GONZALEZ: I always understood what a source meant. After Suave is cleared from all accusations, he returns to his home in Philadelphia and tries to move on with his life. I'm still learning. I could not help but think about Suave and other Suaves when I heard about the new U.S. Supreme Court decision in Jones v Montgomery. In the series premiere we meet Suave, a man who has been serving a life sentence at a Pennsylvania prison since he was just a teenager. Additionally, Hinojosa was the first Latina to anchor a PBS FRONTLINE report: Lost in Detention which aired in October 2011 and was the first to explore abuse at immigrant detention facilities, garnering attention from Capitol Hill as well as both the mainstream and Spanish-language media. If you're asking me today, yes, I consider Maria my friend. At Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the countrymen considered by . In many states - including Pennsylvania, where Gonzalez was sentenced -there are few, if any, college opportunities for people with such lengthy sentences. I heard in Pennsylvania prisons, if youre a lifer, they aint trying to let you go to college, right? And I want to talk to Maria about that because, Maria, you essentially become a character in this podcast, which is a choice - right? He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. PRX is a non-profit public media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. It tells the remarkable story of David Luis Suave Gonzalez. Gonzalez was a 2018 Reimagining Reentry Fellow through Mural Arts Philadelphia and is represented by the Morton Contemporary Gallery there. But in journalism, a source is somebody that could report what - the injustices taking place behind these prison walls that society don't know about. I mean, I was really struck by something you said in the first episode - that, quote, "We have this tool that we journalists can use, which is our humanity" - that if you give humanity, you're going to get it back. Were all dying in here. HINOJOSA: That's the thing. After a decade reporting on music for various outlets, he served as Senior Editor on the public radio program Latino USA. In the series premiere we meet Suave, a man who has been serving a life sentence at a Pennsylvania prison since he was just a teenager. A Philadelphia judge sentenced him to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. Thats the way I was thinking because in PA, life without parole, means till you die. Keep changing our world and spread kindness to all., Your email address will not be published. HINOJOSA: Yeah. Acclaimed journalist Maria Hinojosa met Suave 27 years ago when she was invited to speak at a graduation ceremony at Graterford. So please be kind to everyone and everything. CHANG: It is fascinating to listen to both of you describe all the complex layers that come into a relationship between journalist and source. Fifteen seconds. All rights reserved. And then a Supreme Court ruling changed everything, forever altering the course of Suaves life. Gonzalez was sentenced to life in prison for homicide when he was 17 and spent 33 years behind bars. Suave tells the story of what happens when your whole world is a prison cell, and you suddenly get a second chance at life. HINOJOSA: Because things change, Ailsa. Futuro Media also produces Peabody Award winning Latino USA, the longest running national Latino news and cultural public radio program; In The Thick, an award winning political podcast; and Latino Rebels, a pioneering digital news outlet founded by journalist Julio Ricardo Varela. Maria Hinojosa meets David Luis Suave Gonzalez in 1993. What starts as a brief conversation leads to decades of communication between the two, walking the boundary between a journalist-source relationship and true friendship. As a reporter for NPR, Hinojosa was among the first to report on youth violence in urban communities on a national scale. When you first heard the news that juvenile life sentences were going to be reconsidered, how much of you actually believed that you would be released back then? He had gotten a life sentence as a juvenile without the possibility of parole. So this is the particular thing about journalists' source - is that it doesn't look like just one thing. One of them was David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez, who entered prison at 17 expecting to leave in a coffin. David Luis Suave Gonzalez was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he was 17. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. lmma try something new because I tried everything else and I failed. Journalist Maria Hinojosa met David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez in 1993 while speaking at the Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. This is an incredible moment for American journalism the choice to recognize a piece going deep into the humanity of not just the source, but also the journalists. Approximately 2,500 juveniles have been effectively sentenced to die in prisonconsidered "irredeemable" by the state for crimes committed when they were just teenagers. Julieta Martinelli is an award-winning investigative reporter and currently a producer at Latino USA. I never had a program that DOC gave me. All rights reserved. Our partnership demonstrates the heights we can reach together in public media. He would spend the rest of his life behind bars, and would ultimately die in prison. So winning that prize means that our issues are in the frontline right next. A Philadelphia judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. If I had not decided to stay in touch with Suave, decided not to take his phone calls, decided not to send him a Christmas card and a birthday card, we wouldn't have the kind of journalism that we're able to do now. I genuinely care. But I still didn't believe it to November 20, 2017, when they opened that gate and said, you are a free man. Maggie is an Adjunct Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and formerly the Producer-at-Large for Latino USA. We had to fight DOC to create programs in order for us to have one chance