Crosscurrents

Just last week the Oakland City Council approved the transfer of funds to purchase 16-acres of undeveloped land which includes Sausal Creek. It will be held by the Indigenous women-led Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and its ancestral caretakers, the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation. 

Derrell “Sadiq” Davis doesn’t get to see his daughter that often. He’s incarcerated at San Quentin where visits and phone calls are monitored and brief. But one day last year, the prison held a prom for fathers and their daughters. 

A koan is a Japanese word for a paradox or riddle that can’t be solved. Koans are used to train Zen Buddhists to release dependence on reason, and gain spiritual enlightenment. The word inspired Oakland poet James Cagney’s latest book “Ghetto Koans: A Personal Archive.” 

The San Francisco Unified School District tells a school it has to close. What will happen to its students and its campus? Then, a lesson in embodying Black identity.

This fall, SFUSD announced it would close a small alternative high school, called The Academy. KALW’s Education reporter, Julia Haney, wanted to find out why there was such a big reaction to the closing of this small school. And in the process, she uncovered a different story. One about how the district’s decision to close this school is making room for another school’s expansion and resurfacing a...

Judith Wilson’s family lived in a predominantly white neighborhood in Oakland, and her high school was also largely white. But during her senior year, one conversation helped her give a perspective that she wasn't getting in school. She told her story to StoryCorps’s Griot project that documented the stories of African Americans in 2008.

The Federal Government is shutting down San Francisco’s main Immigration court. Today, we hear what it means for immigrants when a court is closed. Then, a new Documentary explores how the Birth of Black Studies in the Bay Area. And a reading from the next generation of poets.

Following the firing of 17 of the 21 judges assigned to San Francisco’s immigration courts , the federal administration recently ended its lease at the immigration court at 100 Montgomery street in the City. Jesse Alejandro Cottrell has been covering the story for the San Francisco Standard. He spoke to KALW News editor Sunni Khalid.

Black Studies originated right here in the Bay Area in the mid 1960s. Crosscurrents host Hana Baba speaks with East Bay filmmaker Doug Harris - he grew up during this period and tells that story in his documentary, "Epicenter."

Now we bring you a reading from YouthSpeaks Bringing the Noise for MLK poetry slam. We hear an excerpt of the poem ”For the Black Kids in My 8th Grade Class” by Ariana Brown.

Today, in an episode of California Foodways we visit a Halal market in San Bruno that helps Bay Area Muslims with their fasts, and breaking them. Then, a taste of very specific flavors to fight homesickness.

Residents of San Francisco's Chinatown are grappling with competing concerns. Then, a Marriage and family therapist helps us get ahead of Valentine’s Day with some relationship advice. And, the magic of a classic love song with an Uncuffed My Mix Tape. Plus, a (love) poem. 

Zhe Wu is a reporter with the San Francisco Public Press, who covers Chinatown. Here, Zhe explains what’s pressing most on the minds of SF Chinatown residents as they get ready for one of their biggest holidays.

Marriage and family therapist Sinead Smyth discusses the characteristics that research shows are often present in healthier romantic relationships. And Bay Area residents around Oakland’s Lake Merritt share their thoughts on romance. KALW’s health reporter Alaa Mostafa has the story. 

A new Valentine's Day Uncuffed My Mixtape, where Eric Allen shares his favorite song: "If this world were mine," by Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross 

What’s Valentine's Day without a little poetry… and a little regret? Here’s Thomas Dunn reading his poem, ‘Should’ve Kissed You.” You can hear more from local poets here!  

Today, the legacy and relevance of the Asian American Jazz Movement, through A musician and composer whose work is entwined with her community’s past. Then, a local brass band that’s lending a whole new layer to protests. And, a supportive foster dad gives a big lesson in forgiveness.

The Asian American jazz movement has roots in 1970s San Francisco . It was a dynamic time. The term “Asian American” was first being used, as people were building political coalitions among and across racial lines. Art reflected all of that. Many Asian American artists and activists found inspiration in Black musicians who used jazz as a tool for social change . Today, the work continues. The next...

Music can be a tool for cultural expression and social change. For this story, we’re going out in the streets to meet a band that provides a soundtrack for Bay Area protests. They’re called The Brass Liberation Orchestra. For nearly 25 years The Brass Liberation Orchestra – or BLO – has played a range of protests. But they’ve been especially busy since President Trump’s second term began. Reporter...

When Uncuffed producer Rahim Bradshaw was just a kid, he was sent to live with a foster family. While he secretly enjoyed their comforts, he struggled to trust them. Years later, Rahim reflects on how their unwavering support was the closest thing he had to family. 

Today, "The Tiny Chef" is coming to the California Academy of Sciences! Then, we get some context for San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's recently announced new plan for free and subsidized childcare. And, bluegrass from around the world.

A six-and-a-half inch, green, animated creature has captured the hearts of children and adults. He’s known as the Tiny Chef.  He’s also beloved for the way he talks. It’s an unknown language, but it teaches kids to have patience and compassion for those with speech impediments.  Nickelodeon recently canceled “The Tiny Chef Show.” But, he’s not gone.... Actually he’s right here in San Francisco at...

As Bay Area families enjoy the Tiny Chef exhibit, many are also thinking about some serious daily family life matters - like childcare. As part of his new affordability push, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a new plan for free and subsidized childcare. KALW’s State of the Bay host Ethan Elkind recently dug into the plan with Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, a Politics reporter at The San Franc...

Now, a segment from On Repeat, a mini-pod for music discovery. It’s hosted by Tshego Letsoalo, KALW’s Music Editorial Director. In it Tshego talks with KALW music programmers about the songs they can’t stop listening to. In this episode from 2024, Tshego talks with Peter Thompson, host of KALW’s Blue Grass Signal. Check out Blue Grass Signal , with Peter, Saturday’s at 4pm on KALW. 

Today we hear instruments from all over the world from a little shop in Berkeley. Then, why Oakland’s police remain under federal oversight after more than two decades. And, a man in prison shares how he found refuge in a church.