Gloria Estefan Among Artists Sharing Personal Stories & Life Lessons on YouTube’s Documentary Series “The Thread”

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is opening up about her life…

The 66-year-old Cuban singer, actress and businesswoman is among some of the most exceptional Americans in the arts, media, religion and politics sharing their personal stories and life lessons in The Thread, a new documentary series coming to YouTube in March.

As part of the 16-episode series, Estefan sat down for a probing conversation with producers from Life Stories, a nonprofit media organization that makes and distributes “films about people whose lives inspire meaningful change.”

Each conversation is recorded at the highest quality by Emmy-winning filmmakers, notes a release, “and is accompanied by an educator guide so that the documentary series can be used in secondary classrooms and informal educational settings.”

“The Thread is an exploration of what it means to live a purpose-driven life,” noted George Kunhardt, executive director of Life Stories. “The voices we amplify in this series spark curiosity, ignite inspiration, and connect us to the multi-faceted people who have helped shape our society. Our mission as filmmakers is to shine a spotlight on the stories of moral leaders to help people find passion and purpose in their own lives.”

The “Get On Your Feet” singer’s episode, entitled Gloria Estefan: Singing Through Struggles, will go live on March 4.

Martin Sheen, who is of half-Spanish descent, will also appear on the series. The West Wing actor’s episode, entitled Martin Sheen: Lights, Camera, Activism, will go live on March 25.

Others Americans to be figured include The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, Katie Couric, actor Jason Alexander and Sen. Mitt Romney.

The episodes will roll out once a week from March 4-June 17 on the Life Stories YouTube channel and will be released as a podcast on major platforms.

Life Stories is a new division of the Kunhardt Film Foundation, “an organization that has introduced a generation of viewers to artists, cultural, political, and civil rights leaders,” according to a release. The Kunhardts – father Peter and his sons Teddy and George – have earned a combined eight Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, a duPont-Columbia Award, an IDA Documentary Award, and two NAACP Image Awards.

“We are bringing our longstanding dedication to quality with increased focus on the power of individual narrative,” said Teddy Kunhardt, EP of The Thread. “We believe that life stories, thoughtfully told, have the power to create change.”

This is the episode guide for season 1 of the series:

March 4 Gloria Estefan: Singing Through Struggles
March 11 Jason Reynolds: The Power of Narrative
March 18 Tova Friedman: Surviving Auschwitz
March 25 Martin Sheen: Lights, Camera, Activism
April 1 Roz Chast: Drawing From Life
April 8 Kurt “Big Boy” Alexander: A Hip Hop Odyssey
April 15 Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis: Finding Wisdom in Pain
April 22 Mitt Romney: Family Ties
April 29 Cecile Richards: Championing Choice
May 6 Reginald Dwayne Betts: A Voice for the Incarcerated
May 13 Tony Hawk: Skateboarding’s Living Legend
May 20 Darren Walker: Hope and Courage in Action
May 27 Katie Couric: From Tragedies to Triumphs
June 3 Jason Alexander: The Power of Laughter
June 10 Betty Rollin: First You Cry
June 17 Father Greg Boyle: Welcoming the Unwelcome

Rubio Named the Winner of the First Republican Debate

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Marco Rubio is gaining some respect in his presidential bid…

The 44-year-old Cuban American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Florida, has emerged as the real winner of the first debate among 10 of the 17 candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination despite the show put on by business tycoon Donald Trump.

The nation’s leading media and analysts unanimously gave the win to Rubio – he managed to present himself as the new blood the party needs to inspire voters and defeat the Democratic favorite, Hillary Clinton.

Rubio jumped into the national arena as a senator in 2010, and two years later made a name for himself with his nominating speech for Mitt Romney at the 2012 Republican National Convention.

Nonetheless, Rubio came into the debate as seventh in the polls, far below the big favorites – Trump, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

The latter two disappointed in a debate where they were supposed to look “presidential” in contrast to the buffoonery of Trump, whose outrageous remarks have been the big news of the campaign over the past six weeks.

They committed no real gaffes, but neither Bush nor Walker excited the crowd, while Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie engaged in a heated argument about government spying, and Ohio Governor John Kasich had a good night in front of a supportive audience in Cleveland.

Neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Texas Senator Ted Cruz were the invisible men on a night when, except for a few out-of-line remarks, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee also went unnoticed though he came into the debate fourth in the polls.

“Natural talent tends to shine through in big moments when the bright lights turn on. The senator from Florida, who had dipped in polls after a bump in the wake of his announcement, was terrific on Thursday night,” the Washington Post said Friday.

Rubio, without getting theatrical, managed to sell better than any other candidate his “American dream” – he has built an admirable political career despite being the son of a waiter and a housekeeper who left Cuba before the 1959 revolution.

“If I’m our nominee, how is Hillary Clinton gonna lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck? I was raised paycheck to paycheck,” he said.

“How is she – how is she gonna lecture me – how is she gonna lecture me about student loans? I owed over $100,000 just four years ago. If I’m our nominee, we will be the party of the future,” Rubio said.

Besides shaking up the list of favorites, the debate also served to show that Republicans remain very much on the right, which makes life difficult for the most moderate of them, Jeb Bush, and distances them from voting groups that are key to regaining the White House after its eight years as home to a Democrat.

“Overall, however, the debate did little to expand the appeal of the Republican brand. With the exception of Bush’s advocacy of immigration reform, the candidates offered little that would make their party more palatable to the portions of the electorate – especially women, young adults, and minorities – where they have struggled in recent presidential elections,” said William A. Galston, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and former advisor to ex-President Bill Clinton.

“The party’s eventual nominee will have to do more to convince persuadable voters that Republicans stand for more than the sentiments of their aging, mostly white, mainly male, and highly disgruntled base,” the political analyst said.

Dash to Publish “There Goes My Social Life” Book via Regnery Publishing

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

There goes Stacey Dash’s life…

The 48-year-old part-Mexican American actress, former Clueless star and Fox News contributor has signed a deal to publish There Goes My Social Life, Regnery Publishing revealed.

The book, scheduled for publication this summer, will discuss how Dash became a conservative, her upbringing in the South Bronx and her Hollywood career.

In a statement, Dash credited these things for her “strong opinions about the value of a good education, the importance of family, the inanity of political correctness, and the power of personal responsibility.”

Dash has a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most outspoken female conservatives. In 2012, she announced her disappointment in the Barack Obama-led White House, and endorsed Mitt Romney for president on Twitter, receiving enormous backlash from the movie and music industries.

More recently, Dash has made news for criticizing Patricia Arquette‘s Oscar acceptance speech championing equal pay for women.

“First of all, Patricia Arquette needs to do her history,” Dash said on an appearance on Fox News. “In 1963, Kennedy passed the equal-pay law. It’s still in effect. I didn’t get the memo that I didn’t have any rights.”

She criticized the controversy over the lack of diversity in this year’s Academy Awards nominees and the snubbing of Selma in the acting and directing categories.

“I do know that if it were something conservative and there were not any black people in the audience or on the stage getting awards, there would be a lot of problems. [It’s a] double standard. They’re hypocrites.”

Regnery Publishing has had success publishing conservative females, including Phyllis Schlafly, Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin. Dash is the first actress to secure a book deal with the company.

Dash Joins Fox News Channel as a Contributor

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Stacey Dash is ready to speak her mind on Fox News…

The 47-year-old part-Mexican American actress, best known for starring opposite Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, has landed a permanent gig on Fox News Channel.

Dash joins the news channel as a paid contributor, offering cultural analysis and commentary on various daytime and primetime programs.

“Stacey is an engaging conversationalist whose distinctive viewpoints among her Hollywood peers have spawned national debates,” says Bill Shine, network executive vice president of news. “We’re pleased to have her join Fox News.”

She joins a list of contributors that includes Karl Rove, James Carville, George Will, Dennis Miller and Sarah Palin.

Dash was criticized in the black community for endorsing Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney instead of Democrat Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

She has guest starred on The Game and most recently The Exes. She also starred in the first season of VH1‘s original series Single Ladies.

