KPFA - Hard Knock Radio

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with community activist and journalist Jesse Strauss and longtime civil rights attorney Walter Riley to discuss their new book, Civil Rights and Structural Attacks: Conversations with Walter Riley. The conversation explored Rileys decades of movement work, the importance of preserving radical history, and the lessons todays organizers can draw from past freedom struggles.

Strauss explained that the book is not simply a memoir or archive. It is an intergenerational conversation with a movement elder who remains active in the fight for justice. He described Riley as someone who has been deeply involved in civil rights, labor, anti war, Black liberation, and community organizing efforts, while never treating movement work as something confined to the past.

Riley reflected on the current political moment, saying he was not surprised by the rise of authoritarian politics, though he did not expect it to take its current form. He connected todays crisis to earlier political betrayals, especially the Reagan era, when he felt liberal institutions failed to defend working people, poor people, and communities under attack.

A major theme of the interview was historical erasure. Riley spoke about growing up in Durham, North Carolina, in a community shaped by sharecropping, segregation, and the living memory of slavery. He recalled how his family and community carried traditions of resistance, dignity, and self defense. One striking story involved his father confronting sheriffs who were threatening the family after Riley married a white Freedom Rider during the Jim Crow era.

The conversation also challenged sanitized versions of the Civil Rights Movement. Riley argued that activists were not simply trying to integrate into white society. They were attacking the structure of white supremacy and asserting their full humanity. He emphasized that working class Black communities played a central role in direct action movements, though their contributions are often minimized.

Riley also shared memories of working with Floyd McKissick and meeting Malcolm X as a 19 year old organizer. Strauss highlighted chapters on nonprofit imperialism, Haiti solidarity work, and movement capture in Oakland after Oscar Grant.

By the end, the book emerged as more than a historical record. It is a call to study, organize, build solidarity, and keep movement culture alive. As Strauss put it, the goal is not nostalgia. The goal is to win.

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.

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On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D continues an important conversation about media, race, and the power of storytelling.

In Part Two of our discussion on Black-Asian relations, Davey D is joined by San Francisco State University professor and activist Russell Jeung and journalist, artist, and community organizer Rocky Rivera. Together, they examine how media narratives, social media algorithms, and historical trauma have shaped perceptions between Black and Asian communities.

The conversation challenges simplistic portrayals of conflict and explores the long history of solidarity that has connected these communities. Rivera reflects on growing up in the Bay Area, where Black and Asian communities have long lived, organized, and built together, while Jeung discusses how sensationalized media coverage and racial stereotypes can be used to divide communities for political and economic gain. The discussion also examines the impact of social media algorithms, the persistence of the model minority myth, and why understanding history remains essential to building meaningful solidarity.

Later in the program, Anita Johnson welcomes Leah Harmony, Production Manager of the San Francisco Bay View, one of the nation’s longest-running Black-owned newspapers. As the Bay View celebrates its 50th anniversary, Harmony reflects on the publication’s remarkable legacy and the critical role Black media continues to play in amplifying stories often overlooked by mainstream outlets.

Harmony shares her unconventional journey from the entertainment industry to journalism and discusses the challenges facing local news organizations at a time when newspapers are disappearing and public trust in media remains under pressure. The conversation explores the evolving role of Black journalism, community-centered reporting, and why independent Black media remains vital to informing, empowering, and preserving the voices of Black communities.

From examining the forces that shape public narratives to celebrating five decades of Black independent journalism, this episode highlights the importance of truthful storytelling, historical understanding, and community-driven media in an increasingly polarized world.

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.

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What happens when media narratives, social media algorithms, and historical trauma collide? That was the focus of a powerful Hard Knock Radio conversation hosted by Davey D featuring San Francisco State University professor and activist Russell Jeung and journalist, artist, and community organizer Rocky Rivera. Together, they unpacked the growing tensions between Black and Asian communities while offering a deeper look at the forces that often keep those communities divided.

Rivera pushed back against simplistic narratives that portray Black and Asian communities as natural adversaries. Drawing from her experiences growing up in the Bay Area, she emphasized that solidarity is not only possible but something she has witnessed firsthand.

“Here in the Bay Area, Oakland folks and Black folks—we are linked. It’s hard to find one without the other, especially in Oakland, and it’s always been that way,” Rivera explained.

