Getting To The Root

On this episode of Getting To The Root, hear from freelance journalist for The Guardian and Hofstra journalism student Amudalat Ajasa, who discusses balancing both her busy life and reporting about the current Derek Chauvin murder trial in Minneapolis. You'll also hear from reporter Katrina O'Brien with more information about PPE's. This week, Katrina spoke with investigative reporter and environmental journalist Karl Grossman on how personal protection equipment pollution has been impacting the shore of South Hampton. They break down what the community and legislators are doing to combat this issue. Lastly, hear from journalist Julio Ricardo in his discussion with Mario Murillo about a new podcast called La Brega. La Brega unearths the before untold stories of Puerto Rico ranging from the people, to the island and understanding the complexities in each. Music: Deja Mary

On this edition, we introduce you to two creative innovators in their respective fields who released some incredible work last year, one in book form, the other as a musical recording. In the first half of the show, we hear from Veteran Public Radio journalist Maria Martin, the founding executive producer of the NPR show Latino USA, who’ll tell us about her new memoir Crossing Borders, Building Bridges: A Journalists Heart in Latin America. Then, in the second half, we speak to Colombian musician, pianist and arranger Pablo Mayor, whose latest album with the Folklore Urbano Orchestra pays tribute to the great sounds of the Nuyo-Rican Salsa scene that emerged in the 1960 and 70s. The album is called El Barrio Project Salsa, and we give you a taste of it right here…on Getting to the Root. Hosted by Mario A. Murillo. Originally aired on 02/23/2021 on WRHU-FM

On this edition, we take a look at the Biden administration’s initial steps at developing an immigration policy agenda. As you may know, President Biden signed three executive orders in early February that he said would lead to a more "fair, orderly, humane" immigration system.” But is it enough? We spoke with Patrick Young, who served as an immigration lawyer with the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN) for 35 years. He is Special Professor of Immigration Law at Hofstra School of Law and he is currently the Downstate Advocacy Director for the New York Immigration Coalition; and Nadia Marin Molina is Co-Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), leading the Workers Center and Workers Rights areas of work. An attorney who has devoted her career to advancing the rights of immigrants in the workplace, she was formerly the executive director of the Workplace Project, and served on Biden’s transition team. Then, in the second part of the show, we examined the so-called Latino voter, a few months after the historic elections of last November. A lot has been written and said about what some pundits described as new trends in the Latino electorate in 2020. We were joined by independent journalist Michelle Garcia, who’ll tell us why it’s not anything new, it’s just that mainstream media pundits continue to misunderstand the complex dynamics that make up the diverse Latino population in the US. Hosted by Mario A. Murillo. Originally aired on 02/16/2021 on WRHU-FM

On this edition, we explore an issue that has had a particular impact on Long Island: criminal justice, street gangs, and the history of MS-13. First we present highlights of a special panel held at Hofstra University last October called The Gangs of Long Island: Mythmaking, Policymaking and the Origins of MS-13. The panel featured two guests who know and understand from unique perspectives the history of MS-13: Steven Dudley, Investigative journalist and cofounder of InSight Crime, a think tank devoted to investigating organized crime and corruption in the Americas. He is the author of the just published book MS-13: The Making of America’s Most Notorious Gang. Also, Sergio Argueta, among the most influential community activists on Long Island. Sergio is the founder and Board President of S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. (Struggling To Reunite Our New Generation), one of the leading gang prevention and intervention agencies in the northeastern United States. Then, we hear from award-winning San Francisco-based journalist Roberto Lovato, who tells us about his just published book UNFORGETTING: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas. The book tells the story of his life growing up between the streets of Los Angeles and the internal conflict in El Salvador, and how he has witnessed first-hand the emergence of MS-13 in both places. Hosted by Mario A. Murillo. Originally aired on 02/09/2021 on WRHU-FM

In this episode of Getting To The Root, Julia sat down with Hadas Hayun who works for Hofstra University’s Hillel and Sydney Korman who works for Open Hillel. She discusses the importance of Jewish activism in various organizations. She also talks about the role activism plays in Jewish Identity and what the term “Anti-Semitism” means.

