KXEP-LP Empower House Radio

The Resilience Within- Stories That Resonate 1

Platica Y Poetics S3E8 w/

The Resilience Within S3E10

The Resilience Within S3E12 Azul Barrientos

The Resilience Within S3E11 Julius

Platica Y Poetics S3E7 w/ Gina Ortiz-Jones

In an intimate and layered conversation, Gina Ortiz Jones, a proud daughter of San Antonio’s
Westside and former Under Secretary of the Air Force, shared how her upbringing, military
service, and education have shaped her deep commitment to public service and social justice.
From formative years at John Jay High School and lessons learned from her mother—a
Harlandale High School teacher for 25 years and inspiration of grit and resilience—Jones shared
how education and civic responsibility were foundational to her leadership journey. Bringing a
rare blend of tactical expertise and economic foresight, she offered a poetic lens to tackle San
Antonio’s complex challenges. Transparency, equity, and inclusion as cornerstones of her
platform. Her call for poetic accountability imagines civic systems that are not only efficient but
people-powered, inclusive, and emotionally resonant. She shared her vision of a city that
embraces progressiveness without losing its cultural essence, stressing the importance of local
activism, reminding residents that meaningful change begins at home—and that San Antonio has
the potential to become a global model for inclusive and visionary governance. I felt inspired,
motivated, listening to her conviction, sharing like myself belonging to the LGBTQIA+ and
Catholic communities, that we exist and are daughters, and catalyst of progressive change in our
communities. Her bridge-building spirit seeks to overcome political polarization through
collaboration, equity, and a renewed civic imagination. At the heart of her campaign lies a simple
yet powerful belief: that everyone deserves to be seen no matter the aisle, heard, and empowered
to help write San Antonio’s next chapter.

The Resilience Within S3E9

Platica Y Poetics S3E6 w/ Jessica Betancourt

In honor of National Poetry Month, I began this conversation by reading Dr. Carmen Tafolla’s
poem “Fashion Advice to Women over 40” from the SOMOS XICANAS anthology—a reminder
that style and self-worth deepen with time, and that fashion can be a radical, poetic act. In this
special plática, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessica Betancourt, also known as Palo
Santo Poet—a San Antonio native, writer, performer, and sustainable fashion stylist who
embodies the power of expressive living. Through our conversation, we explored the intimate
intersections of fashion, poetics, identity, and resistance. Jessica shared that fashion is a tool for
healing—how fabric, texture, and silhouette can hold memory and become part of one’s story.
We talked about how clothing, like poetry, is a language of its own—a way to reclaim space,
speak truth, and step into confidence. We spoke to the truth about how vulnerability is a key part
to reclaiming self agency and how intentional styling can ground your authenticity. Poetry and
fashion help us resist imposed identities and encourage us to celebrate the fullness of who we
are. As someone who believes deeply in the power of self-expression, I resonated with Jessica’s
belief that fashion can be a radical act of self-love, especially for those of us navigating societal
expectations around gender, body, and beauty. She reminded that breaking fashion’s gender
rules, rewriting the script on beauty, and dressing with purpose are all part of leaving behind a
legacy of truth, courage, and artistry.

Platica Y Poetics S3E5 w/ Rachel Aguirre

For this Women’s History Month episode of Plática y Poetics, we opened the show by honoring
the powerful SOMOS XICANAS anthology from Riot of Roses Press—an offering of lyrical
solidarity and a celebration of the Xicana woman in all her poder. Featuring voices like Dr.
Carmen Tafolla, Irene Lara-Silva, Ada Limón, Sandra Cisneros, Jen Yanez Alaniz, and publisher
Brenda Vaca, the anthology speaks to the sacredness of our intersectional identities, our lineages,
and our language. I began by sharing the foreword written by Jen Yanez Alaniz—her words a
poetic invocation of the Xicana voice, and a grounding for our conversation to come. Rachel
Aguirre, a poet whose work pulses with the beauty of San Antonio, shared how she feels rooted
in the city's rhythm. She spoke about how both the natural and urban worlds shape her poetic
voice, how she connects with nature through small rituals like sunset walks, and how that
presence makes its way into her writing. She emphasized how essential it is to uplift all voices,
from—the cooks, the servers, the unseen hands behind the culture—because they are San
Antonio’s heartbeat. Our conversation moved into themes of immigration and cultural
intersectionality sharing the importance of passing down cuentos de la familia to honor, and to
keep them alive for future generations. We concluded our plática speaking to the importance of
connecting to our cultural roots through poetry—a segway to reclamation, affirmation, and joy.

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