KPFA - Hard Knock Radio

In many parts of the world, herbal medicine remains an important part of everyday life. Yet when we think about traditional healing practices, we often imagine distant places or older generations living far removed from modern healthcare. What’s often overlooked are the centuries-old healing traditions that have existed and continue to exist, within African American communities right here in the United States.

On today’s Hard Knock Radio, we explore the history, knowledge, and cultural significance of plant and herbal medicine with Michele Elizabeth Lee, author of Working the Roots: Over 400 Years of Traditional African American Healing. Lee takes us through generations of Black healing traditions, examining how African Americans used roots, herbs, plants, and ancestral knowledge not only to treat illness, but also as tools of survival, self-reliance, and cultural preservation.

Then, in the second half of the program, we hear from POOR Magazine as they examine America’s ongoing war on poor, unhoused, and disenfranchised communities and the systems and policies that continue to criminalize poverty.

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 A History of Traditional Root Healing (Encore) and Poor News Magazine appeared first on KPFA.

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with Dr. Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter Grassroots and Mississippi organizer Rukia Lumumba about the alarming number of Black people found hanging from trees—deaths frequently classified by authorities as suicides. Davey D opened by noting that at least eight such deaths had surfaced in recent months, including cases in Mississippi and the Bay Area. He argued that sporadic media coverage and the quick acceptance of police narratives prevent the public from recognizing a larger pattern.

Abdullah placed the deaths within the history of lynching in America, invoking Ida B. Wells and her groundbreaking documentation in The Red Record. She explained that lynchings were not simply acts of individual violence but tools of racial terrorism used to suppress Black political and economic advancement. Many victims, she noted, were targeted because they posed an economic threat to white power. Abdullah also connected suspicious deaths to the disappearance of Black people, recalling her cousin Byron Freeman, whose rental car was found in Texas in the early 2000s while his body was never recovered.

Speaking from Mississippi, Lumumba emphasized that these cases are not confined to the South. “We have to stop comparing plantations,” she said, arguing that oppressive systems exist nationwide, even when racism is less openly displayed. She described a longstanding pattern of law enforcement rushing to label hangings as suicides without transparent or properly resourced investigations. Lumumba cited several Mississippi cases, including Nick Naylor, Willie Jones Jr. and Tasia Fortune, while stressing that lynching, domestic violence and interpersonal harm all require serious community attention.

The conversation broadened to include the deliberate divestment from Black-led cities such as Jackson, Detroit, Memphis and Oakland. Lumumba called for Black communities to strengthen existing mutual-aid networks, rapid-response teams, food programs and housing support rather than waiting for hostile institutions to provide protection.

Abdullah described how BLM Grassroots’ 56 chapters respond to police violence, infrastructure failures and emergencies such as the prolonged blackout in Gary, Indiana. She linked these crises to “disaster capitalism,” arguing that corporations profit while Black communities absorb the damage. Both guests concluded that communities must continue demanding accountability from government while building independent structures capable of protecting, feeding and caring for their people.

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 Suspicious Hangings, Systemic Neglect and the Fight for Black Safety appeared first on KPFA.

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with Oakland-based singer-songwriter Miko Marks about the passing and enduring legacy of country music icon Dolly Parton. For Marks, the loss was deeply personal. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, she encountered Parton’s music at her grandmother’s house before she fully understood racism or the barriers that would later confront her as a Black woman pursuing country music.

Marks remembered Parton as a welcoming, larger-than-life figure who helped her imagine what was possible. From childhood performances in church to her professional career, Marks drew lessons from Parton’s warmth, stage presence, optimism and ability to connect with everyday people. She also praised Parton as a gifted songwriter, actress, businesswoman and cultural figure whose influence extended far beyond country music.

The Dolly Parton song that resonates most deeply with Marks is “Coat of Many Colors.” Marks performed it for 48 shows during the 2023 Trailblazing Women of Country tour. Its story of poverty, hand-me-down clothing, teasing and a mother’s love reflected parts of her own upbringing. She described Parton’s songwriting as painting on a canvas: simple, detailed and cinematic enough to make listeners see and feel the story.

Davey D and Marks also explored how Parton crossed racial, cultural and musical boundaries. Marks viewed her as a genuine ally whose philanthropy, including providing books to children through her Imagination Library, reflected a commitment to community rather than empty gestures.

Marks said Parton’s example taught her to “do it anyway”—to keep creating despite racism, sexism, closed doors or industry labels. That outlook has guided Marks as she expanded from country into Americana and blues without seeking anyone’s approval. For Marks, truly honoring Dolly Parton means being authentic, giving back, loving people without prejudice and creating music that speaks directly to the times.

