The Ackerman Center Podcast

In this episode, we have the honor of speaking with Dr. Marco González- a historian, researcher, and advocate for historical memory whose professional career has been dedicated to the study of the Holocaust, genocides, and mass human rights violations.Originally from Guatemala, Marco currently serves as the Director of Yahad-In Unum, an international organization founded by French Catholic priest Father Patrick Desbois. Through its documentation of the mass executions carried out in Eastern Europe during the Second World War- commonly known as the Holocaust by Bullets—the organization has transformed our understanding of the Holocaust.Over more than twenty years of work, Marco has participated in field investigations across numerous countries in Eastern Europe, helping locate thousands of mass graves and collecting more than 8,000 eyewitness testimonies from the mass shootings of Jewish and Romani communities. His work has been essential in recovering stories that remained silent for decades and in deepening our understanding of the social dynamics that made one of the greatest crimes in modern history possible.In addition to his investigative work, Marco has led important educational initiatives aimed at preventing hatred, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination. Among his many accomplishments is the creation and development of the Guatemala Holocaust Museum, a pioneering institution in Central America that seeks to connect the lessons of the Holocaust with the contemporary challenges facing the region while promoting a culture of remembrance, tolerance, and human rights.In this conversation, we explore the importance of historical memory, the role of education in preventing violence, the challenges of documenting mass crimes decades after they occurred, and the connections between the experiences of Europe, Latin America, and other regions marked by genocide, armed conflict, and human rights violations.

In this episode of Voces en Español, we have the great pleasure of speaking with José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez, one of Mexico’s leading experts in international human rights law, international justice, and the fight against impunity.A graduate of Universidad Iberoamericana and holder of a doctorate in Fundamental Rights from the Carlos III University of Madrid, José Antonio has dedicated more than two decades to advancing human rights through academia, civil society, international organizations, and public service.He has held senior positions within Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, and various international human rights protection mechanisms.Currently, he serves as Academic Director of the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico City and teaches at the Autonomous University of Tlaxcala. His work focuses on international crimes, transitional justice, historical memory, and accountability for serious human rights violations.In this conversation, we explore the role of memory in the pursuit of justice, the importance of human rights education, contemporary challenges facing democratic societies, and the findings of a recent international investigation into human rights violations committed under the state of emergency regime in El Salvador. Together, we reflect on the enduring relevance of memory, accountability, and international justice in an increasingly complex world.

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Cantrell-Sutor speaks with historian Verena Meier about the persecution of Sinti and Roma under Nazi rule and the central role of the criminal police in implementing discriminatory policies, deportations, and genocide. Drawing on extensive archival research, Meier examines how systems of surveillance, data collection, and racial classification enabled persecution at the local level while granting significant power to individual police officials. The conversation also explores overlooked histories of resistance, the experiences of Sinti and Roma women who challenged Nazi authorities on behalf of their families, and the ethical responsibilities of researchers working with survivor and descendant communities. Together, they reflect on the enduring importance of studying bureaucracy, persecution, and memory in Holocaust history.

In this episode, Dr. Mehak Burza speaks with Tali Nates, founder and director of the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre in South Africa about Holocaust remembrance, genocide education, and role of museums in confronting difficult histories. Drawing from her work across the African continent, Tali reflects on how Holocaust memory is evolving as we move further from the survivor generation, the growing engagement with genocide education in Africa, and challenges of teaching histories such as the Holocaust and apartheid alongside one another.

In this episode we speak with historian Knut Walter, a specialist in the political and social history of Central America. Throughout the interview, Walter offers an in-depth interpretation of violence in the region, arguing that it is not a recent phenomenon exclusively linked to the civil wars of the 20th century, but rather a long-standing historical reality rooted in the structural weaknesses of the State and in social and institutional dynamics. Using a comparative perspective across countries such as El Salvador and Nicaragua, the historian analyzes how political and social violence intertwines with state action- or the absence of it- highlighting the role of the State both as an organizer of violence and as an entity incapable of guaranteeing justice and effective security.The conversation also addresses the impact of the Cold War, dictatorships, and democratization processes in shaping contemporary violence. Walter argues that these processes did not create violence, but rather intensified and reorganized it, while later institutional reforms- particularly within judicial systems- failed to respond to social demands or contain the rise in criminality. The episode concludes with a reflection on the current challenges facing the region, including drug trafficking, gang violence, and migration, as well as the continuing role of institutions such as the military and police. Overall, this interview offers a critical and long-term perspective that invites listeners to rethink simplified narratives about violence in Central America and to consider its deeper historical roots.

