Rightnowish

Dimming one's light in the face of haters is not something Lidia Rodriguez knows how to do. Whenever she gets comments from guys about her size or gender, the baritone player is quick to clap back with a joke and prove them wrong. "When I'm playing my bari sax, I feel huge. I feel powerful. I feel seven feet tall. I feel like no one could tell me s**t. Like I feel so good about myself. " Lidia Rodriguez is a musical force performing and recording across genre. She gets down playing cumbia with La Misa Negra, rocks stages with electronic group Madame Gandhi, and even goes dumb while performing with the Golden State Warriors brass band, the Bay Blue Notes. Growing up in Mudville a.k.a Stockton, and later attending San Jose State, Lidia says she is a product of public music education. Now, as an educator herself, teaching bilingual music lessons, Lidia is not only training the next generation of musicians but also nurturing students to be self compassionate and authentically themselves. On this week's Rightnowish, Lidia Rodriguez talks about the power of showing up as her full self (a queer and Latina saxophonist) in music spaces and her mission to spread the power of "peace, love and sax." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the first episode of Liner Notes, the Rightnowish podcast series all about jazz in the Bay Area. We're starting this off with a conversation with someone who has a wealth of knowledge, especially when it comes to jazz, Greg Bridges. As a journalist and longtime radio host at Bay Area radio stations KCSM and KPFA, Greg is steeped in Bay Area jazz history. As a reoccurring host of events like the San Jose Jazz Festival, he also has his finger on the current pulse of the culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode originally aired on April 22, 2022 . Terisa Siagatonu's poetry navigates climate change and its impact on marginalized communities from the lens of someone who was proudly raised in San Francisco, by a family with deep Samoan roots. In our conversation, Terisa looks back at January 2022's underwater eruption that caused massive tsunamis in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and other nations in Oceania. Initially, the disaster made headlines and relief efforts filled social media feeds, but Terisa questions what sustained care looks like for those impacted by a changing global climate. This week on Rightnowish, Terisa Siagatonu discusses climate justice and how she "languages" her experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This piece was originally a part of Rightnowish's 2021 series, Roll With Us, all about the Bay Area's community and culture on wheels. Every Sunday San Francisco's Richard Humphrey teaches weekly roller dance classes in San Leandro; his students have the honor of learning from someone who has been on quad skates for five decades. From 1979 to 1988, Richard was a part of the Golden Rollers, a trio of skaters who regularly performed in Golden Gate Park. By now, Richard has taught thousands of people his signature skating style of "roller dance" (even Dr. Oz) through in-person classes and video tutorials. After noticing the rise of skating's popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard wanted to make sure folks knew that skating has a deep-seated culture with a history that pre-dates the internet, and moves that sparkled on the rink long before most viral stars were born. This week on Rightnowish, we roll into Memorial Day weekend-- the unofficial start of summer-- with the legendary Richard Humphrey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anwar Bey grew up in Southern California, but spent his formative, young adult years in San Francisco. He moved to the Bay Area to live out his dream of creating video games. Then in 2021, after spending a decade in Northern California, he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa. That's where he's found the clarity to write about the future. Bey is the author of a series of sci-fi stories titled, The Book of Woldu. It's an exploration of love, family and intergalactic time travel from the perspective of an East African family. Bey says his time spent traveling the continent, talking to people and experiencing life from a new perspective, has allowed him to pen these stories and further develop his multimedia platform, PLASMAWorlds. When asked why it's important to tell stories about Black futures, he jokingly responds, "Because we're out here." He follows up by saying, "... we're going to exist in the future just as powerfully as we exist in the present and so that's why I'm creating this work to inspire." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside of Mohammad Gorjestani's office, there's hella artwork. The filmmaker and co-founder of Even/Odd Studios, has painted collages of wrestlers from Iran mounted near photographed images of Bay Area sideshows. There's stories embroidered on skateboard decks, family heirlooms in the form of pottery and even a tiny replica IranAir airplane. Books written in Farsi line the walls, and Persian carpets on the floor, require you to change out of your footwear and into slippers, as is the custom in Iran. Gorjestani was raised on the west side of San Jose and has lived in San Francisco for two decades, but his heart remains tied to the place he was born, Tehran, Iran. He has childhood memories from his homeland, the last of which are from when he and his family left the country during the Iran-Iraq War. He hasn't visited home since moving to the United States, but he has never been severed from the culture. As he soaked up all of the game the Bay Area offers, he simultaneously held true to his roots. At the same time, he grew critical of the United States; now he uses his art to question the forces that