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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910987\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910987\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-800x800.jpeg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart wears sunglasses as she poses next to a huge car rim of a classic car.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-2048x2048.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart wears sunglasses as she poses next to a huge car rim of a classic car. \u003ccite>(@mattsdemise)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>eing “outside” has grown into a term that signifies the amount of work put in, the battles you’ve survived and the love you’ve received. It’s a badge of honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I think about people who’ve \u003cem>really been outside\u003c/em>, I think of folks who’ve turned human interaction into a lucrative business model and some sort of spiritual exchange. People like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djshellheart/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ ShellHeart\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">Last week, she hosted a birthday party for East Oakland lyricist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/whoisallblack/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ALLBLACK\u003c/a>. A few days prior, I saw her dancing in the booth while DJing an event with visual artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yanory_norwood/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yanory Norwood.\u003c/a> Last month I spotted her cutting up and spinning records with a bunch of fly sisters on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tiptopshape_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tip Top Shape\u003c/a> float at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blackjoyparade/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And this Friday, March 25, ShellHeart DJs at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/turfinc/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turf Inc.\u003c/a>-hosted “Dance Your Style 2022” battle; she’s joined by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djladyryan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Lady Ryan\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djumami/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Umami\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djredcorvette/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Red Corvette\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djmujie/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Mujie\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As if that’s not enough, the next day, Saturday, March 26, Shell appears at the cannabis-themed brunch \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/welcome-to-the-blunch-tickets-269092662397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blunch\u003c/a>, organized and hosted by Oakland emcee and entrepreneur \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CbY0hrILEue/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ally Cocaine\u003c/a> and her sister. And on Sunday, March 27, she’s at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-announce-womens-empowerment-month-celebrations-20220307\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thrive City Women’s Small Business Market\u003c/a> at the Chase Center, as part of the Golden State Warriors’ Women’s History Month festivities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m laying out her itinerary to show you that’s she’s not only outside—pardon me, \u003cem>been outside\u003c/em>—but that’s it’s clearly paying off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13910988\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1020x1020.jpeg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart in front of the 16th Street Station in West Oakland. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-2048x2048.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart in front of the 16th Street Station in West Oakland. \u003ccite>(@mattsdemise)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“I\u003c/span> been on the gas, OG Penn!” DJ ShellHeart tells me during a phone call last week, speaking in an audible smile as she runs down her current schedule, starting with her event series called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/good_times_party/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Good Times\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every first Sunday, ShellHeart along with other DJs host the day party that’s simply about coming together to appreciate each other. “A lot of people don’t get their flowers,” Shell says, in a tone that’s a 180-degree difference from how the call started. “A lot of people from where I’m from don’t get flowers until somebody is dead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, before the event, Shell buys eight bouquets and passes individual flowers out to people “during the lit hours.” Shell says, “I pass them out to everybody, man or woman. That’s one thing that has been big for me for 2022: making sure people get their flowers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of this writing, they’ve only thrown a few Good Times events. But each one has brought out hundreds of attendees. Now, they’re even considering a larger venue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910991\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910991\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-800x910.png\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart holds a bouquet of flowers as she embraces rapper and entrepreneur Ally Cocaine.\" width=\"600\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-800x910.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-160x182.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-768x873.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM.png 978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart holds a bouquet of flowers as she embraces rapper and entrepreneur Ally Cocaine. \u003ccite>(@tiz_og)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over the past two years the Bay Area has undergone some major nightlife shifts, but ShellHeart isn’t concerned. “It’s a lot of clubs that are closing,” says Shell. “But there are so many that are opening. And they’re willing to be open for the young DJs to throw parties.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She credits \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mrbadelle/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brett Badelle\u003c/a>, owner of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thegalleryartbar/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gallery Art Bar\u003c/a>, as well as venues like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/crybabyoakland/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CryBaby Oakland\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/zanzioakland/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zanzi\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/811parliament/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Parliament\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/halftimesportsbar/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Halftime Sports Bar\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/m2oak/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">M2\u003c/a> as places where she can shine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a big difference from a few months ago, when her holiday DJ gig, Rexx Life Raj’s “Rexxmas,” was cancelled due to the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant–a wave that brought Shell back to the first shutdown in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the pandemic came, I felt like I lost everything. Well, I did. I didn’t have a booking in sight,” ShellHeart says, reminiscing on recent history. But that period gave her time to plan. “And now I’m doing it, and it’s amazing,” she adds, audibly smiling again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born in San Francisco and raised in South Richmond, ShellHeart, given name Michelle Miller, is truly from the soil. She attended school in Berkeley, and church in Vallejo. But it was her time spent in Sacramento that set her on her path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After relocating to the 916 for a job at Sacramento Children’s Receiving Home in 2014, she decided to fill her idle time with a new hobby. So she purchased a mini DJ controller that she could attach to an iPad. It wasn’t her first rodeo: when she was in high school, her dad gave her some turntables, but it didn’t stick—Shell was too focused on running track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A little older and a little deeper into music, it was time. She got connected with Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djmelimel_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Meli Mel\u003c/a>, who gave Shell a real controller, a Numark NS7. “It was hella heavy!” Shell exclaims. “But I was like, ‘\u003cem>This\u003c/em> \u003cem>is what I want to do\u003c/em>.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So she did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910984\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910984\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"RBC Bugzy and DJ ShellHeart pose for a photo in 2018 in Oakland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RBC Bugzy and DJ ShellHeart pose for a photo in 2018 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Courtesy DJ ShellHeart)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>ack home in Richmond, an artist by the name of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rbcbugzy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RBC Bugzy\u003c/a> was on the rise, having released his first mixtape, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thizzler.com/blog/2014/12/16/rbc-bugzy-richmen-mixtape.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Richmen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. After a year in Sacramento, ShellHeart moved back to the Bay, living in Vallejo. That’s when she and Bugzy connected. “And we just kicked it off,” says Shell, matter-of-factly. “We already knew each other because we were both from Richmond, but once I became his DJ, we became a lot closer. That actually kicked off my DJ career.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bugzy was a goofy dude, Shell tells me. A happy family man who loved hard. They’d exchange early morning phone calls to check in, and often ride out together, driving around the Bay selling Bugzy’s RICHMEN line of shirts out of his trunk while playing his music and seeing people in traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bugzy was shot and killed in Georgia in late 2019, along with Atlanta’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.hip-hopvibe.com/news/rip-tuc-dolla-and-rbc-bugzy-twitter-mourns-the-loss-of-atl-figure-tucdolla-and-rapper-rbc-bugzy-who-were-killed-last-night-bugzy-was-the-brother-of-cj-anderson-of-the-denver-broncos/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tuc Dolla\u003c/a>. After his death, Bugzy’s brother, the retired NFL running back and current college coach \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/cjandersonb22/status/1212096306933579776\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">C.J. Anderson\u003c/a>, made it clear that Bugzy was a stage name: “His name was Bryon Edwards,” he tweeted. “Today we lost my brother Bryon Edwards.” He was a real person who was taken from this world too soon, leaving behind family, friends, and fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plenty of photos exist of ShellHeart performing in a baseball cap with “Bugzy” embroidered on the side. But the image that really speaks to their connection is one she keeps at the crib. “I have this picture of [Bugzy] and my mom in my room, and I look at it every morning,” Shell says, once again in a tone absent of a smile. “When I go outside, it’s for him, it’s for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910985\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart and Rexx Life Raj are caught off guard ahead of a performance in Los Angeles. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart and Rexx Life Raj are caught off guard ahead of a performance in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Marco Alexander)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">W\u003c/span>hen she’s outside, it’s not just in the Bay; in 2018, ShellHeart began touring as Rexx Life Raj’s DJ across the United States and Europe, hitting London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shell and Raj have known each other since their days at Berkeley High, back when Raj was a part of a group called the Goon Squad. “Me and Raj been connected, that’s what a lot of people don’t know,” Shell says, audible smile present again. “That’s really my friend. So, he just made me his DJ. And man, we been killing it… He changed my life, for real. He and Bugzy changed my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, she’s at a point where she can support herself by doing what she loves. On any given night, you might catch her Milly Rocking in the DJ booth while giving shoutouts over the club’s sound system. She has events lined up for the summer. She released a line of hats last fall and has more clothing dropping in the coming months. That’s in addition to throwing parties, hosting events, going on tour again and possibly putting out her own music with some well-known Bay Area artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13910986\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1020x1529.jpeg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart doing her thing on tour with Russ at a the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.\" width=\"640\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1020x1529.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-800x1199.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-160x240.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-768x1151.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1025x1536.jpeg 1025w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1366x2048.jpeg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1920x2879.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-scaled.jpeg 1708w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart doing her thing on tour with Russ at a the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. \u003ccite>(Courtesy DJ ShellHeart)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s been a long journey from when she started, back when she was hitting events and shaking people’s hands, hoping to get to know them and to make sure they got to know her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aside from DJ Backside and the late Pam The Funkstress, ShellHeart says that in those early days of DJing, she didn’t see many women behind the boards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And being a gay female, it felt like a lot of people didn’t know how to approach me,” Shell explains. “I’d get a lot of brushed-off shoulders. But I made sure to go shake those hands: I don’t know you, you don’t know me, but imma make sure you remember me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked what it feels like to have this kind of momentum, DJ ShellHeart answers with a rhetorical question of her own: “Why am I outside on a fucking Monday?” she laughs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It trips me out: \u003cem>Damn, I’m outside again?\u003c/em>” she says. “But this is my job. This is my career.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keep up with DJ ShellHeart on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djshellheart/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">on Instagram\u003c/a> and learn more at her \u003ca href=\"https://www.djshellheart.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">website\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The Richmond-raised DJ for Rexx Life Raj and the late RBC Bugzy is all gas, ensuring people get their flowers.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910987\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910987\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-800x800.jpeg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart wears sunglasses as she poses next to a huge car rim of a classic car.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-2048x2048.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1797-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart wears sunglasses as she poses next to a huge car rim of a classic car. \u003ccite>(@mattsdemise)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>eing “outside” has grown into a term that signifies the amount of work put in, the battles you’ve survived and the love you’ve received. It’s a badge of honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I think about people who’ve \u003cem>really been outside\u003c/em>, I think of folks who’ve turned human interaction into a lucrative business model and some sort of spiritual exchange. People like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djshellheart/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ ShellHeart\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">Last week, she hosted a birthday party for East Oakland lyricist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/whoisallblack/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ALLBLACK\u003c/a>. A few days prior, I saw her dancing in the booth while DJing an event with visual artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yanory_norwood/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yanory Norwood.\u003c/a> Last month I spotted her cutting up and spinning records with a bunch of fly sisters on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tiptopshape_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tip Top Shape\u003c/a> float at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blackjoyparade/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And this Friday, March 25, ShellHeart DJs at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/turfinc/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turf Inc.\u003c/a>-hosted “Dance Your Style 2022” battle; she’s joined by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djladyryan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Lady Ryan\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djumami/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Umami\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djredcorvette/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Red Corvette\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djmujie/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Mujie\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As if that’s not enough, the next day, Saturday, March 26, Shell appears at the cannabis-themed brunch \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/welcome-to-the-blunch-tickets-269092662397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blunch\u003c/a>, organized and hosted by Oakland emcee and entrepreneur \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CbY0hrILEue/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ally Cocaine\u003c/a> and her sister. And on Sunday, March 27, she’s at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-announce-womens-empowerment-month-celebrations-20220307\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thrive City Women’s Small Business Market\u003c/a> at the Chase Center, as part of the Golden State Warriors’ Women’s History Month festivities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m laying out her itinerary to show you that’s she’s not only outside—pardon me, \u003cem>been outside\u003c/em>—but that’s it’s clearly paying off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13910988\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1020x1020.jpeg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart in front of the 16th Street Station in West Oakland. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-2048x2048.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/DSCF1803-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart in front of the 16th Street Station in West Oakland. \u003ccite>(@mattsdemise)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“I\u003c/span> been on the gas, OG Penn!” DJ ShellHeart tells me during a phone call last week, speaking in an audible smile as she runs down her current schedule, starting with her event series called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/good_times_party/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Good Times\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every first Sunday, ShellHeart along with other DJs host the day party that’s simply about coming together to appreciate each other. “A lot of people don’t get their flowers,” Shell says, in a tone that’s a 180-degree difference from how the call started. “A lot of people from where I’m from don’t get flowers until somebody is dead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, before the event, Shell buys eight bouquets and passes individual flowers out to people “during the lit hours.” Shell says, “I pass them out to everybody, man or woman. That’s one thing that has been big for me for 2022: making sure people get their flowers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of this writing, they’ve only thrown a few Good Times events. But each one has brought out hundreds of attendees. Now, they’re even considering a larger venue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910991\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910991\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-800x910.png\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart holds a bouquet of flowers as she embraces rapper and entrepreneur Ally Cocaine.\" width=\"600\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-800x910.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-160x182.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM-768x873.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-1.25.44-AM.png 978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart holds a bouquet of flowers as she embraces rapper and entrepreneur Ally Cocaine. \u003ccite>(@tiz_og)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over the past two years the Bay Area has undergone some major nightlife shifts, but ShellHeart isn’t concerned. “It’s a lot of clubs that are closing,” says Shell. “But there are so many that are opening. And they’re willing to be open for the young DJs to throw parties.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She credits \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mrbadelle/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brett Badelle\u003c/a>, owner of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thegalleryartbar/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gallery Art Bar\u003c/a>, as well as venues like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/crybabyoakland/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CryBaby Oakland\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/zanzioakland/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zanzi\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/811parliament/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Parliament\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/halftimesportsbar/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Halftime Sports Bar\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/m2oak/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">M2\u003c/a> as places where she can shine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a big difference from a few months ago, when her holiday DJ gig, Rexx Life Raj’s “Rexxmas,” was cancelled due to the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant–a wave that brought Shell back to the first shutdown in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the pandemic came, I felt like I lost everything. Well, I did. I didn’t have a booking in sight,” ShellHeart says, reminiscing on recent history. But that period gave her time to plan. “And now I’m doing it, and it’s amazing,” she adds, audibly smiling again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born in San Francisco and raised in South Richmond, ShellHeart, given name Michelle Miller, is truly from the soil. She attended school in Berkeley, and church in Vallejo. But it was her time spent in Sacramento that set her on her path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After relocating to the 916 for a job at Sacramento Children’s Receiving Home in 2014, she decided to fill her idle time with a new hobby. So she purchased a mini DJ controller that she could attach to an iPad. It wasn’t her first rodeo: when she was in high school, her dad gave her some turntables, but it didn’t stick—Shell was too focused on running track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A little older and a little deeper into music, it was time. She got connected with Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djmelimel_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Meli Mel\u003c/a>, who gave Shell a real controller, a Numark NS7. “It was hella heavy!” Shell exclaims. “But I was like, ‘\u003cem>This\u003c/em> \u003cem>is what I want to do\u003c/em>.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So she did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910984\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910984\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"RBC Bugzy and DJ ShellHeart pose for a photo in 2018 in Oakland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_0389-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RBC Bugzy and DJ ShellHeart pose for a photo in 2018 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Courtesy DJ ShellHeart)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>ack home in Richmond, an artist by the name of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rbcbugzy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RBC Bugzy\u003c/a> was on the rise, having released his first mixtape, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thizzler.com/blog/2014/12/16/rbc-bugzy-richmen-mixtape.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Richmen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. After a year in Sacramento, ShellHeart moved back to the Bay, living in Vallejo. That’s when she and Bugzy connected. “And we just kicked it off,” says Shell, matter-of-factly. “We already knew each other because we were both from Richmond, but once I became his DJ, we became a lot closer. That actually kicked off my DJ career.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bugzy was a goofy dude, Shell tells me. A happy family man who loved hard. They’d exchange early morning phone calls to check in, and often ride out together, driving around the Bay selling Bugzy’s RICHMEN line of shirts out of his trunk while playing his music and seeing people in traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bugzy was shot and killed in Georgia in late 2019, along with Atlanta’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.hip-hopvibe.com/news/rip-tuc-dolla-and-rbc-bugzy-twitter-mourns-the-loss-of-atl-figure-tucdolla-and-rapper-rbc-bugzy-who-were-killed-last-night-bugzy-was-the-brother-of-cj-anderson-of-the-denver-broncos/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tuc Dolla\u003c/a>. After his death, Bugzy’s brother, the retired NFL running back and current college coach \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/cjandersonb22/status/1212096306933579776\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">C.J. Anderson\u003c/a>, made it clear that Bugzy was a stage name: “His name was Bryon Edwards,” he tweeted. “Today we lost my brother Bryon Edwards.” He was a real person who was taken from this world too soon, leaving behind family, friends, and fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plenty of photos exist of ShellHeart performing in a baseball cap with “Bugzy” embroidered on the side. But the image that really speaks to their connection is one she keeps at the crib. “I have this picture of [Bugzy] and my mom in my room, and I look at it every morning,” Shell says, once again in a tone absent of a smile. “When I go outside, it’s for him, it’s for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910985\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart and Rexx Life Raj are caught off guard ahead of a performance in Los Angeles. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_1036.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart and Rexx Life Raj are caught off guard ahead of a performance in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Marco Alexander)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">W\u003c/span>hen she’s outside, it’s not just in the Bay; in 2018, ShellHeart began touring as Rexx Life Raj’s DJ across the United States and Europe, hitting London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shell and Raj have known each other since their days at Berkeley High, back when Raj was a part of a group called the Goon Squad. “Me and Raj been connected, that’s what a lot of people don’t know,” Shell says, audible smile present again. “That’s really my friend. So, he just made me his DJ. And man, we been killing it… He changed my life, for real. He and Bugzy changed my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, she’s at a point where she can support herself by doing what she loves. On any given night, you might catch her Milly Rocking in the DJ booth while giving shoutouts over the club’s sound system. She has events lined up for the summer. She released a line of hats last fall and has more clothing dropping in the coming months. That’s in addition to throwing parties, hosting events, going on tour again and possibly putting out her own music with some well-known Bay Area artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13910986\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1020x1529.jpeg\" alt=\"DJ ShellHeart doing her thing on tour with Russ at a the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.\" width=\"640\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1020x1529.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-800x1199.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-160x240.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-768x1151.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1025x1536.jpeg 1025w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1366x2048.jpeg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-1920x2879.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_9137-scaled.jpeg 1708w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ShellHeart doing her thing on tour with Russ at a the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. \u003ccite>(Courtesy DJ ShellHeart)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s been a long journey from when she started, back when she was hitting events and shaking people’s hands, hoping to get to know them and to make sure they got to know her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aside from DJ Backside and the late Pam The Funkstress, ShellHeart says that in those early days of DJing, she didn’t see many women behind the boards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And being a gay female, it felt like a lot of people didn’t know how to approach me,” Shell explains. “I’d get a lot of brushed-off shoulders. But I made sure to go shake those hands: I don’t know you, you don’t know me, but imma make sure you remember me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked what it feels like to have this kind of momentum, DJ ShellHeart answers with a rhetorical question of her own: “Why am I outside on a fucking Monday?” she laughs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It trips me out: \u003cem>Damn, I’m outside again?\u003c/em>” she says. “But this is my job. This is my career.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keep up with DJ ShellHeart on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djshellheart/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">on Instagram\u003c/a> and learn more at her \u003ca href=\"https://www.djshellheart.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">website\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Why I Love Hawaiian BBQ: In Praise of One of the Bay's Great Multicultural Cuisines",