Acosta Named Sr. White House Correspondent at CNN

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jim Acosta is headed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…

The 42-year-old Cuban-American journalist, who emerged as one of the noteworthy reporters on the campaign trail in 2008 and 2012, has been promoted to Sr. White House correspondent at CNN.

During his six-and-half years with the cable news network, Acosta managed to work his way up to national political correspondent and served as the network’s lead reporter on the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign.

In addition to breaking big stories during the election season, Acosta also covered important stories on policy and culture for CNN and its digital platforms.

In 2009, when the administration lifted some of the restrictions on American travel to Cuba, Acosta reported from Havana, Cuba, on the effects of the policy change and on the post-Cold War relationship of the U.S. and Cuba.

During his new role as Sr. White House correspondent, Acosta will continue to serve as a substitute anchor for the network.

Longoria to Host Latino Inaugural Concert

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is preparing to host a huge pachanga to celebrate President Obama’s inauguration.

The 37-year-old Mexican-American actress and political activist, a co-chair for Obama’s inauguration, is hosting a Kennedy Center concert honoring Latino arts and culture during inaugural weekend.

The $300-per-head event will take place on January 20 and will feature José Feliciano, George Lopez, Mario Lopez, Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera and others.

The event is part of “Latino Inaugural 2013,” a three-day series of lectures and cultural activities in Washington, DC.

“Latinos played a critical role in this year’s elections and helped tip the scales in President Obama’s victory,” said Longoria, a national co-chair of Obama’s 2012 campaign. “But we are not waiting another four years to make an impact on our country’s future, and Latino Inaugural 2013 will set a path for Latino civic engagement in the near term,” she said in a statement. “What better way to establish our presence at these inaugural celebrations than by showcasing the beauty and diversity of our culture at the nation’s premier performing arts center.”

The Latino inaugural gathering is driven in part by organizers of The Futuro Fund, which helped mobilize Latino support for the Obama-Biden re-election campaign. Millions of Hispanic voters turned out with 71 percent support for Obama. Republican candidate Mitt Romney‘s 27 percent Hispanic support was less than any presidential candidate in 16 years, drawing calls for Republicans to rethink their approach to Latinos.

Rubio Tops List of Latino Speakers at the Republican National Convention

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

The 2012 Republican National Convention is officially underway in Tampa… And in its quest to woo more Hispanic voters, the GOP is shining a spotlight on the Republican Party’s rising Latino stars, including Marco Rubio, the senator from Florida.

Currently fewer than three in 10 Latino voters prefer Mitt Romney to President Barack Obama. If Romney can’t expand that number in the next two and a half months, he’ll have to run up a large percentage of the white vote to win the presidential election come November.

In 2004, President George W. Bush received more than 40% of the Hispanic vote, and won a narrow re-election. Four years later, Senator John McCain received less than a third of Latino voters, and lost the race.

So the RNC and an array of groups—the Hispanic Leadership Conference, the Latino Coalition, the Libre Initiative—are sponsoring several parties and events dedicated to Latino themes, with a never-before-seen level of attention being placed on Hispanic issues.

Only eight people will deliver primetime speeches that will be carried live on all three national networks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Three of them will be Hispanics: Lucé Vela, the first lady of Puerto Rico; Susana Martinez, the governor of New Mexico; and Rubio.

Rubio, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba, has been given what could be considered the biggest assignment of all.

Rubio, who was named this spring as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine, will speak right before Romney takes the stage to accept his party’s nomination. In announcing his high-profile appearance, Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoads praised Sen. Rubio as “the future of the Republican Party.”

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s first lady Vela, a native of the island who attended college in Maryland, is scheduled to introduce Romney’s wife, Ann, at the convention on Tuesday night.

The high-profile post is a prime opportunity for Vela to introduce herself to Republicans — especially women and Hispanics — nationwide.

And finally, Martinez—the first Hispanic female governor in the U.S.—will take the stage before keynote speaker Gov. Chris Christie at the convention. The critical time slot, second only to that of the keynote speaker has been consistently reserved for the party’s up-and-coming talent – Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2004.

Other Latinos expected to speak at the convention include U.S. Senate nominee Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and Tea Party favorite, and Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño.

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Celebrating the Latino Influence

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