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With intimate aspects of her career and personal life, she says, the stage play contains details that even people who’ve known her for years aren’t going to believe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You really rapped for Tupac?” I blurt out during a recent phone call. “Yes!” she responds, “Crazy, right?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netta was just a 6th grader when her sister took her to a studio in East Oakland to kick some rhymes for the late thug poet. “I never talk about it,” Netta concedes, “because I don’t have the picture. It almost feels like it never happened.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2369\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81.jpeg\" alt=\"An African-American woman and a young girl pose for photo while sitting on wooden stairs.\" class=\"wp-image-13995235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-160x190.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-768x910.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-1297x1536.jpeg 1297w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-1729x2048.jpeg 1729w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Netta Brielle’s ‘One Shot,’ stage play, Crystal Corcuchia briefly portrays a young version of Netta Brielle. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tired of belittling the biggest moments of her life, she’s now sharing the tales that she’s glossed over or tucked away. “I’m trying to embrace that in this story,” she says of the show. A multitalented artist who’s seen highs and lows, Netta is the amalgamation of these anecdotes. “It is a big part of who I am, and why I see things the way I do,” she tells me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netta will perform the “musical memoir” in front of a small studio audience in the Bay Area in November. She’ll also film it, and release it later this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The production charts Netta’s path as a lifelong entertainer. As a kid, she performed at Oakland’s Fruitvale Playhouse, Berkeley’s Black Repertory Group Theater and San Francisco’s ACT. She later studied art at San Jose State, where she earned her degree after taking a break to pursue music. During that hiatus, she was singed to Atlantic Records, where she worked directly with music mogul Andre Harrell and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JQ3KKIW5g\">made songs with stars like T.I.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That all seems like a lifetime ago to Netta now. She’s currently in her final semester of a graduate program at Cal State Los Angeles, where she’s focused on the theater arts and retracing her love of storytelling in all its forms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I used to be into Shakespeare really deeply,” Netta reflects. But “every time I tried to go back to it, it always felt like the Bible. I wanted to understand, but a lot of the language was a little confusing for me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lately she’s had to revisit Shakespeare, specifically \u003cem>The Winter’s Tale\u003c/em>. “It was one of the pieces that I performed in one of my classes,” says Netta, “and it went over really well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story of a queen who needs to convince her romantic partner that she’s worthy of love resonated with Netta’s own experiences.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m always having to plead and show why I’m deserving, why I am committed and loyal,” she laments, noting that this time around, Shakespeare’s language spoke to her. Netta even references Queen Hermione’s monologue in her own play. “I figured I would add that in,” Netta says, of her writing process, “just to show that \u003cem>I do this for real.\u003c/em>“\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1492\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e.jpeg\" alt=\"A girl and a woman in a studio, rehearing for a play.\" class=\"wp-image-13995237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-160x119.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-768x573.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-1536x1146.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crystal Corcuchia and Netta Brielle rehearsing for the stage play, ‘One Shot.’ \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of Netta’s monologue, there’s humorous observations alongside the trauma of losing multiple family members and seeing loved ones subjected to domestic violence. “There’s a lot of people from the Bay Area,” says Netta, “who have shared a lot of similarities with my story.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The title of the play, \u003cem>One Shot\u003c/em>, is born from the misleading idea that artists, and humans in general, only have one shot to achieve their dream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But “everybody’s journey doesn’t look the same,” Netta attests. “Just because this works for me this way, doesn’t mean that it could for someone else, or vice versa.” What’s actually important in life, she says, is “taking a chance at something that terrifies you. And if it doesn’t work, it’s okay.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlearning that notion, of there being one and one chance only to reach a goal, has been an exercise in real time for the entertainer. “But the truth of the matter is,” she says, “there’s so many opportunities and shots you can take.” Pivoting is necessary for success, she says — it’s just not often talked about broadly. “And I think that we need to see more of \u003cem>those\u003c/em> stories.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the play, Netta is joined on stage by a young actress, Crystal Corcuchia, who plays a young version of the R&B singer and playwright. 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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, she’s bringing her life story to the theater with a new one-woman show, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/untitled-campaign-g0023l\">One Shot\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. With intimate aspects of her career and personal life, she says, the stage play contains details that even people who’ve known her for years aren’t going to believe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You really rapped for Tupac?” I blurt out during a recent phone call. “Yes!” she responds, “Crazy, right?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Netta was just a 6th grader when her sister took her to a studio in East Oakland to kick some rhymes for the late thug poet. “I never talk about it,” Netta concedes, “because I don’t have the picture. It almost feels like it never happened.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81.jpeg\" alt=\"An African-American woman and a young girl pose for photo while sitting on wooden stairs.\" class=\"wp-image-13995235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-160x190.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-768x910.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-1297x1536.jpeg 1297w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-1729x2048.jpeg 1729w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Netta Brielle’s ‘One Shot,’ stage play, Crystal Corcuchia briefly portrays a young version of Netta Brielle. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tired of belittling the biggest moments of her life, she’s now sharing the tales that she’s glossed over or tucked away. “I’m trying to embrace that in this story,” she says of the show. A multitalented artist who’s seen highs and lows, Netta is the amalgamation of these anecdotes. “It is a big part of who I am, and why I see things the way I do,” she tells me. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Netta will perform the “musical memoir” in front of a small studio audience in the Bay Area in November. She’ll also film it, and release it later this year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The production charts Netta’s path as a lifelong entertainer. As a kid, she performed at Oakland’s Fruitvale Playhouse, Berkeley’s Black Repertory Group Theater and San Francisco’s ACT. She later studied art at San Jose State, where she earned her degree after taking a break to pursue music. During that hiatus, she was singed to Atlantic Records, where she worked directly with music mogul Andre Harrell and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JQ3KKIW5g\">made songs with stars like T.I.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That all seems like a lifetime ago to Netta now. She’s currently in her final semester of a graduate program at Cal State Los Angeles, where she’s focused on the theater arts and retracing her love of storytelling in all its forms.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I used to be into Shakespeare really deeply,” Netta reflects. But “every time I tried to go back to it, it always felt like the Bible. I wanted to understand, but a lot of the language was a little confusing for me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I used to be into Shakespeare really deeply,” Netta reflects. But “every time I tried to go back to it, it always felt like the Bible. I wanted to understand, but a lot of the language was a little confusing for me.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lately she’s had to revisit Shakespeare, specifically \u003cem>The Winter’s Tale\u003c/em>. “It was one of the pieces that I performed in one of my classes,” says Netta, “and it went over really well.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lately she’s had to revisit Shakespeare, specifically \u003cem>The Winter’s Tale\u003c/em>. “It was one of the pieces that I performed in one of my classes,” says Netta, “and it went over really well.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The story of a queen who needs to convince her romantic partner that she’s worthy of love resonated with Netta’s own experiences.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m always having to plead and show why I’m deserving, why I am committed and loyal,” she laments, noting that this time around, Shakespeare’s language spoke to her. Netta even references Queen Hermione’s monologue in her own play. “I figured I would add that in,” Netta says, of her writing process, “just to show that \u003cem>I do this for real.\u003c/em>“\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m always having to plead and show why I’m deserving, why I am committed and loyal,” she laments, noting that this time around, Shakespeare’s language spoke to her. Netta even references Queen Hermione’s monologue in her own play. “I figured I would add that in,” Netta says, of her writing process, “just to show that \u003cem>I do this for real.\u003c/em>“\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e.jpeg\" alt=\"A girl and a woman in a studio, rehearing for a play.\" class=\"wp-image-13995237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-160x119.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-768x573.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-1536x1146.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crystal Corcuchia and Netta Brielle rehearsing for the stage play, ‘One Shot.’ \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the course of Netta’s monologue, there’s humorous observations alongside the trauma of losing multiple family members and seeing loved ones subjected to domestic violence. “There’s a lot of people from the Bay Area,” says Netta, “who have shared a lot of similarities with my story.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The title of the play, \u003cem>One Shot\u003c/em>, is born from the misleading idea that artists, and humans in general, only have one shot to achieve their dream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But “everybody’s journey doesn’t look the same,” Netta attests. “Just because this works for me this way, doesn’t mean that it could for someone else, or vice versa.” What’s actually important in life, she says, is “taking a chance at something that terrifies you. And if it doesn’t work, it’s okay.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Unlearning that notion, of there being one and one chance only to reach a goal, has been an exercise in real time for the entertainer. “But the truth of the matter is,” she says, “there’s so many opportunities and shots you can take.” Pivoting is necessary for success, she says — it’s just not often talked about broadly. “And I think that we need to see more of \u003cem>those\u003c/em> stories.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the end of the play, Netta is joined on stage by a young actress, Crystal Corcuchia, who plays a young version of the R&B singer and playwright. On stage, the child asks Netta questions about success. “Are we famous?” the girl asks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sometimes,” Netta responds. “We learned to stop waiting for the applause … We are everything we want to be, just not exactly how you imagined it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Netta Brielle’s ‘One Shot’ performance will be filmed in front of a small Bay Area audience in November. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nettabrielle/?hl=en\">More information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Netta Brielle’s ‘One Shot’ performance will be filmed in front of a small Bay Area audience in November. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nettabrielle/?hl=en\">More information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Netta Brielle tells her life story in a new, intimate stage play about pursuing one's dreams.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a singer, R&B artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13864299/after-leaving-behind-a-record-deal-netta-brielle-rediscovers-her-motivation\">Netta Brielle\u003c/a> has told her story through music for over a decade. With lyrics inspired by lived experiences, she’s cloaked it all in clever poetry, soothing harmonies and electric vocal runs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, she’s bringing her life story to the theater with a new one-woman show, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/untitled-campaign-g0023l\">One Shot\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. With intimate aspects of her career and personal life, she says, the stage play contains details that even people who’ve known her for years aren’t going to believe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You really rapped for Tupac?” I blurt out during a recent phone call. “Yes!” she responds, “Crazy, right?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netta was just a 6th grader when her sister took her to a studio in East Oakland to kick some rhymes for the late thug poet. “I never talk about it,” Netta concedes, “because I don’t have the picture. It almost feels like it never happened.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2369\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81.jpeg\" alt=\"An African-American woman and a young girl pose for photo while sitting on wooden stairs.\" class=\"wp-image-13995235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-160x190.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-768x910.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-1297x1536.jpeg 1297w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3390-02e1b7a6-edited-b3bedc81-1729x2048.jpeg 1729w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Netta Brielle’s ‘One Shot,’ stage play, Crystal Corcuchia briefly portrays a young version of Netta Brielle. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tired of belittling the biggest moments of her life, she’s now sharing the tales that she’s glossed over or tucked away. “I’m trying to embrace that in this story,” she says of the show. A multitalented artist who’s seen highs and lows, Netta is the amalgamation of these anecdotes. “It is a big part of who I am, and why I see things the way I do,” she tells me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netta will perform the “musical memoir” in front of a small studio audience in the Bay Area in November. She’ll also film it, and release it later this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The production charts Netta’s path as a lifelong entertainer. As a kid, she performed at Oakland’s Fruitvale Playhouse, Berkeley’s Black Repertory Group Theater and San Francisco’s ACT. She later studied art at San Jose State, where she earned her degree after taking a break to pursue music. During that hiatus, she was singed to Atlantic Records, where she worked directly with music mogul Andre Harrell and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JQ3KKIW5g\">made songs with stars like T.I.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That all seems like a lifetime ago to Netta now. She’s currently in her final semester of a graduate program at Cal State Los Angeles, where she’s focused on the theater arts and retracing her love of storytelling in all its forms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I used to be into Shakespeare really deeply,” Netta reflects. But “every time I tried to go back to it, it always felt like the Bible. I wanted to understand, but a lot of the language was a little confusing for me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lately she’s had to revisit Shakespeare, specifically \u003cem>The Winter’s Tale\u003c/em>. “It was one of the pieces that I performed in one of my classes,” says Netta, “and it went over really well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story of a queen who needs to convince her romantic partner that she’s worthy of love resonated with Netta’s own experiences.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m always having to plead and show why I’m deserving, why I am committed and loyal,” she laments, noting that this time around, Shakespeare’s language spoke to her. Netta even references Queen Hermione’s monologue in her own play. “I figured I would add that in,” Netta says, of her writing process, “just to show that \u003cem>I do this for real.\u003c/em>“\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1492\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e.jpeg\" alt=\"A girl and a woman in a studio, rehearing for a play.\" class=\"wp-image-13995237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-160x119.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-768x573.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/IMG_3360-e5794bfc-edited-7788c79e-1536x1146.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crystal Corcuchia and Netta Brielle rehearsing for the stage play, ‘One Shot.’ \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of Netta’s monologue, there’s humorous observations alongside the trauma of losing multiple family members and seeing loved ones subjected to domestic violence. “There’s a lot of people from the Bay Area,” says Netta, “who have shared a lot of similarities with my story.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The title of the play, \u003cem>One Shot\u003c/em>, is born from the misleading idea that artists, and humans in general, only have one shot to achieve their dream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But “everybody’s journey doesn’t look the same,” Netta attests. “Just because this works for me this way, doesn’t mean that it could for someone else, or vice versa.” What’s actually important in life, she says, is “taking a chance at something that terrifies you. And if it doesn’t work, it’s okay.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlearning that notion, of there being one and one chance only to reach a goal, has been an exercise in real time for the entertainer. “But the truth of the matter is,” she says, “there’s so many opportunities and shots you can take.” Pivoting is necessary for success, she says — it’s just not often talked about broadly. “And I think that we need to see more of \u003cem>those\u003c/em> stories.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the play, Netta is joined on stage by a young actress, Crystal Corcuchia, who plays a young version of the R&B singer and playwright. On stage, the child asks Netta questions about success. “Are we famous?” the girl asks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Sometimes,” Netta responds. “We learned to stop waiting for the applause … We are everything we want to be, just not exactly how you imagined it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Netta Brielle’s ‘One Shot’ performance will be filmed in front of a small Bay Area audience in November. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nettabrielle/?hl=en\">More information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "miss-ollies-sarah-kirnon-final-pop-up-burdell-oakland",
"title": "A Legendary Chef Bids Farewell With One Final Dinner in Oakland",
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"headTitle": "A Legendary Chef Bids Farewell With One Final Dinner in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than a decade, Sarah Kirnon presided over one of the Bay Area’s most widely celebrated restaurants. Until it closed in 2022, Miss Ollie’s, Kirnon’s Afro-Caribbean spot in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/old-oakland\">Old Oakland\u003c/a>, served up some of the tastiest braised oxtails, Bajan pepper sauce and skillet-fried chicken in the Bay. The restaurant also served as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910410/miss-ollies-oakland-closing\">important gathering place for Oakland’s Black, brown and queer communities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And now, Kirnon is going home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m focused on going back to my roots to Barbados next year,” she tells KQED, explaining that she’s decided to move back to her home village on the island. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent weeks, Kirnon has embarked on something of a farewell tour, hosting a number of pop-ups, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd2BzwCyjQ2/\">month-long residency\u003c/a> at Gold Palm in Uptown Oakland. Her final farewell dinner — at least for now — will be hosted at \u003ca href=\"https://www.burdelloakland.com/event-details-registration/grandma-series-sarah-kirnon\">Burdell on Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/a>. The event is part of the fine-dining soul food restaurant’s ongoing “Grandma Series,” which has previously featured guest chefs such as Intu-On Kornnawong (formerly of Jo’s Modern Thai), \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hamegram/\">Ham El-Waylly\u003c/a> (Strange Delight in New York) and James Syhabout (Commis). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The series provides a platform for chefs to share dishes rooted in family recipes. It’s a fitting theme to celebrate Kirnon’s legacy, as her own grandmother was the original “Miss Ollie.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of a Basquiat-style mural while wearing a blue chore coat, green beanie and black-rimmed glasses.\" class=\"wp-image-13995190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirnon’s restaurant, Miss Ollie’s, was one of Oakland’s most important and exciting restaurants before it closed in 2022. (Courtesy of Sarah Kirnon)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DexfGJfPYIf/?hl=en\">menu for the pop-up\u003c/a> ($114) features six family-style courses, plus additional sides and a dessert. One of the first courses is a roasted boniato with smoked herring Creole sauce. Kirnon says she wanted to highlight the sweet potato that is commonly eaten in the Caribbean because of its unparalleled fluffy texture. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other dishes on the menu will be familiar to longtime fans of Kirnon’s work — most notably her famous skillet-fried chicken with Bajan seasoning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Bajan [seasoning] is from Barbados. It’s like epis or sofrito,” Kirnon says of the seasoning paste, which she makes by adding vinegar, garlic and cloves to a mixture of chopped herbs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"A piece of fried chicken on blue-and-white checkered paper.\" class=\"wp-image-13910461\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The secret to Kirnon’s legendary skillet-fried chicken is “seasoning.” (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another dish will feature cassava dumplings, which she describes as the most difficult dish to nail down so the dumplings don’t wind up with an “overchewiness.” For the final savory course, Kirnon will serve oxtails braised in spice-infused casareep (cassava root juice reduced to a molasses-like consistency). “I believe the Amerindian tribes in Guyana would use [casareep] to preserve meat dishes,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Burdell dinner is the final Bay Area event Kirnon has planned before her big move, though she says she may occasionally come back and visit. It’s the perfect, full-circle way to go out: Kirnon designed the menu based on the Sunday dinners she grew up eating during her childhood in Barbados. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“As someone who was raised in a very matriarchal home, it’s inspired by the women that came before me,” she says. “Not just directly my grandmother, but my great-grandmother, my great-aunt, my aunt and my mother — them all being grandmothers as well.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sarah Kirnon’s Grandma Series dinner at\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/burdell_oak/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Burdell\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(4640 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) is on Sunday, Nov. 1, with a limited number of\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1277533&restref=1277533&experienceId=818450&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared&dateTime=2026-11-01T17%3A00%3A00&partySize=2\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> available at publication time. The dinner is priced at $114 per person (including gratuity).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than a decade, Sarah Kirnon presided over one of the Bay Area’s most widely celebrated restaurants. Until it closed in 2022, Miss Ollie’s, Kirnon’s Afro-Caribbean spot in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/old-oakland\">Old Oakland\u003c/a>, served up some of the tastiest braised oxtails, Bajan pepper sauce and skillet-fried chicken in the Bay. The restaurant also served as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910410/miss-ollies-oakland-closing\">important gathering place for Oakland’s Black, brown and queer communities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, Kirnon has embarked on something of a farewell tour, hosting a number of pop-ups, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd2BzwCyjQ2/\">month-long residency\u003c/a> at Gold Palm in Uptown Oakland. Her final farewell dinner — at least for now — will be hosted at \u003ca href=\"https://www.burdelloakland.com/event-details-registration/grandma-series-sarah-kirnon\">Burdell on Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/a>. The event is part of the fine-dining soul food restaurant’s ongoing “Grandma Series,” which has previously featured guest chefs such as Intu-On Kornnawong (formerly of Jo’s Modern Thai), \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hamegram/\">Ham El-Waylly\u003c/a> (Strange Delight in New York) and James Syhabout (Commis). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, Kirnon has embarked on something of a farewell tour, hosting a number of pop-ups, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd2BzwCyjQ2/\">month-long residency\u003c/a> at Gold Palm in Uptown Oakland. Her final farewell dinner — at least for now — will be hosted at \u003ca href=\"https://www.burdelloakland.com/event-details-registration/grandma-series-sarah-kirnon\">Burdell on Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/a>. The event is part of the fine-dining soul food restaurant’s ongoing “Grandma Series,” which has previously featured guest chefs such as Intu-On Kornnawong (formerly of Jo’s Modern Thai), \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hamegram/\">Ham El-Waylly\u003c/a> (Strange Delight in New York) and James Syhabout (Commis). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The series provides a platform for chefs to share dishes rooted in family recipes. It’s a fitting theme to celebrate Kirnon’s legacy, as her own grandmother was the original “Miss Ollie.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of a Basquiat-style mural while wearing a blue chore coat, green beanie and black-rimmed glasses.\" class=\"wp-image-13995190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirnon’s restaurant, Miss Ollie’s, was one of Oakland’s most important and exciting restaurants before it closed in 2022.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Sarah Kirnon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of a Basquiat-style mural while wearing a blue chore coat, green beanie and black-rimmed glasses.\" class=\"wp-image-13995190\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirnon’s restaurant, Miss Ollie’s, was one of Oakland’s most important and exciting restaurants before it closed in 2022.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Sarah Kirnon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DexfGJfPYIf/?hl=en\">menu for the pop-up\u003c/a> ($114) features six family-style courses, plus additional sides and a dessert. One of the first courses is a roasted boniato with smoked herring Creole sauce. Kirnon says she wanted to highlight the sweet potato that is commonly eaten in the Caribbean because of its unparalleled fluffy texture. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DexfGJfPYIf/?hl=en\">menu for the pop-up\u003c/a> ($114) features six family-style courses, plus additional sides and a dessert. One of the first courses is a roasted boniato with smoked herring Creole sauce. Kirnon says she wanted to highlight the sweet potato that is commonly eaten in the Caribbean because of its unparalleled fluffy texture. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other dishes on the menu will be familiar to longtime fans of Kirnon’s work — most notably her famous skillet-fried chicken with Bajan seasoning. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Bajan [seasoning] is from Barbados. It’s like epis or sofrito,” Kirnon says of the seasoning paste, which she makes by adding vinegar, garlic and cloves to a mixture of chopped herbs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another dish will feature cassava dumplings, which she describes as the most difficult dish to nail down so the dumplings don’t wind up with an “overchewiness.” For the final savory course, Kirnon will serve oxtails braised in spice-infused casareep (cassava root juice reduced to a molasses-like consistency). “I believe the Amerindian tribes in Guyana would use [casareep] to preserve meat dishes,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Burdell dinner is the final Bay Area event Kirnon has planned before her big move, though she says she may occasionally come back and visit. It’s the perfect, full-circle way to go out: Kirnon designed the menu based on the Sunday dinners she grew up eating during her childhood in Barbados. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As someone who was raised in a very matriarchal home, it’s inspired by the women that came before me,” she says. “Not just directly my grandmother, but my great-grandmother, my great-aunt, my aunt and my mother — them all being grandmothers as well.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sarah Kirnon’s Grandma Series dinner at\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/burdell_oak/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Burdell\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(4640 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) is on Sunday, Nov. 1, with a limited number of\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1277533&restref=1277533&experienceId=818450&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared&dateTime=2026-11-01T17%3A00%3A00&partySize=2\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> available at publication time. The dinner is priced at $114 per person (including gratuity).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sarah Kirnon’s Grandma Series dinner at\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/burdell_oak/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Burdell\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(4640 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) is on Sunday, Nov. 1, with a limited number of\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1277533&restref=1277533&experienceId=818450&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared&dateTime=2026-11-01T17%3A00%3A00&partySize=2\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> available at publication time. The dinner is priced at $114 per person (including gratuity).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Sarah Kirnon's Sunday pop-up at Burdell is her last event before she moves back to Barbados.",
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"title": "Miss Ollie's Legendary Chef Bids Farewell With One Final Dinner in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than a decade, Sarah Kirnon presided over one of the Bay Area’s most widely celebrated restaurants. Until it closed in 2022, Miss Ollie’s, Kirnon’s Afro-Caribbean spot in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/old-oakland\">Old Oakland\u003c/a>, served up some of the tastiest braised oxtails, Bajan pepper sauce and skillet-fried chicken in the Bay. The restaurant also served as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910410/miss-ollies-oakland-closing\">important gathering place for Oakland’s Black, brown and queer communities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And now, Kirnon is going home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m focused on going back to my roots to Barbados next year,” she tells KQED, explaining that she’s decided to move back to her home village on the island. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent weeks, Kirnon has embarked on something of a farewell tour, hosting a number of pop-ups, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd2BzwCyjQ2/\">month-long residency\u003c/a> at Gold Palm in Uptown Oakland. Her final farewell dinner — at least for now — will be hosted at \u003ca href=\"https://www.burdelloakland.com/event-details-registration/grandma-series-sarah-kirnon\">Burdell on Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/a>. The event is part of the fine-dining soul food restaurant’s ongoing “Grandma Series,” which has previously featured guest chefs such as Intu-On Kornnawong (formerly of Jo’s Modern Thai), \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hamegram/\">Ham El-Waylly\u003c/a> (Strange Delight in New York) and James Syhabout (Commis). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The series provides a platform for chefs to share dishes rooted in family recipes. It’s a fitting theme to celebrate Kirnon’s legacy, as her own grandmother was the original “Miss Ollie.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of a Basquiat-style mural while wearing a blue chore coat, green beanie and black-rimmed glasses.\" class=\"wp-image-13995190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/SarahKirnon-crop-b4c7ef47-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirnon’s restaurant, Miss Ollie’s, was one of Oakland’s most important and exciting restaurants before it closed in 2022. (Courtesy of Sarah Kirnon)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DexfGJfPYIf/?hl=en\">menu for the pop-up\u003c/a> ($114) features six family-style courses, plus additional sides and a dessert. One of the first courses is a roasted boniato with smoked herring Creole sauce. Kirnon says she wanted to highlight the sweet potato that is commonly eaten in the Caribbean because of its unparalleled fluffy texture. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other dishes on the menu will be familiar to longtime fans of Kirnon’s work — most notably her famous skillet-fried chicken with Bajan seasoning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Bajan [seasoning] is from Barbados. It’s like epis or sofrito,” Kirnon says of the seasoning paste, which she makes by adding vinegar, garlic and cloves to a mixture of chopped herbs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"A piece of fried chicken on blue-and-white checkered paper.\" class=\"wp-image-13910461\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The secret to Kirnon’s legendary skillet-fried chicken is “seasoning.” (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another dish will feature cassava dumplings, which she describes as the most difficult dish to nail down so the dumplings don’t wind up with an “overchewiness.” For the final savory course, Kirnon will serve oxtails braised in spice-infused casareep (cassava root juice reduced to a molasses-like consistency). “I believe the Amerindian tribes in Guyana would use [casareep] to preserve meat dishes,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Burdell dinner is the final Bay Area event Kirnon has planned before her big move, though she says she may occasionally come back and visit. It’s the perfect, full-circle way to go out: Kirnon designed the menu based on the Sunday dinners she grew up eating during her childhood in Barbados. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“As someone who was raised in a very matriarchal home, it’s inspired by the women that came before me,” she says. “Not just directly my grandmother, but my great-grandmother, my great-aunt, my aunt and my mother — them all being grandmothers as well.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sarah Kirnon’s Grandma Series dinner at\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/burdell_oak/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Burdell\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>(4640 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) is on Sunday, Nov. 1, with a limited number of\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1277533&restref=1277533&experienceId=818450&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared&dateTime=2026-11-01T17%3A00%3A00&partySize=2\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> available at publication time. The dinner is priced at $114 per person (including gratuity).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-crucible-closed-oakland-shut-down",
"title": "The Crucible, West Oakland’s Industrial Arts Hub, Shuts Down Suddenly",
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"headTitle": "The Crucible, West Oakland’s Industrial Arts Hub, Shuts Down Suddenly | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students, staff and faculty at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thecrucible.org/\">The Crucible\u003c/a> are in limbo after the sudden closure of the 27-year-old West Oakland industrial arts organization over the weekend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interim Executive Director Doug Yeiser sent emails to employees the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 24, stating that the center would be temporarily closed due to “serious financial circumstances.” The email did not include a reopening date.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We know this news is hard to receive, and we are deeply grateful for everything you bring to The Crucible,” Yeiser wrote. “Our commitment is to be straightforward and to keep you informed as decisions are made.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yeiser confirmed in a phone call with KQED that no staff is currently working at The Crucible, including him. The nonprofit’s board of directors will meet Monday and Tuesday evening to discuss next steps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Current students, who are taking classes in blacksmithing, enameling, glassblowing, welding, among other industrial arts, received even less information about the closure: “All classes and events are canceled until further notice. Thank you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“A lot of people have their artwork here. We have people who are working on their art theses here,” said Olivia Hara, The Crucible’s development manager. “They just closed everything without letting us know anything about if we’re going to be open again or when we can come and get our stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees were particularly worried, Hara said, about The Crucible’s beloved shop cat, Nopal. (Hara said that Nopal will go home with an employee.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13995093\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13995093\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The office door at The Crucible after Saturday’s email announcing the closure. (Olivia Hara)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1125\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13995092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13995092\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4.jpg 1125w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4-160x284.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4-864x1536.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nopal, The Crucible shop cat. (Olivia Hara)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The closure comes amid collective bargaining on behalf of faculty and staff, who unionized in early 2026 as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dedicated.cru/\">The Dedicated Cru\u003c/a>, part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In part, the union was formed in response to The Crucible’s ongoing financial hardship. As reported by Oaklandside, the nonprofit was listed as “\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/07/23/the-crucible-west-oakland-financial-issues/\">delinquent\u003c/a>” in 2024 for not filing necessary paperwork with the state. Current and former employees worried The Crucible wouldn’t survive another year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By 2025, that particular matter had been resolved, but \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/05/20/the-crucible-west-oakland-unionizing/\">employees told Oaklandside\u003c/a> that extreme budget cuts and slim staffing had created unsafe working conditions. Yeiser came on as interim executive director shortly after the unionization announcement in May 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This summer, Hara said, Yeiser announced there would need to be further layoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The union staff, committed to The Crucible’s long-term sustainability, has repeatedly offered concrete solutions for a roadmap to financial security — including staffing reductions at all levels of the organization, reductions in reliance on external contractors, and improved efficiencies within the physical warehouse,” the unionized employees wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WCESIJwp5gQuttBnp4w2_L97FbHHgvtfQRICqaGAWpg/edit?tab=t.0\">press release\u003c/a> on Monday. “All suggestions by the union staff to date have been ignored, or rebuffed by management and the Board.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The union’s press release goes on to cite over $1.5 million in grants that The Crucible had recently received from philanthropic organizations. Just last week, Yeiser was part of a tour of four Bay Area nonprofit arts centers that had recently received $100,000 each from the \u003ca href=\"https://craftcatalyst.centerforcraft.org/\">Craft Catalyst Initiative\u003c/a> in partnership with Etsy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, a sign taped to The Crucible office door reads, “Classes and events cancelled.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hara emphasized that the community of artists continues to bear the brunt of The Crucible’s financial ups and downs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is another art school that’s closing in the Bay Area, and I just don’t understand it,” she said, referring to the recent closure of the San Francisco Art Institute and the upcoming closure of California College of the Arts. “San Francisco used to be known as such a cultural epicenter.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We know this news is hard to receive, and we are deeply grateful for everything you bring to The Crucible,” Yeiser wrote. “Our commitment is to be straightforward and to keep you informed as decisions are made.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yeiser confirmed in a phone call with KQED that no staff is currently working at The Crucible, including him. The nonprofit’s board of directors will meet Monday and Tuesday evening to discuss next steps. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A lot of people have their artwork here. We have people who are working on their art theses here,” said Olivia Hara, The Crucible’s development manager. “They just closed everything without letting us know anything about if we’re going to be open again or when we can come and get our stuff.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The closure comes amid collective bargaining on behalf of faculty and staff, who unionized in early 2026 as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dedicated.cru/\">The Dedicated Cru\u003c/a>, part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students, staff and faculty at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thecrucible.org/\">The Crucible\u003c/a> are in limbo after the sudden closure of the 27-year-old West Oakland industrial arts organization over the weekend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interim Executive Director Doug Yeiser sent emails to employees the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 24, stating that the center would be temporarily closed due to “serious financial circumstances.” The email did not include a reopening date.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We know this news is hard to receive, and we are deeply grateful for everything you bring to The Crucible,” Yeiser wrote. “Our commitment is to be straightforward and to keep you informed as decisions are made.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yeiser confirmed in a phone call with KQED that no staff is currently working at The Crucible, including him. The nonprofit’s board of directors will meet Monday and Tuesday evening to discuss next steps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Current students, who are taking classes in blacksmithing, enameling, glassblowing, welding, among other industrial arts, received even less information about the closure: “All classes and events are canceled until further notice. Thank you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“A lot of people have their artwork here. We have people who are working on their art theses here,” said Olivia Hara, The Crucible’s development manager. “They just closed everything without letting us know anything about if we’re going to be open again or when we can come and get our stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees were particularly worried, Hara said, about The Crucible’s beloved shop cat, Nopal. (Hara said that Nopal will go home with an employee.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13995093\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13995093\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Door_2000-b679e06a-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The office door at The Crucible after Saturday’s email announcing the closure. (Olivia Hara)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1125\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13995092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13995092\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4.jpg 1125w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4-160x284.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Nopal_2000-5fe76ae4-864x1536.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nopal, The Crucible shop cat. (Olivia Hara)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The closure comes amid collective bargaining on behalf of faculty and staff, who unionized in early 2026 as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dedicated.cru/\">The Dedicated Cru\u003c/a>, part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In part, the union was formed in response to The Crucible’s ongoing financial hardship. As reported by Oaklandside, the nonprofit was listed as “\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/07/23/the-crucible-west-oakland-financial-issues/\">delinquent\u003c/a>” in 2024 for not filing necessary paperwork with the state. Current and former employees worried The Crucible wouldn’t survive another year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By 2025, that particular matter had been resolved, but \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/05/20/the-crucible-west-oakland-unionizing/\">employees told Oaklandside\u003c/a> that extreme budget cuts and slim staffing had created unsafe working conditions. Yeiser came on as interim executive director shortly after the unionization announcement in May 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This summer, Hara said, Yeiser announced there would need to be further layoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The union staff, committed to The Crucible’s long-term sustainability, has repeatedly offered concrete solutions for a roadmap to financial security — including staffing reductions at all levels of the organization, reductions in reliance on external contractors, and improved efficiencies within the physical warehouse,” the unionized employees wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WCESIJwp5gQuttBnp4w2_L97FbHHgvtfQRICqaGAWpg/edit?tab=t.0\">press release\u003c/a> on Monday. “All suggestions by the union staff to date have been ignored, or rebuffed by management and the Board.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The union’s press release goes on to cite over $1.5 million in grants that The Crucible had recently received from philanthropic organizations. Just last week, Yeiser was part of a tour of four Bay Area nonprofit arts centers that had recently received $100,000 each from the \u003ca href=\"https://craftcatalyst.centerforcraft.org/\">Craft Catalyst Initiative\u003c/a> in partnership with Etsy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, a sign taped to The Crucible office door reads, “Classes and events cancelled.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hara emphasized that the community of artists continues to bear the brunt of The Crucible’s financial ups and downs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is another art school that’s closing in the Bay Area, and I just don’t understand it,” she said, referring to the recent closure of the San Francisco Art Institute and the upcoming closure of California College of the Arts. “San Francisco used to be known as such a cultural epicenter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Music fans who worried about the New Parish’s closure late last year can rest assured that the Oakland venue won’t be turning into condos. On Oct. 22, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland-theater-project\">Oakland Theater Project\u003c/a> announced that it will take over the San Pablo Avenue space and convert it into a hub for theater, music and performing arts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Oakland is just a mecca of resilience — a passionate, incredible, diverse community — and it’s full of creatives and artists,” Oakland Theater Project Managing Director Colin Mandlin tells KQED. “So to be able to have people to share and present their work in their hometown … it’s going to be this kind of common-sense but also really celebratory and wonderful accomplishment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The theater company has signed a 10-year lease on the 13,000-square-foot building, with the option to buy it in the future. Oakland Theater Project’s vision is to create a 200-seat main theater, a second smaller theater, backstage areas and an expanded marquee lobby, bar and outdoor courtyard. Their goal is to have the space ready for audiences in the late spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">Oakland Theater Project’s own productions\u003c/a>, the new performing arts center will host concerts, talks, screenings and classes. Given the building’s long history as a music venue — first as Sweet Jimmie’s, then the New Parish — Oakland Theater Project is partnering with a concert presenter that they plan to announce in the coming days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, the New Parish hosted shows by musical greats, including The Jacka and Nipsey Hussle before both of their untimely passings. In its final year of operation, Oakland rap star Mistah F.A.B., R&B legend Teedra Moses, Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux and local, experimental techno outfit Cel Genesis all had events there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the building’s new incarnation, Mandlin says the musical programming will include an eclectic array of local and touring artists. “We very much value the history of a space, both in terms of its cultural significance, as well as the physical building and attributes itself,” he says. “And the fact that this space has hosted musical events for decades is definitely something that we want to honor and continue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new performing arts center comes at a time of expansion for Oakland Theater Project, whose next play \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/she\">\u003cem>She Se Puede (A Chorus of Huertas)\u003c/em>\u003c/a> premieres at their current, smaller Downtown Oakland location on Nov. 20. Mandlin says they regularly sell out performances in their 80-seat space without much advertising, and have had to take productions to larger venues, often outside of Oakland, to accommodate their growing audience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We have a really passionate and powerful community that supports us and that follows us,” Mandlin says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the Oakland Theater Project lost tens of thousands of dollars due to National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities funding cuts, Mandlin says donors and foundations have rallied around the theater company. The organization’s budget has quadrupled since 2021. He’s also hopeful about former arts nonprofit leader Lyz Luke’s appointment as the Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Manager at the start of the year, and says she’s working behind the scenes to secure more funding for the performing arts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s great timing for us to now take on this new venue and growth opportunity,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Music fans who worried about the New Parish’s closure late last year can rest assured that the Oakland venue won’t be turning into condos. On Oct. 22, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland-theater-project\">Oakland Theater Project\u003c/a> announced that it will take over the San Pablo Avenue space and convert it into a hub for theater, music and performing arts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Oakland is just a mecca of resilience — a passionate, incredible, diverse community — and it’s full of creatives and artists,” Oakland Theater Project Managing Director Colin Mandlin tells KQED. “So to be able to have people to share and present their work in their hometown … it’s going to be this kind of common-sense but also really celebratory and wonderful accomplishment.