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"title": "The Players Who Put the 'Oakland' in the Oakland A's (and the Rest of Baseball)",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>s I write this, the Oakland A’s are eyeing not only a playoff spot, but a Western Division Championship. This historic season, their 51st in Oakland, has been nothing short of magical: consistent late-game heroics, a thrilling no-hitter, and much more to inspire fair-weather fans to break out their green and gold and jump aboard the bandwagon as we head toward October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For us A’s fans, we’ve been here before. We’ve had that sense of uplift in the fall, and then that all-too familiar sinking feeling in October. And, constant as the stars, we keep returning to the Coliseum, year in and year out, sticking by this team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After 50 years in Oakland, it’s time to look back at what the team’s contributions to baseball. And, as the major leagues slowly \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/2016/10/27/13416798/cubs-dodgers-baseball-white-diverse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lose African American players\u003c/a>, it’s especially time to recognize what the A’s have meant to the black community at large.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839224\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839224\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"The Oakland Library's Dorothy Lazard with an exhibition commemorating the A's 50 years in Oakland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-960x641.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Library’s Dorothy Lazard with an exhibition commemorating the A’s 50 years in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> leaned over in the 100-plus year-old chair and asked Oakland Library historian Dorothy Lazard if it’s possible to tell the story of baseball, America’s great pastime, without mentioning Oakland—specifically, the black community in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No!” she immediately replied. “We had some amazing black players on our championship teams,” mentioning Reggie Jackson and Vida Blue, vital parts of the trio of championships the A’s won in the early ’70s. Then she drove her point home: “You know, Curt Flood is from Oakland. Curt Flood is the reason we have free agency!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curt Flood was the longtime St. Louis Cardinals player who fought for pro baseball players to have the right to be free agents. Prior to his case, which was decided by the Supreme Court, players had lifetime contracts, and only switched teams when owners traded or sold their rights to another squad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lazard could’ve stopped there. Her point was proven. I mean, who’d think Flood, a kid who went to little ol’ McClymonds High School in West Oakland, would change the business of professional sports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then, even more so, who’d think one of his schoolmates who he walked past in the hallway, Frank Robinson, would become the first African American manager in baseball history?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right. So you could stop there and the point would be proven: You can’t talk about professional baseball in America without talking about the African American community in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839299\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839299\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Edwin Jackson and Khris Davis show off their African American Heritage Night baseball caps with MC Hammer (L–R) at the Coliseum.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Edwin Jackson and Khris Davis show off their African American Heritage Night baseball caps with MC Hammer (L–R) at the Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Athletics)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But then, again, you’d be missing the story of Rickey Henderson, the Oakland-bred MLB record holder for stolen bases, famously quoted as saying, “Everything I know about stealing, I learned in Oakland.” Henderson, considered by many the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, is a graduate of Oakland Tech, and now has a field there named in his honor—in addition to the diamond where the A’s play, which bears his name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s more. Like the story of an Oakland kid named Dave Stewart, who grew to be a Cy Young Award-winning A’s pitcher, who’s part of the A’s Black Aces club—a group of African American A’s hurlers who won 20 games or more in a season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s Bip Roberts, Jermaine Dye and so many more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’d even give honorable mentions to Jimmy Rollins, Dontrelle Willis and Willie Stargell; all were Alameda residents, technically. But we all know: to leave Alameda, you’ve got to go through Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839222\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-800x601.jpg\" alt=\"A's fans Saleem Shakir, Shefali Shah and Amari Shah-Shakir (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum.\" width=\"800\" height=\"601\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-375x282.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-520x391.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A’s fans Saleem Shakir, Shefali Shah and Amari Shah-Shakir (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Saleem Shakir)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And then there are the stories of African American ballplayers who weren’t from here, but played here—and played a significant role. Like Jimmy Claxton, arguably the first black professional ballplayer in the modern era. On May 28, 1916, over three decades before Jackie Robinson took the field in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, Claxton donned the uniform of the Pacific Coast League’s Oakland Oaks—the franchise that called this area home prior to the A’s. (The Oaks used to play at the old Oakland Baseball Park; the site is now the Pixar campus in Emeryville.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claxton, who was initially thought by team management to be Native American, reportedly played two games before his African American ancestry was discovered, prompting his release. But it was too late. Not only was he in the record books as being a professional ballplayer, his photo had been taken and placed on a trading card from the Zeenut company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You also might include Vada Pinson, another McClymonds High kid who went on to a great MLB career playing 18 seasons, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds. He never did play for the A’s, but his heart stayed here; he died in Oakland in 1995.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The history of African American ballplayers from Oakland, and those who’ve played in Oakland, runs deep. And it’s still going. The A’s currently have some great ones, including Khris Davis, who’s among the top home-run hitters in the league.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s the current story of the Ross brothers, Joe and Tyson, childhood friends of mine who currently play pro ball. Back when Tyson played for the A’s, he wore the number 66, as a nod to the diamond on 66th Avenue, Greenman Field, where we used to play tee-ball together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839226\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-800x576.jpg\" alt=\"A's fans Tasha Dial, Tiffany Stapleton, KaSelah Crockett and Monique Nichols (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum.\" width=\"800\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-240x173.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-375x270.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-520x374.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A’s fans Tasha Dial, Tiffany Stapleton, KaSelah Crockett and Monique Nichols (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum. \u003ccite>(KaSelah Crockett)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">Y\u003c/span>eah, I used to play baseball. I was a second baseman, short and fast. And I studied those built like me—like Joe Morgan, an East Oakland kid who became a Hall of Famer. As a kid, I took pride in knowing all about African American ballplayers. After all, there weren’t—and still aren’t—too many of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, when the Oakland A’s celebrated African American heritage last week during a game against the Dodgers, giving away hats with African print on the bill, I stood up and took notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On one hand, I knew it was a bit of a ploy to get black folks reinvested in baseball. But I also knew that the A’s have done some solid work in the community this year, and showing that they’re true to the slogan of being “rooted in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’ve done community service and donated to causes. They’ve organized pick-up games at neighborhood ballparks (the next one is at 9am on Aug. 25 at Garfield Park, 2260 Foothill Blvd., in Oakland). Hell, they even made personal phone calls, inviting folks to the African American heritage night—both my mom and I got calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know how they got our numbers, but I do know that their efforts aren’t going unrecognized; there are new graffiti murals on major walls around Oakland dedicated to the A’s. On top of that, they have a really good ball team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I watched the game from home, tuning in just as Joe Morgan was brought on as a guest announcer. He discussed being short and using it to his advantage. He talked about winning championships with the Reds, and his short stint with the A’s. And he touched on the African American community of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839298\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839298\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Tony! Toni! Toné! performs the African American national anthem at the Coliseum for African American Heritage Night.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony! Toni! Toné! performs the African American national anthem at the Coliseum for African American Heritage Night. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Athletics)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The next day, I went down to the Oakland library, where there’s currently an exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of the A’s move to Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Who curated this exhibit?” I asked in a library safe tone, as I walked into the history room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did. You know I curate all the exhibits here,” Dorothy Lazard said with a smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we walked through the room, she narrated her thinking behind the content in the three cases. Lazard had gathered A’s memorabilia, books and photos. She strategically put the lowlights of the steroid era next to the highlight of the Moneyball era. She wrote brief stories recapping how A’s mascot Stomper, “the white elephant,” came to be. She found a poster from the 1989 World Series against the Giants. She told me about the franchise’s former owner, the eccentric Charlie Finley, and how he paid players $300 extra if they grew mustaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then I saw a news clipping that echoed Lazard’s sentiment about the value of Oakland’s African American community and African American ballplayers who’ve come through the Town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Part of the Oakland A's exhibit at the Oakland Library.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-520x348.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the Oakland A’s exhibit at the Oakland Library. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a piece published earlier this year by the \u003cem>East Bay Monthly\u003c/em>, Oakland A’s current President Dave Kaval was quoted as saying, “We’re thinking about doing a hall of fame as a part of the new stadium.” Kaval then said, “Especially to celebrate not just the A’s history, but just Oakland baseball history, back to the Oakland Oaks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no new stadium yet. But this week, the A’s announced the opening of a hall of fame dedicated to Oakland ballplayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hope the A’s get that new stadium soon. I hope they make it deep into the playoffs this year. And lastly, I hope that the Oakland baseball hall of fame opens its doors to all the great ballplayers who have roots in this area. How cool would it be to see an authentic Jimmy Claxton card enshrined there?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>s I write this, the Oakland A’s are eyeing not only a playoff spot, but a Western Division Championship. This historic season, their 51st in Oakland, has been nothing short of magical: consistent late-game heroics, a thrilling no-hitter, and much more to inspire fair-weather fans to break out their green and gold and jump aboard the bandwagon as we head toward October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For us A’s fans, we’ve been here before. We’ve had that sense of uplift in the fall, and then that all-too familiar sinking feeling in October. And, constant as the stars, we keep returning to the Coliseum, year in and year out, sticking by this team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After 50 years in Oakland, it’s time to look back at what the team’s contributions to baseball. And, as the major leagues slowly \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/2016/10/27/13416798/cubs-dodgers-baseball-white-diverse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lose African American players\u003c/a>, it’s especially time to recognize what the A’s have meant to the black community at large.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839224\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839224\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"The Oakland Library's Dorothy Lazard with an exhibition commemorating the A's 50 years in Oakland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-960x641.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.DorothyLibrary.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Library’s Dorothy Lazard with an exhibition commemorating the A’s 50 years in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> leaned over in the 100-plus year-old chair and asked Oakland Library historian Dorothy Lazard if it’s possible to tell the story of baseball, America’s great pastime, without mentioning Oakland—specifically, the black community in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No!” she immediately replied. “We had some amazing black players on our championship teams,” mentioning Reggie Jackson and Vida Blue, vital parts of the trio of championships the A’s won in the early ’70s. Then she drove her point home: “You know, Curt Flood is from Oakland. Curt Flood is the reason we have free agency!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curt Flood was the longtime St. Louis Cardinals player who fought for pro baseball players to have the right to be free agents. Prior to his case, which was decided by the Supreme Court, players had lifetime contracts, and only switched teams when owners traded or sold their rights to another squad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lazard could’ve stopped there. Her point was proven. I mean, who’d think Flood, a kid who went to little ol’ McClymonds High School in West Oakland, would change the business of professional sports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then, even more so, who’d think one of his schoolmates who he walked past in the hallway, Frank Robinson, would become the first African American manager in baseball history?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right. So you could stop there and the point would be proven: You can’t talk about professional baseball in America without talking about the African American community in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839299\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839299\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Edwin Jackson and Khris Davis show off their African American Heritage Night baseball caps with MC Hammer (L–R) at the Coliseum.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsHammer-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Edwin Jackson and Khris Davis show off their African American Heritage Night baseball caps with MC Hammer (L–R) at the Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Athletics)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But then, again, you’d be missing the story of Rickey Henderson, the Oakland-bred MLB record holder for stolen bases, famously quoted as saying, “Everything I know about stealing, I learned in Oakland.” Henderson, considered by many the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, is a graduate of Oakland Tech, and now has a field there named in his honor—in addition to the diamond where the A’s play, which bears his name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s more. Like the story of an Oakland kid named Dave Stewart, who grew to be a Cy Young Award-winning A’s pitcher, who’s part of the A’s Black Aces club—a group of African American A’s hurlers who won 20 games or more in a season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s Bip Roberts, Jermaine Dye and so many more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’d even give honorable mentions to Jimmy Rollins, Dontrelle Willis and Willie Stargell; all were Alameda residents, technically. But we all know: to leave Alameda, you’ve got to go through Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839222\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-800x601.jpg\" alt=\"A's fans Saleem Shakir, Shefali Shah and Amari Shah-Shakir (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum.\" width=\"800\" height=\"601\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-375x282.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.FamilyinStands-520x391.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A’s fans Saleem Shakir, Shefali Shah and Amari Shah-Shakir (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Saleem Shakir)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And then there are the stories of African American ballplayers who weren’t from here, but played here—and played a significant role. Like Jimmy Claxton, arguably the first black professional ballplayer in the modern era. On May 28, 1916, over three decades before Jackie Robinson took the field in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, Claxton donned the uniform of the Pacific Coast League’s Oakland Oaks—the franchise that called this area home prior to the A’s. (The Oaks used to play at the old Oakland Baseball Park; the site is now the Pixar campus in Emeryville.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claxton, who was initially thought by team management to be Native American, reportedly played two games before his African American ancestry was discovered, prompting his release. But it was too late. Not only was he in the record books as being a professional ballplayer, his photo had been taken and placed on a trading card from the Zeenut company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You also might include Vada Pinson, another McClymonds High kid who went on to a great MLB career playing 18 seasons, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds. He never did play for the A’s, but his heart stayed here; he died in Oakland in 1995.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The history of African American ballplayers from Oakland, and those who’ve played in Oakland, runs deep. And it’s still going. The A’s currently have some great ones, including Khris Davis, who’s among the top home-run hitters in the league.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s the current story of the Ross brothers, Joe and Tyson, childhood friends of mine who currently play pro ball. Back when Tyson played for the A’s, he wore the number 66, as a nod to the diamond on 66th Avenue, Greenman Field, where we used to play tee-ball together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839226\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-800x576.jpg\" alt=\"A's fans Tasha Dial, Tiffany Stapleton, KaSelah Crockett and Monique Nichols (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum.\" width=\"800\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-240x173.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-375x270.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/As.TiffanyStapleton-520x374.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A’s fans Tasha Dial, Tiffany Stapleton, KaSelah Crockett and Monique Nichols (L–R) at African American Heritage Night at the Coliseum. \u003ccite>(KaSelah Crockett)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">Y\u003c/span>eah, I used to play baseball. I was a second baseman, short and fast. And I studied those built like me—like Joe Morgan, an East Oakland kid who became a Hall of Famer. As a kid, I took pride in knowing all about African American ballplayers. After all, there weren’t—and still aren’t—too many of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, when the Oakland A’s celebrated African American heritage last week during a game against the Dodgers, giving away hats with African print on the bill, I stood up and took notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On one hand, I knew it was a bit of a ploy to get black folks reinvested in baseball. But I also knew that the A’s have done some solid work in the community this year, and showing that they’re true to the slogan of being “rooted in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’ve done community service and donated to causes. They’ve organized pick-up games at neighborhood ballparks (the next one is at 9am on Aug. 25 at Garfield Park, 2260 Foothill Blvd., in Oakland). Hell, they even made personal phone calls, inviting folks to the African American heritage night—both my mom and I got calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know how they got our numbers, but I do know that their efforts aren’t going unrecognized; there are new graffiti murals on major walls around Oakland dedicated to the A’s. On top of that, they have a really good ball team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I watched the game from home, tuning in just as Joe Morgan was brought on as a guest announcer. He discussed being short and using it to his advantage. He talked about winning championships with the Reds, and his short stint with the A’s. And he touched on the African American community of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839298\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839298\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Tony! Toni! Toné! performs the African American national anthem at the Coliseum for African American Heritage Night.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/AsToni-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony! Toni! Toné! performs the African American national anthem at the Coliseum for African American Heritage Night. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Athletics)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The next day, I went down to the Oakland library, where there’s currently an exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of the A’s move to Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Who curated this exhibit?” I asked in a library safe tone, as I walked into the history room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did. You know I curate all the exhibits here,” Dorothy Lazard said with a smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we walked through the room, she narrated her thinking behind the content in the three cases. Lazard had gathered A’s memorabilia, books and photos. She strategically put the lowlights of the steroid era next to the highlight of the Moneyball era. She wrote brief stories recapping how A’s mascot Stomper, “the white elephant,” came to be. She found a poster from the 1989 World Series against the Giants. She told me about the franchise’s former owner, the eccentric Charlie Finley, and how he paid players $300 extra if they grew mustaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then I saw a news clipping that echoed Lazard’s sentiment about the value of Oakland’s African American community and African American ballplayers who’ve come through the Town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Part of the Oakland A's exhibit at the Oakland Library.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Ascloseupdisplaycase-520x348.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the Oakland A’s exhibit at the Oakland Library. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a piece published earlier this year by the \u003cem>East Bay Monthly\u003c/em>, Oakland A’s current President Dave Kaval was quoted as saying, “We’re thinking about doing a hall of fame as a part of the new stadium.” Kaval then said, “Especially to celebrate not just the A’s history, but just Oakland baseball history, back to the Oakland Oaks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no new stadium yet. But this week, the A’s announced the opening of a hall of fame dedicated to Oakland ballplayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hope the A’s get that new stadium soon. I hope they make it deep into the playoffs this year. And lastly, I hope that the Oakland baseball hall of fame opens its doors to all the great ballplayers who have roots in this area. How cool would it be to see an authentic Jimmy Claxton card enshrined there?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Trying to recall the first time I heard the voice of Aretha Franklin is like trying to recall when I first noticed the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the time I could crawl across our green shag carpet at our home in Oakland’s Fruitvale District, I can recall rummaging through the dual polished mahogany cabinets in our home that served as a treasure chest for my mother’s LPs and 45s. I’d flip through cardboard sleeves covered with the faces of Teddy, Tina, Isaac, James, Diana and Smokey, an act that would often evoke a \u003cem>“girl, you don’t know nothin’ about this,”\u003c/em> followed by a brief history lesson from by mother and grandmother, culminating in a decadent sampling of music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many names were exalted. But I came to understand that there was only one queen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturday mornings were reserved for her. As I partook in the weekly ritual of morning chores, Aretha’s voice would pour over my soul like warm honey, transforming my pajamas and headscarf into an ornate ball gown and elaborate bouffant. Broom sticks became makeshift mic stands. And, for a few minutes, the voice overpowering the faint crackle of the spinning 45 belonged to me. A child of the ’80s, born to a daughter of Detroit, I demanded R-E-S-P-E-C-T when I was still learning to spell, I was feeling like a natural woman before I hit puberty, and I vowed I’d never be in someone’s chain of fools before I ever went on a date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839193\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-800x563.jpg\" alt=\"Aretha Franklin accepts the Vanguard Award onstage during the 39th NAACP Image Awards on February 14, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.\" width=\"800\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-800x563.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-768x541.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-1020x718.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-1200x845.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-1180x831.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-960x676.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-240x169.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-375x264.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-520x366.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aretha Franklin accepts the Vanguard Award onstage during the 39th NAACP Image Awards on February 14, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite>(Jesse Grant/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As I matured, my fascination for the family’s old records would give way to the novelty of compact discs, new jack swing, R&B and neo-soul. But Aretha’s indelible impact couldn’t be erased. I’d find myself craving her voice when modern music failed to take me to the places only Aretha could reach. And as I grew older and aged into love and romance, I discovered new dimensions to her music. The urgency of her plea on “Call Me,” articulating feelings of longing I’d had yet to experience. The eternal truth of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which took on an entirely new meaning once I crossed the threshold into womanhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whenever I thought my adoration for Aretha had diminished, she’d resurface and stir my soul in a way only she could. She’d translate emotions from a pivotal film in my youth, \u003cem>Waiting to Exhale\u003c/em>. She’d collaborate with my then-favorite artist Lauryn Hill on her album \u003cem>A Rose is Still A Rose\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, her presence on the Capitol steps that morning meant that a piece of me was there onstage beside America’s first black president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While other artists from her generation struggled to reinvent themselves and connect with a younger audience, Aretha never wavered from the confidence of her throne. Hers was a gift that required no embellishment or novelty; even when she was called to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBCWLhlJV0Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">duet with a contemporary pop star\u003c/a>, it rarely felt forced. She forged a deep bond with anyone who heard her voice, the power to distill pain, joy and unfiltered soul into every word she sung.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 617px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13839194\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal.jpg\" alt=\"The single for 'It Hurts Like Hell' from the film 'Waiting to Exhale.'\" width=\"617\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal.jpg 617w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-160x153.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-240x230.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-375x359.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-520x498.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The single for ‘It Hurts Like Hell’ from the film ‘Waiting to Exhale.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While I’m undoubtedly a child of the Bay Area, my mother was raised in Detroit. It’s her stories about the makings of Motown (including Barry Gordy’s ill-conceived idea to pass on Aretha in favor of her sister Carol Franklin), and her retelling of how her great aunt watched a young Aretha sing in her father’s church on Sunday mornings, that almost make me feel like Aretha was a part of our family. Her music, her voice, her implicit understanding… she was always \u003cem>there\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, still processing the news of her death, I’m sad—and a little ashamed. For it’s only today that I realize how much I’ve taken the undisputed Queen of Soul for granted. For all the glorious spectrum of emotion she gifted me, I expected even more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let it be told: Aretha gave us more than enough. May she forever remain the moderator of feelings, for young girls and grown women alike, and may her majesty attain immortality.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Trying to recall the first time I heard the voice of Aretha Franklin is like trying to recall when I first noticed the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the time I could crawl across our green shag carpet at our home in Oakland’s Fruitvale District, I can recall rummaging through the dual polished mahogany cabinets in our home that served as a treasure chest for my mother’s LPs and 45s. I’d flip through cardboard sleeves covered with the faces of Teddy, Tina, Isaac, James, Diana and Smokey, an act that would often evoke a \u003cem>“girl, you don’t know nothin’ about this,”\u003c/em> followed by a brief history lesson from by mother and grandmother, culminating in a decadent sampling of music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many names were exalted. But I came to understand that there was only one queen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturday mornings were reserved for her. As I partook in the weekly ritual of morning chores, Aretha’s voice would pour over my soul like warm honey, transforming my pajamas and headscarf into an ornate ball gown and elaborate bouffant. Broom sticks became makeshift mic stands. And, for a few minutes, the voice overpowering the faint crackle of the spinning 45 belonged to me. A child of the ’80s, born to a daughter of Detroit, I demanded R-E-S-P-E-C-T when I was still learning to spell, I was feeling like a natural woman before I hit puberty, and I vowed I’d never be in someone’s chain of fools before I ever went on a date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13839193\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-800x563.jpg\" alt=\"Aretha Franklin accepts the Vanguard Award onstage during the 39th NAACP Image Awards on February 14, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.\" width=\"800\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-800x563.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-768x541.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-1020x718.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-1200x845.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-1180x831.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-960x676.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-240x169.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-375x264.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.Jamedra.Inline-520x366.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aretha Franklin accepts the Vanguard Award onstage during the 39th NAACP Image Awards on February 14, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite>(Jesse Grant/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As I matured, my fascination for the family’s old records would give way to the novelty of compact discs, new jack swing, R&B and neo-soul. But Aretha’s indelible impact couldn’t be erased. I’d find myself craving her voice when modern music failed to take me to the places only Aretha could reach. And as I grew older and aged into love and romance, I discovered new dimensions to her music. The urgency of her plea on “Call Me,” articulating feelings of longing I’d had yet to experience. The eternal truth of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which took on an entirely new meaning once I crossed the threshold into womanhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whenever I thought my adoration for Aretha had diminished, she’d resurface and stir my soul in a way only she could. She’d translate emotions from a pivotal film in my youth, \u003cem>Waiting to Exhale\u003c/em>. She’d collaborate with my then-favorite artist Lauryn Hill on her album \u003cem>A Rose is Still A Rose\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, her presence on the Capitol steps that morning meant that a piece of me was there onstage beside America’s first black president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While other artists from her generation struggled to reinvent themselves and connect with a younger audience, Aretha never wavered from the confidence of her throne. Hers was a gift that required no embellishment or novelty; even when she was called to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBCWLhlJV0Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">duet with a contemporary pop star\u003c/a>, it rarely felt forced. She forged a deep bond with anyone who heard her voice, the power to distill pain, joy and unfiltered soul into every word she sung.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 617px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13839194\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal.jpg\" alt=\"The single for 'It Hurts Like Hell' from the film 'Waiting to Exhale.'\" width=\"617\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal.jpg 617w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-160x153.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-240x230.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-375x359.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-520x498.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Aretha.ItHurts.WaitingExhal-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The single for ‘It Hurts Like Hell’ from the film ‘Waiting to Exhale.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While I’m undoubtedly a child of the Bay Area, my mother was raised in Detroit. It’s her stories about the makings of Motown (including Barry Gordy’s ill-conceived idea to pass on Aretha in favor of her sister Carol Franklin), and her retelling of how her great aunt watched a young Aretha sing in her father’s church on Sunday mornings, that almost make me feel like Aretha was a part of our family. Her music, her voice, her implicit understanding… she was always \u003cem>there\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, still processing the news of her death, I’m sad—and a little ashamed. For it’s only today that I realize how much I’ve taken the undisputed Queen of Soul for granted. For all the glorious spectrum of emotion she gifted me, I expected even more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let it be told: Aretha gave us more than enough. May she forever remain the moderator of feelings, for young girls and grown women alike, and may her majesty attain immortality.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Teaching Technology in East Oakland—A Revolutionary Act",
