February 11, 2025: EEOC y Cuatro

Today, we have live music, history and a cultural journey. A virtuoso on the national instrument of Puerto Rico, cuatrista Fabiola Mendez, makes a visit to the studios. We find out about her call to educate the public on the cuatro and its versatility and the other projects her music has connected her to, including a children’s series you might have seen on NEPM TV. And, we also speak with an extra-local connection to the instrument. William Cumpiano has been making cuatros and guitars for many decades right here in the valley. We ask him about his luthiership and the history of the instrument he's been called not just to make but to document the history thereof with the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project.And, the Power of History is also strengthened by four this month as Clark University professor Ousmane Power-Greene takes a look at the long lasting impacts of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), including now-contentious diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and what its removal may mean for all of us.