Culture Currents

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hard Knock Radio’s Anita Johnson and Davey D reflect on 25 years of bringing community voices, hip hop analysis and grassroots expertise to KPFA’s airwaves. Their conversation traces the show’s roots in resistance and its ongoing commitment to independent media and collective liberation.

The Oakland International Film Festival opens with more than 50 films exploring environmental justice, incarceration, housing, culture and survival. Screenings, workshops and filmmaker discussions aim to bring audiences into Oakland’s neighborhoods and independent film community.

Zanzi owner Mek discusses how the downtown Oakland venue has become a hub for Afrobeats, Amapiano, Caribbean and Latin music while navigating the challenges facing nightlife businesses. He also reflects on the club’s Oakland roots and its role in bringing international artists to the Bay.

The Griot Party Experience will bring spoken word, hip hop, storytelling, comedy and theater to the Poetry for the People Block Party in West Oakland. In this Q&A, Logic Amen discusses the collective’s roots, its healing-centered mission and the role of spoken word in Black liberation.

Black Men’s Chess League organizers discuss building a Bay Area movement around chess, fellowship and youth instruction. The group’s events bring together players, families and supporters across the region.

At a Sistah SciFi conversation in San Francisco, Black horror writers Tamika Thompson and Justin C. Key examine public housing, medicine and gun violence as systems of fear. Their discussion considers how horror can make institutional harm visible while preserving Black joy, humanity and authorship.

Tabari Morris of SF Bay View reviews Reflectacles privacy eyewear and issues a PSA on how Black communities can confront facial recognition and biometric tracking on their own terms.

East Oakland Collective and members of Digital Underground honor Shock G through Feed the Hood, combining mutual aid, music and remembrance. Leah Harmony catches up with Candice Elder and Mystic to discuss the partnership’s work to provide meals, supplies and support for Oakland residents.

Black August honors the revolutionary lives and sacrifices of George and Jonathan Jackson and other imprisoned freedom fighters. Kiilu Nyasha traces its origins, meaning and enduring call for unity, resistance and liberation.

Oakland’s Scid “Trap Nature” Howard brings nature and wildlife education to the hood. He talks about exploring the wilderness, connecting with animals and making science accessible to Black communities.

Yoga instructor CJ Spears believes healing begins by slowing down, listening to your body and making space for your emotions. In this conversation with JR Valrey, she discusses her approach to the ancient practice.

A Black and Indigenous-owned quarter-acre sanctuary in deep West Oakland is redefining what community healing can look like.

After a three-year hiatus, Oakland favorite Souley Vegan is back — and bigger than ever. Founder Tamearra Dyson talks with JR Valrey about the restaurant’s rebirth, the challenges that forced its closure, its new retail marketplace and community space, and why vegan soul food remains a celebration of Black culture, resilience and possibility. Join the celebration as Souley Vegan reopens its doors in Jack London Square on July 25.

Before his passing on June 18, 2026, Sol Charge sat down with Ref Jamal to reflect on the journey that shaped his life—from a strict Christian upbringing and a lifelong search for spiritual truth to creating a healing practice centered on music, movement, nature, and human connection. In this posthumous interview, Sol shares, in his own words, the philosophy that guided his work and the legacy of healing he leaves behind.