"headTitle": "Teaching Technology in East Oakland—A Revolutionary Act | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“Y\u003c/span>ou can tell that’s my baby, right?!?!” I overheard LaTalya Parrish say, as I walked into the \u003ca href=\"https://www.degetc.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David E. Glover Center\u003c/a> in East Oakland on the evening of July 25.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sound of a proud mother was music to my ears, especially after the week that had been in Oakland. On top of the heinous killing of Nia Wilson and attempted murder of her sister Lahtifa at MacArthur Bart Station, there had been a number of violent incidents in the community. That’s all coupled with the constant cascade from the Oval Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I needed to hear the sound of LaTalya’s praise; and Hesten, her 13 year-old son, was well deserving of it. Wearing his Sunday best, he sat at the front desk greeting guests with a smile and passing out programs for the open house, during which he was scheduled to speak about coding and creating ways to “hack the system” during the center’s five-week summer program for teens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838404\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838404\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Hesten Parrish gives a presentation at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1920x1283.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-520x348.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hesten Parrish gives a presentation at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You probably don’t need me to tell you that in East Oakland, there aren’t many opportunities for young folks to learn how to code. There’s other programs in Oakland, yes, but few in that part of town. But what you might not know is that Glover Center programs are entirely free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the center’s creative director Olivia Cueva, the Glover Center exists to allow people to “get access to the tools to then design and build things that will actually serve them and our greater community at large.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or, as Cueva later elaborated to me, “For too long, tech in the Bay has been understood to be a white space and a transplant space. What would it mean to actually have a \u003cem>free\u003c/em> technology, design, and maker space that allows Oakland and Bay Area natives to be in charge of what they want to create for their community—and the world?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838403\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838403\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"An attendee of the David E. Glover Center plays with a VR headset.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An attendee of the David E. Glover Center plays with a VR headset. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">W\u003c/span>aiting for Hesten’s speech, I walked around the building where a handful of young folks displayed the gadgets and apps they’d created over the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mobile robot wheeled past my shins in the hallway. A young person wore 3-D goggles, using his hands to play what looked to be virtual tennis. And, in a dimly lit room, I met 13-year-old Michael Slater sitting behind a desk with a “mood light” he’d created using a combination of construction paper, LED lights and wires connecting the light to a computer through an Arduino board, which allowed him to program the lights’ hues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked why he created it. “sometimes I get sad, like when I lose a game of Fortnite or when something bad happens,” Michael said. “This light makes me happy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael’s mother, Abarea Monique Slater, and grandmother, Carrie Banks, were in the room as well; almost cheering the young man on. When asked how she felt about the summer program, Slater said, “Everything else was expensive, and this was right up his alley—he likes robotics!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael’s grandmother struck a more serious tone. “It’s important that he has a broader view of the world,” she added, “because at this age we start losing our boys.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838408\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838408\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-800x535.jpg\" alt='A \"drawbot\" created by 13-year-old Solyana Beyene.' width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “drawbot” created by 13-year-old Solyana Beyene. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In another room full of games and robots, 13-year-old Solyana Beyene kneeled over her creation and explained the process of creating a “Drawbot,” which, as the name implies, is a robot programmed to draw. When loaded with colored pencils and placed on chart paper, the robot spins donuts and leaves overlapping colored circles. Solyana explained that it took a little trial-and-error, but overall the building of it went quickly: “First I just started with a robot, but a robot seemed simple, so I just put some pencils in there, and I made it make a circle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of her instructors, Noah Jones, assisted her in making the pattern into a flower shape, but even that didn’t take too long to master. “I found a few viruses in there, and then I fixed it,” Solyana told me, her family sitting nearby her presentation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then we were ushered into the main room, where Cueva and fellow instructor Tanya Campbell introduced Hesten’s presentation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838402\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838402\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Solyana Beyene answers a question on a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1920x1283.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-520x348.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Solyana Beyene answers a question on a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Standing in front of a laptop projector, Hesten told the crowd about a recent issue he had with a teacher who gave him a grade he felt he didn’t deserve. After earning relatively high marks on his classwork, homework and tests, Hesten received a failing grade in the class, and felt there were some racial biases on the teacher’s part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of getting enraged, Hesten got innovative. He spent a few weeks developing an app that would allow students and parents to readily communicate with teachers, in an effort to create transparency around grading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The app, called Flag The Grade, is geared to serve students from elementary school to high school. When asked if the app is on the market, Hesten replied, “It’s in prototype form, and that’s why I need resources—like money.” The crowd chuckled, but Hesten was serious: he explained that further investment would go toward “a designer, developer, and a new laptop.” (Hesten has reportedly already received $2,000 from the San Francisco Foundation for further research and development.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end, Hesten was met with a thunderous applause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838407\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838407\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Angela Glover Blackwell asks a question during a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angela Glover Blackwell asks a question during a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>wo interactions stuck with me in the Q&A that followed. The first occurred when Joe Brooks, of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, stood and asked what else the young people need, if they could have anything they wanted. Solyana, who noted that she’d recently immigrated to the United States, said she’d request nothing more, happy with the program as it is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second came when PolicyLink founder Angela Glover Blackwell stood and said that her brother—the late David E. Glover, for whom the center was named—would be proud of these young people’s efforts, and then thanked them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those were two subtle but very significant moments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I left wondering if those 12- and 13-year-olds on stage had any idea of who Joe Brooks is, and how he once fought to start a sovereign nation inside of the United States called the Republic of New Africa. I wondered if those teenagers were familiar with Angela Glover Blackwell, and her lifelong work to use public policy to create better outcomes for low-income people and people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838406\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838406\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Thirteen-year-old Michael Slater and his computer-controlled mood light.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thirteen-year-old Michael Slater and his computer-controlled mood light. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s no one’s fault if they’re not. But what the young people are doing isn’t too far removed, if at all, from the work their elders have done; it’s a continuum of the same efforts. And teaching young people to be technology creators instead of consumers is just as revolutionary as fighting to change unjust policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Think about it: in this over-policed and under-resourced neighborhood in the middle of Oakland, a city where the only thing popping up quicker than luxury apartments are tents for the homeless, and where immigrants and black folks alike are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13832886/were-still-here-bbqn-while-black-draws-out-oaklanders-in-force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">increasingly treated\u003c/a> as criminals for simply existing, these young folks were hacking away at a brighter future—even if it’s as simple as creating robots that draw flowers or lights that uplift their spirits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s important in the flatlands of Deep East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A visit to the David E. Glover Center, where young people learn to be tech creators instead of passive consumers.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“Y\u003c/span>ou can tell that’s my baby, right?!?!” I overheard LaTalya Parrish say, as I walked into the \u003ca href=\"https://www.degetc.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David E. Glover Center\u003c/a> in East Oakland on the evening of July 25.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sound of a proud mother was music to my ears, especially after the week that had been in Oakland. On top of the heinous killing of Nia Wilson and attempted murder of her sister Lahtifa at MacArthur Bart Station, there had been a number of violent incidents in the community. That’s all coupled with the constant cascade from the Oval Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I needed to hear the sound of LaTalya’s praise; and Hesten, her 13 year-old son, was well deserving of it. Wearing his Sunday best, he sat at the front desk greeting guests with a smile and passing out programs for the open house, during which he was scheduled to speak about coding and creating ways to “hack the system” during the center’s five-week summer program for teens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838404\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838404\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Hesten Parrish gives a presentation at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1920x1283.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497-520x348.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2497.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hesten Parrish gives a presentation at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You probably don’t need me to tell you that in East Oakland, there aren’t many opportunities for young folks to learn how to code. There’s other programs in Oakland, yes, but few in that part of town. But what you might not know is that Glover Center programs are entirely free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the center’s creative director Olivia Cueva, the Glover Center exists to allow people to “get access to the tools to then design and build things that will actually serve them and our greater community at large.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or, as Cueva later elaborated to me, “For too long, tech in the Bay has been understood to be a white space and a transplant space. What would it mean to actually have a \u003cem>free\u003c/em> technology, design, and maker space that allows Oakland and Bay Area natives to be in charge of what they want to create for their community—and the world?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838403\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838403\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"An attendee of the David E. Glover Center plays with a VR headset.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2471-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An attendee of the David E. Glover Center plays with a VR headset. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">W\u003c/span>aiting for Hesten’s speech, I walked around the building where a handful of young folks displayed the gadgets and apps they’d created over the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mobile robot wheeled past my shins in the hallway. A young person wore 3-D goggles, using his hands to play what looked to be virtual tennis. And, in a dimly lit room, I met 13-year-old Michael Slater sitting behind a desk with a “mood light” he’d created using a combination of construction paper, LED lights and wires connecting the light to a computer through an Arduino board, which allowed him to program the lights’ hues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked why he created it. “sometimes I get sad, like when I lose a game of Fortnite or when something bad happens,” Michael said. “This light makes me happy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael’s mother, Abarea Monique Slater, and grandmother, Carrie Banks, were in the room as well; almost cheering the young man on. When asked how she felt about the summer program, Slater said, “Everything else was expensive, and this was right up his alley—he likes robotics!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael’s grandmother struck a more serious tone. “It’s important that he has a broader view of the world,” she added, “because at this age we start losing our boys.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838408\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838408\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-800x535.jpg\" alt='A \"drawbot\" created by 13-year-old Solyana Beyene.' width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2581-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “drawbot” created by 13-year-old Solyana Beyene. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In another room full of games and robots, 13-year-old Solyana Beyene kneeled over her creation and explained the process of creating a “Drawbot,” which, as the name implies, is a robot programmed to draw. When loaded with colored pencils and placed on chart paper, the robot spins donuts and leaves overlapping colored circles. Solyana explained that it took a little trial-and-error, but overall the building of it went quickly: “First I just started with a robot, but a robot seemed simple, so I just put some pencils in there, and I made it make a circle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of her instructors, Noah Jones, assisted her in making the pattern into a flower shape, but even that didn’t take too long to master. “I found a few viruses in there, and then I fixed it,” Solyana told me, her family sitting nearby her presentation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then we were ushered into the main room, where Cueva and fellow instructor Tanya Campbell introduced Hesten’s presentation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838402\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838402\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Solyana Beyene answers a question on a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1920x1283.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519-520x348.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2519.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Solyana Beyene answers a question on a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Standing in front of a laptop projector, Hesten told the crowd about a recent issue he had with a teacher who gave him a grade he felt he didn’t deserve. After earning relatively high marks on his classwork, homework and tests, Hesten received a failing grade in the class, and felt there were some racial biases on the teacher’s part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of getting enraged, Hesten got innovative. He spent a few weeks developing an app that would allow students and parents to readily communicate with teachers, in an effort to create transparency around grading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The app, called Flag The Grade, is geared to serve students from elementary school to high school. When asked if the app is on the market, Hesten replied, “It’s in prototype form, and that’s why I need resources—like money.” The crowd chuckled, but Hesten was serious: he explained that further investment would go toward “a designer, developer, and a new laptop.” (Hesten has reportedly already received $2,000 from the San Francisco Foundation for further research and development.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end, Hesten was met with a thunderous applause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838407\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838407\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Angela Glover Blackwell asks a question during a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2529-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angela Glover Blackwell asks a question during a panel at the David E. Glover Center, July 25, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>wo interactions stuck with me in the Q&A that followed. The first occurred when Joe Brooks, of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, stood and asked what else the young people need, if they could have anything they wanted. Solyana, who noted that she’d recently immigrated to the United States, said she’d request nothing more, happy with the program as it is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second came when PolicyLink founder Angela Glover Blackwell stood and said that her brother—the late David E. Glover, for whom the center was named—would be proud of these young people’s efforts, and then thanked them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those were two subtle but very significant moments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I left wondering if those 12- and 13-year-olds on stage had any idea of who Joe Brooks is, and how he once fought to start a sovereign nation inside of the United States called the Republic of New Africa. I wondered if those teenagers were familiar with Angela Glover Blackwell, and her lifelong work to use public policy to create better outcomes for low-income people and people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13838406\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13838406\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Thirteen-year-old Michael Slater and his computer-controlled mood light.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-1180x789.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-960x642.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-375x251.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/LRG-DSC2464-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thirteen-year-old Michael Slater and his computer-controlled mood light. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s no one’s fault if they’re not. But what the young people are doing isn’t too far removed, if at all, from the work their elders have done; it’s a continuum of the same efforts. And teaching young people to be technology creators instead of consumers is just as revolutionary as fighting to change unjust policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Think about it: in this over-policed and under-resourced neighborhood in the middle of Oakland, a city where the only thing popping up quicker than luxury apartments are tents for the homeless, and where immigrants and black folks alike are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13832886/were-still-here-bbqn-while-black-draws-out-oaklanders-in-force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">increasingly treated\u003c/a> as criminals for simply existing, these young folks were hacking away at a brighter future—even if it’s as simple as creating robots that draw flowers or lights that uplift their spirits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s important in the flatlands of Deep East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13832886/were-still-here-bbqn-while-black-draws-out-oaklanders-in-force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BBQ’n While Black\u003c/a>” protest. Marshawn Lynch’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13836150/the-power-of-taking-up-space-at-marshawn-lynchs-oakland-rideout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">community bike ride\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13828811/in-the-field-with-east-oakland-collective-a-grassroots-group-aiding-the-homeless\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The East Oakland Collective\u003c/a>‘s grassroots efforts to help the homeless. What do these things have in common? Regular readers of Pendarvis Harshaw’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">KQED Arts column\u003c/a> will know that these are examples of Oakland’s African-American community’s resilience in the face of gentrification and displacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ve likely heard stories of friends and neighbors leaving The Town for cities with cheaper rents, like Antioch and Sacramento. You’ve probably noticed that homeless encampments in Oakland have grown substantially in the past few years, and that there are a lot more unsheltered people on Oakland’s streets. And you’ve seen the viral videos of the white woman who called the cops on a black family having a barbecue at Lake Merritt (prompting “BBQ’n While Black”); or the white man who \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Charges-filed-against-Oakland-s-Jogger-12991999.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threw a homeless man’s belongings\u003c/a> into the same lake; or read about white residents \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Black-firefighter-on-inspection-duty-in-Oakland-13021084.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">calling the police on black firefighters\u003c/a> doing their jobs in the Oakland hills—the list goes on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent conversation on Facebook Live, Harshaw and I took a look at some of the statistics that tell us how much Oakland has actually changed in the past 15 years, as well as the human stories and anecdotes behind the numbers. How has Oakland’s culture shifted as its black population, which in 1980 made up 48 percent of the city’s total population, now hovers around 24 percent? What legislation has made low-income renters vulnerable to eviction and accelerated the homelessness crisis? What are Oakland natives, and black Oaklanders especially, doing to fight cultural erasure?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watch below as we investigate these questions, and keep up with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harshaw’s column\u003c/a> as he continues to explore the issues facing his hometown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKQED%2Fvideos%2F10155318032461191%2F&show_text=0&width=560\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13832886/were-still-here-bbqn-while-black-draws-out-oaklanders-in-force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BBQ’n While Black\u003c/a>” protest. Marshawn Lynch’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13836150/the-power-of-taking-up-space-at-marshawn-lynchs-oakland-rideout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">community bike ride\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13828811/in-the-field-with-east-oakland-collective-a-grassroots-group-aiding-the-homeless\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The East Oakland Collective\u003c/a>‘s grassroots efforts to help the homeless. What do these things have in common? Regular readers of Pendarvis Harshaw’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">KQED Arts column\u003c/a> will know that these are examples of Oakland’s African-American community’s resilience in the face of gentrification and displacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ve likely heard stories of friends and neighbors leaving The Town for cities with cheaper rents, like Antioch and Sacramento. You’ve probably noticed that homeless encampments in Oakland have grown substantially in the past few years, and that there are a lot more unsheltered people on Oakland’s streets. And you’ve seen the viral videos of the white woman who called the cops on a black family having a barbecue at Lake Merritt (prompting “BBQ’n While Black”); or the white man who \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Charges-filed-against-Oakland-s-Jogger-12991999.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threw a homeless man’s belongings\u003c/a> into the same lake; or read about white residents \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Black-firefighter-on-inspection-duty-in-Oakland-13021084.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">calling the police on black firefighters\u003c/a> doing their jobs in the Oakland hills—the list goes on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent conversation on Facebook Live, Harshaw and I took a look at some of the statistics that tell us how much Oakland has actually changed in the past 15 years, as well as the human stories and anecdotes behind the numbers. How has Oakland’s culture shifted as its black population, which in 1980 made up 48 percent of the city’s total population, now hovers around 24 percent? What legislation has made low-income renters vulnerable to eviction and accelerated the homelessness crisis? What are Oakland natives, and black Oaklanders especially, doing to fight cultural erasure?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watch below as we investigate these questions, and keep up with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harshaw’s column\u003c/a> as he continues to explore the issues facing his hometown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKQED%2Fvideos%2F10155318032461191%2F&show_text=0&width=560\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "nia-wilson-and-the-war-on-black-women",