She also highlighted how social media platforms have amplified division and rewarded inflammatory content. According to Rivera, online algorithms often elevate the loudest and most extreme voices while burying nuanced conversations rooted in history and community building.

Professor Jeung, known nationally for his work with the Stop AAPI Hate movement, echoed those concerns. He argued that sensationalized media coverage frequently racializes isolated incidents and reinforces harmful stereotypes.

“The model minority myth gets employed, dangerous African American stereotypes get employed, and we get pitted against each other, all for the benefit of a white supremacist system,” Jeung said.

The discussion also explored the long history of Black-Asian cooperation that is often ignored. Jeung pointed to examples ranging from Frederick Douglass opposing Asian exclusion laws to generations of civil rights activism that connected Asian American and African American struggles.

One of the most compelling moments came when Jeung described how immigrants often pursue what he called “whiteness” rather than white identity itself.

“We don’t want to be white. We want the whiteness. We want the fair treatment, the privileges that whites get,” he observed, explaining how structural incentives can fuel anti-Black attitudes.

Throughout the conversation, Davey D, Rivera, and Jeung challenged listeners to move beyond viral outrage and engage in deeper historical analysis. Their message was clear: solidarity requires education, honest dialogue, and a willingness to confront the systems that profit from keeping communities divided. In a time when algorithms often reward conflict, this conversation served as a reminder that unity remains one of the most powerful forms of resistance.

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.

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If you think the battle over artificial intelligence only affects tech companies and Silicon Valley insiders, think again. On a recent episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with music industry heavyweight Damion “Damizza” Young to break down how AI is rapidly changing the rules for artists, educators, content creators, and everyday people.

Damizza, whose career spans decades working alongside icons like Mariah Carey, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, warned that we’re witnessing a familiar pattern. According to him, AI companies are building billion-dollar and even trillion-dollar businesses using creative works that were often uploaded by artists, writers, educators, and other creators who never fully understood how their content might be used.

One of the biggest concerns discussed was YouTube and the possibility that content uploaded to the platform could be used to train AI systems. Davey D pointed out that the issue goes beyond music. Professors, journalists, researchers, and independent creators have spent years uploading lectures, interviews, and original content online. The question now is whether those materials are being used to build AI models without meaningful compensation or consent.

Damizza described AI as a powerful tool, but emphasized that people should understand exactly what they’re agreeing to when they accept terms of service. He argued that many companies are collecting enormous amounts of data while creators are left trying to figure out how to protect their work after the fact.

The conversation also explored efforts underway in France to pass legislation that would force AI companies to disclose where they obtained the data used to train their models. Damizza believes that type of transparency could be a game changer for creators seeking accountability and compensation.

Perhaps the most important takeaway from the discussion was Damizza’s reminder that “you are your IP.” Whether you’re an artist, educator, entrepreneur, or social media creator, your ideas, voice, likeness, and original work all have value. As AI continues to evolve, Davey D and Damizza stressed that the time to pay attention is now. The future of creativity may depend on how aggressively creators fight to protect what belongs to them.

Ryan Nicole Steps up and Speaksd out

On a recent episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with Oakland artist, activist, filmmaker, and community advocate Ryan Nicole for a wide-ranging conversation about the meaning of Juneteenth, the importance of community celebrations, and the challenges of preserving culture in an era of commercialization.

The discussion centered on the growing number of Juneteenth events taking place throughout Oakland and the Bay Area. Ryan Nicole welcomed the expansion of celebrations, arguing that multiple events create more opportunities for people to gather, learn, and support local businesses, artists, vendors, and community organizations. Rather than viewing separate events as competition, she emphasized that “the more events, the merrier,” noting that Juneteenth should be a time of joy, education, and collective celebration.

Davey D and Ryan also explored concerns about the commercialization of Juneteenth since it became a federal holiday. Ryan acknowledged that corporate interests often attempt to commodify cultural traditions, but stressed the importance of keeping the focus on the historical significance of Juneteenth as a celebration of Black emancipation and freedom. At the same time, she pushed back against efforts to divide people within the African diaspora, arguing that liberation struggles are interconnected and that Black communities worldwide share common histories of oppression and resistance.

