Host Davey D talks with writer and geographer Alex Werth about his new book On Loop: Black Sonic Politics in Oakland and how sound, race, and power collide in the towns history. Werth explains that although he was trained by anthropologists, his grounding in geography helps him track how Oakland as a place has been made and remade through Black migration, music, and struggle. They open with Lake Merritt and the drum circles, digging into how increased patrols, ticketing, and no cruising zones function as coded ways to tell Black Oaklanders they are not welcome, even while officials claim the issue is noise or public order.

From there, Werth walks through the longer arc starting with the Second Great Migration, when Black Southerners brought blues and other rural sounds to West Oakland. Those sounds sparked moral panic among white residents and segments of the Black middle class, feeding nuisance laws and heavy regulation of Black nightlife along Seventh Street. Davey notes how the rhetoric from the nineteen forties and fifties sounds almost identical to current complaints about sideshows, scraper bikes, and drum circles. Werth frames this as history on loop: the repetition of anti Black policing alongside the equally persistent creativity and resilience of Black Oaklanders, from funk and Boogaloo to hip hop.

They spend a big chunk on the war on nuisance, broken windows policing, and the role of Oakland Police Department under Black political leadership in the post civil rights era. Werth shows how vague, race neutral language about nuisance lets the city target Black spaces like cruising zones without saying race out loud. The conversation then zeroes in on clubs, especially Geoffreys Inner Circle and Sweet Jimmys, as case studies of how Black owned venues were over policed, buried in fees, and squeezed through a special events permit regime that in practice focused on rap and Black crowds. Meanwhile the city markets Oakland as the home of jazz, funk, and now Tupac, profiting from Black culture it once criminalized. Werth closes by saying he wants readers to tune their ears to how sound itself is political, and to see that Black music and Black freedom struggles in Oakland are inseparable.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post On Loop: Black Sonic Politics in Oakland with author Alex Werth (Encore) appeared first on KPFA.

On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, guest host Kalonji Changa of Black Power Media sits down with political prisoner and revolutionary journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, widely known as the “Voice of the Voiceless.”

After more than 42 years behind prison walls, Mumia offers a sobering and urgent perspective on the current political climate and the expanding crackdown on dissent.

In this powerful conversation, we examine:

• The continuum of state surveillance — from COINTELPRO to the modern-day targeting of the Black press.
• The weaponization of the Department of Justice to silence journalists documenting federal overreach.
• Why the advocacy journalism of Georgia Fort is perceived as a threat to state power.

We also trace the roots of Mumia’s revolutionary journey — from organizing on neighborhood street corners to his work with the Black Panther Party. He reflects on the freedom fighters and mentors who shaped his political consciousness and gave him the courage to wield the pen and microphone as tools of resistance.

This is more than a history lesson — it’s a blueprint for political awakening and a meditation on the enduring struggle for truth, justice, and liberation.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post In Conversation with Revolutionary Journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal and Poor News Magazine appeared first on KPFA.

On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, Davey D connects with longtime unhoused advocates Needa B and Satya to unpack the ongoing fallout from the delayed opening of the Phoenix Apartments, a 100 unit affordable housing development meant for low income and unhoused residents. Needa explains that multiple residents were approved through the county system, signed leases, and some paid deposits, with move in dates initially starting in June of last year. But month after month, the move ins were pushed back with little clarity. By February, the building still had not opened. The delays created immediate harm because some residents were listed in the county’s HMIS and coordinated entry system as “permanently housed,” which meant they were denied services and shelter even though they were still living outside. While waiting, people were repeatedly swept, harassed, and had vehicles and RVs towed. Needa also describes severe health impacts, including residents who scheduled surgeries, chemotherapy, or radiation based on promised move in dates, only to have treatment plans canceled when housing did not materialize.

Needa says the core issue was not just construction delays, but the lack of transparency and accountability among agencies and developers. After convening a meeting with all stakeholders, they learned the project is still unfinished and stalled by issues tied to modular prefab units that passed a state process but failed local code requirements, leaving the city unable to approve them. Needa credits the decision to bring everyone into one room for stopping the finger pointing. She also highlights Alameda County housing leadership, including Jonathan Russell, for quickly securing interim placements for nine families with shelters that fit medical and accessibility needs while they wait for permanent housing.

