Hunters Point’s panopticon

Seventeen license-plate readers are mapped in Hunters Point as SFPD’s network of 500 AI-enhanced Flock cameras spreads across San Francisco. Residents and researchers question whether this corporate-backed surveillance dragnet delivers public safety or puts whole communities under watch.

Keeping our history alive: An interview with Black Panther Party archivist Billy X Jennings

Black Panther Party archivist Billy X Jennings speaks on the survival programs that fed children, served elders and met needs the system refused to meet. He explains why preserving Panther history is a frontline defense against having that struggle stolen and watered down.

BLACK CAPITALISM RE-ANALYZED: JUNE 5, 1971- HUEY NEWTON

During October, while we are honoring the Black Panther's 60th anniversary, we reexamine some of the revolutionary stances of The Black Panthers Party. Here Huey P. Newton argues that capitalism cannot solve Black community exploitation, while reconsidering how Black businesses can be pushed to serve community survival rather than profit from it. He calls for theory joined to action and for building the people’s power to control their own destiny.

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.

HP Biomonitoring Launches Pilot Proposal for Comprehensive Monitoring of the Paul Avenue AI Data Center Campus located in South...

A massive data-center complex operates across the street from Bayview homes, yet no comprehensive system tracks what its pollution may be doing to residents’ bodies. Hunters Point Community Biomonitoring is proposing a one-year pilot to measure toxic exposure, dirty air, noise and heat before the neighborhood is forced to pay the price for San Francisco’s AI boom.

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.
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Listen to yourself: a child’s toolbox

Culture Currents
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.

Bay View Publisher Dr. Willie Ratcliff turns 94 as his Black-Native alliance reunites to elect Alaska Native Mary Peltola to the U.S. Senate

Local News & Views
As SF Bay View Publisher Dr. Willie Ratcliff turns 94 during the newspaper’s 50th anniversary, his Alaska legacy is traced through civil rights advocacy, Native village schools and pipeline-era contracting victories.

From the Bay to Europe – The Luniz are still a hip hop phenomenon

Culture Currents
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.

Book review of ‘We Are Balogun: A Black Lives Matter Memoir’

News & Views
Eric Hunter reviews Yafeuh Balogun’s memoir of Oak Cliff, Dallas organizing, tracing the political education, service and armed self-defense behind the Huey P. Newton Gun Club. He calls it required reading for young people who need to see Black liberation as living history they must carry forward.

Assembly-member LaShae Sharp-Collins’s Bill Would Pause Law Enforcement’s Use of Shock Gloves Pending Study

Local News & Views
California lawmakers have sent AB 2760 to Gov. Gavin Newsom, seeking to halt law enforcement’s use of wearable electric shock gloves until 2030 while the state studies their safety and community impact. Supporters warn the devices could harm vulnerable people and turn Black, Brown and immigrant communities into test subjects.

The 17th annual Fist Up Film Festival is around the corner: Oct. 1-4 at La Pena in Berkeley

Culture Currents
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.

American racism turns 250 years old and now the beast feeds itself

News & Views
Leah Harmony examines a series of anti-Black incidents in 2026 showing that racism remains embedded in U.S. institutions and public life. She calls for deeper historical understanding and accountability to break the cycle.

Twanda Bailey’s fight puts San Francisco — and the nation — on notice

Local News & Views
Twanda Bailey’s workplace discrimination case returns to trial after the California Supreme Court ruled that a single use of the N-word can support a harassment claim. With San Francisco’s entire Superior Court bench recused, the case tests whether the city will be held accountable for its response to her report.

Are scars from the Crack Era affecting how we use cannabis?

Culture Currents
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 at 25

Culture Currents
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.

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What happens when Black mothers follow the rules?

After following Berkeley Unified’s transfer process for her daughter, Ty-Licia Hooker says she was met with delays, dismissal and humiliation. Her experience asks whether Black families have real access to the educational opportunities districts claim to offer.

Guardian foray: all that’s not real is camouflage

Dhoruba Bin-Wahad argues that a Guardian-published open letter on Iranian political prisoners gives cover to U.S. and Zionist aggression against Iran while ignoring Palestinian and Black political prisoners. He calls on its signatories to account for what he sees as their selective anti-imperialism.

Keeping our history alive: An interview with Black Panther Party archivist Billy X Jennings

Black Panther Party archivist Billy X Jennings speaks on the survival programs that fed children, served elders and met needs the system refused to meet. He explains why preserving Panther history is a frontline defense against having that struggle stolen and watered down.

Juju’s House of Velvet: Halloween burlesque show gives Halloween in Oakland a sexy edge

Culture Currents
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

Culture Currents
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

Culture Currents
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

Culture Currents
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

Culture Currents
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

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.