"headTitle": "Why I Love Hawaiian BBQ: In Praise of One of the Bay’s Great Multicultural Cuisines | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or most of two decades, I grew up in a single-parent home in the South Bay with a Mexican immigrant father. I remember that our first apartment complex was surrounded by Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants, many of whom didn’t speak English. Still, we all learned how to communicate and mix our customs, spending time in each other’s homes and eating each other’s food. For me and my brother, that meant an extra dose of potstickers and noodles as kids. Our world opened up beyond the tortas, bistec, and quesadillas my dad would often make for dinner, and as I grew older, I understood what it meant to constantly translate cultures through taste.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In our neighborhood, we had access to everything from Round Table Pizza and Kentucky Fried Chicken to Middle Eastern rotisserie and German hofbrauhaus. But as a first-generation Mexican American with all of these options, there was one plate I grew to relish more than any other: Hawaiian barbecue.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The “plate lunch” combo was my favorite, no matter where I got it. It always arrived in a steamy container with a creamy scoop of macaroni salad, a lump of sticky white rice, and strips of grilled chicken on a bed of greens—all for a relatively affordable price. Occasionally, I’d mix it up with some breaded katsu for the extra crunch, or order two scoops of mac instead of rice. A can of sinfully sweet Hawaiian Sun completed the meal. I never questioned the origins of the dish.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But eventually I wondered: Did this really come from Hawaii? And how did it get to become such a popular meal for Northern Californians? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What I’ve come to understand is that…it’s complicated. There’s a distinction between “Hawaiian-style” foods and foods that are part of the “true,” original Hawaiian diet, such as fish, poi (a mash of starchy vegetables like taro or plantain) and certain fruits that are native to the islands. The rest has been modified over years of migration, colonialism and interchange.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Spam musubi? A mix of Japanese sushi and U.S. infantry rations from World War II. Loco moco? A mash-up of Spaniard-introduced beef, British gravy and Chinese rice that a group of young cooks tossed into a bowl at a diner in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1949. (One of the teens, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/11/30/loco-moco-hawaiis-iconic-dish-has-roots-in-the-east-bay/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George Takahashi, later migrated to San Leandro\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.) “Hawaiian pizza”? Don’t even think about it. Even the ukulele was brought over by the Portuguese, along with their sausages, oils and batters—key contributions that led to Hawaii’s eventual boom in fried treats like poi doughnuts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13911077\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13911077\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-scaled.jpg\" alt='iLava Hawaiian Barbecue owner Nicolle Jacinto makes a \"hang loose\" hand gesture in front of an ocean mural inside her East Oakland restaurant.' width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicole Jacinto fell in love with barbecuing in her native Philippines. Now, she runs a Hawaiian barbecue spot in a Latino strip mall in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fusion in an Unlikely Place\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The story of Hawaiian barbecue isn’t a story about the sanctity of the purest Hawaiian foods. Instead, it’s a celebration of what it means to be from many places at once, of having mixed upbringings, of melting together a multitude of deliciously imperfect cultural elements and serving them in a Styrofoam to-go box. Most importantly, it’s about finding and tasting that fusion in the most unlikely places—like a Central American strip mall in East Oakland.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Hawaiian food isn’t just 100% Hawaiian food, especially in the Bay Area,” says Nicolle Jacinto, owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ilavahawaiianbbq.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">iLava Hawaiian Barbecue\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which sits in the aforementioned strip mall. “It’s a mix of many cultures. There’s a fusion and variety of ethnicities here, and since we all eat different foods, Hawaiian has been able to become so popular.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The restaurant is located on a metaphorical island on High Street and International Boulevard. It’s a barely noticeable independent shop surrounded by taco trucks, mega-mercados, lavanderías, pawn shops, armed security guards and fast food joints. Yet right in the heart of this predominantly Latino epicenter, you’ll find this tropically inspired restaurant, serving classic plates of island-style food to a diverse clientele of Spanish-speaking immigrants, high-schoolers and other non-Hawaiians.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\"]“The story of Hawaiian barbecue isn’t a story about the sanctity of the purest Hawaiian foods. Instead, it’s a celebration of what it means to be from many places at once.”[/pullquote]Jacinto opened the business in 2017, when her former employer at Hawaiian Grill Express in San Lorenzo asked if she would be interested in running her own restaurant as a part-owner. Since then, Jacinto has overseen iLava’s success, expanding into catering services and a food truck that circulates the entire Bay Area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The business serves classic Hawaiian-style plate lunches that feature dishes like barbecue chicken, beef and short ribs, kalua pork, lau lau and garlic shrimp. There’s also a menu of fresh tropical smoothies like the “Hawaiian Sunrise,” a tangy blend of passionfruit and mango. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The one \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/ilava-hawaiian-barbecue-oakland-4\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yelp\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> reviewer who says iLava is “not a true authentic Hawaiian place” because they don’t serve poi seems to miss the point about what the restaurant does do well: a Californicated version of Pacific Island sustenance, served at reasonable prices, in a part of the city that otherwise lacks any major Polynesian presence.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many ways, Hawaiian culinary history seems to be just that—a whirlpool of various, inexplicably linked ingredients from miscellaneous sources that can be cooked on the spot for anyone who’s hungry. Jacinto embodies this fusion in her own journey. After immigrating to the East Bay from the Philippines in 2009, Jacinto missed the flavors of her past. Though she isn’t Hawaiian by birth, many of her Filipino family members migrated to Hawaii in the 1990s. During yearly trips to the islands, she learned about the nuanced varieties of regional foods while helping her mother cook for relatives. According to Jacinto, the parallels between Hawaiians and Filipinos are unmistakable, highlighted by “a great sense of hospitality, an appreciation for tropical weather and a love of grilled meat.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“My favorite Hawaiian dish is kalua pork,” she tells me. “It’s slow roasted, and it’s basically lechón in the Philippines. It’s prepared slightly differently—lechón is crispier—but it’s almost the same.” (A Latina employee at iLava excitedly compared the dish to carnitas.) Filipino ube (mashed purple yam) has a distinct purple hue, just like Hawaiian poi.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From a young age, Jacinto would cook skewered meats in the streets of her native country, grilling them over open flames and selling them to neighbors and passersby on their way to work. It was relatively inexpensive and convenient, she explains, to prepare food in this fashion. That’s where she gained an appreciation for barbecuing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Bay Area Classic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, Hawaiian food is much more than grilled meats. But that particular style, commonly known as “Hawaiian BBQ,” is the one that’s the most widely available here in the Bay Area—especially the classic style of meal known as the plate lunch. Born from \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hawaiioceanproject.com/a-brief-history-of-plate-lunches-in-hawaii/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a working-class context of mixed leftover foods—\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">scraps from previous night’s meals consisting of rice, macaroni and a protein, heaped in a to-go bento box—the plate lunch has become an indisputable California favorite. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13911080\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13911080\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Landeza mixes poke inside a large metal bowl..\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patrick Landeza, a Hawaiian cook and musician based in Hayward, specializes in poke. But he appreciates the way Hawaiian barbecue spots make the culture more accessible to the mainstream. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Patrick Landeza)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A plate lunch is just a mixture of things. We’re talking about Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian and more. We’re here in the Bay Area, and this is our taste profile, so that’s why it’s popping up everywhere,” says Patrick Landeza, a Hawaiian cook and musician who owns \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://landezasisland.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Landeza’s Island Poke & Catering\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Hayward, and is a member of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hccnc.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hawai’i Chamber of Commerce in Northern California\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though Landeza believes most Hawaiian barbecue outlets lack “true aloha,” or a sense of soul and genuine service, he also admits that they are good at “doing what they do by serving comfort food.” Raised on the “island of Berkeley,” Landeza specializes in poke—bowls of diced raw fish and other ingredients—which is a certified Hawaiian staple. As a Bay Area Hawaiian OG, he acknowledges the importance and accessibility of mainstream Hawaiian barbecue among the non-Hawaiian population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The cuisine’s origins on the mainland date back to 1999 when Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores, Jr. opened their \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/11/26/business/story1.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first L&L Hawaiian BBQ outside of Hawaii\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This was already three decades after the pair had successfully launched the original L&L Drive-In in 1976, in the Kalihi neighborhood of Oahu.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their brand of quick, simple Hawaiian fare reached California’s shores when \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/11/26/business/story1.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a former employee relocated to San Francisco\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and began to serve his own Hawaiian-style plate lunches as a side hustle, Landeza explains. That initial success eventually led to the commercialization of Hawaiian food services that have since proliferated under the L&L brand name. Nowadays, the chain boasts over 200 locations throughout the United States, including a recent opening of their first franchise as far east as Florida. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like the plate lunches they serve, L&L’s take on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/about/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“the state food of Hawaii”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a fusion of past traditions with modern business opportunities. They were able to offer ownership to anyone willing to invest in their franchise model—whether Hawaiian-heritaged or not. A wave of shops selling what we now know as “Hawaiian BBQ” emerged as a result, often owned by immigrants like Jacinto.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\"]“Eating a Filipino-prepared Hawaiian plate lunch in Oakland served by Latino employees represents the beauty of what food can teach us about our human similarities.”[/pullquote]There are other reasons \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/1/28/18178937/hawaiian-food-trend-san-francisco-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hawaiian food has reached trending status in the Bay\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For starters, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bay-Area-has-big-Pacific-Islander-population-2839970.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the region is home to the largest population of Polynesian islanders\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> who’ve transplanted to the contiguous stateside, making this the world’s biggest Little Island, with the cities of Hayward and Vallejo boasting the most Hawaiian residents. This proximity for cultural exchange largely explains why so many Americanized Polynesian trends have been popularized in the Bay, including tiki bars and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.curacaoliqueur.com/articles/the-mai-tai-history-and-its-recipes-explained\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the disputed origins of the mai tai cocktail\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many, these can come across as a form of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-11-27/tiki-bar-problems\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">cultural appropriation and “colonial nostalgia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” I’ve seen the same exotic simplification happen with Mexican food—it’s tricky territory to mindlessly enjoy a tiki beverage or “Aloha burger” without considering the layers beneath the surface. On the one hand, it represents some attempt to offer the flavors and experiences of a region. But when done poorly, it comes off as kitschy, tone-deaf and imperialistically exploitative. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the case of iLava, though, eating a Filipino-prepared Hawaiian plate lunch in Oakland served by Latino employees represents the beauty of what food can teach us about our human similarities.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13900855,arts_13898436,arts_13904835']“Food is a vehicle for building community, creating and nurturing that community,” says Landeza. “I don’t do Hawaiian barbecue. I am a Hawaiian caterer who does Hawaiian food. But coming from the mainland with Hawaiian roots, we miss these foods because we identify with it, and we want to relive that however we can. I’ve lived in both worlds, and there is a way to share that aloha, through food and music.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whatever your personal preferences may be, I can only speak for mine: I’ll take a Hawaiian-style barbecue plate lunch any day of the week. There’s just something refreshingly simple about it, and it reminds me of how we’re all a mixture of histories that are outside of anyone’s control or simple definitions. In a way, this mishmash is the only thing I know. It’s a place of comfort for me as the child of immigrants.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jacinto, an immigrant herself, feels similarly. “Hawaii reminds me of my home—the warmth, the green, the beaches,” she says. “It’s the closest where I can feel like I’m home.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Who can’t stomach that?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>iLava Hawaiian Barbecue is open 11 am–8:15 pm daily at 1446 High St. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">F\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>or most of two decades, I grew up in a single-parent home in the South Bay with a Mexican immigrant father. I remember that our first apartment complex was surrounded by Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants, many of whom didn’t speak English. Still, we all learned how to communicate and mix our customs, spending time in each other’s homes and eating each other’s food. For me and my brother, that meant an extra dose of potstickers and noodles as kids. Our world opened up beyond the tortas, bistec, and quesadillas my dad would often make for dinner, and as I grew older, I understood what it meant to constantly translate cultures through taste.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In our neighborhood, we had access to everything from Round Table Pizza and Kentucky Fried Chicken to Middle Eastern rotisserie and German hofbrauhaus. But as a first-generation Mexican American with all of these options, there was one plate I grew to relish more than any other: Hawaiian barbecue.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The “plate lunch” combo was my favorite, no matter where I got it. It always arrived in a steamy container with a creamy scoop of macaroni salad, a lump of sticky white rice, and strips of grilled chicken on a bed of greens—all for a relatively affordable price. Occasionally, I’d mix it up with some breaded katsu for the extra crunch, or order two scoops of mac instead of rice. A can of sinfully sweet Hawaiian Sun completed the meal. I never questioned the origins of the dish.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But eventually I wondered: Did this really come from Hawaii? And how did it get to become such a popular meal for Northern Californians? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What I’ve come to understand is that…it’s complicated. There’s a distinction between “Hawaiian-style” foods and foods that are part of the “true,” original Hawaiian diet, such as fish, poi (a mash of starchy vegetables like taro or plantain) and certain fruits that are native to the islands. The rest has been modified over years of migration, colonialism and interchange.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Spam musubi? A mix of Japanese sushi and U.S. infantry rations from World War II. Loco moco? A mash-up of Spaniard-introduced beef, British gravy and Chinese rice that a group of young cooks tossed into a bowl at a diner in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1949. (One of the teens, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/11/30/loco-moco-hawaiis-iconic-dish-has-roots-in-the-east-bay/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George Takahashi, later migrated to San Leandro\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.) “Hawaiian pizza”? Don’t even think about it. Even the ukulele was brought over by the Portuguese, along with their sausages, oils and batters—key contributions that led to Hawaii’s eventual boom in fried treats like poi doughnuts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13911077\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13911077\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-scaled.jpg\" alt='iLava Hawaiian Barbecue owner Nicolle Jacinto makes a \"hang loose\" hand gesture in front of an ocean mural inside her East Oakland restaurant.' width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/hawaiianbbq_ilava-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicole Jacinto fell in love with barbecuing in her native Philippines. Now, she runs a Hawaiian barbecue spot in a Latino strip mall in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fusion in an Unlikely Place\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The story of Hawaiian barbecue isn’t a story about the sanctity of the purest Hawaiian foods. Instead, it’s a celebration of what it means to be from many places at once, of having mixed upbringings, of melting together a multitude of deliciously imperfect cultural elements and serving them in a Styrofoam to-go box. Most importantly, it’s about finding and tasting that fusion in the most unlikely places—like a Central American strip mall in East Oakland.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Hawaiian food isn’t just 100% Hawaiian food, especially in the Bay Area,” says Nicolle Jacinto, owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ilavahawaiianbbq.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">iLava Hawaiian Barbecue\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which sits in the aforementioned strip mall. “It’s a mix of many cultures. There’s a fusion and variety of ethnicities here, and since we all eat different foods, Hawaiian has been able to become so popular.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The restaurant is located on a metaphorical island on High Street and International Boulevard. It’s a barely noticeable independent shop surrounded by taco trucks, mega-mercados, lavanderías, pawn shops, armed security guards and fast food joints. Yet right in the heart of this predominantly Latino epicenter, you’ll find this tropically inspired restaurant, serving classic plates of island-style food to a diverse clientele of Spanish-speaking immigrants, high-schoolers and other non-Hawaiians.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Jacinto opened the business in 2017, when her former employer at Hawaiian Grill Express in San Lorenzo asked if she would be interested in running her own restaurant as a part-owner. Since then, Jacinto has overseen iLava’s success, expanding into catering services and a food truck that circulates the entire Bay Area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The business serves classic Hawaiian-style plate lunches that feature dishes like barbecue chicken, beef and short ribs, kalua pork, lau lau and garlic shrimp. There’s also a menu of fresh tropical smoothies like the “Hawaiian Sunrise,” a tangy blend of passionfruit and mango. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The one \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/ilava-hawaiian-barbecue-oakland-4\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yelp\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> reviewer who says iLava is “not a true authentic Hawaiian place” because they don’t serve poi seems to miss the point about what the restaurant does do well: a Californicated version of Pacific Island sustenance, served at reasonable prices, in a part of the city that otherwise lacks any major Polynesian presence.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many ways, Hawaiian culinary history seems to be just that—a whirlpool of various, inexplicably linked ingredients from miscellaneous sources that can be cooked on the spot for anyone who’s hungry. Jacinto embodies this fusion in her own journey. After immigrating to the East Bay from the Philippines in 2009, Jacinto missed the flavors of her past. Though she isn’t Hawaiian by birth, many of her Filipino family members migrated to Hawaii in the 1990s. During yearly trips to the islands, she learned about the nuanced varieties of regional foods while helping her mother cook for relatives. According to Jacinto, the parallels between Hawaiians and Filipinos are unmistakable, highlighted by “a great sense of hospitality, an appreciation for tropical weather and a love of grilled meat.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“My favorite Hawaiian dish is kalua pork,” she tells me. “It’s slow roasted, and it’s basically lechón in the Philippines. It’s prepared slightly differently—lechón is crispier—but it’s almost the same.” (A Latina employee at iLava excitedly compared the dish to carnitas.) Filipino ube (mashed purple yam) has a distinct purple hue, just like Hawaiian poi.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From a young age, Jacinto would cook skewered meats in the streets of her native country, grilling them over open flames and selling them to neighbors and passersby on their way to work. It was relatively inexpensive and convenient, she explains, to prepare food in this fashion. That’s where she gained an appreciation for barbecuing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Bay Area Classic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, Hawaiian food is much more than grilled meats. But that particular style, commonly known as “Hawaiian BBQ,” is the one that’s the most widely available here in the Bay Area—especially the classic style of meal known as the plate lunch. Born from \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hawaiioceanproject.com/a-brief-history-of-plate-lunches-in-hawaii/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a working-class context of mixed leftover foods—\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">scraps from previous night’s meals consisting of rice, macaroni and a protein, heaped in a to-go bento box—the plate lunch has become an indisputable California favorite. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13911080\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13911080\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Landeza mixes poke inside a large metal bowl..\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/patricklandeza_poke-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patrick Landeza, a Hawaiian cook and musician based in Hayward, specializes in poke. But he appreciates the way Hawaiian barbecue spots make the culture more accessible to the mainstream. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Patrick Landeza)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A plate lunch is just a mixture of things. We’re talking about Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian and more. We’re here in the Bay Area, and this is our taste profile, so that’s why it’s popping up everywhere,” says Patrick Landeza, a Hawaiian cook and musician who owns \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://landezasisland.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Landeza’s Island Poke & Catering\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Hayward, and is a member of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hccnc.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hawai’i Chamber of Commerce in Northern California\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though Landeza believes most Hawaiian barbecue outlets lack “true aloha,” or a sense of soul and genuine service, he also admits that they are good at “doing what they do by serving comfort food.” Raised on the “island of Berkeley,” Landeza specializes in poke—bowls of diced raw fish and other ingredients—which is a certified Hawaiian staple. As a Bay Area Hawaiian OG, he acknowledges the importance and accessibility of mainstream Hawaiian barbecue among the non-Hawaiian population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The cuisine’s origins on the mainland date back to 1999 when Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores, Jr. opened their \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/11/26/business/story1.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first L&L Hawaiian BBQ outside of Hawaii\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This was already three decades after the pair had successfully launched the original L&L Drive-In in 1976, in the Kalihi neighborhood of Oahu.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their brand of quick, simple Hawaiian fare reached California’s shores when \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/11/26/business/story1.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a former employee relocated to San Francisco\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and began to serve his own Hawaiian-style plate lunches as a side hustle, Landeza explains. That initial success eventually led to the commercialization of Hawaiian food services that have since proliferated under the L&L brand name. Nowadays, the chain boasts over 200 locations throughout the United States, including a recent opening of their first franchise as far east as Florida. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like the plate lunches they serve, L&L’s take on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/about/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“the state food of Hawaii”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a fusion of past traditions with modern business opportunities. They were able to offer ownership to anyone willing to invest in their franchise model—whether Hawaiian-heritaged or not. A wave of shops selling what we now know as “Hawaiian BBQ” emerged as a result, often owned by immigrants like Jacinto.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“Eating a Filipino-prepared Hawaiian plate lunch in Oakland served by Latino employees represents the beauty of what food can teach us about our human similarities.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>There are other reasons \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/1/28/18178937/hawaiian-food-trend-san-francisco-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hawaiian food has reached trending status in the Bay\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For starters, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bay-Area-has-big-Pacific-Islander-population-2839970.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the region is home to the largest population of Polynesian islanders\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> who’ve transplanted to the contiguous stateside, making this the world’s biggest Little Island, with the cities of Hayward and Vallejo boasting the most Hawaiian residents. This proximity for cultural exchange largely explains why so many Americanized Polynesian trends have been popularized in the Bay, including tiki bars and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.curacaoliqueur.com/articles/the-mai-tai-history-and-its-recipes-explained\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the disputed origins of the mai tai cocktail\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many, these can come across as a form of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-11-27/tiki-bar-problems\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">cultural appropriation and “colonial nostalgia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” I’ve seen the same exotic simplification happen with Mexican food—it’s tricky territory to mindlessly enjoy a tiki beverage or “Aloha burger” without considering the layers beneath the surface. On the one hand, it represents some attempt to offer the flavors and experiences of a region. But when done poorly, it comes off as kitschy, tone-deaf and imperialistically exploitative. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the case of iLava, though, eating a Filipino-prepared Hawaiian plate lunch in Oakland served by Latino employees represents the beauty of what food can teach us about our human similarities.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Food is a vehicle for building community, creating and nurturing that community,” says Landeza. “I don’t do Hawaiian barbecue. I am a Hawaiian caterer who does Hawaiian food. But coming from the mainland with Hawaiian roots, we miss these foods because we identify with it, and we want to relive that however we can. I’ve lived in both worlds, and there is a way to share that aloha, through food and music.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whatever your personal preferences may be, I can only speak for mine: I’ll take a Hawaiian-style barbecue plate lunch any day of the week. There’s just something refreshingly simple about it, and it reminds me of how we’re all a mixture of histories that are outside of anyone’s control or simple definitions. In a way, this mishmash is the only thing I know. It’s a place of comfort for me as the child of immigrants.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jacinto, an immigrant herself, feels similarly. “Hawaii reminds me of my home—the warmth, the green, the beaches,” she says. “It’s the closest where I can feel like I’m home.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Who can’t stomach that?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>iLava Hawaiian Barbecue is open 11 am–8:15 pm daily at 1446 High St. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Oakland Entrepreneur Building Safety Nets for When Social Services Fall Short",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC9037901887\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For some young folks, there comes a time when they age out of child-serving social services. Their safety nets get thinner and they can struggle to find their footing with limited resources or experience. These sixteen to twenty-four-year-olds are sometimes called “transitional age youth” or TAY.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the crowd that \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/desiresimonejohnson/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Desire Johnson-Forte\u003c/a> helps. She cares because she was once one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire is currently the Executive Director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.thebizstoop.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The BIZ (Black Intergenerational Zeal) Stoop.\u003c/a> The organization has been around for six years, and has worked with about 50 young folks each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At The BIZ Stoop they take a holistic approach to supporting young people. To increase Black life expectancy they address fatalism through group conversations. They help young folks from the East Bay tell their stories to shift public narratives about them. And they support young people build businesses and careers through coaching, economic education and financial support in the form of micro-grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire, also the founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/damngoodteas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damn Good Teas\u003c/a>, has been doing this kind of work since she was a young person transitioning into adulthood, dealing with all that life threw at her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week Desire shares a bit of her story, why her work is important right now, and how she grew from a place where she needed assistance to being the person who provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Below are some lightly edited excerpts of my conversation with Desire Johnson-Forte.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: …I started organizing in elementary school, to get teachers and support staff to stay at our schools in Oakland. And that grew into further community work around sustainability and getting young people a voice and platform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: When I was 18, I came out as a survivor of long term assault by someone close to my family. That was the scariest thing I probably ever did outside of moving away from home because that put reality in my lap. Even though I had been presenting symptoms of something deep going on, no one could really put their finger on it, or maybe they were not comfortable pushing the conversation. When I got to living independently I just had to come out with the truth… I didn’t want to carry that pain and shame far off into my life and just never get to heal about it… so it ended up coming out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: It motivated other folks to come out to me. So I started a group for survivors on my campus and I went to Mills College… I was surprised at a women’s college there wasn’t any like ongoing support group for survivors. And that’s how I really started cutting my teeth, creating ways to address the needs of people who are living at the margins or carrying a lot of burden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen (narration): After college, Desire worked with the youth impact hub. It’s a building just north of downtown Oakland and runs supportive programs for 18 to 24 year olds. Desire focused on developing a business plan, and that’s where the idea for The BIZ Stoop originated…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: How do we address the roots of fatalism, shift the wealth narrative, shift the health narrative and earn our keep? Legitimately earn our keep so we can sustain ourselves where we choose to live, where we choose to have family and where we choose to make community. So that is what the BIZ Stoop is about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: You’re tackling some huge issues… like fatalism is something that I’ve dealt with in my circle from a young age 12-13 being like, I’m not going to live past 18, 21, you know? And then by the grace of God making it past that age, then wrapping my mind around that like, ‘oh, i gotta get a job, a place to live, and things like that.’ \u003c/em>\u003cem>What you’re saying about helping young people transition into society is really important work…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Now you’re on the other end, creating programs that build similar skills. What do you make of this journey so far?