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 Miko Marks Reflects on Dolly Parton’s Music, Humanity and Trailblazing Legacy appeared first on KPFA.

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with Timmy Lu, founding executive director of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment (AAPI FORCE), and Aquilina Soriano Versoza, co-founder and executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center. Their conversation exposed a dramatic rise in immigration arrests targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities—an escalating crisis largely missing from mainstream coverage.

Lu clarified that while immigration arrests across California increased 386 percent from 2024 to 2025, arrests involving AAPI immigrants surged by an astonishing 1,109 percent. Nearly 3,000 AAPI immigrants were arrested and detained during 2025. Lu described the fear and “expectant grief” spreading through families who know a loved one could disappear into detention without warning. Once someone is taken, relatives are left repeatedly checking federal locator systems, trying to determine where they were sent while coping with lost wages, disrupted caregiving and emotional trauma.

Soriano Versoza highlighted a tactic aimed specifically at Filipino seafarers working aboard cruise ships. Although these workers hold valid visas, Customs and Border Protection agents have removed them from ships at U.S. ports, accused them of crimes without presenting evidence and deported them in handcuffs. Their visas are canceled, they face ten-year bans and their livelihoods are destroyed. More than 200 Filipino seafarers have reportedly been deported this way during the current Trump administration.

The guests also challenged the “model minority” myth and the false impression that AAPI communities broadly support aggressive immigration enforcement. Lu noted that polling shows most AAPI voters oppose these policies, even though a small number of conservative voices receive disproportionate media attention.

Davey D pushed the discussion toward solidarity, asking how Black, Latino, Asian, Haitian, Somali and other targeted communities can avoid being isolated from one another. Both guests stressed multiracial organizing, rapid-response networks, ICE-watch programs, labor alliances and political education. They also called upon unions, elected officials, artists and technology workers to use their influence.

The central message was clear: deportation is not someone else’s fight. Communities must document abuses, support impacted families, confront surveillance and build the multiracial working-class power needed to resist a coordinated campaign of fear, separation and punishment.

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 AAPI Communities Confront a Hidden Deportation Crisis appeared first on KPFA.

(HKR-08-24-26) On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with Minneapolis-based independent journalist and DJ Aaron Johnson about ICE enforcement, political surveillance and the prosecution of activists, journalists and legal observers across Minnesota. Johnson, who grew up near George Floyd Square, described Minneapolis as a testing ground for tactics that may eventually be used nationwide. These include undercover infiltration, license-plate tracking, facial recognition, kettling and close cooperation between federal immigration agents and local police—even in cities publicly identified as progressive or immigrant-friendly.

The conversation examined the prosecution of the “Righteous 39” following a protest at a St. Paul church connected to a local ICE official, as well as conspiracy-related indictments against 15 Minnesota activists. Davey D compared these operations to COINTELPRO and earlier efforts to disrupt the Black Panther Party, civil-rights organizers and antiwar movements. Johnson stressed that prosecutions can weaken movements even when cases fall apart by draining resources, intimidating communities and removing key organizers from the streets. Still, his message was rooted in resistance: know your neighbors, build mutual-aid networks and use whatever tools you have to document injustice and strengthen your community.

The post ICE Enforcement, Surveillance and Community Resistance in Minneapolis appeared first on KPFA.

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D Cook sat down with Oakland-raised investigator and former Civilian Complaint Review Board executive director MacMuir, co-author with Greg Finch of Cop Cop: Breaking the Fixed System of American Policing. Their conversation examines why police accountability systems so often fail, the differences between oversight in New York and Oakland, and the structural reforms Muir believes could actually change outcomes on the street.

Muir describes American policing as a system that is “fixed”—structured in ways that disproportionately police Black and Brown communities while also fostering an adversarial relationship between officers and the people they serve. Because much of what happens inside internal affairs remains hidden from public view, Cop Cop focuses on the everyday complaints, investigations, and institutional decisions that rarely make headlines but can profoundly shape people’s lives.

Drawing from his investigative work in New York, Muir describes encountering deep institutional resistance to civilian oversight within the NYPD. Oakland, however, offered a different experience. Federal monitoring and stronger local oversight created greater opportunities for accountability. While Muir stresses that Oakland still faces serious challenges, he argues that today’s OPD is not the department it was two decades ago—and that meaningful progress is possible when oversight has real authority.

Davey D compares police accountability to the way aviation disasters are investigated: when a plane crashes, investigators reconstruct what happened not simply to assign blame, but to prevent the next crash. Police killings and misconduct, he argues, rarely receive that same prevention-first approach. Muir agrees, noting that settlements may calculate the financial cost of harm after it occurs, but genuine accountability should focus on preventing the next incident.

