Crosscurrents is KALW Public Radio's award-winning news magazine, broadcasting in the Bay Area Mondays through Thursdays on 91.7 FM. We make joyful, informative stories that engage people across the economic, social, and cultural divides in our community.
All this week and next, we’re bringing you the story of a Coast Miwok family’s eviction from their ancestral home in Northern California and one woman’s mission to bring the living history of her family back to the land. In this excerpt from Coming Home to the Cove, we hear what life was like before they were displaced from Tomales Bay.
November is Native American Heritage Month and for the next two weeks we’re bringing you a series from our partners at Emergence Magazine. It’s called Coming Home to the Cove and it chronicles a Coast Miwok family’s multigenerational story of displacement from their ancestral lands in Tomales Bay.
In this episode, we hear why Oakland’s Chinatown has the city’s highest concentration of motorist collisions with pedestrians and cyclists. Then, in a new Bay Area Beats segment we meet East Oakland's Bryce Savoy who began his rap career through his family. Plus, we go out on the town for some dinner and a show, but there’s one catch — it's all in the dark.
In this episode, how an all-female mariachi band is challenging tradition. Then, the new artistic director of Marin Theatre Company shares his vision. And, why some mothers in Oakland are pushing to recall their District Attorney Pamela Price.
In this episode, we bring you the latest story from Uncuffed's third season. We explore the challenges of finding and maintaining love behind bars. Then, the intense heartbreak and trauma of losing someone you love while in prison. Plus, we’ll give you a taste of what our producers like to listen to with The Uncuffed My Mixtape.
The Bay Area hosts one of the biggest Palestinian communities in the country. In this episode, we will hear from one Palestinian family who continues their fight to return home. It's the story of the original Nakba. And, we get an update on the state of local journalism in the Bay Area.
In this episode, we meet one doctor who is tackling gender health disparities through pelvic floor physical therapy. Then, we learn why the rollout for driverless cars has hit a speed bump. We'll hear from SF City Attorney David Chiu about his push to rein in robo-taxis. And, a reading from Berkeley author Jen Lumanlan.
San Francisco is full of living history. In this episode, a tour of some of its institutions that have stood the test of time. They are all featured in the new book, “Oldest San Francisco.”
San Francisco is known for its creativity, but the future of its artists is unclear. Today, a conversation about the state of the arts in the city. Then, we hear from the Bay Area Pulitzer prize winning author, Hua Hsu. And, we listen to a reading from a novel inspired by a great-great grandfather’s experience on an orphan train.
Scary season is upon us and today we’re exploring the Black Horror film genre. From 1972’s "Blacula" to more recent films like Jordan Peele’s "Get Out" and Nia DaCosta’s "Candyman" — many love the genre but some of us still have our eyes closed. With more Black horror films being made, we’ll explore what actually defines Black Horror.
Nearly 300,000 child marriages have occurred in America during the past decade, and more than 20,000 happened in California. Today, we talk to case workers working against child marriage, and survivors who have overcome it. Then, we hear from three Bay Area women who ply different genres to tell important stories.
Dozens of studies show that when parents or guardians are engaged in their kids’ education, it has a huge impact. Not just on academics, but on a student’s attendance, sense of self-esteem, and behavior in class. The San Francisco Unified's "family liaison" was created to build trust and get more families engaged with their child’s school.
A new game comes to the San Quentin yard, and for the first time, correctional officers and staff shared the court with the incarcerated people. In the first episode of Uncuffed Season 3, producers share an unusual step toward changing prison culture — it involves nets, sweatbands, and paddles.
In this episode, we hear why the future of the Oakland's A’s is up in the air. We get an update on their controversial planned move and the opposition against it. Then, we hear how the Oakland Ballet incorporates diversity into their performances. And, we’ll visit Port Costa, a small town with a spooky reputation.
Today, we hear about a new law that forces venture capital firms in California to open up about who they are investing in. Then, an Oakland author on why she wrote about her Black and Japanese heritage from a child’s eye. And, we look back at one of the most destructive fires in California history, the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm.
