Crosscurrents

A new documentary follows the 2023 sweeps of the homeless encampment in West Oakland known as ‘Wood Street,' and the struggle leading up to it. It’s been selling out theaters at Bay Area film festivals. And it’s called “Wood Street.” 

Prominently featured in the film is John Janosko, one of the key organizers of the encampment’s residents. He lived at Wood Street for 10 years. The film’s creator is documentarian and award winning journalist, Caron Creighton. They both spoke with KALW’s Jenee Darden on “The Sights + Sounds Show.” 

You can see “Wood Street” at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland this Wednesday, July 15th. 

The Uncuffed My Mixtape is a selection of our producers' favorite songs. Uncuffed producer Rahim Bradshaw interviewed HabenMichael about an Eritrean song that reminds him of his family and culture. It's “Seyomay” by Tareke Tesfahiwet.

This piece was created by student producers in the Uncuffed audio storytelling training program, in partnership with journalists at KALW Public Media. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, independent foundations, and donations from listeners like you. Content is approved by an information officer.

Follow @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram and Facebook 

Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program atwww.uncuffed.org

Earlier this year, California residents ranked our 280 State Parks from the best park for flowers, birding and even the under the radar favorites. So what did folks say? We get a breakdown from Rachel Norton, Executive Director of the California State Parks Foundation. She spoke with State of The Bay’s Ethan Elkind about the results of the vote. 

For many new immigrants, learning English is an important goal. Sometimes at the expense of their mother tongue. Today, how growing up straddling two languages can have lasting impacts on family and identity. Then, we’ll head to San Quentin to hear the power of an R&B Slow Jam. And, we hear from an All-American track star on growing up in 1960s San Francisco.

For many immigrants, crossing the border is the first step on an often complicated, exhausting path of figuring out life in America. Author Reyna Grande experienced that first hand.

As a child she migrated to the US with her parents, and has spent her writing career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. Her newest memoir is “Migrant Heart.” It interrogates how living between two nations, two languages, and two identities has shaped the person she’s become. 

Recently, Reyna spoke to KALW’s Angie Coiro as part of Litquake, at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco. In this excerpt from their conversation, Reyna explains how her struggles to straddle two languages is linked to her relationship with her parents, children, and her own identity. 

The Uncuffed My Mixtape is a selection of our producers' favorite songs. Uncuffed producer Ryan Pagan interviewed Louis Sale about a song that reminds him of a complicated time in his life.

This piece was created by student producers in the Uncuffed audio storytelling training program, in partnership with journalists at KALW Public Media. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, independent foundations, and donations from listeners like you. Content is approved by an information officer.

Follow @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram and Facebook 

Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program atwww.uncuffed.org

Have you ever had a relative that you enjoyed sitting by during family functions because they always had good stories to tell? Ben Tucker is that kind of guy. He’s known for his storytelling performances as part of the Oakland based Stagebridge, where he tells stories about his ‘storied’ life. His family was part of the Great Migration of African-Americans to the West- he grew up in SF’s Bayview neighborhood.  He was an All-American track star back in the 1960s when he ran for San Jose State. And Ben has been a preschool teacher in Berkeley, a social worker in Harlem and a track coach in Nigeria.

He immerses readers in all these life adventures in his new memoir, “A Good Run.” KALW’s Jenee Darden spoke with Ben on the Sights and Sounds show. 

Today, we’re bringing you the episode of Uncuffed that won first place for Narrative/Produced Program at the 2026 Public Media Journalism Awards. First, we hear an honest conversation between the UnCuffed host and his mom, that they hope can be healing. Then, we’ll hear from women in prison about what it’s like to be a caregiver from the inside.

The SAT’s are back in the conversation around college admissions. Today, two perspectives on if we should or shouldn’t bring back standardized testing. Then, an Oakland film tackles the challenges parents face when caring for kids with disabilities. And, San Francisco is full of living history, and a lot of it is delicious. We visit the oldest SF ice cream makers.

For decades, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT were a central part of college admissions. In 2020, the University of California system became one of the nation's highest profile university networks to eliminate them, citing concerns about fairness and equity.

 Now, that decision is being revisited as hundreds of UC faculty recently signed an open letter in favor of reinstating the admissions tests, saying that their students have severe preparation gaps. UC Berkeley is leading this push and the supporters of the letter say testing can identify talented students who might otherwise be overlooked and provide admissions officers with another useful data point. 

Critics argue that the reason standardized tests were discontinued was because they disadvantage students from underrepresented and lower income backgrounds, and that high school achievement tells colleges far more. Today we hear from both sides. Frank Worrell, is professor of psychology at UC Berkeley School of Education, who has signed the petition to bring back standardized testing. Jessie Ryan, the president of the nonprofit Campaign for College Opportunity, wants to keep the SAT’s out of the admission process. They both spoke with State of The Bay’s host Ethan Elkind.