KQED's Forum

When the Marathon oil refinery in Martinez closed in 2020, more than 300 unionized workers were laid off from jobs they thought they’d retire from. A study from UC Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education followed many of those workers and found roughly one in four were still out of work a year later, and most of those who had found new jobs took sizable pay cuts. As we make the necessary transition away from fossil fuels, Forum discusses what kind of jobs will be lost, and gained, in the green economy and what can be done to minimize harm to the workers whose jobs will be erased and to the communities who depend on their industries.

Guests:

Virginia Parks , professor at the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of California, Irvine

John Gioia, member, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors

Tracy Scott, president, United Steelworkers Local 5

James Feldermann, former head operator, Marathon Martinez refinery

Jessie Hammerling , co-director, The Green Economy Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center

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“The first uniquely American suit,” is how Clarissa Esguerra, a Los Angeles County Museum of Art curator of costume and textiles, describes the Zoot suit. Known for its wide-legged pants and long coats, the Zoot suit became infamous in June 1943. That was when servicemen, police officers and white civilians attacked the young Mexican, Filipino and Black Americans who donned the suits in what became known as the Zoot Suit Riots. To commemorate the riots’ 80th anniversary this month, the L.A. Times put together a multimedia project tracing the suits’ legacy and status today as a symbol of Chicano pride — while noting the paper’s own culpability in anti-Mexican American sentiment at the time. We’ll speak with the reporters and editor who authored the project and hear your reflections.

Guests:

Gustavo Arellano, columnist, Los Angeles Times

Steve Padilla, editor of the showcase feature Column One, The Los Angeles Times - and oversaw the LA Times' Zoot Suit Riots 80th Anniversary Package

Elizabeth Escobedo, associate professor of history, University of Denver - and author, "From Coveralls to Zoot Suits: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front"

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After the election of President Obama in 2008, “the world looked and felt different,” writes University of Texas historian Peniel Joseph. That moment also marked the beginning of what Joseph calls America’s Third Reconstruction, a period of racial progress marked by the Black Lives Matter protests and the social justice movements they inspired. But the Third Reconstruction, like the 19th and 20th century versions that preceded it, has also been beset by white backlash and violent retrenchment. We’ll talk to Joseph about what he thinks we’ve achieved in this period and how far we need to go to achieve racial justice.

Guests:

Peniel Joseph, professor of history and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, University of Texas at Austin; author, "The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century"

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To celebrate Juneteenth we listen back on our interview with Bay Area-based chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry. He’s created “a communal shrine to the shared culinary histories of the African diaspora,” as he writes in the introduction to “Black Food.” Bringing together a number of contributors who share recipes, stories and artwork — plus Terry’s signature playlists to go with the recipes — “Black Food” aims to be a feast not just for your tastebuds, but your eyes, ears and spirit, too. Terry, who’s also the chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora, says this is his last cookbook, but just the beginning of a bigger vision to publish more writers of color under his new publishing imprint 4 Color Books. Terry joins us to talk about “Black Food” and what else he’s got cooking — both in and out of the kitchen.

Guests:

Bryant Terry, author, "Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora," "Afro-Vegan," and "Vegetable Kingdom;" chef-in-residence, San Francisco's Museum of the African Diaspora

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One of the largest collections of transgender history sits in a small garage turned archive in Vallejo. The Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive has been open to the public since 2018. With Pride month underway, we’ll explore a few key objects from the collection, talk about what they teach us about trans history, and discuss what the history of the transgender community in the Bay Area can tell us about the current moment.

Guests:

Susan Stryker, incoming faculty in gender and sexuality studies, University of Southern California - Her new book is "Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution." She won an Emmy for the documentary film, "Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria."

Ms. Bob Davis, founder & director, Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive in Vallejo

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Owls have long fascinated humans. They appear in cave art dating back 30,000 years. They are an integral part of the Harry Potter universe. Why are we so enthralled by these creatures, who contrary to popular belief cannot turn their heads 360 degrees? In her new book, “What An Owl Knows,” science writer Jennifer Ackerman tackles this question. Thanks to new technology and decades of research, we know more about owls than we ever have, including why their eyes are so big, how they can fly without making noise, and whether they are truly monogamous. Ackerman joins us and we hear from you: What’s your favorite owl story or sighting?

Guests:

Jennifer Ackerman, science writer; author, "What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds" and also "The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think" and "The Genius of Birds"

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Until recently Wood Street in West Oakland was the site of the largest homeless encampment in Northern California. To launch our new series on homelessness in the Bay Area, Forum broadcasts live from Wood Street. We’ll talk with people who lived in the encampment before it was cleared by the city in April, and with city and county officials, about alternatives to encampments for unhoused people and Oakland’s strategy for addressing the homelessness crisis.

Guests:

Erin Baldassari, housing affordability reporter, KQED

LaTonda Simmons, interim homeless administrator, city of Oakland

Lucy Kasdin, director, Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless

Moose, former resident, Wood Street encampment

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Friends tracking friends. Parents tracking kids. Spouses tracking each other. Location sharing has become all the rage in our over-connected world. The feature can be especially handy during an emergency, and can foster a sense of safety, community, and connection. But location sharing can also be misused, leading to privacy concerns and risks such as stalking or harassment. And teens report a “fear of missing out” feeling when they see friends gathering without them. Should we know where our friends and family are at all times? Is this helpful? Healthy? We’ll talk about the pros and cons of sharing coordinates and hear from you: do you love it? Or does it make you uncomfortable?

Guests:

Rebecca Jennings, senior correspondent covering social platforms and creator economy, Vox - Jennings wrote the recent piece is "Should We Know Where Our Friends Are at All Times?"

Julie Jargon, family and tech columnist, Wall Street Journal - Her recent pieces include "Is It OK to Track Your Spouse's Location?" and "Why Teens Say Location Sharing Is the Greatest -- and the Worst."

Mahi Jariwala, junior, Monte Vista High School; member, KQED's Youth Advisory Board

Joshua Bote, assistant news editor, SFGATE

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Watery eyes, a runny nose, quick, desperate breaths: all signs of you may have shaken out, purposefully or not, a few too many dashes of hot sauce. Despite the pain that may come, people can’t seem to get enough of fiery sauces. This is particularly true in the Bay Area, where spice is integral to many of our favorite cuisines. In our latest All You Can Eat segment, we’re talking about how hot sauces bring food to life with KQED’s food editor Luke Tsai and several hot sauce connoisseurs including restaurateurs who have made their own concoctions, or who carry on the recipes created by their ancestors.

Guests:

Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED

Tim Herod, co-owner, Wood Goods and Hot Sauce

Victor Escobedo, owner of Papalote and self appointed culinary sociologist

Sarah Kirnon, chef, former owner of Miss Ollie’s

Azalina Eusope, owner of Azalina’s

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From low Earth orbit projects to potential moon landings, a 21st century space race is heating up. Following the lead of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, a multitude of private companies are now competing to commercialize space and transform the industry, which up until now has largely been dominated by NASA and government contracts. Technology journalist Ashlee Vance follows the trajectories of four of those companies in his new book “When The Heavens Went On Sale,” and he joins us to talk about this new era of satellites, rockets and for-profit re-envisionings of our relationship with space.

Guests:

Ashlee Vance, technology writer, Bloomberg Businessweek; author, "When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach," and "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future"

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