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The theater company has signed a 10-year lease on the 13,000-square-foot building, with the option to buy it in the future. Oakland Theater Project’s vision is to create a 200-seat main theater, a second smaller theater, backstage areas and an expanded marquee lobby, bar and outdoor courtyard. Their goal is to have the space ready for audiences in the late spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">Oakland Theater Project’s own productions\u003c/a>, the new performing arts center will host concerts, talks, screenings and classes. Given the building’s long history as a music venue — first as Sweet Jimmie’s, then the New Parish — Oakland Theater Project is partnering with a concert presenter that they plan to announce in the coming days. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">Oakland Theater Project’s own productions\u003c/a>, the new performing arts center will host concerts, talks, screenings and classes. Given the building’s long history as a music venue — first as Sweet Jimmie’s, then the New Parish — Oakland Theater Project is partnering with a concert presenter that they plan to announce in the coming days. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the years, the New Parish hosted shows by musical greats, including The Jacka and Nipsey Hussle before both of their untimely passings. In its final year of operation, Oakland rap star Mistah F.A.B., R&B legend Teedra Moses, Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux and local, experimental techno outfit Cel Genesis all had events there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the building’s new incarnation, Mandlin says the musical programming will include an eclectic array of local and touring artists. “We very much value the history of a space, both in terms of its cultural significance, as well as the physical building and attributes itself,” he says. “And the fact that this space has hosted musical events for decades is definitely something that we want to honor and continue.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the building’s new incarnation, Mandlin says the musical programming will include an eclectic array of local and touring artists. “We very much value the history of a space, both in terms of its cultural significance, as well as the physical building and attributes itself,” he says. “And the fact that this space has hosted musical events for decades is definitely something that we want to honor and continue.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new performing arts center comes at a time of expansion for Oakland Theater Project, whose next play \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/she\">\u003cem>She Se Puede (A Chorus of Huertas)\u003c/em>\u003c/a> premieres at their current, smaller Downtown Oakland location on Nov. 20. Mandlin says they regularly sell out performances in their 80-seat space without much advertising, and have had to take productions to larger venues, often outside of Oakland, to accommodate their growing audience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have a really passionate and powerful community that supports us and that follows us,” Mandlin says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though the Oakland Theater Project lost tens of thousands of dollars due to National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities funding cuts, Mandlin says donors and foundations have rallied around the theater company. The organization’s budget has quadrupled since 2021. He’s also hopeful about former arts nonprofit leader Lyz Luke’s appointment as the Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Manager at the start of the year, and says she’s working behind the scenes to secure more funding for the performing arts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Music fans who worried about the New Parish’s closure late last year can rest assured that the Oakland venue won’t be turning into condos. On Oct. 22, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland-theater-project\">Oakland Theater Project\u003c/a> announced that it will take over the San Pablo Avenue space and convert it into a hub for theater, music and performing arts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Oakland is just a mecca of resilience — a passionate, incredible, diverse community — and it’s full of creatives and artists,” Oakland Theater Project Managing Director Colin Mandlin tells KQED. “So to be able to have people to share and present their work in their hometown … it’s going to be this kind of common-sense but also really celebratory and wonderful accomplishment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The theater company has signed a 10-year lease on the 13,000-square-foot building, with the option to buy it in the future. Oakland Theater Project’s vision is to create a 200-seat main theater, a second smaller theater, backstage areas and an expanded marquee lobby, bar and outdoor courtyard. Their goal is to have the space ready for audiences in the late spring of 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">Oakland Theater Project’s own productions\u003c/a>, the new performing arts center will host concerts, talks, screenings and classes. Given the building’s long history as a music venue — first as Sweet Jimmie’s, then the New Parish — Oakland Theater Project is partnering with a concert presenter that they plan to announce in the coming days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, the New Parish hosted shows by musical greats, including The Jacka and Nipsey Hussle before both of their untimely passings. In its final year of operation, Oakland rap star Mistah F.A.B., R&B legend Teedra Moses, Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux and local, experimental techno outfit Cel Genesis all had events there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the building’s new incarnation, Mandlin says the musical programming will include an eclectic array of local and touring artists. “We very much value the history of a space, both in terms of its cultural significance, as well as the physical building and attributes itself,” he says. “And the fact that this space has hosted musical events for decades is definitely something that we want to honor and continue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new performing arts center comes at a time of expansion for Oakland Theater Project, whose next play \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/she\">\u003cem>She Se Puede (A Chorus of Huertas)\u003c/em>\u003c/a> premieres at their current, smaller Downtown Oakland location on Nov. 20. Mandlin says they regularly sell out performances in their 80-seat space without much advertising, and have had to take productions to larger venues, often outside of Oakland, to accommodate their growing audience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We have a really passionate and powerful community that supports us and that follows us,” Mandlin says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the Oakland Theater Project lost tens of thousands of dollars due to National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities funding cuts, Mandlin says donors and foundations have rallied around the theater company. The organization’s budget has quadrupled since 2021. He’s also hopeful about former arts nonprofit leader Lyz Luke’s appointment as the Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Manager at the start of the year, and says she’s working behind the scenes to secure more funding for the performing arts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s great timing for us to now take on this new venue and growth opportunity,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "town-beef-french-dip-sandwich-window-oakland-late-night",
"title": "A New Takeout Window in Oakland Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches Until 2 a.m.",
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"headTitle": "A New Takeout Window in Oakland Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches Until 2 a.m. | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Town Beef’s ‘Oakland-style’ take on the classic won’t stay under the radar for long.",
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"title": "Town Beef Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches in Oakland Until 2 a.m. | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ras-ceylon-oasis-tea-party-lama-shack-oakland-killah-priest",
"title": "At Ras Ceylon’s Upcoming Show, Bars Come With a Cup of Tea",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1570\" height=\"2223\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg\" alt=\"A man in sunglasses, black shirt and multicolored pants posing for a photo near a lake.\" class=\"wp-image-13994893\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-1085x1536.jpg 1085w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-1446x2048.jpg 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ras Ceylon, an Oakland-based MC and educator, recently dropped an album titled ‘Scrollz of Lion Rock.’ The project was executive produced by the late Oliver ‘Power’ Grant (co-founder of Wu-Tang Clan/founder of Wu Wear), Ras Ceylon made the album to honor Grant. (TKL Photography)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As lyricists spit hot bars and attendees sip warm drinks on Oct. 24 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelamashack.com/\">the LAMA Shack\u003c/a> in Oakland, rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rasceylon/\">Ras Ceylon\u003c/a> wants to move the crowd with what he calls “hip-hop with a purpose.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’ve been trained in the craft of MCing, so I take it very seriously,” Ceylon tells KQED during a recent phone call. “And the stage show is a major part of that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Saturday’s event, the Oasis Tea Party, is part tea ceremony and part cypher. Wu-Tang’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/realkillahpriest/\">Killah Priest\u003c/a> is set to headline, and his touring soirée features a slate of bar spitters, including Ras Ceylon, Fresno’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/planetasiamedallions/\">Planet Asia\u003c/a> and Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/casualrapgod/\">Casual\u003c/a> (of Hieroglyphics).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“And the sound system is clean,” Ras Ceylon adds, describing the LAMA Shack. “It’s got a little pond with a beautiful stage; it’s a really great way to enjoy music and be together in community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1682\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-scaled.jpg 1682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-160x244.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-768x1169.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-1009x1536.jpg 1009w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-1346x2048.jpg 1346w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1682px) 100vw, 1682px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As October is Black Panther History Month, Ras Ceylon says it’s important to remind artists to make relevant music and stay involved politically. (TKL Photography)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A veteran MC, Ras Ceylon is familiar with all parties involved: he’s performed at the LAMA Shack and rocked shows with Killah Priest. Ceylon’s latest project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://rasceylon.bandcamp.com/album/scrollz-of-lion-rock\">Scrollz of Lion Rock\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, features Wu-Tang Clan member \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialcappadonna/?hl=en\">Cappadonna \u003c/a>and Planet Asia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’ve been really pushing the physical release,” Ceylon tells me, breaking down his album distribution strategy. He’s printed three different vinyl variants, as well as CDs and cassette tapes. And he’s been moving them like it’s the late 1900s.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“While the average person, right now, consumes music primarily through streaming,” he says, “there is an emerging rebirth of supporters of the music investing in the physical product.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His point is backed by data. In 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162568704/vinyl-outsells-cds-first-time-since-1987-records\">vinyl outsold CDs\u003c/a> for the first time since 1987. Last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/\">the RIAA reported\u003c/a> that vinyl sales generated over $1.04 billion dollars. For some artists, \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewleimkuehler/2026/03/16/vinyl-sales-surpassed-1-billion-in-2025-report/\">pressing albums\u003c/a> is as lucrative as it was 40 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The audience is starting to realize that the artists are not making money off of [streaming],” Ceylon says. “It’s a collector’s item as well,” he adds. “We’re making art, and then we’re preserving it in an actual art form.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7PesPjsaPY&list=RDe7PesPjsaPY&start_radio=1\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With copies of his music in tow, Ceylon has pounded the pavement since his album dropped. He’s recorded multiple music videos for the project, and he’s hosted listening experience events in Los Angeles, Portland, Oakland, New York and Kingston, Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s always a pilgrimage returning to the roots of the culture,” he says, reflecting on his New York trip. A regular in the five boroughs, the artist says teaming up with Queensbridge’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tragedy252/?hl=en\">Tragedy Khadafi\u003c/a> on the 2018 album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://blackstoneofmecca.bandcamp.com/album/full-medal-jacket\">Full Medal Jacket\u003c/a>\u003c/em> solidified his connections to the Big Apple. And becoming affiliated with Wu-Tang has only reinforced that bond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That’s super inspirational,” Ceylon says, “being able to not only visit [New York], but also get accepted as a West Coast lyricist.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California-born with Sri Lankan roots, Ceylon brings his heritage and diverse influences into his latest project. A practitioner of technical rhyming, or what he once called “orthodox hip-hop,” his candid delivery shows through on tracks like “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbcxvcPfIXk&list=RDrbcxvcPfIXk&start_radio=1\">Land Grab\u003c/a>,” which explicitly addresses the impact of gentrification. On the track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvA7ZHZeRNU\">Heart Muscle\u003c/a>,” the MC opens up about his shortcomings in the search for a stable romantic relationship. And on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpRLdxQHOFw&list=RDgpRLdxQHOFw&start_radio=1\">River 2 Sea\u003c/a>,” featuring Solomon Childs, he raps about Israel, Gaza and oppressive systems here and abroad; the song echoes a sentiment he’s been pushing for 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I had a song in 2002 called ‘Decolonize,'” he says, explaining that he originally wrote it as an assignment while he was a student at San Francisco State University. “Whether it’s music, education or organizing, a decolonized approach is the only way we could do things. That framework gives us a context for everything we’re seeing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-bandcamp wp-block-embed-bandcamp\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://rasceylon.bandcamp.com/album/scrollz-of-lion-rock\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that spirit, Ras Ceylon has created his own label, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rasceylon.org/\">Still Decolonizing Music\u003c/a>. “It helps to unify struggles across the globe in terms of Indigenous, original people and resistance to neocolonialism, which is imperialism,” Ceylon says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the album’s standout tracks is “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzaoi2h2Czk&list=RDmzaoi2h2Czk&start_radio=1\">Ancestorz\u003c/a>,” which features East Bay vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/karasmusica/?hl=en\">Ka’ra Kersey\u003c/a> and Los Angeles lyrical titan \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ras_kass/?hl=en\">Ras Kass\u003c/a>. Produced by San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/monk_hts/?hl=en\">Monk HTS\u003c/a>, the song is an anthem for anyone who is both tapping into their history and pushing forward in pursuit of spiritual growth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That song was actually charting in Sri Lanka on a commercial radio countdown,” Ceylon says. The track marks a return for the rapper, who visited the island nation last year for the first time in over a decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He visited throughout his childhood, and returned as an adult after the end of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/18/sri-lanka-conflict\">Sri Lankan civil war\u003c/a>, a conflict between the predominantly Sinhalese government and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/srilanka/thestory.html\">Tamil Tigers\u003c/a> that lasted from 1983 to 2009. The ethnic conflict was largely brought about by postcolonial instability after the end of British rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2012, Ceylon went back to do post-civil war reconciliation work with young people by “applying a lot of the same restorative justice and nonviolent communication principles that I’ve worked on here in Oakland,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The work went well but the problem was his music, namely his song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQiryIS5Bfo&list=RDJQiryIS5Bfo&start_radio=1\">Heal Lanka\u003c/a>.” A post-civil war peace anthem, the track was banned by the government at the time, Ceylon says. Now, a dozen years later, his music can be heard on the airwaves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With East Coast guests and international influences, Ras Ceylon still makes space for a truly West Coast track or two on the album. The song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1oRvMQi0tI&list=RDW1oRvMQi0tI&start_radio=1\">Uprising\u003c/a>,” produced by Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aka1frank/?hl=en\">akaFrank\u003c/a>, the track undeniably echoes the sound of the soil. “That’s almost like a Bay anthem,” Ceylon says; he shouts out cities throughout the region on the track. Sonically, the song is “modern hyphy,” he says. “But always keeping the substance in there, too.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ever the lyricist, he packs in a message about the importance of resisting oppression, no matter the beat’s tempo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Ras Ceylon, Planet Asia, Casual, Killah Priest and more perform at the Oasis Tea Party event on Oct. 24 at the LAMA Shack in Oakland. For more information \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thelamashack/2335195?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaeWy2arvKkIxTEVuL6LTNXLZccjw3R0FQir-oDz0ve3M7RTyhwn-jnf5JmyoQ_aem_s5M5KxTrLdOJWeacx-3lxw\">check here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg\" alt=\"A man in sunglasses, black shirt and multicolored pants posing for a photo near a lake.\" class=\"wp-image-13994893\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-1085x1536.jpg 1085w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-1446x2048.jpg 1446w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ras Ceylon, an Oakland-based MC and educator, recently dropped an album titled ‘Scrollz of Lion Rock.’ The project was executive produced by the late Oliver ‘Power’ Grant (co-founder of Wu-Tang Clan/founder of Wu Wear), Ras Ceylon made the album to honor Grant.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (TKL Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg\" alt=\"A man in sunglasses, black shirt and multicolored pants posing for a photo near a lake.\" class=\"wp-image-13994893\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ras Ceylon, an Oakland-based MC and educator, recently dropped an album titled ‘Scrollz of Lion Rock.’ The project was executive produced by the late Oliver ‘Power’ Grant (co-founder of Wu-Tang Clan/founder of Wu Wear), Ras Ceylon made the album to honor Grant.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (TKL Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As lyricists spit hot bars and attendees sip warm drinks on Oct. 24 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelamashack.com/\">the LAMA Shack\u003c/a> in Oakland, rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rasceylon/\">Ras Ceylon\u003c/a> wants to move the crowd with what he calls “hip-hop with a purpose.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As lyricists spit hot bars and attendees sip warm drinks on Oct. 24 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelamashack.com/\">the LAMA Shack\u003c/a> in Oakland, rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rasceylon/\">Ras Ceylon\u003c/a> wants to move the crowd with what he calls “hip-hop with a purpose.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve been trained in the craft of MCing, so I take it very seriously,” Ceylon tells KQED during a recent phone call. “And the stage show is a major part of that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve been trained in the craft of MCing, so I take it very seriously,” Ceylon tells KQED during a recent phone call. “And the stage show is a major part of that.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This Saturday’s event, the Oasis Tea Party, is part tea ceremony and part cypher. Wu-Tang’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/realkillahpriest/\">Killah Priest\u003c/a> is set to headline, and his touring soirée features a slate of bar spitters, including Ras Ceylon, Fresno’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/planetasiamedallions/\">Planet Asia\u003c/a> and Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/casualrapgod/\">Casual\u003c/a> (of Hieroglyphics).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This Saturday’s event, the Oasis Tea Party, is part tea ceremony and part cypher. Wu-Tang’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/realkillahpriest/\">Killah Priest\u003c/a> is set to headline, and his touring soirée features a slate of bar spitters, including Ras Ceylon, Fresno’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/planetasiamedallions/\">Planet Asia\u003c/a> and Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/casualrapgod/\">Casual\u003c/a> (of Hieroglyphics).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And the sound system is clean,” Ras Ceylon adds, describing the LAMA Shack. “It’s got a little pond with a beautiful stage; it’s a really great way to enjoy music and be together in community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And the sound system is clean,” Ras Ceylon adds, describing the LAMA Shack. “It’s got a little pond with a beautiful stage; it’s a really great way to enjoy music and be together in community.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994894\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As October is Black Panther History Month, Ras Ceylon says it’s important to remind artists to make relevant music and stay involved politically.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (TKL Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A veteran MC, Ras Ceylon is familiar with all parties involved: he’s performed at the LAMA Shack and rocked shows with Killah Priest. Ceylon’s latest project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://rasceylon.bandcamp.com/album/scrollz-of-lion-rock\">Scrollz of Lion Rock\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, features Wu-Tang Clan member \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialcappadonna/?hl=en\">Cappadonna \u003c/a>and Planet Asia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve been really pushing the physical release,” Ceylon tells me, breaking down his album distribution strategy. He’s printed three different vinyl variants, as well as CDs and cassette tapes. And he’s been moving them like it’s the late 1900s.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“While the average person, right now, consumes music primarily through streaming,” he says, “there is an emerging rebirth of supporters of the music investing in the physical product.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His point is backed by data. In 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162568704/vinyl-outsells-cds-first-time-since-1987-records\">vinyl outsold CDs\u003c/a> for the first time since 1987. Last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/\">the RIAA reported\u003c/a> that vinyl sales generated over $1.04 billion dollars. For some artists, \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewleimkuehler/2026/03/16/vinyl-sales-surpassed-1-billion-in-2025-report/\">pressing albums\u003c/a> is as lucrative as it was 40 years ago.