The conversation also highlighted the financial realities of organizing community events. Ryan noted that many festivals receive little institutional support and often rely on community members purchasing tickets and supporting local vendors. She encouraged listeners to view that support as an investment in their own neighborhoods and cultural institutions.

Closing the interview, Ryan encouraged Bay Area residents to participate in one of the many Juneteenth events happening throughout the region. She also paid tribute to early Bay Area organizers who helped establish Juneteenth celebrations locally, reminding listeners that today’s vibrant festivities are built on decades of community work, commitment, and love for Black people and Black culture.

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.

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We use Google so much that it’s become a verb. Need information? Google it. Need directions? Google it. Need to settle an argument? Google it. But what happens when Google stops showing us a range of sources and starts giving us a single AI-generated answer?

That’s the question explored on Hard Knock Radio as host Davey D spoke with Kit Walsh, Director of AI and Access to Knowledge Legal Projects at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The conversation wasn’t just about technology”it was about power, influence, and who gets to shape the information we consume.

For years, search engines pointed us toward websites, articles, and research that allowed us to make our own decisions. Today, AI-generated summaries are increasingly appearing at the top of search results, presenting answers that sound confident and authoritative. According to Walsh, that’s where the danger begins.

“You’re getting an authoritative-sounding answer, and people are likely to leave it at that,” she explained, noting that AI systems often fail to communicate uncertainty, nuance, or competing viewpoints. In other words, just because an answer sounds smart doesn’t mean it’s accurate.

The discussion also highlighted a troubling reality: AI isn’t neutral. These systems are trained on massive amounts of existing content and tend to repeat the most common perspectives. That means dominant narratives are often amplified while marginalized voices can be pushed further into the background.

Davey D connected the dots between today’s AI tools and decades of media marketing strategies designed to shape public behavior. From radio programming to targeted online advertising, companies have long studied how to influence audiences. The difference now is that AI has the potential to make those interactions feel personal, conversational, and trustworthy.

Walsh also raised concerns about what she called “answer engine optimization””the growing effort by organizations, advertisers, and political interests to influence the information AI systems pull into their responses. As more people rely on AI for news, history, and political information, the stakes become even higher.

The takeaway from this conversation is simple: convenience should never replace critical thinking. AI can be a useful tool, but it’s not a substitute for reading original sources, exploring multiple perspectives, and asking deeper questions. In an era where information is increasingly filtered through algorithms, media literacy may be one of the most important skills we can develop.

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 Google’s AI Is Changing How We Think”And That’s a Bigger Deal Than You Realize appeared first on KPFA.

As Juneteenth approaches, the San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF) returns with a powerful lineup of films, community events, and cultural programming designed to celebrate Black life, history, and creativity. On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with SFBFF Executive Director Cree Ray, who discussed the festival’s legacy, this year’s theme, and why preserving Black stories is more important than ever.

Now in its latest chapter under Ray’s leadership, the festival continues a family tradition that began with her grandmother, Ave Montague, founder of the San Francisco Black Film Festival. Ray explained that this year’s theme emerged from a desire to focus less on loss and more on celebration.

“It’s just a beautiful day to be Black,” Ray said. “I just really wanted this year to be about celebrating us, celebrating our culture, celebrating our heritage, and just like, it is a beautiful thing.”

Throughout the conversation, Davey D emphasized the importance of institutions like the Black Film Festival at a time when Black history and cultural narratives face increasing threats of erasure. Ray echoed those concerns, noting the importance of preserving Black stories for future generations and ensuring that films reflecting Black experiences remain accessible.

The four-day festival kicks off June 18 at the African American Arts and Cultural Complex in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. Opening night features This Will Never Work, a film centered on addiction, family intervention, and healing. Other highlights include the comedy What You Mixed With, which explores identity and belonging through the experiences of mixed-race women navigating life in the Bay Area.

Ray said the festival aims to provide hope and connection during challenging times. “Being Black is beautiful, no matter the shade of your Blackness,” she said. “There’s space for all of us, and we’re gonna get through it.”

The festival concludes with a free documentary showcase at the San Francisco Public Library featuring films such as The Man Who Killed Jim Crow, highlighting the legacy of civil rights strategist Charles Hamilton Houston.

For Ray, the festival is more than a film event—it’s a community gathering, a cultural archive, and a reminder that Black stories deserve to be seen, preserved, and celebrated year-round.