"title": "Nia Wilson and the War on Black Women",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">N\u003c/span>ia Wilson and her sister Lahtifa did everything right. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time—the United States of America in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They paid their BART fare. They traveled together. They stayed in a well-lit part of the MacArthur BART station in Oakland at a reasonable hour on a Sunday night. And they were still attacked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As one police official put it, Nia was killed “prison style,” a knife through her neck. Her killer also stabbed her sister. Lahtifa lived. Nia didn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first report broke late Sunday evening, with the story widely circulated by the Monday work hours, leading the week’s news cycle. The headline “Two Young Women Stabbed” appeared beside stories of Donald Trump’s Twitter tirade against Iran and R. Kelly’s 19-minute song, in which he apparently admits what we all know he’s been doing to young women. I couldn’t listen to it. When there’s a war on black women, why would I want to listen to the enemy?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837836\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In spite of it all, photos of Nia and support for the Wilson family dominated national social media. Questions arose as to when BART would release surveillance footage or photos of the suspect, including from Oakland’s own Kehlani. As soon as BART officials published a photo of the suspected assailant, John Lee Cowell, his history surfaced: a restraining order filed against him by employees at a Richmond medical facility, a record for a robbery charge, a mention of a recent run-in with BART police. He showed a pattern of being a lewd, erratic person; someone you’d expect to commit an atrocity like this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, Nia and Lahtifa didn’t expect it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe they were expecting to be safe on BART. What with all its money from the uptick in ridership and recent bond measures, its security guards and promises to replace fake decoy cameras, it should be safe to ride, right? Never mind the fact that BART had had \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Teen-s-slaying-may-have-been-BART-s-third-in-13097963.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">two other unreported homicides\u003c/a> within the past week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nia and Lahtifa were probably thinking like the majority of people walking the streets of America: if you do everything right, you’ll be safe. America, with all its laws and regulations and anti-terrorism propaganda, \u003cem>should\u003c/em> be safe—regardless of it still being America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13837839\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia.jpg\" alt=\"Nia Wilson.\" width=\"600\" height=\"784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-160x209.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-240x314.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-375x490.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-520x679.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nia Wilson.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“S\u003c/span>till being America,” you know: a place where a white guy could “randomly” stab two black women on public transportation, and not only walk away from the scene of the crime, but get back on that same form of public transportation the next day. Then, be identified not by BART officials but by an anonymous tipster. Which then allowed the police to calmly arrest him, a domestic terrorist, with no conflict or force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahhhh, America. You show your true colors all too often, especially to black women.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13837740/sayhername-10-illustrated-tributes-to-nia-wilson-lighting-up-social-media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#SayHerName: 10 Illustrated Tributes to Nia Wilson Lighting Up Social Media\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11684939/nia-wilsons-purpose-oakland-buries-a-daughter-and-demands-justice-in-her-name\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nia Wilson’s Purpose: Oakland Buries a Daughter and Demands Justice in Her Name\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>We’ve got to be honest with ourselves and realize that an unprovoked stabbing of two black women on a public transit platform by a white man isn’t just “random.” It’s a byproduct of our society, America 2018—and every year since Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These sorts of attacks, which often go unreported, are in addition to the daily injustices black women face. You know, like how according to census figures, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/black-women-become-most-educated-group-in-us-a7063361.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">higher percentage of black women are enrolled in college\u003c/a> than any other group in America, but suffer \u003ca href=\"https://www.infoplease.com/us/wage-gap/wage-gap-gender-and-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">payment discrepancies\u003c/a>, earning 64 cents for every dollar a white man earns for the same amount of work. How black women have the highest \u003ca href=\"http://www.laist.com/2018/06/21/black_babies_die_at_twice_the_rate.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">infant mortality rates\u003c/a>, which is tied to high rates of \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/black-women-disproportionately-suffer-complications-of-pregnancy-and-childbirth-lets-talk-about-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">maternal mortality rates\u003c/a> for black women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837837\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837837\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Along with health issues, like heart disease, stroke and diabetes, diseases related to stress are killing black women at an \u003ca href=\"https://www.self.com/story/black-women-health-conditions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">alarming rate\u003c/a>—stress often due to racism and sexism. And while homicides among women of all demographics are over 50 percent likely to be the product of their romantic/former romantic partner, black women die at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/homicides-women/534306/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">higher rate\u003c/a> than any other group when it comes to domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wilson sisters were just two of the many casualties in the war on black women. Many other women read their story and now walk down the street in a deeper fear than before. And yet they continue to walk down the street, to catch the train, to pursue happiness, in spite of the world we live in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837838\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">Y\u003c/span>es, there are individuals and organizations who work to make this place more just for women of all backgrounds. Locally, groups like \u003ca href=\"http://misssey.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Misssey\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.cceb.org/claires-house/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Claire’s House\u003c/a> have done and will continue to do that work. In response to this case in particular, activist and organizer \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/brownblaze/status/1021500677246398464\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ashley Yates launched a GoFundMe\u003c/a> to “purchase self-defense items such as tasers, pepper spray and attention-getting devices for Black women/femmes and queer persons in Oakland and the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s not solely women’s job to remedy this war. It’d be asinine to think so. The onus is on us, the men. And I’m not just talking about the ones who commit the heinous acts, but the men who let stuff slide. The men who don’t call out misogynistic behavior in their friends. The men who knowingly benefit from a male-dominated society, and quietly go along with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837835\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837835\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even myself, a man with a platform, who all too often uses it to tell a man’s point of view. It’s my job to lift the voices of the many African-American girls and women who attended a vigil for Nia on Monday afternoon. It’s my job to make sure the photos of the faces, the solemn expressions, the heartbroken children, concerned mothers, and angry community members are amplified. It’s my job to tell the world that these are people who said prayers, and then wiped their tears, balled their fists and punched the sky as they marched to where a group of white supremacists had planned to meet, letting them know we won’t stand for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The black community of Oakland is beautiful in that way. Even with our flaws and infighting, and in a city where sex trafficking and violence against women has been prevalent for decades, what we won’t let happen is a malicious attack from outsiders. I’m amazed by my community rising to call when moved to do so; such a group of resilient, artistic, spiritual, hardworking folks. People didn’t leave their anger behind social media posts this time around. They showed up at MacArthur BART and made their presence felt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m proud to call this home. Maybe why we fight so hard is to ensure this will remain home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">N\u003c/span>ia Wilson and her sister Lahtifa did everything right. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time—the United States of America in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They paid their BART fare. They traveled together. They stayed in a well-lit part of the MacArthur BART station in Oakland at a reasonable hour on a Sunday night. And they were still attacked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As one police official put it, Nia was killed “prison style,” a knife through her neck. Her killer also stabbed her sister. Lahtifa lived. Nia didn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first report broke late Sunday evening, with the story widely circulated by the Monday work hours, leading the week’s news cycle. The headline “Two Young Women Stabbed” appeared beside stories of Donald Trump’s Twitter tirade against Iran and R. Kelly’s 19-minute song, in which he apparently admits what we all know he’s been doing to young women. I couldn’t listen to it. When there’s a war on black women, why would I want to listen to the enemy?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837836\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9449-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In spite of it all, photos of Nia and support for the Wilson family dominated national social media. Questions arose as to when BART would release surveillance footage or photos of the suspect, including from Oakland’s own Kehlani. As soon as BART officials published a photo of the suspected assailant, John Lee Cowell, his history surfaced: a restraining order filed against him by employees at a Richmond medical facility, a record for a robbery charge, a mention of a recent run-in with BART police. He showed a pattern of being a lewd, erratic person; someone you’d expect to commit an atrocity like this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, Nia and Lahtifa didn’t expect it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe they were expecting to be safe on BART. What with all its money from the uptick in ridership and recent bond measures, its security guards and promises to replace fake decoy cameras, it should be safe to ride, right? Never mind the fact that BART had had \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Teen-s-slaying-may-have-been-BART-s-third-in-13097963.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">two other unreported homicides\u003c/a> within the past week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nia and Lahtifa were probably thinking like the majority of people walking the streets of America: if you do everything right, you’ll be safe. America, with all its laws and regulations and anti-terrorism propaganda, \u003cem>should\u003c/em> be safe—regardless of it still being America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13837839\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia.jpg\" alt=\"Nia Wilson.\" width=\"600\" height=\"784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-160x209.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-240x314.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-375x490.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/Nia-520x679.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nia Wilson.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“S\u003c/span>till being America,” you know: a place where a white guy could “randomly” stab two black women on public transportation, and not only walk away from the scene of the crime, but get back on that same form of public transportation the next day. Then, be identified not by BART officials but by an anonymous tipster. Which then allowed the police to calmly arrest him, a domestic terrorist, with no conflict or force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahhhh, America. You show your true colors all too often, especially to black women.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13837740/sayhername-10-illustrated-tributes-to-nia-wilson-lighting-up-social-media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#SayHerName: 10 Illustrated Tributes to Nia Wilson Lighting Up Social Media\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11684939/nia-wilsons-purpose-oakland-buries-a-daughter-and-demands-justice-in-her-name\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nia Wilson’s Purpose: Oakland Buries a Daughter and Demands Justice in Her Name\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>We’ve got to be honest with ourselves and realize that an unprovoked stabbing of two black women on a public transit platform by a white man isn’t just “random.” It’s a byproduct of our society, America 2018—and every year since Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These sorts of attacks, which often go unreported, are in addition to the daily injustices black women face. You know, like how according to census figures, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/black-women-become-most-educated-group-in-us-a7063361.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">higher percentage of black women are enrolled in college\u003c/a> than any other group in America, but suffer \u003ca href=\"https://www.infoplease.com/us/wage-gap/wage-gap-gender-and-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">payment discrepancies\u003c/a>, earning 64 cents for every dollar a white man earns for the same amount of work. How black women have the highest \u003ca href=\"http://www.laist.com/2018/06/21/black_babies_die_at_twice_the_rate.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">infant mortality rates\u003c/a>, which is tied to high rates of \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/black-women-disproportionately-suffer-complications-of-pregnancy-and-childbirth-lets-talk-about-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">maternal mortality rates\u003c/a> for black women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837837\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837837\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9492-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Along with health issues, like heart disease, stroke and diabetes, diseases related to stress are killing black women at an \u003ca href=\"https://www.self.com/story/black-women-health-conditions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">alarming rate\u003c/a>—stress often due to racism and sexism. And while homicides among women of all demographics are over 50 percent likely to be the product of their romantic/former romantic partner, black women die at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/homicides-women/534306/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">higher rate\u003c/a> than any other group when it comes to domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wilson sisters were just two of the many casualties in the war on black women. Many other women read their story and now walk down the street in a deeper fear than before. And yet they continue to walk down the street, to catch the train, to pursue happiness, in spite of the world we live in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837838\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9553-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">Y\u003c/span>es, there are individuals and organizations who work to make this place more just for women of all backgrounds. Locally, groups like \u003ca href=\"http://misssey.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Misssey\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.cceb.org/claires-house/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Claire’s House\u003c/a> have done and will continue to do that work. In response to this case in particular, activist and organizer \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/brownblaze/status/1021500677246398464\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ashley Yates launched a GoFundMe\u003c/a> to “purchase self-defense items such as tasers, pepper spray and attention-getting devices for Black women/femmes and queer persons in Oakland and the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s not solely women’s job to remedy this war. It’d be asinine to think so. The onus is on us, the men. And I’m not just talking about the ones who commit the heinous acts, but the men who let stuff slide. The men who don’t call out misogynistic behavior in their friends. The men who knowingly benefit from a male-dominated society, and quietly go along with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837835\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837835\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_9359-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People attend a vigil for Nia Wilson at MacArthur BART in Oakland, July 23, 2018. \u003ccite>(Aaron Jamison (IG: @heru32))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even myself, a man with a platform, who all too often uses it to tell a man’s point of view. It’s my job to lift the voices of the many African-American girls and women who attended a vigil for Nia on Monday afternoon. It’s my job to make sure the photos of the faces, the solemn expressions, the heartbroken children, concerned mothers, and angry community members are amplified. It’s my job to tell the world that these are people who said prayers, and then wiped their tears, balled their fists and punched the sky as they marched to where a group of white supremacists had planned to meet, letting them know we won’t stand for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The black community of Oakland is beautiful in that way. Even with our flaws and infighting, and in a city where sex trafficking and violence against women has been prevalent for decades, what we won’t let happen is a malicious attack from outsiders. I’m amazed by my community rising to call when moved to do so; such a group of resilient, artistic, spiritual, hardworking folks. People didn’t leave their anger behind social media posts this time around. They showed up at MacArthur BART and made their presence felt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m proud to call this home. Maybe why we fight so hard is to ensure this will remain home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-art-of-the-game-the-aesthetics-of-world-cup-soccer-in-san-francisco",
"title": "The Art of the Game: the Aesthetics of World Cup Soccer in San Francisco",
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"headTitle": "The Art of the Game: the Aesthetics of World Cup Soccer in San Francisco | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Even if you don’t watch soccer, you’ve probably heard it referred to at some point as “the beautiful game.” While the exact origin of the phrase is in some dispute (like “beatnik,” there are a few claimants), it’s become one of the default phrases employed to describe the sport as a whole. And while beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, one need only watch a replay of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLa9wP-BVzQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first goal scored\u003c/a> in the England-Croatia World Cup semifinal match by English defender Kieran Trippier—a swooping arc flying first over the heads of Croatia’s defensive “wall,” then soaring above goalkeeper Danijel Subašić to smash into the back of the net—to get a sense of the game’s \u003cem>potential\u003c/em> for beautiful moments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, there’s so much potential for beauty in soccer, especially at the World Cup level, that it can move an arts journalist such as myself to spend the better part of a month lurking in dark bars at 7am. As the games have progressed from knockout rounds, to the final sixteen, the final eight, the quarterfinals, and the best of the best (or sometimes just the luckiest) inching their way to this weekend’s finals, I find I can hardly resist the very theatre-like qualities of the World Cup and, particularly in large outdoor public screenings, its fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836997\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836997\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Warren Jackson roots for England at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Warren Jackson roots for England at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Soccer has so much happening that it could be said to encompass a wide variety of art forms within its sweaty bosom. The almost balletic precision of Spain’s “tiki-taka” passing game as contrasted with the spontaneous improv of a lucky header such as that of Belgium’s Jan Vertonghen against Japan, a literal long shot turned unexpected goal. The physical beauty of athletic bodies in motion, without giant helmets or baggy trousers to mar the view. The high drama of high stakes leading to shoving matches and shouted epithets on the pitch (to say nothing of the stands), some inspired by fresh insults, some by deep-seated rivalries stretching back generations. The low humor of a ball planted squarely in England defender Kyle Walker’s \u003cem>bollocks\u003c/em> and the unabashed emotion on the faces of the Croatian team after cementing their winning goal in the 109th minute of play, particularly \u003ca href=\"https://petapixel.com/2018/07/12/photographer-gets-dog-piled-at-world-cup-and-keeps-on-shooting/\">as captured by Salvadoran photojournalist Yuri Cortez\u003c/a>, who was buried in the middle of their celebratory dogpile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836996\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836996\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At Sue Bierman Park, a grassy knoll sandwiched between Drumm and the Embarcadero, a crowd gathered Wednesday to watch an outdoor screening of the World Cup semi-final match between England and Croatia, a courtesy provided by San Francisco Parks and Recreation (the final will be screened at the Civic Center on Sunday, July 15). Unlike many of the bars that show World Cup games in San Francisco, these outdoor screenings have a way of drawing supporters of both teams, and yet none (that I’ve been to) have had any serious altercations. We are civil “football” fans in SF, it seems, but that doesn’t stop the pageantry, people wrapped in flags, facepaint, team colors, or the palpable tension and anticipation that rises with each unpredictable twist in plot. Folks from all walks of life come to represent and be represented. For them, as well as for the players looming on the giant screen above us, a World Cup soccer game can be emotionally challenging, physically demanding, and potentially transcendent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837003\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837003\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Although at first glance, and second count, supporters of England appeared to outnumber those of Croatia at the screening, as the game progressed and Croatia’s chances improved, those few appeared to swell in number, or at least in appreciative vocalization. And while it might be inappropriate to make such sounds at a particularly stirring Symphony performance, it would certainly not be out of place after a beautifully improvised jazz solo or a fan favorite rock anthem played third on the set list at the Independent. The groans and “come ooooooon”’s of fan frustration might just as easily (though not as publicly) come out of a stage-builder’s mouth at a wayward flat or a misplaced drill bit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And what other high-stakes sporting event in San Francisco could bring groups of friends (such as SF Hibernian teammates Carly Andler and Bethany Barker, supporting Croatia and England respectively), and even families (such as that of the Takhars, England supporters, save for grandmother Dori Jafarieh, holding out for Croatia), out in force to sit together while supporting different teams, yet still maintain conviviality and an appreciation not just for results, but for the experience of the game as performance?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836986\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Dori Jafarieh attends the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party with her grandson Rohan Takhar on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dori Jafarieh attends the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party with her grandson Rohan Takhar on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>England-born Napa resident Nicky Robert might have come out ostensibly to support Gareth Southgate’s scrappy underdogs, but really, she was just glad for a day in the sun watching them go as far as they could in enthusiastic company. As for Croatian-born Ivana Zubonja however, nothing but a Croatian win would do. Her pride for her team radiated from her checkerboard jersey, and her cheers could be heard from halfway across the park when they equalized. And do any of them find beauty in the “beautiful game”? Not everyone seemed too sure about that, but England supporter Paul Griffith, “old enough to remember when the phrase applied to the Brazilian attacking game,” certainly did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know it’s really physics, and all that. But watching the ball curve (into the goal) seems magical.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836992\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And what a performance it was. With England up a point the entire first half, it felt like Croatia was having to chip away at their strength with Sisyphean struggle, one step forward, two steps back. But their practiced slog yielded the intended result in the 68th minute, as Croatian Ivan Perišić landed a controversial goal that fired up not just the patient Croatian supporters at Sue Bierman park, but the National team, who seemed in the moment to shake off any lingering dejection to dominate the rest of the game. England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford often seeming like the only player really standing between Croatia and the ball, as England’s defense appeared uncertain how to stop Croatia from shooting at a goal—save for that aforementioned Kyle Walker bollock-block, a sacrifice soon forgotten as Mario Mandžukić drove in a second goal for Croatia three minutes later at the 109th minute of play. A moment that seems to burden the English team with an extra 10 years’ worth of haggard lines (though the younger team by far), just as it washed the fraught exhaustion from Croatia’s faces as they mobbed each other, and Yuri Gomez, in their beatific joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837006\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837006\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Ivana Zubonja, Julia Wu and friends celebrate Croatia's win at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ivana Zubonja, Julia Wu and friends celebrate Croatia’s win at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And then, like any performance, it was over. And the assembled audience, with all of our assorted reasons for being there, fair-weather fans and diehard supporters alike, rose almost as one, and began to file out of the outdoor theater of the park. Back to home or offices or Napa or whatever other obligations awaited our afternoon. On my way out, I ran into Ivana Zubonja and her friends again, and we exchanged high fives. “See you at the final,” she confirmed, as we dispersed our separate ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Definitely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Catch the public screening of the World Cup final at the Civic Center on Sunday, July 15, at 8am. \u003ca href=\"https://www.worldcupsf.com/\">Details here.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "The Art of the Game: the Aesthetics of World Cup Soccer in San Francisco | KQED",
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"headline": "The Art of the Game: the Aesthetics of World Cup Soccer in San Francisco",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Even if you don’t watch soccer, you’ve probably heard it referred to at some point as “the beautiful game.” While the exact origin of the phrase is in some dispute (like “beatnik,” there are a few claimants), it’s become one of the default phrases employed to describe the sport as a whole. And while beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, one need only watch a replay of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLa9wP-BVzQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first goal scored\u003c/a> in the England-Croatia World Cup semifinal match by English defender Kieran Trippier—a swooping arc flying first over the heads of Croatia’s defensive “wall,” then soaring above goalkeeper Danijel Subašić to smash into the back of the net—to get a sense of the game’s \u003cem>potential\u003c/em> for beautiful moments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, there’s so much potential for beauty in soccer, especially at the World Cup level, that it can move an arts journalist such as myself to spend the better part of a month lurking in dark bars at 7am. As the games have progressed from knockout rounds, to the final sixteen, the final eight, the quarterfinals, and the best of the best (or sometimes just the luckiest) inching their way to this weekend’s finals, I find I can hardly resist the very theatre-like qualities of the World Cup and, particularly in large outdoor public screenings, its fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836997\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836997\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Warren Jackson roots for England at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8531-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Warren Jackson roots for England at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Soccer has so much happening that it could be said to encompass a wide variety of art forms within its sweaty bosom. The almost balletic precision of Spain’s “tiki-taka” passing game as contrasted with the spontaneous improv of a lucky header such as that of Belgium’s Jan Vertonghen against Japan, a literal long shot turned unexpected goal. The physical beauty of athletic bodies in motion, without giant helmets or baggy trousers to mar the view. The high drama of high stakes leading to shoving matches and shouted epithets on the pitch (to say nothing of the stands), some inspired by fresh insults, some by deep-seated rivalries stretching back generations. The low humor of a ball planted squarely in England defender Kyle Walker’s \u003cem>bollocks\u003c/em> and the unabashed emotion on the faces of the Croatian team after cementing their winning goal in the 109th minute of play, particularly \u003ca href=\"https://petapixel.com/2018/07/12/photographer-gets-dog-piled-at-world-cup-and-keeps-on-shooting/\">as captured by Salvadoran photojournalist Yuri Cortez\u003c/a>, who was buried in the middle of their celebratory dogpile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836996\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836996\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8528-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At Sue Bierman Park, a grassy knoll sandwiched between Drumm and the Embarcadero, a crowd gathered Wednesday to watch an outdoor screening of the World Cup semi-final match between England and Croatia, a courtesy provided by San Francisco Parks and Recreation (the final will be screened at the Civic Center on Sunday, July 15). Unlike many of the bars that show World Cup games in San Francisco, these outdoor screenings have a way of drawing supporters of both teams, and yet none (that I’ve been to) have had any serious altercations. We are civil “football” fans in SF, it seems, but that doesn’t stop the pageantry, people wrapped in flags, facepaint, team colors, or the palpable tension and anticipation that rises with each unpredictable twist in plot. Folks from all walks of life come to represent and be represented. For them, as well as for the players looming on the giant screen above us, a World Cup soccer game can be emotionally challenging, physically demanding, and potentially transcendent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837003\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837003\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8558-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Although at first glance, and second count, supporters of England appeared to outnumber those of Croatia at the screening, as the game progressed and Croatia’s chances improved, those few appeared to swell in number, or at least in appreciative vocalization. And while it might be inappropriate to make such sounds at a particularly stirring Symphony performance, it would certainly not be out of place after a beautifully improvised jazz solo or a fan favorite rock anthem played third on the set list at the Independent. The groans and “come ooooooon”’s of fan frustration might just as easily (though not as publicly) come out of a stage-builder’s mouth at a wayward flat or a misplaced drill bit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And what other high-stakes sporting event in San Francisco could bring groups of friends (such as SF Hibernian teammates Carly Andler and Bethany Barker, supporting Croatia and England respectively), and even families (such as that of the Takhars, England supporters, save for grandmother Dori Jafarieh, holding out for Croatia), out in force to sit together while supporting different teams, yet still maintain conviviality and an appreciation not just for results, but for the experience of the game as performance?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836986\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Dori Jafarieh attends the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party with her grandson Rohan Takhar on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8483-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dori Jafarieh attends the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party with her grandson Rohan Takhar on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>England-born Napa resident Nicky Robert might have come out ostensibly to support Gareth Southgate’s scrappy underdogs, but really, she was just glad for a day in the sun watching them go as far as they could in enthusiastic company. As for Croatian-born Ivana Zubonja however, nothing but a Croatian win would do. Her pride for her team radiated from her checkerboard jersey, and her cheers could be heard from halfway across the park when they equalized. And do any of them find beauty in the “beautiful game”? Not everyone seemed too sure about that, but England supporter Paul Griffith, “old enough to remember when the phrase applied to the Brazilian attacking game,” certainly did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know it’s really physics, and all that. But watching the ball curve (into the goal) seems magical.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836992\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8504-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And what a performance it was. With England up a point the entire first half, it felt like Croatia was having to chip away at their strength with Sisyphean struggle, one step forward, two steps back. But their practiced slog yielded the intended result in the 68th minute, as Croatian Ivan Perišić landed a controversial goal that fired up not just the patient Croatian supporters at Sue Bierman park, but the National team, who seemed in the moment to shake off any lingering dejection to dominate the rest of the game. England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford often seeming like the only player really standing between Croatia and the ball, as England’s defense appeared uncertain how to stop Croatia from shooting at a goal—save for that aforementioned Kyle Walker bollock-block, a sacrifice soon forgotten as Mario Mandžukić drove in a second goal for Croatia three minutes later at the 109th minute of play. A moment that seems to burden the English team with an extra 10 years’ worth of haggard lines (though the younger team by far), just as it washed the fraught exhaustion from Croatia’s faces as they mobbed each other, and Yuri Gomez, in their beatific joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13837006\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13837006\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Ivana Zubonja, Julia Wu and friends celebrate Croatia's win at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/IMG_8570-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ivana Zubonja, Julia Wu and friends celebrate Croatia’s win at the World Cup Semi-final Viewing Party on Wednesday, July 11 at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And then, like any performance, it was over. And the assembled audience, with all of our assorted reasons for being there, fair-weather fans and diehard supporters alike, rose almost as one, and began to file out of the outdoor theater of the park. Back to home or offices or Napa or whatever other obligations awaited our afternoon. On my way out, I ran into Ivana Zubonja and her friends again, and we exchanged high fives. “See you at the final,” she confirmed, as we dispersed our separate ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Definitely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Catch the public screening of the World Cup final at the Civic Center on Sunday, July 15, at 8am. \u003ca href=\"https://www.worldcupsf.com/\">Details here.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "The Power of Taking Up Space: Marshawn Lynch's Oakland Rideout",