From there, the discussion broadens into Oakland’s larger approach to homelessness. Satya, who does daily on the ground outreach during sweeps, argues the Phoenix situation is not an exception but a window into a system designed to avoid responsibility. She stresses that millions in funding rarely reach the people most impacted, and that the absence of clear standards for “adequate shelter” or encampment management enables mismanagement. Davey D presses the point that even when a resolution happens, irreparable harm remains, and he asks what it would take to streamline bureaucracy so police and frontline staff are not the default response.

Needa outlines Oakland’s encampment management policy and how the city has shifted from neglect to active destruction of informal communities, using police presence to intimidate and tow vehicles, often in ways that conflict with stated policy. She points to a proposed encampment abatement framework being pushed by council figures that would further criminalize unhoused residents, especially people living in vehicles, reclassifying them as “vehicle offenders” subject to citations and tows for issues like parking limits or expired tags. Satya responds to claims that East Oakland bears a disproportionate burden because outsiders “flock” to the area. She argues most unhoused Oakland residents are from Oakland and remain near family, services, and community, and that visible concentration in Deep East is driven by gentrification and anti Black displacement. Needa adds historical context, noting earlier waves of displacement in West Oakland as gentrification moved across the city.

They also connect homelessness narratives to the city’s illegal dumping problem. Needa argues the city is not solving dumping, it is making unhoused people invisible while dumping continues. Davey D shares examples of how expensive legal disposal is for working people and asks why the city resists practical solutions like regular dumpster placement. Satya says the city’s arguments often mirror its refusal to provide basic sanitation such as porta potties and handwashing stations, claiming services “attract” more people. Satya calls that logic inhumane and says it directly creates the health crises officials later cite as justification for sweeps.

In the final section, Davey D raises the political stakes, warning that right wing forces can weaponize the very accountability questions advocates have raised for years, using “fraud” claims to justify crackdowns and punitive interventions. Needa and Satya argue the answer is not cutting funds but building real community oversight, enforceable standards, transparency, and consequences for misuse. Satya adds that politicians who refuse to admit what is broken only hand more ammunition to opportunists, and that accountability is the first step toward any credible change.

Important Update:

On February 28 at 11 a.m., a town hall meeting will be held in District 7 in East Oakland, California, to discuss the proposed Encampment Abatement Policy, which aligns with an executive order on homelessness issued by President Donald Trump. The meeting will take place at 9333 Railroad Avenue.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Oakland’s Housing Crisis appeared first on KPFA.

On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D checks in with educator, scholar, and author Dave Stovall for an update on what has been unfolding in Chicago and how it connects to a wider national moment shaped by disinformation, militarized policing, and manufactured division.

Davey D opens with questions about a high profile operation tied to Operation Midway Blitz, where helicopters including a Black Hawk descended on an apartment building on Chicago’s South Side under the claim that a Venezuelan gang had taken hold. Stovall breaks down what local reporting revealed: the “gang” narrative was used as cover for a shock and awe raid. According to Stovall, the city had placed Venezuelan migrants in an apartment complex with vacancies, but after a change in ownership, the new owners wanted them out and contacted ICE with false claims. The building itself had been in disrepair for years, and families were zip tied, removed, and in some cases left housing insecure after the building was later condemned.

From there, the conversation widens to how these moments are sold to the public and why some people, including in Black communities, can be pulled into supporting aggressive enforcement. Stovall frames it through colonization and divide and conquer tactics, arguing that ruling power maintains control by stoking resentment between groups competing for scarce resources. He points to disinformation about migrants receiving large benefits and highlights how well funded political formations can amplify fringe narratives into seeming mainstream.

Davey D then pivots to education and the challenges of confronting disinformation, especially as it reaches young people. Stovall argues that historical grounding is essential, and that in hostile political environments educators may need “fugitive” approaches that teach critical analysis without triggering banned language. He encourages using phones and real time media as teaching tools by asking how algorithms feed content and how beliefs get formed.

