“In the Thick,” a roundtable podcast that covers politics, race and culture that is traveling the country in advance of the 2020 election, makes a stop in Mississippi this month with two events in downtown Jackson.

The podcast featuring award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela is partnering with Mississippi Today on a live show on Tuesday, Feb. 18 about the upcoming primary election, voters of color and voting rights issues in Mississippi.

They will be joined by Mississippi Today’s Editor-In-Chief Ryan “R.L.” Nave and Arekia Bennett, executive director of Mississippi Votes. Poet and author Amanda Furdge opens the show.

“I’m so excited to bring ‘In the Thick’s’ award-winning brand of political podcasting to Mississippi, as so many of my views were shaped by life in Jackson,” said Erika Dilday, executive director of Futuro Media, the nonprofit organization that produces the podcast. I’m also proud to partner with Mississippi Today on what I know will be an engaging and insightful discussion.”

A second live show at the Alamo Theatre Wednesday, Feb. 19 will delve into immigration’s role in this year’s election and the affects the Trump administration’s policies, including discussions about last year’s raids of meat processing plants around the state. The workplace raids, which some officials called the largest single-state immigration enforcement operation in the U.S. saw nearly 700 workers detained.

Guests Wednesday include Rukia Lumumba, of the People’s Advocacy Institute and Lorena Quiroz-Lewis, lead organizer with Working Together Mississippi and the Mississippi Immigrant Coalition. Musician and songwriter Teneia opens the show.

“Mississippi Today is proud to partner with ‘In the Thick’ for their Mississippi dates,” said Mary Margaret White, CEO of the digital only nonprofit news site. Our journalists have been on the ground providing in-depth local reporting on the issues being discussed at the live shows. We know that Mississippians are hungry for opportunities to gather and engage in conversation with these important stories and we are glad to be at the table.”

Futuro Media’s “In the Thick,” a twice-weekly roundtable podcast, has hosted shows around the world, from Chicago to Mexico City to Los Angeles. The team makes its stop in Jackson as the show travels the country in advance of the 2020 election hosting live shows with local journalists of color.

Mississippi’s primaries take place March 10.

The live shows are open to the public, but please RSVP to reserve a seat.

Both events take place at The Alamo Theatre (333 N. Farish St; Jackson) and start at 6 p.m.

For the Tuesday Feb. 18 event, RSVP here.

For the Wednesday Feb. 19 event, RSVP here.


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