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: It goes back to my own life in progress. I know that these are the challenges I’ve had to overcome. I had to go to therapy. I’ve had to build healthy relationships. I also feel very connected with my ancestors, whether I’ve known them or not. In current time, to decades and centuries ago. They made it through some shit! So it’s my duty to make it through in this life…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: I live in a quote-unquote dangerous environment, so community violence is a possibility, but also self-inflicted harm is a major possibility and having the tools to heal yourself are essential, I believe, to be able to wake up and feel like today I can try again. And then being in a positive affirmative community that is also going to challenge you. And I don’t think that we should continue to make people go to very extreme situations to access the support that they need to stabilize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Seeing your trajectory, how far you’ve grown, where you’ve come from and the work that you’re doing now… Is there ever a moment where you just look up and you’re like, I’m so glad I helped this young person because you can maybe even see yourself in them?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: I think about that a lot… I hope that I’m doing what’s right, and it’s only through that data, through the conversations with young people, when they say ‘thank you’ that I know that I’m doing what’s right, that I actually did help somebody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: It makes me very happy when I learn other people have taken their ideas seriously… get recognition, get the funding, get the customers, get whatever to keep doing that ‘cuz the low wage working class struggle that we’ve had to endure and watch our parents endure is to too f***ing much.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Thank you for sharing that… Through your career in doing this work, I’m sure you’ve seen some changes. What are the more significant things that you’ve seen change when it comes to working with transitional age youth?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: Well a lot of us have basically aged out of the resources that would usually be available. It’s terrible when you start your healing process and then it’s ripped out from under you. So a little bit of change I’ve seen is some programs have expanded their age to 26 to maybe 27 years old. As you get older, there’s more responsibility, of course, of course, but there should still be a basic level of some network support because people are still suffering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC9037901887\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For some young folks, there comes a time when they age out of child-serving social services. Their safety nets get thinner and they can struggle to find their footing with limited resources or experience. These sixteen to twenty-four-year-olds are sometimes called “transitional age youth” or TAY.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the crowd that \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/desiresimonejohnson/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Desire Johnson-Forte\u003c/a> helps. She cares because she was once one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire is currently the Executive Director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.thebizstoop.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The BIZ (Black Intergenerational Zeal) Stoop.\u003c/a> The organization has been around for six years, and has worked with about 50 young folks each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At The BIZ Stoop they take a holistic approach to supporting young people. To increase Black life expectancy they address fatalism through group conversations. They help young folks from the East Bay tell their stories to shift public narratives about them. And they support young people build businesses and careers through coaching, economic education and financial support in the form of micro-grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire, also the founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/damngoodteas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damn Good Teas\u003c/a>, has been doing this kind of work since she was a young person transitioning into adulthood, dealing with all that life threw at her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week Desire shares a bit of her story, why her work is important right now, and how she grew from a place where she needed assistance to being the person who provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Below are some lightly edited excerpts of my conversation with Desire Johnson-Forte.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: …I started organizing in elementary school, to get teachers and support staff to stay at our schools in Oakland. And that grew into further community work around sustainability and getting young people a voice and platform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: When I was 18, I came out as a survivor of long term assault by someone close to my family. That was the scariest thing I probably ever did outside of moving away from home because that put reality in my lap. Even though I had been presenting symptoms of something deep going on, no one could really put their finger on it, or maybe they were not comfortable pushing the conversation. When I got to living independently I just had to come out with the truth… I didn’t want to carry that pain and shame far off into my life and just never get to heal about it… so it ended up coming out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: It motivated other folks to come out to me. So I started a group for survivors on my campus and I went to Mills College… I was surprised at a women’s college there wasn’t any like ongoing support group for survivors. And that’s how I really started cutting my teeth, creating ways to address the needs of people who are living at the margins or carrying a lot of burden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen (narration): After college, Desire worked with the youth impact hub. It’s a building just north of downtown Oakland and runs supportive programs for 18 to 24 year olds. Desire focused on developing a business plan, and that’s where the idea for The BIZ Stoop originated…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: How do we address the roots of fatalism, shift the wealth narrative, shift the health narrative and earn our keep? Legitimately earn our keep so we can sustain ourselves where we choose to live, where we choose to have family and where we choose to make community. So that is what the BIZ Stoop is about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: You’re tackling some huge issues… like fatalism is something that I’ve dealt with in my circle from a young age 12-13 being like, I’m not going to live past 18, 21, you know? And then by the grace of God making it past that age, then wrapping my mind around that like, ‘oh, i gotta get a job, a place to live, and things like that.’ \u003c/em>\u003cem>What you’re saying about helping young people transition into society is really important work…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Now you’re on the other end, creating programs that build similar skills. What do you make of this journey so far?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: It goes back to my own life in progress. I know that these are the challenges I’ve had to overcome. I had to go to therapy. I’ve had to build healthy relationships. I also feel very connected with my ancestors, whether I’ve known them or not. In current time, to decades and centuries ago. They made it through some shit! So it’s my duty to make it through in this life…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: I live in a quote-unquote dangerous environment, so community violence is a possibility, but also self-inflicted harm is a major possibility and having the tools to heal yourself are essential, I believe, to be able to wake up and feel like today I can try again. And then being in a positive affirmative community that is also going to challenge you. And I don’t think that we should continue to make people go to very extreme situations to access the support that they need to stabilize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Seeing your trajectory, how far you’ve grown, where you’ve come from and the work that you’re doing now… Is there ever a moment where you just look up and you’re like, I’m so glad I helped this young person because you can maybe even see yourself in them?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: I think about that a lot… I hope that I’m doing what’s right, and it’s only through that data, through the conversations with young people, when they say ‘thank you’ that I know that I’m doing what’s right, that I actually did help somebody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: It makes me very happy when I learn other people have taken their ideas seriously… get recognition, get the funding, get the customers, get whatever to keep doing that ‘cuz the low wage working class struggle that we’ve had to endure and watch our parents endure is to too f***ing much.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Thank you for sharing that… Through your career in doing this work, I’m sure you’ve seen some changes. What are the more significant things that you’ve seen change when it comes to working with transitional age youth?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desire: Well a lot of us have basically aged out of the resources that would usually be available. It’s terrible when you start your healing process and then it’s ripped out from under you. So a little bit of change I’ve seen is some programs have expanded their age to 26 to maybe 27 years old. As you get older, there’s more responsibility, of course, of course, but there should still be a basic level of some network support because people are still suffering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "city-of-oakland-hot-air-balloon-idora-park-piedmont-baths-neptune-beach",
"title": "5 Long-Lost East Bay Attractions That Should’ve Been Saved",
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"content": "\u003cp>These days, anyone in the Bay Area seeking fairground thrills and spills needs to travel to Vallejo or Santa Clara to get ’em. But in the days before Six Flags, Great America and, well, regular people owning cars, the amusements mostly stayed close to Oakland and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909983\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco\u003c/a> to maximize visitor numbers. And that’s not all that was on offer… Here are five old East Bay attractions that should’ve been saved from the scrap pile.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Idora Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910338\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-800x490.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-800x490.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-1020x625.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-160x98.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-768x471.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-1536x942.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-2048x1255.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-1920x1177.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of the rides at Oakland’s Idora Park—a giant swing.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a fairly anonymous patch of Oakland now—residential homes, freeway underpasses, parking lots and such—but for 25 years, the plot of land between 56th, 58th, Telegraph and Shattuck was a glorious amusement ground. Idora Park opened in 1904 and was originally conceived as a “trolley park”—an attraction specifically designed to get people to ride public transportation on the weekends. But, oh boy, did the park offer ample incentives for visitors to flock there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13900997']Idora featured beautiful \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/3743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gardens\u003c/a>, a giant \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/3744\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">roller-skating rink\u003c/a>, a zoo, racetrack, archery range, dance hall, miniature railway, amphitheater with grand outdoor stage, bandstand, Japanese garden \u003cem>and\u003c/em> ostrich farm. All for an entry fee of 10 cents (about three dollars in 2022 money). Plus—there’s more!—peppered throughout the park were \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/162\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">roller coasters\u003c/a> and a variety of fairground attractions including a \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/179\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mountain slide\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/163\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">circular swing\u003c/a>, penny arcade and whatever \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shooting the Rapids\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/189\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tickler\u003c/a> and the Social Whirl were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fun came crashing down after cars became more affordable in the 1920s, and folks in Oakland had the means to venture further afield. Idora Park was demolished in 1929. Today, its name is primarily invoked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.532aileen.com/neighborhood-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">realtors trying to sell homes in the Temescal district\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The ‘City of Oakland’ Hot Air Balloon\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910326\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910326\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-800x480.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-800x480.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-1020x612.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-160x96.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-768x461.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-1536x922.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-2048x1230.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-1920x1153.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “City of Oakland” hot air balloon, surrounded by throngs of well-wishers in 1909, as it prepared to take off from 14th and Franklin in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Public domain)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>City of Oakland\u003c/em>’s maiden voyage happened on Aug. 14, 1909. Surrounded by throngs of people, the balloon took off from 14th and Webster in Oakland. Its 40-foot diameter narrowly avoided a collision with the spires of the First Presbyterian Church, almost drifted out to sea, and eventually plunged to the ground three hours later when 50-mile-per-hour winds hit. Balloon pilots (or “aeronauts” as they were known), Professor A. Van der Naillen Jr. and P. A. Van Tassel, were dragged for half a mile across the floor of a rocky canyon—and through two barbed wire fences!—before the balloon came to a stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During the half mile of dragging we experienced, the basket turned completely over once and I am still wondering how we kept from falling out,” Van der Naillen later told the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>. Regardless, the voyage was considered a success, with the \u003cem>City of Oakland\u003c/em> reaching its optimum altitude of 5,000 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the next year, the \u003cem>City of Oakland\u003c/em> went out, up and down the coast, again and again, winning races and giving The Town’s residents a boost of pride. In October 1909, the balloon won a race against the \u003cem>Queen of the Pacific\u003c/em>—a newsworthy event because both were piloted by women. The following month, the balloon beat a \u003cem>City of San Francisco\u003c/em> vessel in a race that started on 11th and Market in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which all begs the question: Why is this thing not on permanent display somewhere?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Piedmont Baths\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910344\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-800x471.png\" alt=\"A sprawling red brick structure with rounded exterior walls and tall chimneys behind. \" width=\"800\" height=\"471\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-800x471.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-1020x600.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-160x94.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-768x452.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-1536x904.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-1920x1130.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM.png 1954w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Piedmont Baths, in all of their turn-of-the-century glory. \u003ccite>(Public domain)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You know the Whole Foods currently standing at Bay Place and Vernon Street? Just up the street from \u003ca href=\"https://fairyland.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fairyland\u003c/a> and Lake Merritt? Well, that site used to be home to a luxurious and sprawling bathhouse and spa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='pop_103040']Founded in 1890, Piedmont Baths provided Victorians with “20 different kinds of baths” (including Turkish and Russian), hot tubs (salt or fresh water), massages, plus a café and candy stand for snack time. It also housed a stunning 70-foot-by-120-foot swimming pool, complete with springboards and a trapeze. The saltwater was drawn from Lake Merritt using a Worthington pump (which could supply 500 gallons per minute) and a circular pump. The water was heated by waste steam from a nearby cable car power plant owned by the Oakland Transit Company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An ad in the \u003cem>Oakland Tribune\u003c/em>, placed Sept. 10, 1900, confidently stated: “People who have visited all the principal baths in this country and Europe all agree that the Piedmont Baths are the most complete in detail and are finished and furnished the best of any baths they have seen in their tour around the world.” The promotion added: “Doctors recommend swimming in tepid saltwater as the very best kind of exercise for young and old, sick and well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tompkins Park Roller Coaster\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910519\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-800x589.png\" alt=\"Seven children, most around the age of 10, all wearing white shirts, hats and suspenders, sit in a miniature railway car.\" width=\"800\" height=\"589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-800x589.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-1020x750.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-160x118.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-768x565.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM.png 1370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The scrappy bunch of kids who built their own 200-foot-long roller coaster in West Oakland in 1915. \u003ccite>(Oakland Tribune, March 27, 1915)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Picture it: West Oakland, 1915. A bunch of streetwise children spend a lot of free time hanging out in Tompkins Park. Directly opposite is an infamous vacant lot that’s known as the “dumps” on account of how much junk and trash gets discarded there. One day, local kids Vincent Carvalho and Raymond Antwiler notice a set of rails and part of a miniature railway have joined the junk pile. So they decide to build themselves a roller coaster. When word spreads of the project, five more enterprising kids—Joey Gomez, Marion Cabral, Ben Viera, Joe Swartz and Frank Dominguez—step up to assist. And, within two weeks, against the odds (insert inspiring montage here), the ragtag crew actually succeeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13909983']On March 27, 1915, the \u003cem>Oakland Tribune\u003c/em> reported on the structure which was set up on a path through and over refuse in the dumps. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909983\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gravity railroad\u003c/a>-style ride was apparently held up—and propelled—by a large boiler at the top, followed by “a trestle of wood blocks, and driftwood from the beach.” The boys even added some novel customizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a switch in the system,” the \u003cem>Tribune\u003c/em> reported, “and a side tracking a sharp curve between an old concrete mixer and a discarded boiler … About 200 feet of track in all was laid and a swift trip, though one perhaps somewhat lacking in scenic attractions, was provided for the throngs of young ones that clamored for the privilege.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Neptune Beach\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910351\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910351\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-800x510.png\" alt=\"An old postcard depicts one giant swimming pool, and a smaller one next to it, surrounded by green space and fairground attractions.\" width=\"800\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-800x510.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-1020x651.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-160x102.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-768x490.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-1536x980.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM.png 1812w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alameda’s Neptune Beach was considered the ‘Coney Island of the West.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There are many legends about Neptune Beach. This Alameda water and amusement park is where the popsicle, snow cone \u003cem>and\u003c/em> Kewpie doll all apparently made their debuts! Open between 1917 and 1939 where \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/visitor-centers/crab-cove\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Crab Cove\u003c/a> is today, Neptune Park had two outdoor pools (one was Olympic-sized), a dance hall, barbecue pits and rentable vacation cottages. Non-swimmers could amuse themselves on the massive roller coaster, Ferris wheel and a carousel that was hand-carved by Philadelphia’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentzel_Carousel_Company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dentzel Company\u003c/a>. Entry to the park was just a dime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attendance slowed down during the Great Depression, and hit a major slump after the Bay Bridge opened in 1936. By 1939, the park was in deep debt. That year, the Central Bank of Oakland foreclosed and, in 1940, the once-hallowed contents of Neptune Beach were sold off at auction for a pittance. Today, the last remaining sign that it was ever there are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.neptunecourtapartments.com/history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Neptune Court Apartments\u003c/a>, built in the 1920s by \u003ca href=\"https://alamedasun.com/news/100-years-later-remembering-robert-strehlow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robert Strehlow\u003c/a>, who was a co-founder of the park. You can currently rent a one-bedroom there for $2,200 and up.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "5 Long-Lost East Bay Attractions That Should’ve Been Saved | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>These days, anyone in the Bay Area seeking fairground thrills and spills needs to travel to Vallejo or Santa Clara to get ’em. But in the days before Six Flags, Great America and, well, regular people owning cars, the amusements mostly stayed close to Oakland and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909983\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco\u003c/a> to maximize visitor numbers. And that’s not all that was on offer… Here are five old East Bay attractions that should’ve been saved from the scrap pile.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Idora Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910338\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-800x490.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-800x490.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-1020x625.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-160x98.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-768x471.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-1536x942.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-2048x1255.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-12.32.21-PM-1920x1177.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of the rides at Oakland’s Idora Park—a giant swing.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a fairly anonymous patch of Oakland now—residential homes, freeway underpasses, parking lots and such—but for 25 years, the plot of land between 56th, 58th, Telegraph and Shattuck was a glorious amusement ground. Idora Park opened in 1904 and was originally conceived as a “trolley park”—an attraction specifically designed to get people to ride public transportation on the weekends. But, oh boy, did the park offer ample incentives for visitors to flock there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Idora featured beautiful \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/3743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gardens\u003c/a>, a giant \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/3744\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">roller-skating rink\u003c/a>, a zoo, racetrack, archery range, dance hall, miniature railway, amphitheater with grand outdoor stage, bandstand, Japanese garden \u003cem>and\u003c/em> ostrich farm. All for an entry fee of 10 cents (about three dollars in 2022 money). Plus—there’s more!—peppered throughout the park were \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/162\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">roller coasters\u003c/a> and a variety of fairground attractions including a \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/179\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mountain slide\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/163\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">circular swing\u003c/a>, penny arcade and whatever \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shooting the Rapids\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://alamedainfo.com/idora-park-oakland-california/#bwg2/189\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tickler\u003c/a> and the Social Whirl were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fun came crashing down after cars became more affordable in the 1920s, and folks in Oakland had the means to venture further afield. Idora Park was demolished in 1929. Today, its name is primarily invoked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.532aileen.com/neighborhood-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">realtors trying to sell homes in the Temescal district\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The ‘City of Oakland’ Hot Air Balloon\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910326\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910326\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-800x480.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-800x480.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-1020x612.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-160x96.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-768x461.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-1536x922.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-2048x1230.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-4.47.28-PM-1920x1153.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “City of Oakland” hot air balloon, surrounded by throngs of well-wishers in 1909, as it prepared to take off from 14th and Franklin in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Public domain)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>City of Oakland\u003c/em>’s maiden voyage happened on Aug. 14, 1909. Surrounded by throngs of people, the balloon took off from 14th and Webster in Oakland. Its 40-foot diameter narrowly avoided a collision with the spires of the First Presbyterian Church, almost drifted out to sea, and eventually plunged to the ground three hours later when 50-mile-per-hour winds hit. Balloon pilots (or “aeronauts” as they were known), Professor A. Van der Naillen Jr. and P. A. Van Tassel, were dragged for half a mile across the floor of a rocky canyon—and through two barbed wire fences!—before the balloon came to a stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“During the half mile of dragging we experienced, the basket turned completely over once and I am still wondering how we kept from falling out,” Van der Naillen later told the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>. Regardless, the voyage was considered a success, with the \u003cem>City of Oakland\u003c/em> reaching its optimum altitude of 5,000 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the next year, the \u003cem>City of Oakland\u003c/em> went out, up and down the coast, again and again, winning races and giving The Town’s residents a boost of pride. In October 1909, the balloon won a race against the \u003cem>Queen of the Pacific\u003c/em>—a newsworthy event because both were piloted by women. The following month, the balloon beat a \u003cem>City of San Francisco\u003c/em> vessel in a race that started on 11th and Market in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which all begs the question: Why is this thing not on permanent display somewhere?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Piedmont Baths\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910344\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-800x471.png\" alt=\"A sprawling red brick structure with rounded exterior walls and tall chimneys behind. \" width=\"800\" height=\"471\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-800x471.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-1020x600.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-160x94.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-768x452.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-1536x904.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM-1920x1130.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-1.23.00-PM.png 1954w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Piedmont Baths, in all of their turn-of-the-century glory. \u003ccite>(Public domain)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You know the Whole Foods currently standing at Bay Place and Vernon Street? Just up the street from \u003ca href=\"https://fairyland.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fairyland\u003c/a> and Lake Merritt? Well, that site used to be home to a luxurious and sprawling bathhouse and spa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Founded in 1890, Piedmont Baths provided Victorians with “20 different kinds of baths” (including Turkish and Russian), hot tubs (salt or fresh water), massages, plus a café and candy stand for snack time. It also housed a stunning 70-foot-by-120-foot swimming pool, complete with springboards and a trapeze. The saltwater was drawn from Lake Merritt using a Worthington pump (which could supply 500 gallons per minute) and a circular pump. The water was heated by waste steam from a nearby cable car power plant owned by the Oakland Transit Company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An ad in the \u003cem>Oakland Tribune\u003c/em>, placed Sept. 10, 1900, confidently stated: “People who have visited all the principal baths in this country and Europe all agree that the Piedmont Baths are the most complete in detail and are finished and furnished the best of any baths they have seen in their tour around the world.” The promotion added: “Doctors recommend swimming in tepid saltwater as the very best kind of exercise for young and old, sick and well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tompkins Park Roller Coaster\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910519\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-800x589.png\" alt=\"Seven children, most around the age of 10, all wearing white shirts, hats and suspenders, sit in a miniature railway car.\" width=\"800\" height=\"589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-800x589.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-1020x750.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-160x118.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM-768x565.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-11-at-4.43.51-PM.png 1370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The scrappy bunch of kids who built their own 200-foot-long roller coaster in West Oakland in 1915. \u003ccite>(Oakland Tribune, March 27, 1915)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Picture it: West Oakland, 1915. A bunch of streetwise children spend a lot of free time hanging out in Tompkins Park. Directly opposite is an infamous vacant lot that’s known as the “dumps” on account of how much junk and trash gets discarded there. One day, local kids Vincent Carvalho and Raymond Antwiler notice a set of rails and part of a miniature railway have joined the junk pile. So they decide to build themselves a roller coaster. When word spreads of the project, five more enterprising kids—Joey Gomez, Marion Cabral, Ben Viera, Joe Swartz and Frank Dominguez—step up to assist. And, within two weeks, against the odds (insert inspiring montage here), the ragtag crew actually succeeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On March 27, 1915, the \u003cem>Oakland Tribune\u003c/em> reported on the structure which was set up on a path through and over refuse in the dumps. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909983\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gravity railroad\u003c/a>-style ride was apparently held up—and propelled—by a large boiler at the top, followed by “a trestle of wood blocks, and driftwood from the beach.” The boys even added some novel customizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a switch in the system,” the \u003cem>Tribune\u003c/em> reported, “and a side tracking a sharp curve between an old concrete mixer and a discarded boiler … About 200 feet of track in all was laid and a swift trip, though one perhaps somewhat lacking in scenic attractions, was provided for the throngs of young ones that clamored for the privilege.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Neptune Beach\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910351\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910351\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-800x510.png\" alt=\"An old postcard depicts one giant swimming pool, and a smaller one next to it, surrounded by green space and fairground attractions.\" width=\"800\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-800x510.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-1020x651.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-160x102.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-768x490.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM-1536x980.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-10-at-2.01.07-PM.png 1812w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alameda’s Neptune Beach was considered the ‘Coney Island of the West.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There are many legends about Neptune Beach. This Alameda water and amusement park is where the popsicle, snow cone \u003cem>and\u003c/em> Kewpie doll all apparently made their debuts! Open between 1917 and 1939 where \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/visitor-centers/crab-cove\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Crab Cove\u003c/a> is today, Neptune Park had two outdoor pools (one was Olympic-sized), a dance hall, barbecue pits and rentable vacation cottages. Non-swimmers could amuse themselves on the massive roller coaster, Ferris wheel and a carousel that was hand-carved by Philadelphia’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentzel_Carousel_Company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dentzel Company\u003c/a>. Entry to the park was just a dime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attendance slowed down during the Great Depression, and hit a major slump after the Bay Bridge opened in 1936. By 1939, the park was in deep debt. That year, the Central Bank of Oakland foreclosed and, in 1940, the once-hallowed contents of Neptune Beach were sold off at auction for a pittance. Today, the last remaining sign that it was ever there are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.neptunecourtapartments.com/history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Neptune Court Apartments\u003c/a>, built in the 1920s by \u003ca href=\"https://alamedasun.com/news/100-years-later-remembering-robert-strehlow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robert Strehlow\u003c/a>, who was a co-founder of the park. You can currently rent a one-bedroom there for $2,200 and up.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Miss Ollie's Closes: The End of an Era for Oakland's Black and Brown Communities",