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His point is backed by data. In 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162568704/vinyl-outsells-cds-first-time-since-1987-records\">vinyl outsold CDs\u003c/a> for the first time since 1987. Last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/\">the RIAA reported\u003c/a> that vinyl sales generated over $1.04 billion dollars. For some artists, \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewleimkuehler/2026/03/16/vinyl-sales-surpassed-1-billion-in-2025-report/\">pressing albums\u003c/a> is as lucrative as it was 40 years ago.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The audience is starting to realize that the artists are not making money off of [streaming],” Ceylon says. “It’s a collector’s item as well,” he adds. “We’re making art, and then we’re preserving it in an actual art form.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With copies of his music in tow, Ceylon has pounded the pavement since his album dropped. He’s recorded multiple music videos for the project, and he’s hosted listening experience events in Los Angeles, Portland, Oakland, New York and Kingston, Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s always a pilgrimage returning to the roots of the culture,” he says, reflecting on his New York trip. A regular in the five boroughs, the artist says teaming up with Queensbridge’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tragedy252/?hl=en\">Tragedy Khadafi\u003c/a> on the 2018 album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://blackstoneofmecca.bandcamp.com/album/full-medal-jacket\">Full Medal Jacket\u003c/a>\u003c/em> solidified his connections to the Big Apple. And becoming affiliated with Wu-Tang has only reinforced that bond. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s super inspirational,” Ceylon says, “being able to not only visit [New York], but also get accepted as a West Coast lyricist.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California-born with Sri Lankan roots, Ceylon brings his heritage and diverse influences into his latest project. A practitioner of technical rhyming, or what he once called “orthodox hip-hop,” his candid delivery shows through on tracks like “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbcxvcPfIXk&list=RDrbcxvcPfIXk&start_radio=1\">Land Grab\u003c/a>,” which explicitly addresses the impact of gentrification. On the track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvA7ZHZeRNU\">Heart Muscle\u003c/a>,” the MC opens up about his shortcomings in the search for a stable romantic relationship. And on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpRLdxQHOFw&list=RDgpRLdxQHOFw&start_radio=1\">River 2 Sea\u003c/a>,” featuring Solomon Childs, he raps about Israel, Gaza and oppressive systems here and abroad; the song echoes a sentiment he’s been pushing for 20 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California-born with Sri Lankan roots, Ceylon brings his heritage and diverse influences into his latest project. A practitioner of technical rhyming, or what he once called “orthodox hip-hop,” his candid delivery shows through on tracks like “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbcxvcPfIXk&list=RDrbcxvcPfIXk&start_radio=1\">Land Grab\u003c/a>,” which explicitly addresses the impact of gentrification. On the track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvA7ZHZeRNU\">Heart Muscle\u003c/a>,” the MC opens up about his shortcomings in the search for a stable romantic relationship. And on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpRLdxQHOFw&list=RDgpRLdxQHOFw&start_radio=1\">River 2 Sea\u003c/a>,” featuring Solomon Childs, he raps about Israel, Gaza and oppressive systems here and abroad; the song echoes a sentiment he’s been pushing for 20 years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I had a song in 2002 called ‘Decolonize,'” he says, explaining that he originally wrote it as an assignment while he was a student at San Francisco State University. “Whether it’s music, education or organizing, a decolonized approach is the only way we could do things. That framework gives us a context for everything we’re seeing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I had a song in 2002 called ‘Decolonize,'” he says, explaining that he originally wrote it as an assignment while he was a student at San Francisco State University. “Whether it’s music, education or organizing, a decolonized approach is the only way we could do things. That framework gives us a context for everything we’re seeing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In that spirit, Ras Ceylon has created his own label, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rasceylon.org/\">Still Decolonizing Music\u003c/a>. “It helps to unify struggles across the globe in terms of Indigenous, original people and resistance to neocolonialism, which is imperialism,” Ceylon says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In that spirit, Ras Ceylon has created his own label, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rasceylon.org/\">Still Decolonizing Music\u003c/a>. “It helps to unify struggles across the globe in terms of Indigenous, original people and resistance to neocolonialism, which is imperialism,” Ceylon says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the album’s standout tracks is “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzaoi2h2Czk&list=RDmzaoi2h2Czk&start_radio=1\">Ancestorz\u003c/a>,” which features East Bay vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/karasmusica/?hl=en\">Ka’ra Kersey\u003c/a> and Los Angeles lyrical titan \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ras_kass/?hl=en\">Ras Kass\u003c/a>. Produced by San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/monk_hts/?hl=en\">Monk HTS\u003c/a>, the song is an anthem for anyone who is both tapping into their history and pushing forward in pursuit of spiritual growth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the album’s standout tracks is “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzaoi2h2Czk&list=RDmzaoi2h2Czk&start_radio=1\">Ancestorz\u003c/a>,” which features East Bay vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/karasmusica/?hl=en\">Ka’ra Kersey\u003c/a> and Los Angeles lyrical titan \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ras_kass/?hl=en\">Ras Kass\u003c/a>. Produced by San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/monk_hts/?hl=en\">Monk HTS\u003c/a>, the song is an anthem for anyone who is both tapping into their history and pushing forward in pursuit of spiritual growth.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That song was actually charting in Sri Lanka on a commercial radio countdown,” Ceylon says. The track marks a return for the rapper, who visited the island nation last year for the first time in over a decade.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That song was actually charting in Sri Lanka on a commercial radio countdown,” Ceylon says. The track marks a return for the rapper, who visited the island nation last year for the first time in over a decade.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He visited throughout his childhood, and returned as an adult after the end of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/18/sri-lanka-conflict\">Sri Lankan civil war\u003c/a>, a conflict between the predominantly Sinhalese government and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/srilanka/thestory.html\">Tamil Tigers\u003c/a> that lasted from 1983 to 2009. The ethnic conflict was largely brought about by postcolonial instability after the end of British rule.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2012, Ceylon went back to do post-civil war reconciliation work with young people by “applying a lot of the same restorative justice and nonviolent communication principles that I’ve worked on here in Oakland,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The work went well but the problem was his music, namely his song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQiryIS5Bfo&list=RDJQiryIS5Bfo&start_radio=1\">Heal Lanka\u003c/a>.” A post-civil war peace anthem, the track was banned by the government at the time, Ceylon says. Now, a dozen years later, his music can be heard on the airwaves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The work went well but the problem was his music, namely his song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQiryIS5Bfo&list=RDJQiryIS5Bfo&start_radio=1\">Heal Lanka\u003c/a>.” A post-civil war peace anthem, the track was banned by the government at the time, Ceylon says. Now, a dozen years later, his music can be heard on the airwaves.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With East Coast guests and international influences, Ras Ceylon still makes space for a truly West Coast track or two on the album. The song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1oRvMQi0tI&list=RDW1oRvMQi0tI&start_radio=1\">Uprising\u003c/a>,” produced by Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aka1frank/?hl=en\">akaFrank\u003c/a>, the track undeniably echoes the sound of the soil. “That’s almost like a Bay anthem,” Ceylon says; he shouts out cities throughout the region on the track. Sonically, the song is “modern hyphy,” he says. “But always keeping the substance in there, too.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ever the lyricist, he packs in a message about the importance of resisting oppression, no matter the beat’s tempo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ras Ceylon, Planet Asia, Casual, Killah Priest and more perform at the Oasis Tea Party event on Oct. 24 at the LAMA Shack in Oakland. For more information \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thelamashack/2335195?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaeWy2arvKkIxTEVuL6LTNXLZccjw3R0FQir-oDz0ve3M7RTyhwn-jnf5JmyoQ_aem_s5M5KxTrLdOJWeacx-3lxw\">check here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Killah Priest, Planet Asia and Casual perform at the Oasis Tea Party, Oct. 24 at Oakland’s LAMA Shack.",
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"title": "At Ras Ceylon’s Upcoming Show, Bars Come With a Cup of Tea | KQED",
"description": "Killah Priest, Planet Asia and Casual perform at the Oasis Tea Party, Oct. 24 at Oakland’s LAMA Shack.",
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"headline": "At Ras Ceylon’s Upcoming Show, Bars Come With a Cup of Tea",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1570\" height=\"2223\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg\" alt=\"A man in sunglasses, black shirt and multicolored pants posing for a photo near a lake.\" class=\"wp-image-13994893\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-1085x1536.jpg 1085w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-1-163441f5-scaled-e1792517665666-1446x2048.jpg 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ras Ceylon, an Oakland-based MC and educator, recently dropped an album titled ‘Scrollz of Lion Rock.’ The project was executive produced by the late Oliver ‘Power’ Grant (co-founder of Wu-Tang Clan/founder of Wu Wear), Ras Ceylon made the album to honor Grant. (TKL Photography)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As lyricists spit hot bars and attendees sip warm drinks on Oct. 24 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelamashack.com/\">the LAMA Shack\u003c/a> in Oakland, rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rasceylon/\">Ras Ceylon\u003c/a> wants to move the crowd with what he calls “hip-hop with a purpose.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’ve been trained in the craft of MCing, so I take it very seriously,” Ceylon tells KQED during a recent phone call. “And the stage show is a major part of that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Saturday’s event, the Oasis Tea Party, is part tea ceremony and part cypher. Wu-Tang’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/realkillahpriest/\">Killah Priest\u003c/a> is set to headline, and his touring soirée features a slate of bar spitters, including Ras Ceylon, Fresno’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/planetasiamedallions/\">Planet Asia\u003c/a> and Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/casualrapgod/\">Casual\u003c/a> (of Hieroglyphics).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“And the sound system is clean,” Ras Ceylon adds, describing the LAMA Shack. “It’s got a little pond with a beautiful stage; it’s a really great way to enjoy music and be together in community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1682\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-scaled.jpg 1682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-160x244.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-768x1169.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-1009x1536.jpg 1009w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/0-2-ad87c7b0-1346x2048.jpg 1346w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1682px) 100vw, 1682px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As October is Black Panther History Month, Ras Ceylon says it’s important to remind artists to make relevant music and stay involved politically. (TKL Photography)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A veteran MC, Ras Ceylon is familiar with all parties involved: he’s performed at the LAMA Shack and rocked shows with Killah Priest. Ceylon’s latest project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://rasceylon.bandcamp.com/album/scrollz-of-lion-rock\">Scrollz of Lion Rock\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, features Wu-Tang Clan member \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialcappadonna/?hl=en\">Cappadonna \u003c/a>and Planet Asia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’ve been really pushing the physical release,” Ceylon tells me, breaking down his album distribution strategy. He’s printed three different vinyl variants, as well as CDs and cassette tapes. And he’s been moving them like it’s the late 1900s.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“While the average person, right now, consumes music primarily through streaming,” he says, “there is an emerging rebirth of supporters of the music investing in the physical product.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His point is backed by data. In 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162568704/vinyl-outsells-cds-first-time-since-1987-records\">vinyl outsold CDs\u003c/a> for the first time since 1987. Last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/\">the RIAA reported\u003c/a> that vinyl sales generated over $1.04 billion dollars. For some artists, \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewleimkuehler/2026/03/16/vinyl-sales-surpassed-1-billion-in-2025-report/\">pressing albums\u003c/a> is as lucrative as it was 40 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The audience is starting to realize that the artists are not making money off of [streaming],” Ceylon says. “It’s a collector’s item as well,” he adds. “We’re making art, and then we’re preserving it in an actual art form.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\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/e7PesPjsaPY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/e7PesPjsaPY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With copies of his music in tow, Ceylon has pounded the pavement since his album dropped. He’s recorded multiple music videos for the project, and he’s hosted listening experience events in Los Angeles, Portland, Oakland, New York and Kingston, Jamaica.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s always a pilgrimage returning to the roots of the culture,” he says, reflecting on his New York trip. A regular in the five boroughs, the artist says teaming up with Queensbridge’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tragedy252/?hl=en\">Tragedy Khadafi\u003c/a> on the 2018 album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://blackstoneofmecca.bandcamp.com/album/full-medal-jacket\">Full Medal Jacket\u003c/a>\u003c/em> solidified his connections to the Big Apple. And becoming affiliated with Wu-Tang has only reinforced that bond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That’s super inspirational,” Ceylon says, “being able to not only visit [New York], but also get accepted as a West Coast lyricist.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California-born with Sri Lankan roots, Ceylon brings his heritage and diverse influences into his latest project. A practitioner of technical rhyming, or what he once called “orthodox hip-hop,” his candid delivery shows through on tracks like “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbcxvcPfIXk&list=RDrbcxvcPfIXk&start_radio=1\">Land Grab\u003c/a>,” which explicitly addresses the impact of gentrification. On the track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvA7ZHZeRNU\">Heart Muscle\u003c/a>,” the MC opens up about his shortcomings in the search for a stable romantic relationship. And on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpRLdxQHOFw&list=RDgpRLdxQHOFw&start_radio=1\">River 2 Sea\u003c/a>,” featuring Solomon Childs, he raps about Israel, Gaza and oppressive systems here and abroad; the song echoes a sentiment he’s been pushing for 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I had a song in 2002 called ‘Decolonize,'” he says, explaining that he originally wrote it as an assignment while he was a student at San Francisco State University. “Whether it’s music, education or organizing, a decolonized approach is the only way we could do things. That framework gives us a context for everything we’re seeing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-bandcamp wp-block-embed-bandcamp\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://rasceylon.bandcamp.com/album/scrollz-of-lion-rock\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that spirit, Ras Ceylon has created his own label, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rasceylon.org/\">Still Decolonizing Music\u003c/a>. “It helps to unify struggles across the globe in terms of Indigenous, original people and resistance to neocolonialism, which is imperialism,” Ceylon says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the album’s standout tracks is “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzaoi2h2Czk&list=RDmzaoi2h2Czk&start_radio=1\">Ancestorz\u003c/a>,” which features East Bay vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/karasmusica/?hl=en\">Ka’ra Kersey\u003c/a> and Los Angeles lyrical titan \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ras_kass/?hl=en\">Ras Kass\u003c/a>. Produced by San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/monk_hts/?hl=en\">Monk HTS\u003c/a>, the song is an anthem for anyone who is both tapping into their history and pushing forward in pursuit of spiritual growth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That song was actually charting in Sri Lanka on a commercial radio countdown,” Ceylon says. The track marks a return for the rapper, who visited the island nation last year for the first time in over a decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He visited throughout his childhood, and returned as an adult after the end of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/18/sri-lanka-conflict\">Sri Lankan civil war\u003c/a>, a conflict between the predominantly Sinhalese government and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/srilanka/thestory.html\">Tamil Tigers\u003c/a> that lasted from 1983 to 2009. The ethnic conflict was largely brought about by postcolonial instability after the end of British rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2012, Ceylon went back to do post-civil war reconciliation work with young people by “applying a lot of the same restorative justice and nonviolent communication principles that I’ve worked on here in Oakland,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The work went well but the problem was his music, namely his song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQiryIS5Bfo&list=RDJQiryIS5Bfo&start_radio=1\">Heal Lanka\u003c/a>.” A post-civil war peace anthem, the track was banned by the government at the time, Ceylon says. Now, a dozen years later, his music can be heard on the airwaves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With East Coast guests and international influences, Ras Ceylon still makes space for a truly West Coast track or two on the album. The song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1oRvMQi0tI&list=RDW1oRvMQi0tI&start_radio=1\">Uprising\u003c/a>,” produced by Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aka1frank/?hl=en\">akaFrank\u003c/a>, the track undeniably echoes the sound of the soil. “That’s almost like a Bay anthem,” Ceylon says; he shouts out cities throughout the region on the track. Sonically, the song is “modern hyphy,” he says. “But always keeping the substance in there, too.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ever the lyricist, he packs in a message about the importance of resisting oppression, no matter the beat’s tempo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Ras Ceylon, Planet Asia, Casual, Killah Priest and more perform at the Oasis Tea Party event on Oct. 24 at the LAMA Shack in Oakland. For more information \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thelamashack/2335195?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaeWy2arvKkIxTEVuL6LTNXLZccjw3R0FQir-oDz0ve3M7RTyhwn-jnf5JmyoQ_aem_s5M5KxTrLdOJWeacx-3lxw\">check here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oaktown-spice-shop-oakland-where-to-buy-spices-restaurant-collaborations",
"title": "This Oakland Shop Changed the Way Home Cooks Think About Spices",
"publishDate": 1792003728,
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"headTitle": "This Oakland Shop Changed the Way Home Cooks Think About Spices | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>John Beaver recalls trying to find a local spice shop when he first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> in the late 2000s. A quick Google search yielded only one result: “Spice Bazaar,” a fictional storefront from the 2006 romantic drama \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistress_of_Spices_(film)\">\u003cem>Mistress of Spices\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which had been filmed in Old Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the real world, Bay Area home cooks mostly had to settle for the supermarket spice aisle. At the time, Beaver recalls, the handful of spice businesses in the Bay Area mostly only sold very large quantities, or had a more medicinal focus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as a place that would grind and blend the spices in-house, as far as I know, there wasn’t anyone doing it,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg\" alt=\"Large block of fried tofu, the top half of which is dusted with spice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994759\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crispy tofu with vadouvan at Joodooboo in Oakland. (Courtesy of Joodooboo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken wings topped the black peppercorns, with pickled radishes and a lime wedge on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13994763\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-768x760.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-1536x1520.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Khmer fried chicken wings at Lunette in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Lunette)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>John Beaver recalls trying to find a local spice shop when he first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> in the late 2000s. A quick Google search yielded only one result: “Spice Bazaar,” a fictional storefront from the 2006 romantic drama \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistress_of_Spices_(film)\">\u003cem>Mistress of Spices\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which had been filmed in Old Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the real world, Bay Area home cooks mostly had to settle for the supermarket spice aisle. At the time, Beaver recalls, the handful of spice businesses in the Bay Area mostly only sold very large quantities, or had a more medicinal focus. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the real world, Bay Area home cooks mostly had to settle for the supermarket spice aisle. At the time, Beaver recalls, the handful of spice businesses in the Bay Area mostly only sold very large quantities, or had a more medicinal focus. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As far as a place that would grind and blend the spices in-house, as far as I know, there wasn’t anyone doing it,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As far as a place that would grind and blend the spices in-house, as far as I know, there wasn’t anyone doing it,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg\" alt=\"Large block of fried tofu, the top half of which is dusted with spice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994759\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crispy tofu with vadouvan at Joodooboo in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Joodooboo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Oaktown Spice Shop is collaborating with restaurants on a series of limited-edition dishes.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>John Beaver recalls trying to find a local spice shop when he first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> in the late 2000s. A quick Google search yielded only one result: “Spice Bazaar,” a fictional storefront from the 2006 romantic drama \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistress_of_Spices_(film)\">\u003cem>Mistress of Spices\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which had been filmed in Old Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the real world, Bay Area home cooks mostly had to settle for the supermarket spice aisle. At the time, Beaver recalls, the handful of spice businesses in the Bay Area mostly only sold very large quantities, or had a more medicinal focus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as a place that would grind and blend the spices in-house, as far as I know, there wasn’t anyone doing it,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg\" alt=\"Large block of fried tofu, the top half of which is dusted with spice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994759\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crispy tofu with vadouvan at Joodooboo in Oakland. (Courtesy of Joodooboo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken wings topped the black peppercorns, with pickled radishes and a lime wedge on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13994763\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-768x760.