The final stretch focuses on the risk of deeper conflict, including civil war style scenarios discussed in simulations referenced by Davey D. Stovall notes that military reviewers reportedly treated those scenarios as plausible, raising urgent questions about chain of command and loyalty, especially in cities where police union politics collide with elected leadership. He also discusses recruitment incentives for ICE and how economic pressures can pull people into enforcement roles.

Stovall closes with practical guidance: pay attention, support local groups doing on the ground work, and interrupt misinformation with three questions: where did you get that, what evidence do you see in everyday life, and who gets harmed if it spreads. He also shares his new book, Engineered Conflict: Structural Violence and the Future of Black Life in Chicago, which extends the themes discussed.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Educator Dave Stovall Speaks on Engineered Conflict, ICE Raids, and Disinformation in Chicago appeared first on KPFA.

Davey D’s conversation with longtime union organizer and Oakland Socialist blogger John Reimann begins with a racist meme Donald Trump posted depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Davey D notes the outrage was immediate, but he brought Reimann on to argue the meme carried a deeper political message beyond overt racism.

Reimann frames Trump’s communication style as misdirection, like a magician’s patter meant to keep people focused on the obvious offense while bigger moves happen in the background. He argues that constant scandals can desensitize the public, and he situates the moment inside what he calls a “Trump Vance Miller imperial presidency,” marked by corruption and escalating attacks on democratic norms. In Reimann’s read, the meme’s subtext was a three part warning: repeat the claim that the 2020 election was stolen, project domination over opponents, and signal that racism will be used as a weapon to shape upcoming elections. Davey D agrees the message is sobering and asks how to keep people from feeling overwhelmed or shutting down.

Reimann offers a vivid metaphor: the public is in a canoe headed toward Niagara Falls, paddling for shore without certainty of success but with no choice except to try. His main argument is that the most underused force is organized labor, especially if rank and file members act independently of timid leadership. He says unions could shut down air travel, shipping, and rail and bring the economy to a halt, but leaders have stayed silent even during moments like the touted Minneapolis general strike.

Davey D pushes on the practical gap between leadership and membership, using the Schwarzenegger era example where union leaders held a rally while rank and file members went to a Raiders game. Reimann counters with the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, where members followed youth into the streets, suggesting the potential for a real rank and file movement.

As the discussion turns toward what people should do now, Reimann proposes concrete steps: pressure union leaders to hold mass meetings, run public education campaigns, build workplace committees against the “imperial presidency,” and organize protests during work hours. Davey D raises fears of retaliation, defunding, lawsuits, and whether unions should operate quietly. Reimann rejects that caution as an 80 year failed strategy, arguing unions cannot survive without democratic space and that repression must be met with broader, escalating mass action.

The two also debate examples like the Muslim ban airport protests and Port of Oakland actions, landing on the idea that disruption can work but needs scale and labor participation. In the closing, Reimann insists there’s no shortcut, only organizing, and warns future generations will ask what people did beyond voting. He directs listeners to his Oakland Socialist blog and an upcoming petition aimed at union members and supporters.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post John Reihman Part Two of the Conversation appeared first on KPFA.

On this episode of *Hard Knock Radio*, host Davey D revisits the disturbing death of Yolanda Ramirez, a 72 year old Brentwood resident who died following what should have been a routine police encounter. Davey D opens by reminding listeners that the show first covered the case months earlier, when speculation swirled and authorities suggested natural causes while community members and the family suspected foul play. The reason for returning to the story now is a second independent autopsy that raises serious new questions and intensifies calls for accountability.

Joining Davey D are journalist and KPFA contributor Frank Sterling, along with two members of the Ramirez family, Rudy Ramirez, Yolandas husband, and Rich Ramirez, her son. Sterling outlines the core issues: eyewitnesses reported seeing what appeared to be abuse during the arrest, yet Brentwood police have refused to release body camera footage or provide direct communication to the family. Sterling explains that an independent autopsy funded by the Colin Kaepernick Foundation reportedly found blunt force trauma and asphyxiation, contradicting the initial coroners conclusion and strengthening the familys demand for a coroners inquest, a jury style fact finding process often used when police are involved in a death.

