Ever watch something and knew almost immediately that what you were watching was important, amazing, and groundbreaking? As soon as it was done you went and told everybody- making pleas with them to watch the movie for their own benefit.
On Friday of last week, I sat at my desk… Read more
A #HijabiFlashMob – at least that’s what we were calling it even though there was no actual dancing involved. In its literal interpretation, it’s a sudden mob of women in hijabs.
A “hijab” is the head covering worn by some Muslim women as a sign of faith, humility,… Read more
I met Erin Siegel a few years back when she was first laying the foundation for her debut book Finding Fernanda. Erin is an award-winning investigative journalist and Oakland resident (cue my pride surge). She explained the heartbreaking subject of international adoption corruption and how she would examine it in… Read more
I’m a Bay Area native. I’ve lived and/ or worked in Frisco, Berkeley and Oakland pretty much my entire life. I’m also a hip-hop head-artist-rapper-fighter-preserver of culture with a super critical lens for all music coming from the Bay. I grew up on artists like Coughnut, 11-5, Cold World Hustlas,… Read more
When I was in the third grade, I had trouble reading. I mixed up letters and couldn’t spell to save my life. I soon found myself in special education courses. Most of the other students who were tracked in these classes were also poor boys of color. None of us… Read more
Last night’s Ella Baker Legacy Event was even better than I imagined it might be. The wisdom and inspiration shared by Cathy Cade, Dolores Huerta, and Ericka Huggins will continue to make me think and move me to action for a long time. In addition to powerful stories about Ella… Read more
Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Fela! international musical currently featured playing in San Francisco. This was my second time seeing the show, the first being in New York. And I was still moved, inspired and transformed by the entire experience.
The Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s music… Read more
I was floored the first time I heard the students of RAW talent perform. The strength, power and passion emanating from these youths are truly moving. They tell the stories of those who are usually silenced and explore both the roots of poverty and how it impacts them personally.
RAW… Read more
On October 25, 2011, I biked from my office at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights to the Oakland Public Library to show my support for Occupy Oakland.
About four hours later, the Oakland Police Department attacked me (and other peaceful protesters) with tear-gas. Pissed off but… Read more
Not to be confused with the Cyndi Lauper hit “Time After Time”, Crime After Crime by Yoav Potash is one of the most straightforward documentations of the criminal justice system that I’ve seen. By delving into the powerful narrative of one incarcerated survivor of domestic violence,… Read more