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-1536x1520.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Khmer fried chicken wings at Lunette in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Lunette)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>It’s Halloween season, when some people dress up like skeletons, ghosts or witches. But when picking her costume, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930747/liner-notes-dr-angela-wellman-and-music-of-the-highest-order\">Dr. Angela Wellman\u003c/a> isn’t like most people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I could be Angélique Kidjo,” says the founder and CEO of the \u003ca href=\"https://opcclasses.squarespace.com/\">Oakland Public Conservatory of Music\u003c/a> (OPC). “Or I could be Abbey Lincoln.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wellman’s music center in downtown \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> is gearing up for for a 20th anniversary gala on Oct. 24, with awards, multiple floors of entertainment, rooms in full decor and sounds from around the world. Attendees have been asked to dress up as their favorite musicians, and Wellman’s still deciding what to wear. (Tracking down an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=abbey+lincoln+hats&sca_esv=074237d04407bddc&udm=2&biw=1405&bih=717&sxsrf=APpeQnsdo3k2M5ubMKQz8MU8iZQaITZwng%3A1791916550740&ei=BnrOatjSLMqNm9cP3OaWyAM&ved=2ahUKEwjY7eSr0beXAxXKxuYEHVyzBTkQ4dUDegQIBhAN&uact=5&oq=abbey+lincoln+hats&gs_lp=Egtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZyISYWJiZXkgbGluY29sbiBoYXRzSLcEUABYAHABeACQAQCYAQCgAQCqAQC4AQPIAQCYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgBwCyBwC4BwDCBwDIBwCACAE&sclient=gws-wiz-img\">Abbey Lincoln hat\u003c/a>” could be the deciding factor).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She knows one thing, though: while fun, the costume invitation is also an extension of OPC’s ethos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" data-id=\"13994406\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994406\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-scaled.jpeg 1706w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-160x240.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Angela Wellman, founder and CEO of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music. (Courtesy Angela Wellman)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"809\" height=\"794\" data-id=\"13930819\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Angela Wellman looks directly into the camera as she plays her trombone.\" class=\"wp-image-13930819\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down.jpg 809w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down-800x785.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down-768x754.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 809px) 100vw, 809px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Angela Wellman plays her trombone. (Via Dr. Angela Wellman)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really about lifting up the legacy of our music,” says Wellman, “particularly Black music that was created post-Atlantic slave trade.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dressing as an artist who influenced you, Wellman tells me, is an opportunity to reflect on how “the people that make the music really matter in our lives.” That includes those in the ancestral realm as well as “somebody who you’re rocking with right now.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Giving proper respect to “the now” is a core tenet for the OPC, which offers workshops and classes for growing musicians. The organization regularly invites established artists passing through the Bay Area to perform at their facility and speak to the students. Those interactions provide the students with an “understanding of whose shoulders they’re standing on,” says Wellman.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Often these visits are interactive. Acclaimed trumpeter \u003ca href=\"https://www.etiennecharles.com/home\">Etienne Charles\u003c/a>’ visit started with a workshop in the main studio, and then spilled out into the street as the students joined Charles in a New Orleans-style parade, with everyone playing. “We did a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13830289/jubilation-fills-the-streets-on-new-orleans-second-line\">second line\u003c/a> down the street,” Wellman says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1632\" height=\"1224\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee.jpg 1632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1632px) 100vw, 1632px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Angela Wellman and Steve Turre, center, pose with students at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s 10th’s anniversary gala. (Courtesy OPC)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Past guests include jazz vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.melaniecharles.com/\">Melanie Charles\u003c/a>, Afro-Peruvian artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cotitomedrano/?hl=en\">Juan Medrano Cotito\u003c/a>, Golden State Warriors DJ and hip-hop producer \u003ca href=\"https://djdsharp.co/\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Special guests for the 20th anniversary include trombonist \u003ca href=\"http://steveturre.com\">Steve Turre\u003c/a>, a longtime member of the Saturday Night Live Band, and classical composer \u003ca href=\"https://marydwatkins.com/\">Mary Watkins\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Watkins, 87, is an unsung hero, Wellman attests. Watkins has composed three operas, four solo albums and scores for over 20 films and TV shows (including KQED’s \u003cem>Different Colors\u003c/em>). The former music director for San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Watkins’ work has been presented locally at the Oakland Opera Theater, and nationally at venues like the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She’s a prolific composer and pianist,” Wellman says of Watkins, “so we’re giving her a lifetime achievement award.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Steve Turre will also be honored at OPC’s event.\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7FYSVmrzOY\"> A sacred seashell instrumentalist\u003c/a> in addition to being a renowned trombonist, Turre will perform alongside some star alums of OPC, including trombonist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jasimperales/?hl=en\">Jasim Perales\u003c/a>, bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.aminascott.com/\">Amina Scott\u003c/a> and drummer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ayindewebb/\">Ayinde Webb\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now they’re out there in the world,” Wellman says of the graduates, “doing what we supply the space to train young people to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The anniversary event will also be a chance to ruminate on the larger context of Black music in this country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I think about the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music,” says Wellman, “I think of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/04/nx-s1-5779591/how-enslaved-traditions-in-new-orleans-congo-square-shaped-american-music-global-sound\">Congo Square\u003c/a>.” The site in New Orleans where the music that most people call “jazz” originated was a place for people of the African diaspora to commune, enjoy music and tap into the spirit, says Wellman. “As each group practiced, there was this cacophony of rich sounds and polyrhythms.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Expect OPC’s 20th anniversary event to tap into that same spirit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s 20th Anniversary and Gala takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Oakland Science Academy (1515 Webster St., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/c/opc20th\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I could be Angélique Kidjo,” says the founder and CEO of the \u003ca href=\"https://opcclasses.squarespace.com/\">Oakland Public Conservatory of Music\u003c/a> (OPC). “Or I could be Abbey Lincoln.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wellman’s music center in downtown \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> is gearing up for for a 20th anniversary gala on Oct. 24, with awards, multiple floors of entertainment, rooms in full decor and sounds from around the world. Attendees have been asked to dress up as their favorite musicians, and Wellman’s still deciding what to wear. (Tracking down an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=abbey+lincoln+hats&sca_esv=074237d04407bddc&udm=2&biw=1405&bih=717&sxsrf=APpeQnsdo3k2M5ubMKQz8MU8iZQaITZwng%3A1791916550740&ei=BnrOatjSLMqNm9cP3OaWyAM&ved=2ahUKEwjY7eSr0beXAxXKxuYEHVyzBTkQ4dUDegQIBhAN&uact=5&oq=abbey+lincoln+hats&gs_lp=Egtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZyISYWJiZXkgbGluY29sbiBoYXRzSLcEUABYAHABeACQAQCYAQCgAQCqAQC4AQPIAQCYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgBwCyBwC4BwDCBwDIBwCACAE&sclient=gws-wiz-img\">Abbey Lincoln hat\u003c/a>” could be the deciding factor).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wellman’s music center in downtown \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> is gearing up for for a 20th anniversary gala on Oct. 24, with awards, multiple floors of entertainment, rooms in full decor and sounds from around the world. Attendees have been asked to dress up as their favorite musicians, and Wellman’s still deciding what to wear. (Tracking down an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=abbey+lincoln+hats&sca_esv=074237d04407bddc&udm=2&biw=1405&bih=717&sxsrf=APpeQnsdo3k2M5ubMKQz8MU8iZQaITZwng%3A1791916550740&ei=BnrOatjSLMqNm9cP3OaWyAM&ved=2ahUKEwjY7eSr0beXAxXKxuYEHVyzBTkQ4dUDegQIBhAN&uact=5&oq=abbey+lincoln+hats&gs_lp=Egtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZyISYWJiZXkgbGluY29sbiBoYXRzSLcEUABYAHABeACQAQCYAQCgAQCqAQC4AQPIAQCYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgBwCyBwC4BwDCBwDIBwCACAE&sclient=gws-wiz-img\">Abbey Lincoln hat\u003c/a>” could be the deciding factor).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really about lifting up the legacy of our music,” says Wellman, “particularly Black music that was created post-Atlantic slave trade.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dressing as an artist who influenced you, Wellman tells me, is an opportunity to reflect on how “the people that make the music really matter in our lives.” That includes those in the ancestral realm as well as “somebody who you’re rocking with right now.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Giving proper respect to “the now” is a core tenet for the OPC, which offers workshops and classes for growing musicians. The organization regularly invites established artists passing through the Bay Area to perform at their facility and speak to the students. Those interactions provide the students with an “understanding of whose shoulders they’re standing on,” says Wellman.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Often these visits are interactive. Acclaimed trumpeter \u003ca href=\"https://www.etiennecharles.com/home\">Etienne Charles\u003c/a>’ visit started with a workshop in the main studio, and then spilled out into the street as the students joined Charles in a New Orleans-style parade, with everyone playing. “We did a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13830289/jubilation-fills-the-streets-on-new-orleans-second-line\">second line\u003c/a> down the street,” Wellman says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Often these visits are interactive. Acclaimed trumpeter \u003ca href=\"https://www.etiennecharles.com/home\">Etienne Charles\u003c/a>’ visit started with a workshop in the main studio, and then spilled out into the street as the students joined Charles in a New Orleans-style parade, with everyone playing. “We did a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13830289/jubilation-fills-the-streets-on-new-orleans-second-line\">second line\u003c/a> down the street,” Wellman says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Past guests include jazz vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.melaniecharles.com/\">Melanie Charles\u003c/a>, Afro-Peruvian artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cotitomedrano/?hl=en\">Juan Medrano Cotito\u003c/a>, Golden State Warriors DJ and hip-hop producer \u003ca href=\"https://djdsharp.co/\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Past guests include jazz vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.melaniecharles.com/\">Melanie Charles\u003c/a>, Afro-Peruvian artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cotitomedrano/?hl=en\">Juan Medrano Cotito\u003c/a>, Golden State Warriors DJ and hip-hop producer \u003ca href=\"https://djdsharp.co/\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Special guests for the 20th anniversary include trombonist \u003ca href=\"http://steveturre.com\">Steve Turre\u003c/a>, a longtime member of the Saturday Night Live Band, and classical composer \u003ca href=\"https://marydwatkins.com/\">Mary Watkins\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Watkins, 87, is an unsung hero, Wellman attests. Watkins has composed three operas, four solo albums and scores for over 20 films and TV shows (including KQED’s \u003cem>Different Colors\u003c/em>). The former music director for San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Watkins’ work has been presented locally at the Oakland Opera Theater, and nationally at venues like the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institute.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Watkins, 87, is an unsung hero, Wellman attests. Watkins has composed three operas, four solo albums and scores for over 20 films and TV shows (including KQED’s \u003cem>Different Colors\u003c/em>). The former music director for San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Watkins’ work has been presented locally at the Oakland Opera Theater, and nationally at venues like the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institute.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She’s a prolific composer and pianist,” Wellman says of Watkins, “so we’re giving her a lifetime achievement award.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Steve Turre will also be honored at OPC’s event.\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7FYSVmrzOY\"> A sacred seashell instrumentalist\u003c/a> in addition to being a renowned trombonist, Turre will perform alongside some star alums of OPC, including trombonist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jasimperales/?hl=en\">Jasim Perales\u003c/a>, bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.aminascott.com/\">Amina Scott\u003c/a> and drummer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ayindewebb/\">Ayinde Webb\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Now they’re out there in the world,” Wellman says of the graduates, “doing what we supply the space to train young people to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When I think about the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music,” says Wellman, “I think of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/04/nx-s1-5779591/how-enslaved-traditions-in-new-orleans-congo-square-shaped-american-music-global-sound\">Congo Square\u003c/a>.” The site in New Orleans where the music that most people call “jazz” originated was a place for people of the African diaspora to commune, enjoy music and tap into the spirit, says Wellman. “As each group practiced, there was this cacophony of rich sounds and polyrhythms.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s 20th Anniversary and Gala takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Oakland Science Academy (1515 Webster St., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/c/opc20th\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>It’s Halloween season, when some people dress up like skeletons, ghosts or witches. But when picking her costume, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930747/liner-notes-dr-angela-wellman-and-music-of-the-highest-order\">Dr. Angela Wellman\u003c/a> isn’t like most people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I could be Angélique Kidjo,” says the founder and CEO of the \u003ca href=\"https://opcclasses.squarespace.com/\">Oakland Public Conservatory of Music\u003c/a> (OPC). “Or I could be Abbey Lincoln.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wellman’s music center in downtown \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> is gearing up for for a 20th anniversary gala on Oct. 24, with awards, multiple floors of entertainment, rooms in full decor and sounds from around the world. Attendees have been asked to dress up as their favorite musicians, and Wellman’s still deciding what to wear. (Tracking down an “\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=abbey+lincoln+hats&sca_esv=074237d04407bddc&udm=2&biw=1405&bih=717&sxsrf=APpeQnsdo3k2M5ubMKQz8MU8iZQaITZwng%3A1791916550740&ei=BnrOatjSLMqNm9cP3OaWyAM&ved=2ahUKEwjY7eSr0beXAxXKxuYEHVyzBTkQ4dUDegQIBhAN&uact=5&oq=abbey+lincoln+hats&gs_lp=Egtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZyISYWJiZXkgbGluY29sbiBoYXRzSLcEUABYAHABeACQAQCYAQCgAQCqAQC4AQPIAQCYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgBwCyBwC4BwDCBwDIBwCACAE&sclient=gws-wiz-img\">Abbey Lincoln hat\u003c/a>” could be the deciding factor).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She knows one thing, though: while fun, the costume invitation is also an extension of OPC’s ethos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" data-id=\"13994406\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994406\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-scaled.jpeg 1706w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-160x240.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Dr.-Angela-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Angela Wellman, founder and CEO of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music. (Courtesy Angela Wellman)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"809\" height=\"794\" data-id=\"13930819\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Angela Wellman looks directly into the camera as she plays her trombone.\" class=\"wp-image-13930819\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down.jpg 809w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down-800x785.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/AMW-bone-down-768x754.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 809px) 100vw, 809px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Angela Wellman plays her trombone. (Via Dr. Angela Wellman)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really about lifting up the legacy of our music,” says Wellman, “particularly Black music that was created post-Atlantic slave trade.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dressing as an artist who influenced you, Wellman tells me, is an opportunity to reflect on how “the people that make the music really matter in our lives.” That includes those in the ancestral realm as well as “somebody who you’re rocking with right now.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Giving proper respect to “the now” is a core tenet for the OPC, which offers workshops and classes for growing musicians. The organization regularly invites established artists passing through the Bay Area to perform at their facility and speak to the students. Those interactions provide the students with an “understanding of whose shoulders they’re standing on,” says Wellman.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Often these visits are interactive. Acclaimed trumpeter \u003ca href=\"https://www.etiennecharles.com/home\">Etienne Charles\u003c/a>’ visit started with a workshop in the main studio, and then spilled out into the street as the students joined Charles in a New Orleans-style parade, with everyone playing. “We did a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13830289/jubilation-fills-the-streets-on-new-orleans-second-line\">second line\u003c/a> down the street,” Wellman says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1632\" height=\"1224\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee.jpg 1632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Turre.Wellman-244716ee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1632px) 100vw, 1632px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Angela Wellman and Steve Turre, center, pose with students at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s 10th’s anniversary gala. (Courtesy OPC)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Past guests include jazz vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.melaniecharles.com/\">Melanie Charles\u003c/a>, Afro-Peruvian artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cotitomedrano/?hl=en\">Juan Medrano Cotito\u003c/a>, Golden State Warriors DJ and hip-hop producer \u003ca href=\"https://djdsharp.co/\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Special guests for the 20th anniversary include trombonist \u003ca href=\"http://steveturre.com\">Steve Turre\u003c/a>, a longtime member of the Saturday Night Live Band, and classical composer \u003ca href=\"https://marydwatkins.com/\">Mary Watkins\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Watkins, 87, is an unsung hero, Wellman attests. Watkins has composed three operas, four solo albums and scores for over 20 films and TV shows (including KQED’s \u003cem>Different Colors\u003c/em>). The former music director for San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Watkins’ work has been presented locally at the Oakland Opera Theater, and nationally at venues like the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She’s a prolific composer and pianist,” Wellman says of Watkins, “so we’re giving her a lifetime achievement award.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Steve Turre will also be honored at OPC’s event.\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7FYSVmrzOY\"> A sacred seashell instrumentalist\u003c/a> in addition to being a renowned trombonist, Turre will perform alongside some star alums of OPC, including trombonist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jasimperales/?hl=en\">Jasim Perales\u003c/a>, bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.aminascott.com/\">Amina Scott\u003c/a> and drummer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ayindewebb/\">Ayinde Webb\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now they’re out there in the world,” Wellman says of the graduates, “doing what we supply the space to train young people to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The anniversary event will also be a chance to ruminate on the larger context of Black music in this country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I think about the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music,” says Wellman, “I think of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/04/nx-s1-5779591/how-enslaved-traditions-in-new-orleans-congo-square-shaped-american-music-global-sound\">Congo Square\u003c/a>.” The site in New Orleans where the music that most people call “jazz” originated was a place for people of the African diaspora to commune, enjoy music and tap into the spirit, says Wellman. “As each group practiced, there was this cacophony of rich sounds and polyrhythms.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Expect OPC’s 20th anniversary event to tap into that same spirit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s 20th Anniversary and Gala takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Oakland Science Academy (1515 Webster St., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/c/opc20th\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Living rooms are often filled with family mementos, shelves full of books, or maybe a TV, turned on as background noise for rowdy conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the walls inside the East Oakland home of Nyallah Muntaqim and Musa Bey are filled with art. On a recent visit, as Muntaqim sits on the green couch, a white painted hammer nearby looks as if it were smashed into the wall, with roots growing from it, by Antioch artist Tunmi da Silva.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muntaqim and Bey, wife and husband, cofounded Streetlight Gallery in 2025, during San Francisco’s second annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965269/the-bay-areas-first-ever-black-art-week-is-coming\">Black Art Week\u003c/a>. The choice to use their home came from example: as a child in the Bay Area in the early 2000s, Muntaquim would often attend art exhibits inside people’s homes, seeing Black art sold to Black people in a direct, communal way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would be remiss to not call on that history and inspiration,” she says today. As a young visitor to these spaces, Muntaqim had “one of those bucket-list dreams where it’s like, ‘One day, I want to own a gallery.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marie-Jose Njoku Obi’s artwork ‘Untitled (The Window)’ on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once she and Bey realized it would be possible in their own house, they decided to develop the space as a hub for Black artists. The reasoning was simple: “I’ve seen art change people’s lives, at every point in my life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Art has certainly changed Muntaqim’s life. She dove into visual art when her therapist suggested it as a way to mitigate the pressures of her job as a housing placement case manager. She started by learning skills from a muralist friend, and devoted her post-work hours to watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The combination of Muntaqim’s art practice with her strong organizing background brought Streetlight Gallery to life. She thinks back to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921254/introducing-tales-of-the-town-by-hella-black-podcast\">\u003cem>Tales of The Town\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the 2022 photobook, film and album from the creators of the Hella Black Podcast, which brought different communities of Oakland together to recall parts of the city that raised them. It reinforced the idea that art makes the biggest impact when it’s coming from a communal lens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Willie Thomas’s poem over cyanotype on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I realized how important it is for Black folks here in the United States, but also the diaspora, to create work that is inherently political,” she says. “But what does it mean for us to be intentionally political in our work, and our choices, and what we do?