"headTitle": "Miss Ollie’s Closes: The End of an Era for Oakland’s Black and Brown Communities | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the past 10 years, Miss Ollie’s has been a fixture in Oakland’s celebrated restaurant scene—a delicious beacon of fiery pepper sauce, pholourie and the best damn skillet-fried chicken in all the land. Even more than that, the restaurant has been a vital gathering place for Oakland’s Black, brown and queer communities. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, much to the sadness of longtime customers, the beloved Afro-Caribbean spot will close, serving its last rum cocktail and its final plate of fried chicken out of 901 Washington St. at the end of this month.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The news shouldn’t come as a complete shock: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/22179428/oakland-restaurant-miss-ollies-turning-into-nonprofit-sanctuary\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A little over a year ago\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, chef and owner Sarah Kirnon announced her intention to close the restaurant with an eye toward transforming it into a nonprofit called Sanctuary, which would host sprawling outdoor events centered on Oakland’s Black and brown communities—a kind of cross between a food festival, an art gallery and the longstanding Caribbean tradition of Carnival. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kirnon wound up working out an arrangement with her landlord that enabled the restaurant to stay open for another year. In the end, Kirnon says, the economics of trying to keep a restaurant alive during the pandemic took too much of a toll—and that, really, even pre-COVID, the numbers had not been adding up for quite some time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Bars are doing well because people like to drink and forget. Restaurants are for joy and celebration. We’ve not had much of that lately.” Kirnon says. “We don’t see it as a sadness. For us, it’s a smart move to make.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With that in mind, Kirnon stresses that Miss Ollie’s will, in fact, live on in some form, likely as a small takeout window and catering operation based out of a to-be-determined new location in Oakland. And the nonprofit project is still very much in the works. But the physical restaurant that customers have come to know and love over the past 10 years will cease to exist.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910460\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910460\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Wearing a face mask, chef Sarah Kirnon holds a plate of fried chicken at Miss Ollie's, her Old Oakland restaurant.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Sarah Kirnon’s most famous dish is her skillet-fried chicken, a staple at her restaurant Miss Ollie’s, in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The decision marks the end of a chapter for a restaurant that was, very quietly, one of the most exciting places to eat in the entire Bay Area. Along with neighbors such as Cosecha, Miss Ollie’s helped revitalize Swan’s Market, turning Old Oakland into one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904416/old-oakland-block-party-international-food-swans-market\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">most international\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, dining districts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>End of a Golden Age\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many ways, Miss Ollie’s departure also marks the end of a very specific golden age for restaurants in Oakland. The late 2000s and early 2010s were when Oakland first came to national prominence as a notable food city—when publications like the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">New York Times \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">started parachuting writers into Temescal and Piedmont Avenue to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/travel/03hours.html\">document the burgeoning scene\u003c/a>. What struck me at the time was that the buzziest restaurants all seemed to be helmed by folks of color—women of color, in particular. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910459\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910459\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Customers look at the menu at the bar counter; the sign for "Miss Ollie's" is visible in the mirror's reflection..\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In its prime, the dining room at Miss Ollie’s was packed every night—in particular with the Bay Area’s Black, brown and queer communities. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/sarah-kirnons-revolutionary-new-restaurant-in-old-oakland-1/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Born at the start of this era\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Miss Ollie’s was \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the\u003c/span>\u003c/i> \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/ten-quintessential-oakland-restaurants-1/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">quintessential Oakland restaurant\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—the kind of place I would bring out-of-town visitors to when I wanted to show off the city. As I wrote in 2015, restaurants like Miss Ollie’s “crackled with electricity even on a random weeknight,” had food that was delicious enough to stop you in your tracks, and were reasonably affordable to boot. They were run by charismatic chefs who were cooking food that was deeply personal, reflecting the cultures that shaped their identities—Afro-Caribbean, Mexican, Korean, Lao. And, perhaps most striking, their dining rooms were some of the most diverse I’ve ever encountered.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It was Oakland at its finest,” Kirnon says. “Black and brown, people of color, queer folks, elders—we were cross-generational. And I’ve seen kids go off to college. We’ve done funerals. We were a neighborhood restaurant.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One by one, however, the restaurants I associate with that era have mostly all closed, many of them even before the pandemic hit. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/01/11/brown-sugar-kitchen-tanya-holland-closed/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brown Sugar Kitchen is gone\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. So is Juhu Beach Club, FuseBOX (\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/fusebox-serves-food-for-the-people-1/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">remember FuseBOX\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">?) and the original Hawker Fare. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910458\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910458\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"A shrine with black-and-white photos of chef Sarah Kirnon's grandmother, Miss Ollie, sits on a shelf.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shrine with photos of chef Sarah Kirnon’s grandmother, Miss Ollie, is one of the restaurant’s many personal touches. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among their many virtues, all of those restaurants were known for serving delicious, ambitious food made with high-quality ingredients, but at a lower, still-accessible price point. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“How do you survive in that mid-range place in this economy?” says Preeti Mistry, the chef and founder of Juhu Beach Club. “Those types of restaurants are becoming an endangered species.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mistry still remembers how blown away they were by Kirnon’s fried chicken the first time they ate at Miss Ollie’s—and Kirnon’s matter-of-fact response when asked what she had put in that chicken to make it taste so good: “seasoning.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Mistry, what really set the restaurant apart was how personal everything felt, from the shrine set up for Kirnon’s grandmother—the original Miss Ollie—to the brightly colored vintage enamel plateware to the food itself. A hopeful energy marked so many of the restaurants run by women of color during that era, Mistry says. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910461\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910461\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"A piece of fried chicken on blue-and-white checkered paper.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" 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=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The secret to the fried chicken at Miss Ollie’s is “seasoning.” \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The earlier generation it was mostly cis white men and some women [who were running restaurants]. This was a whole new generation,” Mistry says. “Everyone was not staying in the lines; there was a lot of experimentation. It was a way of not giving a fuck.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Deep Soul Connection\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ellen Sebastian Chang, the co-owner and general manager of FuseBOX, a Korean fusion restaurant that opened in West Oakland a few months earlier than Miss Ollie’s, says the thing that always struck her about Kirnon’s food was the “deep soul connection” that you felt when you were eating it. You could tell, Sebastian Chang says, that the food had been cooked with soul—that someone had put their “life force” into it, that sense of\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“if I don’t do it right, the ancestors in my family are going to haunt me in my dreams.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sebastian Chang struck up a friendship with Kirnon, and she remembers that when FuseBOX closed, Kirnon bought up all of the remaining house-made pickles that the restaurant had in stock and featured them in a special menu that she put together for Miss Ollie’s. “To me, that really speaks to respectful relationships,” Sebastian Chang says. “I see you. You see me. We’re not competing. We’re actually a long-distance collaboration.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Somehow, despite how much of a community fixture the restaurant became, Miss Ollie’s always felt a little bit underrated, even in its prime. Kirnon wasn’t feted with national awards the way that some of her peers in Oakland were. And local food media rarely credited the place for being what it was: one of the very best restaurants in the Bay Area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910462\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Sarah Kirnon holds a plate of Caribbean patties.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caribbean beef patties were one of the many Afro-Caribbean dishes served at Miss Ollie’s that were hard to find elsewhere in the Bay Area. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vinny Eng recalls that he met Kirnon when he was the wine director for Bar Tartine and she was the chef at Front Porch, on the other side of the Mission. According to Eng, what Kirnon doesn’t get enough credit for is how much of a mentor she has been to the chefs who worked in her kitchen and then went on further successes—what he calls a “quiet lineage of cooks” that she has trained. Miss Ollie’s was one of a relatively small number of kitchens that felt like they were safe havens for young, queer Black and brown chefs, in particular. And that sense of safety and community extended to the rest of the restaurant.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13904416,arts_13895067']“Community activists and community organizers were always in that space,” Eng says. “More than just functioning as a place where people ate, this was a place where people \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">convened\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Filling the Void\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As time went on, however, Kirnon says demographic changes within Oakland wound up taking the restaurant’s core communities away even as the city became oversaturated with restaurants. “We lost lots of Black and brown people who moved out of the Bay Area,” she says, noting how a number of her longtime customers might only visit once every couple of months now because they had to move to Stockton or Sacramento. “We were really responding to a particular crowd of folks. And it feels like that doesn’t exist anymore.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What Kirnon fears is that the departure of Miss Ollie’s brick-and-mortar space will leave even more of a gap in the community of places where Black and brown folks can congregate. What, then, can she do, other than try to create something new to fill the void?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910463\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Two customers sit at a wooden table outside of Miss Ollie's in Old Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wesley and Antoinettemarie Williams made sure to eat at Miss Ollie’s while visiting from out of state. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s the idea behind the nonprofit Sanctuary, which Kirnon says she’s hoping to move into a temporary location in Oakland. Initially, she hopes to run it as a kind of food hub, not entirely dissimilar to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13895067/la-cocina-municipal-marketplace-food-hall-opening-tenderloin\">La Cocina’s Marketplace\u003c/a> in the Tenderloin, where multiple vendors will be able to host pop-ups and build new food businesses. It will function as a sort of “think tank,” Kirnon says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And for those who will specifically miss the food at Miss Ollie’s, there’s some good news as well. Kirnon says she’s in the process of finding a new location in Oakland to house Miss Ollie’s, not as a proper restaurant, but at least as a takeout window where people can pick up food, order delivery via apps and get food catered for their companies or events.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As for the original Miss Ollie’s, the restaurant will host a number of farewell events in the coming weeks—keep an eye on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/missolliesoakland/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">their Instagram\u003c/a>. While the current plan is to stay open until the end of the month, Kirnon says longtime customers should come by in the next week or two the ensure a chance to say their final goodbyes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Opening in the early 2010s, Miss Ollie's quickly became a landmark for a golden age of restaurants in Oakland.",
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"description": "Opening in the early 2010s, Miss Ollie's quickly became a landmark for a golden age of restaurants in Oakland.",
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"headline": "Miss Ollie's Closes: The End of an Era for Oakland's Black and Brown Communities",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the past 10 years, Miss Ollie’s has been a fixture in Oakland’s celebrated restaurant scene—a delicious beacon of fiery pepper sauce, pholourie and the best damn skillet-fried chicken in all the land. Even more than that, the restaurant has been a vital gathering place for Oakland’s Black, brown and queer communities. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, much to the sadness of longtime customers, the beloved Afro-Caribbean spot will close, serving its last rum cocktail and its final plate of fried chicken out of 901 Washington St. at the end of this month.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The news shouldn’t come as a complete shock: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/22179428/oakland-restaurant-miss-ollies-turning-into-nonprofit-sanctuary\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A little over a year ago\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, chef and owner Sarah Kirnon announced her intention to close the restaurant with an eye toward transforming it into a nonprofit called Sanctuary, which would host sprawling outdoor events centered on Oakland’s Black and brown communities—a kind of cross between a food festival, an art gallery and the longstanding Caribbean tradition of Carnival. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kirnon wound up working out an arrangement with her landlord that enabled the restaurant to stay open for another year. In the end, Kirnon says, the economics of trying to keep a restaurant alive during the pandemic took too much of a toll—and that, really, even pre-COVID, the numbers had not been adding up for quite some time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Bars are doing well because people like to drink and forget. Restaurants are for joy and celebration. We’ve not had much of that lately.” Kirnon says. “We don’t see it as a sadness. For us, it’s a smart move to make.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With that in mind, Kirnon stresses that Miss Ollie’s will, in fact, live on in some form, likely as a small takeout window and catering operation based out of a to-be-determined new location in Oakland. And the nonprofit project is still very much in the works. But the physical restaurant that customers have come to know and love over the past 10 years will cease to exist.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910460\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910460\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Wearing a face mask, chef Sarah Kirnon holds a plate of fried chicken at Miss Ollie's, her Old Oakland restaurant.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/015_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Sarah Kirnon’s most famous dish is her skillet-fried chicken, a staple at her restaurant Miss Ollie’s, in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The decision marks the end of a chapter for a restaurant that was, very quietly, one of the most exciting places to eat in the entire Bay Area. Along with neighbors such as Cosecha, Miss Ollie’s helped revitalize Swan’s Market, turning Old Oakland into one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904416/old-oakland-block-party-international-food-swans-market\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">most international\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, dining districts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>End of a Golden Age\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many ways, Miss Ollie’s departure also marks the end of a very specific golden age for restaurants in Oakland. The late 2000s and early 2010s were when Oakland first came to national prominence as a notable food city—when publications like the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">New York Times \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">started parachuting writers into Temescal and Piedmont Avenue to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/travel/03hours.html\">document the burgeoning scene\u003c/a>. What struck me at the time was that the buzziest restaurants all seemed to be helmed by folks of color—women of color, in particular. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910459\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910459\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Customers look at the menu at the bar counter; the sign for "Miss Ollie's" is visible in the mirror's reflection..\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/005_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In its prime, the dining room at Miss Ollie’s was packed every night—in particular with the Bay Area’s Black, brown and queer communities. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/sarah-kirnons-revolutionary-new-restaurant-in-old-oakland-1/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Born at the start of this era\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Miss Ollie’s was \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the\u003c/span>\u003c/i> \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/ten-quintessential-oakland-restaurants-1/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">quintessential Oakland restaurant\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—the kind of place I would bring out-of-town visitors to when I wanted to show off the city. As I wrote in 2015, restaurants like Miss Ollie’s “crackled with electricity even on a random weeknight,” had food that was delicious enough to stop you in your tracks, and were reasonably affordable to boot. They were run by charismatic chefs who were cooking food that was deeply personal, reflecting the cultures that shaped their identities—Afro-Caribbean, Mexican, Korean, Lao. And, perhaps most striking, their dining rooms were some of the most diverse I’ve ever encountered.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It was Oakland at its finest,” Kirnon says. “Black and brown, people of color, queer folks, elders—we were cross-generational. And I’ve seen kids go off to college. We’ve done funerals. We were a neighborhood restaurant.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One by one, however, the restaurants I associate with that era have mostly all closed, many of them even before the pandemic hit. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/01/11/brown-sugar-kitchen-tanya-holland-closed/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brown Sugar Kitchen is gone\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. So is Juhu Beach Club, FuseBOX (\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/fusebox-serves-food-for-the-people-1/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">remember FuseBOX\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">?) and the original Hawker Fare. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910458\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910458\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"A shrine with black-and-white photos of chef Sarah Kirnon's grandmother, Miss Ollie, sits on a shelf.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/001_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shrine with photos of chef Sarah Kirnon’s grandmother, Miss Ollie, is one of the restaurant’s many personal touches. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among their many virtues, all of those restaurants were known for serving delicious, ambitious food made with high-quality ingredients, but at a lower, still-accessible price point. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“How do you survive in that mid-range place in this economy?” says Preeti Mistry, the chef and founder of Juhu Beach Club. “Those types of restaurants are becoming an endangered species.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mistry still remembers how blown away they were by Kirnon’s fried chicken the first time they ate at Miss Ollie’s—and Kirnon’s matter-of-fact response when asked what she had put in that chicken to make it taste so good: “seasoning.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Mistry, what really set the restaurant apart was how personal everything felt, from the shrine set up for Kirnon’s grandmother—the original Miss Ollie—to the brightly colored vintage enamel plateware to the food itself. A hopeful energy marked so many of the restaurants run by women of color during that era, Mistry says. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910461\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910461\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/016_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"A piece of fried chicken on blue-and-white checkered paper.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" 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=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The secret to the fried chicken at Miss Ollie’s is “seasoning.” \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The earlier generation it was mostly cis white men and some women [who were running restaurants]. This was a whole new generation,” Mistry says. “Everyone was not staying in the lines; there was a lot of experimentation. It was a way of not giving a fuck.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Deep Soul Connection\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ellen Sebastian Chang, the co-owner and general manager of FuseBOX, a Korean fusion restaurant that opened in West Oakland a few months earlier than Miss Ollie’s, says the thing that always struck her about Kirnon’s food was the “deep soul connection” that you felt when you were eating it. You could tell, Sebastian Chang says, that the food had been cooked with soul—that someone had put their “life force” into it, that sense of\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“if I don’t do it right, the ancestors in my family are going to haunt me in my dreams.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sebastian Chang struck up a friendship with Kirnon, and she remembers that when FuseBOX closed, Kirnon bought up all of the remaining house-made pickles that the restaurant had in stock and featured them in a special menu that she put together for Miss Ollie’s. “To me, that really speaks to respectful relationships,” Sebastian Chang says. “I see you. You see me. We’re not competing. We’re actually a long-distance collaboration.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Somehow, despite how much of a community fixture the restaurant became, Miss Ollie’s always felt a little bit underrated, even in its prime. Kirnon wasn’t feted with national awards the way that some of her peers in Oakland were. And local food media rarely credited the place for being what it was: one of the very best restaurants in the Bay Area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910462\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Sarah Kirnon holds a plate of Caribbean patties.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/002_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caribbean beef patties were one of the many Afro-Caribbean dishes served at Miss Ollie’s that were hard to find elsewhere in the Bay Area. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vinny Eng recalls that he met Kirnon when he was the wine director for Bar Tartine and she was the chef at Front Porch, on the other side of the Mission. According to Eng, what Kirnon doesn’t get enough credit for is how much of a mentor she has been to the chefs who worked in her kitchen and then went on further successes—what he calls a “quiet lineage of cooks” that she has trained. Miss Ollie’s was one of a relatively small number of kitchens that felt like they were safe havens for young, queer Black and brown chefs, in particular. And that sense of safety and community extended to the rest of the restaurant.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Community activists and community organizers were always in that space,” Eng says. “More than just functioning as a place where people ate, this was a place where people \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">convened\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Filling the Void\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As time went on, however, Kirnon says demographic changes within Oakland wound up taking the restaurant’s core communities away even as the city became oversaturated with restaurants. “We lost lots of Black and brown people who moved out of the Bay Area,” she says, noting how a number of her longtime customers might only visit once every couple of months now because they had to move to Stockton or Sacramento. “We were really responding to a particular crowd of folks. And it feels like that doesn’t exist anymore.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What Kirnon fears is that the departure of Miss Ollie’s brick-and-mortar space will leave even more of a gap in the community of places where Black and brown folks can congregate. What, then, can she do, other than try to create something new to fill the void?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910463\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg\" alt=\"Two customers sit at a wooden table outside of Miss Ollie's in Old Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/013_KQEDArts_MissOllies_03042022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wesley and Antoinettemarie Williams made sure to eat at Miss Ollie’s while visiting from out of state. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s the idea behind the nonprofit Sanctuary, which Kirnon says she’s hoping to move into a temporary location in Oakland. Initially, she hopes to run it as a kind of food hub, not entirely dissimilar to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13895067/la-cocina-municipal-marketplace-food-hall-opening-tenderloin\">La Cocina’s Marketplace\u003c/a> in the Tenderloin, where multiple vendors will be able to host pop-ups and build new food businesses. It will function as a sort of “think tank,” Kirnon says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And for those who will specifically miss the food at Miss Ollie’s, there’s some good news as well. Kirnon says she’s in the process of finding a new location in Oakland to house Miss Ollie’s, not as a proper restaurant, but at least as a takeout window where people can pick up food, order delivery via apps and get food catered for their companies or events.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As for the original Miss Ollie’s, the restaurant will host a number of farewell events in the coming weeks—keep an eye on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/missolliesoakland/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">their Instagram\u003c/a>. While the current plan is to stay open until the end of the month, Kirnon says longtime customers should come by in the next week or two the ensure a chance to say their final goodbyes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Up In Smoke: Cannabis, Crime and Creating Equity",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5960840567\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A storm’s been brewing over legal cannabis in Oakland. And Chaney Turner thinks it has the potential to wash away small business owners– especially People of Color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/social_life/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turner, \u003c/a>current Chair of the\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/boards-commissions/cannabis-regulatory-commission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> City of Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission\u003c/a>, has seen robberies reach new heights as organized heists hit cannabis supply chains, from grow operations to retailers. It was especially intense \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2020/12/23/roaming-in-caravans-swarms-of-burglars-overwhelmed-oaklands-cannabis-industry-in-2020/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">during the summer of 2020\u003c/a>, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/armed-robbers-take-millions-cannabis-mayhem-in-oakland/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this past fall\u003c/a>, another string of caravan burglaries shook the industry, and resulted in distressed workers and millions in lost inventory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turner says the Oakland Police Department’s response to the burglaries was disappointing and frustrating to business owners. Turner heard retailers experienced slow response times and poor communication from OPD. Some operators were also\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/01/10/caravans-of-burglars-keep-striking-oaklands-cannabis-industry/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> told to take matters into their own hands by arming themselves. \u003c/a>While they have seen some improvement from OPD in communicating potential threats, for cannabis operators in Oakland paying sky high\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101887431/five-years-since-prop-64-californias-legal-cannabis-industry-is-in-disarray\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> taxes\u003c/a>, the approach still leaves something to be desired.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this week’s show Turner talks about the state of legalized cannabis and how it intersects with these robberies, banking, equity, and community safety.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nBelow are some lightly edited excerpts of our conversation the conversation we recorded in January.