The conversation also traces the politics of fear that have historically been used to resist police oversight and protect law-enforcement budgets. From campaigns against civilian review boards in the 1960s to New York’s infamous “Fear City” campaign of the 1970s, Muir examines how public fear has been mobilized to expand policing even as schools, youth programs, and social services were cut.

Muir argues that federal consent decrees can force important reforms, but they are ultimately temporary. Lasting change, he says, requires strong local civilian oversight with genuine authority over investigations and discipline.

Among the reforms Muir advocates are civilianizing internal affairs rather than relying on officers to investigate their colleagues; recruiting and retaining more women officers, who research has associated with lower rates of force and misconduct; creating malpractice-style insurance systems that attach financial consequences to repeated misconduct; and strengthening certification systems so officers with serious disciplinary histories cannot simply move from one department to another.

Muir also emphasizes the importance of history and institutional memory. In Oakland, he argues, rebuilding trust requires confronting the city’s long history of conflict between police and Black communities—from the Black Panther era and the killing of Bobby Hutton to later police violence and misconduct. Transparency matters, but so does public acknowledgement of that history.

Ultimately, Muir challenges several familiar political responses to police reform. Representation alone, he argues, has not consistently transformed policing outcomes, while slogans such as “defund the police” can obscure the deeper question of how public safety systems should actually function.

The central argument of Cop Cop is less about slogans than structure: Who investigates police? Who has the authority to impose consequences? What incentives allow misconduct to continue—and what would it take to prevent harm before it happens?

For listeners interested in seeing that process up close, Muir points to Chapters 3 through 13 of Cop Cop, where case-driven accounts reveal the often invisible work of civilian investigation and show how accountability is built—fact by fact, file by file, and decision by decision.

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 Cop Cop and the Politics of Accountability: MacMuir on Fixing a Rigged System (Encore) appeared first on KPFA.

Hard Knock Radio host Davey D spoke with Florida-based attorney, political strategist and community organizer Camara Williams about Florida’s primary elections, newly drawn congressional districts and the weakening of Black political representation across the state. They examined Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s victory and the political dynamics that shaped the race, including voter turnout, redistricting and the challenges facing Black candidates seeking to build political power. Williams offered insight into how Florida’s changing electoral map is affecting Black communities and what the results reveal about the broader direction of politics in the state.

The conversation also explored the political energy surrounding Florida’s elections and how organizers are navigating an increasingly difficult landscape. Williams discussed State Rep. Angie Nixon and the role of Black progressive leadership, while examining the lessons organizers and voters can take from what unfolded during the primary. Davey D and Williams considered what these developments mean beyond Florida, particularly as redistricting, voter participation and battles over political representation continue to shape elections nationwide.

Williams also emphasized the importance of building political power beyond individual election cycles and paying close attention to the organizing taking place at the local level. The discussion highlighted what people outside of Florida should be watching moving forward and how the state may offer an important preview of political strategies, and challenges.

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: Camara Williams on Florida’s Primary Elections and Black Political Power appeared first on KPFA.

Hard Knock Radio host Davey D spoke with political analyst and professor Dr. James Taylor about Florida’s primary elections, newly drawn congressional districts and the weakening of Black political representation. They examined Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s victory in a predominantly Black district, where several Black candidates divided the vote and many potential voters stayed home. Taylor argued that Wasserman Schultz’s win reflects a broader pattern in which political power, campaign money and pro-Israel interests can outweigh the needs of local Black constituents. The conversation also explored Byron Donalds’ rise in Florida, the legacy of Ron DeSantis and the continuing use of redistricting to reshape Black political power.

The discussion widened into a critique of the Democratic Party’s relationship with Black voters and its resistance to progressive policies such as universal healthcare, reparations and greater investment in the public good. Taylor argued that racism has historically weakened support for programs that would benefit working-class people across racial lines. Davey D emphasized that Democrats routinely pursue elusive moderate voters while failing to invest in Black media, organizers and communities capable of reaching people who rarely vote. Both questioned whether party leaders genuinely want broader participation, since newly activated voters might support candidates who challenge corporate power, AIPAC influence and the Democratic establishment. Taylor also pointed to the treatment of Barbara Lee and other Black California leaders as evidence that these tensions extend from national politics into the state’s Democratic machinery.

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 Dr. James Taylor on Race, Redistricting and the Democratic Establishment appeared first on KPFA.