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This question framed the ethos of Streetlight Gallery. The gallery’s first show was titled \u003cem>A Call Home\u003c/em>, and showcased work by Black artists throughout the Bay who use home as a foundational theme in their work, like Dartaiane Beamon, Asari Aibangbee, Thai Hill, Chidera Nwadike and others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thai year, Streetlight has mounted a second edition of \u003cem>A Call Home\u003c/em>, addressing the cyclical relationship between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The six artists whose work is on view are either from the Bay and based in Los Angeles, or from Los Angeles based in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13994627\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nyallah Muntaqim, co-founder of Streetlight Gallery in Oakland, on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13994626\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Musa Bey, co-founder of Streetlight Gallery in Oakland, on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tunmi da Silva’s work in the exhibition shows her connection to the Bay Area through her Nigerian family, and putting her work in Streetlight Gallery specifically means a call to home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need spaces that are entrenched in our communities, that are supporting artists who come from our displaced communities. Streetlight supports artists with exhibition space, and gives us an opportunity to come back and speak to and with whoever’s in the area still,” da Silva says. “There has to be some marker, some archive of people who have existed in the city and in specific areas within the city. Showing with Streetlight just felt right.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Da Silva and the other artists in the exhibition show the depth of their experience through woodwork, textile, pottery and other mediums, with familial ties at the center. The work expresses the movement of Black art and life throughout California, and shows how the Bay and L.A. — sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodgers%E2%80%93Giants_rivalry\">rival regions\u003c/a> — rely on and influence one another. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I want people to see that the Bay Area is not just a place of exodus, high rent, Silicon Valley and tech bros,” Muntaqim says, adding that she hopes people recognize “this place of really rich cultural creative history that still exists today.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994624\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asaru Aibangbee’s wooden chair on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Streetlight Gallery follows a tradition of Black-owned art galleries in the Bay Area, like B. Love’s Guest House, Tiffany Conway Studio, Jenkins Johnson and many others. Part of that was borne from necessity, as major spaces formally centering Black art are a relatively recent development. The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), for example, didn’t open until 2005. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the Bay Area continues to change with each tech boom, one thing is constant. “Black creativity has always been foundational to the cultural fabric of the Bay Area,” MoAD’s executive director and CEO Monetta White says.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Black artists have helped shape who we are as a region, and celebrating their work honors that legacy,” White adds. “It also affirms that our community is still here, still creating, and still proving that what’s made in the Bay resonates internationally.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ is on view through Nov. 30 at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland. Viewing is \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.streetlightgallery.org/appointments\">\u003cem>by appointment\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. More information \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc7OO1fM7vF/\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the walls inside the East Oakland home of Nyallah Muntaqim and Musa Bey are filled with art. On a recent visit, as Muntaqim sits on the green couch, a white painted hammer nearby looks as if it were smashed into the wall, with roots growing from it, by Antioch artist Tunmi da Silva.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Muntaqim and Bey, wife and husband, cofounded Streetlight Gallery in 2025, during San Francisco’s second annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965269/the-bay-areas-first-ever-black-art-week-is-coming\">Black Art Week\u003c/a>. The choice to use their home came from example: as a child in the Bay Area in the early 2000s, Muntaquim would often attend art exhibits inside people’s homes, seeing Black art sold to Black people in a direct, communal way. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Muntaqim and Bey, wife and husband, cofounded Streetlight Gallery in 2025, during San Francisco’s second annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965269/the-bay-areas-first-ever-black-art-week-is-coming\">Black Art Week\u003c/a>. The choice to use their home came from example: as a child in the Bay Area in the early 2000s, Muntaquim would often attend art exhibits inside people’s homes, seeing Black art sold to Black people in a direct, communal way. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would be remiss to not call on that history and inspiration,” she says today. As a young visitor to these spaces, Muntaqim had “one of those bucket-list dreams where it’s like, ‘One day, I want to own a gallery.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I would be remiss to not call on that history and inspiration,” she says today. As a young visitor to these spaces, Muntaqim had “one of those bucket-list dreams where it’s like, ‘One day, I want to own a gallery.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marie-Jose Njoku Obi’s artwork ‘Untitled (The Window)’ on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once she and Bey realized it would be possible in their own house, they decided to develop the space as a hub for Black artists. The reasoning was simple: “I’ve seen art change people’s lives, at every point in my life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Art has certainly changed Muntaqim’s life. She dove into visual art when her therapist suggested it as a way to mitigate the pressures of her job as a housing placement case manager. She started by learning skills from a muralist friend, and devoted her post-work hours to watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The combination of Muntaqim’s art practice with her strong organizing background brought Streetlight Gallery to life. She thinks back to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921254/introducing-tales-of-the-town-by-hella-black-podcast\">\u003cem>Tales of The Town\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the 2022 photobook, film and album from the creators of the Hella Black Podcast, which brought different communities of Oakland together to recall parts of the city that raised them. It reinforced the idea that art makes the biggest impact when it’s coming from a communal lens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The combination of Muntaqim’s art practice with her strong organizing background brought Streetlight Gallery to life. She thinks back to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921254/introducing-tales-of-the-town-by-hella-black-podcast\">\u003cem>Tales of The Town\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the 2022 photobook, film and album from the creators of the Hella Black Podcast, which brought different communities of Oakland together to recall parts of the city that raised them. It reinforced the idea that art makes the biggest impact when it’s coming from a communal lens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I realized how important it is for Black folks here in the United States, but also the diaspora, to create work that is inherently political,” she says. “But what does it mean for us to be intentionally political in our work, and our choices, and what we do?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This question framed the ethos of Streetlight Gallery. The gallery’s first show was titled \u003cem>A Call Home\u003c/em>, and showcased work by Black artists throughout the Bay who use home as a foundational theme in their work, like Dartaiane Beamon, Asari Aibangbee, Thai Hill, Chidera Nwadike and others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thai year, Streetlight has mounted a second edition of \u003cem>A Call Home\u003c/em>, addressing the cyclical relationship between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The six artists whose work is on view are either from the Bay and based in Los Angeles, or from Los Angeles based in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tunmi da Silva’s work in the exhibition shows her connection to the Bay Area through her Nigerian family, and putting her work in Streetlight Gallery specifically means a call to home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need spaces that are entrenched in our communities, that are supporting artists who come from our displaced communities. Streetlight supports artists with exhibition space, and gives us an opportunity to come back and speak to and with whoever’s in the area still,” da Silva says. “There has to be some marker, some archive of people who have existed in the city and in specific areas within the city. Showing with Streetlight just felt right.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Da Silva and the other artists in the exhibition show the depth of their experience through woodwork, textile, pottery and other mediums, with familial ties at the center. The work expresses the movement of Black art and life throughout California, and shows how the Bay and L.A. — sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodgers%E2%80%93Giants_rivalry\">rival regions\u003c/a> — rely on and influence one another. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I want people to see that the Bay Area is not just a place of exodus, high rent, Silicon Valley and tech bros,” Muntaqim says, adding that she hopes people recognize “this place of really rich cultural creative history that still exists today.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Streetlight Gallery follows a tradition of Black-owned art galleries in the Bay Area, like B. Love’s Guest House, Tiffany Conway Studio, Jenkins Johnson and many others. Part of that was borne from necessity, as major spaces formally centering Black art are a relatively recent development. The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), for example, didn’t open until 2005. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the Bay Area continues to change with each tech boom, one thing is constant. “Black creativity has always been foundational to the cultural fabric of the Bay Area,” MoAD’s executive director and CEO Monetta White says.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Black artists have helped shape who we are as a region, and celebrating their work honors that legacy,” White adds. “It also affirms that our community is still here, still creating, and still proving that what’s made in the Bay resonates internationally.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the Bay Area continues to change with each tech boom, one thing is constant. “Black creativity has always been foundational to the cultural fabric of the Bay Area,” MoAD’s executive director and CEO Monetta White says.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Black artists have helped shape who we are as a region, and celebrating their work honors that legacy,” White adds. “It also affirms that our community is still here, still creating, and still proving that what’s made in the Bay resonates internationally.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ is on view through Nov. 30 at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland. Viewing is \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.streetlightgallery.org/appointments\">\u003cem>by appointment\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. More information \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc7OO1fM7vF/\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ is on view through Nov. 30 at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland. Viewing is \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.streetlightgallery.org/appointments\">\u003cem>by appointment\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. More information \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc7OO1fM7vF/\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Living rooms are often filled with family mementos, shelves full of books, or maybe a TV, turned on as background noise for rowdy conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the walls inside the East Oakland home of Nyallah Muntaqim and Musa Bey are filled with art. On a recent visit, as Muntaqim sits on the green couch, a white painted hammer nearby looks as if it were smashed into the wall, with roots growing from it, by Antioch artist Tunmi da Silva.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Muntaqim and Bey, wife and husband, cofounded Streetlight Gallery in 2025, during San Francisco’s second annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965269/the-bay-areas-first-ever-black-art-week-is-coming\">Black Art Week\u003c/a>. The choice to use their home came from example: as a child in the Bay Area in the early 2000s, Muntaquim would often attend art exhibits inside people’s homes, seeing Black art sold to Black people in a direct, communal way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would be remiss to not call on that history and inspiration,” she says today. As a young visitor to these spaces, Muntaqim had “one of those bucket-list dreams where it’s like, ‘One day, I want to own a gallery.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-12-KQED-1381da74-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marie-Jose Njoku Obi’s artwork ‘Untitled (The Window)’ on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once she and Bey realized it would be possible in their own house, they decided to develop the space as a hub for Black artists. The reasoning was simple: “I’ve seen art change people’s lives, at every point in my life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Art has certainly changed Muntaqim’s life. She dove into visual art when her therapist suggested it as a way to mitigate the pressures of her job as a housing placement case manager. She started by learning skills from a muralist friend, and devoted her post-work hours to watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The combination of Muntaqim’s art practice with her strong organizing background brought Streetlight Gallery to life. She thinks back to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921254/introducing-tales-of-the-town-by-hella-black-podcast\">\u003cem>Tales of The Town\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the 2022 photobook, film and album from the creators of the Hella Black Podcast, which brought different communities of Oakland together to recall parts of the city that raised them. It reinforced the idea that art makes the biggest impact when it’s coming from a communal lens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-11-KQED-6e3caea5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Willie Thomas’s poem over cyanotype on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I realized how important it is for Black folks here in the United States, but also the diaspora, to create work that is inherently political,” she says. “But what does it mean for us to be intentionally political in our work, and our choices, and what we do?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This question framed the ethos of Streetlight Gallery. The gallery’s first show was titled \u003cem>A Call Home\u003c/em>, and showcased work by Black artists throughout the Bay who use home as a foundational theme in their work, like Dartaiane Beamon, Asari Aibangbee, Thai Hill, Chidera Nwadike and others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thai year, Streetlight has mounted a second edition of \u003cem>A Call Home\u003c/em>, addressing the cyclical relationship between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The six artists whose work is on view are either from the Bay and based in Los Angeles, or from Los Angeles based in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13994627\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-33-KQED-70904865-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nyallah Muntaqim, co-founder of Streetlight Gallery in Oakland, on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13994626\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-32-KQED-c67ee63d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Musa Bey, co-founder of Streetlight Gallery in Oakland, on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tunmi da Silva’s work in the exhibition shows her connection to the Bay Area through her Nigerian family, and putting her work in Streetlight Gallery specifically means a call to home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need spaces that are entrenched in our communities, that are supporting artists who come from our displaced communities. Streetlight supports artists with exhibition space, and gives us an opportunity to come back and speak to and with whoever’s in the area still,” da Silva says. “There has to be some marker, some archive of people who have existed in the city and in specific areas within the city. Showing with Streetlight just felt right.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Da Silva and the other artists in the exhibition show the depth of their experience through woodwork, textile, pottery and other mediums, with familial ties at the center. The work expresses the movement of Black art and life throughout California, and shows how the Bay and L.A. — sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodgers%E2%80%93Giants_rivalry\">rival regions\u003c/a> — rely on and influence one another. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I want people to see that the Bay Area is not just a place of exodus, high rent, Silicon Valley and tech bros,” Muntaqim says, adding that she hopes people recognize “this place of really rich cultural creative history that still exists today.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994624\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261008-STREETLIGHTGALLERY-NG-19-KQED-09fb0e07-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asaru Aibangbee’s wooden chair on display as a part of ‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland on Oct. 8, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Streetlight Gallery follows a tradition of Black-owned art galleries in the Bay Area, like B. Love’s Guest House, Tiffany Conway Studio, Jenkins Johnson and many others. Part of that was borne from necessity, as major spaces formally centering Black art are a relatively recent development. The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), for example, didn’t open until 2005. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the Bay Area continues to change with each tech boom, one thing is constant. “Black creativity has always been foundational to the cultural fabric of the Bay Area,” MoAD’s executive director and CEO Monetta White says.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Black artists have helped shape who we are as a region, and celebrating their work honors that legacy,” White adds. “It also affirms that our community is still here, still creating, and still proving that what’s made in the Bay resonates internationally.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘A Call Home: Bay to LA’ is on view through Nov. 30 at Streetlight Gallery in Oakland. Viewing is \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.streetlightgallery.org/appointments\">\u003cem>by appointment\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. More information \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc7OO1fM7vF/\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Honoring the Black Panther Party on Its 60th Anniversary",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Six decades ago, a group of young Black activists in Oakland began policing the police. They fed schoolchildren, started medical clinics, created a multilevel grade school and published a newspaper that reached people around the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In leather jackets and berets, they reinvented the color black. And, through their collective willpower, they fanned the flame of self-determination that has long burned within the Black community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Black Panther Party, founded in 1966, was one of the most important organizations of the 20th century. This month, as \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/index_PhotoGallery.html\">It’s About Time BPP \u003c/a>commemorate the vanguard organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">60th anniversary\u003c/a>, the Black Panthers will be honored with a gala, numerous workshops, a community day in West Oakland and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-1536x1031.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Black Panthers march in protest of the trial of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California. (Bettmann/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re opening it up with an exhibition by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13867337/the-black-panther-partys-free-breakfast-program-a-50-year-old-blueprint\">Billy X Jennings\u003c/a>,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971589/black-panther-party-survival-programs-exhibit\">Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. On Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Oakland Public Library’s main branch, Jennings, a Black Panther Party historian, leads attendees through an exhibition titled \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a8732ffbe1482002988c2a4\">Honoring the Rank & File\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. He’ll also lead a panel discussion and screening of the documentary film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4JAcG-QHO8\">Lords of the Revolution\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And then,” says Buck, “we’re partnering with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownthursdays/\">Oaktown Thursdays\u003c/a>, and doing a special 60th anniversary tribute; \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> is the headliner for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the following day, Friday, Oct. 16, brings a variety of workshops, many led by former Panthers or their children, known as Panther cubs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/people/ms-melissa-charles\">Mel Charles \u003c/a>from Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.malcolmxacademy.org/\">Malcolm X Academy\u003c/a> leads a discussion about applying the Panthers’ concept of a Community School to 2026. A critical look at reproductive health comes courtesy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/malic.cfm\">Dr. Mali Collins\u003c/a>, who anchors a session titled “The Black Panther’s Agenda for Black Health: A framework for reproductive freedom in 2026.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A day full of conversations that bring the Party’s ideas into the present will conclude with a set by East Bay hip-hop ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/macarthurmaze/\">MacArthur Maze\u003c/a> at the Oakland Museum of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4JAcG-QHO8\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next day, Oct. 17, offers an even broader variety of sessions. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/breathandthecity/\">Breath and the City\u003c/a>‘s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lissdelarosa/\">Lissette de la Rosa\u003c/a> leads a seminar on breath work, pushing attendees to dive deep within themselves. Former Black Panther \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/offical_mamacharlottesmusic2/?hl=en\">Charlotte Hill O’Neal\u003c/a>, visiting from Tanzania, will lead a discussion about the Party’s international footprint. Saturday’s schedule also includes a discussion about the relationship between Black liberation and ecology, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.yesmagazine.org/authors/quinton-sankofa\">Quinton Sankofa\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, actor \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Guenveur_Smith\">Roger Guenveur Smith\u003c/a>, who played Huey P. Newton in Spike Lee’s 2001 production \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278490/\">A Huey P. Newton Story\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, will celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary in a screening; Smith will be joined by Steven Adams, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13874735/fredrika-newton-huey-p-revolutionary-love\">Fredrika Newton\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://awelemakeba.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae8oIBsrcNdxz-eh4a2xn-9zGpDNagrSqX8gN94avGGmMfZQLQJp5FvgjJhMA_aem_oC-lUDOxG0Cl0u-3VefMWg#top\">Awele Makeba\u003c/a>. Also screening at the event is \u003ca href=\"https://www.d-word.com/documentary/2334-ALIVE-IN-BRONZE-HUEY-P-NEWTON\">\u003cem>Alive in Bronze\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> a short documentary about the efforts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fredrikanewton/\">Fredrika Newton\u003c/a> and sculptor \u003ca href=\"https://danakingart.com/\">Dana King\u003c/a> to create a monument that now stands on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland, honoring the life of Dr. Huey P. Newton.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QstJpRpp6FY\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Saturday evening, Oct. 17, is the main event: the 60th anniversary gala. “It’s going to be a pretty big deal,” says Buck, explaining that Bobby Seale will be present while the cover art for a new edition of his book \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/products/book-1or1\">Seize the Time\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is unveiled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Buck, the founding director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackpantherpartymuseum.org/\">Black Panther Party Museum\u003c/a>, says the Bobby Seale Legacy Foundation worked with the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation on the slate of events. “It’s the first time that these legacies have worked together. And it’s important because one of Bobby Seale’s greatest regrets was not making amends with Huey before he was killed in ’89.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That sort of cooperation is at the center of the entire series, and it serves as a metaphor. “It’s all about looking at this current political moment,” Buck says, “and thinking more about unification than division.