cause oppression here and abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine opening a letter from yourself as a high school student, addressed to the current version of you. 10, 15, or even 30 years ago, what did you care about? What were you curious about? Did you have fears about the world? goals of being a lawyer or a ball player? boy bands you wanted to see in concert? friendships that you hoped would last forever? Do you even remember the high school version of you? On this week's episode of Rightnowish, we combine forces with students from Oakland's Fremont High School, as they share letters to their future selves for KQED's annual Youth Takeover Week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toby Brothers left the U.S. and fell in love with traveling the world. After working as an educator at The Athenian School in Danville, she initially left for Paris before moving to the United Kingdom. Once there, she became the founder and director of the London Literary Salon. The organization, in its simplest form, is a book club with a twist. They meet in-person or virtually, discuss classic works of literature and sometimes they take trips to locations mentioned in the stories. When asked what she’d share with people from her travels, Brothers advised: “Go not for the world to entertain you, but for you to understand how small your own experience is.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When photographer and filmmaker Aïdah Aaliyah Rasheed left her Northern California home in 2019, she knew that she had a job and housing awaiting her in the country of Kuwait. Rasheed and her husband, Stephen Jamal Leeper, took contracts working at a school, and as a part of their employment, the married couple and their children were given complimentary housing. “What’s nice about not having to think about that,” says Rasheed of living rent-free, “is that you can think about other things, you know." Her family invests their money in other experiences, like traveling. Since moving, they've visited a number of countries in the region, and no longer have to consider the high cost of housing in the Bay Area. But living on the other side of the globe hasn't stopped Rasheed from keeping tabs on the U.S. through check-ins with extended family, conversations with community and her side gig-- a project that she's been working on for over a year. When she's not making media or leading classroom projects about how society is designed, Rasheed is working as a curator for Sapelo Square, a publication focused on highlighting stories of Black Muslims in the U.S. and throughout the diaspora. This week, Rasheed shares with us the importance of using media to tell real stories of the Black muslim diaspora, the beauty of the daily calls to prayer in Kuwait, and what she misses about home-- evidently, there's no shea butter like the kind you find at the Berkeley Flea Market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richmond-raised photographer Christopher Nechodom retraced his family's roots to a small town in Mexico. In doing so, he left behind the pricey Bay Area -- a place that he loves dearly but was costing him more than money; peace of mind was at stake. After experiencing a series of traumatic events: a victim of armed robbery as a kid, losing a close friend to homicide as a young adult, and then narrowly escaping the tragic Ghostship Fire, that took the lives of 36 people in 2018, Nechodom says he's now on the path toward healing . “I think the fire just opened the floodgates,” Nechodom tells me. “And it also forced me to finally get in touch with my own vulnerability and really address that trauma.” Now a resident of Mexico City, Nechodom spends his time between the capital city and the state of Michoacán, where his mother's side of the family is from. The time spent in the state where he has roots allows for reflection and connection, while in Mexico City he has access to business opportunities and artist circles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Rightnowish we've got a special episode from our friends at KQED's The California Report Magazine. They’ve launched a new series called MIXED: Stories of Mixed Race Californians. Over 7 episodes, the hosts Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos have honest conversations with other mixed race Californians about the challenges and joys of being multi racial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern California is this beautiful piece of land where high mountains, deep valleys, and cold beaches can bring about a sense of peace. At the same time, the people who live here are constantly debating the land itself. So over the past five weeks we decided to focus on stories broadly about life and land in Northern California, as a part of our From The Soil series. More specifically, we honed in on what people from communities directly impacted by climate change, polluted soil and the privatization of land are doing to right the wrongs of this piece of earth we call home. After racking up over 1,000 miles reporting these audio stories, for the final episode in this series, Rightnowish producer Marisol Medina-Cadena and Rightnowish host Pendarvis Harshaw take a minute to sit down and discuss the behind-the-scenes of making the series. From herds of elk grazing near the 101 south bypass to the prevalence of people walking on freeways, this land tells so many stories, so we figured we’d share a few more with you all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the southern edge of the South Bay in Santa Clara County, where the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains meet the town of Gilroy, there is a grassy pasture. Here, a small stream runs through acres of land while cattle graze and birds fly above. This piece of land is a