Rich Ramirez shares the familys grief, especially the pain of navigating holidays and milestones without Yolanda, and describes living in a constant cycle of sadness and anger. Rudy Ramirez recounts being asked by doctors what happened to his wife while having no answers, because police provided none. The family emphasizes that hospital staff likely relied on police supplied information that minimized trauma, which may have delayed appropriate medical intervention.

The first half of the show ends with a clear call to action: attend the Brentwood City Council meeting on Tuesday the 10th, gather at 6 pm with the meeting beginning at 7, follow the familys Facebook page *Justice for Yolanda Ramirez*, and demand officials request a coroners inquest to determine Yolanda Ramirezs true manner of death.

In the second segment of the show, Davey D briefly speaks with union organizer and Oakland Socialist writer John Reimann, who analyzes recent political messaging from the Trump administration. Reimann argues that racist provocation often masks deeper efforts to undermine democratic norms and stresses the need for organized labor and grassroots movements to respond collectively. organizing, and warns future generations will ask what people did beyond voting. He directs listeners to his Oakland Socialist blog and an upcoming petition aimed at union members and supporters.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Justice for Yolanda Rameriz appeared first on KPFA.

Today on Hard Knock Radio, we bring you a special edition of Rootwork on KPFK. Guest host Thandisizwe Chimurenga of Black Liberation Media sits down with Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson for a timely and urgent conversation on grassroots survival, resistance, and self-defense in an era of deepening authoritarianism.

Part of the ongoing Build and Fight Formula series, the discussion examines how communities can organize, protect themselves, and build power as federal authority expands in alarming ways. Akuno challenges listeners to think critically about recent executive actions taken by President Donald Trump—moves that critics warn signal a dangerous consolidation of state power.

Among the developments discussed:

Sudan: Akuno also pointed to the ongoing catastrophe in Sudan, where U.S. and international power dynamics, arms flows, and geopolitical neglect have fueled a brutal conflict, leaving millions displaced and highlighting how imperial interests often exacerbate humanitarian crises.

Gaza: The conversation further addressed Gaza, where unwavering U.S. political, military, and financial support for Israel amid mass civilian casualties illustrates how state violence abroad is normalized, justified, and connected to systems of repression at home.

Military deployment for immigration enforcement: In June 2025, Trump authorized the use of National Guard and active-duty troops to protect ICE facilities and personnel from protesters—an unprecedented escalation of military involvement in civilian immigration enforcement.

ICE budget windfall: A Republican-led Congress passed a sweeping immigration and border enforcement spending package, allocating $160 billion to ICE, dramatically expanding the agency’s reach, capacity, and surveillance power.

Organizations including the Brennan Center for Justice and People’s World have described these actions as part of an authoritarian “playbook”—not the creation of a new military force, but the political misuse of existing institutions operating under legally ambiguous authority.

This conversation places these developments within a broader framework of grassroots resistance, offering listeners tools to analyze state repression, anticipate its impacts, and organize collectively in this moment of profound political crisis. The Build and Fight Formula is a multi-part political education program focused on the radical transformation of society. Kali Akuno, co-founder and executive director of Mississippi-based Cooperation Jackson, leads the series in partnership with Rootwork.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Hard Knock Radio Special Programming: Build and Fight Formula 11: Dual Power appeared first on KPFA.

On this episode, we take an in-depth look at the state of Black maternal health in the United States and the ongoing crisis that continues to disproportionately impact Black women and birthing people—regardless of income, education, or geography. Guest host Thandisizwe Chimurenga sits down with Raena Granberry, Director of Maternal and Reproductive Health at the California Black Women’s Health Project, and Racha Tahani Lawler of the Black Infant Health Program in West Oakland for a critical conversation about the structural inequities at the root of maternal and infant health disparities.

Together, they unpack how systemic racism—within healthcare systems, public policy, and social conditions—contributes to higher rates of maternal mortality, preterm birth, and infant loss among Black families. They also discuss the chronic stress of racism, gaps in culturally responsive care, and the role of implicit bias in medical settings.

Grounded in both data and lived experience, our guests share what they are witnessing in their communities and highlight the culturally rooted, community-based approaches that are making a difference—from peer support and advocacy to holistic prenatal and postpartum care. This episode centers not only the urgency of the crisis, but also the resilience, leadership, and solutions emerging from Black women and community health advocates working to protect Black mothers, babies, and families.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post The State of Black Maternal Health in America appeared first on KPFA.

