Culture Currents

As described by Jay Rene Shakur, the crucial element necessary to reclaim dignity and social well-being as human beings, is the heart of humanity, and humanism itself. Yet humanism today seems obscured, lost, hidden, withdrawn or morphed, leaving the front lines and leadership disadvantaged in the fight for our humanity.

When our Knights are captured -- Or fall on battlefields, as they -- Surely must, and we lose their -- Brilliant light and we are -- Scrambling to pry pens, -- Swords, spears, bread and -- Roses from stainless steel -- Grips of their icy hands – Scrambling to hoist our -- Fallen banners, temporarily -- Mired in mud and blood, -- Even higher, scrambling -- To staunch rivulets of -- Brine from our sweetly -- Shattered hearts …

The San Francisco Black Independent Film Festival will be held in Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Public Library, 101 Larkin St., San Francisco, on Sunday, Feb. 15, 1-6 p.m. Admission is free.

by Dr. Tiffany Caesar  “Next@90 Curtain Call” performance in the beginning of April at the San Francisco Ballet was a phenomenal experience of diverse styles concerning the traditional art form. I was in awe of...

No one knows the depth of hurt, pain and depression a mother feels at the news of losing her child. The depression she experiences daily due to the loss of her child fuels, multiplies and heightens her struggle on Mother’s Day.

In Oakland, budget cuts to libraries, parks and recreation, senior services, not to mention arts programming like the Oakland Film Office, all of these vital public services are on in the guillotine, while 64 percent of the budget is slated for public safety.

Lela Nicole is one of the new talented voices beginning to make a name in media on the West Coast. She recently created and wrote a television series called Oaktowne about life in Oakland. She just wrapped up shooting the pilot to her series, and Oaktowne was recently accepted into the 10th Annual Oakland International Film Festival, which will be held at the Oakland Museum April 6-8.

Know your rights, or defend yourself unarmed.

Richard Johnson’s Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back brings holiday love and joy to children and families impacted by the prison system.

National Public Radio (NPR), hit by the global economic crisis, is preparing to lay off in March 2009 more than 60 staff and eliminating two major programs, one being News & Notes.

Countering the lying propaganda Americans have been fed about the U.S. not being a racist country, critical race theory could be an opportunity to learn the truth about American racism and inspire to make the changes necessary.

Unresolved issues between adults can greatly affect the state of mind of the children in a “split parented” family. Children of all ages, including babies, are extremely perceptive and able to recognize feelings of love, comfort and safety as well as tension, frustration and anger. It is critical that both parents talk about these issues and think about how they will impact the children well before there is any visitation scheduled.

Katie Washington, a biological sciences major from Gary, Ind., has been named valedictorian of the 2010 University of Notre Dame graduating class and will present the valedictory address during commencement exercises on Sunday, May 16, in Notre Dame stadium.

The stories of domestic violence against women around the world is told again and again. Is this the telling we listen to, the one we hear, the one we feel, the one we commit ourselves to by standing in her place and saying “No More”?

One hand, one heart . . .one world.

Mrs. Sadie Williams celebrates a century of life surrounded by loved ones.

Learning that you have breast cancer can be one of the most shocking and life altering moments of your entire life. The initial diagnosis can bring on feelings of not only worry, but life’s fragility. The idea of time being precious no longer seems like something that you just say in passing when talking to friends. Your time really does become precious and your sense of purpose kicks into overdrive.

The wave of strikes by athletes against racist police violence is not ebbing. On Thursday night, the New York Mets and Miami Marlins took the field, held a 42-second moment of silence (in honor of Jackie Robinson), and then walked off. They left behind a shirt that read “Black Lives Matter” on home plate.

The Minister of Information JR teamed up with http://spot.us on doing a 20 minute audio documentary on the Village Bottom Farms, in West Oakland.

I have a body of work that really looks at race relations and the dynamics of race – the pains, the problems and the frustrations between Black and white Amerikkkans – and in this one I thought that there was a possibility to look at perspective solutions.