proposed mining site—but it's also traditional ceremonial ground for the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. For over 200 years, the Amah Mutsun have been unable to access one of their most sacred sites, known as Juristac. "Juristac translates to the place of the Big Head. Our most important ceremonies were Big Head ceremonies. And so this location is where our ancestors, for thousands and thousands of years, held Big Head dances and ceremony," says Valentine Lopez, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. For the last seven years the tribal band has organized support from the local community, religious leaders, conservation groups and nearby city councils to stand in support against the development of the Sargent Quarry project, a proposal to use the land for mining purposes. The Santa Clara Board of Supervisors is currently reviewing the proposed mining project's environmental impact report. This week we hear from Valentin Lopez , the tribal chairman of the Amah Mutsun, speak about the historical and spiritual significance of Juristac, and the movement to protect the land for the Amah Mutsun. Read the episode transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of her late mother's efforts, Arieann Harrison is continuing the fight against environmental racism in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. She is the founder of Can We Live, an organization that is working with local residents to screen them for toxins and install devices to monitor airborne pollutants. Can We Live also offers scholarships for students interested in studying environmental justice. This week we talk to Arieann Harrison about growing up in toxic terrain and how her work doesn't fall far from the family tree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a steep hillside in San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Park, nestled between the Alemany Apartments, the 280 Freeway and the Bernal Heights Neighborhood, there’s a wine vineyard that doubles as a teaching tool. A patch of land adjacent to Alemany Farm is being cultivated by Christopher Renfro and Jannea Tschirch, the co-founders of The 280 Project. Their aim is to use public land to grow crops and introduce people to the world of agriculture, with a specific focus on getting young African-American residents of San Francisco interested in viticulture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a crisp afternoon at the Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen, a group of twenty one farmworkers suit up in firefighter gear. Woman and men take turns helping each other strap on backpacks and fire helmets in preparation for another intense day of prescribed burn training. These are carefully planned low intensity fires set under specific environmental conditions, intended to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Many of these immigrant and Indigenous farmworkers typically work in the grape fields throughout Sonoma County, but extreme drought, flooding, and massive wildfires have made these jobs more precarious. Seeing the need for alternative jobs that provide safety training and fair wages, a coalition of organizations including North Bay Jobs with Justice, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and Resilience Force teamed up to create paid opportunities that tackle our climate crisis head on. Part of this work includes certifying farmworkers to do prescribed burns on private lands throughout the North Bay, as a way to prevent the build up of fuel before fire season. Prescribed burns are not a new practice by any means. They are rooted in many cultures. Some of these farmworkers have already practiced prescribed burns in their homelands in Mexico and Central America, and bring this ancestral ecological knowledge to their new line of work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few miles northeast of the California state capital, in the city of Folsom, a public recreation area has recently been renamed Black Miners Bar, after years of being called Negro Bar. Historically, the site is where African American miners were relegated to panning during California’s Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. In the summer of 2022, California State Parks unanimously voted to change the name of Negro Bar to Black Miners Bar temporarily, while the department conducts more research into the true history of the area. For more on what actually transpired on this piece of land we talk to one of the lead researchers on the project, Susan D. Anderson, History Curator and Program Manager at the California African American Museum. We also talk to Michael Harris, a historian and chair of the Friends of Negro Bar community group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This story is part of That’s My Word, KQED’s year-long exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023. Dave “Davey D” Cook is a cornerstone of hip-hop culture. He currently co-hosts KPFA’s Hard Knock Radio and serves as a processor of Africana studies at San Francisco State University, where he teaches popular courses on hip-hop and African American music. Davey D is a practitioner of the culture as well as a critic. Over the span of five decades, he’s been an MC, DJ, journalist, activist — the list goes on. Originally from The Bronx, New York, Davey D was there when this thing we call hip-hop was in its nascent form, before it even had a name. When he arrived in the Bay Area in the early ’80s, one of his missions as a UC Berkeley student was to lend some insight to this burgeoning culture. So he put on a few events, one of which was The Day in Hip-Hop on Oct. 24, 1984. With the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at the front of mind, I spoke to Davey D about what the culture was like back then