ethnic Studies into their classrooms. This work keeps Dr. Zamora grounded and inspired to continue making the historical claim for divinely-inspired and constitutional-based rights for all. Originally from the small town of La Feria, in South Texas, Dr. Zamora is a Professor of History and the Clyde Rabb Littlefield Chair in Texas History at the University of Texas at Austin.
For more information about Dr. Emilio Zamora, visit https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/history/faculty/ezamora.

Trailer! Dr. Emilio Zamora (part 2): The work of a scholar activist

Next episode available from Monday, August 22nd with guest Dr. Emilio Zamora
Part II: The Social Responsibility of the scholar

Part I: The Social Responsibility of the scholar

Dr. Emilio Zamora: The evolution of a scholar activist - 
Scholars have always played a significant role in movements to advance racial and social justice. In Part 1 of his conversation with Ramona, Dr. Emilio Zamora discusses his career trajectory as a Mexican Americanist historian and how his research has shaped his consciousness of social responsibility and his approach as a scholar activist. Expanding on his research on Mexican American activists Alonso Perales and José de la Luz Sáenz, Dr. Zamora explains how the lives of these men have provided lessons on how to advance racial and social justice. Originally from the small town of La Feria, in South Texas, Dr. Zamora is a Professor of History and the Clyde Rabb Littlefield Chair in Texas History at the University of Texas at Austin.
For more information about Dr. Emilio Zamora, visit https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/history/faculty/ezamora.

Trailer! Dr. Emilio Zamora (part 1): The evolution of a scholar activist

Next episode available from Monday, August 15th with guest Dr. Emilio Zamora
Part I: The Social Responsibility of the scholar

How can communities increase the number of African American teachers?

Sharif El-Mekki: intentionality in developing black educators — 
Many individuals matriculate through their formative years in K-12 education without having an African American teacher. This is a problem for multiple reasons. Listen to Ramona’s conversation with Sharif El-Mekki as they discuss why there are so few African American teachers and what communities must do to intentionally attract them to the profession. The Center for Black Education Development is dedicated to this mission. Sharif shares strategies that the Center has implemented to address this challenge, among them public policy, professional learning and pathways. The charge is simple: #weneedblackteachers. Former Principal and Teacher, Sharif El-Mekki is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development. A native of Philadelphia, he continues to make the city his home.
To learn more about Sharif El-Mekki and the Center for Black Educator Development, visit http://thecenterblacked.org.

Trailer! Sharif El-Mekki: intentionality in developing black educators

Next episode available from Monday, August 8th with guest Sharif El-Mekki
How can communities increase the number of African American teachers?