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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987423\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987423\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devouring oxtails and a whole fried fish.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The patio at Oakland’s 9jaGrills is like a permanent backyard party — one with delicious Nigerian oxtails and jollof rice. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/9jagrills/\">9jaGrills\u003c/a>, a newish Nigerian spot near \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> Jack London waterfront, the main dining room follows the standard blueprint for today’s shiny, Instagram-optimized restaurants: the lush faux greenery wall, the neon-lit catchphrase (“Food 🔥, Drinks & Vibes”) in glowing pink cursive. The space is tidy, bright and perfectly pleasant — but, at 10 o’clock on a recent Friday night, it was also totally empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, a couple dozen people had crowded out on the small tented patio in back, which was a distinct ecosystem unto itself: a haze of hookah smoke, disco lights, cheap furniture and mystery drinks in red plastic cups. On the big-screen TV, two \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wannixhandi/?hl=en\">identical twin DJs\u003c/a> from Nigeria spun Afrobeats on stage in Lagos. Everyone else on the patio appeared to be West African, and apart from one table of middle-aged gentlemen dipping fufu into a big bowl of stew, no one else seemed to have come for the food at this hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was more of a backyard party vibe. A kick back with a couple of cold \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/trophylagernigeria/?hl=en\">Trophy Lagers\u003c/a> vibe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not that we were going to let that deter us from our mission. We had made the trip because we had a wicked craving for oxtails, and we’d heard on good authority that this food-truck-turned-brick-and-mortar-lounge was \u003ci>the \u003c/i>spot in Oakland for Nigerian-style oxtails and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13960580/jollof-festival-oakland-west-african-food-competition-nigerian-sierra-leone\">jollof rice\u003c/a> — and maybe the only spot where you can reliably score those dishes until midnight on the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Open since July of last year, 9jaGrills has one of the broader menus I’ve seen among the East Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13896069/jolly-jolly-nigerian-restaurant-west-oakland-jollof-rice-indomie\">Nigerian restaurants\u003c/a>, running the gamut from classics like pepper soup and suya meat skewers to lesser-known (at least in the U.S.) favorites like stir-fried Indomie instant noodles and a whole stewed goat’s head. The menu is divided up into grilled dishes, jollof rice plates, whole fried fish, and soups and stews meant to be scooped up with “swallows” (i.e. assorted starchy, dough-like rounds). Factor in the large variety of swallows and optional side sauces on offer, and just figuring out what to order might be a little bit intimidating to newcomers to West African cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987424\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987424\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills.jpg\" alt='Illustration: exterior of a Nigerian restaurant at nighttime. The awning reads, \"www.9jagrills.com\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located near the Jack London waterfront, 9jaGrills is open until midnight on weekends. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What I can tell you for certain is that the plate of oxtails and jollof rice is a crowd pleaser. The rice alone was amazing: tomato-tinted and steaming hot, with a luxurious oiliness and a smoky, savory depth of flavor I couldn’t get enough of. It’s jollof so good you’d make a special trip just to eat it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the oxtails were slow-cooked in a dark, well-spiced gravy until they’d achieved just the right level of tenderness. When we sucked on each bone, all of the gelatinous skin and fat came clean off, and the prickle of chili heat in the sauce was incredibly addicting. These are oxtails so tasty that if you don’t watch your dining partner like a hawk, he’ll polish off the last several bones before you have a chance to protest. As a self-proclaimed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936332/tchaka-haitian-restaurant-oakland\">scholar of oxtails\u003c/a>, I couldn’t find a single flaw. On the side were some of the best fried plantains I’ve encountered in a long time — crisp and slightly charred on the outside, with an oozy sweetness that helped balance out all of the other heavier, more intense flavors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13986949,arts_13982096,arts_13983249']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The oxtail dish by itself satisfied our hunger, but of course we didn’t stop there. We also ordered the whole fried pompano — a flat fish, vaguely flounder-like in appearance, with delicate flesh and a rich, earthy taste. It was incredibly satisfying picking that fish clean — dunking strips of it into the bright, searingly hot housemade pepper sauce, and dipping the eye sockets (don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it) into a tub of suya spice mix. The plate came with a heaping portion of the same excellent jollof and fried plantains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, we dug into the fragrant, spicy, palm oil–based stew known as ayamase, which 9jaGrills’ friendly owner had tried to steer us away from, warning us that it came with a kind of “local” Nigerian rice that Americans don’t tend to like, and asking, with some concern, whether we’d eaten Nigerian food before. With that kind of introduction, of course we had to order it, and it may have been the most memorable dish of the night. Ayamase consists mostly of beef offal: the liver, the intestines and especially the skin, cooked until it’s so tender and slippery that it practically melts in your mouth. The stew was studded with flat, toothsome locust beans and a hard-boiled egg — all delicious when mashed into the sauce, then ladled over the nutty whole-grain ofada rice, which was perfect for soaking up the stew’s oily richness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crouched over our feast in the semi-darkness of 9jaGrills’ backyard patio, we shoveled rice into our mouths like we hadn’t eaten for days, and held the oxtail bones in our hands, inspecting each one to make sure we’d picked it clean. Then, utterly stuffed and hyped up on Naija beats, we stumbled back into the bright lights of the restaurant proper, like we’d just woken up from the most beautiful dream.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/9jagrills/\">\u003ci>9jaGrills\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Wednesday to Thursday noon–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday noon–midnight, and Sunday 2–10 p.m. at 303 Broadway in Oakland.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987423\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987423\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devouring oxtails and a whole fried fish.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The patio at Oakland’s 9jaGrills is like a permanent backyard party — one with delicious Nigerian oxtails and jollof rice. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/9jagrills/\">9jaGrills\u003c/a>, a newish Nigerian spot near \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> Jack London waterfront, the main dining room follows the standard blueprint for today’s shiny, Instagram-optimized restaurants: the lush faux greenery wall, the neon-lit catchphrase (“Food 🔥, Drinks & Vibes”) in glowing pink cursive. The space is tidy, bright and perfectly pleasant — but, at 10 o’clock on a recent Friday night, it was also totally empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, a couple dozen people had crowded out on the small tented patio in back, which was a distinct ecosystem unto itself: a haze of hookah smoke, disco lights, cheap furniture and mystery drinks in red plastic cups. On the big-screen TV, two \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wannixhandi/?hl=en\">identical twin DJs\u003c/a> from Nigeria spun Afrobeats on stage in Lagos. Everyone else on the patio appeared to be West African, and apart from one table of middle-aged gentlemen dipping fufu into a big bowl of stew, no one else seemed to have come for the food at this hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was more of a backyard party vibe. A kick back with a couple of cold \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/trophylagernigeria/?hl=en\">Trophy Lagers\u003c/a> vibe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not that we were going to let that deter us from our mission. We had made the trip because we had a wicked craving for oxtails, and we’d heard on good authority that this food-truck-turned-brick-and-mortar-lounge was \u003ci>the \u003c/i>spot in Oakland for Nigerian-style oxtails and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13960580/jollof-festival-oakland-west-african-food-competition-nigerian-sierra-leone\">jollof rice\u003c/a> — and maybe the only spot where you can reliably score those dishes until midnight on the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Open since July of last year, 9jaGrills has one of the broader menus I’ve seen among the East Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13896069/jolly-jolly-nigerian-restaurant-west-oakland-jollof-rice-indomie\">Nigerian restaurants\u003c/a>, running the gamut from classics like pepper soup and suya meat skewers to lesser-known (at least in the U.S.) favorites like stir-fried Indomie instant noodles and a whole stewed goat’s head. The menu is divided up into grilled dishes, jollof rice plates, whole fried fish, and soups and stews meant to be scooped up with “swallows” (i.e. assorted starchy, dough-like rounds). Factor in the large variety of swallows and optional side sauces on offer, and just figuring out what to order might be a little bit intimidating to newcomers to West African cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987424\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987424\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills.jpg\" alt='Illustration: exterior of a Nigerian restaurant at nighttime. The awning reads, \"www.9jagrills.com\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/9jagrills-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located near the Jack London waterfront, 9jaGrills is open until midnight on weekends. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What I can tell you for certain is that the plate of oxtails and jollof rice is a crowd pleaser. The rice alone was amazing: tomato-tinted and steaming hot, with a luxurious oiliness and a smoky, savory depth of flavor I couldn’t get enough of. It’s jollof so good you’d make a special trip just to eat it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the oxtails were slow-cooked in a dark, well-spiced gravy until they’d achieved just the right level of tenderness. When we sucked on each bone, all of the gelatinous skin and fat came clean off, and the prickle of chili heat in the sauce was incredibly addicting. These are oxtails so tasty that if you don’t watch your dining partner like a hawk, he’ll polish off the last several bones before you have a chance to protest. As a self-proclaimed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936332/tchaka-haitian-restaurant-oakland\">scholar of oxtails\u003c/a>, I couldn’t find a single flaw. On the side were some of the best fried plantains I’ve encountered in a long time — crisp and slightly charred on the outside, with an oozy sweetness that helped balance out all of the other heavier, more intense flavors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The oxtail dish by itself satisfied our hunger, but of course we didn’t stop there. We also ordered the whole fried pompano — a flat fish, vaguely flounder-like in appearance, with delicate flesh and a rich, earthy taste. It was incredibly satisfying picking that fish clean — dunking strips of it into the bright, searingly hot housemade pepper sauce, and dipping the eye sockets (don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it) into a tub of suya spice mix. The plate came with a heaping portion of the same excellent jollof and fried plantains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, we dug into the fragrant, spicy, palm oil–based stew known as ayamase, which 9jaGrills’ friendly owner had tried to steer us away from, warning us that it came with a kind of “local” Nigerian rice that Americans don’t tend to like, and asking, with some concern, whether we’d eaten Nigerian food before. With that kind of introduction, of course we had to order it, and it may have been the most memorable dish of the night. Ayamase consists mostly of beef offal: the liver, the intestines and especially the skin, cooked until it’s so tender and slippery that it practically melts in your mouth. The stew was studded with flat, toothsome locust beans and a hard-boiled egg — all delicious when mashed into the sauce, then ladled over the nutty whole-grain ofada rice, which was perfect for soaking up the stew’s oily richness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crouched over our feast in the semi-darkness of 9jaGrills’ backyard patio, we shoveled rice into our mouths like we hadn’t eaten for days, and held the oxtail bones in our hands, inspecting each one to make sure we’d picked it clean. Then, utterly stuffed and hyped up on Naija beats, we stumbled back into the bright lights of the restaurant proper, like we’d just woken up from the most beautiful dream.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/9jagrills/\">\u003ci>9jaGrills\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Wednesday to Thursday noon–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday noon–midnight, and Sunday 2–10 p.m. at 303 Broadway in Oakland.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The City of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> has announced its hotly anticipated homecoming party for Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu. The celebration gets underway at noon on Thursday, March 12, at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As one of the rare uniting sources of joy 2026, Liu is expected to draw a huge hometown crowd. The event takes place just around the corner from Oakland Ice Center, Liu’s home rink and training ground, and two miles from a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZOE_4EnQU/\">recently completed mural\u003c/a> of the figure skating icon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_12075928']Admission is free for the celebration, but an RSVP to the event is required for entry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitoakland.com/alysa-liu/\">Reservations can be made here\u003c/a>, and are limited to two per person. Doors will open at 9 a.m. for the noontime program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liu herself will appear at the event and address the crowd, according to organizers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Oakland residents had anticipated a parade, similar to the Warriors parades of the last decade. But “at Alysa’s request, she chose not to have a parade,” organizers say. “Instead, she asked for a celebration that shines a light on Oakland’s vibrant community and talented local artists.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More details are available on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitoakland.com/alysa-liu/\">official event page\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The City of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> has announced its hotly anticipated homecoming party for Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu. The celebration gets underway at noon on Thursday, March 12, at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As one of the rare uniting sources of joy 2026, Liu is expected to draw a huge hometown crowd. The event takes place just around the corner from Oakland Ice Center, Liu’s home rink and training ground, and two miles from a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZOE_4EnQU/\">recently completed mural\u003c/a> of the figure skating icon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Admission is free for the celebration, but an RSVP to the event is required for entry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitoakland.com/alysa-liu/\">Reservations can be made here\u003c/a>, and are limited to two per person. Doors will open at 9 a.m. for the noontime program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liu herself will appear at the event and address the crowd, according to organizers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Oakland residents had anticipated a parade, similar to the Warriors parades of the last decade. But “at Alysa’s request, she chose not to have a parade,” organizers say. “Instead, she asked for a celebration that shines a light on Oakland’s vibrant community and talented local artists.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "The Grand Lake Theatre, My Hometown Movie Palace, Is Turning 100",
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"content": "\u003cp>Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>, the movie palace just northeast of Lake Merritt, celebrates its 100th birthday this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As far as I can remember, the theater has been a château for characters and a setting for stories. I’m not talking about characters and stories in the films, but the place itself. It’s a palace for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First opening its doors on March 6, 1926, the Grand Lake started out presenting vaudeville shows and silent black-and-white films, but soon gained color and sound. Now, years later, it thrives in a world of 3D movies and high-tech projectors. But the theater, which \u003cem>Variety\u003c/em> recently named \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/lists/best-movie-theaters/\">one of the coolest theaters in the world\u003c/a>, isn’t just about movies. Not hardly. It’s about the people who gather there to share laughs, shed tears, spill snacks and have life-changing experiences inside its art deco-style walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At any birthday party marking a milestone age, someone gets up to give a speech. I have a deep history with the Grand Lake, and now, as it turns 100, allow me to raise my bag of popcorn and give you mine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pendarvis Harshaw introduces a Q&A session after the Bay Area premiere of the movie ’Sinners’ at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last spring, I hosted a discussion at the Grand Lake after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974810/ryan-coogler-sinners-grand-lake-theatre-interview\">the local premiere of \u003cem>Sinners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. On stage, actor Delroy Lindo discussed his time as a student at San Francisco’s ACT, where he studied alongside Denzel Washington. Musician Raphael Saadiq shed light on Oakland’s influence on his music, ultimately leading him to compose the Grammy Award-winning centerpiece of the film. Director Ryan Coogler reflected on the discipline and structure he learned by playing Pee Wee football in the East Bay, and the foundation it laid for the Oscar-nominated moviemaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I introduced myself to the packed audience, I admitted that as a kid, I once ran out of that very theater, scared of the dinosaurs in the 1993 film \u003cem>Jurassic Park\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My history doesn’t go as far back as its current owner, Allen Michaan, who \u003ca href=\"https://historictheatrephotos.com/Resources/Theatre-Photos/Grand-Lake-Oakland/Documents/19801012-Oakland-Tribune-Sun-Grand-Lake-Oakland.pdf\">acquired the lease in 1980\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13839890/when-is-a-movie-theater-more-than-just-a-movie-theater\">bought the building outright in 2018\u003c/a>. The first movie I saw there was 1991’s \u003cem>The Rocketeer\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My aunt Denise took me to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story\u003c/em> in 1995, and my sister Erikka took me to see 1998’s \u003cem>Rush Hour\u003c/em>. In 2014, I recall watching \u003cem>Selma\u003c/em> with my mother – one of the few times I’ve seen her cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987316 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white photo of a woman and a man posing while wearing dress attire.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the decadent lobby of the Grand Lake Theatre, Sister Beatrice X Johnson and Cephus ‘Uncle Bobby’ X Johnson (Oscar Grant’s uncle) pose for a photo at the opening of ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Speaking of tears, there’s been plenty of them shed in that theater. In 2013, at the premiere of Ryan Coogler’s \u003cem>Fruitvale Station\u003c/em>, I sat a few rows behind Oscar Grant III’s family. The weeping was audible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll embarrassingly admit that I also cried while watching the 1996 film \u003cem>Fly Away Home\u003c/em> — the scene where the goose got caught in the propeller hit me in the heart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another embarrassing moment came when a friend and I got kicked out of 1995’s \u003cem>The Brady Bunch Movie\u003c/em>. As bored knuckleheads, we learned the hard way that movie theaters aren’t the place to play hide-and-seek. And while we’re at it, I’ll add that the theater also hosted one of my worst date nights. I should’ve known going to see the 2001 film \u003cem>Shallow Hal\u003c/em> wasn’t a wise move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13839890']In contrast, as a graduate student at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism in 2013, I wrote about Jordan Thierry’s documentary, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandnorth.net/2013/01/31/the-black-fatherhood-project-premieres-in-oakland/\">The Black Fatherhood Project\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>I attended the screening on a first date with a beautiful woman. Thirteen years later, we’re raising an amazing child together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My thesis film from that UC Berkeley graduate program, a documentary titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp38sltic8\">\u003cem>TDK: The Dream Kontinues\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was shown at the \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2015/03/filmmaker-pendarvis-harshaw-talks-about-graf-legend-mike-dream-in-dream-kontinues-doc/\">2015 Oakland International Film Festival\u003c/a>. If ever there was a “I made it” moment, watching my own work up on the Grand Lake Theatre’s screen was one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the cast and crew of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ hold a Q&A on stage at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2019. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2019, I hosted a discussion with the cast from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">\u003cem>The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, and in 2021 I talked with filmmaker Pete Nicks after a screening of his documentary \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13901157/a-grand-lake-homecoming-for-pete-nicks-homeroom\">Homeroom\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — both significant contributions to local film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve also seen the Grand Lake’s neighborhood change. Across the intersection, the building once known as Lakeview Elementary School was eventually converted to Oakland Unified School District’s Student Assignment Center. The greasy-yet-delicious Kwik Way fast-food joint down the block turned into to a vegan restaurant before it shuttered a few years ago. The park across the street got remodeled, and the farmer’s market there on Saturdays is now a community staple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the streets themselves have been drastically altered. When the theater broke ground, the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_System\">Key System’s trollies\u003c/a> ran up and down the surrounding avenues. Meanwhile, last year, the intersection out front hosted\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reels/DLMQ71FuVEP/\"> a sideshow\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg\" alt='A man in a white cap and T-shirt holds up a medallion in the image of Oscar Grant, beneath a theater marquee reading \"Private Screening - Fruitvale Station\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nigel ‘Tito’ Bryson, a friend of the late Oscar Grant III, stands in front of the Grand Lake Theatre for a screening of Ryan Coogler’s ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. The theater, which Coogler has called his favorite movie theater in the world, turns 100 this week. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The building has seen renovations and expansions; it started as a single theater, and expanded to four screens. The refurbished sign atop the building is part of the Lake Merritt skyline, and \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2020/10/07/20-years-of-politics-on-the-grand-lake-theatre-marquee-photographed/\">the marquee\u003c/a> is essentially a community member itself, voicing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/people/grand-lake/\">political messages of theater owner Allen Michaan\u003c/a> and echoing sentiments shared by many in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there have been other theaters with deep community impact and memories, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/movie-theaters-we-have-lost\">many of them are now defunct\u003c/a>: \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5377\">the Century 8\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1062\">the Coliseum Drive-in\u003c/a> and the old \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8015\">United Artists Emery Bay theater\u003c/a>, to name just a few.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13974810']And while some classic East Bay movie houses are still in operation, like the Jack London Cinema and Landmark Piedmont Theatre, there’s something undeniably unique about the Grand Lake Theatre, with its \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/wurlitzer.php\">Mighty Wurlitzer Organ\u003c/a>, reasonably priced snacks and location smack dab in the middle of the Town. Parking isn’t the easiest, and the chairs can get uncomfortable if you’re watching a long film like \u003cem>Titanic\u003c/em>. But it’s my home theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve not only created history there, I’ve repeated history, too: I took my daughter to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story 4\u003c/em> (2019), passing along the Pixar baton from my childhood. Sure enough, when those creepy dolls showed up on the screen, she too ran out of the theater like I did when I saw the T-Rex in \u003cem>Jurassic Park.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987323 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg\" alt=\"A small child standing by a window. \" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">My daughter Zuri, enjoying the view from one of the Grand Lake Theatre’s windows, overlooking Lake Park Avenue. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to seeing \u003cem>Sinners \u003c/em>with the makers of the film last year, I also attended a screening of \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35154724/\">\u003cem>\u003cspan class=\"hero__primary-text\" data-testid=\"hero__primary-text\">Undefeated: The Wrongful Conviction of Pierre Rushing\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2025), as well as the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977398/bay-area-film-night-grand-lake-theater-jamal-trulove-maya-cameron-gordon\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a>, an evening dedicated to work by local filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those three experiences exemplify what Grand Lake Theatre is all about. A blockbuster, star-studded event with Draymond Green and Steph Curry in the audience. A documentary advocating for a person wrongfully put behind bars. And a set of films comedically telling stories of love and romance from the perspective of up-and-coming filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the subject matter in the three films differed drastically, the driving force behind every ticket sold was the same: the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Grand Lake Theatre is a century-old building made for showing films, it’s the people who make the stories there.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Grand Lake Theatre (3200 Grand Ave., Oakland) hosts free screenings of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ and ‘Fantasia’ all day on Wednesday, March 4, to celebrate its 100th birthday. First come, first served. \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/GLT100.php\">More details on screenings and tours of the theater here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>, the movie palace just northeast of Lake Merritt, celebrates its 100th birthday this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As far as I can remember, the theater has been a château for characters and a setting for stories. I’m not talking about characters and stories in the films, but the place itself. It’s a palace for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First opening its doors on March 6, 1926, the Grand Lake started out presenting vaudeville shows and silent black-and-white films, but soon gained color and sound. Now, years later, it thrives in a world of 3D movies and high-tech projectors. But the theater, which \u003cem>Variety\u003c/em> recently named \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/lists/best-movie-theaters/\">one of the coolest theaters in the world\u003c/a>, isn’t just about movies. Not hardly. It’s about the people who gather there to share laughs, shed tears, spill snacks and have life-changing experiences inside its art deco-style walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At any birthday party marking a milestone age, someone gets up to give a speech. I have a deep history with the Grand Lake, and now, as it turns 100, allow me to raise my bag of popcorn and give you mine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pendarvis Harshaw introduces a Q&A session after the Bay Area premiere of the movie ’Sinners’ at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last spring, I hosted a discussion at the Grand Lake after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974810/ryan-coogler-sinners-grand-lake-theatre-interview\">the local premiere of \u003cem>Sinners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. On stage, actor Delroy Lindo discussed his time as a student at San Francisco’s ACT, where he studied alongside Denzel Washington. Musician Raphael Saadiq shed light on Oakland’s influence on his music, ultimately leading him to compose the Grammy Award-winning centerpiece of the film. Director Ryan Coogler reflected on the discipline and structure he learned by playing Pee Wee football in the East Bay, and the foundation it laid for the Oscar-nominated moviemaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I introduced myself to the packed audience, I admitted that as a kid, I once ran out of that very theater, scared of the dinosaurs in the 1993 film \u003cem>Jurassic Park\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My history doesn’t go as far back as its current owner, Allen Michaan, who \u003ca href=\"https://historictheatrephotos.com/Resources/Theatre-Photos/Grand-Lake-Oakland/Documents/19801012-Oakland-Tribune-Sun-Grand-Lake-Oakland.pdf\">acquired the lease in 1980\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13839890/when-is-a-movie-theater-more-than-just-a-movie-theater\">bought the building outright in 2018\u003c/a>. The first movie I saw there was 1991’s \u003cem>The Rocketeer\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My aunt Denise took me to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story\u003c/em> in 1995, and my sister Erikka took me to see 1998’s \u003cem>Rush Hour\u003c/em>. In 2014, I recall watching \u003cem>Selma\u003c/em> with my mother – one of the few times I’ve seen her cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987316 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white photo of a woman and a man posing while wearing dress attire.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the decadent lobby of the Grand Lake Theatre, Sister Beatrice X Johnson and Cephus ‘Uncle Bobby’ X Johnson (Oscar Grant’s uncle) pose for a photo at the opening of ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Speaking of tears, there’s been plenty of them shed in that theater. In 2013, at the premiere of Ryan Coogler’s \u003cem>Fruitvale Station\u003c/em>, I sat a few rows behind Oscar Grant III’s family. The weeping was audible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll embarrassingly admit that I also cried while watching the 1996 film \u003cem>Fly Away Home\u003c/em> — the scene where the goose got caught in the propeller hit me in the heart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another embarrassing moment came when a friend and I got kicked out of 1995’s \u003cem>The Brady Bunch Movie\u003c/em>. As bored knuckleheads, we learned the hard way that movie theaters aren’t the place to play hide-and-seek. And while we’re at it, I’ll add that the theater also hosted one of my worst date nights. I should’ve known going to see the 2001 film \u003cem>Shallow Hal\u003c/em> wasn’t a wise move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In contrast, as a graduate student at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism in 2013, I wrote about Jordan Thierry’s documentary, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandnorth.net/2013/01/31/the-black-fatherhood-project-premieres-in-oakland/\">The Black Fatherhood Project\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>I attended the screening on a first date with a beautiful woman. Thirteen years later, we’re raising an amazing child together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My thesis film from that UC Berkeley graduate program, a documentary titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp38sltic8\">\u003cem>TDK: The Dream Kontinues\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was shown at the \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2015/03/filmmaker-pendarvis-harshaw-talks-about-graf-legend-mike-dream-in-dream-kontinues-doc/\">2015 Oakland International Film Festival\u003c/a>. If ever there was a “I made it” moment, watching my own work up on the Grand Lake Theatre’s screen was one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the cast and crew of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ hold a Q&A on stage at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2019. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2019, I hosted a discussion with the cast from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">\u003cem>The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, and in 2021 I talked with filmmaker Pete Nicks after a screening of his documentary \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13901157/a-grand-lake-homecoming-for-pete-nicks-homeroom\">Homeroom\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — both significant contributions to local film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve also seen the Grand Lake’s neighborhood change. Across the intersection, the building once known as Lakeview Elementary School was eventually converted to Oakland Unified School District’s Student Assignment Center. The greasy-yet-delicious Kwik Way fast-food joint down the block turned into to a vegan restaurant before it shuttered a few years ago. The park across the street got remodeled, and the farmer’s market there on Saturdays is now a community staple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the streets themselves have been drastically altered. When the theater broke ground, the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_System\">Key System’s trollies\u003c/a> ran up and down the surrounding avenues. Meanwhile, last year, the intersection out front hosted\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reels/DLMQ71FuVEP/\"> a sideshow\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg\" alt='A man in a white cap and T-shirt holds up a medallion in the image of Oscar Grant, beneath a theater marquee reading \"Private Screening - Fruitvale Station\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nigel ‘Tito’ Bryson, a friend of the late Oscar Grant III, stands in front of the Grand Lake Theatre for a screening of Ryan Coogler’s ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. The theater, which Coogler has called his favorite movie theater in the world, turns 100 this week. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The building has seen renovations and expansions; it started as a single theater, and expanded to four screens. The refurbished sign atop the building is part of the Lake Merritt skyline, and \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2020/10/07/20-years-of-politics-on-the-grand-lake-theatre-marquee-photographed/\">the marquee\u003c/a> is essentially a community member itself, voicing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/people/grand-lake/\">political messages of theater owner Allen Michaan\u003c/a> and echoing sentiments shared by many in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there have been other theaters with deep community impact and memories, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/movie-theaters-we-have-lost\">many of them are now defunct\u003c/a>: \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5377\">the Century 8\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1062\">the Coliseum Drive-in\u003c/a> and the old \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8015\">United Artists Emery Bay theater\u003c/a>, to name just a few.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And while some classic East Bay movie houses are still in operation, like the Jack London Cinema and Landmark Piedmont Theatre, there’s something undeniably unique about the Grand Lake Theatre, with its \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/wurlitzer.php\">Mighty Wurlitzer Organ\u003c/a>, reasonably priced snacks and location smack dab in the middle of the Town. Parking isn’t the easiest, and the chairs can get uncomfortable if you’re watching a long film like \u003cem>Titanic\u003c/em>. But it’s my home theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve not only created history there, I’ve repeated history, too: I took my daughter to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story 4\u003c/em> (2019), passing along the Pixar baton from my childhood. Sure enough, when those creepy dolls showed up on the screen, she too ran out of the theater like I did when I saw the T-Rex in \u003cem>Jurassic Park.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987323 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg\" alt=\"A small child standing by a window. \" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">My daughter Zuri, enjoying the view from one of the Grand Lake Theatre’s windows, overlooking Lake Park Avenue. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to seeing \u003cem>Sinners \u003c/em>with the makers of the film last year, I also attended a screening of \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35154724/\">\u003cem>\u003cspan class=\"hero__primary-text\" data-testid=\"hero__primary-text\">Undefeated: The Wrongful Conviction of Pierre Rushing\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2025), as well as the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977398/bay-area-film-night-grand-lake-theater-jamal-trulove-maya-cameron-gordon\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a>, an evening dedicated to work by local filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those three experiences exemplify what Grand Lake Theatre is all about. A blockbuster, star-studded event with Draymond Green and Steph Curry in the audience. A documentary advocating for a person wrongfully put behind bars. And a set of films comedically telling stories of love and romance from the perspective of up-and-coming filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the subject matter in the three films differed drastically, the driving force behind every ticket sold was the same: the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Grand Lake Theatre is a century-old building made for showing films, it’s the people who make the stories there.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Grand Lake Theatre (3200 Grand Ave., Oakland) hosts free screenings of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ and ‘Fantasia’ all day on Wednesday, March 4, to celebrate its 100th birthday. First come, first served. \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/GLT100.php\">More details on screenings and tours of the theater here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ Gets a Hometown Premiere at SFFILM Festival",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/boots-riley\">Boots Riley\u003c/a>’s new film \u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> hits theaters May 22, but the Bay Area gets to see it early. The Oakland director’s comedy-thriller about a high-fashion heist will have its West Coast premiere at the \u003ca href=\"https://sffilm.org/\">69th annual San Francisco International Film Festival\u003c/a>, with two back-to-back screenings April 28 at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Set in the Bay Area, \u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> stars Keke Palmer as the leader of an all-woman shoplifting ring, which faces off against a villainous, bob-sporting mogul played by Demi Moore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985867/i-love-boosters-trailer-boots-riley-keke-palmer-don-cheadle\">The stylish trailer\u003c/a> promises snappy dialogue, fast-paced action scenes and plenty of food for thought about class and capitalism. The film gets its name from a \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/geY-ydeYb4M?si=3AFxq8_rGb2uBsGP\">2006 song by Riley’s hip-hop group\u003c/a>, The Coup, where Riley raps: “This goes to all them hard working women / Who risk jail time just to make them a living.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/r4lPRISgr9c?si=prl4nFByl5RHuowt\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Riley has a long history with SFFILM, the organization that produces the San Francisco International Film Festival. SFFILM grants supported his earliest forays into directing, and his 2018 debut feature film \u003ci>Sorry to Bother You\u003c/i>, a dark, surrealist comedy about climbing the corporate ladder, was the San Francisco International Film Festival Centerpiece program in 2018. \u003ci>I’m a Virgo\u003c/i>, his series about a giant and his friends who take on a nefarious crime-fighting “hero,” closed out the festival in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m hyped as hell to bring \u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> to SFFILM since they were the first organization to recognize me as a filmmaker and to support me in my filmmaking journey,” Riley said in a statement. “It’s going to be extra special to premiere in my hometown at Grand Lake Theater I’ve been going to since I was a kid. This film is my best work and it’s going to be special to see this movie, which is set in the Bay Area, play here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> will be San Francisco International Film Festival’s Centerpiece program, and a conversation with Riley will follow the April 28 screening at 6:30 p.m. The second screening at 9:30 p.m. will kick off with a moderated introduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sffilm.org/event/69th-san-francisco-international-film-festival/\">Tickets\u003c/a> go on sale for SFFILM members on Monday, March 2, and will be available to the general public on Wednesday, March 4. The San Francisco International Film Festival runs from April 24–May 4, and the full program will be announced on April 1.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/boots-riley\">Boots Riley\u003c/a>’s new film \u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> hits theaters May 22, but the Bay Area gets to see it early. The Oakland director’s comedy-thriller about a high-fashion heist will have its West Coast premiere at the \u003ca href=\"https://sffilm.org/\">69th annual San Francisco International Film Festival\u003c/a>, with two back-to-back screenings April 28 at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Set in the Bay Area, \u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> stars Keke Palmer as the leader of an all-woman shoplifting ring, which faces off against a villainous, bob-sporting mogul played by Demi Moore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985867/i-love-boosters-trailer-boots-riley-keke-palmer-don-cheadle\">The stylish trailer\u003c/a> promises snappy dialogue, fast-paced action scenes and plenty of food for thought about class and capitalism. The film gets its name from a \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/geY-ydeYb4M?si=3AFxq8_rGb2uBsGP\">2006 song by Riley’s hip-hop group\u003c/a>, The Coup, where Riley raps: “This goes to all them hard working women / Who risk jail time just to make them a living.”\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/r4lPRISgr9c'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/r4lPRISgr9c'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Riley has a long history with SFFILM, the organization that produces the San Francisco International Film Festival. SFFILM grants supported his earliest forays into directing, and his 2018 debut feature film \u003ci>Sorry to Bother You\u003c/i>, a dark, surrealist comedy about climbing the corporate ladder, was the San Francisco International Film Festival Centerpiece program in 2018. \u003ci>I’m a Virgo\u003c/i>, his series about a giant and his friends who take on a nefarious crime-fighting “hero,” closed out the festival in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m hyped as hell to bring \u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> to SFFILM since they were the first organization to recognize me as a filmmaker and to support me in my filmmaking journey,” Riley said in a statement. “It’s going to be extra special to premiere in my hometown at Grand Lake Theater I’ve been going to since I was a kid. This film is my best work and it’s going to be special to see this movie, which is set in the Bay Area, play here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>I Love Boosters\u003c/i> will be San Francisco International Film Festival’s Centerpiece program, and a conversation with Riley will follow the April 28 screening at 6:30 p.m. The second screening at 9:30 p.m. will kick off with a moderated introduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sffilm.org/event/69th-san-francisco-international-film-festival/\">Tickets\u003c/a> go on sale for SFFILM members on Monday, March 2, and will be available to the general public on Wednesday, March 4. The San Francisco International Film Festival runs from April 24–May 4, and the full program will be announced on April 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Lantern Festival Celebration Brings Night Market Vibes to Oakland Chinatown",