and how far it has come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally part of the four-part series on BIG LOVE from 2021. We're revisiting it as a part of our 2023 kickoff series highlighting some of the best stories from our archives. AB Banks, defines love as "doing the right thing with a passion." That means taking care of themselves and their folks, and they see the potential of self-love to be communal and revolutionary. Day-to-day AB works with the People’s Programs in Oakland, supporting their unhoused neighbors through clinics and food donations. Outside of that, AB is deep in the practice of meditation. This is after setting out on a personal journey to learn the art of meditation, which included a trip abroad to study with renowned practitioners. In 2021 AB launched the Mad Chill series of short meditative videos with the aim of making this practice more accessible. In our conversation, AB shares what they've learned and some of the tools they've acquired on this journey to understanding the various shapes self-love can take. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally part of the Roll With Us: Community and Culture on Wheels series from 2021. We're revisiting it as a part of our 2023 kickoff series highlighting some of the best stories from our archives. Dueñas Car Club is a sisterhood that rolls on 100-spoke rims. Angel Romero is president of the club, which was founded in 2019 and is based in Sunnyvale, California. She's been cruising the strip since she was a kid in the passenger seat of her mother's lowrider. It was through her mother that Angel inherited her passion for cool cars, cruising through the city, and serving the community. Now, the members of the car club work with local organization to hold toy drives and distribute safety kits. They also pull up to events like car hops and car shows, stunting in full force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally part of the "Reel Talk: Filmmaking in the Bay Area… Rightnowish" series from 2021. We're revisiting it as a part of our 2023 kickoff series highlighting some of the best stories from our archives. San Francisco State graduates Alba Roland Mejia and Jon Warfield Harrison are in the early stages of their careers as filmmakers, but their work is already being supported by the likes of Join The Movement Coalition, Oaklandish, Marshawn Lynch's Beastmode, and Kodak. Alba and Jon have released a handful of short films which are artistic, a bit experimental and occasionally include a dash of science fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was originally part of the "Rightnowish: Musicians to Know" series from 2021. We're revisiting it as a part of our 2023 kickoff series highlighting some of the best stories from our archives. Nappy Nina is a lyricist with a smooth-sultry delivery that's almost jazz-like, especially when coupled with some signature boom-bap production. In her songs, she raps about breakups, missing Oakland, the disappointing produce in Brooklyn, and navigating rough financial waters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're going to use Bay Area slang, use it right. "Slap" is a term used in this region since the early 2000s to describe the sound of music laden with hard-hitting 808 drum machine beats and heavy bass lines. It's not a word to describe a quality sandwich. While language, especially slang, is full of words with multiple meanings, many folks from the soil have been on a mission to set the record straight on how the lingo should be used. This week on Rightnowish, we're diving deep into the etymology of the term and clarifying how it's best applied. This piece was originally published as a written article in January 2022, you can find that by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chef Avery Zeus is a whiz at combining flavors. They use that same energy when they bring queer people of color together at the monthly "Taco Tuesgay" pop-up event in Oakland. Zeus' company, Concept Kitchen, plans the catering for the event, but their main business is making sure that other QTIBIPOC-led food start-ups have the resources to succeed in the hospitality industry through kitchen access, booking services, and equipment for catering and street vending. Rightnowish's Corey Antonio Rose spoke to Chef Zeus about the importance of gathering space, even when it's temporary, and why you shouldn't rush the process when it comes to cooking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems like LarrenWong can do a little bit of everything. He's a former linebacker who played football at James Logan High School and Northwestern University, before signing a professional contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He's an avid reader, student of art history and a talented painter. He's a rising R&B star who sings, writes and plays the guitar; earlier this year he dropped a quality album titled, Songs That I Hate To Sing. Raised in Union City where he was exposed to different cultures, competitive athletes and creative individuals, Larren says his earliest musical influence came from inside of own his home. His grandfather, Mr. B (Butler Wong), was a former member of the New York Philharmonic and one of Larren's first musical instructors. Larren took those lessons and built on them. He learned to play the guitar and write music. After stepping away from his football career, Larren jumped full-time into music and he's been making waves ever since. His work is spreading. Earlier this year Larren was invited to perform the song "Mama" off his latest project for the web-based musical performance series, COLORS Studios. And this week Larren sits down with the Rightnowish team to discuss it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Filmmaker Maria Victoria Ponce was raised