In this first episode, TOI host Tony Dunbar, visits with Co-producers Magali Campos and Brenda Lopez who are also RAC members along with being doctoral candidates completing the journey to PhD in 2024. The three of them are also joined by Dr Iris Lucero, who is currently the Assistant Director of UCLA’s McNair Research Scholars Program. Dr. Lucero has also contributed to the RAC legacy as one of a long line of members who have assisted Dr Solórzano in maintaining the community’s connectedness. This episode was recorded on June 7, three days before the RAC30 conference, in Danny’s office in Moore Hall on UCLA’s campus. Affectionately the esteemed professor’s office is now also know as “Solórzano Studios.”

Art Title: Pillars and Dreams of Our Generational Knowledge                                                                                   By: Luis-Genaro Garcia, PhD

Daniel Solórzano is a Professor in the University of California Los Angeles Department of Education as well as Chicana/o and Central American Studies. He is also the Director of the Center for Critical Race Studies in Education at UCLA.Danny is an interdisciplinary scholar with research and teaching interests in critical race theory, racial microaggressions and micro affirmations, and critical race spatial analysis. In 2017, Professor Solórzano was honored with the inaugrural Revolutionary Mentor Award by the Social Justice Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association.

“I see my mentoring as an extension of my teaching. To that end, I have been blessed with extraordinary students throughout my entire career at UCLA. Our students are the ones who carry forward the work for social and racial justice.”

Dr. Lucero’s academic journey is a testament to her character and commitment to education. In this episode she shares her journey with TOI…After attending LA High, she worked for a radio station but Iris wanted more in life and realized her aspirations probably required a college degree. Her time at West Los Angeles community college helped her realize she could reach even higher than she ever imagined. She transferred to UCLA a destination that led to her attaining a PhD. While at UCLA Iris became a RAC member as an undergrad. The mentorship from Dr. Solórzano and the RAC community were instrumental to her completing her doctorate. She continues to be an integral part of the community and its spirit of connectedness. The eldest of 3 children, she is the first member of her family to go to college. As the Assistant Director of UCLA’s McNair research Program, Dr Lucero now helps others fulfill their educational aspirations. In the this episode there is more about her path and contributions to the RAC.                                                         

Magali Campos is a doctoral candidate in the Social Science and ComparativeEducation program with a Race and Ethnic Studies specialization in UCLA’sDepartment of Education. As assistant director of Center for Critical Race Studiesin Education at UCLA she provides administrative support, developsprogramming, and leads the center’s research brief series and research projects.Magali was also instrumental in developing and organizing the RAC30Conference. In this episode she shares about her experiences as a first-generation Latina graduate student, whose research centers around (andempowers) Women of Color in doctoral programs and explores the different formsof silence they encounter. She co-wrote a methodological peer-reviewed articleentitled Con Respeto y Confianza: a correspondence between sister-scholars thatbraids Chicana Latina Feminist methodologies in women of color research in theInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education with Yadira Valencia                                                       

Brenda Lopez is the Media Coordinator for the Center for Critical Race Studies in Education at UCLA, and a PhD candidate in Social Sciences and Comparative Education at UCLA. Her research and scholarship focuses on Women of Color, film pedagogy, and film-based research methods using a critical race theory framework. Her work aims to explore and amplify the voices and experiences of marginalized communities, utilizing the power of film to challenge and deconstruct dominant narratives. Brenda’s path to UCLA and her doctoral studies serves as inspiration to the power of persistence and perseverance. She too has grown from the mentoring environment within Danny’s RAC.