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"content": "\u003cp>On Sunday, March 1, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> Pacific Renaissance Plaza will be festooned with red paper lanterns, lucky New Year’s scrolls and what event organizer Diana Wu describes as “spring blooms vibes.” The sound of taiko drums will echo through the streets of Chinatown. Hungry guests will feast on shrimp dumplings and hand-pulled noodles. Eventually, the whole plaza will erupt into an all-out dance party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s all part of the fourth annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lantern-festival-2026-in-oakland-chinatown-tickets-1982206763790\">Oakland Chinatown Lantern Festival\u003c/a>, which traditionally marks the end of each year’s Lunar New Year festivities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wu — the executive director of the kitchen incubator \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaklandbloom/?hl=en\">Oakland Bloom\u003c/a>, which co-organizes the event along with the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://stickyriceclub.org/\">Sticky Rice Club\u003c/a> — explains that when the festival began in 2023, the idea was to bring Chinatown to life with the atmosphere of an Asian-style night market. At the time, the community was reeling in the aftermath of the pandemic shutdowns and a spate of anti-Asian violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987223\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987223\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025.jpg\" alt=\"A customer buying food from a festival vendor at night.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer ordering from one of the food tents at last year’s festival. \u003ccite>(Amber Wang, courtesy of Oakland Bloom)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And so that’s something we’ve continued — inviting the community out in the afternoon and evening, and then also inviting local businesses to stay open with us and really bring that vibrancy back to the neighborhood,” Wu says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952739/lantern-festival-oakland-chinatown-oakland-bloom\">past years\u003c/a>, the Lantern Festival celebration will be a multicultural, intergenerational affair. A variety of all-ages activities will include a scavenger hunt where participants are given photo hints for landmarks located all around the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. (Prizes will include vouchers for a mango piggy dessert from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/peonyseafoodrestaurant/?hl=en\">Peony\u003c/a>, the plaza’s dim sum standard bearer.) There will be mahjong tables, storytelling tents and even acupuncture booths. Meanwhile, a host of artists and makers will have tables set up to sell their wares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987224\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987224\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a bowl of beef noodle soup.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lil Devil’s beef noodle soup, one of the dishes featured at this year’s Lantern Festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Lil Devil Noodle Company)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13974383,arts_13986806']Foodwise, Oakland Bloom’s curatorial role means the offerings will be a mix of both Asian and non-Asian cuisines, with many of the vendors pulled from the stable of chefs who rotate through \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/otk_eats/\">Open Test Kitchen\u003c/a>, the nonprofit’s affiliated restaurant. Highlights include \u003ca href=\"https://tastecooking.com/biang-biang-goes-the-noodles/\">biang biang\u003c/a>–inspired hand-pulled noodles and Taiwanese beef noodle soup from newcomer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lil_devil_noodles/?hl=en\">Lil Devil Noodle Co.\u003c/a>, Michoacán-style tacos from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tsiripurepecha/?hl=en\">Tsiri\u003c/a>, sweets from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goddessnoircakes/\">Goddess Noir Cakes\u003c/a> (which comes out of Black American baking traditions) and heart-shaped empanadas from the Palestinian-Cuban pop-up \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/palestiniancubanfusion/?hl=en\">Asúkar\u003c/a>. (Traditionally, the Lantern Festival is also a romantic holiday, Wu explains.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wu says that as the festival has formed deeper connections in Oakland Chinatown over the years, more businesses in the neighborhood are now playing an active role in the event. In fact, two of the 10 food vendors are the brick-and-mortar restaurants \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ying_kee__restaurant/\">Ying Kee\u003c/a> and Nature Vegetarian, both longtime Chinatown staples. For the Lantern Festival, they’ll serve a selection of classics: from Ying Kee, shrimp wonton soup and shrimp dumpling soup (both lucky dishes for ringing in the New Year), and from Nature Vegetarian, plant-based salt-and-pepper chicken, Chinese broccoli chow fun and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987225\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987225\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of wonton soup.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ying Kee’s wonton soup. The restaurant is one of the Chinatown brick-and-mortar businesses participating in this year’s festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ying Kee)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And what better way for the whole evening to culminate than with a big dance party? “We just love inviting the neighbors to just come dance together in the plaza,” Wu says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lantern-festival-2026-in-oakland-chinatown-tickets-1982206763790\">\u003ci>Oakland Chinatown Lantern Festival\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place in and around the Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 9th St., Oakland) on Sunday, March 1, 3–8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with food available for purchase on an a la carte basis. Guests are asked to wear masks when not eating and drinking.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Sunday, March 1, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland’s\u003c/a> Pacific Renaissance Plaza will be festooned with red paper lanterns, lucky New Year’s scrolls and what event organizer Diana Wu describes as “spring blooms vibes.” The sound of taiko drums will echo through the streets of Chinatown. Hungry guests will feast on shrimp dumplings and hand-pulled noodles. Eventually, the whole plaza will erupt into an all-out dance party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s all part of the fourth annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lantern-festival-2026-in-oakland-chinatown-tickets-1982206763790\">Oakland Chinatown Lantern Festival\u003c/a>, which traditionally marks the end of each year’s Lunar New Year festivities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wu — the executive director of the kitchen incubator \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaklandbloom/?hl=en\">Oakland Bloom\u003c/a>, which co-organizes the event along with the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://stickyriceclub.org/\">Sticky Rice Club\u003c/a> — explains that when the festival began in 2023, the idea was to bring Chinatown to life with the atmosphere of an Asian-style night market. At the time, the community was reeling in the aftermath of the pandemic shutdowns and a spate of anti-Asian violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987223\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987223\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025.jpg\" alt=\"A customer buying food from a festival vendor at night.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/amber-wang-2025-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer ordering from one of the food tents at last year’s festival. \u003ccite>(Amber Wang, courtesy of Oakland Bloom)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And so that’s something we’ve continued — inviting the community out in the afternoon and evening, and then also inviting local businesses to stay open with us and really bring that vibrancy back to the neighborhood,” Wu says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952739/lantern-festival-oakland-chinatown-oakland-bloom\">past years\u003c/a>, the Lantern Festival celebration will be a multicultural, intergenerational affair. A variety of all-ages activities will include a scavenger hunt where participants are given photo hints for landmarks located all around the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. (Prizes will include vouchers for a mango piggy dessert from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/peonyseafoodrestaurant/?hl=en\">Peony\u003c/a>, the plaza’s dim sum standard bearer.) There will be mahjong tables, storytelling tents and even acupuncture booths. Meanwhile, a host of artists and makers will have tables set up to sell their wares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987224\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987224\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a bowl of beef noodle soup.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Lil-Devil-Beef-Noodle-Soup-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lil Devil’s beef noodle soup, one of the dishes featured at this year’s Lantern Festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Lil Devil Noodle Company)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Foodwise, Oakland Bloom’s curatorial role means the offerings will be a mix of both Asian and non-Asian cuisines, with many of the vendors pulled from the stable of chefs who rotate through \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/otk_eats/\">Open Test Kitchen\u003c/a>, the nonprofit’s affiliated restaurant. Highlights include \u003ca href=\"https://tastecooking.com/biang-biang-goes-the-noodles/\">biang biang\u003c/a>–inspired hand-pulled noodles and Taiwanese beef noodle soup from newcomer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lil_devil_noodles/?hl=en\">Lil Devil Noodle Co.\u003c/a>, Michoacán-style tacos from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tsiripurepecha/?hl=en\">Tsiri\u003c/a>, sweets from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goddessnoircakes/\">Goddess Noir Cakes\u003c/a> (which comes out of Black American baking traditions) and heart-shaped empanadas from the Palestinian-Cuban pop-up \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/palestiniancubanfusion/?hl=en\">Asúkar\u003c/a>. (Traditionally, the Lantern Festival is also a romantic holiday, Wu explains.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wu says that as the festival has formed deeper connections in Oakland Chinatown over the years, more businesses in the neighborhood are now playing an active role in the event. In fact, two of the 10 food vendors are the brick-and-mortar restaurants \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ying_kee__restaurant/\">Ying Kee\u003c/a> and Nature Vegetarian, both longtime Chinatown staples. For the Lantern Festival, they’ll serve a selection of classics: from Ying Kee, shrimp wonton soup and shrimp dumpling soup (both lucky dishes for ringing in the New Year), and from Nature Vegetarian, plant-based salt-and-pepper chicken, Chinese broccoli chow fun and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987225\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987225\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of wonton soup.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/ying-kee-wontons-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ying Kee’s wonton soup. The restaurant is one of the Chinatown brick-and-mortar businesses participating in this year’s festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ying Kee)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And what better way for the whole evening to culminate than with a big dance party? “We just love inviting the neighbors to just come dance together in the plaza,” Wu says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lantern-festival-2026-in-oakland-chinatown-tickets-1982206763790\">\u003ci>Oakland Chinatown Lantern Festival\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place in and around the Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 9th St., Oakland) on Sunday, March 1, 3–8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with food available for purchase on an a la carte basis. Guests are asked to wear masks when not eating and drinking.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Oakland Celebrates 100 Years of Black History With a Night of Culture and Creativity — and Free Food",
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"content": "\u003cp>On Thursday, Feb. 26, the city of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> will celebrate 100 years of Black history with a night of music, art, wine tastings and spoken word poetry at the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/20/oakland-henry-j-kaiser-center-for-the-arts-reopening/\">newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, no celebration of Black culture would be complete without a spread of delicious food. So event organizers have tapped some of the Town’s most prominent Black chefs to dish out plates of jerk chicken and barbecue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s going to be an all-out party, then. The best part? Everything will be entirely free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to build a sense of joy and spiritualism in Oakland,” says chef Nigel Jones of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/calabasheats/?hl=en\">Calabash\u003c/a>, one of the participating restaurants. “That’s the energy we want to bring for 2026.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859578\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859578\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3.jpg\" alt=\"A sculptural niche on the north side of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-1200x676.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sculptural niche on the north side of the newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, circa 2019. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The theme of Oakland’s centennial event — “Black History in Motion: Culture, Community & the Future We Build (1926–2026)” — alludes to the historian Carter G. Woodson’s creation of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/carter-woodson-black-history-month/\">first Negro History Week\u003c/a> in 1926. That weeklong celebration eventually evolved into what we now know as Black History Month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13986966,arts_13926878']Hosted by Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, along with fellow Councilmembers Carroll Fife, Ken Houston and Rowena Brown, Thursday night’s event is meant to be a showcase of the depth and breadth of Black creativity in Oakland. Former \u003ci>America’s Got Talent \u003c/i>contestant Dee Dee Simon will perform, as will the MC and spoken word poet \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976567/ryannicole-gets-real-about-the-world-on-new-album-yourstruly\">RyanNicole\u003c/a>. Dr. Chris Wachira of the Kenyan American winery Wachira Wines will be on hand to pour free tastes. And a Black Authors’ Corner will feature \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985813/a-new-art-installation-celebrates-oscar-grants-40th-birthday\">Wanda Johnson\u003c/a>, Oscar Grant’s mother, who wrote a \u003ca href=\"https://wandajohnsonspeaks.com/product/from-tragedy-to-triumph/\">memoir\u003c/a> about her son’s heartbreaking death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, featured chefs dishing out tastes will include Jones (of Calabash and Kingston 11), caterer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/juslaeats/?hl=en\">Jusala\u003c/a>, Dottie Moore and the team from longtime barbecue staple Everett & Jones. Jones, for his part, will serve what has been his signature dish since his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926878/kingston-11-jamaican-restaurant-closing-oakland-black-owned-business\">Kingston 11 days\u003c/a>: slow-roasted jerk chicken, served with a side of rice and peas and sweet plantains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of the food will be free, passed out on a first come, first served basis. (Good reason, perhaps, to show up early.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987176\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1408px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987176\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a chef in a baseball cap posing in his restaurant.\" width=\"1408\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones.jpg 1408w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones-768x1091.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones-1081x1536.jpg 1081w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Calabash chef-owner Nigel Jones says he’s optimistic about the future of Oakland. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nigel Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Jones notes that while it has been a challenging few years for all restaurants in Oakland, Black-owned food businesses have had a particularly difficult time. By and large, they’re scrappy, independent operations, often without any financial cushion. And the COVID shutdowns were brutal for restaurants like Calabash that depend on downtown foot traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the struggles, Jones says he’s hopeful for the future of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland doesn’t have tech. We don’t have oil. We don’t have any anchor stores to drive people downtown. But what we do have is culture,” Jones says, noting how inspired he was by the thousands of people who came out to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986966/black-joy-parade-oakland-2026\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a> this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The culture that we have in Oakland — that’s the thing that we need to invest in. That’s what we need to support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DU_OJ2-oDnE/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Oakland’s Black History Month centennial celebration\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is on Feb. 26, 6–9 p.m., at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (10 10th St., Oakland). The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to attend in “African swag or business attire.”\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Thursday, Feb. 26, the city of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> will celebrate 100 years of Black history with a night of music, art, wine tastings and spoken word poetry at the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/20/oakland-henry-j-kaiser-center-for-the-arts-reopening/\">newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, no celebration of Black culture would be complete without a spread of delicious food. So event organizers have tapped some of the Town’s most prominent Black chefs to dish out plates of jerk chicken and barbecue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s going to be an all-out party, then. The best part? Everything will be entirely free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to build a sense of joy and spiritualism in Oakland,” says chef Nigel Jones of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/calabasheats/?hl=en\">Calabash\u003c/a>, one of the participating restaurants. “That’s the energy we want to bring for 2026.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13859578\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13859578\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3.jpg\" alt=\"A sculptural niche on the north side of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/Kaiser-Auditorium-Sculptural-niche-3-1200x676.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sculptural niche on the north side of the newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, circa 2019. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The theme of Oakland’s centennial event — “Black History in Motion: Culture, Community & the Future We Build (1926–2026)” — alludes to the historian Carter G. Woodson’s creation of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/carter-woodson-black-history-month/\">first Negro History Week\u003c/a> in 1926. That weeklong celebration eventually evolved into what we now know as Black History Month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Hosted by Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, along with fellow Councilmembers Carroll Fife, Ken Houston and Rowena Brown, Thursday night’s event is meant to be a showcase of the depth and breadth of Black creativity in Oakland. Former \u003ci>America’s Got Talent \u003c/i>contestant Dee Dee Simon will perform, as will the MC and spoken word poet \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976567/ryannicole-gets-real-about-the-world-on-new-album-yourstruly\">RyanNicole\u003c/a>. Dr. Chris Wachira of the Kenyan American winery Wachira Wines will be on hand to pour free tastes. And a Black Authors’ Corner will feature \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985813/a-new-art-installation-celebrates-oscar-grants-40th-birthday\">Wanda Johnson\u003c/a>, Oscar Grant’s mother, who wrote a \u003ca href=\"https://wandajohnsonspeaks.com/product/from-tragedy-to-triumph/\">memoir\u003c/a> about her son’s heartbreaking death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, featured chefs dishing out tastes will include Jones (of Calabash and Kingston 11), caterer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/juslaeats/?hl=en\">Jusala\u003c/a>, Dottie Moore and the team from longtime barbecue staple Everett & Jones. Jones, for his part, will serve what has been his signature dish since his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926878/kingston-11-jamaican-restaurant-closing-oakland-black-owned-business\">Kingston 11 days\u003c/a>: slow-roasted jerk chicken, served with a side of rice and peas and sweet plantains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of the food will be free, passed out on a first come, first served basis. (Good reason, perhaps, to show up early.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987176\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1408px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987176\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a chef in a baseball cap posing in his restaurant.\" width=\"1408\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones.jpg 1408w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones-768x1091.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/nigel-jones-1081x1536.jpg 1081w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Calabash chef-owner Nigel Jones says he’s optimistic about the future of Oakland. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nigel Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Jones notes that while it has been a challenging few years for all restaurants in Oakland, Black-owned food businesses have had a particularly difficult time. By and large, they’re scrappy, independent operations, often without any financial cushion. And the COVID shutdowns were brutal for restaurants like Calabash that depend on downtown foot traffic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the struggles, Jones says he’s hopeful for the future of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland doesn’t have tech. We don’t have oil. We don’t have any anchor stores to drive people downtown. But what we do have is culture,” Jones says, noting how inspired he was by the thousands of people who came out to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986966/black-joy-parade-oakland-2026\">Black Joy Parade\u003c/a> this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The culture that we have in Oakland — that’s the thing that we need to invest in. That’s what we need to support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DU_OJ2-oDnE/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Oakland’s Black History Month centennial celebration\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is on Feb. 26, 6–9 p.m., at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (10 10th St., Oakland). The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to attend in “African swag or business attire.”\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Kids on stilts with painted faces showed braces as they smiled. Older men in classic cars with gorgeous paint jobs drove slowly, blasting bass-heavy hip-hop through huge sound systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were line dancers, incense salesmen, roller skaters, photographers, culinary artists and elected officials all present for the 9th annual Black Joy Parade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half the world away from the African continent, over 100,000 people from its diaspora made the pilgrimage to downtown \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> throughout Sunday afternoon. Collectively, the faces ranged from coffee-bean brown to macchiato tan — a marvelously melanated sea of humans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After spending more than 12 hours at the event, three things became clear to me: Black joy requires work, Black joy costs and Black joy is worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986978\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511.jpg\" alt='Woman in blue shirt and blue hat holds up a wine glass that reads \"Black Joy Parade\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Poet D’Dra White volunteers at the Black Joy Parade’s Black Vines section, an area dedicated to Black-owned wineries. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Black Joy requires work\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>By 8 a.m., the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/regulars.only/\">Regulars Only\u003c/a> collective and I were standing in a lot on Franklin Street and Thomas L. Berkley Way, reading instructions and drilling screws as we put together a dozen wooden outdoor lounge chairs and a handful of small tables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The furniture was part of the Exhale Lounge installation, an experience we co-curated with DJs \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pee_dot_scott/\">Pee Dot Scott\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thebrandon510/\">TheBrandon\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/neighborhoodplantdealer/\">The Neighborhood Plant Dealer\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hella__creative/\">Hella Creative\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sweettrinisoul/\">Air Maxine\u003c/a> — a group that regularly hosts a series of game nights called\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bones-books-bingo-game-dance-party-tickets-1983594350098?aff=erelexpmlt\"> Bones, Books & Bingo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We represented one of over a dozen installations and pop-ups at the event, which included a bunch of food vendors, a kids area and a location for collective mediation. There was a video game truck on one side and a skate park on the other, plus cowboys on horseback, anime action figures, a cigar lounge and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986983\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986983\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506.jpg\" alt='A close-up of a license plate that reads \"ERA WHIP\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Dope Era Whips car club pulled up and stunted during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the day started, streets were blocked off for the parade route, and artists took to the stage for soundcheck. From our lot we could hear the warming vocals of R&B royalty Mya, the event’s headlining artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.blackjoyparade.org/theteam\">Black Joy Parade founder Elisha Greenwell Dargan\u003c/a>, executive producer Paige Nicholson and other members of the organization moved about, tirelessly working to ensure a successful day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything that goes into creating and sustaining a gathering of this magnitude can’t be understated. One volunteer told me she started her shift at 6 a.m. And I know for a fact the planning for this celebration started many months prior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We worked on our installation for a few weeks but still had to run errands the night before the parade. Our goal was to create a backyard kickback in the middle of downtown, complete with games, plants, comfortable chairs and a fire pit. And of course, if you have a fire pit you \u003cem>need\u003c/em> to have the ingredients for making s’mores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986985\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986985\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620.jpg\" alt=\"A child in an olive green shirt roasting a marshmallow. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young attendee of the Black Joy Parade roasts a marshmallow over a fire pit during the event. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Black joy not only requires elbow grease and sweat equity, but financial capital and liquid assets.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Black Joy costs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The parade itself ran from 14th Street down Broadway, all the way to West Grand. The festival portion of the celebration was concentrated to a few blocks in uptown. It’s mind-boggling to even begin wrapping my mind around the total cost of permits for an event of this size, as well as security and the clean-up effort afterwards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the celebration, everywhere I turned people were making money. Folks sold fine art and photos, clothing and headwear. There was an area dedicated to Black wines, a beer garden and a Hennessy bar. Topicals, medicines and crystals were sold in one place. At another, a chef was dishing out servings of gumbo next to a stand where a person was selling cannabis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People made investments before even pulling up to the event— it showed in their fashion. Folks wore high-end designers, custom-made coats and rare fly kicks. Some were in shiny jewelry and bedazzled bags; others rocked fresh haircuts and hairdos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There wasn’t just money invested: People put in time and energy as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986986\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in glasses and a hat holds up two handmade sweaters on hangers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dannie Cherie, clothing designer and owner of Hella Thrifty, showcases fresh threads at the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The buck for Black joy didn’t stop there. People gambled, risking parking tickets or towed cars as they left their automobiles parked in red zones to attend the celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some folks missed money as they took the day off from work; others decided to show up late for their jobs. People traveled from across the state, and some came from out of state to be a part of one of the biggest annual African American parades on the West Coast. [aside postid='arts_13986932']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some event-goers even risked running into exes or standing in circles with folks with opposing political views. With all the cost of being in the mix, the value of Black joy still outweighs the fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Black Joy is worth it\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This year marks \u003ca href=\"https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/carter-woodson-black-history-month/\">100 years since Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History week in 1926\u003c/a>, which has now grown into Black History Month. And for nearly a decade, the Black Joy Parade has provided the Bay Area with a celebratory ending to February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parade is a day of radical happiness, with daps and hugs all around. It’s a family reunion on top of a BBQ during a church revival and a hip-hop concert. And as I made my rounds yesterday, I checked in with my tribe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986982\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582.jpg\" alt='The word \"joy\" is written on a banner in the foreground, as a person stands on stage in the background holding a microphone.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley musician Rexx Life Raj brought his unique form of joy during his set at the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My former student Askari showed me photos of his six-month old child. An elementary school friend named Jia, pregnant with her second baby, held her first child’s hand as he fell asleep. An old neighborhood friend, Delando, who met his wife at one of our Regulars Only parties, introduced me to their child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An entrepreneurial photographer shared his plans of moving to Mexico; a pair of OUSD teachers gave me updates on their work in the classroom; and a colleague from college told me about her experience working for the Golden State Warriors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I moved through the crowds, listening to people utter “excuse mes” after bumping into one another. Toward the end of the event, I got caught in the crosshairs of a small conflict. It taught me a few things, namely that I can’t put out social fires and not expect to catch some smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529.jpg\" alt=\"A large group of African American people parade down Broadway in Oakland.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attendees of The Black Joy Parade make their way down Broadway in Oakland on Feb. 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the course of the event I missed 13 phone calls, but gave big hugs to everyone I saw — everyone who was within an arm’s reach. Sure, liquor was spilled and the portable toilets were filthy by the end of the night, but the lingering impact of the event is pristine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where else can you find this many beautiful people in one place?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At what other event can you share space with elected officials like Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, as well as hip-hop artists like Richie Rich and StunnaMan02?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where else can you find DJs spinning Miami bass, Afrobeats and house, only to break into an R&B set honoring the late local luminary \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972818/dwayne-wiggins-dead-oakland-musician-tony-toni-tone-died\">D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986987\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986987\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536.jpg\" alt=\"A float full of people coasts down a main street in during a parade. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee waves at people as she rides on a float at the Black Joy Parade. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As people roasted marshmallows over the fire pit in our Exhale Lounge, I could hear Mya performing in the distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Packing up our installation and picking up trash, I finally had a moment to think. After a full day in downtown Oakland, I gained a new appreciation for the amount of work and costs that go into hosting a festival of this size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people made money selling food or art, and others received funding through brand partnerships. But for many, there’s no paycheck that can offset the amount of time, energy and spirit that goes into holding space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only real currency is joy.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "At Oakland’s Black Joy Parade, Community Is Wealth | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Kids on stilts with painted faces showed braces as they smiled. Older men in classic cars with gorgeous paint jobs drove slowly, blasting bass-heavy hip-hop through huge sound systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were line dancers, incense salesmen, roller skaters, photographers, culinary artists and elected officials all present for the 9th annual Black Joy Parade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half the world away from the African continent, over 100,000 people from its diaspora made the pilgrimage to downtown \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> throughout Sunday afternoon. Collectively, the faces ranged from coffee-bean brown to macchiato tan — a marvelously melanated sea of humans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After spending more than 12 hours at the event, three things became clear to me: Black joy requires work, Black joy costs and Black joy is worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986978\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511.jpg\" alt='Woman in blue shirt and blue hat holds up a wine glass that reads \"Black Joy Parade\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00511-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Poet D’Dra White volunteers at the Black Joy Parade’s Black Vines section, an area dedicated to Black-owned wineries. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Black Joy requires work\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>By 8 a.m., the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/regulars.only/\">Regulars Only\u003c/a> collective and I were standing in a lot on Franklin Street and Thomas L. Berkley Way, reading instructions and drilling screws as we put together a dozen wooden outdoor lounge chairs and a handful of small tables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The furniture was part of the Exhale Lounge installation, an experience we co-curated with DJs \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pee_dot_scott/\">Pee Dot Scott\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thebrandon510/\">TheBrandon\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/neighborhoodplantdealer/\">The Neighborhood Plant Dealer\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hella__creative/\">Hella Creative\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sweettrinisoul/\">Air Maxine\u003c/a> — a group that regularly hosts a series of game nights called\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bones-books-bingo-game-dance-party-tickets-1983594350098?aff=erelexpmlt\"> Bones, Books & Bingo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We represented one of over a dozen installations and pop-ups at the event, which included a bunch of food vendors, a kids area and a location for collective mediation. There was a video game truck on one side and a skate park on the other, plus cowboys on horseback, anime action figures, a cigar lounge and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986983\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986983\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506.jpg\" alt='A close-up of a license plate that reads \"ERA WHIP\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00506-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Dope Era Whips car club pulled up and stunted during the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the day started, streets were blocked off for the parade route, and artists took to the stage for soundcheck. From our lot we could hear the warming vocals of R&B royalty Mya, the event’s headlining artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.blackjoyparade.org/theteam\">Black Joy Parade founder Elisha Greenwell Dargan\u003c/a>, executive producer Paige Nicholson and other members of the organization moved about, tirelessly working to ensure a successful day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything that goes into creating and sustaining a gathering of this magnitude can’t be understated. One volunteer told me she started her shift at 6 a.m. And I know for a fact the planning for this celebration started many months prior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We worked on our installation for a few weeks but still had to run errands the night before the parade. Our goal was to create a backyard kickback in the middle of downtown, complete with games, plants, comfortable chairs and a fire pit. And of course, if you have a fire pit you \u003cem>need\u003c/em> to have the ingredients for making s’mores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986985\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986985\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620.jpg\" alt=\"A child in an olive green shirt roasting a marshmallow. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00620-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young attendee of the Black Joy Parade roasts a marshmallow over a fire pit during the event. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Black joy not only requires elbow grease and sweat equity, but financial capital and liquid assets.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Black Joy costs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The parade itself ran from 14th Street down Broadway, all the way to West Grand. The festival portion of the celebration was concentrated to a few blocks in uptown. It’s mind-boggling to even begin wrapping my mind around the total cost of permits for an event of this size, as well as security and the clean-up effort afterwards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the celebration, everywhere I turned people were making money. Folks sold fine art and photos, clothing and headwear. There was an area dedicated to Black wines, a beer garden and a Hennessy bar. Topicals, medicines and crystals were sold in one place. At another, a chef was dishing out servings of gumbo next to a stand where a person was selling cannabis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People made investments before even pulling up to the event— it showed in their fashion. Folks wore high-end designers, custom-made coats and rare fly kicks. Some were in shiny jewelry and bedazzled bags; others rocked fresh haircuts and hairdos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There wasn’t just money invested: People put in time and energy as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986986\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in glasses and a hat holds up two handmade sweaters on hangers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00519-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dannie Cherie, clothing designer and owner of Hella Thrifty, showcases fresh threads at the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The buck for Black joy didn’t stop there. People gambled, risking parking tickets or towed cars as they left their automobiles parked in red zones to attend the celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some folks missed money as they took the day off from work; others decided to show up late for their jobs. People traveled from across the state, and some came from out of state to be a part of one of the biggest annual African American parades on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some event-goers even risked running into exes or standing in circles with folks with opposing political views. With all the cost of being in the mix, the value of Black joy still outweighs the fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Black Joy is worth it\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This year marks \u003ca href=\"https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/carter-woodson-black-history-month/\">100 years since Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History week in 1926\u003c/a>, which has now grown into Black History Month. And for nearly a decade, the Black Joy Parade has provided the Bay Area with a celebratory ending to February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parade is a day of radical happiness, with daps and hugs all around. It’s a family reunion on top of a BBQ during a church revival and a hip-hop concert. And as I made my rounds yesterday, I checked in with my tribe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986982\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582.jpg\" alt='The word \"joy\" is written on a banner in the foreground, as a person stands on stage in the background holding a microphone.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00582-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley musician Rexx Life Raj brought his unique form of joy during his set at the Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My former student Askari showed me photos of his six-month old child. An elementary school friend named Jia, pregnant with her second baby, held her first child’s hand as he fell asleep. An old neighborhood friend, Delando, who met his wife at one of our Regulars Only parties, introduced me to their child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An entrepreneurial photographer shared his plans of moving to Mexico; a pair of OUSD teachers gave me updates on their work in the classroom; and a colleague from college told me about her experience working for the Golden State Warriors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I moved through the crowds, listening to people utter “excuse mes” after bumping into one another. Toward the end of the event, I got caught in the crosshairs of a small conflict. It taught me a few things, namely that I can’t put out social fires and not expect to catch some smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529.jpg\" alt=\"A large group of African American people parade down Broadway in Oakland.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00529-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attendees of The Black Joy Parade make their way down Broadway in Oakland on Feb. 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the course of the event I missed 13 phone calls, but gave big hugs to everyone I saw — everyone who was within an arm’s reach. Sure, liquor was spilled and the portable toilets were filthy by the end of the night, but the lingering impact of the event is pristine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where else can you find this many beautiful people in one place?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At what other event can you share space with elected officials like Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, as well as hip-hop artists like Richie Rich and StunnaMan02?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where else can you find DJs spinning Miami bass, Afrobeats and house, only to break into an R&B set honoring the late local luminary \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972818/dwayne-wiggins-dead-oakland-musician-tony-toni-tone-died\">D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986987\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986987\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536.jpg\" alt=\"A float full of people coasts down a main street in during a parade. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DSC00536-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee waves at people as she rides on a float at the Black Joy Parade. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As people roasted marshmallows over the fire pit in our Exhale Lounge, I could hear Mya performing in the distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Packing up our installation and picking up trash, I finally had a moment to think. After a full day in downtown Oakland, I gained a new appreciation for the amount of work and costs that go into hosting a festival of this size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people made money selling food or art, and others received funding through brand partnerships. But for many, there’s no paycheck that can offset the amount of time, energy and spirit that goes into holding space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only real currency is joy.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986989\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986989\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/New-Male-Guenon-Red-tailed-Monkey-Baby-Credit-Oakland-Zoo-Feb-2026.jpeg\" alt=\"The face of a baby red-tailed monkey, snuggled into an adult monkey's torso.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/New-Male-Guenon-Red-tailed-Monkey-Baby-Credit-Oakland-Zoo-Feb-2026.jpeg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/New-Male-Guenon-Red-tailed-Monkey-Baby-Credit-Oakland-Zoo-Feb-2026-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/New-Male-Guenon-Red-tailed-Monkey-Baby-Credit-Oakland-Zoo-Feb-2026-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/New-Male-Guenon-Red-tailed-Monkey-Baby-Credit-Oakland-Zoo-Feb-2026-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red-tailed monkey mom Nonami embraces her new son at the Oakland Zoo. \u003ccite>(Oakland Zoo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’re anything like me, you might have spent the last few weeks having an emotional crisis about Punch the monkey, the baby macaque who clung to a stuffed toy after being rejected by his mother at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo. (I can sleep again now that \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T-y83-6geU\">Punch has found a surrogate mom\u003c/a> in the troop.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13985440']While Punch is undoubtedly the reigning king of cute baby monkeys that the internet loves, there’s a new primate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-zoo\">Oakland Zoo\u003c/a> who is equally worthy of our adoring gazes. A male red-tailed monkey was born at the zoo earlier this month to (thankfully) loving parents, mom Nonami and dad Marley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s Nonami (and her awesome furry mutton chops) taking care of her son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@oaklandzoo/video/7609055044557737229\" data-video-id=\"7609055044557737229\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@oaklandzoo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@oaklandzoo?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@oaklandzoo\u003c/a> Exciting news: Say hello to our first-ever red-tailed monkey baby! Nonami and Marley, our resident red-tailed guenons, are proud parents of a healthy baby boy. Nonami and her baby have joined the rest of the troop in their habitat, bonding with the troop, including his sisters, Ikea and Skittles, Nonami’s first babies, who were born at their previous Zoo. Mom and baby frequently spend time in the habitat, where visitors can see them every day, but Mom sometimes prefers to retreat to a cozy, warm indoor space with her baby. Keepers are thrilled about the Zoo’s first guenon baby and are currently selecting a name for our new male red-tailed monkey. Once a decision is made, we will announce it on social media. 