State of Mind: Dealing with My Trauma

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Black Americans are more likely to experience certain factors that increase their risk of developing a mental health condition, like environmental trauma. In this episode of ‘State of Mind’, Alyesha Wise-Hernandez tells us how her childhood environment still affects her in her adult years.

Hidden Figuras: Mary Golda Ross

Mary Golda Ross was the first, female Native American engineer who excelled in missile and aerospace research. She worked with NASA and conducted then-top secret research for the Lockheed Corporation. She paved the way for other women and Native Americans to excel in STEM-related careers.

Local Noise: Kelman Duran

LA-based artist Kelman Duran’s latest album, “13th Month” is based off of the lunar calendar and his time spent on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. In this episode of Local Noise, we take a voyeuristic journey through Duran’s musical process and what he hopes to achieve with it.

BESE Explains: The Climate Gap

When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, 73 percent of those displaced by the storm were black. Climate change affects everyone, but not equally. It’s called the climate gap, and in this episode of BESE Explains, Zoe Saldana breaks it all down for us.

Hidden Figuras: Bill Melendez

José Cuauhtémoc “Bill” Melendez was one of the most influential animators of our time and is a part of all of our childhoods. His credits include “Pinocchio,” “Dumbo,” “Bambi,” and the beloved, “A Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” But being one of the few Latinx in his industry did not come without its challenges.

Sea of Change: Empowering Female Janitors with Ya Basta

Anabella Aguirre, a janitor for 18 years, has been sexually assaulted while working at night—twice. Today, Annabella is a self defense trainer with Ya Basta, a California-based group created by female janitors for female janitors. In the latest episode of Sea of Change, we hear Annabella’s story and learn why Ya Basta is imperative in empowering some of the most vulnerable and necessary members of our community.

State of Mind: Living with My Depression

Spoken word poet Hood Profet shares an honest piece about his complicated relationship with depression and how he finds healing. He believes people need to be given more tools to cope with mental illness, and that poetry can be one of them. Share your story in the comments below or tag someone who you think would appreciate this piece.

Folkslore: Three Kings Day

Christmas Day isn’t the only important holiday for Americans. In this episode of Folkslore, Inez Franco remembers Three Kings’ Day, also known as Epiphany, Denha, Little Christmas, or Theophany. If you have a Folkslore story, share it with us! Call 1-833-GOT-LORE or send us a message at stories@bese.com.

Be You: Sebastian Hernandez

In this episode of Be You, we take a visual journey into Sebastian Hernandez’s multi-faceted art practice. They show us how the complexities of the brown migrant experience and trans femme identity inform their material based performances in an effort to challenge traditional perceptions of space and the brown body.

BESE Explains: Asylum

Thousands of Central Americans have arrived at the southern border to seek asylum in the U.S. But what exactly is asylum and how does one get it? In this episode of BESE Explains, Zoe Saldana takes a closer look at the issue and its role in American history. For more information on how to help get supplies to asylum seekers at the U.S. Mexico border, visit https://www.borderangels.org/.

Folkslore: The Cold Spot

In this episode of Folkslore, an anonymous caller recounts the time his mother-in-law fixed a cold spot in his house with some Caribbean know-how.

Old School Soul with Jasper Bones | Local Noise

In this episode of Local Noise, Chicano/Guatemalan solo-artist Jasper Bones opens up about the childhood moments that shaped him and his Oldies-inspired music. At the young age of 20, Bones has already gained recognition from artists like Kali Uchis and Cuco, and has become part of a new wave of emerging Chicano musicians.

State of Mind: My Thoughts of Suicide

Suicide rates have increased by 25% in the last 17 years. That’s nearly 45,000 Americans that took their lives in the year 2016. For Latinx, this number was at its highest in 2015 among young Latinas. Slam poet Poetic Moment shares her past struggle with suicide. It’s time to talk about our mental health issues. Share your story in the comments below or tag someone who you think would appreciate this piece.

Hidden Figuras: Althea Gibson

In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first black woman invited to Wimbledon. She left with multiple wins and broke down barriers for athletes of color like Arthur Ashe and more.

Sea of Change: Living on the Line

This school is tackling the poverty cycle by giving kids a real chance to succeed.

BESE Explains: Representation in Politics

American politics is more diverse than ever, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

Women, LGBTQIA people and non-white communities shattered records during the 2018 midterm elections, but was it enough? In this episode of BESE Explains, Zoe Saldana breaks down how diverse American politics truly is.