"headTitle": "The Power of Taking Up Space: Marshawn Lynch’s Oakland Rideout | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> wasn’t sure what to expect when I rode up on my 21-speed to the Beastmode store in downtown Oakland, my daughter sitting comfy in the child seat attached to the back of my bike. Even though it was past her nap time, I figured we’d just see what all the commotion was about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, I only saw 25-35 other people on bikes gathered on Broadway in front of the store, awaiting the start of Oakland Rideout 2, the second city-wide ride hosted by NFL players Marshawn Lynch and Josh Johnson. But then I pushed past the first cadre of cyclists, peeked around the corner at 10th Street toward Washington Street, and boom: a massive fleet of cyclists and scooter riders. \u003cem>Hundreds\u003c/em> of them. All waiting on the start of the ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Rideout is just that: a bike ride. It’s not a protest, or a demonstration. But in a year when people of color have had the police called on them for \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh9D_PUe7QI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BBQing\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11676866/permit-patty-goes-viral-after-threatening-to-call-cops-on-girl-selling-water-in-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">selling water\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/us/oakland-black-firefighter-bias.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">being a firefighter\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/us/airbnb-black-women-police.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">checking out of an Airbnb\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2018/05/11-more-things-you-cannot-do-while-black-starbucks-nordstrom-rack-1/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sleeping in their own dorm\u003c/a>—the \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/living-while-black-viral-videos-raise-concerns-about-everyday-racial-profiling/2018/05/29/d4bd630a-5b74-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1346554b7279\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">list goes on\u003c/a>—simply \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13832886/were-still-here-bbqn-while-black-draws-out-oaklanders-in-force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">taking up space and celebrating together\u003c/a> is an act of liberation in itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yeah, there were big names involved. Along with Marshawn Lynch, the ride involved a handful of pro BMX riders, SE Bikes, and even a business sponsor (Lime, which manages those green bikes around town).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But really, the ride was about the young people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836228\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836228\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">W\u003c/span>hile waiting for the ride to start, one young brother rode in my direction, standing with one foot on his seat and the other on his handlebars, as he “surfed” his bike past the “For Lease” sign at the base of a newly constructed building full of overpriced apartments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moments later, NFL star Marshawn Lynch, Beastmode himself, pulled up and hopped out of the passenger seat of what looked to be a late-’90s–early-2000s four-door Honda Civic; “an under bucket” would probably be the best local colloquialism I’d use to describe the vehicle. A crowd of teenagers flocked around him as he and his cousin, NFL Quarterback Josh Johnson, prepared to ride out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A couple minutes after noon, the platoon took to the streets; I fell inline. First commandeering Broadway, headed north to 11th street, where we made a right and headed east. We went through the tunnel by the museum and around the southern fringe of Lake Merritt, before banging a right on \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-Renames-East-14th-Street-It-ll-be-2983004.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">East 14th Street\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836226\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The first neighborhood we hit is commonly referred to as Funktown. There, Asian storeowners and residents stood curbside, cameras in hand as they recorded the stream of what had easily grown to over 1,000 cyclists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All shades of black, brown and white people were in motion through East Oakland—mostly boys and men, but plenty of women scattered in the pack too. All ages, too: I saw some artists who are OGs in the graffiti world, and cheered on the push of an elementary-aged kid as he rode a bike that looked like its training wheels had just been taken off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the while, my daughter was comfy in her seat, waving at people; she didn’t appear to be thinking about that nap, and probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep through the music anyway. There were people with Bluetooth speakers, a couple folks with three-wheel bikes allowing them to carry larger speakers, and even one guy who had a studio monitor-sized speaker strapped to his back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836227\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These mobile sound systems blasted well-known hits from local artists, folks like Mac Dre, Kamaiyah and ALLBLACK, and the people on the streets couldn’t help but watch in amazement. The young black sister on the corner with the short skirt and tall heels who smiled as we passed. The older Latino brother in the 10-gallon hat who waved as he stepped outside of the Iglesia. The little Filipino kids on their apartment stairs who pointed in awe as the fleet flew by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This procession might sound chaotic, but it wasn’t. The professional BMX riders and others working the event paused at each intersection to make sure traffic didn’t cross our path. They were also vocal toward the cyclists, demanding we all stay to the right, so as to not block oncoming traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We dodged potholes and kept pedaling as we came around the corner near Rainbow Recreational Center, where the scene was parade-like. People stood on their porches cheering for us and asking us where we were going. We traveled up Seminary, in the direction of where a man had been killed on the Friday night prior to the ride, but turned a left on Foothill before reaching the crime scene. Some people cut through the parking lot of the newly constructed Seminary Point shopping center, hitting wheelies and doing bunny hops over the curbs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-1180x788.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-960x641.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We biked through the smell of weed being smoked and BBQ grills getting lit. We passed the Muslim Brothers in suits in front of the mosque, past Fremont High, then past the Mac Dre mural and the “We Buy Ugly Homes” advertisement. People in cars stuck their arms out the window for high-fives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We eventually ended up at San Antonio Park for our first real rest. It was enough time for my daughter to have a snack, run through the grass and play on the swings. (Nap? What nap?) An impromptu bike sideshow started in the middle of the street, as someone on a dirt bike swang donuts and people gathered around to watch; Marshawn and Josh included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the smokers got their tokes and the sippers wet their lips, people were back on the road: Lake Merritt bound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836225\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836225\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>s we descended on the Lakeshore side of Lake Merritt, I thought about all that’s transpired in that area over the past few weeks: the stories of “BBQ Becky” and “Jogger Joe,” and how those cases were largely about power, privilege and policing the lives of people of color. Even the story from a day prior to the bike ride, across the Bay, where a white woman called the police on a little black girl for selling water—the “Permit Patty” incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether it’s the selling of water, sleeping in a makeshift dwelling or preparing food with family, these stories are about people of color simply existing, and people with perceived power policing their existence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836224\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13836224\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-1020x1528.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"640\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-1020x1528.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-800x1198.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-768x1150.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-801x1200.jpg 801w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-1180x1767.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-960x1438.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-240x359.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-375x562.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-520x779.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs.jpg 1282w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But on Sunday afternoon, the bikers weren’t having that. They were existing to the fullest; living their best life, as the kids say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I saw the late June sun bounce off of so many gold grills that day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, I also saw a half-dozen minor bike accidents; people falling after trying to stunt on wheelies or ride with no hands. One young man on a double-decker scraper bike without brakes rear-ended someone else. But I didn’t see any injuries, nor any major conflicts between bikers or drivers. Everyone who fell got back up and kept riding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even that aspect of the ride is important. These kids were free to make mistakes, which all too often isn’t the case for young people of color in America. Mistakes? Hell, for some, simply existing is its own consequence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836230\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836230\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And no, Marshawn and Josh, the sponsors and the BMX riders—they weren’t organizing a protest. They weren’t politicizing the people of Oakland. They were just giving folks a chance to get out, exist in public, and claim their space. That’s worth a lot these days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the seemingly never-ending trail of bikes wrapped around the northern portion of Lake Merritt, flowing from Lakeshore to Grand, eventually back downtown and then toward Marshawn and Josh’s alma mater, Oakland Tech, my daughter and I spun off. It was well past her nap time, and almost time for mine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "At Beastmode's community bike ride, I witnessed Oakland living its best life in the streets.",
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"description": "At Beastmode's community bike ride, I witnessed Oakland living its best life in the streets.",
"title": "The Power of Taking Up Space: Marshawn Lynch's Oakland Rideout | KQED",
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"headline": "The Power of Taking Up Space: Marshawn Lynch's Oakland Rideout",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> wasn’t sure what to expect when I rode up on my 21-speed to the Beastmode store in downtown Oakland, my daughter sitting comfy in the child seat attached to the back of my bike. Even though it was past her nap time, I figured we’d just see what all the commotion was about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, I only saw 25-35 other people on bikes gathered on Broadway in front of the store, awaiting the start of Oakland Rideout 2, the second city-wide ride hosted by NFL players Marshawn Lynch and Josh Johnson. But then I pushed past the first cadre of cyclists, peeked around the corner at 10th Street toward Washington Street, and boom: a massive fleet of cyclists and scooter riders. \u003cem>Hundreds\u003c/em> of them. All waiting on the start of the ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Rideout is just that: a bike ride. It’s not a protest, or a demonstration. But in a year when people of color have had the police called on them for \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh9D_PUe7QI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BBQing\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11676866/permit-patty-goes-viral-after-threatening-to-call-cops-on-girl-selling-water-in-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">selling water\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/us/oakland-black-firefighter-bias.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">being a firefighter\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/us/airbnb-black-women-police.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">checking out of an Airbnb\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2018/05/11-more-things-you-cannot-do-while-black-starbucks-nordstrom-rack-1/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sleeping in their own dorm\u003c/a>—the \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/living-while-black-viral-videos-raise-concerns-about-everyday-racial-profiling/2018/05/29/d4bd630a-5b74-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1346554b7279\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">list goes on\u003c/a>—simply \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13832886/were-still-here-bbqn-while-black-draws-out-oaklanders-in-force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">taking up space and celebrating together\u003c/a> is an act of liberation in itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yeah, there were big names involved. Along with Marshawn Lynch, the ride involved a handful of pro BMX riders, SE Bikes, and even a business sponsor (Lime, which manages those green bikes around town).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But really, the ride was about the young people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836228\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836228\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.Surfing-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">W\u003c/span>hile waiting for the ride to start, one young brother rode in my direction, standing with one foot on his seat and the other on his handlebars, as he “surfed” his bike past the “For Lease” sign at the base of a newly constructed building full of overpriced apartments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moments later, NFL star Marshawn Lynch, Beastmode himself, pulled up and hopped out of the passenger seat of what looked to be a late-’90s–early-2000s four-door Honda Civic; “an under bucket” would probably be the best local colloquialism I’d use to describe the vehicle. A crowd of teenagers flocked around him as he and his cousin, NFL Quarterback Josh Johnson, prepared to ride out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A couple minutes after noon, the platoon took to the streets; I fell inline. First commandeering Broadway, headed north to 11th street, where we made a right and headed east. We went through the tunnel by the museum and around the southern fringe of Lake Merritt, before banging a right on \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-Renames-East-14th-Street-It-ll-be-2983004.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">East 14th Street\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836226\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836226\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MarshawnnLady-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The first neighborhood we hit is commonly referred to as Funktown. There, Asian storeowners and residents stood curbside, cameras in hand as they recorded the stream of what had easily grown to over 1,000 cyclists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All shades of black, brown and white people were in motion through East Oakland—mostly boys and men, but plenty of women scattered in the pack too. All ages, too: I saw some artists who are OGs in the graffiti world, and cheered on the push of an elementary-aged kid as he rode a bike that looked like its training wheels had just been taken off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the while, my daughter was comfy in her seat, waving at people; she didn’t appear to be thinking about that nap, and probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep through the music anyway. There were people with Bluetooth speakers, a couple folks with three-wheel bikes allowing them to carry larger speakers, and even one guy who had a studio monitor-sized speaker strapped to his back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836227\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.StreetBW-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These mobile sound systems blasted well-known hits from local artists, folks like Mac Dre, Kamaiyah and ALLBLACK, and the people on the streets couldn’t help but watch in amazement. The young black sister on the corner with the short skirt and tall heels who smiled as we passed. The older Latino brother in the 10-gallon hat who waved as he stepped outside of the Iglesia. The little Filipino kids on their apartment stairs who pointed in awe as the fleet flew by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This procession might sound chaotic, but it wasn’t. The professional BMX riders and others working the event paused at each intersection to make sure traffic didn’t cross our path. They were also vocal toward the cyclists, demanding we all stay to the right, so as to not block oncoming traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We dodged potholes and kept pedaling as we came around the corner near Rainbow Recreational Center, where the scene was parade-like. People stood on their porches cheering for us and asking us where we were going. We traveled up Seminary, in the direction of where a man had been killed on the Friday night prior to the ride, but turned a left on Foothill before reaching the crime scene. Some people cut through the parking lot of the newly constructed Seminary Point shopping center, hitting wheelies and doing bunny hops over the curbs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-1180x788.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-960x641.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bike_.Wheelie-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We biked through the smell of weed being smoked and BBQ grills getting lit. We passed the Muslim Brothers in suits in front of the mosque, past Fremont High, then past the Mac Dre mural and the “We Buy Ugly Homes” advertisement. People in cars stuck their arms out the window for high-fives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We eventually ended up at San Antonio Park for our first real rest. It was enough time for my daughter to have a snack, run through the grass and play on the swings. (Nap? What nap?) An impromptu bike sideshow started in the middle of the street, as someone on a dirt bike swang donuts and people gathered around to watch; Marshawn and Josh included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the smokers got their tokes and the sippers wet their lips, people were back on the road: Lake Merritt bound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836225\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836225\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.MAIN2_.Group_-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>s we descended on the Lakeshore side of Lake Merritt, I thought about all that’s transpired in that area over the past few weeks: the stories of “BBQ Becky” and “Jogger Joe,” and how those cases were largely about power, privilege and policing the lives of people of color. Even the story from a day prior to the bike ride, across the Bay, where a white woman called the police on a little black girl for selling water—the “Permit Patty” incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether it’s the selling of water, sleeping in a makeshift dwelling or preparing food with family, these stories are about people of color simply existing, and people with perceived power policing their existence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836224\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13836224\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-1020x1528.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"640\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-1020x1528.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-800x1198.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-768x1150.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-801x1200.jpg 801w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-1180x1767.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-960x1438.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-240x359.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-375x562.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs-520x779.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.kidonstairs.jpg 1282w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Martina Patella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But on Sunday afternoon, the bikers weren’t having that. They were existing to the fullest; living their best life, as the kids say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I saw the late June sun bounce off of so many gold grills that day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, I also saw a half-dozen minor bike accidents; people falling after trying to stunt on wheelies or ride with no hands. One young man on a double-decker scraper bike without brakes rear-ended someone else. But I didn’t see any injuries, nor any major conflicts between bikers or drivers. Everyone who fell got back up and kept riding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even that aspect of the ride is important. These kids were free to make mistakes, which all too often isn’t the case for young people of color in America. Mistakes? Hell, for some, simply existing is its own consequence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13836230\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13836230\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Marshawn Lynch's second 'Oakland Ride Out,' June 24, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Pen.Bikes_.pack_.end_-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marshawn Lynch’s second Oakland Rideout, June 24, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And no, Marshawn and Josh, the sponsors and the BMX riders—they weren’t organizing a protest. They weren’t politicizing the people of Oakland. They were just giving folks a chance to get out, exist in public, and claim their space. That’s worth a lot these days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the seemingly never-ending trail of bikes wrapped around the northern portion of Lake Merritt, flowing from Lakeshore to Grand, eventually back downtown and then toward Marshawn and Josh’s alma mater, Oakland Tech, my daughter and I spun off. It was well past her nap time, and almost time for mine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "its-horrifying-10-bay-area-artists-speak-out-on-child-detainment-at-the-border",
"title": "'It's Horrifying': 11 Bay Area Artists Speak Out on Child Detainment at the Border",
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"headTitle": "‘It’s Horrifying’: 11 Bay Area Artists Speak Out on Child Detainment at the Border | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>This week, we learned that the U.S. has \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621065383/what-we-know-family-separation-and-zero-tolerance-at-the-border\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">separated over 2,300 children from their parents\u003c/a> at the U.S.-Mexico border and placed them in \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1008704668816560128\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chain-link cages\u003c/a>, tent camps and other detainment centers. Audio circulated of \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/children-separated-from-parents-border-patrol-cbp-trump-immigration-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">crying children begging for their moms and dads\u003c/a>, and allegations surfaced of border patrol agents \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/23/613907893/aclu-report-detained-immigrant-children-subjected-to-widespread-abuse-by-officia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">kicking migrant children and threatening them with sexual abuse\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, President Trump reversed course and signed an executive order for “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675975/speaker-ryan-plans-immigration-votes-amid-doubts-that-bills-can-pass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">detaining alien families together\u003c/a>,” stopping his policy of family separations while allowing for indefinite detainment and providing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675975/speaker-ryan-plans-immigration-votes-amid-doubts-that-bills-can-pass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">no plan for reuniting children\u003c/a> already separated from their parents. Those children include a \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/international-outrage-grows-over-separating-migrant-children-from-parents/2018/06/19/13d0332e-73cb-11e8-bda1-18e53a448a14_story.html?utm_term=.e66e009751b2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10-year-old girl with Down syndrome\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/tender-age-shelters-family-separation-immigration.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“tender age” detainees as young as 12 months old\u003c/a>. The Pentagon has been asked to prepare \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11676360/military-asked-to-provide-20000-beds-for-detained-immigrant-children\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">additional housing for up to 20,000 children\u003c/a>, while thus far, images of detainment camps show only boys. \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621065383/what-we-know-family-separation-and-zero-tolerance-at-the-border\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">No one knows where the girls are\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which is to say: if you’re fatigued, you’re \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/edyong209/status/1009805404954615808\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not alone\u003c/a>. To get some clarity, catharsis and—yes—comfort on the subject, KQED Arts checked in with 11 different Bay Area artists who work with themes of immigration and detainment. They spend hours pondering borders, laws, family aspirations, deportations, and human rights in their art, music and other creative endeavors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We knew they’d have insight, and advice. We were not wrong. Read below for their input.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835776\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-800x500.jpg\" alt=\"Guillermo Galindo, who makes instruments from objects found along the U.S.-Mexico border.\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-960x600.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-240x150.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-375x234.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-520x325.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Guillermo Galindo, who makes instruments from objects found along the U.S.-Mexico border. \u003ccite>(Michelle Wetzler)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Guillermo Galindo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Musician and composer who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11301274/guillermo-galindo-border-cantos-instruments-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">builds instruments from objects left behind by migrants along the border\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been heartbreaking. Especially hearing the children crying in \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/children-separated-from-parents-border-patrol-cbp-trump-immigration-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the recording\u003c/a>, it’s unbearable. It’s something that’s impossible to describe, the feeling it gave me. It brings so many images of suffering, and of the past, of history. I’m afraid that history could be repeating itself: we have the memories of the Jewish holocaust, and the indigenous holocaust, things that have happened to immigrants, black people, Japanese people in concentration camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this is maybe one of the few times where it’s out in the open, where it’s visible what is happening. In general, as a society, we have become less sensitive to our intuition, and to our spirituality, and to our feelings of human beings. And I don’t know why that’s been happening. Seeing this so much in the open should bother anybody who’s a human being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The thing now is talk to representatives in your government, taking into account that this is an emergency. This is not a joke. Worse and worse things will happen if you don’t talk to your government. Help \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/621890664/facebook-fundraiser-for-separated-immigrant-families-raises-12-million-in-5-days\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">humanitarian organizations\u003c/a> that are supporting the children and the families. And to the artists: it’s about this, it’s about something that has a meaning. We’re not in a time when we’re supposed to do art about ourselves and nobody else. This is a time when art is supposed to speak the words that politics and religion are not speaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835748\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835748\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"Flora Ninomiya was taken to a Japanese-American internment camp at age 7.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-1200x795.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-1180x782.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-960x636.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-240x159.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-375x248.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Flora Ninomiya was taken to a Japanese-American internment camp at age 7. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Flora Ninomiya)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Flora Ninomiya\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Survivor of the Granada Relocation Center, a Japanese-American internment camp, knitter, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02/10/richmond-japanese-american-incarceration-to-be-focus-of-special-presentation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">docent at the Rosie the Riveter Museum\u003c/a> in Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m appalled that this is happening—that the president is so callous in how he is carrying out his programs. As a Japanese-American whose family was interned, we were powerless too, like those young children. I was 7 years old and I can still remember that long train trip going to this very isolated desert area and living in the barracks that were built by the United States Army. My father was sent to a separate prison camp from my mother and my siblings and I, and my mother was always sending letters to the government asking to release him. My father, it was really painful for him—he felt betrayed and ashamed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that time, there were people who helped us, the Quakers, our neighbors, but they had to do so quietly, or they would be marginalized. Today, it’s hopeful that we do see so many Americans speaking out against separating families. It took the American public’s pressure to get the president to issue an executive order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m going to keep talking about my family’s experience, and to me it’s very important to support other groups that are being targeted by the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835747\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835747\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Diana Gameros' songs tell of her experience living in the U.S. as an immigrant from Juarez, Mexico.