In this episode, we speak with Natacha María Koss, a distinguished researcher and professor of Theatre History at the University of Buenos Aires, about the power of theatre as a space for critical thinking, collective experience, and political action. Drawing on her academic trajectory and her work in one of the most dynamic theatrical scenes in the world, we explore fundamental questions: What is theatre? From where do we think it? And how are art, politics, and territory intertwined?The conversation delves into theatre as a situated practice deeply connected to territory, while also reflecting on the concept of the “site of enunciation” and its feminist dimension, emphasizing how all artistic production and analysis are shaped by specific social, historical, and political conditions. It also examines the relationship between theory and practice, highlighting the importance of testing theoretical frameworks in concrete contexts, and analyzes the central role of theatre in Argentina’s cultural life. Finally, it addresses the rich tradition of audience formation as a critical and collective practice that expands modes of participation in the artistic field. We also reflect on how art and cultural thought persist even in contexts of violence, as well as the importance of collaborative spaces between Latin America and the United States for thinking about the present.An essential conversation for those interested in art, memory, politics, and human rights.

This special two-part episode brings together first-hand testimony and contemporary discussion to explore the experiences of Jewish families in Poland before, during and after the Nazis occupation.In Part I, Dr. Angie Simmons is joined by Dr. Nils Roemer, Dean of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology and Director of the Ackerman Center. This segment highlights the experience of Silberstein family in Poland and includes archival audio from the USC Shoah Foundation- TheInstitute for Visual History and Education, featuring testimony by Sally Silberstein Chase. Used with permission. In the second part, Dr. Angie Simmons hosts Dr. HannoBerger, Assistant Professor of Film Studies and Fellow of the Miriam Lewis Barnett Chair for Studies related to the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights to talk about the Hulu miniseries We Were the Lucky Ones. The series is based on the book by Georgia Hunter and focuses on the real life Kurcfamily, a family of Polish Jews, and their fight for survival during the Holocaust and World War II. The discussion situates the series within broader conversations on Holocaust representation, examining its historical grounding, aesthetic choices, and emotional impact.   

In this episode, we have the great pleasure of speaking with the distinguished international lawyer and human rights advocate Almudena Bernabeu, whose work has been fundamental in rethinking justice beyond national borders and in advancing key accountability processes for crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes in multiple contexts. From the establishment of transnational justice mechanisms to the contemporary challenges faced by victims in processes of truth, reparation, and memory, her professional trajectory sheds light on some of the most pressing questions about how societies confront mass violence and impunity. This episode is recorded in the context of the commemoration of two pivotal milestones: the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials and the 40th anniversary of the Trial of the Argentine Military Juntas. Both processes marked not only legal precedents but also raised profound ethical questions about responsibility, truth, memory, and justice that continue to resonate powerfully today. We invite you to join us in this conversation to reflect on how international justice processes remain relevant in contemporary contexts. We seek to explore what it truly means to pursue justice, who builds it, and what legacy it leaves for future generations working toward more just and tolerant societies.

In this episode, Dr. Shilyh Warren, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and affiliate faculty of the Ackerman Center, and Dr. Paula Cuellar Cuellar, Assistant Professor of History and Fellow of the Jacqueline and Michael Wald Professorship at the Bass School, host UK-based filmmaker and researcher Lorena Cervera, whose documentary work has opened essential paths to understanding gender inequalities, the precarization of education, and the transformative power of art in Latin America. Her first book, A Feminist Counter-History of Latin American Documentary, is just out with Routledge Press. This episode was recorded just a few days before November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Lorena’s work deeply resonates with this day. Her documentaries portray the bodies and lives of women who have not only been victims of structural violence but have also resisted, created, organized, and built memory. The episode explores Lorena’s work and discusses the ways documentary cinema can contribute to transforming lives and imagining more just futures.

In this episode, Dr. Mehak Burza sits down with Maestro Murry Sidlin, the internationally acclaimed conductor, educator, and creator of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín. As Founder and Artistic Director of The Defiant Requiem Foundation, Mr. Sidlin has spent decades illuminating one of the most extraordinary cultural stories to emerge from the Holocaust—the powerful act of spiritual and artistic resistance carried out by prisoners in the Terezín concentration camp.In this conversation, Mr. Sidlin reflects on what first drew him to this work, the moral and emotional weight of interpreting music born of suffering, and the ways in which the arts help us carry memory into the future.He also shares deeply personal insights: how this work has changed him, what he wishes he could ask Terezín conductor Rafael Schächter, and why stories like this matter now more than ever. For young artists, scholars, and anyone who believes in the transformative power of the arts, this episode offers a rare window into the intersection of music, humanity, and moral courage.