Radio Bilingüe Broadcasts Live July 9-12 from D.C.

Radio Bilingüe Latino Public Radio announces four days of special programming this July 9-12

from Washington D.C. as part of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage’s

yearlong celebration of the nation’s rich and diverse folk traditions in cities across the nation in

2026. The sounds of Radio Bilingüe will be featured for seven hours each day, 7 AM-2 PM PDT,

from the popup “Radio Corner” in the Smithsonian Institution’s historic Arts and Industries

Building on the National Mall. The Center’s events in June and July are coinciding with

celebrations of the nation’s 250 th anniversary in Washington.

Highlighting Radio Bilingüe’s special coverage will be Línea Abierta national talk show editions

broadcast/streamed live nationally from the Folklife Radio Corner on Thursday and Friday, and

tape-delayed at 4 p.m. PDT on Saturday and Sunday. Host Chelis López and guest host José

López Zamorano will engage folk artists, visitors, culture bearers and knowledge carriers in

conversations relating to the Center’s “Culture of, by, and for the People” initiative in the

context of the U.S. 250 th  anniversary.  The theme of “Growing Together” will inspire on-air

conversations on cultural traditions, cultivating connections to the earth and community, and

sowing positive cultural values for next generations.

Also invigorating RB’s broadcasts each day 7-11 AM PDT will be the voices of Radio Bilingüe

community radio programmers and their virtuoso folk music curations. The live and pre-taped

offerings will represent the best of Radio Bilingüe’s decades-long on-air repertoire – from the

San Joaquin Valley, to the Texas borderlands, to the Oaxacan Indigenous diaspora and beyond.

 

Special Línea Abierta programs from the Smithsonian:

Thursday, July 9

11:00 AM PDT  “Of the People, By the People and For the People”. Our national broadcasts

kick off live from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. with hosts Chelis López and

José López Zamorano interviewing Festival organizers about this year’s yearlong program “Of

the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals” in more than 30 cities, and festival attendees’

thoughts about what this year’s themes mean to them.

Thursday, July 9 

12:00 PM PDT   

“We Hold These Truths” Part 1.  As the nation commemorates the US 250 th ,

we revisit the meaning of the words in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths

to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Thought leaders reflect on the enduring

relevance of the fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and are invited

to share “truths” that may be particular to the Latino community in the U.S., like them.

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Connection to the land, historical place, ties to the social and cultural fabric of the nation, and

their political and economic contributions.

Friday, July 10

11:00 AM PDT  

Cultural Democracy. Folk artists and culture bearers join for live conversations

from the Radio Corner, sharing memories of the creation of cultural institutions and grassroots

groups, the work of cultural workers cultivating a sense of belonging, and imagining a future of

community growth and creativity.

Friday, July 10 

12:00 PM PDT 

The Meaning of Citizenship. “All persons born or naturalized in the US, and

subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the US”– words directly from the US

Constitution. With the backdrop of current political debates and divisions, what is not only the

legal meaning but the ethical foundation of citizenship in the US? What are the shared values of

citizenship that still bind the nation together?

Saturday, July 11

4:00 PM PDT

“For the Common Good” Part 1. A thread throughout the Smithsonian’s U.S.

250 th celebration is “For the Common Good,” a concept that was advanced in the Declaration of

Independence and later in the US Constitution. Community leaders comment on efforts to use

U.S. freedoms to move beyond individual interests and personal gain and promote public

responsibility, policies and legal systems around common shared benefits and community

wellbeing.

Saturday, July 11 

5:00 PM PDT 

“For the Common Good” Part 2.  Cultural leaders, community activists and

visitors are invited to comment on their own thoughts on the meaning of “For the Common

Good.” 

Sunday, July 12

4:00 PM PDT 

“We Hold These Truths” Part 2.  We continue gathering voices from the event

on the Declaration of Independence’s most famous words: “All men are created equal.” How

has the interpretation of this revolutionary idea evolved over time? What’s the modern idea of

equality? Cultural and social activists and festival goers keep the conversation going.

Sunday, July 12 

5:00 PM PDT   

250 Years: The Nation’s Future. As the Center wraps up its monthlong

residency in the Arts and Industries Building, joining simultaneous celebrations of 250 years of

U.S. independence in Washington, D.C., visitors and thought leaders are invited to reflect on

the state of the nation and to look into the nation’s future, the promises and challenges ahead

for the US and its democracy.

These special programs follow a decades-long collaboration between the Smithsonian Center

for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and Radio Bilingüe. This October, Radio Bilingüe will be the

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Media partner for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts’ Great Valley Gathering in Fresno,

CA that is part of the Smithsonian Festival of Festivals on the road across the U.S. in 2026.

 

Contact Alison Kinney, akinney@radiobilingue.org, 707 953 3592