Wanda's Picks

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

Roger Ross Williams, the director, God Loves Uganda, which opens theatrically Nov. 1 in San Francisco at the Roxie Theatre, joins us for an interview. Roger Ross Williams directed and produced Music by Prudence, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for documentary short subject. He is the first African American to win an Oscar for directing and producing a film. He has produced and directed dozens of hours of non-fiction programming for major television networks and cable channels. Williams has won numerous awards for his work. Currently, Williams has several projects in development, including a feature narrative film about the African American Baptist church titled Black Sheep. Visit http://www.godlovesuganda.com/ We close with a show recorded June 19, which closes with an interview with two directors, KATHERINE FAIRFAX WRIGHT - filmmaker; MALIKA ZOUHALI-WORRALL - filmmaker and LONGJONES - subject from the film, Call Me Kuchu, which screened at Frameline June 19, 2012. The film depicts the last year in the life

Today I will be participating in the Sista-toSista visiting team going to Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California, which means I will be on the road at 6 AM, so we are going on a bit earlier and rebroadcasting a couple of popular shows with one new interview. On the occation of Mrs. Rosa Parks's anniversary of her passing October 24, we rebraodcast an interview with biographer Dr. Jeanne Theoharis, whose The Rebellious Life of Mrs, Rosa Parks dispells myths as it enlightens audiences to a truer picture of this phonomenal woman. We close with an interview with Roger Ross Williams, the director, God Loves Uganda, another wonderful selection at the 2013 UNAFF which continues through Sunday, October 27, 2013. God Loves Uganda opens theatrically Nov. 1 in San Francisco at the Roxie Theatre. Roger Ross Williams directed and produced Music by Prudence, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for documentary short subject. He is the first African American to win an Oscar for directing and producing a f

We rebrodcast an interview with subjects of The Revolutionary Optimists, which screens this afternoon at the United Nations Association Film Festival 2013 in East Palo Alto. The film draws us into the world of two 11-year olds with no access to clean drinking water, a girl forced to labor inside a brick kiln, and a teenage dancer on the precipice of choosing child marriage to escape from her abusive family. From these fragile lives, lawyer turned change-agent, Amlan Ganguly mines the strength and vision to build an unlikely revolution. The film follows Ganguly and 4 children from Kolkata's poorest slums on an intimate journey through their adolescence. http://www.unaff.org/2013/f_revolutionary.html Our next guest in the studio is, Ilse van Lamoen, the director of MIND (Media Information & Narrative Development) and producer of the film, Daughters of the Niger Delta http://www.unaff.org/2013/f_daughters.html. Daughters  is an intimate film portrait of three heroines who manage to make ends meet against al

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

Andrew Dosunmu, director, joins us to talk about his latest film, Mother of George. We then shift slightly to speak to Idris Akamoor and Kenneth Nash, "Music is the Healing Force" Bay Area Community Orchestra performances this weekend. Artists participating in SomARTs Dia de Los Muertos join us to speak about this year's exhibition opening tonight. We close with a rebroadcast of an interview with Robert H. King and Marina Drummer about Herman Wallace, who made his transition last week after being exonerated. Known at the Angola 3, King, Wallace and Albert Woodfox were targeted by Lousiana prison officials for their membership in the Black Panther Party. Wallace spent 42 years in solitary confinement. Woodfox continues to have his case overturned and then challenged in court by the State Attorney General. Wallace's funeral in New Orleans is Saturday, October 12. His birthday is Sunday, October 13. See angola3.org

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

Herman Wallace, diagnosed with liver cancer is in hospice at Gabriel Hunt Prison in Lousiana. A federal judge reversed his case and had him released from custody Tuesday, however, the state DA appealed the order. He was released this evening. Robert King, our guest today, and present at the prison visiting Herman with Albert Woodfox, the other member of Angola 3, when the order was issued, compared the DA's refusal to let Herman go, to the civil war between the North and the South. In solitary confinement for over 40 years for their political beliefs, the A3 case is an example of judicial babysteps in cases involving poliical prisoners. Marina Drummer and Mwalimu Johnsonwill join Robert H. King to talk about Herman, the case, which includes Albert Woodfox, and breaking news about the federal court decision yesterday. Visit angola3.org  We close with an interview with Jeff Hull who speaks about his new film, THE INSTITUTE, dir. Spencer McCall, which chronicles the Jejune Institute, a mind-bending San Francisco

