Writer Robert Trujillo talks children’s lit and the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair
Robert Trujillo talks about building children’s books that reflect Black, Brown and queer families, and why everyday life can be political education. He also lays out what families can expect at Oakland’s Social Justice Children’s Book Fair, from books and panels to read-alouds and community.
Colin Kaepernick’s ‘The Perilous Fight’
Colin Kaepernick discusses his memoir, NFL power and racism, the true story behind taking a knee, and the Black radical tradition that shaped his fight for justice. He argues that freedom demands collective action, resilience and refusal to accept inherited conditions.
Painting freedom: Derick Davies on Blackness, Oakland and the art of becoming
West Oakland artist Derick Davies paints colorism, mental struggle, public suffering and Black self-love with the honesty of someone refusing to hide. In this Q&A, the 19-year-old artist talks about Oakland, freedom and building a life where his art supports his family and reaches the world.
Herbal solutions to toxic problems: An interview with herbalist Colin Robinson
Herbalist Colin Robinson shares how he moved from urgent-care visits and prescription treatments to studying ancestral healing, making teas and walnut butter, and volunteering at Bay Area farms. In this interview, he speaks on herbs, local commerce and building health through connection to land and community.
For the plant lovers: Vibrant Plant Lady
Inayah Baqee, known as Vibrant Plant Mama, uses plant education and honest tutorials to make collecting plants less intimidating. She talks about how plants grounded her through postpartum anxiety, motherhood and sobriety.
Still one of the best: rapper Willie Hen
Fillmore rapper Willie Hen talks Bay Area Hip Hop, the conscious game in his music and his new single “THE FLYEST.” The veteran behind “The Product” says he is building a smooth, soulful new project rooted in Bay mob music.
Money B on growing up with the Panthers and using new tech as self...
Money B traces his path from the Black Panther Party’s Oakland Community School to Digital Underground, carrying forward a life shaped by collective care, Black history and refusal to glorify the streets. Now he is using new tech to push back against an industry that keeps artists separated from their money and their listeners.
Not just art for art’s sake: an interview with Emory Douglas, the Black Panther...
Emory Douglas explains how the Black Panther newspaper carried the Party’s message, built its lifeline to the people and told its story without being shackled by advertisers. The Revolutionary Artist reflects on art, political education and the work of making images serve the struggle.
At 23, Afeni Shakur defended the Panther 21 while pregnant with Tupac — and...
In her closing appeal in the Panther 21 trial, Afeni Shakur tells the jury that the state proved nothing and asks them not to kneel to its outrageous bidding.
Reclaiming the Narrative and the Bag: Inaugural Compton Comics Expo Plants the Flag for...
The inaugural Compton Comics Expo asserts Black cultural sovereignty and independent IP ownership, backed by the historic box-office power of Black storytelling.
Juju’s House of Velvet: Halloween burlesque show gives Halloween in Oakland a sexy edge
Juju’s Productions brings “House of Velvet: Halloween” to Yoshi’s Oakland on Oct. 31, opening a three-part burlesque series of mystery, glamour, live vocals, dance and unapologetic sensuality. The new production expands on Juju’s work honoring Black entertainment culture in West Oakland while inviting audiences into a spooky, playful world of its own.
Social critic Ishmael Reed strikes again with new play, Amanuensis
Ishmael Reed’s new play, “Amanuensis,” takes on the theft of Black storytelling behind “Uncle Remus’ Stories” and Disney’s “Song of the South.” In this Q&A, Reed also speaks bluntly about the Black Repertory Theater, independent Black press and the forces he says are trying to marginalize both.
From the Bay to the Culinary Institute: Reign Chapman’s culinary journey
Oakland-raised Reign Chapman’s path to the Culinary Institute of America runs through East Oakland taco trucks, family kitchens and hands-on training in professional kitchens. Now his family is raising funds to help him close the gap between financial aid and tuition.
Twelve promising students graduate from the Love Life Foundation’s summer college prep class
Donald Lacy discusses the LoveLife Foundation’s 2026 College Summer Prep graduates, all 12 of whom have been accepted to four-year colleges. The Oakland program is seeking scholarship support for students pursuing higher education and bringing their knowledge back to the community.
Fillmore’s cultural hub to temporarily close for seismic retrofitting
The African American Art & Culture Complex will leave its Fillmore home at 762 Fulton St. for a seismic retrofit, but Dr. Murrel Green says its art, youth programs and community work will keep moving. The historic institution plans to use the transition to deepen its roots and carry Black culture beyond its walls.
The Makers of Spanish Speaking Bay Area Slap: Los Raka
Oakland’s Los Rakas discuss representing Panama and the Bay, building an international audience and bringing their Spanish-language rap to fans worldwide. Raka Dun shares the duo’s roots, new videos and what to expect at their Oct. 3 Afro-Latinx performance.
Listen to yourself: a child’s toolbox
Author Jahaira Telles discusses “Listen to Yourself: Honor Your Inner Voice,” a children’s affirmation book rooted in dignity, instinct and inner authority. She argues that children need honest language alongside adults’ material commitment to safety, resources and justice.
From the Bay to Europe – The Luniz are still a hip hop phenomenon
Numskull of the platinum rap group the Luniz reflects on taking Oakland Hip Hop around the world, building relationships with audiences abroad and the evolution of the group’s sound. He also discusses a forthcoming solo album shaped by his life, family and years in music.
The 17th annual Fist Up Film Festival is around the corner: Oct. 1-4 at...
Fist Up Film Festival brings four nights of documentaries and short films on culture, migration, Caribbean resistance and people power to Berkeley’s La Peña Oct. 1-4. Filmmakers and grassroots organizers will join the conversations, linking global struggles to work happening in the Bay.
Are scars from the Crack Era affecting how we use cannabis?
Lady Namastizzle discusses how Crack Era trauma and the war on drugs continue to shape Black and Brown communities’ relationships to cannabis glassware and concentrates. She also addresses cannabis education, Black ownership, taxation and her advocacy work in San Francisco.