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Just bring us into the fold, what’s been happening as of late?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: It’s been a kind of a rough two years in general. Our industry has experienced massive burglaries since 2020. During the summer of 2020, there were actions happening across the country in regards to George Floyd and the continued police violence against Black people and Black bodies. Some people used that opportunity to target cannabis operations: dispensaries, cultivation sites, delivery services, warehouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: The way that these burglaries happen is you have caravans of people that will roll up to a spot stealing whatever they can get their hands on: product, cash, electronics, whatever they could take, they took. Some have been more organized with people who actually have weapons. Some of these cannabis operations were targeted multiple times, and it hasn’t stopped. People don’t feel safe!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: And with your position as the chair of the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission, what have you seen as a response both from stakeholders and from the police?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: The cannabis community is really frustrated. And so a lot of the frustration is the response time and also the lack of communication from OPD and the city when there is a violent burglary that has happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: … The police response should not be hours. If my home or my business has been burglarized I expect their response to be immediate, and the frustration is also because cannabis operators pay some of the highest taxes to the city of Oakland. It further harms equity and small operators who are trying to build a life and some type of wealth for them and their families. I’m specifically talking about women and POC and locally owned businesses. Those are the ones that we have to protect because they’re really hemorrhaging and people are desperate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Ok so, the folks working in the cannabis industry are historically anti-establishment, I mean they’ve been criminalized by the police, but now as people are strategizing on how to increase safety, and one of the option is to work with police… which is a major shift. How have you seen this play out?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: As someone who is a lifetime resident of Oakland and also someone who advocates against police violence…when we’re talking about keeping our communities safe, we have to take into account that we need more affordable housing, real affordable housing. We need jobs that pay above minimum wage. You know, people are trying to find ways to survive. And does that mean that people need to go and rob folks? No, but I can’t speak for people in certain situations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: … One of the responses from OPD to operators was for them to hire armed security and to have them on the roof and shoot at people who are attempting to ya know burglarize their spaces. That’s not what we want. Ya know, the cannabis community is not calling for violence. I want to see better solutions around public safety other than just adding more police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: As someone who has historically advocated against over policing and police violence you’re now in a position where you are working with police to deal with the issues the cannabis industry is facing. I’m just wondering, how do you hold that tension?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: Morally, it’s challenging [laughs] you know? But I also make sure that I use my position to get as much transparency and accountability when possible… During our November meeting, you know, we had OPD Chief Armstrong speak on the robberies and I’m also very grateful to have Commissioner Corder, Tracey Corder, who does abolitionist work… And it’s important to have a body of people who are not going to have all the same views, but we can respect each other’s views. And when it comes to police accountability, I feel that in general, we do a good job diverting any unnecessary funds… At the same time with this position, I just can’t make it about myself, and so during the last meeting, when there was a proposal of possibly of adding extra officers? Well, Chaney, the Oakland resident, I’m like, no, but there’s also business owners who are looking for them to do their work. And so if that does pass, if that does happen, we still need to make sure that they’re held accountable to the actual police work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: What role does the issues around banking and having money on hand, how does that play a part into this discussion or does it?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: It does somewhat… So for people to understand… Cannabis businesses have no access to banking like your traditional type businesses, and so usually there’s a lot of cash on hand and or you might have to use an ATM machine, get your cash and then pay for your medicine. And for years, ya know, advocates have been pushing for safe banking so that cannabis businesses can have less barriers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen (narration): To be clear: marijuana is still federally illegal. So in order to follow federal law, many banks don’t work with cannabis businesses… In California, this leads many small businesses to only work in cash. And there can be A LOT of cash on hand. Sometimes millions of dollars. Making them targets for theft or worse. \u003c/em>\u003cem>So it makes sense why folks are pushing for cannabis businesses to get access to banking. Recently federal legislators have been working on the SAFE Banking act and even though it’s got bipartisan support, it’s been unsuccessful in getting signed into law. But Chaney thinks Safe Banking won’t solve everything…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: Robberies are happening with businesses in general. Louis Vuitton has access to banking. Nordstrom’s has access to banking and they’re still being robbed… And so I want people to understand that banking won’t stop robberies. Banking hasn’t stopped robberies for any industry… Do we need [banking]? Yes. But we also need to make sure that whatever passes through the Senate with SAFE Banking, that it’s still equitable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: Small businesses and Black people in general, I don’t care what business you’re in, already face discrimination when we’re going for small business loans and we need to make sure that when the safe banking does passed that it’s inclusive and equitable and not just catering to large corporate multi-state operators. They’re the ones that’s trying to go around the country and pretty much be the Walgreen’s of cannabis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: What is the remedy to this perfect storm that you’ve laid out of issues that small cannabis retail spots are facing right now?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: One of the things that we would like and we’ve seen a little bit since the Thanksgiving weekend robberies, there was communication that came from OPD. They had received information that there was possibly going to be an attempted robberies on New Year’s Eve. There was video footage of these caravans that was scoping out some potential spots, and so operators who caught that footage got on it, sent it over to OPD. OPD posted it on their social media. Emails went out…Those types of things are preventative. To my knowledge, there were no robberies that happened over the weekend of New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: In regards to security, during our last commission meeting, there was a proposal of some funds because we do get funds from the state each year to strengthen our cannabis programs, asking for additional funds for some operations to have some security. Also, the funds to better fortified spaces. In my opinion You can only have so much security and police overtime, that’s not a long term solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: We’ve been talking about robberies of cannabis businesses in Oakland… but it’s more than that, what do you see as the bigger equity issue here?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: You know, if the robberies continue to happen, I think we’ll lose more equity businesses. You can only be robbed so many times like, you know, Blunts and Moore has been robbed multiple times. And for one, it’s not fair. It’s not fair for people, coming from these experiences and backgrounds, whether it’s being formerly incarcerated, you know, or just being poor, right, and working your way up to having an actual, you know, cannabis operation only for it to be burglarized and vandalized so many times… We need to find ways to keep these people hopeful. Because people are losing hope and if they lose hope, we’re going to lose businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: If I’m somebody that’s still is on the unlicensed market witnessing all this happening to people who made it, I’m like, Hell, nah. I’m not like, Nah, I’m stay over here trapping, doing my own thing and stay in my lane right here. We need to get rid of all of these barriers and find out ways to keep our community safe so that people can be encouraged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC5960840567\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A storm’s been brewing over legal cannabis in Oakland. And Chaney Turner thinks it has the potential to wash away small business owners– especially People of Color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/social_life/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turner, \u003c/a>current Chair of the\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/boards-commissions/cannabis-regulatory-commission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> City of Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission\u003c/a>, has seen robberies reach new heights as organized heists hit cannabis supply chains, from grow operations to retailers. It was especially intense \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2020/12/23/roaming-in-caravans-swarms-of-burglars-overwhelmed-oaklands-cannabis-industry-in-2020/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">during the summer of 2020\u003c/a>, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/armed-robbers-take-millions-cannabis-mayhem-in-oakland/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this past fall\u003c/a>, another string of caravan burglaries shook the industry, and resulted in distressed workers and millions in lost inventory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turner says the Oakland Police Department’s response to the burglaries was disappointing and frustrating to business owners. Turner heard retailers experienced slow response times and poor communication from OPD. Some operators were also\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/01/10/caravans-of-burglars-keep-striking-oaklands-cannabis-industry/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> told to take matters into their own hands by arming themselves. \u003c/a>While they have seen some improvement from OPD in communicating potential threats, for cannabis operators in Oakland paying sky high\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101887431/five-years-since-prop-64-californias-legal-cannabis-industry-is-in-disarray\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> taxes\u003c/a>, the approach still leaves something to be desired.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this week’s show Turner talks about the state of legalized cannabis and how it intersects with these robberies, banking, equity, and community safety.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nBelow are some lightly edited excerpts of our conversation the conversation we recorded in January.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Just bring us into the fold, what’s been happening as of late?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: It’s been a kind of a rough two years in general. Our industry has experienced massive burglaries since 2020. During the summer of 2020, there were actions happening across the country in regards to George Floyd and the continued police violence against Black people and Black bodies. Some people used that opportunity to target cannabis operations: dispensaries, cultivation sites, delivery services, warehouses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: The way that these burglaries happen is you have caravans of people that will roll up to a spot stealing whatever they can get their hands on: product, cash, electronics, whatever they could take, they took. Some have been more organized with people who actually have weapons. Some of these cannabis operations were targeted multiple times, and it hasn’t stopped. People don’t feel safe!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: And with your position as the chair of the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission, what have you seen as a response both from stakeholders and from the police?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: The cannabis community is really frustrated. And so a lot of the frustration is the response time and also the lack of communication from OPD and the city when there is a violent burglary that has happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: … The police response should not be hours. If my home or my business has been burglarized I expect their response to be immediate, and the frustration is also because cannabis operators pay some of the highest taxes to the city of Oakland. It further harms equity and small operators who are trying to build a life and some type of wealth for them and their families. I’m specifically talking about women and POC and locally owned businesses. Those are the ones that we have to protect because they’re really hemorrhaging and people are desperate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Ok so, the folks working in the cannabis industry are historically anti-establishment, I mean they’ve been criminalized by the police, but now as people are strategizing on how to increase safety, and one of the option is to work with police… which is a major shift. How have you seen this play out?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: As someone who is a lifetime resident of Oakland and also someone who advocates against police violence…when we’re talking about keeping our communities safe, we have to take into account that we need more affordable housing, real affordable housing. We need jobs that pay above minimum wage. You know, people are trying to find ways to survive. And does that mean that people need to go and rob folks? No, but I can’t speak for people in certain situations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: … One of the responses from OPD to operators was for them to hire armed security and to have them on the roof and shoot at people who are attempting to ya know burglarize their spaces. That’s not what we want. Ya know, the cannabis community is not calling for violence. I want to see better solutions around public safety other than just adding more police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: As someone who has historically advocated against over policing and police violence you’re now in a position where you are working with police to deal with the issues the cannabis industry is facing. I’m just wondering, how do you hold that tension?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: Morally, it’s challenging [laughs] you know? But I also make sure that I use my position to get as much transparency and accountability when possible… During our November meeting, you know, we had OPD Chief Armstrong speak on the robberies and I’m also very grateful to have Commissioner Corder, Tracey Corder, who does abolitionist work… And it’s important to have a body of people who are not going to have all the same views, but we can respect each other’s views. And when it comes to police accountability, I feel that in general, we do a good job diverting any unnecessary funds… At the same time with this position, I just can’t make it about myself, and so during the last meeting, when there was a proposal of possibly of adding extra officers? Well, Chaney, the Oakland resident, I’m like, no, but there’s also business owners who are looking for them to do their work. And so if that does pass, if that does happen, we still need to make sure that they’re held accountable to the actual police work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: What role does the issues around banking and having money on hand, how does that play a part into this discussion or does it?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: It does somewhat… So for people to understand… Cannabis businesses have no access to banking like your traditional type businesses, and so usually there’s a lot of cash on hand and or you might have to use an ATM machine, get your cash and then pay for your medicine. And for years, ya know, advocates have been pushing for safe banking so that cannabis businesses can have less barriers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen (narration): To be clear: marijuana is still federally illegal. So in order to follow federal law, many banks don’t work with cannabis businesses… In California, this leads many small businesses to only work in cash. And there can be A LOT of cash on hand. Sometimes millions of dollars. Making them targets for theft or worse. \u003c/em>\u003cem>So it makes sense why folks are pushing for cannabis businesses to get access to banking. Recently federal legislators have been working on the SAFE Banking act and even though it’s got bipartisan support, it’s been unsuccessful in getting signed into law. But Chaney thinks Safe Banking won’t solve everything…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: Robberies are happening with businesses in general. Louis Vuitton has access to banking. Nordstrom’s has access to banking and they’re still being robbed… And so I want people to understand that banking won’t stop robberies. Banking hasn’t stopped robberies for any industry… Do we need [banking]? Yes. But we also need to make sure that whatever passes through the Senate with SAFE Banking, that it’s still equitable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: Small businesses and Black people in general, I don’t care what business you’re in, already face discrimination when we’re going for small business loans and we need to make sure that when the safe banking does passed that it’s inclusive and equitable and not just catering to large corporate multi-state operators. They’re the ones that’s trying to go around the country and pretty much be the Walgreen’s of cannabis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: What is the remedy to this perfect storm that you’ve laid out of issues that small cannabis retail spots are facing right now?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: One of the things that we would like and we’ve seen a little bit since the Thanksgiving weekend robberies, there was communication that came from OPD. They had received information that there was possibly going to be an attempted robberies on New Year’s Eve. There was video footage of these caravans that was scoping out some potential spots, and so operators who caught that footage got on it, sent it over to OPD. OPD posted it on their social media. Emails went out…Those types of things are preventative. To my knowledge, there were no robberies that happened over the weekend of New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: In regards to security, during our last commission meeting, there was a proposal of some funds because we do get funds from the state each year to strengthen our cannabis programs, asking for additional funds for some operations to have some security. Also, the funds to better fortified spaces. In my opinion You can only have so much security and police overtime, that’s not a long term solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: We’ve been talking about robberies of cannabis businesses in Oakland… but it’s more than that, what do you see as the bigger equity issue here?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: You know, if the robberies continue to happen, I think we’ll lose more equity businesses. You can only be robbed so many times like, you know, Blunts and Moore has been robbed multiple times. And for one, it’s not fair. It’s not fair for people, coming from these experiences and backgrounds, whether it’s being formerly incarcerated, you know, or just being poor, right, and working your way up to having an actual, you know, cannabis operation only for it to be burglarized and vandalized so many times… We need to find ways to keep these people hopeful. Because people are losing hope and if they lose hope, we’re going to lose businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaney: If I’m somebody that’s still is on the unlicensed market witnessing all this happening to people who made it, I’m like, Hell, nah. I’m not like, Nah, I’m stay over here trapping, doing my own thing and stay in my lane right here. We need to get rid of all of these barriers and find out ways to keep our community safe so that people can be encouraged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Nimsins Raps About East Oakland With Love",
"headTitle": "Nimsins Raps About East Oakland With Love | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a perfect multiverse, the best part about Oakland’s First Fridays is the ending: after a late-night street party, while holding a heavy plate of barbecue links, green beans and mac and cheese on the walk back to your car.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But that comfort isn’t always the case, especially lately. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902006/oakland-police-security-fees-community-events-canceled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Expensive city fees\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have made it more difficult to throw events since the start of the pandemic, and residents are on edge after seeing a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2021/12/23/2021-oakland-deadliest-year-since-2006-homicides-shootings-gun-violence/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">rise in gun violence\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this past year. Still, there are powerful moments of healing and solidarity to be found if you know where to look—and a mosaic of local advocates have tirelessly labored to preserve positive outlets, even if it all seems hidden from plain view. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One supplier of vivacity dedicated to keeping Oakland real? \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nimsins/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nimsins, an emerging hip-hop artist\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and sage observer of his hometown’s complex, sometimes contradictory dynamics.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m from East Oakland,” he proudly tells me outside of Renegade Running, a downtown sneaker shop where a crowd gathers to see him rock the mic. “It’s different. I’m not out here [in this neighborhood] much, but things keep changing.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minutes before performing, Nimsins is chilling outside, observing the scene and exchanging daps and laughs with friends. They’ve all driven from the farthest end of the city to celebrate Nim’s recent rise in the rap world, capping off a solid run of two albums, a few EPs, and a handful of singles since 2017. He’s all smiles and clever jokes—something he maintains around his folks—but switches modes once he begins to deliver his truth to the audience.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“You don’t know how it feel [when] construction all in your hood,” he raps from “Don’t Know How It Feels” off his \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://nimsinsthebalance.bandcamp.com/album/more-to-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2021 project, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More To Life\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The intimately packed listeners sway along, nodding heads, attentively tuned into his energy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/embed/XPgkV1e6KIk\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The song is hyper-appropriate for Oakland in 2022, where a soon-to-open burger joint glows with neon signage across the street and two police cruisers are parked in front. Their presence indicates a shifting city, which continues to invest into the development and protection of certain areas and populations while neglecting others. It’s something Nimsins grapples with in his life and music, while seeking to highlight the solidarity that simultaneously resides in his city. [aside postid='arts_13910221']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With his stream-of-consciousness style, Nimsins celebrates being a Black man who grew up in a largely Mexican and immigrant community, eating homemade tamales, mole and arroz. He flexes his bilingual skills in titles like “La Verdad” and “Tostones en Harlem,” with a relaxed flow that effortlessly flips to Spanish mid verse over lo-fi, sample-based beats. He even has an upcoming track with local \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/spitting-game/?amp\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mexican American rapper Nito\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on the way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/embed/AFyachRLyA8\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In his lyrics, Nimsins often criticizes the lack of infrastructural development in his neighborhood and the frustration he feels in seeing his people locked up. He toggles perspectives from track to track with an inviting, conversational tone: bars about admiring his young daughter while hooping at the park segue into a lesson on various historical factors at the root of urban decay. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We get redlined, we get criminalized / you get lifelines, you get dollar signs / this vengeance in my eyes I’m desensitized,” he says on “Redline”—a song that explains how his upbringing in an economically segregated part of East Oakland limited social opportunities for him and his neighbors. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The record breaks down a form of discrimination that dates back to the 1930s, when the federal government \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/18486/redlining\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">systemically denied Black neighborhoods access to home loans\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and other resources. Even in Oakland, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/oakland/comments/ewaip3/this_vintage_rockridge_neighborhood_advertisement/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">neighborhoods like Rockridge\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> explicitly banned Black, Chinese and Japanese home buyers and renters. The legacy of these policies is evident in the pronounced wealth inequality we see in the city today. As the backlash to the recent school closures in East Oakland has shown, families still feel cut off from the “lifelines” of quality education, healthcare and infrastructure. [aside postid='news_11904618']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rather than simply rapping about it, Nimsins has taken action to facilitate improvement.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The messages we feed kids are contradictory to our growth,” he says. “Being a father and being a teacher made me mindful of what I put out and what I do. I can’t be on no bullshit.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having been shot by a stray bullet as a two-year-old in 1997—a wound that left him with only one fully functional kidney—Nimsins has directed his adult life towards arts, civic engagement and uplifting his community. In the past, he has dedicated himself as an after school educator with non-profits like \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/PUEBLO-Oakland-742724215819105/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pueblo \u003c/a>and Safe Passages’ \u003ca href=\"https://safepassages.org/initiatives/social-economic-justice/get-active-urban-arts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get Active Urban Arts\u003c/a>, visiting classrooms and teaching the youth in his neighborhood about knowing their rights, local histories and how to paint murals. A product of Fremont High School himself, he knows the value of his “predecessors” who were able to teach, guide and contribute to his journey. Today, he continues to do that as a rapper, father and graffiti artist.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We get the kids to rock with art, cultural literacy, hip-hop. Homework and life skills, too,” he says. “There’s lots of Latinos out here so we also explore Aztecs and indigenous cultures, things like that. Just giving back to the community. Each one, teach one.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Both his actions and his songs are like opening up a journal entry penned by an observant, tender-hearted activist who simply wants to see better for his community. There’s no flashy gimmicks of fame, no hyperbolic claims of toughness, no dissing his imaginary foes. It’s purely meditative—a contemplation about his living conditions and an unfiltered glimpse of what he hopes to see changed. Yet, despite his warmth, there’s a roughness and urgency that seeps out from having experienced the consequences of poverty and discrimination firsthand. And he never half-steps about the way he feels.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/embed/50k8FDjF_48\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">His self-education about figures like the Black Panther Party, Che Guevara, Immortal Technique and The Coup have informed his sense of purpose and possibility as an artist and community advocate. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2019, Nimsins spent six months calling the City of Oakland, trying to get a dilapidated basketball court fixed in his neighborhood with no success. His tweet about his frustrations went viral, and the Golden State Warriors took notice. They sent a team of workers to renovate Concordia Park—\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13863262/steph-curry-helps-renovate-run-down-basketball-court-in-east-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">along with Steph Curry\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/nimfromthaeast/status/1144369613448175616?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taking big shots with an optimistic aim is at the core of how Nim moves. Whether it’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13849948/lo-fiction-chases-that-bag-through-east-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">making music videos with kids in his neighborhood\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as part of his Lo-Fiction crew or sharing the meaning of his name (the “sins” part of Nimsins means “stay in school”) with youth, he is purposeful and genuine. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Kids die where I come from. People drop out at young ages. There’s no resources,” he says. “That’s what I’ve always known. My music reflects that. I actually come from this.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With new music on the way, including \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">collaborations with local rappers and producers like Ovrkast.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://demahjiae.bandcamp.com/album/and-such-is-life\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">demahjiae\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eliversaam/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Versâam\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, he’s fixated on sharing love and giving “Bendiciones.” As he says in an unreleased track he sent me to preview for his upcoming untitled EP: “Black book in the crib, I’m working on my handstyles / I’m so thankful for all the game passed down.” And we’re thankful for the game he is passing down, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a perfect multiverse, the best part about Oakland’s First Fridays is the ending: after a late-night street party, while holding a heavy plate of barbecue links, green beans and mac and cheese on the walk back to your car.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But that comfort isn’t always the case, especially lately. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902006/oakland-police-security-fees-community-events-canceled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Expensive city fees\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have made it more difficult to throw events since the start of the pandemic, and residents are on edge after seeing a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2021/12/23/2021-oakland-deadliest-year-since-2006-homicides-shootings-gun-violence/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">rise in gun violence\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this past year. Still, there are powerful moments of healing and solidarity to be found if you know where to look—and a mosaic of local advocates have tirelessly labored to preserve positive outlets, even if it all seems hidden from plain view. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One supplier of vivacity dedicated to keeping Oakland real? \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nimsins/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nimsins, an emerging hip-hop artist\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and sage observer of his hometown’s complex, sometimes contradictory dynamics.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m from East Oakland,” he proudly tells me outside of Renegade Running, a downtown sneaker shop where a crowd gathers to see him rock the mic. “It’s different. I’m not out here [in this neighborhood] much, but things keep changing.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minutes before performing, Nimsins is chilling outside, observing the scene and exchanging daps and laughs with friends. They’ve all driven from the farthest end of the city to celebrate Nim’s recent rise in the rap world, capping off a solid run of two albums, a few EPs, and a handful of singles since 2017. He’s all smiles and clever jokes—something he maintains around his folks—but switches modes once he begins to deliver his truth to the audience.