in Richmond, CA. She’s mastered the art of telling stories that speak to her individual experience of coming up there, as well as the awkwardness that’s universally found in the process of growing up– no matter where you’re from. Recently, she invited Rightnowish host Pendarvis Harshaw and producer Marisol Medina-Cadena to stop by and see the family photos that inspire her coming of age films. They discussed the inspiration for her films and what it means to rep Richmond's Latino community. A 2022 Ranin Fellow, Maria says she now has the resources to tell more stories about Richmond, and plans to expand to other genres, including drama and horror. Watch her film Ruda. Read the transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Rightnowish, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at KQED’s Mindshift Podcast. It’s all about new approaches to raising and educating children. I didn’t have my first Black teacher until 7th grade, and only one after that until college. When I became a teacher, that’s when it clicked: representation matters, as does exposure to a diverse set of life experiences. In this episode, Mindshift host Nimah Gobir, speaks to Micia Mosely, founder and director of the Black Teacher Project (BTP). They talk about the need for Black teachers in the classroom—not just for Black students—but for all of society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re passing the mic to a group that’s doing some substantive work, both in the community and in the media. The Hella Black Podcast, hosted by Delency Parham and Abbas Muntaqim, is a show focused on movements toward Black liberation. Right now the Hella Black Podcast is running a unique series called Tales Of The Town. It’s produced by former Rightnowish guest and award winning filmmaker, Maya Cueva. Over the course of 12 weeks, Tales of The Town is looking back at historical movements for Black liberation in Oakland, and diving into current efforts as well. On top of that, they’re making sure to note the arts and culture that has, and continues to fuel movements. So this week, we’re featuring episode number four from the Tales of The Town series. This episode dives into the history of West Oakland’s 7th Street, once a main thoroughfare for Black artists– home to jazz clubs and show venues where folks like Aretha Franklin would perform. That is, until eminent domain brought about BART train tracks and a freeway that ran right through the community, ultimately causing many businesses to close. A blow to the neighborhood that still lingers to this day. Abbas and Delency talk about that and more on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the heart of Día de los Muertos is a celebration of the cycle of life. It's a time to talk with our dead. We sing to them, prepare altars with flower and food offerings, and share stories to keep their memories alive. It's both a sacred and joyous time. Here in the Bay Area, we go all out for the tradition. Elaborate public altars are constructed in parks, schools, and community spaces. Museums and galleries have exhibits with Day of the Dead themed art and installations. It's truly a moment of visibility for Latino/x culture and tradition. But it wasn't always this way in the Bay Area or the United States, for that matter. To shed light on the history of how Day of the Dead became such a tradition here in the Bay, we are talking to artist and curator Rio Yañez. Read the transcript here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 25, 2022 marks the third anniversary of the launch of the Rightnowish podcast! This week, we’re revisiting an episode that’s emblematic of this show’s ethos. In July of 2021 we published an episode featuring Alameda’s own producer and DJ, Trackademicks. Known as the “cool collar scholar” from the HNRL collective, Trackademicks is a music producer who makes original songs and has a knack for remixing popular tracks, and adding that Bay Area flavor. In the early 2000s, his "Tell Me When To Go" remix cemented his name in the Bay Area musical history books. When we talked last year, we discussed the history of Hyphy music and how he, as a Black and Filipino person, sees remixing as a part of his DNA. Since then, he’s DJ’d at functions in LA, and he’s produced more music including some forthcoming remix projects, like this mashup of Janet Jackson and Andre 3000. Check it out. Annnnndddddd…Trackademicks has recently gotten married! Congrats to him and his partner! Read the Transcript If you enjoy Rightnowish, consider donating to KQED podcasts for more great content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside of a classic Queen Anne victorian in West Oakland, photographer Traci Bartlow displays beautifully framed images of the people who shaped hip-hop culture in the Bay Area, and across the nation. Her house doubles as a photography museum and a boutique hotel, that tells the complex story of multiple generations of Black folks, land ownership and community. This week we go back to the 90s as Traci takes us on a tour of B-Love's Guesthouse. Read the transcript for this episode. Information to visit Traci's photo exhibit, "Oakland Picture Lady" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fremont photographer Sydney Welch has compiled a collection of photos that serve as a highlight reel for the latest wave of talented hip-hop and R&B artists emerging from the Bay Area, including Stunnaman02, LaRussell, Kehlani, P-Lo, Su'Lan, Larry June, and Rexx Life Raj. Her images are captured at concerts, showing artists rocking the stage or having an intimate moment backstage. She has Polaroid photos taken at parties and magazine-style portraits shot on film. Most importantly: Sydney's images aren't taken from an outsider perspective. Before becoming a professional photographer, Sydney