And later Poor News Magazine brings us a look at America’s war on disenfranchised communities.

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 San Francisco Black Film Festival Celebrates Black Joy, History, and Resilience and Poor News Magazine appeared first on KPFA.

In the first of a new series of conversations on Black-Asian solidarity, Hard Knock Radio host Davey D sat down with Los Angeles-based artist and activist Eileen Lei, veteran community organizer David Monkawa of PANNA, and community leader Danny Park, whose family-owned market in Downtown Los Angeles has become a hub for neighborhood engagement. Together, they examined the fallout from the controversial Rick Chow verdict in South Carolina and discussed how communities can move beyond division toward meaningful solidarity.

Davey D framed the discussion by noting how social media has amplified tensions between Black and Asian communities following the verdict. Rather than feeding division, the guests emphasized the importance of historical understanding, relationship-building, and confronting systemic inequalities.

Monkawa, a longtime activist who has spent decades organizing in Los Angeles, did not hide his anger over the shooting. Yet he cautioned against reducing the issue to racial blame alone. He argued that broader systems of inequality and white supremacy continue to shape outcomes and perceptions. As he explained, “If we don’t address the racism and white supremacy… it sneaks into the brains of anybody, regardless of your skin.”

Park reflected on the everyday realities faced by small business owners while stressing that healing comes from authentic relationships. Drawing on his family’s experience working in predominantly Black neighborhoods, he highlighted the importance of seeing one another as neighbors rather than strangers. “There is a lot of regular old humanity, friendships, eating together, joking around—that’s all a part of just getting through life together,” he said.

Lei, who has organized multiple Black-Asian unity events in Los Angeles, described how the verdict renewed her commitment to coalition-building. “When I see all the tensions coming from this Rick Chow case, it just made me feel like I have to go back, and I have to continue the work… and gather the folks that really want to be peace builders,” she said.

Throughout the conversation, all three guests emphasized education and the preservation of shared histories. Lei pointed to examples of Black and Asian collaboration, including work between Chinese youth organizers and the Black Panther Party, as proof that solidarity is not only possible but has already existed. “We have responsibility to address racism and anti-Blackness in our community,” she noted, “but I want to share that it is possible.”

The discussion ultimately served as a reminder that while moments of crisis can deepen divisions, they can also become opportunities to strengthen relationships, confront difficult truths, and build lasting solidarity across communities.

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.

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On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with Ajamu Baraka of the Black Alliance for Peace about the organization’s call to boycott the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted primarily in the United States. The wide-ranging conversation examined the intersection of sports, politics, human rights, and international solidarity.

Baraka began by explaining the mission of the Black Alliance for Peace, describing it as an organization committed to advancing the internationalist traditions of the Black liberation movement. He argued that peace cannot be achieved without confronting systems of violence and oppression. Through its North-South Project for People-Centered Human Rights, the organization has focused significant attention on the World Cup and the implications of the U.S. serving as host.

According to Baraka, the Black Alliance for Peace initially called on FIFA to move the tournament from the United States. When that effort failed, the organization escalated its position and called for an international boycott. He contended that U.S. foreign and domestic policies—including support for Israel’s war in Gaza, sanctions against Cuba, and aggressive immigration enforcement—should have disqualified the country from hosting such a major global event.

“The U.S. no longer was eligible to host these games, based on FIFA’s own express values and their protocols,” Baraka said.

The discussion also touched on reports of athletes, officials, and fans facing heightened scrutiny and restrictions while entering the United States. Baraka cited incidents involving African and Middle Eastern participants as evidence that concerns raised by his organization were already becoming reality.

Davey D questioned why more international organizations, governments, and athletes had not joined the call for a boycott. Baraka acknowledged that building global movements takes time but stressed that public awareness is growing as incidents continue to emerge.

He emphasized that the campaign is about more than a sporting event. “We say this is obscene and immoral,” Baraka stated, referring to what he described as U.S. impunity regarding war, sanctions, and human rights violations.

As the conversation concluded, Baraka encouraged listeners to become involved through the Black Alliance for Peace and the Anti-Fascist Football Coalition, while also preparing for future organizing efforts surrounding the 2028 Olympics. The interview highlighted the growing debate over whether international sporting events can be separated from the political realities of the nations that host them.

