Author: Frank Mirabal

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Frank

Decolonizing Wealth with Edgar Villanueva

It’s the inconvenient truth. Wealth in the United States has been accumulated through the ownership and exploitation of Black and Indigenous bodies and the outright theft of land. We are in the midst of a national reckoning with this past. A past that has celebrated oppressors by highlighting nobility, honor, and perseverance in statuesque form, while minimizing and even ignoring the unspeakable acts of violence committed at the hands of these “celebrated” individuals.

Edgar Villanueva, author, activist, philanthropist, and change agent examines this past and offers a path forward in his book Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance. In this episode, Dr. Frank and Edgar discuss the history of colonization and how it has impacted concentrated wealth in this country, the extension of colonization practices in philanthropy, Edgar’s launch of the Decolonize Wealth Project and Fund, and how we can use “money as medicine” to heal divides in communities of color.

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Breaking Down Walls with Dana Cortez

Disruption is the name of the game. When it comes to media, people of color represent a very small proportion of people in all facets of the industry from radio/TV personalities to people behind the camera. Dana Cortez, host of the nationally syndicated Dana Cortez Show is a trailblazer when it comes to disrupting the radio industry. She is one of the only Latina, syndicated radio hosts in a male dominated industry.

Born in Big Spring, Texas, Dana was destined for a career in radio. Her “Nana” would often say, “you’re going to be an attorney or a radio personality, because you have an answer for everything!” Dana would begin her journey in media with her cousin, forming a childhood duo that would deliver “Nursery Rhyme News,” where they would record themselves reading nursery rhymes. Little did she know that later in her career she would still keep it in the family by hosting a radio show with her husband and best friend D.J. Automatic.   

In this episode, Dr. Frank and Dana discuss their Latino/a roots, leadership and the responsibility to use media platforms for good, and Dana’s passion to keep moving the needle on women’s issues in America.

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The Fight for Economic Justice

According to the Urban Institute, the median wealth for a White family is $171,000. For a Black family, it’s $17,000. That’s a ten-fold difference in median wealth. As we know, home ownership is a key driver to building wealth. It’s part of the American dream. Recent data suggests that White families are almost 25% more likely to own a home than Black and Hispanic families.Economic Inequality is a really broad topic with a number historical factors, including colonization, slavery, redlining and tax policy. This episode focuses on two primary drivers of wealth: homeownership and entrepreneurship. 

Dr. Frank catches up with Carlos Contreras from Homewise, Alex Horton from International District Economic Development, and Queneesha Myers from Q’s Cakes and Sweets Boutique to talk discuss these important issues and how each of them is building a path towards economic justice. 

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I’m Fed Up! Black Lives Matter, Silent Protests, and the Work Ahead for Racial Justice

Some would say that the last two weeks have awakened the masses to the injustices Black Americans have been facing for centuries. The peaceful protests combined with the anger, rage, and frustration of the Black community is sparking a civil and human rights revolution unlike anything we have seen in recent decades.

While the Black Lives Matter movement has grown internationally, decisions on policing, prosecution, and sentencing happen at the local level. Communities have the power to shape the narrative when it comes to racial justice through local activism and intentional actionism.

Charles Ashley III, an Albuquerque-based entrepreneur and host of the podcast Ashy to Ashley, joins the show to talk about Black Lives Matter, the responsibility of community leaders to stand-up and demand change, silent protests that he and fellow business leader Michael Silva are organizing throughout Albuquerque, and the ongoing work ahead to ensure that the Black community is seen, heard, and most importantly, respected.

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Always in My Head: Our Family’s Story of Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are releasing the most deeply personal episode of Portraits in Color yet. This episode is a candid conversation between a father and daughter about how mental illness impacts an entire family. Analisse, daughter of Portraits in Color host Dr. Frank Mirabal opens up about her every day challenges living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). 

In her bravery, she decided that nothing was off limits. She openly discusses the deep scars from being bullied as a child, diagnoses and misdiagnoses, challenges with various forms of therapy and treatment, suicide attempts and the stigma associated with someone living with a mental health condition.

Personality disorders are much more prevalent than you might think. One in ten adults has a personality disorder that interferes with their everyday life. Ninety-percent of people diagnosed with Personality Disorders have had some form of childhood trauma. 

If you or a loved one is suffering from BPD or any other mental health condition, you are not alone. Please seek help by contacting a local mental/behavioral health provider. You can also find the treatment resources you need at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website. If you or a loved one is considering harming yourself/themselves, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Help is available! 

