EP142: Breaking down the Latino electorate with Clarissa Martínez De Castro, Vice President of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS — Election 2024 series, part two of two
Release Date: 10/24/2024
EP157: Navigating Access and Opportunity in STEMM with Dr. Stephanie Rodriguez
In The Margins
In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Rodriguez, Director of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance (SOA) at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), sits down in the pod to talk about STEMM education, workforce development, equity, and policy advancement. From growing up in Indiana to earning her PhD in immunology, Rodriguez shares how a teacher’s spark changed the trajectory of her life — and informs her work to empower future scientists. In this conversation, with Diverse host Ralph Newell, she dives deep into the challenges and opportunities facing STEMM...
info_outline
EP156: Community Colleges & The Fight for Equity, with Dr. Carrie B. Kisker
In The Margins
Today, Diverse sits down with Dr. Carrie Kisker, president of and director of the , delving into the critical role of community colleges in providing social mobility for marginalized groups. Kisker shares her journey from soccer goalkeeper to education researcher, inspired by her mentor Arthur Cohen. In conversation with Diverse host Ralph Newell, she also explores the current challenges facing higher education, including attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Kisker offers insights into how educators, administrators, and students can resist these...
info_outline
EP155: MEET JAYO ADEGBOYO | 2025 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year
In The Margins
In this honest and intimate episode, we celebrate 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year Jayo Adegboyo from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). His story highlights the power of networking, persistence, and interdisciplinary learning. As a first-generation pre-med student, Jayo shares enthusiastically about the Meyerhoff Scholars program and its support for students like himself pursuing STEM careers. Jayo is a biochemistry major with a physics minor and a member of the track and field team specializing in 200m and 400m events. Tune in as he shares...
info_outline
EP154: MEET JAIDA ROSS | 2025 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year
In The Margins
In this inspiring episode, we celebrate 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year Jaida Ross from the University of Oregon. This conversation explores her journey from a small Oregon town to the Olympic stage, highlighting her excellence in academics, athletics, and community service. Jaida shares her path from discovering shot put in middle school to competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished fourth place, missing a medal by just inches. She reveals how she found her athletic calling in a sport that celebrated her body type and natural strength, contrasting...
info_outline
EP153: Tech Talent Starts Here: How the Last Mile Fund Supports Student Success
In The Margins
In today’s episode, we sit down with Ruthe Farmer, founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund, for a powerful conversation about unlocking opportunity in STEM education. This discussion focuses on the Last Mile’s mission to support students in the final stretch of their degrees—especially those in high-demand fields like cybersecurity. Farmer also describes how the fund provides crucial support for tuition, certification exams, and even basic needs, helping students stay on track when it matters most. The conversation looks at the fund’s innovative partnership...
info_outline
EP152: A Remarkable Journey in Community College Leadership, with Dr. Walter G. Bumphus
In The Margins
In this inspiring episode we engage with Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, the outgoing president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), as he prepares to conclude his transformative 15-year tenure at the end of 2025. This candid conversation highlights his remarkable journey in higher education, from his early days at Murray State University alongside future community college leaders Dr. Ken Atwater and Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, to becoming one of the most influential voices in community college leadership. Bumphus shares pivotal moments from his career, including his first...
info_outline
EP151: Catching up with Toni Morrison scholar and DEI expert, Dr. Marilyn Sanders Mobley
In The Margins
In today’s episode, we sit down with Dr. Marilyn Sanders Mobley, a distinguished scholar, author, and academic leader. As founder of the African American Studies program at George Mason University and former Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity at Case Western Reserve University, Mobley has spent decades shaping conversations on race, gender, and social justice — now serving as a diversity consultant. Mobley shares her journey as a literary scholar and how she helped establish the Toni Morrison Society, dedicated to preserving Morrison’s legacy. Her...
info_outline
EP150: Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms, with Dr. Marlee Bunch
In The Margins
In this episode we feature author and creator of the un/HUSH Framework, Dr. Marlee Bunch, to discuss the development of her framework for dealing with the challenges of implementing diverse narratives in today’s educational settings. Bunch shares how her experiences as an educator in diverse, low-income schools led her to pursue a doctorate focused on the oral histories of Black female educators in Mississippi during the civil rights era. She also explains how their stories informed the un/HUSH Framework, which emphasizes the following principles: uniting, naming, history, unlearning,...
info_outline
EP149: From Protest to President: A Social Justice Journey with Dr. George A. Pruitt
In The Margins
In this episode, we welcome Dr. George A. Pruitt, Thomas Edison State University president emeritus, for a thought-provoking discussion highlighting the past, present, and future of the civil rights movement, the importance of celebrating diverse histories, and the ongoing struggle for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education and beyond. Pruitt also offers a glimpse into his new book: From Protest to President: A Social Justice Journey through the Emergence of Adult Education and the Birth of Distance Learning. Throughout the conversation with Diverse host Ralph...
info_outline
EP148: Embracing Diversity, Fostering Belonging: How Affordable Access Transforms Lives at the University of Mount Saint Vincent
In The Margins
Meet , president of the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, New York City. A first-generation college graduate herself, Burns is leading the university into the future of what higher ed should look like — an authentic, high-quality education for students of all backgrounds. Under Burns' leadership since 2021, the Mount is a Hispanic-and-minority-serving institution. Don’t miss the conversation as Burns and host Diverse host David Pluviose explore innovative strategies and the holistic approach that the University of Mount Saint Vincent uses to meet the needs of...
info_outlineTune in as Clarissa Martínez De Castro, Vice President of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS, discusses the need for accurate information and education to ensure full election participation and encourage eligible Latino voters to register to vote.
Committed to strengthening civil society, De Castro spearheads initiatives that emphasize the significance of ongoing, year-round voter empowerment and engagement efforts. She highlights the importance of voter registration and turnout among Latino youth.
Join in as she, along with Diverse host Ralph Newell, take a deep look at how the Latino Vote Initiative works to increase civic engagement and voter registration among Latino communities — registering 150,000 voters by the end of the cycle. Despite being a significant voting bloc, De Castro shares that Latinos often face voter suppression and lack of outreach challenges.
This discussion is part-two of our Election 2024 two-part series. In part-one we looked at Voter Suppression and the Importance of Minoritized Youth Voting in the United States with Dr. Carol Anderson.
KEY POINTS:
- The Latino Vote Initiative seeks to increase understanding and empower communities in the electoral process.
- 8 out of 10 Latinos in the U.S. are citizens, and 9 out of 10 under age 18 are citizens, dispelling common misconceptions.
- The initiative is driving voter registration efforts, including digital outreach to over 150,000 new Latino voters.
- A key focus is educating first-time and young Latino voters on their rights and voting options.
- Voter suppression tactics, such as false immigration voting claims and voter purges, present challenges for Latino voters.
- Economic concerns like cost of living, jobs, and healthcare are top priorities for Latino voters.
- Lack of outreach from politicians and political parties has contributed to apathy among young Latino voters.
QUOTABLES:
"The reality is that the majority of Latinos in this country are United States citizens. Eight out of 10 Latinos are United States citizens." – Clarissa Martínez De Castro
“The work we do on the agency side —- registration, education, and get out the vote, and then on the narrative side – an accurate understanding of these voters. We do very robust polling.” – Clarissa Martínez De Castro
GUEST RESOURCES:
UnidosUS - Latino civil rights and advocacy
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
X (formerly Twitter): http://twitter.com/diverseissues
Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation
Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/@DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation
Closed captioning and a live show transcription are available in the video for this episode.
In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/).