SoCal Connected: In the Studio

"Django Unchained" and "Lincoln" are both box office hits dealing with slavery. And while they are movies dealing with historical African-American experiences, screenwriter John Ridley and Charmaine Jefferson of the California African American Museum say this might be nothing more than a popular trend in a Hollywood that has largely failed to accurately capture the stories of African Americans.

When Barack Obama was elected four years ago, there was a great deal of talk about America reaching past the racial divide. And last November, a rainbow coalition of multiple ethnicities came together to reelect him. Does this mean we're heading towards a so-called "post-racial" America? Writer and KCET contributor Erin Aubry Kaplan and Joe Hicks of Community Advocates say while the election of Barack Obama is huge in terms of the symbolism of progress, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Back in 1973, Los Angeles elected its first African-American mayor, but there hasn't been once since. Historically black neighborhoods are vanishing, displaced, very often, by a growing Latino population. How does that affect the African-American community in Southern California? Political scientists Frank Gilliam, of UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs, and Fernando Guerra, director of LMU's Leavey Center, join Val to discuss black political power in L.A.

L.A. Times investigative journalists Scott Glover and Lisa Girion talk about the role of medical professionals in the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

Tom Diaz, author of the upcoming book 'The Last Gun,' believes changing gun laws in this country is a matter of national priorities.

The Tribune Company, which owns the Los Angeles Times, has finally emerged from bankruptcy, one of the longest in corporate history. Tribune now has a new plan. The company wants to concentrate on television. That means newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, could soon be up for sale.

Our media landscape is changing -- again. Current, the TV network founded by Al Gore, has been sold to Al Jazeera, the Middle Eastern news service based in Qatar. Al Jazeera's English newscast runs here on KCET. From the start, Al Jazeera has had its share of controversy and more than its share of difficulty breaking into the larger American market.

After the massacre in Newtown, President Obama pledged to take on the issue of gun violence and assigned Vice President Biden to lead the effort. Biden's task force is moving ahead rapidly. The V.P. met Wednesday with victims' groups and Thursday sits down with the National Rifle Association and with Walmart, the country's largest gun seller.

Rumblings about the closure of Valley institution Henry's Tacos prompt reflection from its loyal customers. Val and Madeleine talk to "Street Gourmet" and Los Angeles Magazine food blogger Bill Esparza about L.A. tacos and Mexican-American street cuisine.

USC's Andrew Lih gives us a preview of what to expect at this year's Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Host of Huffington Post Live Jacob Soboroff remembers the late Huell Howser.

KCET was Huell Howser's home for more than 25 years. He worked closely with KCETLink CEO Al Jerome and COO Mary Mazur. They talk to Val about the man who became a KCET staple.

Author, historian, and KCET.org contributor D.J. Waldie talks to Madeleine about Huell Howser's relevance as a modern explorer of California.

Few people knew Huell Howser better than his longtime producer Phil Noyes and his cameraman Luis Fuerte, known to the viewing audience as "Louie!" They sit down with Val to share what it was like working with the man who found wonderment everywhere.

Judge Michael Nash reports that L.A. County's already overburdened juvenile court system is only getting worse.