Crosscurrents

Uncuffed producer Derrell "Sadiq" Davis shares the story about an incarcerated father who worries his newborn son will follow in his family’s footsteps. Can he break the cycle?

Comedian Luenell has been keeping audiences laughing for decades. She’s originally from Oakland but now lives in Las Vegas, where she has a residency at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club on the strip. You can see Luenell on screen with Tracy Morgan in the Paramount+ sitcom “Crutch.”  Host of KALW’s Sights and Sounds, Jenee Darden caught up with Luenell to talk about her latest projects. Here’s a part of...

Today, we're distilling whiskey on Vallejo’s Mare Island. Then, a West Oakland artist recalls using her music and spirituality to heal from a severe car accident.

Californians have made whiskey since the Gold Rush when they served miners and then loggers. Craft bourbon has been taking off in the last couple decades -- with as many as 150 distilleries in the state.  For her series California Foodways, KALW’s Lisa Morehouse visited a distillery’s new home in the North Bay that’s producing whiskey at a location where people used to make something really differ...

West Oakland artist Nia Cephas came up with a word that encompasses her cultures, spirituality, and connection with people: Cosmicpolitan. That’s also the name of her debut album.  Nia’s music reflects both her African American and Afro-Brazilian roots. Her songs range from being a testament of survival to an invitation to just feel free.  KALW’s Sights and Sounds Show host, Jenee Darden, spoke wi...

Today, a new story from Uncuffed about finding out your dad isn't who he says he is. Then, an Oakland cello player challenges us to break away from negative ideas about darkness. And, a musician encourages us ALL to keep on singing.

What happens when you find out your dad isn't who he says he is? A new story about family from Uncuffed and San Quentin producer Jorge Lopez.

When you hear the words “dark” and “darkness” what comes to mind?  Many of us may associate the words with mostly negative connotations. In the Black Diaspora, and among other communities of color, there’s an ongoing conversation about why that is… and how to change it.  Mia Pixley is a Black cellist, singer, and psychologist based in Oakland. Her new album, “Love. Dark. Bloom”  is a blend of clas...

Recently, Oakland-raised musician, composer, and bandleader, Kev Choice, performied live at KALW's Studio Events space in downtown San Francisco. It was part of a preview for the upcoming show "In the Name of Love: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." from Living Jazz.  Living Jazz is an educational organization that provides musical retreats in nature and workshops in elementary schools. KALW...

Today we’re bringing you an episode of Uncuffed from 2024 that really resonated with our Newsroom staff. It’s about a lesser known, but important aspect of life in prison: grieving.

When most Bay Area residents go to San Francisco International Airport, it’s so they can leave. But some unhoused locals are heading to SFO to stay. Reporter Erin Bump brings us the story of folks seeking shelter at the airport, and the people there who are trying to help.

Today: The story of unhoused people who live at the airport and the people who help them.

Today, we introduce you to the most recent Uncuffed class at Solano State Prison and get to know them through the songs they love. But first, we meet a boxer and the people who tried to help her redirect her emotions.

A story from the Uncuffed producers at the California Institution for Women about the people who helped a woman redirect her emotions.

Uncuffed's 2025 class at Solano State Prison just finished their training with the program. Get to know them through special songs that have shaped their lives.

Today, as an iconic San Francisco gay nightclub prepares to close... we hear from the owner of OASIS, some of the club’s biggest fans, and San Francisco’s Grandmother of Drag.

OASIS is an iconic San Francisco nightclub. The Drag show and cabaret venue opened on New Years Day, 2015. In a bittersweet bookend, they’ll host their grand finale party on New Years Eve, later this month.  The host of KALW’s Sights and Sounds show, Jenee Darden, recently went down to the club in San Francisco’s SOMA District to meet with OASIS owner, D'Arcy Drollinger. Here’s an excerpt from the...

When San Francisco’s OASIS drag club on 11th and Folsom announced it was closing its doors forever this January 1st, the news was met with a chorus of broken hearts and a lot of tears.  OASIS has a LOT of fans. People that have found a little piece of sanctuary within the loudness of their parties and performances. Here, members of the OASIS community share their favorite memories, what the space...

Today, the lasting advocacy legacies of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Then, for perpetrators of domestic violence it can be hard to ask for help. And, motivation from Mom's love. Plus, a poem.

The Trump Administration has made life very challenging for immigrants across the United States. And that’s really been felt here in the Bay Area, where roughly a third of residents are immigrants.   Many of the rights immigrants to the U.S. have are actually rooted right here in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The community there came together more than a century ago, to fight against government effor...

Last week, KALW attended the 2025 San Francisco Press Club awards… and left with five wins! This next story was reported back in February, and took home an award for ‘Best Reporting’. When it first aired, organizers in California had been working for months to spread the word about this helpline/ a helpline for perpetrators of domestic and intimate partner violence.  You heard that right. A helpli...

Darrell “Sadiq" Davis had a rocky relationship with school when he was younger. He kept trying to follow through with it, but things kept getting in his way - whether it was being bullied, or not being able to resist the call of the streets. But, what kept him going, no matter how hard things got, was knowing that getting a degree would make his mom proud. 

We’ll stay on the theme of mothers and their impact on us for our next segment- a poem about life lessons, from the universe… and mom. Here’s Eva Chen reading from her poem "A Lesson From My Mother About the Origins of Life." 

We are broadcasting live for KALW's December membership campaign. Today, we revisit the Valkyries first season and talk about some of our favorite music of the year. 

Today, we’re doing things a little differently... For KALW's December Membership Campaign we're bringing you a special LIVE episode of Crosscurrents! And we're joined by our reporter, Wren Farrell.