The Battle for Free Speech at USC Amidst Valedictorian Controversy

These three sites are the key to unlocking US history

URL Media, the start up devoted to Black and Brown media sustainability, recently hosted a day trip to Montgomery, Alabama. We mobilized media stakeholders to visit the Legacy Museum, which tells the story of the African-American experience from the Middle Passage to mass incarceration. Today Sara and Mitra are joined by Leonor Ayala, URL Media’s Chief of Recruitment to discuss how the Legacy Museum has changed their lives. Their work centers on creating a more just and equitable media ecosystem that centers Black and Brown communities. The trip preceded the Online News Association's annual convention in Atlanta, and underscores the importance of centering the truth of American history during this contentious election season.

How Indian American Leaders Defined a Historic DNC

We’re fresh off the heels of the DNC in Chicago, where we captured a powerful conversation between URL Media CEO Mitra Kalita and two trailblazing Indian American politicians: Arvind Venkat, Pennsylvania Representative, and Shekhar Krishnan, New York City Council Member. As the first Indian Americans to hold their offices, Arvind and Shekhar bring their identities and fresh perspectives to elected office. Their conversation focuses on the power of public service and what’s really at stake in this year’s election of Harris- Walz versus Trump- Vance. This podcast is a collaboration between Epicenter NYC and URL Media.

How Kamala Harris is energizing US voters and what's next

The news that President Biden is stepping down in favor of VP Kamala Harris on the 2024 Democratic ticket has electrified some Black and South Asian communities in the US. Sara Lomax and Mitra Kalita discuss what’s at stake. What contradictions exist in the Democratic Party and within VP Harris’ legacy? And what lessons can the American left learn from the global fight against the far right? Joining the discussion are Epicenter NYC editorial director Femi Redwood and Scroll’s politics editor Shoaib Daniyal.

The Judicial Assault on Black Power

Why is the Supreme Court rolling back the clock on our civil rights? In this episode of Twice as Good, Sara and Mitra are joined by two special guests, Madiba Dennie, author of the new book “The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution And How We The People Can Take It Back,” and Brandon Tensley, the national politics reporter at Capital B News. Together they discuss the great retrenchment: the assault on Black political power, as well as the states fighting back. They invoke the wisdom of Frederick Douglass and affirm the importance of staying in the fight for equity and justice for all.

The Battle for Free Speech at USC Amidst Valedictorian Controversy

University journalism students have been the primary documentarians of campus protests for Gaza, and the resulting crackdowns nationwide. In this episode of Twice as Good, Sara and Mitra sit with Zain Shafi Khan, journalist and leader from University of Southern California’s Annenberg Media. Sara and Mitra connect with Zain over his mission to capture this moment with integrity, and reflect on the stories that swept their campuses as young journalists.