Crosscurrents

For nearly 50 years, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts has been a community anchor in San Francisco’s Mission district. In January, the center shut down indefinitely because of financial troubles.  Activists and community members have been rallying to reopen it. The city owns the 37,000-square-foot building that’s now under the control of the San Francisco Arts Commission. Paul S. Flores is...

Today, a young jazz singer from East Oakland is drawing fans of all ages. Then, an UnCuffed producer recalls a proud childhood moment that stays with him. And, an explosion of flowers! We’re digging into “super blooms”

The Oakland vocalist's music is a blend of hip hop, R&B, soul and jazz. Like good, old-soul jazz that reminds Host Jeneé Darden of the kind of jazz she used to hear out of her Texan granddaddy's truck.

Over the years you may have heard of the term “Super Bloom” from social media posts of people with vibrant fields of flowers behind them. But where did this term come from? Is it scientific? Or is it just a social media phenomenon? In 2019 KALW’s Marissa Ortega-Welch explored a few theories about the origins of this “super bloom” mania… and its impact.

Uncuffed producer Jorge Lopez recounts a memorable race where he got motivation from someone special in the stands.

San Francisco’s Mayor has been tight lipped about his infamous call with President Trump. Today, we hear about the people working for transparency. Then, why the WNBA’s first contract negotiations in six years have come to a standstill. And, a Bay Area poet reflects on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Four months ago, President Trump vowed to send National Guardsmen into the streets of San Francisco, claiming that they would be sent to reduce crime. This was amid similar deployments to Washington, D.C. and Chicago — both major cities run by Democratic mayors. But the night before the deployment was to begin, San Francisco's Mayor Daniel Lurie spoke to Trump in a phone call. And, the next day, t...

KALW’s BOUNCE host Erin Lim speaks to Crosscurrents host Hana Baba about WNBA ongoing contract negotiations between the players and the league owners. 

The Superbowl was held right here in the Bay Area this year. Now, San Jose poet Ellie Lopez helps us all consider the cultural significance of Bad Bunny's performance at this year's Superbowl. Here is her latest poem "When the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the halftime performance."

Today, a Bay Area harpist finds her way to playing on hip-hop stages. Then, learning life lessons from a game of chess. And, a festival puts the spotlight on Black choreographers.

GEOWAV brings the harp into hip-hop spaces, flipping a classical instrument and carving out a sound that feels fully Bay Area.

Visits with loved ones are a special time in prison. Families come from all over the state to see their loved ones for a short while, and it's one of the only opportunities incarcerated parents can connect with their kids. Uncuffed producer Fonuamana Fuahala recounts one memorable visit with his son.

One of host Jeneé Darden's favorite things to do is dance. She's no pro but she loves watching the pros on stage. Which brings us to the 21st annual Black Choreographers Festival.

Today, the historical significance behind a special creek in East Oakland. Then, we hear a father in prison sends a love letter to his daughter. Plus, Oakland poet James Cagney draws from Zen Buddhism for his latest collection.

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.