Culture Currents

Knowing Your Rights takes care of you and yours.

Beyonce performed Etta’s signature song, “At Last” at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, laying claim to the tune James relied on to make a living. James told an audience shortly after that that Obama “is not my president” and “that woman he had singing for him, singing my song … she’s going to get her ass whipped.”

When one thinks of Black women photographers, Carrie Mae Weems comes to mind and, regarding silhouettes, Kara Walker. Though certainly a historic revisioning of beauty and portraiture, a form reserved for the aristocracy, Erica Deeman’s first major solo exhibition at Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive celebrates the form – the Black female form. The large-scale portraits, created over the course of nine months in 2013, is up through June 11, at the BAMPFA, 2120 Oxford St., Berkeley.

WE continue to build support for our relatives, colleagues and All humane beings – from Ayiti (Haiti) to Houston, Puerto Rico to Florida and other areas – suffering in the wake of the corporate-induced climate chaos, environmental disruptions and massive physical destruction (most recently referred to as hurricanes “harvey,” “Irma,” “jose” and “maria”). This is, of course, in the midst of our own necessary preparations for the pending political, military, economic and weather crises that are heading our way.

Many young people want to pursue a career in music but don’t understand the science behind creating and producing. San Jose producer Traxamillion has mastered this science and constructs an iconic sound with every song he touches. His blaring beats have made him the driving force behind the historical hip hop sounds of the notorious hyphy movement. His new project, titled “The Tech Boom,” has given local artists an opportunity to showcase their talent.

Undoubtedly, one of the most financially successful independent rap groups in Hip Hop is Hieroglyphics, and now the City of Oakland has honored them with Hiero Day, every Sept. 3. This year’s festivities will be hosted by Mistah F.A.B., Chuy Gomez and Sway, with Mystic, Kev Choice, CMG of the Conscious Daughters and Holly Saucey, among others scheduled to rock the mic.

When political resistance erupted throughout the country after Trump’s election, professional athletes were hardly expected to be catalysts for social change, or even on the front lines of protest. Back in the 1960s individual athletes expressed dissent – U.S. sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith gave the All Power to the People salute from the 1968 Olympic podium in Mexico City. Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali rejected the draft because of his opposition to the Vietnam War. They paid a heavy price.

The story of the 2020 sports-strike-wave-against-racism is already one of both inspiration and cooptation. To have any sense of where this story might go, we need to understand why it detonated in the first place.

Services in place for people with mental health and substance abuse challenges are glaringly not enough.

Two decades after Bob Marley's "Rebel Music," in 2009 Oakland, artists like Bicasso are the musical spokespeople for criminalized Black neighborhoods that are literally at war with the police; must I remind you of the cases of Oscar Grant and Lovelle Mixon?

Community scientist Scid Howard shares the human essentials of connection to nature to mitigate the ever-devolving and dehumanizing world of technology.

Seidah Williams, an organizer with the People’s Lunch Counter, says PLC provides an atmosphere that nurtures and develops self determination by the way of community and home gardening, holistic health and wellness, and political education. PLC's Black August Course honors fallen freedom fighters.

Invisibility is not an option in reality.

The news came as a shock from a phone call with my wife, a die-hard fan, who broke the news that Teena Marie, the best musical half of the Funkster, Rick “Super-Freak” James, had died.

Charles Nicholson illuminates how each human’s acknowledgement and telling of their own unique story might be the golden nugget for the unfolding journey.

BlockReportRadio returns in 2018 with an interview wit' medical marijuana activists, curators, entrepreneurs, hosts of the KPOO show Ibeji Lounge (broadcast 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays) and renaissance women Melonie and Melorra Green as they talk...

Health is wealth, and some of the sistas in the Oakland community, led by dance teacher Nakeya Murray, have added a little Caribbean soul twist to their exercise regimen by way of Soca dancing on a weekly basis. Here, Nakeya discusses her inspiration and love of dance. Check her out in person from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Monday at The W.E.B. Studio, located at 355 12th St. in Oakland.

As we pay tribute to the legends and pioneers of Juneteenth, like early Juneteenth pioneer Rev. Jack Yates (John Henry Yates), we give a special salute and on-stage re-creation of one of the early Juneteenth celebrations, then called “Freedom Day Celebrations,” by ex-slaves in a nightclub.

Saturday, Feb. 28, the Black Repertory Theatre generously set aside the matinee performance of "for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf" as a benefit for the Bay View newspaper. Playwright Ntozake Shange was there in person. The performance sold out! Thanks, everybody!

“I am attempting to reach Generation Y and show them not only how to become successful but also how to handle success when it becomes overwhelming, because it will. I was always good at humbling myself, and that is a quality I am trying to instill in the youth here at my school.” - YoYo