📸: Keeper Alyssa \u003ca title=\"monkeys\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/monkeys?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#monkeys\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"animals\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/animals?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#animals\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"zoos\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/zoos?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#zoos\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"baby\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/baby?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#baby\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - Oakland Zoo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7609055183913356046?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – Oakland Zoo\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>[tiktok]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The baby boy has two big sisters that Nonami gave birth to at her previous home, Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. His sisters are called Ikea and Skittles for some reason, so let’s just all hope the new baby gets to be named after something that doesn’t sound like corporate sponsorship. (Ikea is apparently already assisting on grooming duties — which is a very weird sentence.) Once zookeepers have landed on a name, they’ll announce it on \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@oaklandzoo?lang=en\">social media\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new baby is the result of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums working with Oakland Zoo on its Guenon red-tailed monkey Species Survival Plan.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>While Punch is undoubtedly the reigning king of cute baby monkeys that the internet loves, there’s a new primate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-zoo\">Oakland Zoo\u003c/a> who is equally worthy of our adoring gazes. A male red-tailed monkey was born at the zoo earlier this month to (thankfully) loving parents, mom Nonami and dad Marley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s Nonami (and her awesome furry mutton chops) taking care of her son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@oaklandzoo/video/7609055044557737229\" data-video-id=\"7609055044557737229\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@oaklandzoo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@oaklandzoo?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@oaklandzoo\u003c/a> Exciting news: Say hello to our first-ever red-tailed monkey baby! Nonami and Marley, our resident red-tailed guenons, are proud parents of a healthy baby boy. Nonami and her baby have joined the rest of the troop in their habitat, bonding with the troop, including his sisters, Ikea and Skittles, Nonami’s first babies, who were born at their previous Zoo. Mom and baby frequently spend time in the habitat, where visitors can see them every day, but Mom sometimes prefers to retreat to a cozy, warm indoor space with her baby. Keepers are thrilled about the Zoo’s first guenon baby and are currently selecting a name for our new male red-tailed monkey. Once a decision is made, we will announce it on social media. 📸: Keeper Alyssa \u003ca title=\"monkeys\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/monkeys?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#monkeys\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"animals\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/animals?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#animals\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"zoos\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/zoos?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#zoos\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"baby\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/baby?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#baby\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - Oakland Zoo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7609055183913356046?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – Oakland Zoo\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The baby boy has two big sisters that Nonami gave birth to at her previous home, Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. His sisters are called Ikea and Skittles for some reason, so let’s just all hope the new baby gets to be named after something that doesn’t sound like corporate sponsorship. (Ikea is apparently already assisting on grooming duties — which is a very weird sentence.) Once zookeepers have landed on a name, they’ll announce it on \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@oaklandzoo?lang=en\">social media\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "oakland-audiopharmacy-bambu-sessions-ice-fundraiser",
"title": "In Oakland, Audiopharmacy’s BAMBU Sessions Offer a Party for a Purpose",
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"headTitle": "In Oakland, Audiopharmacy’s BAMBU Sessions Offer a Party for a Purpose | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bay Area artists have long mastered the art of partying for a purpose. On Saturday, the hip-hop ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/\">Audiopharmacy\u003c/a> will throw an event that’s a celebration — as well as a call to action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the second installment of group’s quarterly \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/bambusessions\">BAMBU Sessions\u003c/a> series, sliding-scale admission will give attendees an evening of live music, an open mic and a Lunar New Year celebration to raise funds for a musician currently in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Audiopharmacy founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/teaosense\">Teao Sense\u003c/a> adds that the evening comes with an underlying theme of using old-fashioned human creativity to combat the prevalence of artificial intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13986899 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic.jpg\" alt=\"A collective of people performing on stage. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Audiopharmacy rocking the stage at Summer Arts & Music Fest 2024 in Redway, CA. \u003ccite>(David Saenz )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The issue that I want to address, first and foremost,” Sense tells me during a recent call, “is that we don’t know what’s AI and what’s not AI.” In turn, Sense is turning to what he calls “HI” — human intelligence. A turntablist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Sense adds that the music recorded during these live BAMBU Sessions events is mixed, mastered and shared with the world for free on \u003ca href=\"http://www.audiopharmacy.com.\">their website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than two decades, Audiopharmacy has recorded and performed around the Bay Area and across the globe. This past December, with financial support from \u003ca href=\"https://www.zoolabs.org/\">Zoo Labs\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://theintersection.org/\">Intersection for the Arts\u003c/a>, the group opened a new recording studio, arts incubator, performance and wellness space in West Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To christen their new space, known as BAMBU Pharm, they held a series of activations, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViTeMcO8GZk\">their inaugural BAMBU Sessions\u003c/a> event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViTeMcO8GZk\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first jam session was organized and hosted by Teao Sense, jo love/speak cruz, Nikila Badua aka “MamaWisdom1,” as well as Gina Madrid, Sami See, Gema Cantu, Persia Blackwell, Seiji Oda, Aya Eid, Santos S.O.U.L., Marcos Odara, Rasul Grayson, Brass Medik, Amre Leon, Keith Ebbs., poko d., and JT Teodoro. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The event also featured talented artists Ian Santillano, Jumakae, Emcee Soulati, Obrayan Calderon, Yrak Saenz, ELENAH, Dani Cornejo, Smiley C, MC Persia, TSAVO, Theresa Panyawai, Razteria, and Khalil Fantauzzi. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recalling the night with its live percussion, multiple string instruments and jazzy saxophone, \u003ca href=\"https://persia.bandcamp.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGntJVx23ZLi3Yq6LFCuSLb9qJWPIFFdUd_8Cm3ePB7F0Xe6dVngZoV8lABwv4_aem_4u74nzmK1Qg_3NbuRxZZ9w\">San Jose’s veteran lyricist MC Persia\u003c/a> says the vibe was so good, she was compelled to spit a few bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A rapper since her early teenage years, MC Persia began to experience “brain fog” in her late 30s, causing her to work more behind the scenes. Audiopharmacy’s events have aided her ambition to continue performing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the past decade, every time I’ve stepped back on a stage it’s been because of Audiopharmacy,” she tells me. “What they are building isn’t just an event. It’s medicine. Every time I stand in it, I’m reminded why I started in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSWC0T9u2aM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That medicine extends beyond the music. “We’re generally raising funds for all the different things that we do,” says Sense, adding that the group regularly hosts workshops, ranging from art and music to Qigong and boxing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This weekend, the group will raise funds for their friend, a Bay Area-based percussionist from Brazil named \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-leo-from-ice-detention\">Leandro “Leo” Oliveira\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13986720']On Dec. 4, 2025, Oliveira, while seeking asylum in the U.S., was leaving a scheduled immigration appointment in San Francisco when he was detained by ICE agents and subsequently incarcerated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oliveira, who plays percussion with Audiopharmacy, as well as the Bay Area Brazilian bands \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bateriabatuki?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ%3D%3D\">Batuki\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ndlband/\"> Namorados Da Lua (NDL)\u003c/a>, has reportedly been offered documents to self-deport, but isn’t signing. Now, Audiopharmacy is raising funds for their colleague’s legal representation through what cofounder jo love/speak cruz calls “radical joy” while doing “substantive work that supports our people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986898\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986898\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm.jpg\" alt=\"Eight people posing for a photo outside, in front of a building with a mural painted on it.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-160x193.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-768x926.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-1274x1536.jpg 1274w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-1699x2048.jpg 1699w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of Audiopharmacy (Nikila Badua aka MamaWisdom1, Santos S.O.U.L., Gina Madrid, jo love/speak cruz, Teao Sense, Obrayan Calderon, Marcos Odara, Ras K’ Dee) pose for a photo outside West Oakland’s mural and museum dedicated to the women of the Black Panther Party. \u003ccite>(Sade Adeyemi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The jam session and open mic will also honor the start of the Lunar New Year. jo love/speak cruz says they’ll celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse by gifting traditional red envelopes to attendees — as well as offering free boxing lessons from \u003ca href=\"https://www.jxtheo.net/bayanihanboxing\">Jean “Jxtheo” Teodoro, owner of Bayanihan Boxing\u003c/a> to ensure the community is artistically, politically and physically empowered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Year of the Fire Horse brings a “really bold, passionate, and purposeful energy,” jo love/speak cruz attests, adding that it’s important to harness this energy in a benevolent manner. “Beyond the individual,” she says, “it’s meant to really move the collective.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With that in mind, Audiopharmacy will combine music and fresh Nepali cuisine with collective meditation and the intentional usage of certain colors. As they make art and party for a purpose, while kicking off a fresh Lunar New Year, jo love/speak cruz offers a reminder: “Fire is good,” she says. “We’ve got to melt the ice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Audiopharmacy’s second installment of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/bambusessions\">BAMBU Sessions\u003c/a> takes place Saturday, Feb. 21, in West Oakland. For tickets and specific event location, \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/bambusessions\">RSVP here.\u003c/a> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bay Area artists have long mastered the art of partying for a purpose. On Saturday, the hip-hop ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/\">Audiopharmacy\u003c/a> will throw an event that’s a celebration — as well as a call to action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the second installment of group’s quarterly \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/bambusessions\">BAMBU Sessions\u003c/a> series, sliding-scale admission will give attendees an evening of live music, an open mic and a Lunar New Year celebration to raise funds for a musician currently in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Audiopharmacy founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/teaosense\">Teao Sense\u003c/a> adds that the evening comes with an underlying theme of using old-fashioned human creativity to combat the prevalence of artificial intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13986899 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic.jpg\" alt=\"A collective of people performing on stage. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/AP-Summer-arts-Stage-pic-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Audiopharmacy rocking the stage at Summer Arts & Music Fest 2024 in Redway, CA. \u003ccite>(David Saenz )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The issue that I want to address, first and foremost,” Sense tells me during a recent call, “is that we don’t know what’s AI and what’s not AI.” In turn, Sense is turning to what he calls “HI” — human intelligence. A turntablist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Sense adds that the music recorded during these live BAMBU Sessions events is mixed, mastered and shared with the world for free on \u003ca href=\"http://www.audiopharmacy.com.\">their website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than two decades, Audiopharmacy has recorded and performed around the Bay Area and across the globe. This past December, with financial support from \u003ca href=\"https://www.zoolabs.org/\">Zoo Labs\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://theintersection.org/\">Intersection for the Arts\u003c/a>, the group opened a new recording studio, arts incubator, performance and wellness space in West Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To christen their new space, known as BAMBU Pharm, they held a series of activations, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViTeMcO8GZk\">their inaugural BAMBU Sessions\u003c/a> event.\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/ViTeMcO8GZk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ViTeMcO8GZk'\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 first jam session was organized and hosted by Teao Sense, jo love/speak cruz, Nikila Badua aka “MamaWisdom1,” as well as Gina Madrid, Sami See, Gema Cantu, Persia Blackwell, Seiji Oda, Aya Eid, Santos S.O.U.L., Marcos Odara, Rasul Grayson, Brass Medik, Amre Leon, Keith Ebbs., poko d., and JT Teodoro. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The event also featured talented artists Ian Santillano, Jumakae, Emcee Soulati, Obrayan Calderon, Yrak Saenz, ELENAH, Dani Cornejo, Smiley C, MC Persia, TSAVO, Theresa Panyawai, Razteria, and Khalil Fantauzzi. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recalling the night with its live percussion, multiple string instruments and jazzy saxophone, \u003ca href=\"https://persia.bandcamp.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGntJVx23ZLi3Yq6LFCuSLb9qJWPIFFdUd_8Cm3ePB7F0Xe6dVngZoV8lABwv4_aem_4u74nzmK1Qg_3NbuRxZZ9w\">San Jose’s veteran lyricist MC Persia\u003c/a> says the vibe was so good, she was compelled to spit a few bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A rapper since her early teenage years, MC Persia began to experience “brain fog” in her late 30s, causing her to work more behind the scenes. Audiopharmacy’s events have aided her ambition to continue performing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the past decade, every time I’ve stepped back on a stage it’s been because of Audiopharmacy,” she tells me. “What they are building isn’t just an event. It’s medicine. Every time I stand in it, I’m reminded why I started in the first place.”\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/GSWC0T9u2aM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/GSWC0T9u2aM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>That medicine extends beyond the music. “We’re generally raising funds for all the different things that we do,” says Sense, adding that the group regularly hosts workshops, ranging from art and music to Qigong and boxing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This weekend, the group will raise funds for their friend, a Bay Area-based percussionist from Brazil named \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-leo-from-ice-detention\">Leandro “Leo” Oliveira\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On Dec. 4, 2025, Oliveira, while seeking asylum in the U.S., was leaving a scheduled immigration appointment in San Francisco when he was detained by ICE agents and subsequently incarcerated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oliveira, who plays percussion with Audiopharmacy, as well as the Bay Area Brazilian bands \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bateriabatuki?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ%3D%3D\">Batuki\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ndlband/\"> Namorados Da Lua (NDL)\u003c/a>, has reportedly been offered documents to self-deport, but isn’t signing. Now, Audiopharmacy is raising funds for their colleague’s legal representation through what cofounder jo love/speak cruz calls “radical joy” while doing “substantive work that supports our people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986898\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986898\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm.jpg\" alt=\"Eight people posing for a photo outside, in front of a building with a mural painted on it.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-160x193.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-768x926.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-1274x1536.jpg 1274w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Audiopharm-1699x2048.jpg 1699w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of Audiopharmacy (Nikila Badua aka MamaWisdom1, Santos S.O.U.L., Gina Madrid, jo love/speak cruz, Teao Sense, Obrayan Calderon, Marcos Odara, Ras K’ Dee) pose for a photo outside West Oakland’s mural and museum dedicated to the women of the Black Panther Party. \u003ccite>(Sade Adeyemi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The jam session and open mic will also honor the start of the Lunar New Year. jo love/speak cruz says they’ll celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse by gifting traditional red envelopes to attendees — as well as offering free boxing lessons from \u003ca href=\"https://www.jxtheo.net/bayanihanboxing\">Jean “Jxtheo” Teodoro, owner of Bayanihan Boxing\u003c/a> to ensure the community is artistically, politically and physically empowered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Year of the Fire Horse brings a “really bold, passionate, and purposeful energy,” jo love/speak cruz attests, adding that it’s important to harness this energy in a benevolent manner. “Beyond the individual,” she says, “it’s meant to really move the collective.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With that in mind, Audiopharmacy will combine music and fresh Nepali cuisine with collective meditation and the intentional usage of certain colors. As they make art and party for a purpose, while kicking off a fresh Lunar New Year, jo love/speak cruz offers a reminder: “Fire is good,” she says. “We’ve got to melt the ice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Audiopharmacy’s second installment of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/bambusessions\">BAMBU Sessions\u003c/a> takes place Saturday, Feb. 21, in West Oakland. For tickets and specific event location, \u003ca href=\"https://www.audiopharmacy.com/bambusessions\">RSVP here.\u003c/a> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-black-pack-comedy-racism-paul-mooney-richard-pryor-oakland",