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diana Gameros’ songs tell of her experience living in the U.S. as an immigrant from Juarez, Mexico. \u003ccite>(Claudia Escobar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Diana Gameros\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Musician and songwriter from Juarez, Mexico, whose recent album, ‘Arrullo,’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11514186/women-to-watch-diana-gameros\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">expresses the immigrant experience\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My first reaction is to think that it is not possible that this is happening, but it is… it’s horrifying. I feel like in the past two years we get less surprised at what happens, and it’s sad that we are not getting surprised. It is alarming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My advice for other artists is first to be informed, to really know what is happening, and reach out to organizations, and let them know that you are available, that you are willing to help. As artists we have such a visible platform that we can reach many people, and we should use those platforms, especially if you are a well known artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I can’t stop thinking about the children, and how every minute that goes by, they are in pain. I ask myself: what if that would have happened to me? I know the feeling of what it is to leave your homeland behind. I really hope that people know how much bravery is involved in this process, of leaving your home. I have so much admiration for the people who have this courage to leave their homeland, and carry all that sadness, and all that hope. They have so much love, and want the best for their kids, they are being good parents. It is disgusting that we are separating them, when we should be welcoming them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835750\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835750\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-800x540.jpg\" alt=\"Caleb Duarte at San Antonio Park in Oakland, leading a performance with youth who came to the U.S. without parents.\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-1020x688.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-960x648.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-240x162.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-375x253.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-520x351.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caleb Duarte at San Antonio Park in Oakland, leading a performance with youth who came to the U.S. without parents. \u003ccite>(Farrin Abbott)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Caleb Duarte\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.calebduarte.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Artist and educator\u003c/a> who leads \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13375958/on-being-young-alone-and-crossing-into-the-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">art workshops with undocumented Central American minors\u003c/a> at Fremont High School\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the worst kind of nightmare for a parent. That journey is 3,000 miles of hardship. Knowing the back history and the violence these people face, only to reach the United States and have your children taken away by authorities—that is really hard to take in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And social media is unleashing a lot of support for this kind of act. It leads me to reflect on how any country can support these kinds of actions. We need to step back and understand the suffering and fear of those who support these actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Art in different times has different purposes. At certain moments art is there to shake us up, and sometimes it’s there to gather us back. Right now I think art is there to create logic and reason rather than challenge it. More than anything, it’s important to speak out. We’d be surprised by who, in our immediate circles, our colleagues and family, think differently than us. I’m trying to find ways to have conversations with people who think otherwise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835778\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-800x516.jpg\" alt=\"A detail from the Oakland Museum of California's 'Sent Away' exhibition, showing tools left behind by a man affected by Mexican repatriations in the 1930s.\" width=\"800\" height=\"516\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-768x495.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-240x155.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-375x242.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-520x335.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A detail from the Oakland Museum of California’s ‘Sent Away’ exhibition, showing tools left behind in the Mexican repatriations in the 1930s. \u003ccite>(Erendina Delgadillo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Erendina Delgadillo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Associate Curator of History at the Oakland Museum of California, host of recent exhibitions on internment, ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13156032/once-suppressed-dorothea-lange-photographs-capture-wartime-paranoia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing\u003c/a>‘ and ‘\u003ca href=\"http://museumca.org/blog/sent-away-not-forgotten\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sent Away\u003c/a>‘\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been pretty horrifying. But one thing we know is family separations have happened before—with Native Americans, with Japanese families, or with Mexican repatriation in the 1930s. With the recent ‘Sent Away’ installation in our permanent history gallery, we’ve been paying attention to whether the visitors really understand, and if it’s properly conveying the trajectory of racialized communities in moments of political and social stress. In my social media circles, I see people saying, “This is insane! This is not America! This is not who we are!” And I wrestle with it, because the fact is that this has happened before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the deportations in the ’30s, people were responding to the depression. But the Mexican people deported were not relying on welfare as much as others thought they were. And today, when you hear that they’re causing unprecedented crime, or taking away jobs from “real” Americans, being a drain on the system—that’s not true, but turning them into a specter of those problems is easier than fixing the problem. It’s been very disheartening looking at the pattern of how easily people can be manipulated in very simple ways. You take a feeling, you blow it up, and it obscures the need to delve into really complex issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a terrible moment. It’s too easy to despair. You’re only shooting yourself by despairing before the fight starts, so donate to organizations, and find those small moments to realize why humanity is valuable, and why we fight for humanity. Remind yourself why life is good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 758px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13835737\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_.jpg\" alt=\"Ani Rivera, bottom right, with Galería de la Raza'a curatorial staff in 2016.\" width=\"758\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_.jpg 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ani Rivera, bottom right, with Galería de la Raza’a curatorial staff in 2016. \u003ccite>(Creo Noveno)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Ani Rivera\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Executive Director for \u003ca href=\"https://kqed.org/arts/tag/galeria-de-la-raza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Galería de La Raza\u003c/a> in the Mission District, hub for San Francisco’s Latino artist community\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s just appalling to see how the administration doesn’t value humanity, nor the families that are coming here searching for a better life. They’re being used as pawns to push an agenda. I think our work is not done yet. We need to keep demanding that they close the detention centers. I think that’s where we want to focus: ending the criminalization. We need to stop all profits made from keeping people in cages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re definitely contributing to the organized marches and protests being planned for June 30. We will also be at this Friday’s rally in Embarcadero Plaza. We know that art plays a role in creating dialogue and engaging hearts, and we’ll be holding a series of screen-printing demonstrations at these events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legacy of Galería and René (Yañez, the gallery’s co-founder) and all of the individuals that have contributed and created this space was to address these issues. This is history repeating itself. We’ve been dealing with the criminalization of immigrants for decades. The goal of Galería as an institution is to be a platform for artists to organize. The founders needed to create a community that allowed and provided a path for self-determination. They expect us to be out there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835744\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835744\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-800x457.jpg\" alt=\"A still from 'Rabbit in the Moon' showing Emiko Omori and her mother in the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona.\" width=\"800\" height=\"457\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-800x457.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-768x439.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-960x549.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-240x137.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-375x214.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-520x297.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A still from ‘Rabbit in the Moon’ showing Emiko Omori and her mother in the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chizu Omori)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Chizu Omori\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Bay Area journalist and co-producer of the documentary ‘Rabbit in the Moon’ who, in 1942 at the age of 12, \u003ca href=\"https://caamedia.org/blog/2017/02/16/emiko-and-chizu-omori-on-lessons-from-wwii-incarceration/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">was sent with her sister Emiko Omori and their family to the Poston War Relocation Center\u003c/a> in Arizona \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact that they would implement this policy is so inhumane. There’s a great deal of interest now in what happened to us during WWII to us Japanese Americans. A precedent was set when Roosevelt issued EO 9066, and even though it’s been condemned as a big mistake, that precedent has been used by the Trump administration to justify some of the things they’ve been doing. So of course, I feel an obligation to speak out against what’s happening as something very reminiscent of what happened to us 75 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s happened with the travel ban against Muslims, and this general discrimination against people of Muslim faith or people from the Middle East in general. It’s part of the current of racism that’s been part of our history from the very beginning, directed towards people of color. Now it’s against people from Central and South America who are not white people. It’s a language that our president uses to reemphasize this bias against people of color. He refers to us as infestations, or awful characterizations like rapists and murderers. It’s dehumanizing for him to be using this language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children being separated from their parents at the border is something that I don’t think any of us had contemplated. To take infants… what’s the purpose in doing this? There’s no rationale for it. If you’re going to ask people to stand up and be counted, how many people are for this? Why do they justify doing this thing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I belong to a group called Nikkei Resisters. Our slogan is “Never Again.” Detention and internment are really un-American and we need to speak out and say “It happened to us. And we don’t want to see it happening again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835738\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Brian Moss teaches a student population that's 85-percent Latino; 'their fear has been validated,' he says.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brian Moss teaches a student population that’s 85-percent Latino; ‘their fear has been validated,’ he says. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Brian Moss\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>San Francisco songwriter (Hanalei, Great Apes) and schoolteacher who \u003ca href=\"https://hanalei.bandcamp.com/track/cross-crossing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">released the song “Cross Crossing”\u003c/a> this week in reaction to abuses at the border\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Separating families and children seems so immoral and deplorable, it’s shocking, but with this presidency and this administration the bar has been so low it didn’t completely catch me off-guard. And being a teacher, and given the population of my school, which is 85-percent Latino, it’s something I’ve seen the effects of the whole time. For many of my students, the fear they were already facing rose drastically when he was elected, and now that fear has been validated. It’s happening to them. It’s disturbing and hard to witness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue of separating families is so immoral to me that some sort of response, either though song, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/621890664/facebook-fundraiser-for-separated-immigrant-families-raises-12-million-in-5-days\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">donating\u003c/a>, or protesting, or going down there volunteering with an organization that’s trying to provide legal aid—anything you can do is a start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835800\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-800x527.jpg\" alt=\"Naima Shalhoub: 'we must cry out with each other through our art, together, to respond to this madness.'\" width=\"800\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-800x527.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-768x505.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-1020x671.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-960x632.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-240x158.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-375x247.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-520x342.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naima Shalhoub: ‘we must cry out with each other through our art, together, to respond to this madness.’ \u003ccite>(Sarah Deragon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Naima Shalhoub\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland songwriter whose song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9TqmZPXJX8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Borderlands\u003c/a>” tells of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9TqmZPXJX8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a constructed order of things that decides what and who is more valuable\u003c/a>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What strikes me the most is how conditioned we are becoming to see people through the lenses of our fear, our politics, our scarcity mindsets rather than insisting that all people under the sun are treated with dignity and love. We are forgetting that we have the power to create systems that reflect justice and love, not fear and confinement. We are becoming dismembered from any semblance of connection to land, to spirit, to honor, to respect and instead bowing down to new gods of greed, patriarchy, racism—so much so that a child’s cry does not waken the heart to compassion. Or at least, this is my worry. For our souls, collectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What is happening is a reflection of what has been buried under the soil of what is now called the United States. The sorrow, the unheard cries, and histories ghosts are truly rising until we all wake to its truth. We must do better by committing to our collective memory—all of it—and holding accountable the leaders who do not. The privilege of forgetting becomes manifest in institutions that create walls separating families, unable to share with the public where our girls and babies are. This is about our responsibility to our children’s future and their safety and dignity by allowing the past to speak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Nina Simone’s call to action was “it is an artist’s duty to reflect the times,” then we must cry out with each other through our art, together, to respond to this madness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835934\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835934\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-800x179.jpg\" alt=\"'Horizons,' by Najib Joe Hakim.\" width=\"800\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-800x179.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-160x36.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-768x172.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-1020x228.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-960x215.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-240x54.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-375x84.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-520x116.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Horizons,’ by Najib Joe Hakim. \u003ccite>(Najib Joe Hakim)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Najib Joe Hakim\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>San Francisco photographer and YBCA fellow whose current project, ‘\u003ca href=\"https://electronicintifada.net/content/palestinian-america-najib-joe-hakims-home-away-home/14073\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Home Away From Home\u003c/a>,’ pairs oral histories of 26 Bay Area Palestinian Americans with their portraits\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My own family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s from Lebanon. Except for the details, ours is a very common story, which most Americans share. Refugees out of Palestine, my parents then left Beirut on a ship with two very young kids and $5 in their pocket. In the coming years, through hard work, education and uncountable sacrifices, we became thriving American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hate to think what might have become of us had we not snared four of only 100 immigration visas. Would I be staring down a machine gun barrel held by a 20-year-old Israeli soldier? Would we have been caught up in one of the many massacres of the 20-year Lebanese Civil War? Would my kids now be desperately trying to leave Syria on a dinghy with their own children?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I see happening today to immigrant families is the writing of yet another chapter of American history in which the country’s values do not line up with its reality. When people say “I don’t recognize this country anymore,” they are expressing the profound contradictions between what we’ve all been taught about this country and what we see being done in our name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We live in a new dark age in which civilian lives are dehumanized; science and nature are scoffed at; and atavistic fears send us scurrying toward our basest natures. In such times, we artists are challenged to help remind us of our loftier, sacred and shared aspirations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835745\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Yosimar Reyes: 'If you’re standing in sidelines, you’re part of the problem.'\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yosimar Reyes: ‘If you’re standing in sidelines, you’re part of the problem.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Yosimar Reyes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Yosimar Reyes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://yosimarreyes.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poet, educator, and founder of La Maricolectiva\u003c/a>, a community based performance group of queer undocumented poets\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week has been a lot. I think it’s great that it’s getting national visibility and a lot of people are learning about these atrocities—I think it’s a really positive thing. People are blatantly stating that we need to abolish immigrant prisons. But for me, it’s more like, it’s always been like this so I’m not surprised. I’m just glad people are realizing the reality of how it is and people are mobilizing and opening their eyes to the fact that this is how it’s been for a lot of folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With immigration, everything moves so fast and it escalates after a short amount of time. I’m curious to see how it’s going to influence a lot of the writing that I’m doing, but I’m still processing. Organizations on the ground in Texas are doing really good work, they’re giving people legal aid, and I think people should support them. This is happening because we put this person in office and we’re accountable for these actions. If you’re standing in sidelines, you’re part of the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Lina Blanco, Claudia Escobar, Sarah Hotchkiss, Kevin L. Jones, Gabe Meline, Nastia Voynovskaya and Kelly Whalen contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "'It's Horrifying': 11 Bay Area Artists Speak Out on Child Detainment at the Border | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This week, we learned that the U.S. has \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621065383/what-we-know-family-separation-and-zero-tolerance-at-the-border\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">separated over 2,300 children from their parents\u003c/a> at the U.S.-Mexico border and placed them in \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1008704668816560128\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chain-link cages\u003c/a>, tent camps and other detainment centers. Audio circulated of \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/children-separated-from-parents-border-patrol-cbp-trump-immigration-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">crying children begging for their moms and dads\u003c/a>, and allegations surfaced of border patrol agents \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/23/613907893/aclu-report-detained-immigrant-children-subjected-to-widespread-abuse-by-officia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">kicking migrant children and threatening them with sexual abuse\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, President Trump reversed course and signed an executive order for “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675975/speaker-ryan-plans-immigration-votes-amid-doubts-that-bills-can-pass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">detaining alien families together\u003c/a>,” stopping his policy of family separations while allowing for indefinite detainment and providing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11675975/speaker-ryan-plans-immigration-votes-amid-doubts-that-bills-can-pass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">no plan for reuniting children\u003c/a> already separated from their parents. Those children include a \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/international-outrage-grows-over-separating-migrant-children-from-parents/2018/06/19/13d0332e-73cb-11e8-bda1-18e53a448a14_story.html?utm_term=.e66e009751b2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10-year-old girl with Down syndrome\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/tender-age-shelters-family-separation-immigration.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“tender age” detainees as young as 12 months old\u003c/a>. The Pentagon has been asked to prepare \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11676360/military-asked-to-provide-20000-beds-for-detained-immigrant-children\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">additional housing for up to 20,000 children\u003c/a>, while thus far, images of detainment camps show only boys. \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621065383/what-we-know-family-separation-and-zero-tolerance-at-the-border\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">No one knows where the girls are\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which is to say: if you’re fatigued, you’re \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/edyong209/status/1009805404954615808\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not alone\u003c/a>. To get some clarity, catharsis and—yes—comfort on the subject, KQED Arts checked in with 11 different Bay Area artists who work with themes of immigration and detainment. They spend hours pondering borders, laws, family aspirations, deportations, and human rights in their art, music and other creative endeavors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We knew they’d have insight, and advice. We were not wrong. Read below for their input.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835776\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-800x500.jpg\" alt=\"Guillermo Galindo, who makes instruments from objects found along the U.S.-Mexico border.\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-960x600.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-240x150.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-375x234.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/GuillermoGalindo.CRED_.Miche_-520x325.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Guillermo Galindo, who makes instruments from objects found along the U.S.-Mexico border. \u003ccite>(Michelle Wetzler)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Guillermo Galindo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Musician and composer who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11301274/guillermo-galindo-border-cantos-instruments-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">builds instruments from objects left behind by migrants along the border\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been heartbreaking. Especially hearing the children crying in \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/children-separated-from-parents-border-patrol-cbp-trump-immigration-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the recording\u003c/a>, it’s unbearable. It’s something that’s impossible to describe, the feeling it gave me. It brings so many images of suffering, and of the past, of history. I’m afraid that history could be repeating itself: we have the memories of the Jewish holocaust, and the indigenous holocaust, things that have happened to immigrants, black people, Japanese people in concentration camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this is maybe one of the few times where it’s out in the open, where it’s visible what is happening. In general, as a society, we have become less sensitive to our intuition, and to our spirituality, and to our feelings of human beings. And I don’t know why that’s been happening. Seeing this so much in the open should bother anybody who’s a human being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The thing now is talk to representatives in your government, taking into account that this is an emergency. This is not a joke. Worse and worse things will happen if you don’t talk to your government. Help \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/621890664/facebook-fundraiser-for-separated-immigrant-families-raises-12-million-in-5-days\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">humanitarian organizations\u003c/a> that are supporting the children and the families. And to the artists: it’s about this, it’s about something that has a meaning. We’re not in a time when we’re supposed to do art about ourselves and nobody else. This is a time when art is supposed to speak the words that politics and religion are not speaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835748\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835748\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"Flora Ninomiya was taken to a Japanese-American internment camp at age 7.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-1200x795.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-1180x782.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-960x636.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-240x159.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-375x248.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/FloraNinomiya.WEB_-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Flora Ninomiya was taken to a Japanese-American internment camp at age 7. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Flora Ninomiya)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Flora Ninomiya\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Survivor of the Granada Relocation Center, a Japanese-American internment camp, knitter, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02/10/richmond-japanese-american-incarceration-to-be-focus-of-special-presentation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">docent at the Rosie the Riveter Museum\u003c/a> in Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m appalled that this is happening—that the president is so callous in how he is carrying out his programs. As a Japanese-American whose family was interned, we were powerless too, like those young children. I was 7 years old and I can still remember that long train trip going to this very isolated desert area and living in the barracks that were built by the United States Army. My father was sent to a separate prison camp from my mother and my siblings and I, and my mother was always sending letters to the government asking to release him. My father, it was really painful for him—he felt betrayed and ashamed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that time, there were people who helped us, the Quakers, our neighbors, but they had to do so quietly, or they would be marginalized. Today, it’s hopeful that we do see so many Americans speaking out against separating families. It took the American public’s pressure to get the president to issue an executive order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m going to keep talking about my family’s experience, and to me it’s very important to support other groups that are being targeted by the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835747\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835747\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Diana Gameros' songs tell of her experience living in the U.S. as an immigrant from Juarez, Mexico.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/DianaGameros.computer.CRED_.Clau_.WEB_-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diana Gameros’ songs tell of her experience living in the U.S. as an immigrant from Juarez, Mexico. \u003ccite>(Claudia Escobar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Diana Gameros\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Musician and songwriter from Juarez, Mexico, whose recent album, ‘Arrullo,’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11514186/women-to-watch-diana-gameros\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">expresses the immigrant experience\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My first reaction is to think that it is not possible that this is happening, but it is… it’s horrifying. I feel like in the past two years we get less surprised at what happens, and it’s sad that we are not getting surprised. It is alarming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My advice for other artists is first to be informed, to really know what is happening, and reach out to organizations, and let them know that you are available, that you are willing to help. As artists we have such a visible platform that we can reach many people, and we should use those platforms, especially if you are a well known artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I can’t stop thinking about the children, and how every minute that goes by, they are in pain. I ask myself: what if that would have happened to me? I know the feeling of what it is to leave your homeland behind. I really hope that people know how much bravery is involved in this process, of leaving your home. I have so much admiration for the people who have this courage to leave their homeland, and carry all that sadness, and all that hope. They have so much love, and want the best for their kids, they are being good parents. It is disgusting that we are separating them, when we should be welcoming them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835750\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835750\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-800x540.jpg\" alt=\"Caleb Duarte at San Antonio Park in Oakland, leading a performance with youth who came to the U.S. without parents.\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-1020x688.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-960x648.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-240x162.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-375x253.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/CalebDuarte.CRED_.Farrin.WEB_-520x351.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caleb Duarte at San Antonio Park in Oakland, leading a performance with youth who came to the U.S. without parents. \u003ccite>(Farrin Abbott)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Caleb Duarte\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.calebduarte.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Artist and educator\u003c/a> who leads \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13375958/on-being-young-alone-and-crossing-into-the-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">art workshops with undocumented Central American minors\u003c/a> at Fremont High School\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the worst kind of nightmare for a parent. That journey is 3,000 miles of hardship. Knowing the back history and the violence these people face, only to reach the United States and have your children taken away by authorities—that is really hard to take in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And social media is unleashing a lot of support for this kind of act. It leads me to reflect on how any country can support these kinds of actions. We need to step back and understand the suffering and fear of those who support these actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Art in different times has different purposes. At certain moments art is there to shake us up, and sometimes it’s there to gather us back. Right now I think art is there to create logic and reason rather than challenge it. More than anything, it’s important to speak out. We’d be surprised by who, in our immediate circles, our colleagues and family, think differently than us. I’m trying to find ways to have conversations with people who think otherwise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835778\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-800x516.jpg\" alt=\"A detail from the Oakland Museum of California's 'Sent Away' exhibition, showing tools left behind by a man affected by Mexican repatriations in the 1930s.