Hard Knock Radio host Davey D checks in with activist journalist Rosa Clemente for a wide ranging conversation that starts with the escalation of state power and lands on a pointed debate about Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Davey opens by naming the moment journalists being arrested, election related chaos, and global militarization including reports of troops on the ground in Nigeria. He asks Rosa to connect those headlines to what she has witnessed first hand, recalling her reporting during Hurricane Katrina, Ferguson, and other flashpoints where law enforcement treated journalists as targets. Rosa says the current crackdown feels like a dangerous continuation of what she has long warned about, only now it is accelerating daily through ICE actions, federal intimidation, and political leaders pushing new measures around elections. She argues independent journalists must speak out, noting recent arrests and the importance of live streamers and community reporters being protected and amplified.

From there the discussion shifts to Bad Bunny. Davey acknowledges Bad Bunny’s huge cultural reach and how his music crosses generations and communities, while also pointing out that a principled political critique is different from xenophobic attacks that treat Puerto Rico as foreign. Rosa gives historical context for Bad Bunny’s rise after Hurricane Maria and his role in the 2019 protests that helped push Puerto Rico’s governor to resign. But she draws a hard line now, saying performing at the Super Bowl while ICE raids escalate creates an unacceptable contradiction. Her petition is less about believing she can stop the show and more about putting a marker in the record books: she wants history to remember who took a stand when it mattered.

Davey pushes back with the idea that a massive stage can plant seeds and that many people are clinging to normalcy for emotional survival. Rosa replies that this moment is beyond nuance. She respects people needing joy, but insists organizers cannot outsource movement hopes to celebrities. She closes by directing listeners to her writing and her upcoming seminar on the Black Puerto Rican radical tradition, urging everyone to take whatever relief they need and then get back to work immediately after the spectacle ends.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Crackdowns and Contradictions: Journalism, ICE, and the Bad Bunny Debate appeared first on KPFA.

Davey D opens the segment by zooming out from the recent arrests of journalists and framing them as part of a broader crackdown on dissent. He brings in two guests who have been on the front lines of state repression for years: G1 from Rebel Diaz and Pastor Mike McBride of Live Free USA. Davey points to Ferguson as an early “test run” for tactics now reappearing, and asks G1 to compare what’s unfolding today with repression he has witnessed in Ferguson and in Chile.

G1 argues the current wave of journalist arrests is doing two things at once: creating distraction from bigger political and economic crises, and normalizing attacks on journalists so repression feels routine. He contrasts the treatment of establishment media with the targeting of independent reporters, and stresses that the most extreme examples of this normalization have played out internationally, especially against Palestinian journalists. He and Davey also highlight a recurring tactic of “ocular trauma” where protesters are shot in the eye with so called nonlethal weapons, connecting it to global counterinsurgency training.

Davey then shifts to Pastor Mike’s faith lens, naming how liberation oriented clergy are increasingly framed as enemies while armed Christian nationalist forces are treated as the “real” believers. Pastor Mike pushes back hard, describing Christian nationalism as a heretical political project tied to global authoritarianism. He says dissent is not optional for faith communities, it is basic discipleship. Churches and faith institutions, he argues, should function as safe houses and organizing hubs that build solidarity and protect targeted communities.

From there, the conversation turns practical and strategic. Pastor Mike stresses the need for operational unity between local organizers and national support, and argues movements should carry connected demands across cities, including calls to defund or abolish ICE. G1 adds that repression has a long legal runway, from the Patriot Act forward, and cites examples in Chicago where dismissed cases still led to ICE targeting. Both guests return repeatedly to the same solution: build local networks of mutual aid, communications outside corporate platforms, and community level cohesion that can withstand escalation.

As they close, Davey raises Ohio and the targeting of Haitian immigrants through shifting legal status, warning against normalizing detention as “just the system.” Pastor Mike urges sustained relationship building through a Love Free campaign rooted in congregations and community dinners. G1 ends by insisting the fights are linked: ICE, Cop Cities, Palestine, and economic austerity, and the antidote to gaslighting is organized connection with your neighbors.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Cracking Down on Dissent appeared first on KPFA.