WOKELAND

Let's talk about black people from California...what's the first thing that comes to mind?

A WHOLE LOTTA LIES!!!

Lol, jk. But in all seriousness, as California natives we've heard alllll the stereotypes about Black people from California: from hippie hoteps to gangbangers to bougie tech people who only date interracially, we've heard it all. And on today's episode, we're going to get into these (whack) stereotypes with two of our friends. DNas from Oakland and host of StreetsIzTalking Radio and Faith, an Oakland-based Educator who is originally from LA.

Shoutout to San Jose!  

You can find DNas here: @dnastee

Faith - @winfortheculture 

And us @wokelandpodcast

Please subscribe to our show on Spotify, iTunes, and  Google Play.

Sooooooo.. Your girls attended Afrotech this year and you know we had collect all the deets and provide you with our honest feedback! This is our second year attending the conference (our first time was Afrotech's inaugural year) and it felt so refreshing to be among so many Black professionals. We also discuss some of the social impacts of the conference and we would like to see being offered in the future.

This episode is for the amplification, storytelling, and healing of Black men. Our panelists share their experiences at the intersection of Blackness and Masculinity. Our all black, male panel discuss many of the myths and stereotypes that plague Black men in everyday life.

Our panelists --

Dr. Bedford Palmer II (MODERATOR) is a licensed counseling psychologist and Associate Professor in the Counseling Department at Saint Mary’s College of California. He also co-hosts the Naming It podcast, where he promotes social justice action and awareness through a psychological lens. (Contact @drbfpalmer)

Denzel Herrera-Davis is a storyteller, life coach, and consultant living in Oakland, CA. He is the founder of Create The Space, a novel developmental wellness program for men of color that promotes healing, embraces healthy relationships, and challenges traditional notions of masculinity for men of color through shared vulnerability in community workshops and events. (Contact @create_the_space)

Leon Sykes aka Dnas is a Oakland native, educator, On-Air host (Streets Is Talking Radio), founding memeber of #510Day, and community leader. All around champion of all things pertaining to Black Oakland.(Contact @dnastee)

William Walker has worked in community organizing, secondary and higher public education, and in government administration roles. He currently works as a Capital Projects Intern with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and lives in the Lakeview neighborhood of San Francisco.

Jesse Byrd is an Award-Winning Children’s Book Author and Oakland Native. Besides his original work, Jesse is creating children’s books for ex-NBA players, Public Figures and Non-Profits. (Contact @b.y.r.d)

We felt it was crucial to share the lens of activism on campus from the eyes of a faculty member doing great work at one of the nation's most progressive colleges. Professor Jerome Stewart is the Assistant Professor of Business & Society/Sustainable Business at San Francisco State University and joins us in this conversation surrounding campus activism and how SFSU still has a long way to go in its efforts of creating a safe, autonomous, spaces for Black students and faculty.

If you haven’t been on a college campus in some time, this episode lends itself as a guide to the many obstacles Black students and faculty face, even at America’s more progressive universities. The Black Campus Movement of the 1960’s rendered as a catalyst of protests to disrupt the tradition of inequities in higher education and thus created the pathway to Black Student Unions and African American studies throughout the country. This legacy has been transformative in academia and in the presence of Black life on campus however; as our guests on this episode discuss, while there have been many triumphs in the Black plight on college campuses, there is still a long way to go.

We spoke with Shay and Leo, who are two students fighting the good fight on their PWI, Bay Area college campuses. They detail the militarization of their campuses, the fight to own Black spaces on campuses, and how they don’t feel safe on the college grounds they pay tuition to be on. #blackactivismoncampus

If you haven’t been on a college campus in some time, this episode lends itself as a guide to the many obstacles Black students and faculty face, even at America’s more progressive universities. The Black Campus Movement of the 1960’s rendered as a catalyst of protests to disrupt the tradition of inequities in higher education and thus created the pathway to Black Student Unions and African American studies throughout the country. This legacy has been transformative in academia and in the presence of Black life on campus however; as our guests on this episode discuss, while there have been many triumphs in the Black plight on college campuses, there is still a long way to go.

Follow Shay on IG @yg_harrison

Follow Leo

Mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.... We haven't quite seen the Warriors struggle with injuries the way they have this season so it was extra painful to see them lose at home to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6. But what hurts more is knowing the organization is uprooting to San Francisco which is likely to cause a whole host of issues - more displacement, more gentrification, more traffic, and of course, pricier game tickets.

As Bay Area natives we know firsthand what it feels like to be from somewhere that is often overlooked or misrepresented and with the rise of the Golden State Warriors, it felt like a new light and a new appeal had emerged on the entire Bay, namely Oakland. So to see them leave definitely hurts and the people and economy of Oakland are going to feel the biggest impact. While we are not happy about the move (and anticipate high rise condos and possibly a Whole Foods to be constructed around the Oracle), we know the love the players had for the Town and for their dedication to community over the years, we are thankful. They'll truly be missed!

Dating is hard.

But dating in the Bay?! That's a whole 'nother story. Welcome to part 3 of the Weird Ass Bay Area Dating Scene series, #Pride edition!

This episode centers around the foolishness of the Bay Area dating scene and how the LGBTQIA+ community navigates dating here. Whether you're a transplant or are born and bred here, when it comes to dating you're most likely looking like confusion Susan aka lost AF.

We sat down with Nenna, owner of the sex shop, Feelmore in downtown Oakland; Dannie, Co-Founder of Good Vybz; and our good friend, Sidney last week to provide some insight on the queer dating experience -- they spoke about all the different dating apps, some of their favorite parties they frequent, and even some tips on how to properly approach them in-person. Our three guests also opined on how they have mixed emotions of the dating landscape and detail the chasms between the gay and lesbian population and how much of it is rooted in the gender binary, heteronormativity that is often propagated.

Be sure to follow: Neena @Feelmore510

Bonus Episode with Naming It Podcast!

We talk about mental health myths and we answer a readers question on Dear Simones!

Follow: @namingitpodcast and @wokelandpodcast

Got a question you want us to answer on air for Dear Simones? Email us at [email protected] or DM us!

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we spoke to Dr. Palmer and Dr. Hill about the spectrum of mental health and how the trauma African Americans have historically faced still impact us today. In fact, one study reports that, "African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population", and still, we are the least likely to seek help.

We discuss the different reasons why seeking help may not be considered an option for some Black people (socio-economic background, stigma of therapy, religion, etc.) and dispel some of the common myths and excuses we often make to convince ourselves therapy isn't for us. They urge those of us who need help to reach out and understand that a crisis does not need to occur for you to access help. We also discuss resources that offer discounted services and the rise of "self-care" and how it is perceived to be at the juncture of privilege.

Dr. Palmer and Dr. Hill are co-hosts of Naming it Podcast where they explore the intersections of social justice, psychology and blackness. Be sure to check out their podcast!

Follow Naming it Podcast: @namingitpodcast

Follow Wokeland: @wokelandpodcast

Our Season 2 premiere provides for an interesting discussion on the use of the n-word, specifically as it pertains to its use by our non-black homies. Refa One joins us as we dissect the behaviors, intentions, and desires of those wanting to align themselves with Black culture and identity but not realizing how their efforts are inherently discourteous.

In this conversation, we also discuss the role of Black people providing space for other people of color (who are not Black/African American) to adopt the use of the word and how in order to move forward, we as Black people, may have to bury the word altogether. Thoughts?

We’re also really excited about the premiere of our “Dear Simones” segment where you can email or dm us questions you’d like our expertise on :). This also provides space for you to get to know us more on subjects outside of Bay Area life and culture. Hit us up @[email protected].