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Roots, Race & Culture invites audiences into bold and honest conversations about race, identity, and culture, from the perspectives and shared experiences of Utah’s Black and POC communities. Hosts and Producers Lonzo Liggins and Danor Gerald cut through the fluff, tackling tough topics with humor, insight, and empathy.
NEW Episodes Thursdays in February
Each episode will stream live on PBS Utah at 7:00 PM on Thursdays and also available on this page, YouTube, and the PBS app.
season eight episode one
How Closing the Black Wealth Gap Helps Everyone
Black and POC communities have historically faced systemic barriers to growing wealth both individually and as a group, creating a gap of disparity in financial assets and equity between white and Black households.
The idea of Black Wealth is more than just dollars in a bank account. It’s access to opportunity, ability to build legacy, and overall community elevation. For generations in the U.S., Black and POC communities have faced redlining, discriminatory lending, and barriers in education, employment, and corporate leadership systems that blocked that access to capital.
Today, changes are happening in banking, in the workplace, in policy, and in communities to finally close that gap.
Hosts Danor Gerald and Lonzo Liggins are joined in the studio with two guests: Ashley D Bell and Sui Lang L Panoke. Bell is chairman of Redemption Bank, the first Black-owned bank west of the Mississippi, and part of the first Black-led investment group in the Western U.S. Panoke is founder of Rethink International, an organization designed to challenge people to rethink how and what they think.
season eight episode two | feb. 12
Pacific Islanders in Utah
From early pioneers to today’s educators, entrepreneurs, athletic stars, and leaders, Pacific Islanders are an important part of Utah’s history and cultural landscape.
For over a century, Utah’s Polynesian and Pacific Islander story begins with religious families coming to Utah to practice their religion. Now, many are drawn to Utah for its economic perks and strong sense of community and values.
Two local leaders join hosts Danor Gerald and Lonzo Liggins to talk about how perspectives from two different cultures, Tongan and Samoan, changes their outlook on life; as well as the myths and stereotypes that they overcome—including having their individual culture mistaken or combined with another distinct culture.
Susi Feltch-Malohifo-ou, founder of PIK2AR, a nonprofit serving the Pacific Islander community in Utah, and Utah State Representative Verona Mauga to talk about how faith and community have historically impacted Utah’s Pacific Islanders.
season eight episode four | feb. 19
Utah’s Latino Life and Legacy
We’re diving into the story of Latinos in Utah!
From railroad laborers and miners in the early 1900s to thriving entrepreneurs, educators, artists and political leaders today, Latinos are rewriting Utah’s cultural and economic landscape.Explore the challenges and successes that define the Hispanic community in Utah. How does Latino culture shape Utah’s past, present, and future?
Two Latino Utahns join hosts Lonzo Liggins and Danor Gerald to discuss Utah’s Latino life and legacy.
As Director of the SLC Department of Economic Development, Lorena Riffo-Jensen works to ensure the local economy is supported and retention and expansion of local companies. She also works with educational departments to funnel students into jobs.
Armando Solorzano, Ph.D. of Ethnic Studies at the University of Utah, wants to make sure the history of Mexican Americans in Utah is shared and remembered. In his book, “Recuerdo, Celebración, y Esperanza: Latinos in Utah goes into the history of Mexican Americans in Utah”, Solorzano writes: “Erasure is a form of violence. Recognition is it’s healing. Remembering is an act of justice.”
Join Roots, Race & Culture in remembering, recognizing, and celebrating the history and future of Latinos in Utah.
season eight episode three | feb. 26
Is AI Changing How We See Ourselves?
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You see it everywhere: in your search engine, in your apps, in your media. AI is integrating into all aspects of our daily lives. This technological revolution is happening much faster than some experts ever expected. As we approach this new frontier in human history, how does AI skew our view of the world? And how is it impacting our understanding of what it means to be human?
To explore this topic, two experts who are studying and applying AI in their work and art weigh in.
Gretchen Andrew is a fine artist and AI tech expert. In FacetunePortraits, Andrew explores how AI changes our perceptions of appearance by representing the differences between reality and beauty filters. The filters you see on your social media and in Zoom meetings may not be noticeable, but Andrew’s goal is to turn those changes into a series of marks and scars on a canvas.
Avery Holton, Ph.D., is the Communications Department Chair at the University of Utah. The University has a large investment in responsible AI uses. For Holton, that means researching how people can integrate AI into their daily lives in helpful ways. His goal: make AI a little less scary and more fun to use, and to have a significant positive impact on people’s lives, wellbeing, and happiness.
Join hosts Danor Gerald and Lonzo Liggins to ask a chilling question: at what point does artificial intelligence surpass human intelligence? And how does AI impact how we see ourselves?