On Second Thought for Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Efrain de la Rosa, a 40-year-old detainee at ICE’s Stewart detention center in Lumpkin, was found dead in his cell last Tuesday.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the preliminary cause of death was self-inflicted strangulation.  The case remains under investigation.

On Second Thought's show for Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

We spoke with attorney Sarah Owings of Owings Immigration Law about the rights detainees have once detained. Also joining us on the line from New York was Spencer Woodman, a reporter at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

On a more celebratory note, it’s Mandela Day!  Each year on July 18, the life, work and memory of Nelson Mandela is honored. On this day, there is a global call to do 67 minutes of service in memory of Mandela’s sixty-seven year battle for social justice. Today would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday. On Second Thought producer, Fenly Foxen, reflected on the life and legacy of Mandela. She lived in South Africa for 20 years. Joe Richman also joined the conversation from Cape Cod. He is Radio Diaries founder and executive producer.  He lived in South Africa and documented the life of Mandela in a series of radio specials.

Amy Sherald, the artist who painted the lovely portrait of Michelle Obama, was influenced by Piet Mondrian's geometric paintings and the quilts stiched by the Gee's Bend ladies. The ladies are from a tiny peninsula in Wilcox County, Alabama. The generations of women descend from slaves and live mostly in isolation. From discarded clothes like worn jeans and corduroy pants, they create vibrant geometric shapes stitched into quilts. On Second thought's Virginia Prescott will be speaking with Lousiana Bendolph, a visual artist and quilt maker, at the Atlanta History Center tonight.

We ended the show with the retro-soul band Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics. They stepped into our studios for a mini concert and an interview. Raised by east Indian parents in Canada, Ruby has many inspirations to thank for her classic sound (with a twist). She taps into the classic tunes of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Curtis Mayfield to unlease her powerful vocals. The band released their latest album “State of All Things” last April. They will be performing at Bragg Jam in Macon on July 28th.