"title": "How ‘The Black Pack’ Used Comedy to Combat Racism",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the late ’80s and early ’90s, a group of five African American men — all famous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/category/comedy\">comedians\u003c/a> — created a body of work that shifted popular culture, altered the entertainment industry and impacted generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known collectively as “The Black Pack,” Eddie Murphy, Paul Mooney, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend and Arsenio Hall created a monumental body of work that included the films \u003ci>Boomerang\u003c/i>, \u003ci>Coming to America\u003c/i>, \u003cem>Hollywood Shuffle\u003c/em> and \u003cem>I’m Gonna Git You Sucka\u003c/em>, as well as the shows \u003cem>In Living Color\u003c/em> and \u003ci>The Arsenio Hall Show\u003c/i> — not to mention numerous standup comedy specials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, more than three decades later, San Francisco State University professor \u003ca href=\"https://www.artelgreat.com/\">Dr. Artel Great\u003c/a>’s book \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/the-black-pack/9781978838147\">The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance\u003c/a> \u003c/em>(Rutgers University Press) contextualizes their achievements. On Wednesday, Feb. 11 at the main branch of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-public-library\">San Francisco Public Library\u003c/a>, Great will \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/events/2026/02/11/author-dr-artel-great-black-pack\">share excerpts from his book\u003c/a> and discuss how this ensemble of comedians shifted the foundation of the Hollywood establishment, creating an impact still felt to this day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986554\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1706px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The cover image of the book, 'The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance' by Dr. Artel Great shows five African American men posing for a photo.\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986554\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-scaled.jpg 1706w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance,’ by Dr. Artel Great. \u003ccite>(Rutgers University Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As \u003cem>The Black Pack\u003c/em> makes clear, the idea of comedy as a form of Black resistance didn’t start with this group. It’d been around for more than a century — and they skillfully amplified it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In working on the book,” Great tells me during a video call, “I was able to pull this thread to go all the way back transgenerationally, looking at how this mode of ‘Black resistance humor’ developed as a cultural expression that dates back to the 19th century.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He cites the works of vaudeville-era comedians \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bert-williams/\">Bert Williams\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bert-williams/\">George Walker\u003c/a> as early examples of the craft. He adds that pioneering African American playwright \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wells-Brown\">William Wells Brown\u003c/a> and even famed abolitionist \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/brown-frederick-douglass/\">Frederick Douglass\u003c/a> used comedy to critique white power structures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13971959']In the 20th century, Great points out, legendary comedians \u003ca href=\"https://www.wunc.org/show/due-south/2024-05-09/remembering-brevard-nc-native-moms-mabley\">Moms Mabley\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2008/05/05/90188763/fred-sanford-stubborn-sharp-witted-smart\">Redd Foxx \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/19/544769294/dick-gregory-comedian-and-civil-rights-activist-dies-at-84\">Dick Gregory\u003c/a> (as well as famed essayist \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/02/nx-s1-4985763/james-baldwin-author-100-anniversary-remembrance-life-family-friends\">James Baldwin\u003c/a>) all used satirical storytelling to combat oppression. But it was the work of iconic comedian and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2005/12/12/5048430/how-richard-pryor-changed-comedy\">Richard Pryor\u003c/a> that really broke the mold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What Richard Pryor was doing,” Great tells me, “was rewriting the rules for standup comedy.” Pryor’s ability to weave modern slang into riveting comedic routines put Black culture front and center. Additionally, Pryor was able to present his own personal experience — specifically, his pain — in “a way to make us think,” says Great. “Also, in a way to provoke laughter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Pryor, who initially broke into showbiz as a singer and a much more reserved stand-up, wouldn’t have had the career he did were it not for the guidance of the late writer, actor and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998483043/paul-mooney-comedian-and-writer-dies-at-79\">Paul Mooney\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mooney and Pryor met in Los Angeles,” Great tells me. “At that time, Richard Pryor’s comedic identity was really a facsimile of Bill Cosby.” Mooney, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and came of age in Oakland during the politically charged 1960s, told Pryor that if he wanted to do something substantial in the world of comedy, he’d have to tackle the most pressing social topic: “the issue of race in America,” explains Great.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986570\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986570\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-2000x1547.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-1536x1188.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-2048x1585.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Mooney attends a photo shoot at the Apollo Theater January 5, 2008 in New York City. \u003ccite>(Johnny Nunez/WireImage)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With successful films and comedy records already to his name, Pryor took Mooney’s advice, moving to the Bay Area and remaking himself as a more outspoken comedian. “That’s when they began to experiment with the use of the N-word and talking about pressing social issues,” says Great, characterizing the duo’s work as “tenets of this resistance humor framework.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two collaborated on standup-up specials, \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075567/\">\u003cem>The Richard Pryor Show\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/05/20/snl-paul-mooney-richard-pryor/\">a\u003cem> Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> episode\u003c/a> that prompted NBC to adopt a seven-second delay in the live broadcast in order to censor any profanity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mooney’s comedic genius surfaced again years later, when he, Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend and Arsenio Hall came together as a collective. “We don’t have ‘The Black Pack’ without Paul Mooney,” notes Great. (Mooney even came up with the name.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While often working in the background, Mooney managed to posses a monumental influence on popular culture. Take the immensely popular character of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QhuBIkPXn0\">Homey D. Clown\u003c/a>, which was Mooney’s brainchild, played by Damon Wayans in the 1990s sketch comedy show \u003cem>In Living Color\u003c/em>. The character was an extremely ornery formerly incarcerated person who, despite dressing in full clown regalia and working at children’s birthday parties, remained militant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QhuBIkPXn0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the first sight of some nonsense, Homey would smack other actors with a stuffed sock while delivering his catchphrase: “Homey don’t play that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his book, Great places the character in a larger sociological framework. “Homey satirized the quaint middle-class archetype of the cheerful, friendly clown,” he writes, mentioning that Homey’s popularity coincided with the mass expansion of McDonalds, and referring to the character as “the anti–Ronald McDonald.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Homey D. Clown’s] acerbic jokes shattered the veneer of childhood innocence with a no-holds-barred commentary on America’s anti-Black ideologies,” Great writes, crediting Mooney with a character that “fearlessly mocked the establishment, condemning attempts to constrain Black Americans and perpetuate systemic injustices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13983670']\u003cem>The Black Pack\u003c/em> also highlights the contributions of the four other members, prominently noting Eddie Murphy’s rockstar persona, and ability to leverage Hollywood connections to center African Americans in ways not previously seen in blockbuster films. Keenen Ivory Wayans’ creativity, Arsenio Hall’s charisma and Robert Townsend’s ingenuity are all explored in depth, too. But it’s the sections about Paul Mooney that stand out, mainly because his contributions are so often overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Mooney is credited for discovering \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/tribute-comedy-giant-robin-williams-10-coolest-moments-232971/\">Robin Williams\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.vulture.com/article/sandra-bernhard-paul-mooney-interview.html\">Sandra Bernhard\u003c/a>, as well as writing for\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2005/12/15/5055007/chappelles-show-back-for-a-few-episodes\">\u003cem> Chappelle’s Show\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, where he also played the character ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9oPOeeGcZM\">Negrodamus.\u003c/a>’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So why isn’t Mooney more widely known? Great says it’s because “his work was so outspoken.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mooney himself described his comedy as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.mic.com/culture/paul-mooneys-comedy-found-power-in-making-white-people-uncomfortable-79650074\">a nuclear bomb\u003c/a>” that “blows up and flattens everybody.” He was an “equal opportunity offender,” says Great, who explains that “if white folks weren’t walking out of his comedy sets, he felt like he was doing something wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That success proved to be a double-edged sword. “On the one hand,” Great says of Mooney, “we’re familiar with his work, but on the other hand he was so outspoken and so revolutionary, in terms of his commitment to Black resistance humor, that the industry couldn’t hold that genius.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, as Oakland hosts the \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackcomedycompetition.com/shows\">Bay Area Black Comedy Competition and Festival\u003c/a>, comedians nationwide will pour into the Town, a longtime hotbed for Black resistance humor. As \u003cem>The Black Pack\u003c/em> makes clear, no one used humor as a weapon to fight racism quite like Paul Mooney.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dr. Artel Great reads and discusses ‘The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance’ on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library (100 Larkin St.m, San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/events/2026/02/11/author-dr-artel-great-black-pack\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the late ’80s and early ’90s, a group of five African American men — all famous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/category/comedy\">comedians\u003c/a> — created a body of work that shifted popular culture, altered the entertainment industry and impacted generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known collectively as “The Black Pack,” Eddie Murphy, Paul Mooney, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend and Arsenio Hall created a monumental body of work that included the films \u003ci>Boomerang\u003c/i>, \u003ci>Coming to America\u003c/i>, \u003cem>Hollywood Shuffle\u003c/em> and \u003cem>I’m Gonna Git You Sucka\u003c/em>, as well as the shows \u003cem>In Living Color\u003c/em> and \u003ci>The Arsenio Hall Show\u003c/i> — not to mention numerous standup comedy specials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, more than three decades later, San Francisco State University professor \u003ca href=\"https://www.artelgreat.com/\">Dr. Artel Great\u003c/a>’s book \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/the-black-pack/9781978838147\">The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance\u003c/a> \u003c/em>(Rutgers University Press) contextualizes their achievements. On Wednesday, Feb. 11 at the main branch of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-public-library\">San Francisco Public Library\u003c/a>, Great will \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/events/2026/02/11/author-dr-artel-great-black-pack\">share excerpts from his book\u003c/a> and discuss how this ensemble of comedians shifted the foundation of the Hollywood establishment, creating an impact still felt to this day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986554\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1706px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The cover image of the book, 'The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance' by Dr. Artel Great shows five African American men posing for a photo.\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986554\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-scaled.jpg 1706w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/download-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance,’ by Dr. Artel Great. \u003ccite>(Rutgers University Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As \u003cem>The Black Pack\u003c/em> makes clear, the idea of comedy as a form of Black resistance didn’t start with this group. It’d been around for more than a century — and they skillfully amplified it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In working on the book,” Great tells me during a video call, “I was able to pull this thread to go all the way back transgenerationally, looking at how this mode of ‘Black resistance humor’ developed as a cultural expression that dates back to the 19th century.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He cites the works of vaudeville-era comedians \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bert-williams/\">Bert Williams\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bert-williams/\">George Walker\u003c/a> as early examples of the craft. He adds that pioneering African American playwright \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wells-Brown\">William Wells Brown\u003c/a> and even famed abolitionist \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/brown-frederick-douglass/\">Frederick Douglass\u003c/a> used comedy to critique white power structures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the 20th century, Great points out, legendary comedians \u003ca href=\"https://www.wunc.org/show/due-south/2024-05-09/remembering-brevard-nc-native-moms-mabley\">Moms Mabley\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2008/05/05/90188763/fred-sanford-stubborn-sharp-witted-smart\">Redd Foxx \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/19/544769294/dick-gregory-comedian-and-civil-rights-activist-dies-at-84\">Dick Gregory\u003c/a> (as well as famed essayist \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/02/nx-s1-4985763/james-baldwin-author-100-anniversary-remembrance-life-family-friends\">James Baldwin\u003c/a>) all used satirical storytelling to combat oppression. But it was the work of iconic comedian and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2005/12/12/5048430/how-richard-pryor-changed-comedy\">Richard Pryor\u003c/a> that really broke the mold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What Richard Pryor was doing,” Great tells me, “was rewriting the rules for standup comedy.” Pryor’s ability to weave modern slang into riveting comedic routines put Black culture front and center. Additionally, Pryor was able to present his own personal experience — specifically, his pain — in “a way to make us think,” says Great. “Also, in a way to provoke laughter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Pryor, who initially broke into showbiz as a singer and a much more reserved stand-up, wouldn’t have had the career he did were it not for the guidance of the late writer, actor and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998483043/paul-mooney-comedian-and-writer-dies-at-79\">Paul Mooney\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mooney and Pryor met in Los Angeles,” Great tells me. “At that time, Richard Pryor’s comedic identity was really a facsimile of Bill Cosby.” Mooney, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and came of age in Oakland during the politically charged 1960s, told Pryor that if he wanted to do something substantial in the world of comedy, he’d have to tackle the most pressing social topic: “the issue of race in America,” explains Great.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986570\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986570\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-2000x1547.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-1536x1188.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/GettyImages-79973273-2048x1585.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Mooney attends a photo shoot at the Apollo Theater January 5, 2008 in New York City. \u003ccite>(Johnny Nunez/WireImage)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With successful films and comedy records already to his name, Pryor took Mooney’s advice, moving to the Bay Area and remaking himself as a more outspoken comedian. “That’s when they began to experiment with the use of the N-word and talking about pressing social issues,” says Great, characterizing the duo’s work as “tenets of this resistance humor framework.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two collaborated on standup-up specials, \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075567/\">\u003cem>The Richard Pryor Show\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/05/20/snl-paul-mooney-richard-pryor/\">a\u003cem> Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> episode\u003c/a> that prompted NBC to adopt a seven-second delay in the live broadcast in order to censor any profanity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mooney’s comedic genius surfaced again years later, when he, Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend and Arsenio Hall came together as a collective. “We don’t have ‘The Black Pack’ without Paul Mooney,” notes Great. (Mooney even came up with the name.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While often working in the background, Mooney managed to posses a monumental influence on popular culture. Take the immensely popular character of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QhuBIkPXn0\">Homey D. Clown\u003c/a>, which was Mooney’s brainchild, played by Damon Wayans in the 1990s sketch comedy show \u003cem>In Living Color\u003c/em>. The character was an extremely ornery formerly incarcerated person who, despite dressing in full clown regalia and working at children’s birthday parties, remained militant.\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/_QhuBIkPXn0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/_QhuBIkPXn0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>At the first sight of some nonsense, Homey would smack other actors with a stuffed sock while delivering his catchphrase: “Homey don’t play that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his book, Great places the character in a larger sociological framework. “Homey satirized the quaint middle-class archetype of the cheerful, friendly clown,” he writes, mentioning that Homey’s popularity coincided with the mass expansion of McDonalds, and referring to the character as “the anti–Ronald McDonald.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Homey D. Clown’s] acerbic jokes shattered the veneer of childhood innocence with a no-holds-barred commentary on America’s anti-Black ideologies,” Great writes, crediting Mooney with a character that “fearlessly mocked the establishment, condemning attempts to constrain Black Americans and perpetuate systemic injustices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cem>The Black Pack\u003c/em> also highlights the contributions of the four other members, prominently noting Eddie Murphy’s rockstar persona, and ability to leverage Hollywood connections to center African Americans in ways not previously seen in blockbuster films. Keenen Ivory Wayans’ creativity, Arsenio Hall’s charisma and Robert Townsend’s ingenuity are all explored in depth, too. But it’s the sections about Paul Mooney that stand out, mainly because his contributions are so often overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Mooney is credited for discovering \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/tribute-comedy-giant-robin-williams-10-coolest-moments-232971/\">Robin Williams\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.vulture.com/article/sandra-bernhard-paul-mooney-interview.html\">Sandra Bernhard\u003c/a>, as well as writing for\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2005/12/15/5055007/chappelles-show-back-for-a-few-episodes\">\u003cem> Chappelle’s Show\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, where he also played the character ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9oPOeeGcZM\">Negrodamus.\u003c/a>’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So why isn’t Mooney more widely known? Great says it’s because “his work was so outspoken.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mooney himself described his comedy as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.mic.com/culture/paul-mooneys-comedy-found-power-in-making-white-people-uncomfortable-79650074\">a nuclear bomb\u003c/a>” that “blows up and flattens everybody.” He was an “equal opportunity offender,” says Great, who explains that “if white folks weren’t walking out of his comedy sets, he felt like he was doing something wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That success proved to be a double-edged sword. “On the one hand,” Great says of Mooney, “we’re familiar with his work, but on the other hand he was so outspoken and so revolutionary, in terms of his commitment to Black resistance humor, that the industry couldn’t hold that genius.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, as Oakland hosts the \u003ca href=\"https://www.blackcomedycompetition.com/shows\">Bay Area Black Comedy Competition and Festival\u003c/a>, comedians nationwide will pour into the Town, a longtime hotbed for Black resistance humor. As \u003cem>The Black Pack\u003c/em> makes clear, no one used humor as a weapon to fight racism quite like Paul Mooney.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dr. Artel Great reads and discusses ‘The Black Pack: Comedy, Race & Resistance’ on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library (100 Larkin St.m, San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/events/2026/02/11/author-dr-artel-great-black-pack\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Five Top-Tier Bay Area Rappers Unite Under ‘1 Umbrella’",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s a Thursday night in late January, and the members of the newly formed rap supergroup 1 Umbrella are scattered around an \u003ca href=\"https://www.empi.re/\">EMPIRE\u003c/a> recording studio in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cameras and lights are mounted in one room. A TV showing a basketball game is on nearby. The crew is in that limbo native to recording studios: both working hard and somehow simultaneously chilling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/22ndjim/\">22nd Jim\u003c/a> shakes my hand, casually walking past en route to change his outfit. Out back, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/whoisallblack/\">ALLBLACK\u003c/a> gives me a big dap and a hug near people rolling Backwoods. Back inside, behind the bar, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/zaybang/\">Zaybang\u003c/a> mixes a pitcher filled with Sprite and a few other liquids. I congratulate \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yee/\">Lil Yee\u003c/a> on his latest solo project, \u003cem>LIFE AFTER DEATH\u003c/em>, inspired by surviving a recent shooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216.jpg\" alt=\"Six African American men sit in a circle while holding a conversation in a music studio \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw interviews the members of 1 Umbrella at an EMPIRE recording studio in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But we’re not here to talk about last year, nor solo projects. We’re discussing how these four artists, plus \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lilbean/\">Lil Bean\u003c/a> (who’d arrive later), have sparked fire in the Bay with their new supergroup, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1umbrellaofficial/\">1 Umbrella\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group’s debut self-titled album drops Friday, Feb. 6, followed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-3090/\">record signing event the next day at Amoeba Music\u003c/a> in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13983236']Guests on \u003cem>1 Umbrella\u003c/em> include \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larry-june\">Larry June\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler\">1100 Himself\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rexx-life-raj\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>. With production from the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reecebeats/\">Reece Beats\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brutalmoney/\">Brutal Money\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eazydrez/\"> EazyDrez\u003c/a>, the album will undoubtedly be played boisterously from the sound systems of fly cars for months to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To hear the group tell it, their music isn’t “gangsta rap” and it “fasho ain’t hyphy.” It’s lifestyle rap over heavy bass. It’s turf-repping, in-your-face bravado trash talking that comes from “diary entries” based on lived experiences. Above all, it’s a polished glimpse of modern rap from the Bay, made by artists who’ve amplified local street culture for many moons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And to think, it all came together so organically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250.jpg\" alt=\"Two African-American men sit and talk in a studio in San Francisco. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">1 Umbrella members and San Francisco representatives, Lil Bean (left) and Lil Yee (right) discuss the importance of working together to uplift the region as a whole. \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I commented on his post, ‘1 umbrella,’” Lil Bean tells me as I sit down with the group’s five members. “That was a bar,” adds Zaybang of the comment that set this alliance in motion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The members of the group, all with well-decorated solo careers, had already collaborated on one-off songs here and there. But late last year, when 22nd Jim released the video for the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nae30ATotE\">Cash Sh*t\u003c/a>” (featuring Lil Yee and Lil Bean), Lil Bean added his comment to an Instagram post, and it was up from there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there’s been a handful of hip-hop supergroups in California alone — including Westside Connection, T.W.D.Y. and Mount Westmore — when asked who he’d compare the collective to, ALLBLACK pulls an even deeper reference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I listen to a lot of ’70s and ’80s R&B,” he says, leaning back in a folding chair while describing the groups cohesiveness. “I would say we’re the S.O.S. Band … [or] like the Stylistics, you know I mean?