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“You don’t know how it feel [when] construction all in your hood,” he raps from “Don’t Know How It Feels” off his \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://nimsinsthebalance.bandcamp.com/album/more-to-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2021 project, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More To Life\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The intimately packed listeners sway along, nodding heads, attentively tuned into his energy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\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/XPgkV1e6KIk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/XPgkV1e6KIk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The song is hyper-appropriate for Oakland in 2022, where a soon-to-open burger joint glows with neon signage across the street and two police cruisers are parked in front. Their presence indicates a shifting city, which continues to invest into the development and protection of certain areas and populations while neglecting others. It’s something Nimsins grapples with in his life and music, while seeking to highlight the solidarity that simultaneously resides in his city. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With his stream-of-consciousness style, Nimsins celebrates being a Black man who grew up in a largely Mexican and immigrant community, eating homemade tamales, mole and arroz. He flexes his bilingual skills in titles like “La Verdad” and “Tostones en Harlem,” with a relaxed flow that effortlessly flips to Spanish mid verse over lo-fi, sample-based beats. He even has an upcoming track with local \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/spitting-game/?amp\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mexican American rapper Nito\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on the way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\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/AFyachRLyA8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/AFyachRLyA8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In his lyrics, Nimsins often criticizes the lack of infrastructural development in his neighborhood and the frustration he feels in seeing his people locked up. He toggles perspectives from track to track with an inviting, conversational tone: bars about admiring his young daughter while hooping at the park segue into a lesson on various historical factors at the root of urban decay. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We get redlined, we get criminalized / you get lifelines, you get dollar signs / this vengeance in my eyes I’m desensitized,” he says on “Redline”—a song that explains how his upbringing in an economically segregated part of East Oakland limited social opportunities for him and his neighbors. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The record breaks down a form of discrimination that dates back to the 1930s, when the federal government \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/18486/redlining\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">systemically denied Black neighborhoods access to home loans\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and other resources. Even in Oakland, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/oakland/comments/ewaip3/this_vintage_rockridge_neighborhood_advertisement/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">neighborhoods like Rockridge\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> explicitly banned Black, Chinese and Japanese home buyers and renters. The legacy of these policies is evident in the pronounced wealth inequality we see in the city today. As the backlash to the recent school closures in East Oakland has shown, families still feel cut off from the “lifelines” of quality education, healthcare and infrastructure. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rather than simply rapping about it, Nimsins has taken action to facilitate improvement.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The messages we feed kids are contradictory to our growth,” he says. “Being a father and being a teacher made me mindful of what I put out and what I do. I can’t be on no bullshit.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having been shot by a stray bullet as a two-year-old in 1997—a wound that left him with only one fully functional kidney—Nimsins has directed his adult life towards arts, civic engagement and uplifting his community. In the past, he has dedicated himself as an after school educator with non-profits like \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/PUEBLO-Oakland-742724215819105/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pueblo \u003c/a>and Safe Passages’ \u003ca href=\"https://safepassages.org/initiatives/social-economic-justice/get-active-urban-arts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get Active Urban Arts\u003c/a>, visiting classrooms and teaching the youth in his neighborhood about knowing their rights, local histories and how to paint murals. A product of Fremont High School himself, he knows the value of his “predecessors” who were able to teach, guide and contribute to his journey. Today, he continues to do that as a rapper, father and graffiti artist.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We get the kids to rock with art, cultural literacy, hip-hop. Homework and life skills, too,” he says. “There’s lots of Latinos out here so we also explore Aztecs and indigenous cultures, things like that. Just giving back to the community. Each one, teach one.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Both his actions and his songs are like opening up a journal entry penned by an observant, tender-hearted activist who simply wants to see better for his community. There’s no flashy gimmicks of fame, no hyperbolic claims of toughness, no dissing his imaginary foes. It’s purely meditative—a contemplation about his living conditions and an unfiltered glimpse of what he hopes to see changed. Yet, despite his warmth, there’s a roughness and urgency that seeps out from having experienced the consequences of poverty and discrimination firsthand. And he never half-steps about the way he feels.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\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/50k8FDjF_48'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/50k8FDjF_48'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">His self-education about figures like the Black Panther Party, Che Guevara, Immortal Technique and The Coup have informed his sense of purpose and possibility as an artist and community advocate. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2019, Nimsins spent six months calling the City of Oakland, trying to get a dilapidated basketball court fixed in his neighborhood with no success. His tweet about his frustrations went viral, and the Golden State Warriors took notice. They sent a team of workers to renovate Concordia Park—\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13863262/steph-curry-helps-renovate-run-down-basketball-court-in-east-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">along with Steph Curry\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taking big shots with an optimistic aim is at the core of how Nim moves. Whether it’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13849948/lo-fiction-chases-that-bag-through-east-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">making music videos with kids in his neighborhood\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as part of his Lo-Fiction crew or sharing the meaning of his name (the “sins” part of Nimsins means “stay in school”) with youth, he is purposeful and genuine. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Kids die where I come from. People drop out at young ages. There’s no resources,” he says. “That’s what I’ve always known. My music reflects that. I actually come from this.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With new music on the way, including \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">collaborations with local rappers and producers like Ovrkast.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://demahjiae.bandcamp.com/album/and-such-is-life\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">demahjiae\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eliversaam/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Versâam\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, he’s fixated on sharing love and giving “Bendiciones.” As he says in an unreleased track he sent me to preview for his upcoming untitled EP: “Black book in the crib, I’m working on my handstyles / I’m so thankful for all the game passed down.” And we’re thankful for the game he is passing down, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">E\u003c/span>arlier this week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mx.san_chez/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maurice André San-Chez\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/craft_ed._x/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moses Omolade\u003c/a>, an educator and school administrator who in February held a hunger strike \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904278/teachers-and-families-rally-ahead-of-upcoming-vote-on-oakland-school-closures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">to protest Oakland Unified School District’s proposed school closures\u003c/a> in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, returned to the location of their protest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">They cleaned the site at Westlake Middle School, held a restorative justice circle and planted two avocado trees. They chose the non-messy fruit that yields healthy fat after the duo asked themselves, “What’s a fruit that we both enjoy that can be really beneficial to the community?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Omolade and San-Chez’s hunger strike lasted \u003ca style=\"color: #41a62a\" href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOMXP9Fcoe/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 days\u003c/a>, and left San-Chez hospitalized for a short period and Omolade requiring medical treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We initially went out on a hunger strike, and there was a deep, deep, \u003cem>deep\u003c/em> commitment to death,” Omolade tells me during a phone call. “That shit was, like, really wild, to look at one another in the face—and to look at ourselves individually—and be like: ‘I’m willing to die.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that perspective shifted over time, and for that he’s grateful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He credits his changed perspective to community. The students and elders who visited them during the strike spoke words that resonated. “People were coming by,” Omolade says, “being like, ‘Hold up, what ya’ll are doing here is actually important for the longevity of this fight. So, if you can find it within yourselves, take a step back from a commitment to death—because these folks will allow you to die.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910134\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910134\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-800x600.jpeg\" alt=\"André San-Chez, Moses Omolade and community members pose for a photo after planting avocado trees in front of West Lake Middle school in Oakland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">André San-Chez, Moses Omolade and community members pose for a photo after planting avocado trees in front of West Lake Middle school in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Via Moses Omolade.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Along with San-Chez, Omolade is now recharging and strategizing. The fight is much larger, he says, than the closure of a few schools. It’s about systems of racism, structural oppression, and the privatization of schools and public land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re currently gathering signatures to recall the school board seats of District 1 and District 7, held respectively by Benjamin “Sam” Davis and Clifford Thompson. And on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTM30GJJqY/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saturday, March 5\u003c/a>, they’ll participate in a protest and march against the proposed East Oakland school closures—gathering at 1390 66th Ave. (the site of Coliseum Prep Academy) at 10am, marching at 11am, and arriving at International Community School with music and performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So much for rest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of now, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/02/09/oakland-school-board-votes-to-close-seven-schools-over-the-next-two-years/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plans to close fewer schools\u003c/a> than initially suggested, but still closing seven schools. Despite that, I’m intrigued by San-chez and Omolade’s efforts. In effect, they were laying down in front of the machine and willing to die for their cause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It resonated with me. Finding the fuel to keep fighting is something I had been struggling with for a while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910127\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910127\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Artist, educator and friend Venus Morris stands by Lake Merritt at sunset while wearing a jacket with the logo of the Black Panther Party, made by MADOW FUTUR. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist, educator and friend Venus Morris stands by Lake Merritt at sunset while wearing a jacket with the logo of the Black Panther Party, made by MADOW FUTUR. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>s February flew by, the Oakland school closures, war abroad, COVID’s sustained impact and a few interpersonal issues had been weighing on me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Somehow, I still took a bunch of photos, from the first day of Black History Month to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909853/black-joy-parade-2022-oakland-photos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a> on its final Sunday. Fly shots. Birthday smiles and nature blossoming. Memories etched in the digital archives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s one image from February that sticks with me. I have no photo of it, but it paints a picture of my recent mind state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At about 2pm on Feb. 5, I sat at the light on West Grand Avenue and Northgate Avenue in Oakland. A middle-aged African American man sporting a bomber jacket with “Security” printed across the back and the word “fuck” written above it in Sharpie started to cross the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The man halted after a few steps into the crosswalk and turned to square up with a white Tesla that, in its attempt to make a right turn, came too close for comfort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I watched as the driver, an older white woman, threw her arms up and urged the man to move across the street. The man stood his ground with words I couldn’t hear, but with a posture I definitely recognized: he was daring the driver to do something. The car swerved far enough around him so as to not hit him, but close enough for the man to pull off a textbook right-legged roundhouse kick to the driver-side door as the car sped past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mental snapshot has been inside my dome ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>He almost get run over by a machine 20 times his size, so he kicks it in protest. Only to see the machine turn and keep rollin’, while he’s left with an injured foot.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add race and class to that simple synopsis, and it’s a metaphorical breakdown of what I see damn near everyday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910128\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910128\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-800x373.jpg\" alt=\"A mural by the Bay Area Mural Program located on 22nd Street, between Broadway and Valley Street in Oakland. \" width=\"800\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-800x373.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-1020x476.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-160x75.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-768x358.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-1536x716.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-2048x955.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-1920x895.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural by the Bay Area Mural Program located on 22nd Street, between Broadway and Valley Street, in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The intersection where the punt, pass and kick-a-Tesla competition went down is just around the corner from one of the larger unsheltered encampments in Oakland. For a solid few blocks, tents are strewn down Dr. Martin Luther King Way; a lot of African American folks over there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How many? Well, we don’t know. But we do know that in 2019 about three out four of the 4,000 unsheltered people in Oakland were Black, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/2019-Oakland-Point-In-Time-Count-2-page-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Point in Time Count data from that year\u003c/a>. The first survey of unhoused individuals \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/02/23/how-bad-is-it-for-first-time-in-3-years-bay-area-counts-homeless-residents/\">since the pandemic started\u003c/a> just got underway last month, so we’ll see the current numbers soon enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without the data, the image is enough to make you want to punch one of the new luxury high-rises casting shadows over people living on the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the issue of finding basic housing for folks, there’s the problem of increased homicides in a number of major cities across the nation, including Oakland. Last week it was announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/02/23/1082564685/guns-leading-cause-of-premature-deaths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">firearms\u003c/a> are now the leading cause of premature death in America, and that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/02/23/1082564685/guns-leading-cause-of-premature-deaths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">younger Black males are the group most affected by homicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910129\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910129\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A mural of the late Shock G (aka Humpty Hump) located at Frank Ogawa Plaza, painted by Kufue. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural of the late Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump) located at Frank Ogawa Plaza, painted by Kufue. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Add to that a few interpersonal issues of loneliness and detachment that often come during the winter months, plus news of international war and the potential for a third year of a pandemic, and you can see why being an arts writer and covering the latest rapper with a hot mixtape isn’t always inspiring work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I quit my job like three times since Jan. 1. I’m tired of kicking the machine to keep it from running us over. It always swerves and drives away. \u003cem>The work ain’t working.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So I quit. Well, mentally. I’m not officially part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/06/24/1007914455/as-the-pandemic-recedes-millions-of-workers-are-saying-i-quit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the great resignation\u003c/a>, but similar circumstances. Call it burnout, fatigue, soul-searching or whatever you want, but man, I struggled just sending emails. Gravity got really heavy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910131\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910131\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-800x537.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker, poet and friend Nijla Mu'min poses for a photo in front of a mural that reads Oakland Dreams, by Trust Your Struggle. \" width=\"800\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Filmmaker, poet and friend Nijla Mu’min poses for a photo in front of a mural that reads Oakland Dreams, by Trust Your Struggle. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>rying to kickstart my ambition the day of the great electric car-kick-and-connection, I was on assignment: taking over KQED Arts’ Instagram stories to give a glimpse into “a day in the life” of what it’s like for me running around town. I figured some inspiration might find me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I posted images of murals and matched them with music from local artists. A shared a quick meeting with a movie maker named \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CZuxRowBvBh/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nijla Mu’min\u003c/a>, who shared her message about her forthcoming film named after Mosswood. A few shots taken by Lake Merritt at sunset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then it was time for the evening’s main event: a retirement celebration for the former head of East Oakland Youth Development Center, Ms. Regina Jackson. I stood in the back of the room, underdressed and hiding behind my camera, as the decadent Rotunda building in Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza swelled with elected officials and community members praising Ms. Regina’s 27 years of fighting against the machine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910137\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910137\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-800x532.jpeg\" alt=\"Ms. Regina Jackson receives a standing ovation during her retirement party. \" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-800x532.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-1020x678.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-160x106.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-768x511.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ms. Regina Jackson receives a standing ovation during her retirement party. \u003ccite>(Via EOYDC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I’ve seen Ms. Regina’s work in Deep East Oakland and in the Far East. In 2014, I served as chaperone on a trip where she took a group of young African American men to China. I didn’t get a chance to give her a hug and some appreciation at her retirement celebration, but if I had, I couldn’t have thanked her enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I posted a beautiful dance performance by educator and artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/queen_iminah/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Queen Imïnah\u003c/a>, and I headed home. There were a bunch of photos left untaken that day, more than just the assault of the battery-charged car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While en route to Ms. Regina’s celebration, for example, I passed something else that lingered on my mind all month: Westlake Middle School, where Omolade and San-chez held their hunger strike. I saw their tents, and didn’t stop. But I followed their story all month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I finally I talked to Omolade earlier this week, the first thing I did was apologize for not covering their story earlier. At the end of our talk, I told him about the interaction at the intersection—the man kicking the Tesla. Omolade knew about tenacity. I asked him: how do you \u003cem>keep\u003c/em> fighting the system? I figured that someone who was willing to die for what they believe in might have some guidance for a struggling writer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His answer?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910135\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910135\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-800x1004.png\" alt=\"Maurice André San-Chez and Moses Omolade receive medical attention from community members during their hunger strike. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1004\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-800x1004.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-160x201.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-768x964.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM.png 986w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maurice André San-Chez and Moses Omolade receive medical attention from community members during their hunger strike. \u003ccite>(Via Moses Omolade )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Love,” said Omolade. “Love was centered, big time. The community really centered love—and it is currently centered. It’s continuously the fire that we use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You know what might be wiser than trying to kick against a machine? Investing in organizing, strategizing and community—specifically community love. Note to self.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">E\u003c/span>arlier this week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mx.san_chez/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maurice André San-Chez\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/craft_ed._x/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moses Omolade\u003c/a>, an educator and school administrator who in February held a hunger strike \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904278/teachers-and-families-rally-ahead-of-upcoming-vote-on-oakland-school-closures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">to protest Oakland Unified School District’s proposed school closures\u003c/a> in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, returned to the location of their protest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">They cleaned the site at Westlake Middle School, held a restorative justice circle and planted two avocado trees. They chose the non-messy fruit that yields healthy fat after the duo asked themselves, “What’s a fruit that we both enjoy that can be really beneficial to the community?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Omolade and San-Chez’s hunger strike lasted \u003ca style=\"color: #41a62a\" href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOMXP9Fcoe/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 days\u003c/a>, and left San-Chez hospitalized for a short period and Omolade requiring medical treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We initially went out on a hunger strike, and there was a deep, deep, \u003cem>deep\u003c/em> commitment to death,” Omolade tells me during a phone call. “That shit was, like, really wild, to look at one another in the face—and to look at ourselves individually—and be like: ‘I’m willing to die.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that perspective shifted over time, and for that he’s grateful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He credits his changed perspective to community. The students and elders who visited them during the strike spoke words that resonated. “People were coming by,” Omolade says, “being like, ‘Hold up, what ya’ll are doing here is actually important for the longevity of this fight. So, if you can find it within yourselves, take a step back from a commitment to death—because these folks will allow you to die.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910134\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910134\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-800x600.jpeg\" alt=\"André San-Chez, Moses Omolade and community members pose for a photo after planting avocado trees in front of West Lake Middle school in Oakland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_3159-1920x1440.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">André San-Chez, Moses Omolade and community members pose for a photo after planting avocado trees in front of West Lake Middle school in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Via Moses Omolade.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Along with San-Chez, Omolade is now recharging and strategizing. The fight is much larger, he says, than the closure of a few schools. It’s about systems of racism, structural oppression, and the privatization of schools and public land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re currently gathering signatures to recall the school board seats of District 1 and District 7, held respectively by Benjamin “Sam” Davis and Clifford Thompson. And on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTM30GJJqY/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saturday, March 5\u003c/a>, they’ll participate in a protest and march against the proposed East Oakland school closures—gathering at 1390 66th Ave. (the site of Coliseum Prep Academy) at 10am, marching at 11am, and arriving at International Community School with music and performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So much for rest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of now, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/02/09/oakland-school-board-votes-to-close-seven-schools-over-the-next-two-years/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plans to close fewer schools\u003c/a> than initially suggested, but still closing seven schools. Despite that, I’m intrigued by San-chez and Omolade’s efforts. In effect, they were laying down in front of the machine and willing to die for their cause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It resonated with me. Finding the fuel to keep fighting is something I had been struggling with for a while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910127\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910127\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Artist, educator and friend Venus Morris stands by Lake Merritt at sunset while wearing a jacket with the logo of the Black Panther Party, made by MADOW FUTUR. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7498-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist, educator and friend Venus Morris stands by Lake Merritt at sunset while wearing a jacket with the logo of the Black Panther Party, made by MADOW FUTUR. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>s February flew by, the Oakland school closures, war abroad, COVID’s sustained impact and a few interpersonal issues had been weighing on me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Somehow, I still took a bunch of photos, from the first day of Black History Month to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909853/black-joy-parade-2022-oakland-photos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a> on its final Sunday. Fly shots. Birthday smiles and nature blossoming. Memories etched in the digital archives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s one image from February that sticks with me. I have no photo of it, but it paints a picture of my recent mind state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At about 2pm on Feb. 5, I sat at the light on West Grand Avenue and Northgate Avenue in Oakland. A middle-aged African American man sporting a bomber jacket with “Security” printed across the back and the word “fuck” written above it in Sharpie started to cross the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The man halted after a few steps into the crosswalk and turned to square up with a white Tesla that, in its attempt to make a right turn, came too close for comfort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I watched as the driver, an older white woman, threw her arms up and urged the man to move across the street. The man stood his ground with words I couldn’t hear, but with a posture I definitely recognized: he was daring the driver to do something. The car swerved far enough around him so as to not hit him, but close enough for the man to pull off a textbook right-legged roundhouse kick to the driver-side door as the car sped past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mental snapshot has been inside my dome ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>He almost get run over by a machine 20 times his size, so he kicks it in protest. Only to see the machine turn and keep rollin’, while he’s left with an injured foot.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add race and class to that simple synopsis, and it’s a metaphorical breakdown of what I see damn near everyday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910128\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910128\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-800x373.jpg\" alt=\"A mural by the Bay Area Mural Program located on 22nd Street, between Broadway and Valley Street in Oakland. \" width=\"800\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-800x373.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-1020x476.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-160x75.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-768x358.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-1536x716.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-2048x955.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7455-1920x895.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural by the Bay Area Mural Program located on 22nd Street, between Broadway and Valley Street, in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The intersection where the punt, pass and kick-a-Tesla competition went down is just around the corner from one of the larger unsheltered encampments in Oakland. For a solid few blocks, tents are strewn down Dr. Martin Luther King Way; a lot of African American folks over there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How many? Well, we don’t know. But we do know that in 2019 about three out four of the 4,000 unsheltered people in Oakland were Black, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/2019-Oakland-Point-In-Time-Count-2-page-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Point in Time Count data from that year\u003c/a>. The first survey of unhoused individuals \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/02/23/how-bad-is-it-for-first-time-in-3-years-bay-area-counts-homeless-residents/\">since the pandemic started\u003c/a> just got underway last month, so we’ll see the current numbers soon enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without the data, the image is enough to make you want to punch one of the new luxury high-rises casting shadows over people living on the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the issue of finding basic housing for folks, there’s the problem of increased homicides in a number of major cities across the nation, including Oakland. Last week it was announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/02/23/1082564685/guns-leading-cause-of-premature-deaths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">firearms\u003c/a> are now the leading cause of premature death in America, and that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/02/23/1082564685/guns-leading-cause-of-premature-deaths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">younger Black males are the group most affected by homicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910129\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910129\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A mural of the late Shock G (aka Humpty Hump) located at Frank Ogawa Plaza, painted by Kufue. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/IMG_7510-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural of the late Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump) located at Frank Ogawa Plaza, painted by Kufue. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Add to that a few interpersonal issues of loneliness and detachment that often come during the winter months, plus news of international war and the potential for a third year of a pandemic, and you can see why being an arts writer and covering the latest rapper with a hot mixtape isn’t always inspiring work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I quit my job like three times since Jan. 1. I’m tired of kicking the machine to keep it from running us over. It always swerves and drives away. \u003cem>The work ain’t working.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So I quit. Well, mentally. I’m not officially part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/06/24/1007914455/as-the-pandemic-recedes-millions-of-workers-are-saying-i-quit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the great resignation\u003c/a>, but similar circumstances. Call it burnout, fatigue, soul-searching or whatever you want, but man, I struggled just sending emails. Gravity got really heavy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910131\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910131\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-800x537.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker, poet and friend Nijla Mu'min poses for a photo in front of a mural that reads Oakland Dreams, by Trust Your Struggle. \" width=\"800\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/49A488F7-44C2-4DA1-A491-A9AD2EB4768F.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Filmmaker, poet and friend Nijla Mu’min poses for a photo in front of a mural that reads Oakland Dreams, by Trust Your Struggle. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>rying to kickstart my ambition the day of the great electric car-kick-and-connection, I was on assignment: taking over KQED Arts’ Instagram stories to give a glimpse into “a day in the life” of what it’s like for me running around town. I figured some inspiration might find me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I posted images of murals and matched them with music from local artists. A shared a quick meeting with a movie maker named \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CZuxRowBvBh/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nijla Mu’min\u003c/a>, who shared her message about her forthcoming film named after Mosswood. A few shots taken by Lake Merritt at sunset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then it was time for the evening’s main event: a retirement celebration for the former head of East Oakland Youth Development Center, Ms. Regina Jackson. I stood in the back of the room, underdressed and hiding behind my camera, as the decadent Rotunda building in Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza swelled with elected officials and community members praising Ms. Regina’s 27 years of fighting against the machine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910137\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910137\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-800x532.jpeg\" alt=\"Ms. Regina Jackson receives a standing ovation during her retirement party. \" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-800x532.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-1020x678.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-160x106.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266-768x511.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/JacksonRetirement_15266.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ms. Regina Jackson receives a standing ovation during her retirement party. \u003ccite>(Via EOYDC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I’ve seen Ms. Regina’s work in Deep East Oakland and in the Far East. In 2014, I served as chaperone on a trip where she took a group of young African American men to China. I didn’t get a chance to give her a hug and some appreciation at her retirement celebration, but if I had, I couldn’t have thanked her enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I posted a beautiful dance performance by educator and artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/queen_iminah/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Queen Imïnah\u003c/a>, and I headed home. There were a bunch of photos left untaken that day, more than just the assault of the battery-charged car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While en route to Ms. Regina’s celebration, for example, I passed something else that lingered on my mind all month: Westlake Middle School, where Omolade and San-chez held their hunger strike. I saw their tents, and didn’t stop. But I followed their story all month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I finally I talked to Omolade earlier this week, the first thing I did was apologize for not covering their story earlier. At the end of our talk, I told him about the interaction at the intersection—the man kicking the Tesla. Omolade knew about tenacity. I asked him: how do you \u003cem>keep\u003c/em> fighting the system? I figured that someone who was willing to die for what they believe in might have some guidance for a struggling writer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His answer?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910135\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910135\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-800x1004.png\" alt=\"Maurice André San-Chez and Moses Omolade receive medical attention from community members during their hunger strike. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1004\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-800x1004.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-160x201.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM-768x964.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-04-at-10.01.31-AM.png 986w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maurice André San-Chez and Moses Omolade receive medical attention from community members during their hunger strike. \u003ccite>(Via Moses Omolade )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Love,” said Omolade. “Love was centered, big time. The community really centered love—and it is currently centered. It’s continuously the fire that we use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You know what might be wiser than trying to kick against a machine? Investing in organizing, strategizing and community—specifically community love. Note to self.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Crybaby, a New Nightclub in Oakland, Opens With Promising Lineup of Shows",
"headTitle": "Crybaby, a New Nightclub in Oakland, Opens With Promising Lineup of Shows | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>This weekend marks the grand opening of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/crybabyoakland/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Crybaby\u003c/a>, a new 400-capacity nightclub located in the former Uptown Nightclub building in Oakland—and from its initial schedule of shows, the 21-and-up venue appears ready to make its mark as a promising new independent venue in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crybaby’s official opening arrives March 4, coinciding with the area’s popular First Fridays, with DJs Shortkut, D-Sharp and Lady Ryan. Saturday, March 5 brings electro-funk revivalist Dam-Funk, and on Sunday, March 6, it’s a hardcore bill topped by Trash Talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A similar diversity and genre-agnosticism runs through the club’s calendar through April. Upcoming shows include touring hip-hop acts like Armand Hammer and Bbymutha, UK footwork/jungle DJ Sherelle, Chilean reggaetón artist Tomasa Del Real, SoCal hardcore band Xibalba, and the return of local lowrider-soul DJ party Suavecito Souldies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910021\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910021\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a red fedora, against a red background, wearing a red jacket\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-1020x675.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dam-Funk plays Crybaby’s opening weekend on Saturday, March 5. \u003ccite>(J3)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a welcome revival not only for the site of the Uptown, which closed citing pandemic losses in 2020, but for the landscape of independently run venues in the Bay Area. In the past five years, large live-music entities like Live Nation and Goldenvoice have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13850185/slims-great-american-music-hall-workers-axed-as-goldenvoice-expands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">taken over smaller and smaller concert spaces\u003c/a> in the Bay Area, and independent venues like Slim’s have closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crybaby’s founders—Dominic Green, Jesse Tittsworth, Miles Palliser and Conrad Loebl—aren’t going for an “ultralounge” format like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13899093/i-went-to-yolo-the-nightclub-that-replaced-slims-so-you-dont-have-to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the one that replaced Slim’s\u003c/a>. Rather, they want “a nightclub without social barriers,” as \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/pro/venue-crybaby-open-oakland-march/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Billboard reported\u003c/a> in January. “I felt like a lot of that was being lost, particularly in some places here in Oakland,” Green told the magazine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Green has deep local roots—his grandfather was a mayor of Berkeley, and his father was a jazz promoter, Billboard reports—and Palliser is a partner in The Athletic Club, a sports bar in Oakland and San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910018\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A large empty venue with a mahogany bar to the left and small stage to the right\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crybaby’s 400-capacity room includes the original mahogany bar from the former Uptown Nightclub site in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Crybaby Nightclub)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tittsworth was a cofounder of Washington D.C.’s modest, inviting 500-capacity U Street Music Hall. That venue closed in 2020, but its ethos (“No dress code. No bottle service. No party photographers. No VIP areas,” wrote the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em> upon its opening in 2010) seems to be a guiding star for \u003ca href=\"https://crybaby.live/support/#faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Crybaby’s policies\u003c/a>. Loebl, with years of booking experience at clubs in cities like Los Angeles and Portland, will handle the in-house talent buying and calendar, as well as work with other promoters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the venue’s historic mahogany bar? As \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/03/02/crybaby-opens-this-weekend-where-the-uptown-nightclub-used-to-be/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Azucena Rasilla of Oaklandside reports\u003c/a>, it’s staying, and original murals by local artists Xavier Schipani and Berk now adorn the entrance and patio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Crybaby opens Friday, March 4. \u003ca href=\"https://crybaby.live/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Details and list of upcoming shows here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This weekend marks the grand opening of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/crybabyoakland/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Crybaby\u003c/a>, a new 400-capacity nightclub located in the former Uptown Nightclub building in Oakland—and from its initial schedule of shows, the 21-and-up venue appears ready to make its mark as a promising new independent venue in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crybaby’s official opening arrives March 4, coinciding with the area’s popular First Fridays, with DJs Shortkut, D-Sharp and Lady Ryan. Saturday, March 5 brings electro-funk revivalist Dam-Funk, and on Sunday, March 6, it’s a hardcore bill topped by Trash Talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A similar diversity and genre-agnosticism runs through the club’s calendar through April. Upcoming shows include touring hip-hop acts like Armand Hammer and Bbymutha, UK footwork/jungle DJ Sherelle, Chilean reggaetón artist Tomasa Del Real, SoCal hardcore band Xibalba, and the return of local lowrider-soul DJ party Suavecito Souldies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910021\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910021\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a red fedora, against a red background, wearing a red jacket\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-1020x675.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/dam-funk-press-2016.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dam-Funk plays Crybaby’s opening weekend on Saturday, March 5. \u003ccite>(J3)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a welcome revival not only for the site of the Uptown, which closed citing pandemic losses in 2020, but for the landscape of independently run venues in the Bay Area. In the past five years, large live-music entities like Live Nation and Goldenvoice have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13850185/slims-great-american-music-hall-workers-axed-as-goldenvoice-expands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">taken over smaller and smaller concert spaces\u003c/a> in the Bay Area, and independent venues like Slim’s have closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crybaby’s founders—Dominic Green, Jesse Tittsworth, Miles Palliser and Conrad Loebl—aren’t going for an “ultralounge” format like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13899093/i-went-to-yolo-the-nightclub-that-replaced-slims-so-you-dont-have-to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the one that replaced Slim’s\u003c/a>. Rather, they want “a nightclub without social barriers,” as \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/pro/venue-crybaby-open-oakland-march/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Billboard reported\u003c/a> in January. “I felt like a lot of that was being lost, particularly in some places here in Oakland,” Green told the magazine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Green has deep local roots—his grandfather was a mayor of Berkeley, and his father was a jazz promoter, Billboard reports—and Palliser is a partner in The Athletic Club, a sports bar in Oakland and San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910018\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A large empty venue with a mahogany bar to the left and small stage to the right\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13910018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/CrybabyNightclub.MAIN_-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crybaby’s 400-capacity room includes the original mahogany bar from the former Uptown Nightclub site in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Crybaby Nightclub)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tittsworth was a cofounder of Washington D.C.’s modest, inviting 500-capacity U Street Music Hall. That venue closed in 2020, but its ethos (“No dress code. No bottle service. No party photographers. No VIP areas,” wrote the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em> upon its opening in 2010) seems to be a guiding star for \u003ca href=\"https://crybaby.live/support/#faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Crybaby’s policies\u003c/a>. Loebl, with years of booking experience at clubs in cities like Los Angeles and Portland, will handle the in-house talent buying and calendar, as well as work with other promoters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the venue’s historic mahogany bar? As \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2022/03/02/crybaby-opens-this-weekend-where-the-uptown-nightclub-used-to-be/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Azucena Rasilla of Oaklandside reports\u003c/a>, it’s staying, and original murals by local artists Xavier Schipani and Berk now adorn the entrance and patio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Crybaby opens Friday, March 4. \u003ca href=\"https://crybaby.live/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Details and list of upcoming shows here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Last week, MC Hammer started trending on Twitter for a viral photo of Big Syke, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, Tupac and Hammer lined up together at the 1996 Grammys, in all of their ’90s finery. Hammer stood on the far right, arms neatly crossed behind his back, smiling while everyone else mean-mugged. The tweet read: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more out of place than Hammer was in this photo lol.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twitter did not hesitate to set the record straight about the Oakland legend, explaining in no uncertain terms that Hammer—despite his legendarily flappy pants, pop superstardom, and ability to win over your mom—did not come to play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/J_Ran85/status/1497067106818478090\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/KieseLaymon/status/1497222235651719202\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/SHARMONJONES/status/1497083798919561224\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/CerromeRussell/status/1497059859090579458\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Twitter explosion reflected the vast gulf between what hip-hop knows about MC Hammer and what mainstream pop culture \u003cem>thinks\u003c/em> it knows about MC Hammer. Because the Oakland rapper spent the early ’90s shuffling from side-to-side at the top of the charts, and filling commercial breaks with entreaties to buy \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eydWVvFV2w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sneakers\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHp3xXBBDfk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Taco Bell\u003c/a>, Hammer is too often treated like the Carlton Banks of hip-hop. But stories of Hammer’s more streetwise traits have been rife in both the East Bay and the wider hip-hop community for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those not in the know, here are interviews with five MCs that will put Hammer in a whole new light.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>MC Serch\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>MC Serch of New York’s 3rd Bass has claimed repeatedly that MC Hammer put out a hit on the group over a lyric in their song, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8sDxQhHkds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Cactus.\u003c/a>” The line in question—”The cactus turned Hammer’s mother out”—was purportedly a play on the title of 3rd Bass’ 1989 \u003cem>The Cactus Album\u003c/em> and Hammer’s record from the same year, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtpWTOk0Ghg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turn This Mutha Out\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2015, Serch told the \u003cem>Ed Lover Show\u003c/em> about receiving death threats from Hammer’s brother, Louis Burrell, in the middle of a flight to Los Angeles. “We’re in the air,” Serch says, “and Carmen Ashhurst-Watson, who was the president of Def Jam at the time, picks up the phone and hears someone say ‘Is 3rd Bass on their way to L.A.?’ And she goes ‘Yeah.’ And the voice says ‘Good. They’re dead. This is Louis Burrell.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQFlRUCp5r0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Serch claims the $50,000 hit was confirmed by fellow Def Jam artist Eric B., and was supposed to be carried out by the Los Angeles crips. In a later interview, Serch said fear and anger over the incident has never left him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not good,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3B7KBrnqCI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he told Vlad TV in 2018\u003c/a>. “I’ve been through 25 years of therapy three days a week. I am not good. I wish I could be good. But when somebody tries to kill you over a rap lyric? … Understand what it feels like to not know that you can turn a corner without someone trying to kill you for $50,000.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Redman\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Redman also made the mistake of dissing Hammer during an interlude on 1992’s \u003cem>Whut? Thee Album\u003c/em> titled “Funky Uncles.” “Everybody yelling ‘Hammertime! Hammertime!'” the track went. “He ain’t shit, mama ain’t shit, daddy ain’t shit, ain’t nobody shit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redman says he was subsequently chased out of Oakland by Hammer affiliates. (“We had to get the fuck out of here. They wasn’t playin’. We was almost boxed in,” he \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fyqEYQQW2U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told Vlad TV in 2016\u003c/a>.) And in 1995, when both MCs were on set for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8VoRj9Vd4o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">final episode of \u003cem>Yo! MTV Raps\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Hammer approached Redman and reportedly said, “Red? I’m gonna tell you something. You’re young. But I don’t allow nobody to talk about my mama. You understand me?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redman later admitted that his response to Hammer was, “Yes, sir!” He elaborated: “I got the message. I heard about [Hammer] and I seen [his] work … I’m good, my brother. Because I’ve gotta come to the west coast and get money. I like it out there. I like the Bay Area. So fuck that, you’re right. I won’t talk about your mama.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redman admits he learned his lesson. “That goddamn MC Hammer? Very serious about beef. Y’all motherfuckers laugh and y’all joke about Hammer? No, no, no, no … When anybody that talked shit came to the Bay Area, they was in for it. ‘Cause we seen it. I seen it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fyqEYQQW2U\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Too Short\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In a 2018 interview, Too Short expressed respect for MC Hammer, having come up around the same time. “Hammer was a big dog,” Too Short said. “He got respect in the streets. He came from a respected crew. They handled business. Him and his brother Louis and the crew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked about the alleged hit Hammer put out on MC Serch, Too Short said the only part he didn’t believe was the $50,000—because Hammer would never have to pay for such services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without spending any money, he coulda told people to fuck [MC Serch] the fuck up,” Too Short said. “I know who Hammer was affiliated with and he wouldn’t have to pay to tell somebody to fuck somebody up. His people would just do it. We’re from Oakland. Like, he wouldn’t even have to say it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOHupZPsWD0\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>E-40 and Fat Joe\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During a 2020 chat with E-40 for \u003cem>All Urban Central\u003c/em>, Fat Joe mentioned encountering Hammer one time in the Las Vegas airport. Joe said Hammer greeted him warmly, then proceeded to explain that he wasn’t to be trifled with. “He was like, ‘You know I get it poppin’ for real’,” Joe recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>E-40 was in no way surprised by this news. “Well, he’s from Oakland for one,” the Vallejo rapper responded. “He’s from the Town. He’s highly respected and connected, you know what I mean? All the fixtures and factors know him, he knows them. He rocks it. He’s heavy. His brother’s gangsta … [Hammer] is far from a sucka. And Hammer’s physically fit. You know, he’ll put hands on you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuwwd7eb-lA\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>OutKast\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s possible that Big Boi puts it best here, and the most succinctly: “Hammer will beat yo’ ass.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/__Eddie313/status/1497071531930832899\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let’s end with an apt word from the man himself…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Last week, MC Hammer started trending on Twitter for a viral photo of Big Syke, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, Tupac and Hammer lined up together at the 1996 Grammys, in all of their ’90s finery. Hammer stood on the far right, arms neatly crossed behind his back, smiling while everyone else mean-mugged. The tweet read: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more out of place than Hammer was in this photo lol.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twitter did not hesitate to set the record straight about the Oakland legend, explaining in no uncertain terms that Hammer—despite his legendarily flappy pants, pop superstardom, and ability to win over your mom—did not come to play.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The Twitter explosion reflected the vast gulf between what hip-hop knows about MC Hammer and what mainstream pop culture \u003cem>thinks\u003c/em> it knows about MC Hammer. Because the Oakland rapper spent the early ’90s shuffling from side-to-side at the top of the charts, and filling commercial breaks with entreaties to buy \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eydWVvFV2w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sneakers\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHp3xXBBDfk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Taco Bell\u003c/a>, Hammer is too often treated like the Carlton Banks of hip-hop. But stories of Hammer’s more streetwise traits have been rife in both the East Bay and the wider hip-hop community for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those not in the know, here are interviews with five MCs that will put Hammer in a whole new light.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>MC Serch\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>MC Serch of New York’s 3rd Bass has claimed repeatedly that MC Hammer put out a hit on the group over a lyric in their song, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8sDxQhHkds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Cactus.\u003c/a>” The line in question—”The cactus turned Hammer’s mother out”—was purportedly a play on the title of 3rd Bass’ 1989 \u003cem>The Cactus Album\u003c/em> and Hammer’s record from the same year, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtpWTOk0Ghg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Turn This Mutha Out\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2015, Serch told the \u003cem>Ed Lover Show\u003c/em> about receiving death threats from Hammer’s brother, Louis Burrell, in the middle of a flight to Los Angeles. “We’re in the air,” Serch says, “and Carmen Ashhurst-Watson, who was the president of Def Jam at the time, picks up the phone and hears someone say ‘Is 3rd Bass on their way to L.A.?’ And she goes ‘Yeah.’ And the voice says ‘Good. They’re dead. This is Louis Burrell.'”\u003c/p>\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/vQFlRUCp5r0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/vQFlRUCp5r0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Serch claims the $50,000 hit was confirmed by fellow Def Jam artist Eric B., and was supposed to be carried out by the Los Angeles crips. In a later interview, Serch said fear and anger over the incident has never left him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not good,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3B7KBrnqCI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he told Vlad TV in 2018\u003c/a>. “I’ve been through 25 years of therapy three days a week. I am not good. I wish I could be good. But when somebody tries to kill you over a rap lyric? … Understand what it feels like to not know that you can turn a corner without someone trying to kill you for $50,000.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Redman\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Redman also made the mistake of dissing Hammer during an interlude on 1992’s \u003cem>Whut? Thee Album\u003c/em> titled “Funky Uncles.” “Everybody yelling ‘Hammertime! Hammertime!'” the track went. “He ain’t shit, mama ain’t shit, daddy ain’t shit, ain’t nobody shit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redman says he was subsequently chased out of Oakland by Hammer affiliates. (“We had to get the fuck out of here. They wasn’t playin’. We was almost boxed in,” he \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fyqEYQQW2U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told Vlad TV in 2016\u003c/a>.) And in 1995, when both MCs were on set for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8VoRj9Vd4o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">final episode of \u003cem>Yo! MTV Raps\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Hammer approached Redman and reportedly said, “Red? I’m gonna tell you something. You’re young. But I don’t allow nobody to talk about my mama. You understand me?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redman later admitted that his response to Hammer was, “Yes, sir!” He elaborated: “I got the message. I heard about [Hammer] and I seen [his] work … I’m good, my brother. Because I’ve gotta come to the west coast and get money. I like it out there. I like the Bay Area. So fuck that, you’re right. I won’t talk about your mama.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redman admits he learned his lesson. “That goddamn MC Hammer? Very serious about beef. Y’all motherfuckers laugh and y’all joke about Hammer? No, no, no, no … When anybody that talked shit came to the Bay Area, they was in for it. ‘Cause we seen it. I seen it.”\u003c/p>\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/0fyqEYQQW2U'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/0fyqEYQQW2U'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Too Short\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In a 2018 interview, Too Short expressed respect for MC Hammer, having come up around the same time. “Hammer was a big dog,” Too Short said. “He got respect in the streets. He came from a respected crew. They handled business. Him and his brother Louis and the crew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked about the alleged hit Hammer put out on MC Serch, Too Short said the only part he didn’t believe was the $50,000—because Hammer would never have to pay for such services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without spending any money, he coulda told people to fuck [MC Serch] the fuck up,” Too Short said. “I know who Hammer was affiliated with and he wouldn’t have to pay to tell somebody to fuck somebody up. His people would just do it. We’re from Oakland. Like, he wouldn’t even have to say it.”\u003c/p>\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/aOHupZPsWD0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/aOHupZPsWD0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>E-40 and Fat Joe\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During a 2020 chat with E-40 for \u003cem>All Urban Central\u003c/em>, Fat Joe mentioned encountering Hammer one time in the Las Vegas airport. Joe said Hammer greeted him warmly, then proceeded to explain that he wasn’t to be trifled with. “He was like, ‘You know I get it poppin’ for real’,” Joe recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>E-40 was in no way surprised by this news. “Well, he’s from Oakland for one,” the Vallejo rapper responded. “He’s from the Town. He’s highly respected and connected, you know what I mean? All the fixtures and factors know him, he knows them. He rocks it. He’s heavy. His brother’s gangsta … [Hammer] is far from a sucka. And Hammer’s physically fit. You know, he’ll put hands on you.”\u003c/p>\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/tuwwd7eb-lA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/tuwwd7eb-lA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>OutKast\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s possible that Big Boi puts it best here, and the most succinctly: “Hammer will beat yo’ ass.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Let’s end with an apt word from the man himself…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Photos: The Black Joy Parade Returns as ‘A Love Letter to the Bay’",
