Crosscurrents

From 2015 to 2023, 34 Black women from the Bay Area — gathered monthly around a big dining room table in Oakland. They were artists, scholars, midwives, nurses, an architect, an ice cream maker, a theater director, a choreographer, musicians, a donut maker, educators, sex trafficking abolitionists and survivors. Together, they used theater, dance, and ritual to address issues plaguing their community. Today, we take a seat at their table in part one of this special two part story from our friends at the Kitchen Sisters.

Today, we hear about a sport for blind athletes that relies on only hearing and touch to play. Emboldening athletes on and off the court with goalball. Then, a local playwright questions if Shakespeare actually wrote the literature credited to him. Plus, a Bay Area Author reads from his new YA novel. 

Every Wednesday night in Berkeley a group of athletes gets ready to practice their sport. The first thing they have to do is line the court with a tactile marker––string taped to the floor around the perimeter––because this game relies on just two senses, hearing and feeling. This is goalball, a sport invented for blind and low vision people which involves hurling a heavy ball filled with bells at each other. It is sort of the opposite of dodge ball because players are trying to block the ball with their bodies. It might sound painful! So KALW's Rachel Longan visited a goalball tournament and later even padded up to play to find out if it is worth the risk.

William Shakespeare is possibly the most widely recognized writer in western literature… but did he actually write every single thing he gets credit for? It's a controversial question that many have explored over the years. Including playwright and Oakland native Ted Lange.His new play “Shakespeare Over My Shoulder” is a production of the San Francisco Based African-American Shakespeare Company. KALW's Jenee Darden spoke with Ted Lange for “The Sights + Sounds Show.” Here's an excerpt of their conversation.

Now, a segment from New Arrivals, our pocket sized book tour with Bay Area authors. Jase Peeples lives in San Francisco. His new book is, "Before You Can Fly." It's a young adult coming of age romance set in 1988, that follows Clayton Wheeler, a gay, comic-book obsessed teen who is struggling with his growing feelings for his best friend. 

San Francisco's Sunset district is a quiet, residential area… where almost every house has a locked gate at its front door. Today, what makes a neighborhood safe? Then, we hear a podcast that acknowledges the doom, and envision the bloom, of our shared climate future. Plus, a poet reminds us why fighting for the climate is a way to save ourselves.

If you've seen some of the ads in the BART stations… or San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's posts on Instagram… you may notice an emphasis on safety and security in the city. But if you go back in time, there's physical evidence that this rhetoric isn't new. You can find it in neighborhoods all over the Bay.Take the Sunset district, on San Francisco's westside, where almost every house has a heavy iron gate. KALW's Rae Kim went right up to the proverbial front door to find out how those gates got there—and what they might be keeping out.

Oakland poet Cyrus Armajani helps us pause to consider nature, humanity, and freedom. Here he is, reading his poem, "Free."

Here's a question. When you talk about an issue you deeply care about, like climate change- what's the reaction from the people around you, in your life? Are they supportive, are they dismissive? Sometimes you're the lone voice at your workplace, or in your family, pushing others to recycle or compost properly… and that can be isolating.That was the topic of discussion at a recent event held here at our KALW event space in downtown San Francisco. We hosted a live recording of the climate-focused podcast Doom and Bloom, hosted by Marc O'Brien. His guest was Dr. Renee Lertzman - a psychologist, researcher, and strategist. In this excerpt, she talks about why some people struggle to act on climate change, despite caring deeply about it-  and how it feels to be that lone voice in the room… 

Illegal dumping is a big problem in Oakland. Today, we'll from unhoused people about how the excess garbage that accumulates around encampments impacts their daily lives — and, some of the strategies they use to manage it.

Today, we check in with our transportation reporter to get the latest on the spiking gas prices around the Bay Area. Then, Americana and roots singer Miko Marks, talks about her special residency at Yoshi's. And, a Samoan dynasty in Deathmatch Wrestling.

Getting around the bay has never been… cheap. But if you've stopped to fill up your gas tank recently, you've definitely noticed that the price per gallon, even with a cash discount, is higher than ever.To understand what's influencing that rapid increase in gas prices, Crosscurrents host Hana Baba speaks with KALW's transportation reporter Zain Iqbal, for a segment of what we call “Getting Around the Bay.”

The Oakland-based singer, Miko Marks, first came onto the music scene as a country artist. But Miko's powerful vocal range is wide, and so is her creativity. Now she identifies as an Americana and roots singer. She currently has a residency at Yoshi's in Oakland that's running now throughout the summer. Her next show is Thursday, May 21st. And her special guest is jazz legend Faye Carol. Miko sat down with KALW's Jenee Darden on “The Sights + Sounds Show.” They spoke about Miko's growth as an artist. Here's an excerpt of that interview.

May is when we celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage. Next we'll drop in on the world of wrestling. In the Bay Area's world of pro-wrestling, Polynesian wrestlers are a small but influential group, with a rich and proud history. We bring you their story from our Culture Keepers series – celebrating the Bay Area's unique spaces and people.Pro-wrestling is DRAMATIC. A combination of storytelling, live theater, sports and entertainment. And Wrestling has a lot of sub-groups… with individual lore, fandoms, and legacies. Reporter Demetrius Johnson introduces us to a wrestler from a Samoan pro-wrestling dynasty, in this story from March 2025.

