Jessica Mendoza

Legally, you can discriminate against someone because of their accent. Dominic Amegashitsi found this out firsthand when he first came to the U.S. from Ghana to start a new life. This episode follows his journey to communicating more confidently, and examines our assumptions about what it means to c…

Diversity in media isn’t just about the way characters look; it’s also about how they sound. The creators of “Molly of Denali” knew that when they started producing the animated kids’ show about the adventures of an Alaska Native girl. We talk to producers about what it takes to meaningfully portray…

Accent is identity. The way we speak is shaped by our families, communities, histories, beliefs, and experiences. This podcast shares stories of pe

The pandemic is not Yarleny Roa-Dugan’s first trial by fire. But it’s the hardest she’s faced by far. A nurse and mother of two, she’s come up against everything that parents and frontline workers have been having to deal with. And when members of her own family were diagnosed with COVID-19, she had…

The numbers were grim: 2.3 million women pushed out of the workforce between March 2020 and March 2021. A generation’s worth of progress in women’s workforce participation lost, by some accounts. Women of color hit especially hard. Now, as the U.S. recovers from the pandemic, it’s time to look not o…

When leadership fails a community, how does it build back trust? In this update to Part 2 of “Tulsa Rising,” Tulsa mayor G.T. Bynum talks with our reporters about the city’s duty to help heal the damage that racism has caused Tulsa’s Black community. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perf…

This is the story of a city wrestling with its history and – maybe – forging a better future. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma, became t

The idea that “the Black vote” is a monolith suggests that Black Americans are politically unified. But in Tulsa – and across the country – the reality is much more complicated. Though both Democrats and Republicans promise benefits to Black voters, both parties have also systematically failed them…

The 2018 midterms gave Capitol Hill’s Blue Dog coalition new members and new clout, even as the definition of ‘centrist’ is shifting.

Abortion is one of the most potent wedge issues in politics. As activists contemplate the possible end of Roe, the debate may grow more contentious.

The University of California, Berkeley, is gearing up for “Free Speech Week,” featuring ‘alt-right’ speakers. Also likely to turn out: antifa groups, whose appearance at neo-Nazi and white nationalist rallies has led to heated and sometimes nasty confrontations.

Seattle is trying to tackle income inequality one local move at a time – and becoming a case study in how cities are testing liberal policies that lack traction at the state or federal level.

For months, an anti-discrimination bill pitted faith-based universities against gender equality advocates. But changes made Wednesday transformed the measure into something both sides could support.

Donald Trump’s appeal to disenfranchised white Americans is well-documented. But he also connects with a vocal contingent of frustrated minorities who say that he is the best hope for the nation’s future.

As Americans rethink how animals should be treated – from food production to SeaWorld shows – zoos face an uncertain future. New ideas are emerging.

Escaped convict David Sweat is in police custody after three weeks on the lam. How a jar of pepper helped Mr. Sweat and his accomplice keep searchers at bay.