to get in one class. Once on the outside, he tries to continue this way of life. Suave returns with Maria to the corner of 8th and Somerset in the Badlandsthe place where his victims young life ended and the place that changed the course of Suaves life. Youre a victim, so you victimize other people because youre hurt. Journalist Maria Hinojosa met David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez in 1993 while speaking at the Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. Thank you so much for joining us, both of you. As he looks inward and determines to break intergenerational cycles he begins therapy to deal with the trauma of his childhood and incarceration. Suave was also a talented artist. And even though I've been home three years, I'm still lost, you know, because this world moved fast. But as Suave readies for life on the outside, his excitement gives way to a never ending list of fears about what life outside of prison might be like. And I understood that. You know the same way we grind when we hustlin on the corners, the same way you gotta hustle when you in the prison system. l mean, of course it would have been easier, but guess what? How did that happen? GONZALEZ: I always understood what a source meant. I'm still trying to understand society for what it is. More at hsfoundation.org. CHANG: So Maria, I want to start with you because you met Suave back in the early '90s when the conversation around the criminal justice system was so different from the conversation we are having now about the criminal justice system. In 1988, Gonzalez was found guilty of a first-degree homicide committed when he was 17 years old. She has also mixed and done sound sweetening for indie films and documentary series, such as America By The Numbers and Miss Sharon Jones! Suave contacted Mural Arts of Philadelphia and his wall murals started showing up around the city. He's a source. In 1988, David Luis Suave Gonzalez was found guilty of first-degree homicide. Today, he heads up the editorial podcast team at Futuro Studios, the original programming division of the Futuro Media Group. And I felt like I was breaking that bond. Suave also reckons with complicated emotions, wavering between the unparalleled joy of his upcoming release and the guilt of leaving behind the men hes considered his brothers for nearly three decades. Support for this podcast provided by the Art for Justice Fund, a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and The Heising-Simons Foundation: Unlocking knowledge, opportunity, and possibilities. And I want to talk to Maria about that because, Maria, you essentially become a character in this podcast, which is a choice - right? 10.20.2022 David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez A curated collection of links The Record What are records? And I'm still honored to be that source. She was an NPR Next Generation Radio fellow and 2019 Ford Foundation 50 Women Can Change the World in Journalism fellow. You know, these are things that I need to learn.Luis Suave Gonzalez. And to be the first formerly incarcerated person and the first juvenile lifer to really knock that off, man, listen, its a blessing. He been feature on Latino USA on NPR, and In The Thick. Police say 34-year-old Luiz Martinez struck the victim in the face inside a bar in Paterson Sunday night, causing 54-year-old Agustin Arias-Gomez to fall backwards and hit his head on the ground. His stories have appeared in The FADER, This American Life, Planet Money, NPR News, Studio 360 and many other outlets. Its a circle and it goes on and on.. He is the cohost of both the, Support the work of PVS by sponsoring this event! This is like cherry pie to them. CHANG: You know, Suave, it's really moving to listen to you talk about Maria the way you do and the role that she has played in your life. GONZALEZ: Well, whatever I missed in between, I just missed. Theres so many people that have lived a life of hell and nobody ever hears our story! GONZALEZ: Well, whatever I missed in between, I just missed. But he soon realizes there are limits to how much freedom he can ever truly have, and Maria realizes there are limits to how much she can help him. As a result of the ruling, Suave and thousands more in his position might have the opportunity to walk free. A new podcast about the system that sentences juveniles to life in prison, a story of incarceration, redemption, and the unusual relationship between a journalist and a source. Support the work of PVS by sponsoring this event! On his way to court, Suave is surprised by the smell of fresh air as he boards a bus and leaves the prison grounds for the first time in decades. The Courts analysis was rooted in a long-standing rule that the Eighth Amendment embodies evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.. She teaches audio reporting at the NYU School of Journalism. When I came out, I had basically nobody. Suave also reckons with complicated emotions, wavering between the unparalleled joy of his upcoming release and the guilt of leaving behind the men hes considered his brothers for nearly three decades. Weve been through this journey. Marlon Bishop is a Peabody Award-winning radio producer and editor with a focus on Latin America, immigration, identity and society, music and the arts. Still, Gonzalez eventually fought his way into Villanova Universitys privately funded college program at Graterford Prison, the maximum security facility where he was incarcerated. If you in it, you in it for the long run. Fantasy Premier League FPL Lessons: David Luiz wins out in Sarri shake-up. When you first heard the news that juvenile life sentences were going to be reconsidered, how much of you actually believed that you would be released back then? David Luiz on leading by example and Christian Pulisic's Chelsea prospects. When I met Maria, I was at a point that I wanted to commit suicide. I failed drug dealing. Rahsaan New York Thomas reported this story for Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on higher education. Contact us today about becoming a sponsor! Thats how you get the street credibility. You know, it was scary because even though I went to college, I got my degrees, I educated myself, transformed myself, I never thought about living as a free man, as an adult. Im not gonna say I got a life sentence, so I cant go to school. All Rights Reserved. At his re-sentencing hearing, Jones told the Court, Im not the same person I was when I was 15 Ive become a pretty decent person in life. Audrey Quinn is a documentary audio reporter and editor. He has continued community-based work since his release, as Director of Nu-Stop Resource center, an organization that offers assistance to individuals transitioning from prison to life outside. Maggie was also a TV documentary host for VICE and Oxygens The Disappearance of Maura Murray. Recently, it launched the critically-acclaimed podcasts: Anything For Selena with WBUR, La Brega with WNYC Studios, Norco 80 for LAist Studios, LOUD: The History of Reggaeton with Spotify, and dolo: The Ballad of Chalino Snchez with Sonoro. Suave reckons with the last three decades of his life. At Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the countrymen considered by . Be kind to all until you know who or what theyre about. You know, I was ready to die. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Friends and family of Liz Lesher In the corner of 8th and Somerset, Maria encourages Suave to talk about that night, which theyve never discussed in nearly three decades of friendship. Im going up and I know everything that goes up must come down.. He taught other inmates how to paint watercolor. Do you feel that you are simply a source to Maria, or is there something more? His goal in life is to change the narrative of what people coming from prison look like. Im going up and I know everything that goes up must come down.. Three men have been arrested following a deadly shooting at a Lodi apartment complex in March. Recently I listened to the seven-part podcast Suave. And he imagines this is what his life will be like until he dies. David Luis Gonzalez is an artist, TedX speaker, podcast host, and support coach for the "I Am More" program at Community College of Philadelphia. Like Gonzalez, Thomas was able to earn a degree behind bars, which was one of the factors cited in the commutation he received from California Gov. She has mixed and produced music in a multitude of genres (from jazz to pop) and received an independent music award for her work. David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez met journalist Maria Hinojosa in 1993 during a talk at the prison in Pennsylvania where he was serving a sentence for first-degree homicide. They kept in touch over the decades by phone, letter, and occasional visits. As the decades pass, Suave becomes a mentor for younger men and a model citizen inside the prison. Her narrative podcast Aftereffect from WNYC Studios won a Newswomens Club of New York Award, a National Center on Disability Journalism Award, and was a Scripps Howard and Third Coast finalist. STOP creating chaos against people you know nothing about. PublishedFebruary 23, 2021 at 3:14 PM CST, A German woman returned the kindness shown to her husband by helping a stranded teen, Thousands fleeing violence in Sudan are crossing the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia, NHL Playoffs 1st round: A curse lifted, defending champions ousted and 14 overtimes, Cookbook celebrates the tradition of Gullah Geechee cuisine. Suave, as he likes to be called, was. He is the cohost of both the "Suave" and "Death by Incarceration" podcasts. Justice Kennedy, writing for a 6-3 majority, found that children are constitutionally different from adults in their level of culpability. Kennedy wrote that the severest penalty must be reserved for the rarest of juvenile offenders, those whose crimes reflect permanent incorrigibility., Justice Kennedy was responding to research that showed that because of developing brains, children were less culpable for their crimes and were more likely to be rehabilitated than adult offenders. In 2019, Futuro Studios debuted with The Battle of 187, a co-production with the Los Angeles Times, following up with Con Todo: Brown Love in collaboration with Netflix, Radical Imagination with PolicyLink, and TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones. CHANG: You know, Suave, it's really moving to listen to you talk about Maria the way you do and the role that she has played in your life. Career. But over the years, they became close. And I'm at a point in my career when I can say it makes me a better journalist. Shes been invited to discuss her reporting on WBEZs Morning Shift, WAMUs 1A and NPRs Up First podcast. And so it was like this long-haul battle. Can you just talk a little bit about that? You came out when you were in your mid-40s. Slate is published by The Slate So I did and I looked over and seen a class. Fifteen seconds changed my whole life.. No, no, no, he's not a friend. And that someone was Maria. The Miller and Montgomery cases led to a review of Suaves sentence and his release from incarceration in 2017 after over 30 years behind bars. MARIA HINOJOSA: Thank you so much for having me. And then, an unexpected revelation puts Suaves future into doubt. Originally, she maintained contact in order to have a source inside the prison system. Futuro Media created a podcast about Gonzalez's life, called " Suave ," which recently won a Pulitzer Prize. 5850 Labath Ave. Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: Copyright (c) 2020 norcalpublicmedia.org. The only thing I succeeded at in prison was in getting an education. During her eight years as CNNs urban affairs correspondent, Hinojosa often took viewers into communities rarely shown on television and continued that work longform on Now on PBS. The Jones decision effectively closed the door of judicial review for many outstanding cases. March 14, 2021 at 5:47 PM Sentenced at age 17, David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez was serving life without parole when he met reporter Maria Hinojosa. Certain things I dont know.
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