Listen to yourself: a child’s toolbox

Culture Currents
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.
juju2-324x235, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Juju’s House of Velvet: Halloween burlesque show gives Halloween in Oakland...

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.
screenshot-2026-10-11-at-11.20.49-am-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Social critic Ishmael Reed strikes again with new play, Amanuensis

screenshot-2026-10-10-at-12.19.02-am-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

From the Bay to the Culinary Institute: Reign Chapman’s culinary journey

sf_bayview_graduates_scholorship-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Twelve promising students graduate from the Love Life Foundation’s summer college...

emory-douglas-artwork-aaacc-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Fillmore’s cultural hub to temporarily close for seismic retrofitting

the-makers-of-spanish-speaking-bay-area-slap-photo-1-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

The Makers of Spanish Speaking Bay Area Slap: Los Raka

News_Views, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

 

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Welcome Home Aaron Patterson!

Aaron Patterson pre-homecoming, reflects on his imprisonment, anti-death-penalty organizing and community work as he prepares for his Sept. 15 release. He outlines plans for political organizing, food cultivation and mutual support after returning home.

Black August Artist Donald ‘C-Note’ Hooker wins release after 30 years of false imprisonment

After more than 30 years behind bars, acclaimed prison artist Donald "C-Note" Hooker has won parole after a California Parole Board acknowledged that his claim of innocence was "highly plausible." In this Black August feature, C-Note reflects on his fight for freedom, the legacy of Black August, and how art became both his resistance and his voice.

Incarcerated rapper William Lollis fights back against blatantly racist, foul-mouthed officials in Fresno

I am pleading a California Racial Justice Act violation against court-appointed counsel Beth Lee, who accused me of committing the crimes I was being prosecuted for. As I made the attempt to set the record straight and assert my innocence, she interrupted me and blurted out, "Stupid Black son-of-a-bitch prick motherfucker!" 

Who are the real experts on prisons?

After spending nearly 31 years behind prison walls, including time in solitary confinement, Uhuru Rowe argues that the people best equipped to explain the realities of incarceration are not academics or policy experts, but those who survived it firsthand. In this powerful reflection, Rowe challenges readers to reconsider who gets recognized as an authority on the prison industrial complex, drawing on decades of lived experience to expose the violence, isolation and dehumanization that statistics alone can never fully capture. His message is simple: if society is serious about prison abolition and justice, it must center the voices of those who have endured the system from the inside.
5463-1-324x235, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Welcome Home Aaron Patterson!

Aaron Patterson pre-homecoming, reflects on his imprisonment, anti-death-penalty organizing and community work as he prepares for his Sept. 15 release. He outlines plans for political organizing, food cultivation and mutual support after returning home.
the-black-august-artist-art-by-donald-c-note-hooker-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Black August Artist Donald ‘C-Note’ Hooker wins release after 30 years...

william-lollis-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Incarcerated rapper William Lollis fights back against blatantly racist, foul-mouthed officials...

uhuru-rowe-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Who are the real experts on prisons?

Archives, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Welcome to the Bay View Archives! With a $20,000 grant from The San Francisco Foundation, we can finally formalize and publicize our trove of Black journalism from 1976 to 2008.

Quesada Kids Community Fruit Stand

The Quesada Kids Community Fruit Stand was the talk of Third Street over the weekend. Quesada Gardens Initiative co-founder Shane King organized half a dozen youngsters to harvest his backyard plum tree and sell the fruit at the tip of the Quesada Garden by the Bank of America. The fruit sold out in about an hour, the kids made more money than they expected, passers-by LOVED the idea and everyone wants more of the same.

California Hotel tenants fight for their human right to housing

“The California Hotel is just the first building,” said Robbie Clark, an organizer with Just Cause Oakland, who led the chants and rallying cry with tenants and supporters Monday. “There will more than likely be others. We have to come together as a community and prevent the displacement of residents.”

‘State of Black San Francisco’ conference raises questions

Findings of the 2008 State of Black San Francisco public conference predicted our present: "a combination of violence, economics and lack of Black leadership has contributed to a situation that could soon turn SF into a city with only a handful of very rich and very poor African Americans."

California Hotel is raided by City of Oakland

Oakland's California Hotel residents have organized and taken over management and maintenance since building was abandoned by property manager John Stewart Co.
Lennar-65-dirt-pile-at-Precision-Trucking-102807-by-Bob-Nichols-scaled-324x235, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Lennar seeks license to kill

Despite Lennar’s claims that grading was completed in September in 2007, community air monitors continue to document elevations in asbestos levels.
Ahimsa-speaks-at-env-justice-rally-Muhammad-Univ-next-to-Lennars-moonscape-082507-by-Chris-web-100x70, SF Bay View Front Page (New),

Those who must be shown: an environmental justice manifesto

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Then wasn’t the time, but now is!

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Lennar builds shoddy homes