would attend concerts as a fan of Bay Area hip-hop and R&B. This week Sydney Welch tells us how she relies on grace to navigate the notoriously treacherous music industry and why she's so passionate about representing the Bay. Read the transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a lot going on in the world. On top of the constant grind that capitalism demands, there's news of natural disasters, inflation, war and conflicts. And that's in addition to the interpersonal issues we all face. We could use a little more laughter in our lives. So last month, Rightnowish held an event called, Put Your Phone Down! A Rightnowish Comedy Night at KQED's headquarters in San Francisco. Hosted by Pendarvis Harshaw and Rightnowish producer Marisol Medina-Cadena, the evening consisted of a quick Q&A and an open mic segment where audience members came up and cracked some jokes. After the ice was broken and the punchlines were rollin ', three talented local comedians– Mike Evans Jr., Jackie Keliiaa, and Dara M. Wilson, stepped on the stage, one at a time, to headline the event. In this week's episode, we share a bit of that night. Read the transcript here. Check out a video of the full event here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's only on you for the rest of your life," reads the Instagram bio of tattoo artist Shannon Anderson aka Mo' Better. A widely recognized tattoo artist, he's done notable pieces on famous athletes and entertainers, But he's also inked multiple generations of Bay Area families. He's a self-taught tattoo veteran who is paving the way for others to traverse an industry that hasn't been to kind to people who look like he does. For the past twelve years, Mo'Better's been the owner of Inkestry Custom Tattoos. But before he held a tattoo gun, he was known as a talented air brush artist, and before that he was a skilled barber. He learned each craft out of necessity. And each craft has earned him money, broadened his following and expanded his community. For the final entry in our series on tattoo culture in the Bay Area, we talk to Mo' Better about his craft, and his life. Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"People really want something that brings meaning into their life," says Sabreena Haque, a well-known henna artist and burgeoning tattoo artist. Henna is an important part of wedding rituals and birthday celebrations. Similar to tattoos, henna plays an important role in times of transition. Sabreena says the practice of receiving henna, which involves sitting still and letting the paste sink into your skin, is an opportunity for people to set intentions. "As the henna fades, that's when the intentions deepen," she says. After the paste has faded away, the memories of the experience and thoughts about how to move forward linger. This week, Sabreena tells us about her family and her craft, and shares what philosophy has seeped into her byway of doing body art for the community. Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophia Blum, also known as Pio Poke, is a master of the stick-and-poke (or hand poke) method of tattooing. With a handheld needle, she creates detailed textile designs and images of feathers, arrows, birds and botanicals. On top of being a skilled artist, she's in the business of changing the industry — after recognizing unfair labor practices within traditional tattoo parlors, where owners get the lion's share of the the revenue and workers make a small percentage, Blum organized with other artists and formed Thorns Tattoo, a worker-owned studio. This week, we talk with Pio Poke about manually making her mark, as well as the importance of workers' rights and bodily autonomy. Read the episode transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our series, Permanent Behavior: Getting Tatted in the Bay, starts with tattoo artist Miguel "Bounce" Perez. Perez has vivid childhood memories of art created by his family: His mother drew “chola-style” portraits of women with feathered hair and sharp brows, while his uncles created lettering in Cali-Chicano Old English script. His father was part of a car club in his West Berkeley community, a neighborhood that was also home to a number of aerosol graffiti murals. All of this poured into Perez, and laid the foundation for what he does today. He's a versatile artist, who sees collaboration with his clients as central to his work. He's done touch-ups for people who've been incarcerated, and even inked a team of mathletes. His art is detailed and graphic, ranging from Mayan Goddesses to anime characters. Perez says he doesn't have a "specialty," but he often does cover-ups of older tattoos; a community service of sorts. He's also part of the art collective Trust Your Struggle, which paints murals in countries for historically colonized and under-resourced communities. Given Perez's experiences with both impermanent aerosol and indelible ink, we figured he'd be the best person to start this exploration into the culture of tattooing in the Bay Area, and what it feels like to create permanent artwork-- if such a thing exists. Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Rightnowish, we feature a lot of stories about art that's here today, gone tomorrow—and we wanted to find art that lasts forever. So, we turned to tattoos. Permanent Behavior, our four-part series on tattooing in the Bay, kicks off this week. In these stories, we dive into the permanence of ink, as it resides on impermanent beings. We hear from the creators of the tattoos—the artists behind the needles—all of whom come from a unique mixture of crews, cultures and countries of origin. The artwork, as well as the stories behind the art, are unlike anything you’ll see (or hear) anywhere else. Help make Rightnowish better — take our survey! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up, Robert Liu-Trujillo didn't see himself represented in the books he read. So after he became a dad, he wanted to make sure his son would have stories to relate to. Liu-Trujillo set forth on a path to fill the void. And in doing so, he's contributed to the effort to create a culturally aware and racially just future for all of us. Initially an illustrator, he became an author and has published eight books. He often uses watercolors to create scenes that are full of bright hues and earth tones. His characters are from cultures and communities that have been historically overlooked in the US early childhood literature circles. And his books are written in English and Spanish. With the historical evidence that people of color aren't proportionately represented in children's books, and the ongoing fight to ban certain books that address race and racism, it's extremely clear why Robert's work is important right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rightnowish team is working on some new and exciting projects — but first, we want to hear from YOU. Do you listen to the show? What do you want to hear more of? What's missing? By filling out a quick survey, you can help shape the future of Rightnowish. Check it out: https://bit.ly/3C4MRzt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, renowned writer and San Francisco Poet Laureate, Tongo Eisen-Martin, told us that it's not enough to simply be a poet. "The poet needs to just come on down to the trenches," he said, explaining that quality writing comes from the lived experience of participating in community activism. In direct application of his own philosophy, Tongo has been involved with the occupation of Parker Elementary School, where organizers are fighting against the latest round of school closures in Oakland Unified School District — schools that are located in communities that are largely populated by Black and brown students. Tongo has been a part of the group's Freedom Friday events, where artists of all sorts are invited to show up and perform. As the fight against the school closures continue, we're going into the archives this week to share Tongo's poem, "A Sketch of Genocide." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Rightnowish, we're passing the microphone to the team at The Stoop podcast. In this episode, hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba introduce us to folks practicing healthy alternatives to monogamy, including author and educator Kevin Patterson, who describes his polyamory as "relationship anarchy." "Every person that I meet, our relationship just sort of forms naturally," he says. "I don't try to put anybody in one box or another if that's not what suits this person." Writer Crystal Byrd Farmer identifies as being solo polyamorous. "Solo poly means that I'm not entwined with another person, so I'm not living with them, I'm not sharing finances with somebody, I'm not doing child care responsibilities with somebody else. I'm kind of my own person. I still have romantic and sexual relationships with multiple people, but it's really like I'm in my own house and do my own thing," she says. And Intro, Ambi and Ex — the triad from the podcast Bloc'd — share their perspectives on polyamory, sexual identity and impending parenthood. "I just had a feeling that if we got together, we would be able to figure out the rest," says Ex. What you're going to hear originally aired on The Stoop in 2021 but it's always a good time to talk about the many manifestations of love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco lyricist and graffiti writer Dregs One is making sure Bay Area hip-hop culture is properly documented, and at the same time he's becoming a recognized historian. In a series of videos he simply calls "History of The Bay," Dregs is using TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to highlight aspects of Bay Area culture that are often overlooked. In one video he dives into the use of local slang, noting that music "slaps" and food doesn't. Dregs has multiple videos honoring the work of legendary aerosol artist Mike "Dream" Francisco of the TDK crew, among numerous posts he's done in dedication to local graff writers. Dregs' videos are short, often sprinkled with a touch of wry humor, and always laced with game straight from the soil. I talked to him about what it means to have thousands of views on his videos and how the work of documenting a culture that is often word of mouth inherently brings forth differing opinions. Dregs, who is still deep in the rap game and enmeshed in the world of visual arts, says it's not easy to continuously make videos and do the heavy lifting of keeping the "Frisco-ism" alive, but he loves seeing how many people his work is influencing — and that's what matters the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Indigenous protocol, we're beginning this week's episode honoring the original stewards of this land that many of us in Frisco now occupy — the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Now, let's take a trip down Valencia Street to La Misión. The neighborhood is home to not one, but two rich cultural districts. Calle 24 Latino Cultural District was first established in 1999. More recently, in 2020, it was joined by the American Indian Cultural District — a home base for the Urban Native community. Its aim is to uplift the culture, history, and continuing contributions of American Indians in San Francisco and beyond. On this week's Rightnowish, we introduce you to some of the people behind this cultural district that's the first of its kind in the Golden State. Mary Travis-Allen (Mayagna, Chortega, Seneca) is the President of the District's Advisory Board and recalls memories of "Little Rez" along 16th Street. Debbie