\" width=\"800\" height=\"516\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-768x495.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-240x155.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-375x242.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Erendina.OMCA_.CRED_800-520x335.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A detail from the Oakland Museum of California’s ‘Sent Away’ exhibition, showing tools left behind in the Mexican repatriations in the 1930s. \u003ccite>(Erendina Delgadillo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Erendina Delgadillo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Associate Curator of History at the Oakland Museum of California, host of recent exhibitions on internment, ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13156032/once-suppressed-dorothea-lange-photographs-capture-wartime-paranoia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing\u003c/a>‘ and ‘\u003ca href=\"http://museumca.org/blog/sent-away-not-forgotten\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sent Away\u003c/a>‘\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been pretty horrifying. But one thing we know is family separations have happened before—with Native Americans, with Japanese families, or with Mexican repatriation in the 1930s. With the recent ‘Sent Away’ installation in our permanent history gallery, we’ve been paying attention to whether the visitors really understand, and if it’s properly conveying the trajectory of racialized communities in moments of political and social stress. In my social media circles, I see people saying, “This is insane! This is not America! This is not who we are!” And I wrestle with it, because the fact is that this has happened before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the deportations in the ’30s, people were responding to the depression. But the Mexican people deported were not relying on welfare as much as others thought they were. And today, when you hear that they’re causing unprecedented crime, or taking away jobs from “real” Americans, being a drain on the system—that’s not true, but turning them into a specter of those problems is easier than fixing the problem. It’s been very disheartening looking at the pattern of how easily people can be manipulated in very simple ways. You take a feeling, you blow it up, and it obscures the need to delve into really complex issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a terrible moment. It’s too easy to despair. You’re only shooting yourself by despairing before the fight starts, so donate to organizations, and find those small moments to realize why humanity is valuable, and why we fight for humanity. Remind yourself why life is good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 758px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13835737\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_.jpg\" alt=\"Ani Rivera, bottom right, with Galería de la Raza'a curatorial staff in 2016.\" width=\"758\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_.jpg 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/AniRivera.withCuratorialStaff2016.CREO_-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ani Rivera, bottom right, with Galería de la Raza’a curatorial staff in 2016. \u003ccite>(Creo Noveno)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Ani Rivera\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Executive Director for \u003ca href=\"https://kqed.org/arts/tag/galeria-de-la-raza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Galería de La Raza\u003c/a> in the Mission District, hub for San Francisco’s Latino artist community\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s just appalling to see how the administration doesn’t value humanity, nor the families that are coming here searching for a better life. They’re being used as pawns to push an agenda. I think our work is not done yet. We need to keep demanding that they close the detention centers. I think that’s where we want to focus: ending the criminalization. We need to stop all profits made from keeping people in cages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re definitely contributing to the organized marches and protests being planned for June 30. We will also be at this Friday’s rally in Embarcadero Plaza. We know that art plays a role in creating dialogue and engaging hearts, and we’ll be holding a series of screen-printing demonstrations at these events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legacy of Galería and René (Yañez, the gallery’s co-founder) and all of the individuals that have contributed and created this space was to address these issues. This is history repeating itself. We’ve been dealing with the criminalization of immigrants for decades. The goal of Galería as an institution is to be a platform for artists to organize. The founders needed to create a community that allowed and provided a path for self-determination. They expect us to be out there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835744\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835744\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-800x457.jpg\" alt=\"A still from 'Rabbit in the Moon' showing Emiko Omori and her mother in the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona.\" width=\"800\" height=\"457\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-800x457.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-768x439.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-960x549.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-240x137.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-375x214.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom-520x297.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/RabbitInThemoon.EmikoinPostonwMom.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A still from ‘Rabbit in the Moon’ showing Emiko Omori and her mother in the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chizu Omori)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Chizu Omori\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Bay Area journalist and co-producer of the documentary ‘Rabbit in the Moon’ who, in 1942 at the age of 12, \u003ca href=\"https://caamedia.org/blog/2017/02/16/emiko-and-chizu-omori-on-lessons-from-wwii-incarceration/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">was sent with her sister Emiko Omori and their family to the Poston War Relocation Center\u003c/a> in Arizona \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact that they would implement this policy is so inhumane. There’s a great deal of interest now in what happened to us during WWII to us Japanese Americans. A precedent was set when Roosevelt issued EO 9066, and even though it’s been condemned as a big mistake, that precedent has been used by the Trump administration to justify some of the things they’ve been doing. So of course, I feel an obligation to speak out against what’s happening as something very reminiscent of what happened to us 75 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s happened with the travel ban against Muslims, and this general discrimination against people of Muslim faith or people from the Middle East in general. It’s part of the current of racism that’s been part of our history from the very beginning, directed towards people of color. Now it’s against people from Central and South America who are not white people. It’s a language that our president uses to reemphasize this bias against people of color. He refers to us as infestations, or awful characterizations like rapists and murderers. It’s dehumanizing for him to be using this language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children being separated from their parents at the border is something that I don’t think any of us had contemplated. To take infants… what’s the purpose in doing this? There’s no rationale for it. If you’re going to ask people to stand up and be counted, how many people are for this? Why do they justify doing this thing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I belong to a group called Nikkei Resisters. Our slogan is “Never Again.” Detention and internment are really un-American and we need to speak out and say “It happened to us. And we don’t want to see it happening again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835738\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Brian Moss teaches a student population that's 85-percent Latino; 'their fear has been validated,' he says.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/BrianMoss.CRED_.GM_.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brian Moss teaches a student population that’s 85-percent Latino; ‘their fear has been validated,’ he says. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Brian Moss\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>San Francisco songwriter (Hanalei, Great Apes) and schoolteacher who \u003ca href=\"https://hanalei.bandcamp.com/track/cross-crossing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">released the song “Cross Crossing”\u003c/a> this week in reaction to abuses at the border\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Separating families and children seems so immoral and deplorable, it’s shocking, but with this presidency and this administration the bar has been so low it didn’t completely catch me off-guard. And being a teacher, and given the population of my school, which is 85-percent Latino, it’s something I’ve seen the effects of the whole time. For many of my students, the fear they were already facing rose drastically when he was elected, and now that fear has been validated. It’s happening to them. It’s disturbing and hard to witness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue of separating families is so immoral to me that some sort of response, either though song, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/621890664/facebook-fundraiser-for-separated-immigrant-families-raises-12-million-in-5-days\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">donating\u003c/a>, or protesting, or going down there volunteering with an organization that’s trying to provide legal aid—anything you can do is a start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835800\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-800x527.jpg\" alt=\"Naima Shalhoub: 'we must cry out with each other through our art, together, to respond to this madness.'\" width=\"800\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-800x527.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-768x505.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-1020x671.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-960x632.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-240x158.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-375x247.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline-520x342.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/NaimaShalhoub.Inline.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naima Shalhoub: ‘we must cry out with each other through our art, together, to respond to this madness.’ \u003ccite>(Sarah Deragon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Naima Shalhoub\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland songwriter whose song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9TqmZPXJX8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Borderlands\u003c/a>” tells of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9TqmZPXJX8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a constructed order of things that decides what and who is more valuable\u003c/a>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What strikes me the most is how conditioned we are becoming to see people through the lenses of our fear, our politics, our scarcity mindsets rather than insisting that all people under the sun are treated with dignity and love. We are forgetting that we have the power to create systems that reflect justice and love, not fear and confinement. We are becoming dismembered from any semblance of connection to land, to spirit, to honor, to respect and instead bowing down to new gods of greed, patriarchy, racism—so much so that a child’s cry does not waken the heart to compassion. Or at least, this is my worry. For our souls, collectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What is happening is a reflection of what has been buried under the soil of what is now called the United States. The sorrow, the unheard cries, and histories ghosts are truly rising until we all wake to its truth. We must do better by committing to our collective memory—all of it—and holding accountable the leaders who do not. The privilege of forgetting becomes manifest in institutions that create walls separating families, unable to share with the public where our girls and babies are. This is about our responsibility to our children’s future and their safety and dignity by allowing the past to speak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Nina Simone’s call to action was “it is an artist’s duty to reflect the times,” then we must cry out with each other through our art, together, to respond to this madness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835934\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835934\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-800x179.jpg\" alt=\"'Horizons,' by Najib Joe Hakim.\" width=\"800\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-800x179.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-160x36.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-768x172.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-1020x228.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-960x215.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-240x54.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-375x84.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons-520x116.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/HAKIM-Horizons.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Horizons,’ by Najib Joe Hakim. \u003ccite>(Najib Joe Hakim)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Najib Joe Hakim\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>San Francisco photographer and YBCA fellow whose current project, ‘\u003ca href=\"https://electronicintifada.net/content/palestinian-america-najib-joe-hakims-home-away-home/14073\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Home Away From Home\u003c/a>,’ pairs oral histories of 26 Bay Area Palestinian Americans with their portraits\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My own family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s from Lebanon. Except for the details, ours is a very common story, which most Americans share. Refugees out of Palestine, my parents then left Beirut on a ship with two very young kids and $5 in their pocket. In the coming years, through hard work, education and uncountable sacrifices, we became thriving American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hate to think what might have become of us had we not snared four of only 100 immigration visas. Would I be staring down a machine gun barrel held by a 20-year-old Israeli soldier? Would we have been caught up in one of the many massacres of the 20-year Lebanese Civil War? Would my kids now be desperately trying to leave Syria on a dinghy with their own children?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I see happening today to immigrant families is the writing of yet another chapter of American history in which the country’s values do not line up with its reality. When people say “I don’t recognize this country anymore,” they are expressing the profound contradictions between what we’ve all been taught about this country and what we see being done in our name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We live in a new dark age in which civilian lives are dehumanized; science and nature are scoffed at; and atavistic fears send us scurrying toward our basest natures. In such times, we artists are challenged to help remind us of our loftier, sacred and shared aspirations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835745\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Yosimar Reyes: 'If you’re standing in sidelines, you’re part of the problem.'\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/YosimarReyes.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yosimar Reyes: ‘If you’re standing in sidelines, you’re part of the problem.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Yosimar Reyes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Yosimar Reyes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://yosimarreyes.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poet, educator, and founder of La Maricolectiva\u003c/a>, a community based performance group of queer undocumented poets\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week has been a lot. I think it’s great that it’s getting national visibility and a lot of people are learning about these atrocities—I think it’s a really positive thing. People are blatantly stating that we need to abolish immigrant prisons. But for me, it’s more like, it’s always been like this so I’m not surprised. I’m just glad people are realizing the reality of how it is and people are mobilizing and opening their eyes to the fact that this is how it’s been for a lot of folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With immigration, everything moves so fast and it escalates after a short amount of time. I’m curious to see how it’s going to influence a lot of the writing that I’m doing, but I’m still processing. Organizations on the ground in Texas are doing really good work, they’re giving people legal aid, and I think people should support them. This is happening because we put this person in office and we’re accountable for these actions. If you’re standing in sidelines, you’re part of the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Lina Blanco, Claudia Escobar, Sarah Hotchkiss, Kevin L. Jones, Gabe Meline, Nastia Voynovskaya and Kelly Whalen contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Father Making Art Into a Better Life for His Sons in East Oakland",
"headTitle": "A Father Making Art Into a Better Life for His Sons in East Oakland | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">J\u003c/span>amaica The Artist recently cut his long locs, so I hardly recognized him at Lake Merritt last Sunday. But he caught my attention as I overheard him discussing the ups and downs of being an artist in Oakland, as well as being a father; not just a father, but dad to six African American boys.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I looked a little closer, I realized I’d taken photos of him painting a mural, dedicated to the late rap artist known as the Jacka, on MacArthur and 94th Avenue in deep East Oakland. I also had photos of him painting by the lake just over two years ago. I can’t recall where I first met him, but I knew him, or at least his name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I decided it was time I got to know his story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jamaica’s real name is Brandon Ehieze, his last name attributed to his Nigerian lineage. A friend of his nicknamed him Baby Jamaica, because of the locs he had at the time. The name stuck. Now people know him as Jamaica The Artist, or simply Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And people \u003cem>know\u003c/em> him. He’s connected to a huge family of Bay Area based artists, maintaining a brotherhood-like bond with rappers like Shady Nate and working relationships with visual artists, like GATS. His networking ability and artistic skill means his work is featured all around town: on the old American Steel Building in West Oakland, on the walls of Complex Oakland on 14th and Broadway, or on the walls of Mistah Fab’s new Dope Era store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He works constantly. Sleeps rarely. And is a firm believer in the motto: “You have to go through it to get to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835200\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835200\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">J\u003c/span>amaica’s studio is in the back of East Oakland, somewhere between the Coliseum and the airport, in a maze of warehouses and office buildings. Inside of his two-room studio, there’s ample evidence of his artistry. A pair of freshly painted Nike Huaraches dry on the windowsill. The T-shirt press sits stopped in mid-operation. On the table lay painted Warriors shirts, made in celebration of the most recent championship. And amidst the paint supplies and colorful creations, there’s Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I walk in the studio, he’s deep in the art of cleaning, a self-proclaimed “clean freak”—something he probably picked up while incarcerated, he tells me. So we sit down in the second room of the studio—the cleaner side—for a little chat about art, entrepreneurship and being a father to six African American boys in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two box fans buzz in the background as I place my recorder on the lip of his weed-rolling tray, letting the tape roll as he does the same with his herb. Above his head is an abstract painting of Erykah Badu, which spans the length of the wall. The first thing he tells me is his fandom of Queen Badu, and how one time he almost fought a friend because they called Erykah a b-word that wasn’t Badu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second thing he tells me is the origin story of his artistic ability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first spark came when his mother’s friend, an Oakland fire captain, used to give Jamaica sketchbooks when he was elementary school aged, around the same time Jamaica used to hit hip-hop shows with his older brother and perform as a background dancer. His own creative impulse just needed to find the right canvas, is all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835206\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13835206\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt.jpg\" alt=\"Jamaica the Artist painting at Lake Merritt.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-240x159.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-375x249.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamaica the Artist painting at Lake Merritt. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I had some Bugle Boy jeans, and a yellow highlighter, I’ll never forget it,” says Jamaica. “I drew some shit on my pants, my mom saw that, and was like, ‘Boy, what the hell is wrong with you!?’” His mom properly punished him, and left him thinking, “I’m not drawing on anything else ever again in life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That lasted until one fateful night during the hyphy movement, when a group of his friends were about to perform, and needed some cool shirts made. He charged them $15 each, and created his business right then and there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The business, however, was short-lived. He was soon arrested for charges related to a robbery and kidnapping; the incident happened just months after his first son was born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After his release from prison, he was searching for work when, sure enough, a friend pulled up needing another shirt made. He got to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I’m tearin’ stuff up when it comes to walls, shoes, canvases, clothes. And it’s like, damn, I got my ass whooped for this, and now I’m getting paid for this,” says Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ask the types of things he paints. “Shoes, shirts, walls, canvases, banners. Yeah, man, whatever you want, I’ll paint a car! Straight up, I’ll paint your house,” Jamaica says, rattling off the list without pausing for breath. “I’ve got to go finish my little cousin’s fireplace in a minute.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835201\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835201\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">J\u003c/span>amaica literally sleeps in his studio, which may not seem attractive to most, but it’s something he’s happy to do. “I’ve slept in trap houses with roaches, and rats, and heroin bundles, and coke addicts sleeping next to me,” Jamaica told me. “I feel good to be in an art studio I built from the ground up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with support from his children’s mothers, his current girlfriend and his family, he manages to make sure his sons have more than he had as a child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I go back to the things that I didn’t like as a kid—did I even have the chance to say, ‘Daddy, I want them shoes?’” Jamaica reflects, noting that he grew up without his father. “It’s not like I get (my children) every pair of Jordans they want, but I make sure they have fresh clothes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He knows he’s not perfect. No parent is. Hell, no human is. With that in mind, his advice to his sons—Brandon Jr., Knowledge, Bomani, Sincere, Legend and another child due in September of this year—is almost perfection in verse:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Stop following what your friends think is cool. I thought certain shit was cool, but it wasn’t. You can’t even claim your name if you aren’t living your truth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jamaica continues, his fatherhood showing. “We live in a world where being you isn’t cool until you’re getting money for it. I always tell my sons to be the best you you can be. And then get paid for it!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words: Go through it to get to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">J\u003c/span>amaica The Artist recently cut his long locs, so I hardly recognized him at Lake Merritt last Sunday. But he caught my attention as I overheard him discussing the ups and downs of being an artist in Oakland, as well as being a father; not just a father, but dad to six African American boys.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I looked a little closer, I realized I’d taken photos of him painting a mural, dedicated to the late rap artist known as the Jacka, on MacArthur and 94th Avenue in deep East Oakland. I also had photos of him painting by the lake just over two years ago. I can’t recall where I first met him, but I knew him, or at least his name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I decided it was time I got to know his story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jamaica’s real name is Brandon Ehieze, his last name attributed to his Nigerian lineage. A friend of his nicknamed him Baby Jamaica, because of the locs he had at the time. The name stuck. Now people know him as Jamaica The Artist, or simply Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And people \u003cem>know\u003c/em> him. He’s connected to a huge family of Bay Area based artists, maintaining a brotherhood-like bond with rappers like Shady Nate and working relationships with visual artists, like GATS. His networking ability and artistic skill means his work is featured all around town: on the old American Steel Building in West Oakland, on the walls of Complex Oakland on 14th and Broadway, or on the walls of Mistah Fab’s new Dope Era store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He works constantly. Sleeps rarely. And is a firm believer in the motto: “You have to go through it to get to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835200\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835200\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica.Portrait-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">J\u003c/span>amaica’s studio is in the back of East Oakland, somewhere between the Coliseum and the airport, in a maze of warehouses and office buildings. Inside of his two-room studio, there’s ample evidence of his artistry. A pair of freshly painted Nike Huaraches dry on the windowsill. The T-shirt press sits stopped in mid-operation. On the table lay painted Warriors shirts, made in celebration of the most recent championship. And amidst the paint supplies and colorful creations, there’s Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I walk in the studio, he’s deep in the art of cleaning, a self-proclaimed “clean freak”—something he probably picked up while incarcerated, he tells me. So we sit down in the second room of the studio—the cleaner side—for a little chat about art, entrepreneurship and being a father to six African American boys in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two box fans buzz in the background as I place my recorder on the lip of his weed-rolling tray, letting the tape roll as he does the same with his herb. Above his head is an abstract painting of Erykah Badu, which spans the length of the wall. The first thing he tells me is his fandom of Queen Badu, and how one time he almost fought a friend because they called Erykah a b-word that wasn’t Badu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second thing he tells me is the origin story of his artistic ability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first spark came when his mother’s friend, an Oakland fire captain, used to give Jamaica sketchbooks when he was elementary school aged, around the same time Jamaica used to hit hip-hop shows with his older brother and perform as a background dancer. His own creative impulse just needed to find the right canvas, is all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835206\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13835206\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt.jpg\" alt=\"Jamaica the Artist painting at Lake Merritt.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-240x159.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-375x249.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/JamaicaLakeMerritt-520x345.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamaica the Artist painting at Lake Merritt. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I had some Bugle Boy jeans, and a yellow highlighter, I’ll never forget it,” says Jamaica. “I drew some shit on my pants, my mom saw that, and was like, ‘Boy, what the hell is wrong with you!?’” His mom properly punished him, and left him thinking, “I’m not drawing on anything else ever again in life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That lasted until one fateful night during the hyphy movement, when a group of his friends were about to perform, and needed some cool shirts made. He charged them $15 each, and created his business right then and there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The business, however, was short-lived. He was soon arrested for charges related to a robbery and kidnapping; the incident happened just months after his first son was born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After his release from prison, he was searching for work when, sure enough, a friend pulled up needing another shirt made. He got to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I’m tearin’ stuff up when it comes to walls, shoes, canvases, clothes. And it’s like, damn, I got my ass whooped for this, and now I’m getting paid for this,” says Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ask the types of things he paints. “Shoes, shirts, walls, canvases, banners. Yeah, man, whatever you want, I’ll paint a car! Straight up, I’ll paint your house,” Jamaica says, rattling off the list without pausing for breath. “I’ve got to go finish my little cousin’s fireplace in a minute.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13835201\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13835201\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Jamaica1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamaica the Artist in his deep East Oakland studio. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">J\u003c/span>amaica literally sleeps in his studio, which may not seem attractive to most, but it’s something he’s happy to do. “I’ve slept in trap houses with roaches, and rats, and heroin bundles, and coke addicts sleeping next to me,” Jamaica told me. “I feel good to be in an art studio I built from the ground up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with support from his children’s mothers, his current girlfriend and his family, he manages to make sure his sons have more than he had as a child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I go back to the things that I didn’t like as a kid—did I even have the chance to say, ‘Daddy, I want them shoes?’” Jamaica reflects, noting that he grew up without his father. “It’s not like I get (my children) every pair of Jordans they want, but I make sure they have fresh clothes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He knows he’s not perfect. No parent is. Hell, no human is. With that in mind, his advice to his sons—Brandon Jr., Knowledge, Bomani, Sincere, Legend and another child due in September of this year—is almost perfection in verse:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Stop following what your friends think is cool. I thought certain shit was cool, but it wasn’t. You can’t even claim your name if you aren’t living your truth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jamaica continues, his fatherhood showing. “We live in a world where being you isn’t cool until you’re getting money for it. I always tell my sons to be the best you you can be. And then get paid for it!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words: Go through it to get to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Books About Oakland, Race, Sports and Tech to Add to Your Summer Reading List",