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D spoke with Oakland playwright, comedian, actor and community activist Donald Lacy about his new film, Free Speech Costs Plenty. The film opens the 24th Oakland International Film Festival on September 9 at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater.

Lacy said the project was inspired by Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, an event that sent shockwaves through the comedy world. If a wealthy, established white comedian could face punishment for political jokes, Black comedians wondered what might happen to artists with fewer protections.

“I started writing the script about a fictional comedian, played by me, and how he tries to navigate telling the truth politically versus the pressures of being canceled,” Lacy explained. The character also faces pressure from his manager and cousin to abandon politics and “just do jokes.”

The film’s tagline captures its central question: “In America, it’s freedom of speech, but watch what you say.” Lacy noted that comedians from Dick Gregory and Richard Pryor to Lenny Bruce paid a price for challenging power. He described himself as “an unapologetic advocate for the Black community,” adding, “The only thing I’m anti is injustice and oppression.”

Davey D pushed the conversation beyond direct censorship. He argued that social-media algorithms can suppress political content while amplifying fighting, gossip, misinformation and degrading portrayals of Black people. Rather than simply silencing truth, powerful institutions can bury it beneath a flood of distraction.

The discussion also examined how Black trauma has become profitable. Crime-focused platforms and mainstream outlets repeatedly highlight dysfunction while ignoring the everyday reality of Black families, educators, workers, entrepreneurs and organizers. Lacy recalled successfully protesting KTVU’s repeated use of footage showing slain journalist Chauncey Bailey’s covered body. “We can’t underestimate our own power as a community and a consumer to hold the media accountable,” he said.

Lacy closed by emphasizing independent filmmaking, alternative media and youth empowerment. Through his Love Life Foundation, he supports students heading to institutions including Stanford, Cal, UCLA and Southern University. For both men, challenging censorship also means telling fuller stories, investing in young people and refusing to let Black pain become the community’s defining image.

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Donald Lacy joined Hard Knock Radio host Davey D to discuss his new film, Free Speech Costs Plenty, which examines the price artists can pay for challenging political power. Inspired by Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, the film follows a fictional comedian struggling to balance speaking truth with pressure from his manager and family to avoid political material. Its central question is summed up by the tagline: “In America, it’s freedom of speech, but watch what you say.”

The conversation expanded into a broader examination of censorship, social-media algorithms and the profitable amplification of Black trauma. Davey D and Lacy discussed how political content is often buried while crime, conflict and misinformation are pushed to the forefront. They emphasized the importance of independent media, Black storytelling, community accountability and investing in young people. Lacy also highlighted the Love Life Foundation’s work supporting promising students and encouraged listeners to support independent cinema and the Oakland International Film Festival.

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 Freedom of Speech, but Watch What You Say: Donald Lacy’s New Film Challenges American Censorship appeared first on KPFA.

On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with veteran recording artist and educator Sunspot Jonz for a wide-ranging conversation about Hip Hop, childhood trauma and the responsibility artists have to their communities.

Best known for his work with Living Legends and Mystik Journeymen, Sunspot has also spent years bringing music and education into schools through his nonprofit, Hip Hop Scholastics. He described music as a vocational tool capable of helping young people discover their strengths, develop knowledge of self and imagine new possibilities.

“I’m just trying to elevate community affairs by using what I do,” Sunspot explained. “We’ve been going out to schools for years and teaching kids, letting them know their strength in education by using music.”

Davey and Sunspot questioned why cities can find enormous amounts of money for police, jails and punishment while youth programs, after-school activities and community organizations struggle for resources. Sunspot argued that too many institutions produce plans and statistics without building genuine relationships with the communities they claim to serve.

“Outreach is the number one thing,” he said. “These aren’t just people on pieces of paper. These aren’t just statistics.”

The conversation also explored how adults often speak for young people without asking what they think or allowing them to discover who they are. Sunspot stressed that children need protection and love, but they also need opportunities to experience life, make decisions and gradually develop independence.

Drawing from his own childhood as an orphan and foster youth, Sunspot offered a deeply honest reflection on healing. “I never healed,” he said. “I’m constantly trying to heal, remembering who I am. I’m constantly understanding my past isn’t my future.”

That experience informs his commitment to creating safe spaces where children and families can be themselves without chasing approval from social media. It is also the foundation of Hip Hop Fairyland 4, a community celebration at Oakland’s Children’s Fairyland featuring performances, workshops, health resources, food, books, backpacks, chess, golf, dance and visual art.

For Sunspot, Hip Hop remains more than entertainment. It is a vehicle for imagination, resilience and community survival. His message to young people was direct: believe in your vision, prepare for setbacks and never confuse online popularity with real-world purpose.

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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