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13986388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-2000x1333.jpg\" alt=\"Three African-American men sit in a music studio while being interviewed.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zaybang (center), smiles as he’s flanked by fellow 1 Umbrella group members Lil Yee (left) and ALLBLACK (right). ‘If you put us anywhere, we’re gonna go crazy,’ says ALLBLACK. \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supergroups are often manufactured by a manager or label, says Zaybang, but 1 Umbrella came about naturally. “We frequent each other’s sessions,” says the Frisco lyricist, adding that even when they’re not on a track, they offer each other creative feedback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13986439']Assisting this effort is EMPIRE itself, and its studio. Zaybang says the project technically could have been possible without EMPIRE, but “having a space to come together without even thinking about it, it gives us a good environment where, you feel me, we’re chillin, there’s snacks, and we can just park our whips…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breaking it down in sports terms, Lil Yee interjects, “This is a layup, it’s accessible. Everything else would have been a three-pointer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To their point, Vallejo rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/daboii/\">DaBoii\u003c/a>, who appears on one of the album’s singles, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fZK9sOUoBo\">The Blueprint\u003c/a>,” sat in the next room as we talked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fZK9sOUoBo\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A far reach from Bay Area gangsta rap of the late ’80s and early ’90s, but clearly influenced by the mobb music of the late ’90s, 1 Umbrella’s music comes from young men who grew up during the hyphy era of the early 2000s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked what statement the project makes, Zaybang and Lil Yee reply in tandem, “It’s a new Bay.” 22nd Jim adds, “It’s a new wave, a new sound.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We give all respect to our legends,” says Lil Yee, naming artists he idolizes as predecessors like E-40, Messy Marv and the Jacka. “They put on for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13984638']Wearing a monochrome black outfit accented by a bulky Cuban link chain, Lil Yee refers to the hyphy era as the Bay’s collective past. “It’s like an ancestor to us,” he says — adding that it’s still in us, and, if provoked, “we can show you the real definition of hyphy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I mention that the video for E-40’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GZbaXdK8Js\">Tell Me When To Go\u003c/a>” dropped exactly 20 years ago, 22nd Jim replies, “We was riding bikes in that video.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But times have changed. Many young hip-hop heads in the Bay strive for high-end fashion and foreign cars, not Vans and scrapers. Summing it up in another sports metaphor, Lil Yee says, “Niggas don’t hoop in Chucks no more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986385\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373.jpg\" alt=\"A group of men stand under bright lights with multiple cameras focused on them as they record a rap performance in a music studio.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Music is my diary,’ says ALLBLACK, in reference to his lyrics about pimp culture. ‘That was a part of my life.’ \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There’s something to be said about the Bay being pigeonholed to a popular narrative from two decades ago, especially now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay’s influence in music — and popular culture as a whole — is arguably more prominent than it’s ever been, says 22nd Jim as he leans forward in his seat. “You got my nigga \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ryan-coogler\">Ryan [Coogler]\u003c/a>, he got 16 Oscar [nominations],” he points out. “You got \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kehlani\">Kehlani\u003c/a>, you even got \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> doing what he’s doing.” Add to that the success of musicians \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/miles.minnick/\">Miles Minnick\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bet.com/article/8pjb6y/the-rise-of-jane-handcock-death-rows-new-voice\">JANE HANDCOCK\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/ovrkast-drake-rookie-month-1236024179/\">Ovrkast.\u003c/a> and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5698219/marvels-wonder-man-is-a-low-key-low-stakes-buddy-comedy\">Yahya Abdul-Mateen II\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wearing jet black sunglasses, a baseball hat and a huge chain with an even bigger “22nd” medallion, Jim adds, “There’s room for everyone to eat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the table set, it’s clear that the 1 Umbrella ensemble is ready to feast.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A listening party and record signing event for 1 Umbrella takes place Saturday, Feb. 7, at \u003ca href=\"https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-3090/\">Amoeba Records\u003c/a> (1855 Haight St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-3090/\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s a Thursday night in late January, and the members of the newly formed rap supergroup 1 Umbrella are scattered around an \u003ca href=\"https://www.empi.re/\">EMPIRE\u003c/a> recording studio in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cameras and lights are mounted in one room. A TV showing a basketball game is on nearby. The crew is in that limbo native to recording studios: both working hard and somehow simultaneously chilling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/22ndjim/\">22nd Jim\u003c/a> shakes my hand, casually walking past en route to change his outfit. Out back, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/whoisallblack/\">ALLBLACK\u003c/a> gives me a big dap and a hug near people rolling Backwoods. Back inside, behind the bar, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/zaybang/\">Zaybang\u003c/a> mixes a pitcher filled with Sprite and a few other liquids. I congratulate \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yee/\">Lil Yee\u003c/a> on his latest solo project, \u003cem>LIFE AFTER DEATH\u003c/em>, inspired by surviving a recent shooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216.jpg\" alt=\"Six African American men sit in a circle while holding a conversation in a music studio \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06216-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw interviews the members of 1 Umbrella at an EMPIRE recording studio in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But we’re not here to talk about last year, nor solo projects. We’re discussing how these four artists, plus \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lilbean/\">Lil Bean\u003c/a> (who’d arrive later), have sparked fire in the Bay with their new supergroup, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1umbrellaofficial/\">1 Umbrella\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group’s debut self-titled album drops Friday, Feb. 6, followed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-3090/\">record signing event the next day at Amoeba Music\u003c/a> in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Guests on \u003cem>1 Umbrella\u003c/em> include \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larry-june\">Larry June\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler\">1100 Himself\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rexx-life-raj\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>. With production from the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reecebeats/\">Reece Beats\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brutalmoney/\">Brutal Money\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eazydrez/\"> EazyDrez\u003c/a>, the album will undoubtedly be played boisterously from the sound systems of fly cars for months to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To hear the group tell it, their music isn’t “gangsta rap” and it “fasho ain’t hyphy.” It’s lifestyle rap over heavy bass. It’s turf-repping, in-your-face bravado trash talking that comes from “diary entries” based on lived experiences. Above all, it’s a polished glimpse of modern rap from the Bay, made by artists who’ve amplified local street culture for many moons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And to think, it all came together so organically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250.jpg\" alt=\"Two African-American men sit and talk in a studio in San Francisco. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06250-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">1 Umbrella members and San Francisco representatives, Lil Bean (left) and Lil Yee (right) discuss the importance of working together to uplift the region as a whole. \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I commented on his post, ‘1 umbrella,’” Lil Bean tells me as I sit down with the group’s five members. “That was a bar,” adds Zaybang of the comment that set this alliance in motion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The members of the group, all with well-decorated solo careers, had already collaborated on one-off songs here and there. But late last year, when 22nd Jim released the video for the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nae30ATotE\">Cash Sh*t\u003c/a>” (featuring Lil Yee and Lil Bean), Lil Bean added his comment to an Instagram post, and it was up from there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there’s been a handful of hip-hop supergroups in California alone — including Westside Connection, T.W.D.Y. and Mount Westmore — when asked who he’d compare the collective to, ALLBLACK pulls an even deeper reference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I listen to a lot of ’70s and ’80s R&B,” he says, leaning back in a folding chair while describing the groups cohesiveness. “I would say we’re the S.O.S. Band … [or] like the Stylistics, you know I mean?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13986388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-2000x1333.jpg\" alt=\"Three African-American men sit in a music studio while being interviewed.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06207.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zaybang (center), smiles as he’s flanked by fellow 1 Umbrella group members Lil Yee (left) and ALLBLACK (right). ‘If you put us anywhere, we’re gonna go crazy,’ says ALLBLACK. \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supergroups are often manufactured by a manager or label, says Zaybang, but 1 Umbrella came about naturally. “We frequent each other’s sessions,” says the Frisco lyricist, adding that even when they’re not on a track, they offer each other creative feedback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Assisting this effort is EMPIRE itself, and its studio. Zaybang says the project technically could have been possible without EMPIRE, but “having a space to come together without even thinking about it, it gives us a good environment where, you feel me, we’re chillin, there’s snacks, and we can just park our whips…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breaking it down in sports terms, Lil Yee interjects, “This is a layup, it’s accessible. Everything else would have been a three-pointer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To their point, Vallejo rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/daboii/\">DaBoii\u003c/a>, who appears on one of the album’s singles, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fZK9sOUoBo\">The Blueprint\u003c/a>,” sat in the next room as we talked.\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/1fZK9sOUoBo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1fZK9sOUoBo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>A far reach from Bay Area gangsta rap of the late ’80s and early ’90s, but clearly influenced by the mobb music of the late ’90s, 1 Umbrella’s music comes from young men who grew up during the hyphy era of the early 2000s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked what statement the project makes, Zaybang and Lil Yee reply in tandem, “It’s a new Bay.” 22nd Jim adds, “It’s a new wave, a new sound.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We give all respect to our legends,” says Lil Yee, naming artists he idolizes as predecessors like E-40, Messy Marv and the Jacka. “They put on for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Wearing a monochrome black outfit accented by a bulky Cuban link chain, Lil Yee refers to the hyphy era as the Bay’s collective past. “It’s like an ancestor to us,” he says — adding that it’s still in us, and, if provoked, “we can show you the real definition of hyphy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I mention that the video for E-40’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GZbaXdK8Js\">Tell Me When To Go\u003c/a>” dropped exactly 20 years ago, 22nd Jim replies, “We was riding bikes in that video.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But times have changed. Many young hip-hop heads in the Bay strive for high-end fashion and foreign cars, not Vans and scrapers. Summing it up in another sports metaphor, Lil Yee says, “Niggas don’t hoop in Chucks no more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13986385\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13986385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373.jpg\" alt=\"A group of men stand under bright lights with multiple cameras focused on them as they record a rap performance in a music studio.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/A7R06373-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Music is my diary,’ says ALLBLACK, in reference to his lyrics about pimp culture. ‘That was a part of my life.’ \u003ccite>(Brandon Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There’s something to be said about the Bay being pigeonholed to a popular narrative from two decades ago, especially now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay’s influence in music — and popular culture as a whole — is arguably more prominent than it’s ever been, says 22nd Jim as he leans forward in his seat. “You got my nigga \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ryan-coogler\">Ryan [Coogler]\u003c/a>, he got 16 Oscar [nominations],” he points out. “You got \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kehlani\">Kehlani\u003c/a>, you even got \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> doing what he’s doing.” Add to that the success of musicians \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/miles.minnick/\">Miles Minnick\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bet.com/article/8pjb6y/the-rise-of-jane-handcock-death-rows-new-voice\">JANE HANDCOCK\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/ovrkast-drake-rookie-month-1236024179/\">Ovrkast.\u003c/a> and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5698219/marvels-wonder-man-is-a-low-key-low-stakes-buddy-comedy\">Yahya Abdul-Mateen II\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wearing jet black sunglasses, a baseball hat and a huge chain with an even bigger “22nd” medallion, Jim adds, “There’s room for everyone to eat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the table set, it’s clear that the 1 Umbrella ensemble is ready to feast.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A listening party and record signing event for 1 Umbrella takes place Saturday, Feb. 7, at \u003ca href=\"https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-3090/\">Amoeba Records\u003c/a> (1855 Haight St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-3090/\">Details and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-new-art-installation-celebrates-oscar-grants-40th-birthday",
"title": "A New Art Installation Celebrates Oscar Grant’s 40th Birthday",
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"headTitle": "A New Art Installation Celebrates Oscar Grant’s 40th Birthday | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985966\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1829px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985966\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"An African American woman wearing glasses and a leather jacket stands at a phone booth holding a phone and looking into the distance.\" width=\"1829\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-scaled.jpg 1829w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-1097x1536.jpg 1097w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-1463x2048.jpg 1463w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1829px) 100vw, 1829px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Wanda Johnson, mother of the late Oscar Grant. \u003ccite>(Mohammad Gorjestani)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>February 27, 2026 will mark \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oscar-grant\">Oscar Grant\u003c/a>’s 40th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grant was killed at the age of 22 on New Year’s Day 2009, when he was shot on a platform at Oakland’s Fruitvale BART station by then-transit cop Johannes Mehserle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The widely shared video of Grant’s murder set off a chain of protests and calls for police accountability, along with plays, music, and films — including Ryan Coogler’s \u003ca href=\"https://staging.yr.media/news/fruitvale-the-movie-will-the-world-feel-it-like-we-do-in-oakland/\">\u003cem>Fruitvale Station\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Grant’s birthday this year, and every year since his killing, his mother Rev. Wanda Johnson and the \u003ca href=\"https://oscargrantfoundation.org/event/15th-annual-oscar-grant-foundation-fundraiser-gala/\">Oscar Grant Foundation\u003c/a> host an annual fundraiser and gala.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='news_11823246']Ahead of this year’s event, the multimedia project \u003ca href=\"https://1800happybirthday.com/\">\u003cem>1-800 Happy Birthday\u003c/em>\u003c/a> will celebrate the life of Grant on Sunday, Feb. 1, with a free \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/events/1800-happy-birthday-bpp?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnp8VemYm4U2ph3tqZDISocsR8xbzirvuMrxLQmUvo67hIwIyX7dV9ixcUhFY_aem_RkpUrhtqScYiWqwQXPfHsg\">event showcasing an art installation at Oakland’s Black Panther Party Musuem\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The installation, which will run through Feb. 28, takes the form of a phone booth that displays intimate family photos and birthday balloons. By lifting the phone receiver, audiences are able to hear audio recordings submitted by loved ones and community members, sharing their sentiments about the man whose life was stolen 17 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you want to see something that’s amazing,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11639679/nine-years-after-oscar-grants-death-his-mother-continues-to-speak-out\">Johnson\u003c/a> tells me during a recent conversation, “go look at the booth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson’s son is one of many “celebrants” honored by \u003cem>1-800-Happy Birthday\u003c/em>, a project created by San Jose-raised filmmaker and co-founder of \u003ca href=\"https://evenodd.studio/\">Even/Odd Studio\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928650/pens-pals-putting-on-for-tehran-in-the-bay\">Mohammad Gorjestani\u003c/a>. At the time of Grant’s death, Gorjestani, now based in San Francisco, recalls being too young to fully process it but infuriated nonetheless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_.jpg\" alt=\"A candid photo of a man with a black and orange SF Giants hat and a black hoodie, as he stands behind a microphone addressing an audience. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raised in San Jose and based in San Francisco, filmmaker and multimedia artist Mohammad Gorjestani says the killing of Oscar Grant in 2009 inspired his ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ project. \u003ccite>(Erick Salazar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Seeing Oscar’s mom on television,” Gorjestani says, recalling the interviews of Johnson in the wake of Grant’s killing, “the pain that she was feeling, I couldn’t really approach it too much because it was just so overwhelming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sensitive to Johnson’s emotions, Gorjestani was inspired to do more than protest — he wanted to serve the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003cem>1-800 Happy Birthday\u003c/em> is really meant to be an honoring, an intervention, and a confrontation of the epidemic of police killings in America and state-sanctioned violence,” he tells me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project’s first iteration came in 2014, when Gorjestani debuted his short film, \u003cem>Happy Birthday Oscar Grant\u003c/em>. That was followed by two more films dedicated to people killed by armed police officers: \u003cem>\u003ci>Happy Birthday \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/mario-woods\">Mario Woods \u003c/a>\u003c/i>\u003c/em>and\u003cem>\u003ci> Happy Birthday \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/07/485066807/police-stop-ends-in-black-mans-death-aftermath-is-livestreamed-online-video\">Philando Castile\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985962\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985962\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-scaled.jpg\" alt='A photo of a payphone booth surrounded by lit candles, the words \"1-800 Happy Birthday\" inscribed at the top.' width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ voicemails bring audiences into intimate dialogue. ‘Listening to someone speak in the second-person‘ moves [celebrants] out of a name and a headline, and more into a person that you might have known as well,’ says Mohammad Gorjestani, the installation’s creator. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of FOR-SITE; Photo by Shaun Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Filmmaking proved to be taxing, and the COVID-19 pandemic added even more hurdles to that process. So, in July of 2020, Gorjestani pivoted, creating a hotline people could call to leave voicemails celebrating the life of Mario Woods. After receiving over 100 calls, he put the recordings on a website, where they could be heard publicly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gorjestani then replicated this process for over a dozen other families.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The online project expanded to an in-person art installation in the fall of 2022, when Gorjestani teamed up with the New York-based arts nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/\">WORTHLESSSTUDIOS\u003c/a>. They created a \u003cem>1-800 Happy Birthday\u003c/em> exhibition in Brooklyn, where people listened to voicemails honoring celebrants on refurbished New York City pay phones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We try to really pivot the way people engage with these tragedies,” says Gorjestani of the project. He stresses the importance of language, rephrasing “victims” to “celebrants,” highlighting that people who’ve had their lives taken also had birthdays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985963\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4.jpg\" alt='A colorful photo showing a wall of framed images and a banner that reads \"happy birthday\"' width=\"1280\" height=\"898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ‘celebrants’ featured in the ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ project span a wide range of people from across the U.S. who’ve been killed by police violence. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of FOR-SITE; Photo by Shaun Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>By viewing people by the the day they were born instead of the day they died, their story becomes more relatable. “This was a person who had a birthday just like you,” Gorjestani says, “[a person] who had dreams and aspirations just like you, bad days and good days just like you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late last year, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS, Gorjestani’s Even/Odd studio and the police reform group \u003ca class=\"color-link\" title=\"https://campaignzero.org/\" href=\"https://campaignzero.