Crosscurrents

As war in Ukraine rages on artists are collaborating to preserve Ukrainian identity. Then, we'll hear about reporting from a city under siege.

We'll hear part two of reporter Adreanna Rodriguez's reporting from Ukraine. She'll take us inside the electronic music scene in Kyiv and explain how music producers view their work as a necessary act of resistance and preservation of culture.

Live music is quintessential to any city's nightlife. But increasing rents and impacts of the pandemic have made it difficult for small venues around the Bay Area to stay open.

Infusing joy in daily life during war isn't just about pleasure, it's about survival. Today, we'll hear how, in Ukraine, resistance against Russia isn't just happening on the frontlines.

Bay Area-based reporter Adreanna Rodriguez follows the quiet revolutions of daily life in Kyiv, Ukraine, where people are seeking pleasure, joy, and normalcy despite the ever-present shadow of war. Her reporting reveals resilience, hope, and cultural survival at the heart of a city under siege.

The Golden State Valkyries created a movement bigger than themselves. Today, we'll hear about the "Violet Wave" on the Finale of Bounce: The Valkyries' 1st Season in the Bay. 

LadyRyan is one of the Valkyrie's official game DJs whose job it is to keep the arena JUMPING. And she's also a KALW music programmer - you can hear her every Wednesday from 10pm-midnight on our air, curating music sets. Lady Ryan is well-versed in all genres and capable of playing to fit any vibe, She's a co-founding member of the queer monthly Oakland day party, Soulovely. And she has been holding space for QT-BIPOC communities for years

Today, we go back to the 1930s to hear how the New Deal helped artists to keep creating. The history of Public art- from our series “The Public Works.” Then, Oakland is considering a new homelessness policy that would crack down on people living in their vehicles.

In the second episode of the Public Works series, reporter Sheryl Kaskowitz uncovers treasures by Black sculptor Sargent Johnson that are hiding in plain sight in the Bay Area. It's a legacy from the New Deal era in the 1930s, when the federal government made supporting artists and public art a priority.

Cities around the Bay Area have been debating how to handle people camping in public places or living in RVs. Oakland may follow suit.

Today, we meet a hairdresser who begins to contemplate the end of life. Now her mission is to get other people to think about it. Then, in honor of Yom Kippur, we'll learn about the importance of a book called the Zohar.

Today, in a new story from Uncuffed we hear how one woman's passion changed her life … but not as she was expecting. Then, a dance show gives the Bay Area a taste of Irish culture. Plus, we hear readings from Bay Area authors in a collection from our pocket sized book tour, New Arrivals.

Today a new story from Uncuffed that comes to us from the California Institution for Women (or CIW) in Chino California. Ever since she was a kid, Bellows loved playing basketball. Not only was she good at it, but being on the court helped her escape the challenges at home. She thought it would be a part of her life forever, but something happened on her team that changed everything. 

Here's San Jose's Lorenz Mason Dumuk reading an excerpt of his poem “For Lily, For Arlene, For all Daughters Tending Fathers, For All the Water and Salt Between Them.” It was recorded outside on the streets of the Mission for the International Flor Y Canto Literary Festival.

Gavin Shevlin is an international dance champion and Megan McGinley is an award-winning fiddle player. They're performing in the show “A Taste of Ireland,” that's currently making stops in Northern California during their U.S. tour. 

Here are some readings from our series New Arrivals, a pocket-sized book tour with Bay Area authors. 

KALW's news editor Sunni Khalid spoke recently to Mark Demsky, a reporter for KFBK in Sacramento, about the A's inaugural season in their temporary home.

We share a selection of bite-sized stories from everyday Muni riders of all ages about whimsical transit rides they've taken in our beloved San Francisco. 

A molecular biologist from Kenya switches gears to bring African music and dance to Bay Area kids. Today, a taste of Africa. Then, we'll share stories of public transit with a touch of whimsy. And, a quick update on the A's as they end their first season in Sacramento.

This weekend is the Taste of Africa festival in Livermore, an annual African arts and music festival hosted by Cheza Nami an award winning African arts organization based in Pleasanton. 

Belva Davis was an Emmy Award-winning journalist who broke the color barrier here in the Bay Area with her work in radio and television in the 1960's. She died Wednesday at 92. Today, we look back on the career of the pioneering journalist.

Following the murder of George Floyd, corporate America promised a lot to the Black community. So what happened Today, we're just following up with an episode from The Stoop Podcast.

One phone call changed everything a granddaughter thought she knew about her grandfather in a new story from Uncuffed. Then, a glimpse into the day to day of a Muni mechanic. And, a poet gives us a true reflection of our times.

A new story from Uncuffed and the California Institution for Women about a phone call that changed everything a granddaughter thought she knew about her grandfather.

Getting stuck on a dark, stalled Muni train is every rider's worst nightmare. But what's it like being one of the mechanics with the daunting task of getting that train and its frustrated riders moving again? 

Today's poem is a true reflection of our times.

One group is working to keep women's basketball careers alive. Today, we bring you the story of the Women's Premier Basketball Association in the latest episode from Bounce. Then, a day on the field with the Bay Area's newest women's soccer team.

The WPBA is a pro developmental league in the East Bay with big ambitions and real impact. It's recognized by FIBA — rare for a U.S. women's league outside the WNBA — and it's becoming a place where players continue their careers, get seen by scouts, and find community.

The Valkyries first season has come to a close. And if you are still looking for a similar energy and vibe to tap into and cheer for, then you can catch a Bay FC game. The team was launched last year with one of the largest institutional investments ever made in a women's professional sports franchise. 

Today, a conversation with the executive director of San Francisco's Dance Mission Theater about the loss of federal funding. Then, an Oakland film tackles the challenges parents face when caring for kids with disabilities. And, we learn about the lost art of steam power.

Today, a conversation with the executive director of San Francisco's Dance Mission Theater about the loss of federal funding. 

An Oakland film tackles the challenges parents face when caring for kids with disabilities. 

In this Audiograph, we go to a warehouse tucked away behind a metal scrap yard. Kinetic Steam Works is an industrial workspace for people to tinker with old machines in West Oakland. 

Some people's bodies feel like they've been weathered by storms they never experienced firsthand. Today, we discuss the science behind generational trauma in an excerpt from The Stoop podcast.

Sometimes, unconditional love can lead us to think we can do no wrong. Today, a story about taking advantage of a grandmother's love. Plus, we hear how one local artist is celebrating the Golden State Valkyries. And, our transportation reporter launches a new series on Bay Area transit.

Introducing a new series on Crosscurrents where we round up what's happening in transportation news in the Bay Area

Taylor Smalls is a painter who uses knives to create large, beautiful, bold and colorful images of Black women. The Valkyries commissioned her to create a few pieces, including one for this past Juneteenth. 

A new story from Uncuffed and the California Institution for Women about how we don't always appreciate unconditional love when we have it. And how that can lead us to think we can do no wrong.

While incarcerated, one man relied on music to ground himself. Today, the power of lyrical therapy. Then, how a Bay Area couple is celebrating ten years of publishing books by international writers. And, three Oakland writers share their poetry.

At 21-years-old, Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison, a moment he now says may have saved his life. In this segment from Bay Area Beats, we hear how music kept him grounded through grief, loss, and isolation.

Berkeley's Transit Books is an independent, nonprofit publisher celebrating 10 years of publishing works by international authors. And some of their books have led to major awards, including a Nobel Prize. Adam and Ashley Nelson Levy are the founders of Transit Books. They spoke with KALW's Jenee Darden.

We bring you poetry readings from three Oakland writers.