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The Many Faces of CloudFace

We live in an age where artists are becoming adept at using all of the tools at their disposal to express themselves. Cloudface is no different. In fact, Cloudface has also been able to integrate B-Boy, Hip Hop, and dance culture with his native roots to create an interesting amalgam of visual, sonic, and rhythmic art.

Coming from a family of artists and jewelers, Patrick Burnham aka Cloudface was delivered to us as an artist. To him, art is just as essential as air and water. It lives within him. In this episode, we discuss the struggles of artists during this unprecedented time of social distancing. We also talk about musical influences, live vs. studio art forms, and favorite art mediums for artists that like to explore their versatility. 

Be sure to check out Cloudface on Instagram at cloudface.xfrx and support his work by purchasing one of his many prints at https://cloud-face.com/.

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All Chola with Michelle Sena

All Chola kind of happened by accident. “I would have conversations with my friends about chola sayings that we thought were funny, says Michelle Sena, founder of the All Chola lifestyle brand. “I never thought it would actually turn into a business.”

All Chola embodies a strong Chicano/Chicana cultural aesthetic. From the low riders, the fashion, and the music, Michelle Sena introduces the long legacy of the culture, which is rooted in the Pachuco culture of the 40’s and 50’s, through her fashion brand.  

In this episode, we discuss the 150 different meanings behind the word “orale,” talk about the All Chola brand and it’s growing reach, share stories about “the hustle,” and talk about our beloved neighborhood, “The Brick.” 

This episode was produced in partnership with ABQ Artwalk and The Ruppe.

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Charles

The Rio Grande Sound with Drew Newman & Kenny Riley

It all started with a feeling. Long-time music engineer Kenny Riley and musician/entrepreneur Drew Newman met by chance while Drew was in the Albuquerque area and immediately knew that they would one day work together. At the time, Drew was playing with an LA-based band and Kenny was working as an engineer on various local and national projects. They both have California roots—Kenny was raised in Compton and Drew was raised in Bakersfield and currently resides in Malibu. But, somehow the lure of the southwest brought them together.

“We believe the sound comes from the ground,” says Riley. “It kind of a hippie-thing.” This ethos paired with a strong connection to the southwestern soil in the North Valley of Albuquerque led to the duo purchasing a 300 year-old adobe house that became their studio.

Rio Grande Studios has an impressive list of clients, including Netflix, Disney +, and Lionsgate. Yet, their passion comes from creating music with artists from the region that can extract the sound from underneath their feet along the bosque of the Rio Grande.

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Charles Leadership

The Founder’s Mind with Adam Mutschler and Dr. Frank

Anyone that has ever started a business will tell you that it’s an emotional roller coaster. Invariably, you will ask yourself if you have what it takes to run a successful business and will question whether or not your product or service is viable. In this episode, Charles invited Adam Mutschler and Dr. Frank to have a candid conversation about starting a business, the importance of “curiosity” in entrepreneurship, the value of engaging coaches/mentors, and the grind that it takes to push through the challenges founders face.

Adam Mutschler is a Partner in The Kedar Group, a coaching firm that supports leaders in the private, nonprofit, and governmental sectors. He also hosts the podcast The Founders Mind that explores all of the dimensions of starting a business with startup founders and field experts. In the true entrepreneurial spirt, Adam recently launched a new podcast Socially Distanced that gives you an intimate, behind the scenes look at what we are facing in the midst of a global pandemic.

Dr. Frank Mirabal is the founder of Mad Scientist Media, a storytelling company that educates, uplifts, and inspires through the lived experiences of people. He currently teaches courses on civic and community engagement as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico and has previously served two terms as a political appointee in the Mayor’s Office for the City of Albuquerque.

 

 

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Charles Leadership

EdTalk with Amanda Aragon

Working in the private sector, Amanda Aragon knew that New Mexico as a state performed poorly when it came to educational outcomes for its children. She was working for a Farmington-based oil and gas company at the time doing corporate philanthropy work that touched on education, but she had a drive and a passion to do more. Upon leaving the company, she took a job working for the Public Education Department for the State of New Mexico where she was now at the epicenter of public policy decisions regarding education. Acknowledging the lack of continuity in four to eight year political cycles when working in government, Amanda founded NewMexicoKidsCAN a nonprofit organization that advocates for education policies that are community-informed, research-backed and student-centered.

Charles recently had the opportunity to catch up with Amanda to discuss NewMexicoKidsCAN’s legislative priorities. This episode was recorded at the tail end of the New Mexico Legislative session, so you will have to visit their website to see how they fared during the session.