"headTitle": "Photos: The Black Joy Parade Returns as ‘A Love Letter to the Bay’ | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Black is for the people, red is for the blood shed, and green is for the wealth of the Motherland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These colors adorned countless Pan-African flags that proudly flew at the fifth annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackjoyparade.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a> in Oakland on Sunday afternoon. For those uninitiated with the idea of Pan-Africanism, it is a school of thought that aims to unite and create solidarity among Black folks of different cultures around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parade participants represented the diversity of the Black diaspora. There were uniquely American aspects to the parade, like the group of Black cowboys who wore 10-gallon hats while majestically riding their horses down Broadway in downtown Oakland (a favorite among the children in the crowd). Meanwhile, every member of the Divine Nine, made up of the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities (of which I’m a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity), stepped and strolled their way past an adoring public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were samba dancers representing Black Brazilian culture; loads of Caribbean food vendors selling oxtails and rum punch; an abundance of people wearing West African-inspired patterns and prints; and even some folks looking to the future while draped in outfits reminiscent of the great Afrofuturist composer, Sun Ra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1053px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909867\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05.jpg\" alt=\"A person with short hair, wire jewelry on their face and green lipstick poses\" width=\"1053\" height=\"790\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05.jpg 1053w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1053px) 100vw, 1053px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Treajané Brown takes a pause from dancing and poses for a portrait during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. “I feel like I’ve been struggling recently and I needed some energy to propel me into this next chapter and I knew I could get it from the Black Joy Parade, so I’m so glad it’s back,” Brown said. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This is Black joy in its many forms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I honestly think that Black joy is not definable,” Elycia Thomas Knight, BJP’s parade manager, told KQED. “We’re not telling you what Black joy is. We’re just asking you to show up with whatever that specialized Black joy is–unique Black joy is–that you have in you, and just show up and set it out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the joy didn’t end with parade participants, it was also present among those in the crowd. The sun was out and accentuating the melanated skin of Black people of all shades, genders and sizes, gloriously dressed in whatever “Sunday best” looked like to them. As paraders passed by, affirmations of “Go ahead, sista” or “Okay, king!” could be heard. No one knows how to hype you up better than Black folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thomas Knight called this year’s parade a “love letter to the Bay” following its 2021 hiatus due to COVID concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mia Meredith, a USF student from San Francisco, said BJP perfectly represents the term “strength in numbers,” popularized by the Golden State Warriors in the Bay Area. “I’ve honestly never seen this many Black people in one sitting before,” Meredith said. “I love to see it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909871\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23.jpg\" alt='Two people smile in \"black joy\" sweatshirts' width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elycia Thomas Knight, Black Joy Parade manager, poses for a portrait with her sister at the entrance of the celebration site at 20th and Broadway. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909868\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08.jpg\" alt=\"A group poses with their scraper bikes\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the Scraper Bike Mob pose for a portrait during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909872\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27.jpg\" alt=\"A dance group in matching blue dashiki outfits\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sorority dances in the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909875\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33.jpg\" alt=\"Two people in letterman jackets wave Pan-African flags from a convertible\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the Fo’Fifteen Car Club ride in the parade in their classic car on Feb. 27, 2022. SF Black Wall Street and the Fo’Fifteen Car Club collaborated with the Black Millionaire Development Entrepreneurs, who also walked in the parade. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909866\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01.jpg\" alt=\"A group of eight, children and adults, smile\" width=\"1200\" height=\"839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-800x559.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-1020x713.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-768x537.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Priscilla Dodoo poses for a portrait with her family during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1224px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909874\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31.jpg\" alt=\"A dance group in green and white smiles \" width=\"1224\" height=\"796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31.jpg 1224w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-800x520.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-1020x663.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-768x499.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1224px) 100vw, 1224px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dancer with Estralas do Samba smiles at the crowds watching the Black Joy Parade in Oakland on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909873\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30.jpg\" alt='A dance group in white, one woman has \"BLM\" written on their back' width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parade participants covered in white body paint dance down Broadway in Oakland on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20.jpg\" alt=\"A young person roller skates\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young girl roller skates in the Liberation Park rolling rink pop-up. Attendees of the Black Joy Parade could get skates at the event to use. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909876\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1238px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909876\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36.jpg\" alt=\"A young person in a cow-patterned Western shirt holds the brim of her cowboy hat\" width=\"1238\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36.jpg 1238w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-800x518.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-1020x660.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-768x497.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1238px) 100vw, 1238px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KK Brinson poses for a portrait during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. For Brinson, being able to represent Black women who ride horses competitively was an important part of being at the parade. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1236px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909877\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a vest smiles next to a black and white horse\" width=\"1236\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38.jpg 1236w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-800x554.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-768x532.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dan Smith, of the Brotherhood Riders, poses with his horse Suga Mama. The organization trains youth in order to provide them with a positive space. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909885\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49.jpg\" alt=\"Five women in green shirts smile from a float\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Women smile and sing while on a float right before the parade starts on Feb. 27, 2022.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909879\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909879\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a flower-covered space helmet makes the Vulcan hand sign and smiles\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Afatasi the Artist, born and raised in San Francisco, poses in her handmade designs on Feb. 27, 2022 in Oakland. “Everything that has to do with like our erasure … it’s like now you can’t deny when you see us. You can’t not see us and that’s what my designs are about,” Afatasi said. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909878\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909878\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43.jpg\" alt=\"Two young people wear brightly colored, futuristic outfits\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kolo and Pharyll show off their fashion before they walk in the Black Joy Parade on Feb 27, 2022. Afatasi the Artist welded the frames and outfitted them with textiles along with sewing each of the outfits. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909880\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909880\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46.jpg\" alt=\"A person wears a white fro, antennae and a silver outfit\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Honey Brown, a model and cosplayer, poses before she walks in the Black Joy Parade with the Afrocomicon float. Brown expressed her pride in being able to represent herself, pointing out that there are so many different “accents when it comes to African-American culture.” \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The participants in the fifth annual Oakland celebration represented the diversity of the Black diaspora.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Black is for the people, red is for the blood shed, and green is for the wealth of the Motherland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These colors adorned countless Pan-African flags that proudly flew at the fifth annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackjoyparade.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a> in Oakland on Sunday afternoon. For those uninitiated with the idea of Pan-Africanism, it is a school of thought that aims to unite and create solidarity among Black folks of different cultures around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parade participants represented the diversity of the Black diaspora. There were uniquely American aspects to the parade, like the group of Black cowboys who wore 10-gallon hats while majestically riding their horses down Broadway in downtown Oakland (a favorite among the children in the crowd). Meanwhile, every member of the Divine Nine, made up of the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities (of which I’m a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity), stepped and strolled their way past an adoring public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were samba dancers representing Black Brazilian culture; loads of Caribbean food vendors selling oxtails and rum punch; an abundance of people wearing West African-inspired patterns and prints; and even some folks looking to the future while draped in outfits reminiscent of the great Afrofuturist composer, Sun Ra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1053px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909867\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05.jpg\" alt=\"A person with short hair, wire jewelry on their face and green lipstick poses\" width=\"1053\" height=\"790\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05.jpg 1053w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-05-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1053px) 100vw, 1053px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Treajané Brown takes a pause from dancing and poses for a portrait during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. “I feel like I’ve been struggling recently and I needed some energy to propel me into this next chapter and I knew I could get it from the Black Joy Parade, so I’m so glad it’s back,” Brown said. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This is Black joy in its many forms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I honestly think that Black joy is not definable,” Elycia Thomas Knight, BJP’s parade manager, told KQED. “We’re not telling you what Black joy is. We’re just asking you to show up with whatever that specialized Black joy is–unique Black joy is–that you have in you, and just show up and set it out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the joy didn’t end with parade participants, it was also present among those in the crowd. The sun was out and accentuating the melanated skin of Black people of all shades, genders and sizes, gloriously dressed in whatever “Sunday best” looked like to them. As paraders passed by, affirmations of “Go ahead, sista” or “Okay, king!” could be heard. No one knows how to hype you up better than Black folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thomas Knight called this year’s parade a “love letter to the Bay” following its 2021 hiatus due to COVID concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mia Meredith, a USF student from San Francisco, said BJP perfectly represents the term “strength in numbers,” popularized by the Golden State Warriors in the Bay Area. “I’ve honestly never seen this many Black people in one sitting before,” Meredith said. “I love to see it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909871\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23.jpg\" alt='Two people smile in \"black joy\" sweatshirts' width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-23-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elycia Thomas Knight, Black Joy Parade manager, poses for a portrait with her sister at the entrance of the celebration site at 20th and Broadway. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909868\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08.jpg\" alt=\"A group poses with their scraper bikes\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-08-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the Scraper Bike Mob pose for a portrait during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909872\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27.jpg\" alt=\"A dance group in matching blue dashiki outfits\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-27-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sorority dances in the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909875\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33.jpg\" alt=\"Two people in letterman jackets wave Pan-African flags from a convertible\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-33-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the Fo’Fifteen Car Club ride in the parade in their classic car on Feb. 27, 2022. SF Black Wall Street and the Fo’Fifteen Car Club collaborated with the Black Millionaire Development Entrepreneurs, who also walked in the parade. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909866\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01.jpg\" alt=\"A group of eight, children and adults, smile\" width=\"1200\" height=\"839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-800x559.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-1020x713.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-01-768x537.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Priscilla Dodoo poses for a portrait with her family during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1224px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909874\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31.jpg\" alt=\"A dance group in green and white smiles \" width=\"1224\" height=\"796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31.jpg 1224w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-800x520.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-1020x663.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-31-768x499.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1224px) 100vw, 1224px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dancer with Estralas do Samba smiles at the crowds watching the Black Joy Parade in Oakland on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909873\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30.jpg\" alt='A dance group in white, one woman has \"BLM\" written on their back' width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-30-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parade participants covered in white body paint dance down Broadway in Oakland on Feb. 27, 2022. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20.jpg\" alt=\"A young person roller skates\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-20-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young girl roller skates in the Liberation Park rolling rink pop-up. Attendees of the Black Joy Parade could get skates at the event to use. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909876\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1238px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909876\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36.jpg\" alt=\"A young person in a cow-patterned Western shirt holds the brim of her cowboy hat\" width=\"1238\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36.jpg 1238w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-800x518.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-1020x660.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-36-768x497.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1238px) 100vw, 1238px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KK Brinson poses for a portrait during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 27, 2022. For Brinson, being able to represent Black women who ride horses competitively was an important part of being at the parade. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1236px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909877\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a vest smiles next to a black and white horse\" width=\"1236\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38.jpg 1236w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-800x554.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-38-768x532.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dan Smith, of the Brotherhood Riders, poses with his horse Suga Mama. The organization trains youth in order to provide them with a positive space. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909885\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49.jpg\" alt=\"Five women in green shirts smile from a float\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-49-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Women smile and sing while on a float right before the parade starts on Feb. 27, 2022.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909879\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909879\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a flower-covered space helmet makes the Vulcan hand sign and smiles\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-44-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Afatasi the Artist, born and raised in San Francisco, poses in her handmade designs on Feb. 27, 2022 in Oakland. “Everything that has to do with like our erasure … it’s like now you can’t deny when you see us. You can’t not see us and that’s what my designs are about,” Afatasi said. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909878\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909878\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43.jpg\" alt=\"Two young people wear brightly colored, futuristic outfits\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-43-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kolo and Pharyll show off their fashion before they walk in the Black Joy Parade on Feb 27, 2022. Afatasi the Artist welded the frames and outfitted them with textiles along with sewing each of the outfits. \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909880\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13909880\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46.jpg\" alt=\"A person wears a white fro, antennae and a silver outfit\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46.jpg 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/BlackJoyParade-46-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Honey Brown, a model and cosplayer, poses before she walks in the Black Joy Parade with the Afrocomicon float. Brown expressed her pride in being able to represent herself, pointing out that there are so many different “accents when it comes to African-American culture.” \u003ccite>(Amaya Edwards)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "rightnowish-big-love-oopz",
"title": "Big Love: Smokin’, Shroomin’ and Shmopin’",
"publishDate": 1644577223,
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"headTitle": "Big Love: Smokin’, Shroomin’ and Shmopin’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909269\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13909269\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Oopz smiles at the camera, wearing a bright Hawiian shirt and a tye-die hat. He's got a chunky necklace and a few tattoos are visible on his forearms.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1.jpg 1226w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oopz\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Over 4 weeks, the Rightnowish podcast is exploring love’s many forms. \u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908844/rightnowish-big-love-seriespage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908844/rightnowish-big-love-seriespage\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Learn more about the series here\u003c/a>\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC8801598173\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca style=\"color: #41a62a\" href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oopzallberryz/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oopz \u003c/a>is the living embodiment of “showing love.” He’s a tie-dye wearing, weed smoking, big smiling entrepreneur who sells cannabis accessories. And he’s part \u003ca href=\"https://shmoplife.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shmoplife,\u003c/a> a crew of cool kids — mostly artists and creatives — known for throwing fun-loving parties. Their headquarters is the Shmop House, a place where the music is usually slappin’, the tacos most likely smackin’ and the air is often thick with cannabis smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, Oopz opens up about his love of the Bay Area and his journey to becoming an extrovert. Plus he revisits the time his community love was tested following a shooting at the Shmop House, which injured a well-known artist and friend to Oopz, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/k00lj0hn_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kool John\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, “showing love” is something we toss around all the time, especially in hip-hop circles. Oopz really lives it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Below are some lightly edited excerpts of my conversation with Oopz.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I feel like I’m an easy person to talk to because I’m non-judgmental and I see things from different perspectives. I feel like that’s love, being understanding of people’s backgrounds and showing empathy and sympathy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: I’ve recognized you as having expertise in showing love. Like everywhere I’ve seen you… in music videos, out at parties, out at the events… you’re showin love to people. And it seems like it’s being reciprocated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: That’s really how I was raised, I come from a family of love… and both of my parents had a sense of humor [that’s] really goofy. I got that from them… just keeping the energy around, keeping the energy up and positive. And to be born on February 13, the day before the actual love day, I feel like it’s not a coincidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Do you have any words of advice for people who are introverts or wanting to break out of their shells and 1) show love and 2) receive love?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I used to be that way too, and then I started a spiritual journey and it opened me up more. It got me out of my shell. But I would just say, be yourself at all times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: You were an introvert?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I was back in the day, yeah, before like I did psychedelics I was super introverted…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I took a five gram shroom trip a couple of years ago… I was literally out of my body. I was like an entity floating in a tunnel of color. It started to look like a kaleidoscope. I felt like I was dying. Like I was doing the tunnel of life when you die. It’s just like… nothingness, it’s like despair. But it’s also like beauty at the same time.. it’s a combination of different feelings!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: When I experienced ego death, I was like, ‘I’m never gonna take life for granted again. I’m gonna be more open, be more accepting of people.’ It opened me up more to the different possibilities of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: This positivity that you show – this free spirit – How do you do that in this world we exist in, where you know that everything ain’t all peachy keen?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I listen to music, smoke a little bit of weed you know, ‘cuz it’s a dark world. So you just gotta find little things that keep you on the up and up, to keep your light focused in, just keep your mind working and keep it at ease. So that’s what I do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Which brings us to another reason we’re here talking to you…you’re part of Shmop House.. A party house that’s known for throwing fun loving parties. I’ve stopped by the Shmop house at least once before… so much smoke in the air! What does “Shmop” mean?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: “Shmop” means smacking and popping together. One day Kool John was hella drunk at a party and he was talking to his partner on the phone and he was like, “Bro, you got to get over here it’s shmackin’. It’s poppin’. It’s shmopin’ right now!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: And then the party became the Shmops. And Shmoplife – it was a lifestyle that we were all living: Positive partying and living everyday like a Saturday night. Just having fun with our friends, having kickbacks and smoking and drinking. That’s what I love about Shmoplife, it’s togetherness and unity. Like I saw that a lot in myself, so I resonated with that movement. And to be able to carry that Schmoplife torch… It’s an honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: But it hasn’t been all easy: In 2020, Kool John, your good friend, was shot [at one of the parties] and he survived. And he wrote an album where he references that incident and overcoming it. It’s an interesting listen…. because it’s up tempo, it’s still a party, like you gig to it but he is talking about surviving a very violent incident…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: Yeah. He’s telling what was going through his mind around that time. That was crazy. I never thought anybody would come at us or anything because all we do is spread love and show people love.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Was your love tested?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: At first, yeah. You kind of start to question the love around you. Because that’s always going to make you question who’s around you. Like, What’s going on? How did I let that happen? But I’m not even really raised to live in fear so I’m not going to go out and get revenge on nobody. We just gotta stay prayed up and just like, move different!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: That’s a stance of strength and definitely resiliency to choose love in that instance.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: Mmmhmm it’s hard to do… glad we bounced back from the incident. Livin our best lives right now is a blessing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13909269\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13909269\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Oopz smiles at the camera, wearing a bright Hawiian shirt and a tye-die hat. He's got a chunky necklace and a few tattoos are visible on his forearms.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/bUasTdbv-1.jpg 1226w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oopz\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Over 4 weeks, the Rightnowish podcast is exploring love’s many forms. \u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908844/rightnowish-big-love-seriespage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908844/rightnowish-big-love-seriespage\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Learn more about the series here\u003c/a>\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC8801598173\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca style=\"color: #41a62a\" href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oopzallberryz/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oopz \u003c/a>is the living embodiment of “showing love.” He’s a tie-dye wearing, weed smoking, big smiling entrepreneur who sells cannabis accessories. And he’s part \u003ca href=\"https://shmoplife.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shmoplife,\u003c/a> a crew of cool kids — mostly artists and creatives — known for throwing fun-loving parties. Their headquarters is the Shmop House, a place where the music is usually slappin’, the tacos most likely smackin’ and the air is often thick with cannabis smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, Oopz opens up about his love of the Bay Area and his journey to becoming an extrovert. Plus he revisits the time his community love was tested following a shooting at the Shmop House, which injured a well-known artist and friend to Oopz, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/k00lj0hn_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kool John\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, “showing love” is something we toss around all the time, especially in hip-hop circles. Oopz really lives it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Below are some lightly edited excerpts of my conversation with Oopz.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I feel like I’m an easy person to talk to because I’m non-judgmental and I see things from different perspectives. I feel like that’s love, being understanding of people’s backgrounds and showing empathy and sympathy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: I’ve recognized you as having expertise in showing love. Like everywhere I’ve seen you… in music videos, out at parties, out at the events… you’re showin love to people. And it seems like it’s being reciprocated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: That’s really how I was raised, I come from a family of love… and both of my parents had a sense of humor [that’s] really goofy. I got that from them… just keeping the energy around, keeping the energy up and positive. And to be born on February 13, the day before the actual love day, I feel like it’s not a coincidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Do you have any words of advice for people who are introverts or wanting to break out of their shells and 1) show love and 2) receive love?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I used to be that way too, and then I started a spiritual journey and it opened me up more. It got me out of my shell. But I would just say, be yourself at all times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: You were an introvert?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I was back in the day, yeah, before like I did psychedelics I was super introverted…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I took a five gram shroom trip a couple of years ago… I was literally out of my body. I was like an entity floating in a tunnel of color. It started to look like a kaleidoscope. I felt like I was dying. Like I was doing the tunnel of life when you die. It’s just like… nothingness, it’s like despair. But it’s also like beauty at the same time.. it’s a combination of different feelings!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: When I experienced ego death, I was like, ‘I’m never gonna take life for granted again. I’m gonna be more open, be more accepting of people.’ It opened me up more to the different possibilities of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: This positivity that you show – this free spirit – How do you do that in this world we exist in, where you know that everything ain’t all peachy keen?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: I listen to music, smoke a little bit of weed you know, ‘cuz it’s a dark world. So you just gotta find little things that keep you on the up and up, to keep your light focused in, just keep your mind working and keep it at ease. So that’s what I do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Which brings us to another reason we’re here talking to you…you’re part of Shmop House.. A party house that’s known for throwing fun loving parties. I’ve stopped by the Shmop house at least once before… so much smoke in the air! What does “Shmop” mean?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: “Shmop” means smacking and popping together. One day Kool John was hella drunk at a party and he was talking to his partner on the phone and he was like, “Bro, you got to get over here it’s shmackin’. It’s poppin’. It’s shmopin’ right now!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: And then the party became the Shmops. And Shmoplife – it was a lifestyle that we were all living: Positive partying and living everyday like a Saturday night. Just having fun with our friends, having kickbacks and smoking and drinking. That’s what I love about Shmoplife, it’s togetherness and unity. Like I saw that a lot in myself, so I resonated with that movement. And to be able to carry that Schmoplife torch… It’s an honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: But it hasn’t been all easy: In 2020, Kool John, your good friend, was shot [at one of the parties] and he survived. And he wrote an album where he references that incident and overcoming it. It’s an interesting listen…. because it’s up tempo, it’s still a party, like you gig to it but he is talking about surviving a very violent incident…\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: Yeah. He’s telling what was going through his mind around that time. That was crazy. I never thought anybody would come at us or anything because all we do is spread love and show people love.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: Was your love tested?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: At first, yeah. You kind of start to question the love around you. Because that’s always going to make you question who’s around you. Like, What’s going on? How did I let that happen? But I’m not even really raised to live in fear so I’m not going to go out and get revenge on nobody. We just gotta stay prayed up and just like, move different!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pen: That’s a stance of strength and definitely resiliency to choose love in that instance.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oopz: Mmmhmm it’s hard to do… glad we bounced back from the incident. Livin our best lives right now is a blessing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
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},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"here-and-now": {
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
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