Oaklanders are angry about the trash spilling onto their streets. Today, an exploration of Oakland's illegal dumping crisis. And, why unhoused people often get the blame.

Illegal dumping in Oakland is not an issue you can deny, if you spend enough time in the city you will be met again and again by sprawling, incomprehensible mountains of trash. Last year, municipal crews in the city of Oakland collected over 7 million pounds of illegally dumped waste from city streets.And that's just what they cleared, the trash on the streets keeps piling up. KALW's Arlen Levy went to find out where it's all coming from, and what's being done to clean things up.

An Oakland musician challenges traditions, while also keeping them alive. Today, the music of World War 2 incarceration camps that helped Japanese Americans protest, connect, and heal. Then, Hrishikesh Hirway, host of the hit podcast Song Exploder, shares how the show, and his new album, came to be.

Today we start with this question: What are the first sounds that come to mind when you think about war? If you happen to say music  - you're not alone. Oakland musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto would agree.She is a beloved musician who has played music her whole life. And it's music deeply influenced by her family's history. She's the descendant of Japanese immigrants who were incarcerated during World War 2. Even after nearly seven decades of performing, Muramoto still shares the songs, and histories, with anyone who wants to listen. KALW's Cara Nguyen wanted to know more.

Hrishikesh Hirway is best known as the host of the hit podcast Song Exploder - where he asks musicians to break down their creative process. Last spring, KALW's Music Director Tshego Letsoalo got the distinct privilege of creating a sort of offshoot to Hirway's podcast with Song Exploder Remix. Each week she stitches together a few episodes from the podcast around a common theme. And the only place you can hear it is on KALW!Now, Hirway has released an album of his own, called In the Last Hour of Light. He'll be performing here in the Bay this coming weekend. Tshego spoke with Hear-way to learn more about his relationship with music. Here's part of their conversation.

Today, we hear about a new women's tackle football team has touched down in Oakland. Then, the past, present, and future of women's basketball in the Bay.

Football is the most popular sport in America. But, that love doesn't necessarily extend to athletes who aren't cisgender men. And old, out-dated attitudes about who can (and should) play football, aren't stopping athletes from making their mark on the sport. At Oakland's Laney College, there's a storm brewing… The Golden State Storm to be exact! It's the newest women's tackle football team in the Women's National Football Conference. Kris Grimes is the team's star running back. KALW's Jordan Karnes spoke to Grimes about their move to the Bay Area, and the effort to help the Storm build a competitive team.

Last year, here at KALW, we rebooted our sports podcast, BOUNCE to follow the Valks progress through their first season in the Bay. And BOUNCE will be back following the second Valks season that just started. So recently we hosted a live event celebrating the launch: a tip off party. The event featured a panel discussing Valkyries, and explored the past, present and future of women's basketball in the Bay Area.

Oakland is at a crossroads with its policies on homelessness. Today, we hear a conversation with Oaklandside housing and homelessness reporter Natalie Orenstein. But first, why it used to be an uphill battle to publish poetry about motherhood. A special live recording of “The Mother Of It All, podcast.” Plus, a reading from a local author. 

Leading up to Mother's Day, KALW's show Bay Made, our series that features local audio storytellers, has been airing episodes of the podcast “The Mother Of It All.” The show dives into the different aspects about being a mother, with candid conversations about everything from pregnancy in the digital age, parenting trans children and even the cult of Dr. Becky. The hosts Sarah Wheeler and Miranda Rake capped off their week-long run of episodes on KALW by hosting a live taping of their podcast at our San Francisco live event space at 220 Montgomery. For their guest, they brought Rachel Richardson, the co-founder of Left Margin Lit, a literary arts community in Berkeley and the author of the poetry book “Smother.” In this excerpt, Richardson describes why she opens her book with a quote from J.D. McClatchy, the former editor of the Yale Review. McClatchy has written that he “automatically rejects any poem with the word mother in it."To wrap up the live taping Richardson read a piece she wrote about a tree-planting she took her kids too after the 2013 Rim Fire, here is her poem “After Fire.” Rachel Richardson will be speaking at the Bay Area Book Festival on May 30th. 

Life is going to get tougher for Oakland's homeless population. Last month, the city council approved a new law on encampment sweeps that gives new powers to conduct sweeps, no longer requiring the city to provide housing for those who are displaced.At the same time, Mayor Barbara Lee has established a new office on homeless affairs, pushing against this policy of removing encampments without offering temporary housing options. Natalie Orenstein is a senior reporter with The Oaklandside, who's been covering the story. She spoke to KALW's news editor Sunni Khalid to explore the tensions with two policies that seem at odds.

Today, a segment from New Arrivals- our pocket sized book tour with Bay Area authors. In her book ‘ Why Fly? San Francisco author and pilot Caroline Paul takes us into the cockpit for the harrowing seconds and quick decisions that need to be made during/ an engine failure. 