"headTitle": "Books About Oakland, Race, Sports and Tech to Add to Your Summer Reading List | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">S\u003c/span>ummer is almost here, and that means it’s time to make a million plans and actually complete only three of them, two of which you didn’t plan on doing in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, the one thing I’m committed to this summer is reading. In order to stick to it, I’ve created a summer reading list and a system of accountability. Well, it’s more like this: I’ll write this list and hold myself accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve done this in the past with certain books I just had to read. Books about my hometown, like Summer Brenner’s \u003cem>Oakland Tales\u003c/em> and Tobie Gene Levingston’s \u003cem>Soul on Bikes\u003c/em>. Or the book I’m currently reading, Isabel Wilkerson’s \u003cem>The Warmth Of Other Suns\u003c/em>, which isn’t about Oakland specifically, but mentions it along with other cities north of the Mason-Dixon Line and west of the Mississippi River, in a deep dive into the Great Migration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After I finish this book, I’m going on a reading spree. All summer. Here’s my list:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13834719\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"343\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka.jpg 343w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka-160x233.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka-240x349.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 343px) 100vw, 343px\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>irst up is Chinaka’s Hodge’s \u003cem>Dated Emcees\u003c/em>. Hodge, a well-known poet and playwright, is also a friend and writer I’ve long admired. Needless to say, she’s going to have some strong words for me when she finds out I haven’t read the book she published over a year ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also plan to read \u003cem>Golden\u003c/em> by Marcus Thompson II, another writer I know from Oakland. It’s an unauthorized biography of Steph Curry from the point of view of a journalist and longtime Warriors fan. I got it a year ago, and Thompson even signed it himself. I was going to read the book as soon as I bought it, but then the Warriors won the championship, I celebrated and played with my daughter all summer and forgot about reading in general. Not happening this year. Well, I will celebrate the Warriors winning the finals and I’ll certainly play with my daughter, but I won’t forget about reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I \u003cem>have\u003c/em> to read Darryl “Lil D” Reed’s \u003cem>Weight\u003c/em>. Reed, who I met at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/510-day-2018/Slideshow/15971843/15971848\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">510 Day\u003c/a> anti-gentrification gathering on the bank of the tidal lagoon we call Lake Merritt, is an Oakland legend. The former drug kingpin rose to the status of a local folk hero in the ’80s. He was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison and served 26 before being pardoned by former President Barack Obama. He’s been an active member of the community since his release, attending local events and making appearances in the media, sharing his perspective as a formerly incarcerated person. I’m inspired by his influence and can’t wait to learn more about how he used to move back in the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">L\u003c/span>et’s talk about new releases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ones I’m interested in include collections of personal poetry, investigations of data breaches and the anti-black political philosophy of the United States. And all of the authors are either originally from or currently reside in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zoé Samudzi, a doctoral student at the University of California San Francisco, a public scholar and probably one of my top-10 people to follow on \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ztsamudzi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter\u003c/a>, is on the verge of publishing her first book co-written by William C. Anderson, \u003cem>As Black As Resistance\u003c/em>. When I asked Samudzi about the book, she said, “I’d love readers to walk away with a better idea of how central anti-blackness is to how race in the United States is organized. And also that we can’t simply be reactive in our politics, we have to have a more thorough understanding of this country’s origins and what it was created to protect and maintain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Russell Morse, with whom I spent a couple summers at the now defunct New America Media, just published his book, \u003cem>Holy Name\u003c/em>. Morse, a native San Franciscan who once wrote for \u003cem>Rolling Stone\u003c/em>, told me that this publication is a “lyric memoir.” He says it chronicles the journey of a formerly incarcerated kid who lost a girlfriend to a police shooting, only to find his redemption byway of writing his way through the “apocalyptic” Bush years. “Readers can expect an acute, at times poetic reminder that political issues—police shootings, mass incarceration—are intensely personal and emotional experiences that transcend discourse and might be better understood poetically,” said Morse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13834720\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2.jpg 333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2-240x360.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\">Dameon Bledsoe, an author from Richmond, just published his first book, \u003cem>America’s Young Black Male 2000\u003c/em>. This lengthy coming-of-age memoir is “a testimonial meant to help broaden horizons, provide reason and dispel stereotypes,” as the author and emcee told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melissa Jones’ \u003cem>Black Girl Mango Seeds\u003c/em> is a collection of poetry that I’m excited to pick up. Jones, whom I know as another active member of my community—a dancer, educator and now published author—told me that the book “focuses on the multi-layered experiences of black women, both traumatic and celebratory, which is an opportunity for readers to build awareness around the beauty and complexity of black womanhood.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cyrus Farivar, editor at \u003cem>Ars Technica\u003c/em>, is a go-to voice on the issue of data and surveillance. Farivar’s book \u003cem>Habeas Data\u003c/em> is “about 50 years of surveillance law in America and how the current state of the law is in many ways inadequate for the type of police tech commonly in use nationwide, including in Oakland,” as he told me. I’ve been reading his work for over four years now, and I’ve even had a chance to have a beer with him to discuss more than just the world of data, as we are both fathers, bearded bikers, avid baseball fans (although he likes the Dodgers—yuck!) and regulars at the Oakland Museum’s weekly Friday night festivities. Can’t wait to read his book!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">L\u003c/span>astly, the books I’m most excited about: children’s books!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My daughter and I have been meaning to read Robert Trujillo’s \u003cem>Furqan’s First Flat Top: El Primer Corte de Mesita de Furqan\u003c/em> and Jesse Byrd’s \u003cem>A Sunny Tale For Rainy Days\u003c/em>. And I’ll get to those, but it might have to wait until I finish \u003cem>The Three Gems\u003c/em>, which is written by an elementary school-aged author named Maureen Tran, with illustrations by Jessica Jones. Jones is another longtime friend and creator whom I’ve admired since—sheesh, I can’t even tell you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834721\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-800x618.jpeg\" alt=\"An illustration by Jessica Jones from Maureen Tran's 'The Three Gems.'\" width=\"800\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-800x618.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-160x124.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-768x593.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1020x788.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1200x927.jpeg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1920x1484.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1180x912.jpeg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-960x742.jpeg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-240x185.jpeg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-375x290.jpeg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-520x402.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration by Jessica Jones from Maureen Tran’s ‘The Three Gems.’ \u003ccite>(Jessica Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I’ve commissioned Jones for illustrations, asked her about designing tattoos for me and dreamed about the day I’ll be able to afford one of her large art pieces. One day. But until then, I’ll settle for having a book of her work. And not just any book, but a children’s book that is written by a young person. When I asked Jones about the book, coming out this weekend through Chapter 510, she said, “If the reader can take anything from this story, it would be that you can accomplish the strangest things with determination and support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Accomplish strange things, like reading all summer? Sounds like the perfect motivation for me to complete my summer \u003cdel datetime=\"2018-06-07T22:34:19+00:00\">reading\u003c/del> to-do list.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Columnist Pendarvis Harshaw shares his summer reading list, which includes crucial nonfiction and uplifting children's books. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">S\u003c/span>ummer is almost here, and that means it’s time to make a million plans and actually complete only three of them, two of which you didn’t plan on doing in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, the one thing I’m committed to this summer is reading. In order to stick to it, I’ve created a summer reading list and a system of accountability. Well, it’s more like this: I’ll write this list and hold myself accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve done this in the past with certain books I just had to read. Books about my hometown, like Summer Brenner’s \u003cem>Oakland Tales\u003c/em> and Tobie Gene Levingston’s \u003cem>Soul on Bikes\u003c/em>. Or the book I’m currently reading, Isabel Wilkerson’s \u003cem>The Warmth Of Other Suns\u003c/em>, which isn’t about Oakland specifically, but mentions it along with other cities north of the Mason-Dixon Line and west of the Mississippi River, in a deep dive into the Great Migration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After I finish this book, I’m going on a reading spree. All summer. Here’s my list:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13834719\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"343\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka.jpg 343w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka-160x233.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Chinaka-240x349.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 343px) 100vw, 343px\">\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>irst up is Chinaka’s Hodge’s \u003cem>Dated Emcees\u003c/em>. Hodge, a well-known poet and playwright, is also a friend and writer I’ve long admired. Needless to say, she’s going to have some strong words for me when she finds out I haven’t read the book she published over a year ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also plan to read \u003cem>Golden\u003c/em> by Marcus Thompson II, another writer I know from Oakland. It’s an unauthorized biography of Steph Curry from the point of view of a journalist and longtime Warriors fan. I got it a year ago, and Thompson even signed it himself. I was going to read the book as soon as I bought it, but then the Warriors won the championship, I celebrated and played with my daughter all summer and forgot about reading in general. Not happening this year. Well, I will celebrate the Warriors winning the finals and I’ll certainly play with my daughter, but I won’t forget about reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I \u003cem>have\u003c/em> to read Darryl “Lil D” Reed’s \u003cem>Weight\u003c/em>. Reed, who I met at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/510-day-2018/Slideshow/15971843/15971848\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">510 Day\u003c/a> anti-gentrification gathering on the bank of the tidal lagoon we call Lake Merritt, is an Oakland legend. The former drug kingpin rose to the status of a local folk hero in the ’80s. He was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison and served 26 before being pardoned by former President Barack Obama. He’s been an active member of the community since his release, attending local events and making appearances in the media, sharing his perspective as a formerly incarcerated person. I’m inspired by his influence and can’t wait to learn more about how he used to move back in the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">L\u003c/span>et’s talk about new releases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ones I’m interested in include collections of personal poetry, investigations of data breaches and the anti-black political philosophy of the United States. And all of the authors are either originally from or currently reside in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zoé Samudzi, a doctoral student at the University of California San Francisco, a public scholar and probably one of my top-10 people to follow on \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ztsamudzi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter\u003c/a>, is on the verge of publishing her first book co-written by William C. Anderson, \u003cem>As Black As Resistance\u003c/em>. When I asked Samudzi about the book, she said, “I’d love readers to walk away with a better idea of how central anti-blackness is to how race in the United States is organized. And also that we can’t simply be reactive in our politics, we have to have a more thorough understanding of this country’s origins and what it was created to protect and maintain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Russell Morse, with whom I spent a couple summers at the now defunct New America Media, just published his book, \u003cem>Holy Name\u003c/em>. Morse, a native San Franciscan who once wrote for \u003cem>Rolling Stone\u003c/em>, told me that this publication is a “lyric memoir.” He says it chronicles the journey of a formerly incarcerated kid who lost a girlfriend to a police shooting, only to find his redemption byway of writing his way through the “apocalyptic” Bush years. “Readers can expect an acute, at times poetic reminder that political issues—police shootings, mass incarceration—are intensely personal and emotional experiences that transcend discourse and might be better understood poetically,” said Morse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13834720\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2.jpg 333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Cyrus-2-240x360.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\">Dameon Bledsoe, an author from Richmond, just published his first book, \u003cem>America’s Young Black Male 2000\u003c/em>. This lengthy coming-of-age memoir is “a testimonial meant to help broaden horizons, provide reason and dispel stereotypes,” as the author and emcee told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melissa Jones’ \u003cem>Black Girl Mango Seeds\u003c/em> is a collection of poetry that I’m excited to pick up. Jones, whom I know as another active member of my community—a dancer, educator and now published author—told me that the book “focuses on the multi-layered experiences of black women, both traumatic and celebratory, which is an opportunity for readers to build awareness around the beauty and complexity of black womanhood.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cyrus Farivar, editor at \u003cem>Ars Technica\u003c/em>, is a go-to voice on the issue of data and surveillance. Farivar’s book \u003cem>Habeas Data\u003c/em> is “about 50 years of surveillance law in America and how the current state of the law is in many ways inadequate for the type of police tech commonly in use nationwide, including in Oakland,” as he told me. I’ve been reading his work for over four years now, and I’ve even had a chance to have a beer with him to discuss more than just the world of data, as we are both fathers, bearded bikers, avid baseball fans (although he likes the Dodgers—yuck!) and regulars at the Oakland Museum’s weekly Friday night festivities. Can’t wait to read his book!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">L\u003c/span>astly, the books I’m most excited about: children’s books!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My daughter and I have been meaning to read Robert Trujillo’s \u003cem>Furqan’s First Flat Top: El Primer Corte de Mesita de Furqan\u003c/em> and Jesse Byrd’s \u003cem>A Sunny Tale For Rainy Days\u003c/em>. And I’ll get to those, but it might have to wait until I finish \u003cem>The Three Gems\u003c/em>, which is written by an elementary school-aged author named Maureen Tran, with illustrations by Jessica Jones. Jones is another longtime friend and creator whom I’ve admired since—sheesh, I can’t even tell you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834721\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-800x618.jpeg\" alt=\"An illustration by Jessica Jones from Maureen Tran's 'The Three Gems.'\" width=\"800\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-800x618.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-160x124.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-768x593.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1020x788.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1200x927.jpeg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1920x1484.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-1180x912.jpeg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-960x742.jpeg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-240x185.jpeg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-375x290.jpeg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2-520x402.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/image2.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration by Jessica Jones from Maureen Tran’s ‘The Three Gems.’ \u003ccite>(Jessica Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I’ve commissioned Jones for illustrations, asked her about designing tattoos for me and dreamed about the day I’ll be able to afford one of her large art pieces. One day. But until then, I’ll settle for having a book of her work. And not just any book, but a children’s book that is written by a young person. When I asked Jones about the book, coming out this weekend through Chapter 510, she said, “If the reader can take anything from this story, it would be that you can accomplish the strangest things with determination and support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Accomplish strange things, like reading all summer? Sounds like the perfect motivation for me to complete my summer \u003cdel datetime=\"2018-06-07T22:34:19+00:00\">reading\u003c/del> to-do list.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "nigerian-rapper-goes-viral-with-his-take-on-this-is-america",
"title": "Nigerian Rapper Goes Viral With His Take On 'This Is America'",
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"headTitle": "Nigerian Rapper Goes Viral With His Take On ‘This Is America’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>https://youtu.be/UW_xEqCWrm0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, a Nigerian rapper released his own version of Childish Gambino’s hit song and music video “This Is America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s called “This Is Nigeria” and was written and performed by lawyer-turned-musician Falz The Bahd Guy. Like the hugely popular Donald Glover song and video (Gambino is his stage name), the Nigerian version looks at harsh everyday realities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In “This Is America,” the issues include gun violence, racism and the distraction of viral entertainment and social media. Falz’s lyrics and visuals touch on some of Nigeria’s major problems: poor electricity supply, drug addiction and government corruption. The video even features veiled Muslim girls to allude to Boko Haram’s abductions of schoolgirls in the northeast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Falz performs in pidgin English, a blend of English and local languages that is widely spoken in West Africa. The chorus says:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is Nigeria.\u003cbr>\nNever-ending recession-o\u003cbr>\nWhere looters are killers and stealers are still contesting election-o.\u003cbr>\nPolitician wey steal some billion and billion e no dey go prison-o.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Released on May 25, just four days before the 19th anniversary of democracy in the West African nation, the three-minute video has been viewed on YouTube 2.9 million times. The hashtag \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/thisisnigeria\">#ThisIsNigeria\u003c/a> has generated tens of thousands of tweets. And the song has captured the attention of the American rapper Diddy, who reposted “This Is Nigeria” \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BjSNt8hFLkO/?hl=en&taken-by=diddy\">on his Instagram account\u003c/a>, where it currently has an additional 2.2 million views.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Falz, whose real name is Folarin Falana, is not new to social commentary. His music often reflects the views of his father, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femi_Falana\">Femi Falana\u003c/a>, a popular Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist. Falz’s previous songs “Child of the World,” “Confirm” and “Wehdone Sir” tackle sexual harassment, Internet fraud and the rise of \u003ca href=\"http://www.pulse.ng/bi/lifestyle/these-african-millionaires-pastors-are-living-like-superstars-id7861633.html\">wealthy megachurch pastors\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a non-Nigerian, the scenes in the video may be a bit hard to figure out at times. Here’s a guide to some of the references and meanings:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Colonialism [0:10]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834183\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834183\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-800x338.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-160x68.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-768x324.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-240x101.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-375x158.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-520x220.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The video begins with Falz clutching a boombox to his ear. The radio plays a clip from a speech delivered by his father, Falana, who is criticizing the Nigerian government: “… The medical facilities are poor. We operate a predatory neo-colonial capitalist system.” Falana speaks often on these issues on the radio.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Herders vs. farmers [00:30]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A machete-wielding man, dressed as a herdsman, simulates an attack on a blindfolded man. “Fulani herdsmen still dey slaughter, carry people dey massacre,” Falz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scene refers to the country’s simmering conflict between herders, many from the Fulani ethnic group, and farming communities. Since 2011, both sides have been embroiled in clashes \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/12/12/569913821/why-its-now-a-crime-to-let-cattle-graze-freely-in-2-nigerian-states\">that have claimed more than 2,000 lives, \u003c/a>according to Brussels-based think tank the International Crisis Group.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Money-eating snake [1:09]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834182\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-800x334.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-160x67.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-768x321.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-240x100.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-375x157.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-520x217.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A woman picks up wads of colorful notes on the ground as a snake emerges from a half calabash melon to eat up the money. It’s a reference to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/13/africa/nigerias-snake-swallows-100000/index.html\">a story from February\u003c/a>: Philomena Chieshe, a sales clerk of Nigeria’s exam board, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, claimed that a snake ate 36 million naira ($100,000) from her office. Falz makes a joke about this story: “Where that Madam Philomena?” he asks, “money vanish for your office, 36 mily, you say na animal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Drug addiction [1:10]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the video, Falz shows a young Nigerian disembarking from a bus with a bottle of cough syrup in one hand. Last month, Nigeria’s health ministry banned cough syrup with codeine after a BBC \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43982302\">investigation \u003c/a>revealed the role of the syrup in Nigeria’s addiction epidemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Corruption [1:17]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Falz makes several references to corruption, calling out politicians who have been accused of stealing from the government. By many accounts, corruption is one of Nigeria’s biggest problems. According to a U.N. report, roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/Nigeria/Corruption_Nigeria_2017_07_31_web.pdf\">$4.6 billion is spent on bribes\u003c/a> in Nigeria each year. This part of the video struck a chord with Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of Nigeria’s central bank and presidential aspirant, who, after quoting the lyrics, called for a “new kind of leadership.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/MoghaluKingsley/status/1000430557124317190\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Boko Haram [1:22]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834179\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834179\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-800x339.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-160x68.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-768x325.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-240x102.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-375x159.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-520x220.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Falz with Boko Haram\u003cbr>(FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Falz is joined by four veiled Muslim schoolgirls, who depict the young women in Nigeria’s northeastern region where the radical group Boko Haram operates. Boko Haram militants came into the limelight in April 2014 when they kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February, a splinter group of Boko Haram abducted 110 girls from an all-girls boarding school in the town of Dapchi in northeastern Nigeria’s Yobe state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The girls are performing the \u003ca href=\"http://www.pulse.ng/gist/pop-culture/shaku-shaku-the-new-street-dance-style-we-should-all-learn-in-2018-id7799976.html\">shaku shaku dance\u003c/a>, a street dance that became popular in Nigeria this year. A similar scene is represented in Glover’s “This Is America”: amid violence and chaos, students perform dances that have gone viral on the Internet. In Glover’s video, critics say the scene illustrates people’s tendency to get distracted by viral entertainment instead of focusing on social issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Unethical preachers [1:47]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834181\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834181\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-800x301.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-160x60.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-768x289.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-240x90.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-375x141.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-520x196.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A young woman in a white garment is surrounded by a small group of people praying for her. In previous songs, Falz has criticized religious figures for money-making schemes. In “This is Nigeria,” Falz gets angrier: “Pastor put his hand in the breast of his member, he is pulling the demon out,” he raps. In April 2017, a Nigerian televangelist named Tim Omotoso was arrested and \u003ca href=\"https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1927417/1case-against-nigerian-sex-pastor-transferred-to-port-elizabeth-high-court/\">charged with trafficking\u003c/a> more than 30 girls and women from various branches of his church, and allegedly sexually exploiting them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Erratic electricity [1:51]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Falz worries that there is “no electricity daily o.” Nigerians often complain about this problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Lazy youth [1:54]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When President Muhammadu Buhari got a chance to speak at a Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on April, he said “a lot of” young Nigerians “sit and do nothing” and expect everything for free, including housing, health care and education. This attracted a backlash on social media, with young Nigerians using the hashtag #LazyNigerianYouth to fire back at the president. Falz’s rap defies the president’s assessment: “people working multiple jobs and dem talk sey we lazy o.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Internet fraud [2:14]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Falz throws a jab at Nigerian fraudsters who try to con people into sending them money via the Internet. Known as Yahoo Boys, some pretend to be beautiful women online and get into romantic relationships in order to con people into sending money; others use malware to control systems and compromise emails. The stereotypical Yahoo Boy drives a fast car and flaunts his wealth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Nigerian pop star has been vocal about his dislike for society’s acceptance of ill-gotten wealth. In the song, he criticizes society for acting like these fraudulent schemes are “so cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Police brutality [2:30]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834184\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834184\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-800x303.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-160x61.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-768x291.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-240x91.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-375x142.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-520x197.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this scene, officers from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian police, arrest three university students only to free one of them upon receiving a bribe from his wealthy father. Two SARS officers hit and kick one of the students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According \u003ca href=\"https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr44/4868/2016/en/\">a report from Amnesty International\u003c/a> in 2016, SARS has been cited for accepting bribes as well as engaging in extortion, torture and degrading treatment of detainees in their custody. In December 2017, using the hashtag #EndSARS on social media, Nigerians \u003ca href=\"https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/anti-sars-campaign-ig-orders-investigation-anti-robbery-squad/\">strongly called for an end to the brutality\u003c/a> meted out by SARS. In response, the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris ordered an investigation of the anti-robbery squad.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“I mean transmission” [3:00]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13834196\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-800x304.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-160x61.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-768x292.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-240x91.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-375x143.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-520x198.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This scene is a parody of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thecable.ng/trending-video-mean-transmission-transmissionigp-struggles-read-speech\">popular video\u003c/a> from mid-May in which police chief Idris delivered a speech but ended up saying the word “transmission” over and over, rendering his talk nonsensical.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The reaction …\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Some Nigerians are critical of the video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/AbiolaAwosika1/status/1000594961316876290\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many are praising the song.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/obyezeks/status/1000414042433998849\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/Thereal_TommyB/status/1000131143247826944\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love the song,” Ezichi Ogbu, a senior at the University of Nigeria, says with a smile. “Everything about Falz’s ‘This is Nigeria’ depicts the ills affecting our society. He is serving as a voice of the people on the street, and he did this so well by creating certain situations on the background that tell the story better and in clear terms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a State of the Union address delivered just a few days to Democracy Day,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/profile/eromo-egbejule\">Eromo Egbejule \u003c/a>a Nigerian writer, journalist and West African editor of \u003cem>The Africa Report\u003c/em>. “This is instructive socio-political commentary in a time where only a few bother with socially conscious music. The message has been delivered and right on time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cultural critics like Joey Akan, a music journalist based in Lagos, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/28/africa/falz-this-is-nigeria-video-analysis/index.html\">are drawing parallels\u003c/a> between Falz and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until his death in 1997, Kuti also used music to criticize military dictators, corruption and other social problems. But his frankness and acerbic criticism came with consequences: He was arrested on several occasions, jailed and beaten by soldiers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If anything like that were to happen to Falz, some of his fans say they’ll have his back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/segalink/status/1000518855159177222\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Linus Unah is a freelance journalist covering global health, conflict, agriculture and technology in Nigeria. Find him \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/linusunah?lang=en\">\u003cem>@linusunah\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Nigerian+Rapper+Goes+Viral+With+His+Take+On+%27This+Is+America%27&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Called \"This Is Nigeria,\" the music video by rapper Falz sheds light on the country's most pressing issues, from unemployed youth to unreliable electricity. Here's a handy guide to his references.",