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1584\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg\" alt=\"At right, a white middle-aged man in a suit and tie looks into the distance; at left, more than a dozen Black men in leather jackets and berets stand in two single-file lines next to an A-frame building\" class=\"wp-image-13994541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-160x127.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-768x608.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-1536x1217.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Actor Marlon Brando, right, attends the funeral of 17-year-old Black Panther Party treasurer Bobby Hutton at the Ephesian Church of God and Christ in Berkeley, Calif. on April 12, 1968. He is flanked at left by members of the Black Panther Party outside the church where an estimated 1,500 people were in attendance. (Lonnie Wilson/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the theme of coming together, Sunday, Oct. 18, offers a free Community Day event at Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland, bringing the community back to the same grounds where the Panthers held rallies six decades ago. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/moneyb69/\">Money B,\u003c/a> founding member of the legendary Digital Underground hip-hop collective and former student at the Black Panther’s Oakland Community School will guest host. He’ll be joined by performances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/numskulloftheluniz/\">Numskull of the Luniz\u003c/a>, The Bobby Jackson Project and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wolfhawkjaguar/\">WolfHawkJuguar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A number of other events in October commemorate the Black Panther’s legacy, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd9NJfUygqv/\">a Panther Jam at the Shakur Center\u003c/a> in Sacramento on Friday, Oct. 9. On Sunday, Oct. 11, there’s the \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/seize-the-time?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae9RvTirno6ZWKYCwGiORB1t6eAvahHR5Ye0Ma-KJ6soVprYcltqaPReN1PYQ_aem_eWRKBEBtUM8wn-x9L5jLGw\">Seize The Time: A Fashion Experience\u003c/a>, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.futurisme.studio/\">Futurisme Studios\u003c/a> and featuring DJ sets by \u003ca href=\"https://www.homeisforhomies.com/\">Home is for Homies\u003c/a>. And on Saturday, Oct. 17, Pittsburg’s \u003ca href=\"https://bookstore.revisionpub.com/\">RP Books\u003c/a> hosts a conversation with \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandvr.org/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAacRTQt7YCt-KS4SjkgIq5j65jdF8JEWHH5kk81AfIX31l23mQNt9EKmG0Jzlw_aem_Vzx8TXxIJDuHJUjY6NXIfA\">Michael Roosevelt\u003c/a>, author of \u003cem>The Black Panther Party Ten-Point Plan: A Liberatory Journal\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than a half-century ago, when the late \u003ca href=\"https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-panther-party-ten-point-program-1966/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale charted 10 specific needs\u003c/a> of working-class African American people in this country, they couldn’t have fathomed that many of those demands — namely “Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter of Human Beings” and “Education That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role in the Present-Day Society” — would remain unfulfilled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nor could they have imagined how deeply the work of the Black Panther Party has inspired generations, pushing young people to create change both locally and internationally.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And clearly, the work continues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Black Panther Party celebrates its 60th anniversary this month with a series of events. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Black Panther Party, founded in 1966, was one of the most important organizations of the 20th century. This month, as \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/index_PhotoGallery.html\">It’s About Time BPP \u003c/a>commemorate the vanguard organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">60th anniversary\u003c/a>, the Black Panthers will be honored with a gala, numerous workshops, a community day in West Oakland and more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-1536x1031.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Black Panthers march in protest of the trial of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Bettmann/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re opening it up with an exhibition by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13867337/the-black-panther-partys-free-breakfast-program-a-50-year-old-blueprint\">Billy X Jennings\u003c/a>,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971589/black-panther-party-survival-programs-exhibit\">Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. On Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Oakland Public Library’s main branch, Jennings, a Black Panther Party historian, leads attendees through an exhibition titled \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a8732ffbe1482002988c2a4\">Honoring the Rank & File\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. He’ll also lead a panel discussion and screening of the documentary film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4JAcG-QHO8\">Lords of the Revolution\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And then,” says Buck, “we’re partnering with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownthursdays/\">Oaktown Thursdays\u003c/a>, and doing a special 60th anniversary tribute; \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> is the headliner for that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the following day, Friday, Oct. 16, brings a variety of workshops, many led by former Panthers or their children, known as Panther cubs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/people/ms-melissa-charles\">Mel Charles \u003c/a>from Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.malcolmxacademy.org/\">Malcolm X Academy\u003c/a> leads a discussion about applying the Panthers’ concept of a Community School to 2026. A critical look at reproductive health comes courtesy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/malic.cfm\">Dr. Mali Collins\u003c/a>, who anchors a session titled “The Black Panther’s Agenda for Black Health: A framework for reproductive freedom in 2026.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A day full of conversations that bring the Party’s ideas into the present will conclude with a set by East Bay hip-hop ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/macarthurmaze/\">MacArthur Maze\u003c/a> at the Oakland Museum of California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next day, Oct. 17, offers an even broader variety of sessions. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/breathandthecity/\">Breath and the City\u003c/a>‘s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lissdelarosa/\">Lissette de la Rosa\u003c/a> leads a seminar on breath work, pushing attendees to dive deep within themselves. Former Black Panther \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/offical_mamacharlottesmusic2/?hl=en\">Charlotte Hill O’Neal\u003c/a>, visiting from Tanzania, will lead a discussion about the Party’s international footprint. Saturday’s schedule also includes a discussion about the relationship between Black liberation and ecology, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.yesmagazine.org/authors/quinton-sankofa\">Quinton Sankofa\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The next day, Oct. 17, offers an even broader variety of sessions. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/breathandthecity/\">Breath and the City\u003c/a>‘s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lissdelarosa/\">Lissette de la Rosa\u003c/a> leads a seminar on breath work, pushing attendees to dive deep within themselves. Former Black Panther \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/offical_mamacharlottesmusic2/?hl=en\">Charlotte Hill O’Neal\u003c/a>, visiting from Tanzania, will lead a discussion about the Party’s international footprint. Saturday’s schedule also includes a discussion about the relationship between Black liberation and ecology, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.yesmagazine.org/authors/quinton-sankofa\">Quinton Sankofa\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, actor \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Guenveur_Smith\">Roger Guenveur Smith\u003c/a>, who played Huey P. Newton in Spike Lee’s 2001 production \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278490/\">A Huey P. Newton Story\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, will celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary in a screening; Smith will be joined by Steven Adams, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13874735/fredrika-newton-huey-p-revolutionary-love\">Fredrika Newton\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://awelemakeba.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae8oIBsrcNdxz-eh4a2xn-9zGpDNagrSqX8gN94avGGmMfZQLQJp5FvgjJhMA_aem_oC-lUDOxG0Cl0u-3VefMWg#top\">Awele Makeba\u003c/a>. Also screening at the event is \u003ca href=\"https://www.d-word.com/documentary/2334-ALIVE-IN-BRONZE-HUEY-P-NEWTON\">\u003cem>Alive in Bronze\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> a short documentary about the efforts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fredrikanewton/\">Fredrika Newton\u003c/a> and sculptor \u003ca href=\"https://danakingart.com/\">Dana King\u003c/a> to create a monument that now stands on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland, honoring the life of Dr. Huey P. Newton.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Saturday evening, Oct. 17, is the main event: the 60th anniversary gala. “It’s going to be a pretty big deal,” says Buck, explaining that Bobby Seale will be present while the cover art for a new edition of his book \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/products/book-1or1\">Seize the Time\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is unveiled.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Saturday evening, Oct. 17, is the main event: the 60th anniversary gala. “It’s going to be a pretty big deal,” says Buck, explaining that Bobby Seale will be present while the cover art for a new edition of his book \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/products/book-1or1\">Seize the Time\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is unveiled.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Buck, the founding director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackpantherpartymuseum.org/\">Black Panther Party Museum\u003c/a>, says the Bobby Seale Legacy Foundation worked with the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation on the slate of events. “It’s the first time that these legacies have worked together. And it’s important because one of Bobby Seale’s greatest regrets was not making amends with Huey before he was killed in ’89.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Buck, the founding director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackpantherpartymuseum.org/\">Black Panther Party Museum\u003c/a>, says the Bobby Seale Legacy Foundation worked with the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation on the slate of events. “It’s the first time that these legacies have worked together. And it’s important because one of Bobby Seale’s greatest regrets was not making amends with Huey before he was killed in ’89.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That sort of cooperation is at the center of the entire series, and it serves as a metaphor. “It’s all about looking at this current political moment,” Buck says, “and thinking more about unification than division.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That sort of cooperation is at the center of the entire series, and it serves as a metaphor. “It’s all about looking at this current political moment,” Buck says, “and thinking more about unification than division.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg\" alt=\"At right, a white middle-aged man in a suit and tie looks into the distance; at left, more than a dozen Black men in leather jackets and berets stand in two single-file lines next to an A-frame building\" class=\"wp-image-13994541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-160x127.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-768x608.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-1536x1217.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Actor Marlon Brando, right, attends the funeral of 17-year-old Black Panther Party treasurer Bobby Hutton at the Ephesian Church of God and Christ in Berkeley, Calif. on April 12, 1968. He is flanked at left by members of the Black Panther Party outside the church where an estimated 1,500 people were in attendance. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lonnie Wilson/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg\" alt=\"At right, a white middle-aged man in a suit and tie looks into the distance; at left, more than a dozen Black men in leather jackets and berets stand in two single-file lines next to an A-frame building\" class=\"wp-image-13994541\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Actor Marlon Brando, right, attends the funeral of 17-year-old Black Panther Party treasurer Bobby Hutton at the Ephesian Church of God and Christ in Berkeley, Calif. on April 12, 1968. He is flanked at left by members of the Black Panther Party outside the church where an estimated 1,500 people were in attendance. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lonnie Wilson/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the theme of coming together, Sunday, Oct. 18, offers a free Community Day event at Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland, bringing the community back to the same grounds where the Panthers held rallies six decades ago. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/moneyb69/\">Money B,\u003c/a> founding member of the legendary Digital Underground hip-hop collective and former student at the Black Panther’s Oakland Community School will guest host. He’ll be joined by performances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/numskulloftheluniz/\">Numskull of the Luniz\u003c/a>, The Bobby Jackson Project and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wolfhawkjaguar/\">WolfHawkJuguar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the theme of coming together, Sunday, Oct. 18, offers a free Community Day event at Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland, bringing the community back to the same grounds where the Panthers held rallies six decades ago. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/moneyb69/\">Money B,\u003c/a> founding member of the legendary Digital Underground hip-hop collective and former student at the Black Panther’s Oakland Community School will guest host. He’ll be joined by performances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/numskulloftheluniz/\">Numskull of the Luniz\u003c/a>, The Bobby Jackson Project and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wolfhawkjaguar/\">WolfHawkJuguar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A number of other events in October commemorate the Black Panther’s legacy, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd9NJfUygqv/\">a Panther Jam at the Shakur Center\u003c/a> in Sacramento on Friday, Oct. 9. On Sunday, Oct. 11, there’s the \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/seize-the-time?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae9RvTirno6ZWKYCwGiORB1t6eAvahHR5Ye0Ma-KJ6soVprYcltqaPReN1PYQ_aem_eWRKBEBtUM8wn-x9L5jLGw\">Seize The Time: A Fashion Experience\u003c/a>, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.futurisme.studio/\">Futurisme Studios\u003c/a> and featuring DJ sets by \u003ca href=\"https://www.homeisforhomies.com/\">Home is for Homies\u003c/a>. And on Saturday, Oct. 17, Pittsburg’s \u003ca href=\"https://bookstore.revisionpub.com/\">RP Books\u003c/a> hosts a conversation with \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandvr.org/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAacRTQt7YCt-KS4SjkgIq5j65jdF8JEWHH5kk81AfIX31l23mQNt9EKmG0Jzlw_aem_Vzx8TXxIJDuHJUjY6NXIfA\">Michael Roosevelt\u003c/a>, author of \u003cem>The Black Panther Party Ten-Point Plan: A Liberatory Journal\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A number of other events in October commemorate the Black Panther’s legacy, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd9NJfUygqv/\">a Panther Jam at the Shakur Center\u003c/a> in Sacramento on Friday, Oct. 9. On Sunday, Oct. 11, there’s the \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/seize-the-time?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae9RvTirno6ZWKYCwGiORB1t6eAvahHR5Ye0Ma-KJ6soVprYcltqaPReN1PYQ_aem_eWRKBEBtUM8wn-x9L5jLGw\">Seize The Time: A Fashion Experience\u003c/a>, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.futurisme.studio/\">Futurisme Studios\u003c/a> and featuring DJ sets by \u003ca href=\"https://www.homeisforhomies.com/\">Home is for Homies\u003c/a>. And on Saturday, Oct. 17, Pittsburg’s \u003ca href=\"https://bookstore.revisionpub.com/\">RP Books\u003c/a> hosts a conversation with \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandvr.org/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAacRTQt7YCt-KS4SjkgIq5j65jdF8JEWHH5kk81AfIX31l23mQNt9EKmG0Jzlw_aem_Vzx8TXxIJDuHJUjY6NXIfA\">Michael Roosevelt\u003c/a>, author of \u003cem>The Black Panther Party Ten-Point Plan: A Liberatory Journal\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than a half-century ago, when the late \u003ca href=\"https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-panther-party-ten-point-program-1966/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale charted 10 specific needs\u003c/a> of working-class African American people in this country, they couldn’t have fathomed that many of those demands — namely “Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter of Human Beings” and “Education That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role in the Present-Day Society” — would remain unfulfilled.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than a half-century ago, when the late \u003ca href=\"https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-panther-party-ten-point-program-1966/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale charted 10 specific needs\u003c/a> of working-class African American people in this country, they couldn’t have fathomed that many of those demands — namely “Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter of Human Beings” and “Education That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role in the Present-Day Society” — would remain unfulfilled.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nor could they have imagined how deeply the work of the Black Panther Party has inspired generations, pushing young people to create change both locally and internationally.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nor could they have imagined how deeply the work of the Black Panther Party has inspired generations, pushing young people to create change both locally and internationally.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Black Panther Party celebrates its 60th anniversary this month with a series of events. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Events throughout October commemorate one of the most important organizations of the 20th century.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Six decades ago, a group of young Black activists in Oakland began policing the police. They fed schoolchildren, started medical clinics, created a multilevel grade school and published a newspaper that reached people around the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In leather jackets and berets, they reinvented the color black. And, through their collective willpower, they fanned the flame of self-determination that has long burned within the Black community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Black Panther Party, founded in 1966, was one of the most important organizations of the 20th century. This month, as \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/index_PhotoGallery.html\">It’s About Time BPP \u003c/a>commemorate the vanguard organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">60th anniversary\u003c/a>, the Black Panthers will be honored with a gala, numerous workshops, a community day in West Oakland and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-514079888-1536x1031.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Black Panthers march in protest of the trial of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California. (Bettmann/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re opening it up with an exhibition by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13867337/the-black-panther-partys-free-breakfast-program-a-50-year-old-blueprint\">Billy X Jennings\u003c/a>,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971589/black-panther-party-survival-programs-exhibit\">Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. On Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Oakland Public Library’s main branch, Jennings, a Black Panther Party historian, leads attendees through an exhibition titled \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a8732ffbe1482002988c2a4\">Honoring the Rank & File\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. He’ll also lead a panel discussion and screening of the documentary film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4JAcG-QHO8\">Lords of the Revolution\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And then,” says Buck, “we’re partnering with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownthursdays/\">Oaktown Thursdays\u003c/a>, and doing a special 60th anniversary tribute; \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> is the headliner for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the following day, Friday, Oct. 16, brings a variety of workshops, many led by former Panthers or their children, known as Panther cubs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.csustan.edu/people/ms-melissa-charles\">Mel Charles \u003c/a>from Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.malcolmxacademy.org/\">Malcolm X Academy\u003c/a> leads a discussion about applying the Panthers’ concept of a Community School to 2026. A critical look at reproductive health comes courtesy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/malic.cfm\">Dr. Mali Collins\u003c/a>, who anchors a session titled “The Black Panther’s Agenda for Black Health: A framework for reproductive freedom in 2026.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A day full of conversations that bring the Party’s ideas into the present will conclude with a set by East Bay hip-hop ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/macarthurmaze/\">MacArthur Maze\u003c/a> at the Oakland Museum of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\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/D4JAcG-QHO8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/D4JAcG-QHO8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next day, Oct. 17, offers an even broader variety of sessions. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/breathandthecity/\">Breath and the City\u003c/a>‘s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lissdelarosa/\">Lissette de la Rosa\u003c/a> leads a seminar on breath work, pushing attendees to dive deep within themselves. Former Black Panther \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/offical_mamacharlottesmusic2/?hl=en\">Charlotte Hill O’Neal\u003c/a>, visiting from Tanzania, will lead a discussion about the Party’s international footprint. Saturday’s schedule also includes a discussion about the relationship between Black liberation and ecology, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.yesmagazine.org/authors/quinton-sankofa\">Quinton Sankofa\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, actor \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Guenveur_Smith\">Roger Guenveur Smith\u003c/a>, who played Huey P. Newton in Spike Lee’s 2001 production \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278490/\">A Huey P. Newton Story\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, will celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary in a screening; Smith will be joined by Steven Adams, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13874735/fredrika-newton-huey-p-revolutionary-love\">Fredrika Newton\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://awelemakeba.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae8oIBsrcNdxz-eh4a2xn-9zGpDNagrSqX8gN94avGGmMfZQLQJp5FvgjJhMA_aem_oC-lUDOxG0Cl0u-3VefMWg#top\">Awele Makeba\u003c/a>. Also screening at the event is \u003ca href=\"https://www.d-word.com/documentary/2334-ALIVE-IN-BRONZE-HUEY-P-NEWTON\">\u003cem>Alive in Bronze\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> a short documentary about the efforts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fredrikanewton/\">Fredrika Newton\u003c/a> and sculptor \u003ca href=\"https://danakingart.com/\">Dana King\u003c/a> to create a monument that now stands on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland, honoring the life of Dr. Huey P. Newton.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\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/QstJpRpp6FY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/QstJpRpp6FY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Saturday evening, Oct. 17, is the main event: the 60th anniversary gala. “It’s going to be a pretty big deal,” says Buck, explaining that Bobby Seale will be present while the cover art for a new edition of his book \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/products/book-1or1\">Seize the Time\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is unveiled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Buck, the founding director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackpantherpartymuseum.org/\">Black Panther Party Museum\u003c/a>, says the Bobby Seale Legacy Foundation worked with the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation on the slate of events. “It’s the first time that these legacies have worked together. And it’s important because one of Bobby Seale’s greatest regrets was not making amends with Huey before he was killed in ’89.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That sort of cooperation is at the center of the entire series, and it serves as a metaphor. “It’s all about looking at this current political moment,” Buck says, “and thinking more about unification than division.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1584\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg\" alt=\"At right, a white middle-aged man in a suit and tie looks into the distance; at left, more than a dozen Black men in leather jackets and berets stand in two single-file lines next to an A-frame building\" class=\"wp-image-13994541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-160x127.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-768x608.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/GettyImages-1438231171-1536x1217.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Actor Marlon Brando, right, attends the funeral of 17-year-old Black Panther Party treasurer Bobby Hutton at the Ephesian Church of God and Christ in Berkeley, Calif. on April 12, 1968. He is flanked at left by members of the Black Panther Party outside the church where an estimated 1,500 people were in attendance. (Lonnie Wilson/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the theme of coming together, Sunday, Oct. 18, offers a free Community Day event at Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland, bringing the community back to the same grounds where the Panthers held rallies six decades ago. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/moneyb69/\">Money B,\u003c/a> founding member of the legendary Digital Underground hip-hop collective and former student at the Black Panther’s Oakland Community School will guest host. He’ll be joined by performances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/numskulloftheluniz/\">Numskull of the Luniz\u003c/a>, The Bobby Jackson Project and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wolfhawkjaguar/\">WolfHawkJuguar\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A number of other events in October commemorate the Black Panther’s legacy, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd9NJfUygqv/\">a Panther Jam at the Shakur Center\u003c/a> in Sacramento on Friday, Oct. 9. On Sunday, Oct. 11, there’s the \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/seize-the-time?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae9RvTirno6ZWKYCwGiORB1t6eAvahHR5Ye0Ma-KJ6soVprYcltqaPReN1PYQ_aem_eWRKBEBtUM8wn-x9L5jLGw\">Seize The Time: A Fashion Experience\u003c/a>, led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.futurisme.studio/\">Futurisme Studios\u003c/a> and featuring DJ sets by \u003ca href=\"https://www.homeisforhomies.com/\">Home is for Homies\u003c/a>. And on Saturday, Oct. 17, Pittsburg’s \u003ca href=\"https://bookstore.revisionpub.com/\">RP Books\u003c/a> hosts a conversation with \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandvr.org/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAacRTQt7YCt-KS4SjkgIq5j65jdF8JEWHH5kk81AfIX31l23mQNt9EKmG0Jzlw_aem_Vzx8TXxIJDuHJUjY6NXIfA\">Michael Roosevelt\u003c/a>, author of \u003cem>The Black Panther Party Ten-Point Plan: A Liberatory Journal\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than a half-century ago, when the late \u003ca href=\"https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-panther-party-ten-point-program-1966/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale charted 10 specific needs\u003c/a> of working-class African American people in this country, they couldn’t have fathomed that many of those demands — namely “Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter of Human Beings” and “Education That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role in the Present-Day Society” — would remain unfulfilled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nor could they have imagined how deeply the work of the Black Panther Party has inspired generations, pushing young people to create change both locally and internationally.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And clearly, the work continues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Black Panther Party celebrates its 60th anniversary this month with a series of events. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "lake-merritt-food-vendors-oakland-police-crackdown-jerkn-it-oxtails",
