WOKELAND

What a dope year it's been with you!

Thank you to everyone who has tuned in the last 12 months, joined in on the convos, and debates.

We've enjoyed every email, comment, DM, everything -- let's keep it going!

Season 2 is coming up soon but in the meantime we're taking a mini break cuz #selfcare. We'll be back in 2019 with some fresh heat!

We'll be around still out in these Oakland streets so keep checking out our past episodes (be sure to leave a 5-star review wherever) and say hi when you see us out.

Thanks for being part of the Wokeland community. We love yall. Have a great new year and see you next year!

On this episode, we talk to some of the prominent Black-owned business owners in the Bay to figure out how they've maintained their presence and survived through the storms.

Keba Konte, founder of Red Bay Coffee, founded his coffee business in 2014 from his garage in Oakland. His ethically sourced coffee is quickly becoming a Bay Area mainstay, and his beautiful brewery in Fruitvale hosts some of the dopest events in the Bay.

Chaney Turner was homeless when she began launching her business. Nowadays, she's the founder of a few successful ventures, including Town Biz and People's Dispensary. She's a true testament of how perseverance can get you closer to your goals.

Tamirra Dyson got the funds for her NOLA-inspired vegan restaurant, Souley Vegan, just 20 minutes before she was supposed to meet her landlord to sign the lease!

Part 2!

Dating is hard.

But dating in the Bay?! That 's a whole 'nother story.

We've been in many conversations centered around the foolishness of the Bay Area dating scene. 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.

Why is that?

We sat down with three brave souls who walked us through their dating experiences. After our discussion with Brandon (from Alabama), fellow podcaster (The Seeds You Sow) Aysha, and Oakland native and comedian, Elijah, we learned that in the age of social media, a tech industry boom, and gentrification, it's easy to understand why the dating landscape is a hodgepodge.

While the ladies are looking to blame the men, and the men are looking at the women crazy, at the end of the day we just stuck on stupid looking at each other--and not connecting.

Don't get us wrong: connections can be made here. But it's slim pickings. You have to WERK to make it work.

The solution? Who knows. This conversation is a first step (don't forget to check out part 1).

May the force be with us all.

Follow us:

Dating is hard.

But dating in the Bay?! That 's a whole 'nother story.

We've been in many conversations centered around the foolishness of the Bay Area dating scene. 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.

Why is that?

We sat down with three brave souls who walked us through their dating experiences. After our discussion with Brandon (from Alabama), fellow podcaster (The Seeds You Sow) Aysha, and Oakland native and comedian, Elijah, we learned that in the age of social media, a tech industry boom, and gentrification, it's easy to understand why the dating landscape is a hodgepodge.

While the ladies are looking to blame the men, and the men are looking at the women crazy, at the end of the day we just stuck on stupid looking at each other--and not connecting.

Don't get us wrong: connections can be made here. But it's slim pickings. You have to WERK to make it work.

The solution? Who knows. This conversation is a first step (don't forget to check out part 2).

May the force be with us all.

Follow us:

For this episode on gentrification, we sat down with our neighbor Stanley, to provide us some context on how he has seen his neighborhood in West Oakland change. He recounts his Black Panther days, the high crime rate, and all the drugs that were in the neighborhood, but also the strong Black population that once occupied The Lower Bottoms (headquarters of the Black Panther Party.) Stanley has lived in Oakland for 57 years and is a dedicated advocacy coordinator at the Western Service Workers Association. In his role, he sees the influx of individuals and families fighting to keep their electricity, water, and a roof over their heads.

For more information about the group that kept Stanley keep his home, please visit the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals here.

And if you're ever in West Oakland and would like to learn more about the center Stanley works at, visit them at 1141 Peralta St in West Oakland.

Where did gentrification come from?

In the midst of a homeless and housing crisis, we are unable to escape the harsh reality of what is becoming the "New Oakland." From Permit Patty to BBQ Becky, to the fading Black population of Oakland, to the increasing cost of living we can't help but feel for all of the people who no longer recognize their city and are being pushed out of the place they call home.

In order to get some insight, we sat down with three people from the Town who are in the midst of this battle:

Jahmel is the founder of Real Oakland (@realoakland) and BBQ'n while Black.

This is part one of a two-part series. Next week, we'll get a few different perspectives. Stay Tuned!

Bay Area Transplants: What they're doing here, why they settled in the Bay Area, and why they love Oakland

Wondering what a "transplant" is? Most would define a transplant as someone who has moved, relocated, or settled in an area that they are not from and plan to live short term; usually in the pursuit of higher education, industry, or appeal of a better life. As natives of The Bay Area, it is far more common for us to meet people who are NOT from here then it is to meet locals. Why is that? And is it a bad thing? We would be lying if we said there isn't a negative connotation to the word "transplant", but are all transplants created equal? And if we have such a huge influx of out-of-towners here, then surely there must be some Oakland/SF/SJ folks polluting some metropolitan city, right? We were a bit conflicted with regards to our feelings of transplants. With Silicon Valley eating at jobs, driving gentrification and homelessness, it's easy to feel territorial about a place you call home. We wanted to hear the other side of the story, so we interviewed four amazing people who were open and honest about what attracted them to The Bay and why they have an affinity for Oakland, and detail some of the things they weren't expecting upon moving here.

Leave a review on iTunes & follow us @wokelandpodcast. Visit us at thisiswokeland.com

With the rise of social media, video games, and iPhones, engaging children in classrooms is harder than ever. We spoke to Ben Gilbarg of Big Picture Anthems and Griot B of Schoolyard Rap about edutainment aka "educational entertainment" and how schools can turn their low engagement around by fusing hip hop culture into their curriculum. We also get into the difference between charter schools and public schools, what tech companies can do to give back to underrepresented communities, and how teachers have their hands tied when it comes to enacting big changes in the school system.

The episode starts with Griot B's song, "Bill O' Rights" off of his album Ourstory which educates youth on the power of knowing their rights.

Follow Schoolyard Rap @schoolyardrap