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"title": "Nigerian Rapper Goes Viral With His Take On 'This Is America' | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/UW_xEqCWrm0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/UW_xEqCWrm0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Last week, a Nigerian rapper released his own version of Childish Gambino’s hit song and music video “This Is America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s called “This Is Nigeria” and was written and performed by lawyer-turned-musician Falz The Bahd Guy. Like the hugely popular Donald Glover song and video (Gambino is his stage name), the Nigerian version looks at harsh everyday realities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In “This Is America,” the issues include gun violence, racism and the distraction of viral entertainment and social media. Falz’s lyrics and visuals touch on some of Nigeria’s major problems: poor electricity supply, drug addiction and government corruption. The video even features veiled Muslim girls to allude to Boko Haram’s abductions of schoolgirls in the northeast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Falz performs in pidgin English, a blend of English and local languages that is widely spoken in West Africa. The chorus says:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is Nigeria.\u003cbr>\nNever-ending recession-o\u003cbr>\nWhere looters are killers and stealers are still contesting election-o.\u003cbr>\nPolitician wey steal some billion and billion e no dey go prison-o.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Released on May 25, just four days before the 19th anniversary of democracy in the West African nation, the three-minute video has been viewed on YouTube 2.9 million times. The hashtag \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/thisisnigeria\">#ThisIsNigeria\u003c/a> has generated tens of thousands of tweets. And the song has captured the attention of the American rapper Diddy, who reposted “This Is Nigeria” \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BjSNt8hFLkO/?hl=en&taken-by=diddy\">on his Instagram account\u003c/a>, where it currently has an additional 2.2 million views.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Falz, whose real name is Folarin Falana, is not new to social commentary. His music often reflects the views of his father, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femi_Falana\">Femi Falana\u003c/a>, a popular Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist. Falz’s previous songs “Child of the World,” “Confirm” and “Wehdone Sir” tackle sexual harassment, Internet fraud and the rise of \u003ca href=\"http://www.pulse.ng/bi/lifestyle/these-african-millionaires-pastors-are-living-like-superstars-id7861633.html\">wealthy megachurch pastors\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a non-Nigerian, the scenes in the video may be a bit hard to figure out at times. Here’s a guide to some of the references and meanings:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Colonialism [0:10]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834183\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834183\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-800x338.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-160x68.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-768x324.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-240x101.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-375x158.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-poverty-10s_custom-3756e2a13ca60a4cc4b70bdcb99343bf8d637a38-s800-c85-520x220.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The video begins with Falz clutching a boombox to his ear. The radio plays a clip from a speech delivered by his father, Falana, who is criticizing the Nigerian government: “… The medical facilities are poor. We operate a predatory neo-colonial capitalist system.” Falana speaks often on these issues on the radio.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Herders vs. farmers [00:30]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A machete-wielding man, dressed as a herdsman, simulates an attack on a blindfolded man. “Fulani herdsmen still dey slaughter, carry people dey massacre,” Falz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scene refers to the country’s simmering conflict between herders, many from the Fulani ethnic group, and farming communities. Since 2011, both sides have been embroiled in clashes \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/12/12/569913821/why-its-now-a-crime-to-let-cattle-graze-freely-in-2-nigerian-states\">that have claimed more than 2,000 lives, \u003c/a>according to Brussels-based think tank the International Crisis Group.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Money-eating snake [1:09]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834182\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-800x334.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-160x67.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-768x321.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-240x100.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-375x157.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-money-eating-snake-1m7s_custom-059fde4ebaa8ef0571ebd2a89f65059a3df9970f-s800-c85-520x217.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A woman picks up wads of colorful notes on the ground as a snake emerges from a half calabash melon to eat up the money. It’s a reference to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/13/africa/nigerias-snake-swallows-100000/index.html\">a story from February\u003c/a>: Philomena Chieshe, a sales clerk of Nigeria’s exam board, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, claimed that a snake ate 36 million naira ($100,000) from her office. Falz makes a joke about this story: “Where that Madam Philomena?” he asks, “money vanish for your office, 36 mily, you say na animal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Drug addiction [1:10]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the video, Falz shows a young Nigerian disembarking from a bus with a bottle of cough syrup in one hand. Last month, Nigeria’s health ministry banned cough syrup with codeine after a BBC \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43982302\">investigation \u003c/a>revealed the role of the syrup in Nigeria’s addiction epidemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Corruption [1:17]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Falz makes several references to corruption, calling out politicians who have been accused of stealing from the government. By many accounts, corruption is one of Nigeria’s biggest problems. According to a U.N. report, roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/Nigeria/Corruption_Nigeria_2017_07_31_web.pdf\">$4.6 billion is spent on bribes\u003c/a> in Nigeria each year. This part of the video struck a chord with Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of Nigeria’s central bank and presidential aspirant, who, after quoting the lyrics, called for a “new kind of leadership.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003ch3>Boko Haram [1:22]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834179\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834179\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-800x339.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-160x68.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-768x325.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-240x102.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-375x159.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-boko-harm-dance-2m_custom-1675c425e804ee20daacd94f820d860ce49188bf-s800-c85-520x220.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Falz with Boko Haram\u003cbr>(FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Falz is joined by four veiled Muslim schoolgirls, who depict the young women in Nigeria’s northeastern region where the radical group Boko Haram operates. Boko Haram militants came into the limelight in April 2014 when they kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February, a splinter group of Boko Haram abducted 110 girls from an all-girls boarding school in the town of Dapchi in northeastern Nigeria’s Yobe state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The girls are performing the \u003ca href=\"http://www.pulse.ng/gist/pop-culture/shaku-shaku-the-new-street-dance-style-we-should-all-learn-in-2018-id7799976.html\">shaku shaku dance\u003c/a>, a street dance that became popular in Nigeria this year. A similar scene is represented in Glover’s “This Is America”: amid violence and chaos, students perform dances that have gone viral on the Internet. In Glover’s video, critics say the scene illustrates people’s tendency to get distracted by viral entertainment instead of focusing on social issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Unethical preachers [1:47]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834181\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834181\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-800x301.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-160x60.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-768x289.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-240x90.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-375x141.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-dishonest-preachers-1m49s_custom-daea7038106e5f8f0118555123911e5985d97e46-s800-c85-520x196.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A young woman in a white garment is surrounded by a small group of people praying for her. In previous songs, Falz has criticized religious figures for money-making schemes. In “This is Nigeria,” Falz gets angrier: “Pastor put his hand in the breast of his member, he is pulling the demon out,” he raps. In April 2017, a Nigerian televangelist named Tim Omotoso was arrested and \u003ca href=\"https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1927417/1case-against-nigerian-sex-pastor-transferred-to-port-elizabeth-high-court/\">charged with trafficking\u003c/a> more than 30 girls and women from various branches of his church, and allegedly sexually exploiting them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Erratic electricity [1:51]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Falz worries that there is “no electricity daily o.” Nigerians often complain about this problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Lazy youth [1:54]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When President Muhammadu Buhari got a chance to speak at a Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on April, he said “a lot of” young Nigerians “sit and do nothing” and expect everything for free, including housing, health care and education. This attracted a backlash on social media, with young Nigerians using the hashtag #LazyNigerianYouth to fire back at the president. Falz’s rap defies the president’s assessment: “people working multiple jobs and dem talk sey we lazy o.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Internet fraud [2:14]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Falz throws a jab at Nigerian fraudsters who try to con people into sending them money via the Internet. Known as Yahoo Boys, some pretend to be beautiful women online and get into romantic relationships in order to con people into sending money; others use malware to control systems and compromise emails. The stereotypical Yahoo Boy drives a fast car and flaunts his wealth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Nigerian pop star has been vocal about his dislike for society’s acceptance of ill-gotten wealth. In the song, he criticizes society for acting like these fraudulent schemes are “so cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Police brutality [2:30]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13834184\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13834184\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-800x303.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-160x61.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-768x291.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-240x91.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-375x142.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-sars-2m37s_custom-b2a66ea4bcd07597624b92de4257df8aaae5a590-s800-c85-520x197.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screen grab by NPR\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this scene, officers from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian police, arrest three university students only to free one of them upon receiving a bribe from his wealthy father. Two SARS officers hit and kick one of the students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According \u003ca href=\"https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr44/4868/2016/en/\">a report from Amnesty International\u003c/a> in 2016, SARS has been cited for accepting bribes as well as engaging in extortion, torture and degrading treatment of detainees in their custody. In December 2017, using the hashtag #EndSARS on social media, Nigerians \u003ca href=\"https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/anti-sars-campaign-ig-orders-investigation-anti-robbery-squad/\">strongly called for an end to the brutality\u003c/a> meted out by SARS. In response, the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris ordered an investigation of the anti-robbery squad.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“I mean transmission” [3:00]\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13834196\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-800x304.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-160x61.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-768x292.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-240x91.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-375x143.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/tin-transmission-3m_custom-7668288260174f54fd81ba2a0735a8f06fb4fe27-s800-c85-520x198.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This scene is a parody of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thecable.ng/trending-video-mean-transmission-transmissionigp-struggles-read-speech\">popular video\u003c/a> from mid-May in which police chief Idris delivered a speech but ended up saying the word “transmission” over and over, rendering his talk nonsensical.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The reaction …\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Some Nigerians are critical of the video.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>“I love the song,” Ezichi Ogbu, a senior at the University of Nigeria, says with a smile. “Everything about Falz’s ‘This is Nigeria’ depicts the ills affecting our society. He is serving as a voice of the people on the street, and he did this so well by creating certain situations on the background that tell the story better and in clear terms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a State of the Union address delivered just a few days to Democracy Day,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/profile/eromo-egbejule\">Eromo Egbejule \u003c/a>a Nigerian writer, journalist and West African editor of \u003cem>The Africa Report\u003c/em>. “This is instructive socio-political commentary in a time where only a few bother with socially conscious music. The message has been delivered and right on time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cultural critics like Joey Akan, a music journalist based in Lagos, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/28/africa/falz-this-is-nigeria-video-analysis/index.html\">are drawing parallels\u003c/a> between Falz and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until his death in 1997, Kuti also used music to criticize military dictators, corruption and other social problems. But his frankness and acerbic criticism came with consequences: He was arrested on several occasions, jailed and beaten by soldiers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If anything like that were to happen to Falz, some of his fans say they’ll have his back.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Linus Unah is a freelance journalist covering global health, conflict, agriculture and technology in Nigeria. Find him \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/linusunah?lang=en\">\u003cem>@linusunah\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Nigerian+Rapper+Goes+Viral+With+His+Take+On+%27This+Is+America%27&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>he amount of reptiles inside of Scid Howard’s house outnumber the human residents five-to-one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has geckos, salamanders, blue belly lizards and snakes: a king snake, a couple ring-necked snakes, and even a rattlesnake that he caught and domesticated. Like, with his bare hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard isn’t a zoologist, nor a wildlife preservationist. He’s just a guy from East Oakland who’s always had an affinity for wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plastic toy animals that his mother bought for him when he was a kid were seeds sewn into his heart, and they’ve now sprouted into his full-blown passion. He has glass cages and large plastic cases that house all kinds of animals, some caught in the wild and some store-bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13833989\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13833989\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-800x1162.jpg\" alt=\"A snake at Scid Howard's house.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1162\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-160x232.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-768x1116.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-240x349.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-375x545.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-520x755.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A snake at Scid Howard’s house. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Scid Howard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is a breeding colony,” Howard told me as he opened one of the cases. “I’ve got three different animals in here: snakes, salamanders, and tarantulas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tarantulas?! Like, spiders?” I uttered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yeah, you want to see one?” he calmly retorted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hell yeah, I want to see one; I don’t want to hold one, though,” I said, still a little startled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Na, you don’t want to hold these,” he cautioned. “They’re venomous and they will attack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dumbfounded, I said, “Why do you have tarantulas in your house if they’re venomous?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He nonchalantly replied, “I’ve got a rattlesnake over there. I like venomous animals, I’ve always had a thing for…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Living on the wild side,” I finished his sentence for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked him about the leaves and shrubbery, “Where’d you get this?” He said, “It’s all from outside. I tried to make it look like what you see in the Oakland Hills; people walk past this stuff all the time and don’t know that it’s full of snakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went back to poking through the large container of reptiles and arachnids, and said, “Yeah, these all came from Oakland, bruh. Right here, up Keller Road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the very next sentence, he casually told me, “Right now I’m in the process of looking for a mountain lion, so I can record it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s Scid Howard in a handbag. Snakes, spiders and mountain lions—oh my.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13833988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1100px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13833988\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter.jpg\" alt=\"Scid Howard with his daughter, on the trail.\" width=\"1100\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-800x599.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-768x575.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-960x719.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scid Howard with his daughter, on the trail. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Scid Howard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>’m fascinated with Howard’s story because he’s an African American man from the ‘hood who loves the great outdoors; and he’s not the only one. While the popular narrative that people of color, specifically African Americans, don’t like the outdoors is slowly being chipped away through organizations like OutdoorAfro and Facebook groups dedicated to POC hikes, my guy Scid takes it to the next level. He eclipses the narrative that we don’t like hiking, camping, getting in tune with nature. He toes the line of being a Dr. Doolittle / Crocodile Hunter type—and he does it all with a gold-toothed smile and locs as long as some of the snakes he owns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s a real East Oakland kid. He’s been to sideshows, had run-ins with the law, and has lost close friends to gun violence; one even died in his arms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s this pain that he exorcises in the great outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All that stress: your homeboy getting shot, the police harassing you, racism, all of that shit goes out the door when you’re in the woods, bruh, because it’s so quiet.” He took a seat in his vivarium-styled living room, and continued to talk. “All you hear is the trees and the animals. And then you start to make connections. People think I’m crazy, but I’m starting to make more connections with animals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There \u003cem>are\u003c/em> some people who think he’s slightly off his rocker. When I told a friend I was doing a story on him, they referred to him as “Father Nature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet people are fascinated by his deep appreciation for the wildlife native to the East Bay; his \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/flyking45/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20,000 followers on Instagram\u003c/a> are evidence of that. In his videos, he lifts logs looking for snakes, and films families of bobcats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why aren’t you scared?” I asked him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because I’m the number-one predator,” he said, without hesitation. “I’m from Oakland, we’re dodging bullets. Think I’m going to be scared of a damn wildcat?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13833990\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1100px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13833990\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_.jpg\" alt=\"Scid Howard sees the life in East Oakland others overlook.\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scid Howard sees the life in East Oakland others overlook. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Scid Howard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>y exploring nature and using green spaces for mental health purposes, Howard is a prime example of why the June 5 vote on Proposition 68 is important. Among other things, if passed, the ballot measure would grant $200 million toward local parks (on a per-capita basis), allocate $725 million to park poor neighborhoods and grant $218 million toward improving public access to parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard, whose favorite park is Redwood Heights, where he says he has secret spots (and has discovered some ancient Native American ruins), is in favor of funding the upkeep and improvement of local parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also a big proponent of exposing young students of color to the benefits of indulgence in nature, as he wants to develop curriculum and speak at schools in the near future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With each adventure, Scid dispels myths and inspires those who tune into his wildlife channel on social media and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/user/mandingo45boy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At his house, before I left, he told me, “They assume Oakland is all about sideshows, pimping, hustling, selling dope, smoking weed, going to the clubs… we’re always stereotyped to be a certain way. But we are all talented in our own ways. I happen to know nature very well… I’ve found my purpose. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He then stepped outside with me into the neighborhood, the flatlands of Deep East Oakland. As we got closer to my car, he couldn’t help but to point to a grassy hill above 82nd Boulevard and say, “There’s all \u003cem>kinds\u003c/em> of alligator lizards up there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"headline": "The Snake Man of East Oakland",
"datePublished": "2018-05-31T13:32:28-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>he amount of reptiles inside of Scid Howard’s house outnumber the human residents five-to-one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has geckos, salamanders, blue belly lizards and snakes: a king snake, a couple ring-necked snakes, and even a rattlesnake that he caught and domesticated. Like, with his bare hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard isn’t a zoologist, nor a wildlife preservationist. He’s just a guy from East Oakland who’s always had an affinity for wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plastic toy animals that his mother bought for him when he was a kid were seeds sewn into his heart, and they’ve now sprouted into his full-blown passion. He has glass cages and large plastic cases that house all kinds of animals, some caught in the wild and some store-bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13833989\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13833989\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-800x1162.jpg\" alt=\"A snake at Scid Howard's house.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1162\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-160x232.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-768x1116.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-240x349.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-375x545.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Rattler-520x755.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A snake at Scid Howard’s house. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Scid Howard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is a breeding colony,” Howard told me as he opened one of the cases. “I’ve got three different animals in here: snakes, salamanders, and tarantulas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tarantulas?! Like, spiders?” I uttered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yeah, you want to see one?” he calmly retorted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hell yeah, I want to see one; I don’t want to hold one, though,” I said, still a little startled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Na, you don’t want to hold these,” he cautioned. “They’re venomous and they will attack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dumbfounded, I said, “Why do you have tarantulas in your house if they’re venomous?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He nonchalantly replied, “I’ve got a rattlesnake over there. I like venomous animals, I’ve always had a thing for…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Living on the wild side,” I finished his sentence for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked him about the leaves and shrubbery, “Where’d you get this?” He said, “It’s all from outside. I tried to make it look like what you see in the Oakland Hills; people walk past this stuff all the time and don’t know that it’s full of snakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went back to poking through the large container of reptiles and arachnids, and said, “Yeah, these all came from Oakland, bruh. Right here, up Keller Road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the very next sentence, he casually told me, “Right now I’m in the process of looking for a mountain lion, so I can record it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s Scid Howard in a handbag. Snakes, spiders and mountain lions—oh my.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13833988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1100px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13833988\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter.jpg\" alt=\"Scid Howard with his daughter, on the trail.\" width=\"1100\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-800x599.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-768x575.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-960x719.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Daughter-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scid Howard with his daughter, on the trail. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Scid Howard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>’m fascinated with Howard’s story because he’s an African American man from the ‘hood who loves the great outdoors; and he’s not the only one. While the popular narrative that people of color, specifically African Americans, don’t like the outdoors is slowly being chipped away through organizations like OutdoorAfro and Facebook groups dedicated to POC hikes, my guy Scid takes it to the next level. He eclipses the narrative that we don’t like hiking, camping, getting in tune with nature. He toes the line of being a Dr. Doolittle / Crocodile Hunter type—and he does it all with a gold-toothed smile and locs as long as some of the snakes he owns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s a real East Oakland kid. He’s been to sideshows, had run-ins with the law, and has lost close friends to gun violence; one even died in his arms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s this pain that he exorcises in the great outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All that stress: your homeboy getting shot, the police harassing you, racism, all of that shit goes out the door when you’re in the woods, bruh, because it’s so quiet.” He took a seat in his vivarium-styled living room, and continued to talk. “All you hear is the trees and the animals. And then you start to make connections. People think I’m crazy, but I’m starting to make more connections with animals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There \u003cem>are\u003c/em> some people who think he’s slightly off his rocker. When I told a friend I was doing a story on him, they referred to him as “Father Nature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet people are fascinated by his deep appreciation for the wildlife native to the East Bay; his \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/flyking45/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20,000 followers on Instagram\u003c/a> are evidence of that. In his videos, he lifts logs looking for snakes, and films families of bobcats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why aren’t you scared?” I asked him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because I’m the number-one predator,” he said, without hesitation. “I’m from Oakland, we’re dodging bullets. Think I’m going to be scared of a damn wildcat?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13833990\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1100px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13833990\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_.jpg\" alt=\"Scid Howard sees the life in East Oakland others overlook.\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/Howard.Trail_-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scid Howard sees the life in East Oakland others overlook. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Scid Howard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>y exploring nature and using green spaces for mental health purposes, Howard is a prime example of why the June 5 vote on Proposition 68 is important. Among other things, if passed, the ballot measure would grant $200 million toward local parks (on a per-capita basis), allocate $725 million to park poor neighborhoods and grant $218 million toward improving public access to parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard, whose favorite park is Redwood Heights, where he says he has secret spots (and has discovered some ancient Native American ruins), is in favor of funding the upkeep and improvement of local parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also a big proponent of exposing young students of color to the benefits of indulgence in nature, as he wants to develop curriculum and speak at schools in the near future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With each adventure, Scid dispels myths and inspires those who tune into his wildlife channel on social media and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/user/mandingo45boy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At his house, before I left, he told me, “They assume Oakland is all about sideshows, pimping, hustling, selling dope, smoking weed, going to the clubs… we’re always stereotyped to be a certain way. But we are all talented in our own ways. I happen to know nature very well… I’ve found my purpose. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He then stepped outside with me into the neighborhood, the flatlands of Deep East Oakland. As we got closer to my car, he couldn’t help but to point to a grassy hill above 82nd Boulevard and say, “There’s all \u003cem>kinds\u003c/em> of alligator lizards up there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the author of ‘\u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-og-harshaw-20170409-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Told Me\u003c/a>,’ a memoir about growing up in Oakland. Find him on Twitter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ogpenn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"id": "here-and-now",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
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