Survivors and descendants of those who were forced out of their Palm Springs community in the 60s recently filed a lawsuit for reparations. We hear from one of the plaintiffs who now lives in Oakland. Then, in preparation for this weekend's Makers Faire, we learn about the lost art of steam power. Plus, a trailer for the newest season of Uncuffed.
San Francisco is still the most deserted major downtown in America. As part of the city's efforts to revitalize the area, KALW was awarded a temporary pop up space in the financial district. For our opening event, we hosted a conversation about the current state and future of downtown. Then, cartoonist Stephan Pastis talks about his new book and how his work helps him heal.
Tattooing is an intimate process, and deciding who gets to ink you matters. In this episode, we explore the evolution of Bay Area tattoo culture. Then, the co-founders of Litquake are stepping down and looking back at the festival they created 24 years ago. And, Richmond’s Lily Iona MacKenzie reads from her new book of poetry.
As part of KALW’s week of discussions on racial justice, we explore what it means to protest during the national anthem. We hear the history and context behind Colin Kaepernick’s protest. Then, we get an update on how his career has been impacted. Then, we learn about the contributions of Black women to the social justice movement.
Today, we feature stories from Uncuffed, our podcast made in California prisons. We hear how some incarcerated men face the challenge of deportation after being released. Then, we learn about the ways Native Americans have fought for their rights while incarcerated. Lastly, what it’s like to be locked up in one of California’s most notorious prisons.
As part of KALW’s week of discussions about racial justice, we’re featuring The Stoop podcast, hosted by Hana Baba and Leila Day. In this episode, we meet people around the Bay Area working for racial justice in their own ways. From reparations to health to literature, and even food, we hear from folks fighting injustice in all its forms.
Today, we bring you the fourth and final story from our series Elements, about the four most elemental ingredients of life and how they’re being reshaped by climate change. We hear how workers in the Sacramento Delta are deconstructing levees in an effort to correct ecological mistakes. Then, we get an update on San Francisco’s plans to address homelessness.
Today, we bring you the third story from our series Elements, about the four most elemental ingredients of life and how they’re being reshaped by climate change. In this story we learn how ecologists are looking at an old ally to help with fire prevention, beavers. And what does it take to keep young girls resilient?
Today, an Oakland airport expansion is bringing community groups together for environmental justice. It's the second story from our series Elements, about the four most elemental ingredients of life and how they’re being reshaped by climate change. Then, growing up in the foster care system and aging out into a world that doesn’t see you.
Today we're launching a new Crosscurrents series: Elements. It's a collection of stories about the four most elemental ingredients of life — air, water, earth, and fire — and how they’re being reshaped by climate change. Today's story takes us to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the front lines of California’s water war. Then, the original vision for BART.
People have come to the U.S.YS for different reasons. Sometimes, it can be a matter of life and death. Some LGBTQ+ immigrants flee from their home countries and leave everything behind. And as we head into October, which is LBGTQ+ History Month, we are revisiting a story from someone who shared his experience with just that.
Today, we meet the man who reports on the athletes at San Quentin prison who play everything from basketball to pickleball. Then, Fantastic Negrito's drummer James “Sticknasty” Small talks about his debut solo album. And, we’ll hear why a seminal Jewish text got an updated translation.
Today, we talk to reporter Sonia Paul about a first-in-the-nation measure to add caste to state anti-discrimination laws. And we hear from three Bay Area authors with three very different novels. Then, we meet the ladies of the Grant Avenue Follies who celebrate mid-century Chinatown's cultural scene one song and dance at a time.
Today, we meet researchers using a special night vision camera to track the movement of trains and pollution. We hear how open air coal trains are impacting Oakland communities. Then, we learn how the Folsom Street Fair got it's start. And, we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month by highlighting the work of some Bay Area poets.
Today, we meet the first openly LGBTQ fire chief in the country in a new story from our series "At Work." Then, a conversation about the future of small publishing with J.K. Fowler, the founder of Oakland's now-shuttered Nomadic Press.