In this episode, Julia Berk attended a panel and sat down with New York State Senator, Jessica Ramos. Senator Ramos discussed her life in activism and how that has lead to a life in politics. She discusses laws she’s helped pass, movements she’s been involved in, and much, much more. Originally aired on 11/5/2019 on WRHU-FM

In the first episode of season 3, Julia Berk and Alex Whitbeck are introduced as the new producers. They delve into linguistics and the effect it has on the current political climate. Contributing producer Mario Murillo speaks with Dr. Lina Maria Murillo about her work in connecting anti-Mexican rhetoric to actions taken at the border, and attorney Patrick Young discusses immigration. Lastly, Dr. Jennifer Saul from the University of Sheffield speaks on her area of expertise in coded language and its impact on the nation. Aired on WRHU-FM on 9/24/19 Music is "Stress Signal" by Ryan Little https://app.hellothematic.com/artist/profile/7024

This week, one of our executive producers says goodbye. Ben Abrams starts with his deep dive into one of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s sexual misconduct allegations. He then says goodbye to the GTTR community. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 5/21/2019. Series episode #25. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: “West Coast” Les Hayden: “Proverb” Safir Nou: “Land-escape”

In this special edition of GTTR, Ben Abrams sits down with various experts and journalists to discuss the latest developments in Venezuela. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 4/30/2019 Music featured in this episode: Ryan Little: “West Coast”

On this episode, Nailah speaks to journalist and author Ed Morales about the new term “Latinx” and binary perceptions of race and gender. Then, Dennis and Ben explore the history of gangs on Long Island, including the recent hyper-focus on MS-13. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 4/9/2019. Music featured in this episode: Ryan Little: “West Coast”

On this first ever hour-long episode of GTTR, faculty advisor Mario A. Murillo concludes his four-part series from the Second Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders held in the Sarayaku territory in Ecuador. Then, contributor Polina Mustazza explores the issue of cellphone surveillance. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 4/2/2019. Series episode #22. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast"

This week, faculty advisor Mario A. Murillo brings us the second of four audio pieces from the Second Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders in Ecuador. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 2/12/2019. Series episode #21. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast"

This week, faculty advisor Mario A. Murillo brings us the first of four audio pieces from the Second Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders in Ecuador. Mario explains the origins of the workshop, how he helped facilitate it, and the significance of the gathering to native leaders from all over the globe. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 2/5/2019. Series episode #20. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast"

On this episode of Getting To The Root Nailah Andre investigates New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio's plan to close the third biggest jail in America Rikers Island. Originally aired on 12/11/18 WRHU-FM Musicians featured in this episode: Ryan Little "West Coast" Broke For Free "As Colorful As Ever" Safir Nou "Land-escape"

This week, the producers sit down for an exclusive interview with controversial Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera. During the discussion, Rivera talks about his commutation under President Obama, Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico's infrastructure, and more. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 11/13/2018. Series episode #18. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast"

This week, Ben Abrams continues his conversation with a young Cuban entrepreneur, and learns how complex of a task it is to run a new business in the emerging Cuban economy. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 10/30/2018. Series episode #17. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast"

This week, contributor Raffaella Tonani takes a look at reproductive rights in Argentina, and Nailah Andre investigates the impact of local libraries. Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 10/23/2018. Series episode #16. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast" Broke For Free: "As Colorful As Ever"

In our Season 2 premiere, Nailah Andre explores a student-lead campaign to relocate a controversial statue of Thomas Jefferson on Hofstra's campus, and renowned author Ta-Nehisi Coates weighs in on the issue. Then, Ben Abrams explores the emerging realm of Cuban private businesses in part two of his series "¿Cuba Nueva?" Originally aired on WRHU-FM on 10/09/2018. | Updated episode: 10/20/2018. Series episode #15. Music featured in this piece: Ryan Little: "West Coast" Jason Shaw: "RUNNING WATERS"

In our Season One finale, the Executive Producers (Nailah, Dennis, and Ben) share their experiences creating Getting To The Root and revisit some of their favorite moments from the first season. Originally aired on 05/15/2018 on WRHU-FM. Music featured in this episode: Ryan Little: "West Coast"

In our thirteenth episode, contributors Liane Sousa and Raffaella Tonani discuss Narcan, a chemical used to save victims of opioid overdoses, and how it's being used by Nassau County authorities. Originally aired on 4/24/18 on WRHU-FM. Music featured in this episode: Ryan Little: "West Coast"