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https://campaignzero.org/\" aria-label=\"police reform organization Campaign Zero\">Campaign Zero\u003c/a> secured\u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2025/12/03/1-million-for-1-800-happy-birthday-to-continue-work-celebrating-lives-of-victims-of-police-violence/\"> $1 million\u003c/a> in funding from the \u003ca class=\"color-link\" title=\"https://www.mellon.org/article/the-monuments-project-initiative\" href=\"https://www.mellon.org/article/the-monuments-project-initiative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https://www.mellon.org/article/the-monuments-project-initiative\" aria-label=\"Mellon Foundation\">Mellon Foundation\u003c/a>, \u003cspan style=\"color: black\">\u003ca href=\"https://sff.org/\">the San Francisco Foundation\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.calendow.org/\">the California Endowment\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebcf.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22475534524&gbraid=0AAAAAo7ul84HdjeEL5jiuvhIhm8ecJJxd&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyvHLBhDlARIsAHxl6xrbL_jisYD9Q1f77UEzAljpkb8uVi6mCuPqyoBABmqLLkip27ov_X0aAsa4EALw_wcB\">the East Bay Community Foundation\u003c/a>\u003c/span> to support a national expansion of the exhibition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They debuted the latest iteration earlier this month at San Francisco’s FOG Art Fair at Fort Mason. With curatorial support from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bjmcbride23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benjamin “BJ” McBride,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/freeasnow?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">Free Alexander Tripp’s\u003c/a> insights on exhibition design and the backing of \u003ca href=\"https://www.for-site.org/the-guardhouse-program\">FOR-SITE’s Guardhouse Program\u003c/a>, they created a space where community members and families who’ve lost children to police violence could celebrate their loved ones’ legacies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Oscar Grant’s mother, Johnson was one of the many people present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson says many of the project’s messages for her son have come from people who didn’t know Oscar personally. “They will tell you, ‘I don’t know you Oscar, but I’m praying for your family,'” she says, adding that people have also left happy birthday wishes, along with songs and poems. “It’s beautiful to see, and it’s beautiful to hear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985964\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK.jpg\" alt=\"A photo of a woman in a hat, jacket and glasses holding a microphone while speaking to a crowd outside of a building at night. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Wanda Johnson speaks to the crowd at the opening for ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Erick Salazar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Visitors get to learn intimate details about people who they might only know as names in news headlines or hashtags on social media, Johnson says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You get to see some of the clothing that they [wore], you get to see some beautiful photos that they’ve taken,” she explains. “It’s really an eye-opener. It’s sad, but it’s beautiful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The artwork also gives those like Johnson a chance to speak on the continued legacy of their family members. Since Grant’s killing, there have been numerous murals painted in his honor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11753459/bart-unveils-oscar-grant-mural-and-street-sign-at-fruitvale-station\">a street sign mounted at Fruitvale BART\u003c/a> that bears his name and the creation of a community center operated by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://curyj.org/\">CURYJ\u003c/a> called the \u003ca href=\"https://curyj.org/website-style-reference/\">Oscar Grant Youth Power Zone\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the policy realm, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2010/news20100716\">modifications to police practices on BART\u003c/a> have been instituted, as well as significant changes to policing policies in the state of California. Most notably, 2018’s police transparency bill SB 1421 led to the release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11744106/bart-releases-report-with-new-details-of-officers-roles-in-oscar-grant-killing\">BART’s police records on Oscar Grant’s killing.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ripple effect of Grant’s legacy has also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101868925/10-years-later-oscar-grants-legacy-continues-to-inspire-artists-and-activists\">inspired artists and activists to create organizations that still stand to this day\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985951\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1829px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985951\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-scaled.jpg\" alt='A black and white image of an African American woman in a black leather jacket and glasses standing at a phone booth where two \"happy birthday\" balloons are mounted. ' width=\"1829\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-scaled.jpg 1829w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-1097x1536.jpg 1097w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-1463x2048.jpg 1463w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1829px) 100vw, 1829px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, poses for a photo at the 1-800 Happy Birthday installation in Brooklyn in 2022. \u003ccite>(Mohammad Gorjestani)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Johnson has also evolved. She’s now an internationally recognized activist who works with families who’ve lost children to gun violence, as well as a seminary student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My end goal is to have a doctorate in theology,” she says, elaborating that her intention is to combine religious research with her work in quelling community violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for addressing the root cause of malicious acts, Johnson first points out the commonalities we all share as human beings. “It doesn’t matter what color you are,” Johnson professes, “if we cut each other, we bleed red blood, right?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just about understanding the reason for hate, she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In order for our society to become a more productive society,” she says, “it’s going to require some love.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The opening event for \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/events/1800-happy-birthday-bpp\">‘1-800 Happy Birthday’\u003c/a> takes place Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Black Panther Party Museum (1427 Broadway, Oakland); the exhibition runs through Feb. 28. \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/events/1800-happy-birthday-bpp\">More information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "A New Art Installation Celebrates Oscar Grant’s 40th Birthday | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985966\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1829px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985966\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"An African American woman wearing glasses and a leather jacket stands at a phone booth holding a phone and looking into the distance.\" width=\"1829\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-scaled.jpg 1829w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-1097x1536.jpg 1097w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/wEoi8Bnw-1463x2048.jpg 1463w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1829px) 100vw, 1829px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Wanda Johnson, mother of the late Oscar Grant. \u003ccite>(Mohammad Gorjestani)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>February 27, 2026 will mark \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oscar-grant\">Oscar Grant\u003c/a>’s 40th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grant was killed at the age of 22 on New Year’s Day 2009, when he was shot on a platform at Oakland’s Fruitvale BART station by then-transit cop Johannes Mehserle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The widely shared video of Grant’s murder set off a chain of protests and calls for police accountability, along with plays, music, and films — including Ryan Coogler’s \u003ca href=\"https://staging.yr.media/news/fruitvale-the-movie-will-the-world-feel-it-like-we-do-in-oakland/\">\u003cem>Fruitvale Station\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Grant’s birthday this year, and every year since his killing, his mother Rev. Wanda Johnson and the \u003ca href=\"https://oscargrantfoundation.org/event/15th-annual-oscar-grant-foundation-fundraiser-gala/\">Oscar Grant Foundation\u003c/a> host an annual fundraiser and gala.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Ahead of this year’s event, the multimedia project \u003ca href=\"https://1800happybirthday.com/\">\u003cem>1-800 Happy Birthday\u003c/em>\u003c/a> will celebrate the life of Grant on Sunday, Feb. 1, with a free \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/events/1800-happy-birthday-bpp?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnp8VemYm4U2ph3tqZDISocsR8xbzirvuMrxLQmUvo67hIwIyX7dV9ixcUhFY_aem_RkpUrhtqScYiWqwQXPfHsg\">event showcasing an art installation at Oakland’s Black Panther Party Musuem\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The installation, which will run through Feb. 28, takes the form of a phone booth that displays intimate family photos and birthday balloons. By lifting the phone receiver, audiences are able to hear audio recordings submitted by loved ones and community members, sharing their sentiments about the man whose life was stolen 17 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you want to see something that’s amazing,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11639679/nine-years-after-oscar-grants-death-his-mother-continues-to-speak-out\">Johnson\u003c/a> tells me during a recent conversation, “go look at the booth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson’s son is one of many “celebrants” honored by \u003cem>1-800-Happy Birthday\u003c/em>, a project created by San Jose-raised filmmaker and co-founder of \u003ca href=\"https://evenodd.studio/\">Even/Odd Studio\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928650/pens-pals-putting-on-for-tehran-in-the-bay\">Mohammad Gorjestani\u003c/a>. At the time of Grant’s death, Gorjestani, now based in San Francisco, recalls being too young to fully process it but infuriated nonetheless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_.jpg\" alt=\"A candid photo of a man with a black and orange SF Giants hat and a black hoodie, as he stands behind a microphone addressing an audience. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/EpTP0KT_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raised in San Jose and based in San Francisco, filmmaker and multimedia artist Mohammad Gorjestani says the killing of Oscar Grant in 2009 inspired his ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ project. \u003ccite>(Erick Salazar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Seeing Oscar’s mom on television,” Gorjestani says, recalling the interviews of Johnson in the wake of Grant’s killing, “the pain that she was feeling, I couldn’t really approach it too much because it was just so overwhelming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sensitive to Johnson’s emotions, Gorjestani was inspired to do more than protest — he wanted to serve the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003cem>1-800 Happy Birthday\u003c/em> is really meant to be an honoring, an intervention, and a confrontation of the epidemic of police killings in America and state-sanctioned violence,” he tells me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project’s first iteration came in 2014, when Gorjestani debuted his short film, \u003cem>Happy Birthday Oscar Grant\u003c/em>. That was followed by two more films dedicated to people killed by armed police officers: \u003cem>\u003ci>Happy Birthday \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/mario-woods\">Mario Woods \u003c/a>\u003c/i>\u003c/em>and\u003cem>\u003ci> Happy Birthday \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/07/485066807/police-stop-ends-in-black-mans-death-aftermath-is-livestreamed-online-video\">Philando Castile\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985962\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985962\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-scaled.jpg\" alt='A photo of a payphone booth surrounded by lit candles, the words \"1-800 Happy Birthday\" inscribed at the top.' width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/joiJIDcD-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ voicemails bring audiences into intimate dialogue. ‘Listening to someone speak in the second-person‘ moves [celebrants] out of a name and a headline, and more into a person that you might have known as well,’ says Mohammad Gorjestani, the installation’s creator. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of FOR-SITE; Photo by Shaun Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Filmmaking proved to be taxing, and the COVID-19 pandemic added even more hurdles to that process. So, in July of 2020, Gorjestani pivoted, creating a hotline people could call to leave voicemails celebrating the life of Mario Woods. After receiving over 100 calls, he put the recordings on a website, where they could be heard publicly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gorjestani then replicated this process for over a dozen other families.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The online project expanded to an in-person art installation in the fall of 2022, when Gorjestani teamed up with the New York-based arts nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/\">WORTHLESSSTUDIOS\u003c/a>. They created a \u003cem>1-800 Happy Birthday\u003c/em> exhibition in Brooklyn, where people listened to voicemails honoring celebrants on refurbished New York City pay phones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We try to really pivot the way people engage with these tragedies,” says Gorjestani of the project. He stresses the importance of language, rephrasing “victims” to “celebrants,” highlighting that people who’ve had their lives taken also had birthdays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985963\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4.jpg\" alt='A colorful photo showing a wall of framed images and a banner that reads \"happy birthday\"' width=\"1280\" height=\"898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/R45R_RL4-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ‘celebrants’ featured in the ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ project span a wide range of people from across the U.S. who’ve been killed by police violence. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of FOR-SITE; Photo by Shaun Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>By viewing people by the the day they were born instead of the day they died, their story becomes more relatable. “This was a person who had a birthday just like you,” Gorjestani says, “[a person] who had dreams and aspirations just like you, bad days and good days just like you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late last year, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS, Gorjestani’s Even/Odd studio and the police reform group \u003ca class=\"color-link\" title=\"https://campaignzero.org/\" href=\"https://campaignzero.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https://campaignzero.org/\" aria-label=\"police reform organization Campaign Zero\">Campaign Zero\u003c/a> secured\u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2025/12/03/1-million-for-1-800-happy-birthday-to-continue-work-celebrating-lives-of-victims-of-police-violence/\"> $1 million\u003c/a> in funding from the \u003ca class=\"color-link\" title=\"https://www.mellon.org/article/the-monuments-project-initiative\" href=\"https://www.mellon.org/article/the-monuments-project-initiative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https://www.mellon.org/article/the-monuments-project-initiative\" aria-label=\"Mellon Foundation\">Mellon Foundation\u003c/a>, \u003cspan style=\"color: black\">\u003ca href=\"https://sff.org/\">the San Francisco Foundation\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.calendow.org/\">the California Endowment\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebcf.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22475534524&gbraid=0AAAAAo7ul84HdjeEL5jiuvhIhm8ecJJxd&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyvHLBhDlARIsAHxl6xrbL_jisYD9Q1f77UEzAljpkb8uVi6mCuPqyoBABmqLLkip27ov_X0aAsa4EALw_wcB\">the East Bay Community Foundation\u003c/a>\u003c/span> to support a national expansion of the exhibition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They debuted the latest iteration earlier this month at San Francisco’s FOG Art Fair at Fort Mason. With curatorial support from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bjmcbride23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benjamin “BJ” McBride,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/freeasnow?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">Free Alexander Tripp’s\u003c/a> insights on exhibition design and the backing of \u003ca href=\"https://www.for-site.org/the-guardhouse-program\">FOR-SITE’s Guardhouse Program\u003c/a>, they created a space where community members and families who’ve lost children to police violence could celebrate their loved ones’ legacies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Oscar Grant’s mother, Johnson was one of the many people present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson says many of the project’s messages for her son have come from people who didn’t know Oscar personally. “They will tell you, ‘I don’t know you Oscar, but I’m praying for your family,'” she says, adding that people have also left happy birthday wishes, along with songs and poems. “It’s beautiful to see, and it’s beautiful to hear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985964\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK.jpg\" alt=\"A photo of a woman in a hat, jacket and glasses holding a microphone while speaking to a crowd outside of a building at night. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hzLRqjnK-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Wanda Johnson speaks to the crowd at the opening for ‘1-800 Happy Birthday’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Erick Salazar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Visitors get to learn intimate details about people who they might only know as names in news headlines or hashtags on social media, Johnson says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You get to see some of the clothing that they [wore], you get to see some beautiful photos that they’ve taken,” she explains. “It’s really an eye-opener. It’s sad, but it’s beautiful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The artwork also gives those like Johnson a chance to speak on the continued legacy of their family members. Since Grant’s killing, there have been numerous murals painted in his honor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11753459/bart-unveils-oscar-grant-mural-and-street-sign-at-fruitvale-station\">a street sign mounted at Fruitvale BART\u003c/a> that bears his name and the creation of a community center operated by the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://curyj.org/\">CURYJ\u003c/a> called the \u003ca href=\"https://curyj.org/website-style-reference/\">Oscar Grant Youth Power Zone\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the policy realm, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2010/news20100716\">modifications to police practices on BART\u003c/a> have been instituted, as well as significant changes to policing policies in the state of California. Most notably, 2018’s police transparency bill SB 1421 led to the release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11744106/bart-releases-report-with-new-details-of-officers-roles-in-oscar-grant-killing\">BART’s police records on Oscar Grant’s killing.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ripple effect of Grant’s legacy has also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101868925/10-years-later-oscar-grants-legacy-continues-to-inspire-artists-and-activists\">inspired artists and activists to create organizations that still stand to this day\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985951\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1829px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985951\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-scaled.jpg\" alt='A black and white image of an African American woman in a black leather jacket and glasses standing at a phone booth where two \"happy birthday\" balloons are mounted. ' width=\"1829\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-scaled.jpg 1829w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-1097x1536.jpg 1097w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/hRY3W_mA-1463x2048.jpg 1463w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1829px) 100vw, 1829px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rev. Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, poses for a photo at the 1-800 Happy Birthday installation in Brooklyn in 2022. \u003ccite>(Mohammad Gorjestani)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Johnson has also evolved. She’s now an internationally recognized activist who works with families who’ve lost children to gun violence, as well as a seminary student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My end goal is to have a doctorate in theology,” she says, elaborating that her intention is to combine religious research with her work in quelling community violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for addressing the root cause of malicious acts, Johnson first points out the commonalities we all share as human beings. “It doesn’t matter what color you are,” Johnson professes, “if we cut each other, we bleed red blood, right?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just about understanding the reason for hate, she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In order for our society to become a more productive society,” she says, “it’s going to require some love.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The opening event for \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/events/1800-happy-birthday-bpp\">‘1-800 Happy Birthday’\u003c/a> takes place Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Black Panther Party Museum (1427 Broadway, Oakland); the exhibition runs through Feb. 28. \u003ca href=\"https://worthlessstudios.org/events/1800-happy-birthday-bpp\">More information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"order": 1
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"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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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"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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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
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"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",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"meta": {
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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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
},
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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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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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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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/",
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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": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"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",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
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