Santiago (Washoe, Osage) and her mother, Alberta Snyder (Washoe) share their memories about the SFUSD's Indian Education Program that ran out of the American Indian Cultural Center on Valencia Street in the 70s and 80s. Karen Waukazoo (Lakota) remembers her late mother and local hero, Helen Waukazoo, who co-founded Friendship House, the oldest social service organization in the United States run by and for American Indians. Last but not least, we venture to the waterfront at Fort Mason to talk with Sharaya Souza (Taos Pueblo, Ute, Kiowa), the Executive Director of the American Indian Cultural District about the legacy of the Alcatraz occupation. There are so many Native stories alive in La Misión — we hope this is just the start to more of us hearing about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joshua Neal is a viral sensation, using social media platforms to share his acting talents and social commentary with the world, and simultaneously launching his career. Multiple times a week, Neal posts short comedic videos where he plays all the roles, writes all the scripts, and produces all the stories. He can be seen smoking fake cigarettes as a bad guy or wearing a towel on his head as he takes on the role of an angry girlfriend—all in service of telling humorous stories that resonate with people's real-life experiences. His posts have been shared widely, and have reached the digital doorsteps of Hollywood luminaries like Ava DuVernay. Neal, a writer and creator who grew up in Union City and currently lives in Hayward, now has a foot in the door of major production circles, and he did it by simply creating content from the confines of his parents' crib. This week Joshua Neal shares a little bit of his own story, as well as what it takes to consistently make viral videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maya Cueva makes documentary films that cover the heavy topics: immigration, reproductive justice and xenophobia. Her latest, On The Divide, follows the stories of three Latinx people whose lives interconnect through the last abortion clinic on the U.S./Mexico border. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021, and is available to stream free of charge through July 18, 2022 at POV. Cueva says her journey into professional storytelling began after covering current events at Youth Radio (now YR Media) as a teen. While attending Ithaca College in New York, she began work on her first film, The Provider, which follows Dr. Shannon Carr as she performs abortions in Texas in the midst of a heated battle for reproductive rights. She's also made Ale Libre, which follows reproductive rights organizer and undocumented activist Alejandra Pablos in her fight against deportation, and Only the Moon/ Solamente La Luna, an animated film about her father’s immigration experience to the U.S. from Peru. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nenna Joiner owns Feelmore, a queer-friendly sex toy shop with locations in Berkeley and Oakland. Noticing the lack of Black queer spaces beyond the monthly “RnB nights” at many local clubs, they decided to open the Feelmore Social Club in Downtown Oakland, a bar slated to open in 2022. “This energy that they feel in Feelmore is akin to the energy that they're going to feel here,” Joiner assures, “We want to be open a long time.” Joiner speaks about re-imagining the Black queer space, and the role of the Black queer dollar in the community. This series was produced and reported by Corey Antonio Rose. For more information, visit Rightnowish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rich LGBT history of the Tenderloin goes back farther than any bricks thrown at Stonewall, and Transgender Cultural District President and Chief Strategist Aria Sa’id makes it her job to preserve that history. Her work in securing tenant protections, workforce development, arts and cultural heritage preservation, and cultural competency for the residents of the historic Tenderloin neighborhood has taken the idea of ‘safe space’ beyond the bars and into our daily lives. Sa’id speaks with us about what makes a space ‘safe,’ and the effect that empowering the most vulnerable within a community has on the rest of us. This series was produced and reported by Corey Antonio Rose. For more information, visit Rightnowish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Rodney Barnette first moved to San Francisco in 1969, he noticed that “it wasn’t all rah rah gay capital of the world.” His experiences with racism in San Francisco’s historic gay community led him to open the New Eagle Creek Saloon, the city’s first Black-owned gay bar, in 1990. Over 30 years later, Barnette speaks about why Black-affirming queer spaces are still needed, and what he took away from his experience operating one. This series was produced and reported by Corey Antonio Rose. For more information, visit Rightnowish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friendships can be hard for anyone. As an adult you need to navigate staying in contact with old friends, getting past the awkward early stage of new friends, and deciding if certain friendships are healthy or unhealthy. This doesn't even touch on time constraints, and the difficulty of hangs since the beginning of the pandemic. But maybe we make friendships harder than they have to be? This week on Rightnowish, we're making new friends! This is a special crossover episode with YR Media's Adult ISH podcast. After spending a day riding around with Adult ISH host Nyge Turner's hometown of Richmond, we jump into a conversation about how some friendships are as old as our collection of basketball shorts, while new friendships are hidden behind different social barriers of adulthood. We hope you enjoy, friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices