Forsaken
Forsaken is a podcast series that explores the systems that both help and harm the more than 29 million people living in Texas. Each episode addresses issues that Texans face daily, including the criminal justice system, Texas politics, civil rights, and social issues, along with some historical context. The show highlights the diverse stories of the second-most diverse state in the U.S., drawing on a lyric by the late Texas singer Billy Joe Shaver about not letting people feel forsaken.
Episodes
'The Rag'
In the fall of 2025, two University of Texas seniors revived a long-disbanded campus counterculture magazine called The Rag. The Rag's original iteration began in 1966. For a little more than a decade, the student-led magazine critiqued and wrote satire related to campus and federal government. This, during a time when the Vietnam War created social upheaval on college campuses across the US, incl
Introducing: A new season of 'Darkness'
On the evening of April 16, 1960, a young woman from McAllen, Texas named Irene Garza went to church for confession. She never returned home. A week later, her body was found floating in a canal. Decades would pass before the priest who murdered Irene was brought to justice in a historic case for the church and the Rio Grande Valley. In Season five of "Darkness," host Talisa Treviño details the de
'We need to tell this story' | Mansfield, part two
After a federal court ordered the immediate integration of Mansfield High School, white segregationists blocked the front of the high school, threatening anyone challenging them. Part two of this series, written by Khiry Duffey and hosted by Terrance Thomas, shares what happened that day in Mansfield and how it helped shape events that would happen in Little Rock, Arkansas, the following year. And
'We don't want to integrate' | Mansfield, part one
In 1955, Mansfield ISD was still segregated, despite the Brown v. Board of Education ruling the year prior. It was a small town, heavily divided by race, just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. In the first part of a two-part series, Khiry Duffey shares the story of Clifford Davis and Floyd Moody, two people who were critical in the efforts to desegregate the school.
Texas vs. DEI
On January 1, 2024, Texas Senate Bill 17 went into effect. Its purpose was to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and initiatives at all Texas public institutions, resulting in the closure of UT Austin's Division of Campus and Community Engagement and other programs and departments accused of promoting DEI efforts. The bill's aim is to remove "special benefits" for students based on r
Voter registration in Texas
Registering to vote can be tricky, especially because Texas is one of eleven states that doesn't have online voter registration. The deadline to register to vote in Texas is October 7, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 25. In this episode, Sofia Vargas Karam walks through some of the difficulties of registering to vote in Texas. Voting resources: https://www.texastribune.o
'The system is overwhelmed' | Fred Harris' story, part two
In part two of this two-part series, Aislyn Gaddis looks at the larger context of the systems in place that allowed Fred Harris' death, and similar tragedies, to happen – from the state of the Harris County Jail to the laws in place that contribute to the jail's conditions.
Fearless Fred | Fred Harris' story, part one
Fred Harris, a 19-year-old with special needs, was murdered in the Harris County Jail in 2021. Fred's killer was sentenced to 50 years in prison, but Fred's mother is still demanding justice for her son. She claims the justice system failed him. In part one of this two-part series, Aislyn Gaddis shares the story of Fred Harris' life and death.
How Kamala Harris' campaign is impacting Texas voters
This summer has been historic as headlines filled with election updates dominate news feeds. But with updates flooding through, we wanted to slow down and talk about what one of the most recent events, specifically vice president Kamala Harris's entry into the election, means for Texas. Host Sara Kinney talks to two Texas journalists, Abigail Rosenthal of Chron and James Barragán of the Texas Trib
The life and legacy of Sissy Farenthold
Many Texans may not have heard of Mary Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold. She was a legendary environmentalist in the state. She also ran for governor – twice – and was even a nominee for U.S. vice president. This episode focuses on Farenthold's environmental work, with a focus on the creation of Mustang Island, an 18-mile stretch of beach that runs from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas. Athena Haw
'They are supported, and they are loved' | Queer Texas Ep. 4
Despite being a mostly conservative community, New Braunfels, Texas has become a safer space for LGBTQ+ people in recent years. In the final installment of Queer Texas, Heather Stewart shares the experiences of local LGBTQ+ high schoolers, discusses the city's political climate and outlines the creation of New Braunfels' pride events.
'More rated G than Disney' | Queer Texas Ep. 3
In May 2023, a family-friendly drag show at a New Braunfels, Texas church attracted protestors. In part three of Queer Texas, Heather Stewart talks to the pastor of Faith United Church of Christ about the protest and the fallout that followed. This episode also explores the roles that faith and religion play in the lives of three LGBTQ+ people in New Braunfels and the locals' mixed responses to qu
'Nothing was done' | Queer Texas Ep. 2
After Cameron Wright confessed to assaulting Aliah Hernandez in 2014 in a New Braunfels, Texas hotel room, both the officer assigned to Aliah's case and Aliah's friends and family thought it was an open-and-shut case. But two grand juries declined to indict Wright. In part two of Queer Texas, Heather Stewart shares the rest of Aliah's story. Aliah's best friend shares her frustrations at the lack
'She was left for dead' | Queer Texas Ep. 1
In December 2014, Aliah Hernandez, a trans woman, told police she was assaulted after revealing her gender identity to a man whom she met up with at a hotel in New Braunfels, Texas. In the first episode of Queer Texas, a four-part "Forsaken" series that outlines the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community in the mostly conservative city of New Braunfels, Heather Stewart shares Aliah's story.
The story behind the AMBER Alert system
Everyone's familiar with AMBER Alert – the notifications sent out when a child is missing or kidnapped and in danger. But what many don't know is that the system was created because of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas in January 1996. Her body was found four days later. The tragedy rocked the North Texas community and led one citizen to ask what
'We're witnessing history' | On the ground at campus protests
This spring, protests and encampments materialized on college campuses across the United States. On campuses like Columbia University, the University of Southern California and the University of Texas at Austin, law enforcement has arrived to break up the protests, arresting dozens of students. Videos have shown officers shoving students and professors to the ground and using pepper spray and bato
'I'm going to speak her into existence' | Missing While Black, part two
In the second episode of this two-part series, Cristela Jones shares the stories of Brenda Moore and Pinkie Mae Davis-Herron, two of four Black women who went missing in Austin in 1976, and discusses "Missing White Woman Syndrome."
'Isn't somebody searching for them?' | Missing While Black, part one
In 1976, four Black women went missing in Austin, Texas. Their stories went largely untold. In this two-part series, Cristela Jones interrogates why these women's stories haven't been told – why we've heard the names Gabby Petito and Natalee Holloway, but not Debra Kay Stewart, Jennifer Joyce Barton, Brenda Moore or Pinkie Mae Davis-Herron. In this episode, Cristela details the stories of Debra Ka
The state of sex education in Texas
The mostly conservative state of Texas is not necessarily known for its promotion of sex education in schools – it's actually not even required to be taught at all. In this episode, Mackenzie Matwick talks to the Austin Independent School District's Health Education Curriculum Specialist to show what they are doing to change this stigma. She also walks down memory lane to talk about what it was li
Exonerated and released from death row
Anthony Graves was only 26 years old when he was arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Accused of murdering a family of six in Somerville, Texas, Graves was sentenced to death, solely on the testimony of a man who later confessed to acting alone. Graves was incarcerated for 18 years before he was exonerated and released. In this episode, Graves tells his story and Aisling Ayers details the condit
The juror | The case of Rodney Reed, part two
In 1998, Rodney Reed was the defendant in Bastrop, Texas' first capital murder trial in nearly 50 years. In this episode, Aisling Ayers speaks to a juror who has never spoken to the media before. The juror shares what happened in the courtroom during Reed's trial and what led jurors to sentence Reed to death. The juror also reflects on the media attention the case has received over the past few de
April 23, 1996 | The case of Rodney Reed, part one
In 1996, the body of 19-year-old Stacey Stites was found along a quiet country road outside of Bastrop, Texas. Stites was a white woman engaged to a white police officer in a neighboring town – but she'd also allegedly been having an affair with Rodney Reed. Reed, a Black man, was arrested and charged for her murder. In this episode, Aisling Ayers recounts what happened to Stites, how Reed became
Introducing 'Forsaken'
Forsaken is a series that explores the systems that both enhance and oppress the lives of the more than 29 million people living in Texas. Each episode will address issues that Texans face each day – the good and the bad. We'll explore the criminal justice system, Texas politics, civil rights, social issues and maybe even a little bit of history. Texas is the second-most diverse state in the natio
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