"title": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving",
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"headTitle": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving | KQED",
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"content": "\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\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\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\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\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\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, \"Lumpia Ladies.\"",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Lake Merritt’s oxtail king ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Oakland's Jerk'n It, a Guyanese oxtail specialist, is one of the informal market's many success stories.",
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"title": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving | KQED",
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"headline": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘I Believe We Can Stop What's Happening Now,’ Says Mahmoud Khalil in Oakland",
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"headTitle": "‘I Believe We Can Stop What’s Happening Now,’ Says Mahmoud Khalil in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In his new memoir \u003cem>No Land to Stand On: Notes From Detention\u003c/em>, Mahmoud Khalil explicitly states that he doesn’t identify as an activist. Still, as his sold-out appearance at the First Congregational Church of Oakland made clear, he’s inspired many people to action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the book-signing portion of Saturday’s event, Gilda Posada, from Sacramento, presented Khalil with a poster she’d made. Pictured on it was his face surrounded by flowers, with the words “No ICE” and “Hands Off Students.” Posada distributed the posters at protests in the spring of 2025, while Khalil sat in ICE detention for more than three months.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m Chicana, so there’s a lot of similarities between our struggles and Palestinian struggles,” Posada said. “The Bay Area is standing against ICE and everything that they’ve done to terrorize our communities.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Oakland, Khalil sounded a note of hope toward that effort. “I believe we can stop what’s happening now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994463\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nahian Haque gets a book signed by Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In front of an overflow crowd, Khalil was interviewed by Lara Kiswani, the executive director of the Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC) at the First Congregational Church. Kiswani pointed out that when Khalil was first abducted, people held signs in the Bay Area saying, “First, they took Mahmoud.” They understood, she said, that first it was him, and “then it was going to be anyone else.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Khalil’s detention made national headlines. In 2025, Khalil’s wife Noor Abdalla, then eight months pregnant, captured \u003ca href=\"https://fb.watch/v/7gngB-54-/\">harrowing footage\u003c/a> of federal immigration agents abducting Khalil in the lobby of his apartment building after months of his pro-Palestinian organizing at Columbia University.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was detained for 104 days while the Trump administration sought to deport him. In \u003cem>No Land to Stand On\u003c/em>, Khalil recounts his arrest, incarceration and separation from his family — including missing the birth of his son — as well as his continuing legal challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil stands for a portrait at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I wrote this book mostly to raise the alarm,” Khalil told KQED. “I don’t wanna wait for 20 years for this country to look back at what’s happening behind ICE detention, and what’s happening in Palestine, and say, ‘How could we let this happen?’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In detention, Khalil formed the genesis of the book by taking notes, unsure if authorities would confiscate them to use against him in court. During the months he was detained, more than 500 people rotated through his dorm, and Khalil “wanted to keep a memory of the tragic stories of all these incredible fathers and workers,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that my book is out — people being able to read the things that this administration tried so hard to silence — is a win,” Khalil said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sold-out crowd listens to Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil speak about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over six months, Khalil worked weekends with his editor alongside answering court orders. Perhaps because the book is not overthought or full of jargon, his language brings the reader into the visceral details of what it feels like to be in ICE detention. “In detention, your desires shrink to fit the available space,” he writes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of his lawyers, read a manuscript before it was published, calling it “astonishing.” Khalil asked him to add comments or corrections, but all Azmy did was highlight various passages saying: “This is incredible,” alongside exuberant curse words. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an interview after Saturday’s event, Azmy described Khalil’s prose as evocative and clean. “The ideas have so much power, even though the words are almost kind of laconic. There’s something about the style that’s really, really powerful.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gilda Posada holds up a print she made of Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johnny Sinodis, an attorney and partner at Van Der Hout, part of Mahmoud’s legal team, also read a copy of the manuscript. “Mahmoud has a once-in-a-generation voice,” he said, adding that Khalil speaks for many who’ve been through similar situations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Khalil continues to face deportation proceedings while pursuing multiple legal challenges. In 2026, the \u003ca href=\"https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/khalil-v-heritage-foundation-et-al\">Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit on his behalf\u003c/a> challenging his detention, and alleging a coordinated effort by government officials and pro-Israel groups to punish and intimidate Palestinian rights advocates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11981941/hopeandlossingaza\">Mohammad Subeh\u003c/a>, an emergency room physician from the South Bay who has served on medical missions to Gaza, also picked up a signed book on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s important for all of us as Americans is to remember how important freedom of speech is,” Subeh says. “Hearing from Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained and imprisoned for speaking up against a genocide… is one of the few ways we can support really preserving the right to freedom of speech.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994465\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil waves to the crowd before speaking with Lara Kiswani about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once he finished signing copies of his book for organizers and volunteers, Khalil talked briefly about the process of writing \u003cem>No Land to Stand On\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Writing a memoir at the time you are living that story was very difficult,” he told KQED. Memoirs are often written to reflect on things that already happened. But, he said, “everything in the book is still happening … to thousands of others in this country.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In front of an overflow crowd, Khalil was interviewed by Lara Kiswani, the executive director of the Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC) at the First Congregational Church. Kiswani pointed out that when Khalil was first abducted, people held signs in the Bay Area saying, “First, they took Mahmoud.” They understood, she said, that first it was him, and “then it was going to be anyone else.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Khalil’s detention made national headlines. In 2025, Khalil’s wife Noor Abdalla, then eight months pregnant, captured \u003ca href=\"https://fb.watch/v/7gngB-54-/\">harrowing footage\u003c/a> of federal immigration agents abducting Khalil in the lobby of his apartment building after months of his pro-Palestinian organizing at Columbia University.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was detained for 104 days while the Trump administration sought to deport him. In \u003cem>No Land to Stand On\u003c/em>, Khalil recounts his arrest, incarceration and separation from his family — including missing the birth of his son — as well as his continuing legal challenges. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil stands for a portrait at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ I wrote this book mostly to raise the alarm,” Khalil told KQED. “I don’t wanna wait for 20 years for this country to look back at what’s happening behind ICE detention, and what’s happening in Palestine, and say, ‘How could we let this happen?’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ I wrote this book mostly to raise the alarm,” Khalil told KQED. “I don’t wanna wait for 20 years for this country to look back at what’s happening behind ICE detention, and what’s happening in Palestine, and say, ‘How could we let this happen?’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In detention, Khalil formed the genesis of the book by taking notes, unsure if authorities would confiscate them to use against him in court. During the months he was detained, more than 500 people rotated through his dorm, and Khalil “wanted to keep a memory of the tragic stories of all these incredible fathers and workers,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The fact that my book is out — people being able to read the things that this administration tried so hard to silence — is a win,” Khalil said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sold-out crowd listens to Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil speak about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994469\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sold-out crowd listens to Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil speak about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over six months, Khalil worked weekends with his editor alongside answering court orders. Perhaps because the book is not overthought or full of jargon, his language brings the reader into the visceral details of what it feels like to be in ICE detention. “In detention, your desires shrink to fit the available space,” he writes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over six months, Khalil worked weekends with his editor alongside answering court orders. Perhaps because the book is not overthought or full of jargon, his language brings the reader into the visceral details of what it feels like to be in ICE detention. “In detention, your desires shrink to fit the available space,” he writes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of his lawyers, read a manuscript before it was published, calling it “astonishing.” Khalil asked him to add comments or corrections, but all Azmy did was highlight various passages saying: “This is incredible,” alongside exuberant curse words. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of his lawyers, read a manuscript before it was published, calling it “astonishing.” Khalil asked him to add comments or corrections, but all Azmy did was highlight various passages saying: “This is incredible,” alongside exuberant curse words. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview after Saturday’s event, Azmy described Khalil’s prose as evocative and clean. “The ideas have so much power, even though the words are almost kind of laconic. There’s something about the style that’s really, really powerful.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview after Saturday’s event, Azmy described Khalil’s prose as evocative and clean. “The ideas have so much power, even though the words are almost kind of laconic. There’s something about the style that’s really, really powerful.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gilda Posada holds up a print she made of Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994464\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gilda Posada holds up a print she made of Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnny Sinodis, an attorney and partner at Van Der Hout, part of Mahmoud’s legal team, also read a copy of the manuscript. “Mahmoud has a once-in-a-generation voice,” he said, adding that Khalil speaks for many who’ve been through similar situations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Khalil continues to face deportation proceedings while pursuing multiple legal challenges. In 2026, the \u003ca href=\"https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/khalil-v-heritage-foundation-et-al\">Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit on his behalf\u003c/a> challenging his detention, and alleging a coordinated effort by government officials and pro-Israel groups to punish and intimidate Palestinian rights advocates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11981941/hopeandlossingaza\">Mohammad Subeh\u003c/a>, an emergency room physician from the South Bay who has served on medical missions to Gaza, also picked up a signed book on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What’s important for all of us as Americans is to remember how important freedom of speech is,” Subeh says. “Hearing from Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained and imprisoned for speaking up against a genocide… is one of the few ways we can support really preserving the right to freedom of speech.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What’s important for all of us as Americans is to remember how important freedom of speech is,” Subeh says. “Hearing from Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained and imprisoned for speaking up against a genocide… is one of the few ways we can support really preserving the right to freedom of speech.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994465\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil waves to the crowd before speaking with Lara Kiswani about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once he finished signing copies of his book for organizers and volunteers, Khalil talked briefly about the process of writing \u003cem>No Land to Stand On\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Writing a memoir at the time you are living that story was very difficult,” he told KQED. Memoirs are often written to reflect on things that already happened. But, he said, “everything in the book is still happening … to thousands of others in this country.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In his new memoir \u003cem>No Land to Stand On: Notes From Detention\u003c/em>, Mahmoud Khalil explicitly states that he doesn’t identify as an activist. Still, as his sold-out appearance at the First Congregational Church of Oakland made clear, he’s inspired many people to action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the book-signing portion of Saturday’s event, Gilda Posada, from Sacramento, presented Khalil with a poster she’d made. Pictured on it was his face surrounded by flowers, with the words “No ICE” and “Hands Off Students.” Posada distributed the posters at protests in the spring of 2025, while Khalil sat in ICE detention for more than three months.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m Chicana, so there’s a lot of similarities between our struggles and Palestinian struggles,” Posada said. “The Bay Area is standing against ICE and everything that they’ve done to terrorize our communities.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Oakland, Khalil sounded a note of hope toward that effort. “I believe we can stop what’s happening now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994463\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nahian Haque gets a book signed by Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In front of an overflow crowd, Khalil was interviewed by Lara Kiswani, the executive director of the Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC) at the First Congregational Church. Kiswani pointed out that when Khalil was first abducted, people held signs in the Bay Area saying, “First, they took Mahmoud.” They understood, she said, that first it was him, and “then it was going to be anyone else.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Khalil’s detention made national headlines. In 2025, Khalil’s wife Noor Abdalla, then eight months pregnant, captured \u003ca href=\"https://fb.watch/v/7gngB-54-/\">harrowing footage\u003c/a> of federal immigration agents abducting Khalil in the lobby of his apartment building after months of his pro-Palestinian organizing at Columbia University.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was detained for 104 days while the Trump administration sought to deport him. In \u003cem>No Land to Stand On\u003c/em>, Khalil recounts his arrest, incarceration and separation from his family — including missing the birth of his son — as well as his continuing legal challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil stands for a portrait at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I wrote this book mostly to raise the alarm,” Khalil told KQED. “I don’t wanna wait for 20 years for this country to look back at what’s happening behind ICE detention, and what’s happening in Palestine, and say, ‘How could we let this happen?’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In detention, Khalil formed the genesis of the book by taking notes, unsure if authorities would confiscate them to use against him in court. During the months he was detained, more than 500 people rotated through his dorm, and Khalil “wanted to keep a memory of the tragic stories of all these incredible fathers and workers,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that my book is out — people being able to read the things that this administration tried so hard to silence — is a win,” Khalil said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sold-out crowd listens to Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil speak about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over six months, Khalil worked weekends with his editor alongside answering court orders. Perhaps because the book is not overthought or full of jargon, his language brings the reader into the visceral details of what it feels like to be in ICE detention. “In detention, your desires shrink to fit the available space,” he writes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of his lawyers, read a manuscript before it was published, calling it “astonishing.” Khalil asked him to add comments or corrections, but all Azmy did was highlight various passages saying: “This is incredible,” alongside exuberant curse words. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an interview after Saturday’s event, Azmy described Khalil’s prose as evocative and clean. “The ideas have so much power, even though the words are almost kind of laconic. There’s something about the style that’s really, really powerful.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gilda Posada holds up a print she made of Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johnny Sinodis, an attorney and partner at Van Der Hout, part of Mahmoud’s legal team, also read a copy of the manuscript. “Mahmoud has a once-in-a-generation voice,” he said, adding that Khalil speaks for many who’ve been through similar situations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Khalil continues to face deportation proceedings while pursuing multiple legal challenges. In 2026, the \u003ca href=\"https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/khalil-v-heritage-foundation-et-al\">Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit on his behalf\u003c/a> challenging his detention, and alleging a coordinated effort by government officials and pro-Israel groups to punish and intimidate Palestinian rights advocates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11981941/hopeandlossingaza\">Mohammad Subeh\u003c/a>, an emergency room physician from the South Bay who has served on medical missions to Gaza, also picked up a signed book on Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s important for all of us as Americans is to remember how important freedom of speech is,” Subeh says. “Hearing from Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained and imprisoned for speaking up against a genocide… is one of the few ways we can support really preserving the right to freedom of speech.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994465\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/261003-MAHMOUDKHALIL-JY-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinian organizer and author Mahmoud Khalil waves to the crowd before speaking with Lara Kiswani about his first book at the First Congregational Church of Oakland in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once he finished signing copies of his book for organizers and volunteers, Khalil talked briefly about the process of writing \u003cem>No Land to Stand On\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Writing a memoir at the time you are living that story was very difficult,” he told KQED. Memoirs are often written to reflect on things that already happened. But, he said, “everything in the book is still happening … to thousands of others in this country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"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. ",
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"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. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"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",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
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"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>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"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.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"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?",
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"on-the-media": {
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"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",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"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.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"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",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
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