California is suing the federal government to save our Clean Air Act. Today, a conversation with our Attorney General Rob Bonta. Then, the lead singer of the band Electric Ex explains the process behind their new album Analog Therapy. Plus, authors read from their books about nature, and humanity.

Right now, the state of California has a very litigious relationship with the federal government. Currently our state is actively working on 67 separate lawsuits against Trump's administration. The legal disputes range from tariffs, public housing funding, sanctuary city policies, ICE agents wearing masks and even birth right citizenship.And, something notable is that almost a quarter of all the lawsuits are related to protecting our environment. Staying on top of all the litigation is the job of our state's Attorney General Rob Bonta. A few weeks ago he visited our live event space in downtown San Francisco to talk with Ethan Elkind, the host of KALW's show Climate Break.Bonta spoke about one of the most crucial climate lawsuits that is in the court system right now, the fight for our state's Clean Air Act. Nearly half of our carbon emissions come from transportation, but last year the US Senate voted to block California's mandate to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035.  In this excerpt, Bonta gives an update on how the lawsuit to protect the Clean Air Act is progressing…

Treasure Island is changing fast — and a new professional women's soccer facility is part of that transformation. Today, how it's bringing opportunity, and uncertainty. Then, the artists behind a climate inspired art show in Downtown San Francisco.

Treasure Island redevelopment is underway. For months, construction crews have been building new housing, parks, and roads, transforming the island from a quiet, low-income community into one of San Francisco's biggest new neighborhoods. The city hopes to bring thousands of new residents to the Island /as part of its plan to expand housing across San Francisco. Reporter Grace McCarty takes us to the island to share progress on one of the new developments: a training facility for Bay FC, the Bay Area's newest professional women's soccer team.

For the past couple of years KALW has had a second home at the Mills Building on Montgomery Street in Downtown San Francisco. Besides making great radio here, and training new journalists, we host lots of live events for listeners… like you!Recently one of those events brought guests deeper into the building… to a curated installation inside the halls of the Mills Building: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. It's a multimedia exhibition featuring Bay Area artists that focus on climate change and elemental forces, and invites viewers to consider climate change as an ongoing condition embedded in everyday life.The evening was hosted by KALW's Ben Trefny in partnership with the Swig company. In this excerpt we hear from the curator of this exhibit, Carey Hurtado, and artists Tanya Geis and Andrew Owen. First, Ben asks Carey - what's the exhibit all about?

Today, a conversation about how AI is rapidly shaping, and changing, journalism. Then, we hear how more and more people are turning to AI chatbots to help with grieving.

Nowadays, there is a good chance you have heard - or been in conversations about- all the different ways that artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of work. And it's real.U.S. hospitals have doubled their adoption of AI in two years.Finance companies now execute 70% of equity trades through AI algorithms. And Amazon deployed over 1 million warehouse robots that have boosted productivity per worker by more than 20 times.But journalism is still figuring out what it means. In a recent survey of over 70 countries, nearly 80% of newsrooms had no formal AI policy. KALW is no exception, we are still having very active discussions about the ways AI can or cannot fit into our set of values. To better understand this rapidly changing tool, our live events team put together a panel of people working in different media organizations facing the same question. The panelists were, Katherine Ann Rowlands, who leads Bay City News Foundation, /Ernesto Aguilar of KQED, who oversees content innovation /and Griffin Gaffney, CEO and co-founder of The San Francisco Standard. They were in conversation with KALW's Executive Producer Ben Trefny.In this excerpt, we begin by hearing Gaffney explaining how The Standard is addressing AI in their newsroom. 

Artificial intelligence is not just changing how we get our information, but also in some cases, how we emotionally process a major life event, like death. When loved ones die we find ways to hold on  — through photos, stories, and keepsakes. Now, things like AI memorial platforms and companion chatbots offer digitized connection with the dead. But with these technologies becoming more common, what are the benefits, and costs, of grieving with a chatbot? KALW's Artificial Intelligence reporter NeEddra James brings us the story.  

One mariachi ensemble in the Bay Area is reframing traditions. Today, we bring you the art and music of Mariachi Femenil. Then, we hear how seven thousand stranded passengers in a small Canadian town inspired a broadway musical.

Today is Cinco de Mayo! And for the Bay Area that means lots of events featuring mariachi! Many of the songs are sung from the men's perspectives, and they sometimes carry machismo messages. Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano is changing that narrative. 

How seven thousand stranded passengers in a small Canadian town inspired a broadway musical.

This month, a transitional housing program for unhoused people in Oakland is closing. Then, how poetry can invite us to celebrate the threads that connect us to one another.

Today, we're going to feature some of the musicians who have provided a soundtrack for Bay Area protests, the Brass Liberation Orchestra.

Struggling with homelessness can make it hard to maintain simple routines. Today, the artist inviting the unhoused community to come as they are. Then, one new novel is inspired by the legacy of environmental racism.

Today, we'll see how an encampment in Berkeley is coming together with the help of one resident.

One new novel from an Oakland writer is inspired by the legacy of environmental racism.