Crosscurrents

For a decade, an Oakland center has been helping local young people discover the joy of writing. Today, we hear about their new anthology of works by 4th graders. Then, we find out how the whole city of San Francisco was blamed for a murder in its streets.   

In April 2023, tech executive Bob Lee was found near San Francisco’s Embarcadero with severe stab wounds. He later died from these injuries. Shortly after his death, some of the loudest voices in tech rushed to blame a chaotic, violent City. 

Out of twelve murders that took place in the city that year, it was the only one to garner international attention, fueling a narrative that Lee was killed because of a general lack of safety/ in a city that had failed to keep law and order. But, it was eventually determined that his killing stemmed from a personal connection. 

So what really happened? What does Lee’s death really signify?

That’s what Shawn Wen sought to find out. She’s the creator and producer of the podcast Foundering. Shawn spoke with Mission Local’s Joe Eskenazi at KALW’s live event space in downtown San Francisco. In this excerpt from their conversation, Shawn and Joe consider what this case meant to a fractured city. 

KALW’s Jeneé Darden who grew up in East Oakland in the ‘80s and ‘90s… and her little kid self would’ve loved a place like Chapter 510. The youth writing center provides a safe and empowering learning space for young writers. And Chapter 510 centers Black, brown and queer voices… and publishes their works. 

Their latest book is “When the Stars Bloom in Oakland: An Anthology of Poems by Fourth Graders.” Janet Heller is an Oakland poet and a co-founder of Chapter 510. Anjali Emsellem is a writer and educator who teaches in the program. They spoke to Jenee for KALW’s the sights and sounds show. Here’s an excerpt from their conversation. 

Here is Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo reading her poem “It is I, the immigrant.”

Today, we speak with one of the lawyers that exposed a culture of corruption and racism in Oakland’s Police department. Then, for the past year, our Audio Academy fellows have been working hard to report sound rich stories from all over the bay area. Today, we pay them a tribute of thanks. 

Oakland’s Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2003. The oversight began after a civil rights lawsuit was filed on behalf of 119 residents, most of them Black men, who alleged that multiple Oakland police officers had beaten and planted evidence on them.

Yesterday we heard from Darwin BondGraham, news editor at The Oaklandside and co-author of the book, "The Riders Come Out At Night," an exhaustive history of decades of corruption inside the OPD.

Today, we hear from John Burris, one of the civil rights attorneys who represented those residents and spearheaded the legal fight to reform the Oakland Police Department. Burris says the department has been reformed. 

Every September, KALW welcomes a new cohort of eight fellows to our Audio Academy training program that’s now in its thirteenth year. Over a span of 9 months the current cohort has been hard at work learning what it takes to report and produce sound rich audio features. Stories that allowed them to follow their curiosity, go deeper on urgent issues or celebrate the communities holding people together. 

Tonight we have the bittersweet honor of graduating this year’s cohort, so today we’re bringing you a special tribute. It’s a collection of clips from their best work.

After more than two decades, Oakland’s Police Department is on track to be released from federal oversight. Today, the future of Oakland’s PD. Then, the Flor Y Canto literary festival returns to San Francisco’s Mission District.

Oakland’s Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2003, but this year that will be coming to an end. The oversight began after a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of 119 residents, most of them Black men, who alleged that multiple Oakland police officers had beaten and planted evidence on them. 

To understand what this moment means, KALW’s Sunni Khalid spoke with Darwin BondGraham, the news editor at The Oaklandside. He is also the author, along with Ali Winston, of the book, "The Riders Come Out At Night," an exhaustive look at the scandal that shook the city of Oakland, as well as a history of decades of corruption inside the OPD.

Flor Y Canto, translates to “flower and song.” This weekend San Francisco’s Mission District will be home again to the weekend-long literary festival known as Flor Y Canto. The streets of the City’s Latino Cultural District will be filled with vibrant events, decorations, and music. All centered around the works by Latine writers, with readings happening all throughout the neighborhood. 

KALW’s Jenee Darden spoke with two organizers of the festival for “The Sights + Sounds Show," poets Lourdes Figueroa and Josiah Luis Alderete, host of KALW’s “Bay Poets.” Here’s an excerpt of their interview.