KPFA - Hard Knock Radio

We speak with Dr. Michael Benitez Jr. the vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at Metropolitan State University of Denver about the laws being passed to ban ethnic studies and critical race theory practices.

https://www.speakoutnow.org/speaker/michael-benitez-jr

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We talk to Oakland teachers who are on a hunger strike trying to stop school closures in Oakland. And part two of our conversation with author Dan Charnas about his latest book ‘Dilla Time’ about JAMES DEWITT YANCEY (1974-2006), known professionally as Jay Dee or J Dilla, one of the most influential music producers  of our era. We play the music, layout the stories, and celebrate one of the dopest and most transformative producers to touch the boards.

The post Fighting School Closures and Part Two of Dan Charnas on J Dilla appeared first on KPFA.

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 – February 7, 2022 appeared first on KPFA.

We sit down with comedian Karinda Dobbins to discuss the release of her debut comedy album, Black & Blue. The Bay Area comedian who has shared the stage with household names like Trevor Noah, Roy Wood Jr. and Gina Yashere recorded the album on a co-headlining bill with one of her best friends, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan.

Karinda Dobbins was born and raised in Detroit, where she got her start being a comedian, as her family says, since childhood. She started doing jokes on stage 12 years ago at an open mic in Oakland on a light dare from a friend, and has been honing her craft ever since. Black & Blue is a strong collection of that work, delivered in a unique moment, covering ordinary life including her girlfriend’s arbitrary policy on household pests, the changes hipsters have brought to Oakland, and a unique packing list for hiking provided by black women – who you should always listen to.  https://karindadobbins.com/ Album link here: https://www.blondemedicine.com/bm073-black-blue

Later political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal explores the significance of Black History Month and Black Liberation Struggles. We also speak with Claudia Walker, the author of The ABC’s of HBCU’s. The first ABC book dedicated to historically Black colleges and universities.

For more information about the comedy album, click Black & Blue.

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We speak with author MAJORA CARTER (an urban revitalization expert, real estate developer, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster) about her new book, RECLAIMING YOUR COMMUNITY: YOU DON’T HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO LIVE IN A BETTER ONE. Carter offers up a powerful rethinking of poverty, economic development, and the meaning of success in hopes of creating an enduring legacy of community wealth, pride, and power. She argues that poorer communities could be transformed by a time-honored corporate practice: a talent retention strategy.

By incorporating this type of plan, communities can offer up an alternative to traditional programs, policies and attitudes that do little to lift people out of poverty. Without this – Carter says struggling communities cannot succeed if their most gifted residents measure their success by how far away they get away.

Later we speak with musician, singer and songwriter Nicholas Payton. Nicholas Payton is widely considered one of the greatest artists of our time. Hailed as a virtuoso before he was even out of high school, his maturation and talent has earned him praise and accolades, as well as insured his place in musical history.

The post In Conversation with Majora Carter, author of Reclaiming Your Community appeared first on KPFA.

We speak with Medea Benjamin the co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK and Ajamu Baraka, National Organizer and National Spokesperson for Black Alliance for Peace about the “Axis of Domination”, Ukraine and AFRICOM.

The post No More War: The Axis of Domination, Ukraine and AFRICOM appeared first on KPFA.

We speak with the mother and members of the organization More Than A Hashtag about the killing of 19-year-old Isaiah Tyree Williams by Las Vegas police.

https://linktr.ee/morethanahashtaglv

https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2022/jan/13/metro-man-killed-in-shootout-with-police-not-targe/

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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 – January 31, 2022 appeared first on KPFA.

We speak with the Alphabet Rockers about their latest projects.

Tommy Soulati Shepherd (he/him/they) is an internationally renowned actor, playwright, composer, educator, rapper, drummer, beatboxer and music producer. Tommy (aka Emcee Soulati) is a longtime member of the performance group Campo Santo who continue to tell stories of the people and Oakland’s own Antique Naked Soul-The Soundtrack for Revolution. Tommy has composed, performed and toured internationally with Marc Bamuthi Joseph, collaborating on Scourge, the break/s, Spoken World, red, black and GREEN: a blues and /peh-LO-tah/. Tommy won a 2018 Isadora Duncan Award for his composition work and is a two-time GRAMMY nominee. Tommy brings love for family, art, activism and community building to all of his work. His inspiration and hope for a more joyful and equitable world is felt through the hearts of families everywhere.

Kaitlin McGaw (she/her) is a writer, listener and artist based in Oakland, CA on Ohlone lands. Her path in anti-racism and art began as a high school student in Belmont, MA, where community dialogue, activism, and poetry framed her purpose and relationship with the world. Kaitlin is a graduate of Harvard University with a BA in Afro-American Studies. She is also a two- time GRAMMY nominee, an artist fellow and a deeply committed partner for change, often stepping back for others to shine, and stepping up for truth and our collective humanity. Kaitlin believes radical imagination begins with the way we read, sing, and ask questions of the world with our children. She is the mother of two creative children of her own, whom she is raising with her husband Adhi.

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The COVID 19 pandemic has transformed all of our lives in some way. But some are feeling the impacts more than others. Take healthcare workers, for example: As the United States surpasses 38 million COVID-19 cases and 637,000 deaths as of August 28th, 2021, many healthcare workers continue to be overloaded by caring for COVID-19 patients. Globally, COVID-19 has presented unique challenges, leading to increased mental health issues among healthcare workers.

Others are feeling the impacts while struggling to find or maintain housing, and balance parenting during the pandemic.  Later Poor News Network explores America’s war on low-income communities.

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