You can tap in with BAP at https://blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/call-to-boycott-the-2026-world-cup

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.

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Veteran journalist and KBLA host Dominique DiPrima joined Hard Knock Radio host Davey D for a wide-ranging conversation about the Los Angeles mayoral race, shifting political coalitions, and what California’s political battles may signal for the rest of the country. Drawing on decades of experience covering politics and community issues, DiPrima offered an unfiltered assessment of the forces shaping the race between incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

DiPrima explained that while Raman is often portrayed as the more progressive candidate, she believes that characterization is misleading. “Either they’re both progressives, or neither one is, because they have the same voting record,” she said, noting that both Bass and Raman have moved toward the political center while governing.

A major theme of the discussion was the influence of police unions and law enforcement politics. According to DiPrima, pressure from police organizations has played a significant role in reshaping local political priorities. “It’s the police. It’s the police,” she said, arguing that elected officials often face intense pressure once they enter office. She added that many politicians begin governing cautiously because “their main goal becomes keeping their job.”

The conversation also explored the role of Black voters in Los Angeles politics. Despite making up a relatively small percentage of the city’s population, DiPrima emphasized their outsized influence. “The secret of Black LA is we vote above our weight class,” she explained. “We’re 7 to 8 percent of the population and about 20 percent of voters.”

Looking beyond Los Angeles, DiPrima and Davey D examined national Democratic Party strategy, redistricting battles, and whether political leaders are overlooking the energy coming from progressive grassroots movements. DiPrima argued that Democrats often make the mistake of chasing moderate swing voters while neglecting their most energized supporters. “The energy is with the young progressives and the old progressives,” she said, pointing to leaders such as Summer Lee, Isaac Bryan, and Zohran Mamdani.

As California heads toward another contentious election cycle, DiPrima urged listeners to stay engaged, organize, and recognize that the political struggles unfolding in Los Angeles could have implications far beyond city limits.

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 Dominique DiPrima Breaks Down LA’s High-Stakes Mayoral Race and California’s Political Future appeared first on KPFA.

On a recent episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with political strategist, attorney, and author Steve Phillips to discuss his provocative new book, Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? The wide ranging conversation explored race, democracy, corporate power, media influence, and the ongoing backlash against racial justice efforts in the United States.

Davey D opened the conversation by noting that Phillips has spent more than a decade warning about the dangers of undermining multiracial democracy. Phillips connected today’s political climate to the unresolved tensions of the Civil War, arguing that the fight over whether America will become a true multiracial democracy or remain rooted in white nationalism is still unfolding. He pointed to recent Supreme Court decisions, voter suppression efforts, and attacks on representation as evidence of what he described as an ongoing “power grab” designed to preserve inequality.

Throughout the interview, Phillips repeatedly emphasized that racial inequality is not accidental, but deeply embedded within American institutions. He reflected on the period following the murder of George Floyd, when corporations publicly embraced racial justice initiatives. While companies like Walmart and Facebook pledged millions toward equity programs, Phillips argued that many of those commitments represented only a tiny fraction of corporate wealth and were often more symbolic than transformative.

Davey D pushed the conversation deeper by questioning whether many institutions that publicly support racial justice still fundamentally resist meaningful Black empowerment. Phillips responded by arguing that the solution is not simply changing hearts and minds, but building political power capable of reshaping institutions. He highlighted grassroots organizing, small donor fundraising, and coalition building as key strategies for creating what he called a “multiracial New American majority.”

One of the book’s central ideas is Phillips’ concept of “SWAMP,” an acronym for “Straight White American Male Preference.” He argued that discussions around diversity often focus on the perceived shortcomings of women and people of color, while ignoring how systems consistently favor white men in leadership positions. Phillips called for “SWAMP audits” of schools, corporations, pension funds, and public institutions to expose disparities in power and resource distribution.

The conversation also explored media and culture. Phillips stressed that books, films, and news narratives shape public understanding about race and equality. He pointed to the influence of works like Gone With the Wind and the role of social media in spreading footage of George Floyd’s murder as examples of how storytelling can either reinforce oppression or inspire change.

By the end of the discussion, both Davey D and Phillips agreed that the struggle for racial justice is ultimately about power, participation, and the willingness to build institutions that truly reflect the needs of a diverse democracy.

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.

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