Our first guest is Professor Margaret Burnham, director and founder of the Civil Rights and Restorative Project at Northeastern University School of Law which she joined as faculty in 2002. Her fields of expertise are civil and human rights, comparative constitutional rights, and international criminal law. CRRJ engages students in legal matters relating to the 1960s US civil rights movement. A former fellow of the Bunting Institute at Radcliffe College and Harvard University's W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Studies, Professor Burnham has written extensively on contemporary legal and political issues. We rebroadcast an interview with Law Professor Angie Bell who spoke to us last year about the cases of Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace known collectively at the Angola 3. Presently, Wallace is terminally ill and needs to be released. Sign the petition at angola3.org Professor Jason Bell, director of Project Rebound, lecturer at San Francisco State, and this year's recipient of LSPC's John K. Irwin A

Today's show features an interview with authors: Luisah Teish and Lelani Birely about their book: On Holy Ground: Commitment and Devotion yo Sacred Lands.Luisah Teish is a writer, performance artist and ritual events consultant. Her writing credits include several plays (“Rice and Revolution”, ”The Division of the Cowries”, “The Rise and Fall of Sam DeClaws Or How DeClaws Got Clipped” and “ The Deer Woman of Owo), She is also the author of several books on African and African American Spiritual Culture.  They include “Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals” a women’s spirituality classic. “ Carnival of the Spirit: Seasonal Celebrations and Rites of Passage “, Jump Up: Good Times Throughout the Seasons with Celebrations from Around the World”, and “What Don’t Kill Is Fattening Revisited: Twenty Years of Poetry, Prose, and Myth. She has contributions to thirteen anthologies and has written numerous movie, play and book reviews.  She has published articles and interviews in

We open with a conversation with Oakland School od the Arts directors and cast from 24 Angry Jurors, an adaptation of Reginald Roses's classic Twelve Angry Men, which opened Sept. 19 and continues tonight, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. with performances tomorrow and Sunday.    Guests include: Jeremy Brandt: Assistant Director, Robert Cornn: Foreman (men side), Hunter Milano Juror 8 (men side), Kreona Turner Foreman (women side), Nia Lunkvist Juror 4  (women side), Nhiah Young Juror   7 (women side), Emily Cooper, Juror 6 (women side), and Eleanor Maples Juror 8 (women side). Visit www.oakarts.org Ann-Marie Davis joins us to talk about East Bay Meditaion Center's 3rd Annual Dhamathon, 24 hour fundraiser, Sat., Sept. 21-Sun., Sept. 22, 9 a.m. to 9 a.m. Visit Ewuare X. Osayande, editor of the collection Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin & Marissa Alexander, is next. This collection, which is a fundraising tool for the families of both victims, one still alive behind bars, features international writers, as the r

Today we play a couple of interviews, one from the archives. We start with an interview with Haifaa Al Mansour, first female director in Saudi Arabia about her first feature length film, Wadjda, opening in the theatres Sept. 20 and Sept. 27, 2013. We conclude with an interview with Tiffany Mann, Blueswoman in San Jose Rep's production, up through October 6, 2013, One Night with Janis Joplin.

This morning we open with an interview with one of our favorite writers, Michael Warr, who with Luis Rodriquez will be speaking on Art as Healing in a free lecture at the Koret Audiotirum, de Young Museum in San Francisco, 3-4:30 p.m. Visit http://deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/calendar/conversation-authors-luis-rodriguez-and-michael-warr Michael Warr is author of The Armageddon of Funk, We Are All The Black Boy, and co-editor of Power Lines: A Decade of Poetry From Chicago’s Guild Complex, all from Tia Chucha Press.  Valerie Cooper, vocalist/writer, who joins us next to talk about her sneak preview at the African Museum and Library, Oakland, Sept. 14, 2013, 7-9 p.m. Visit http://expressmoments.com We close with a conversation with three writers: The Hon. Claire Mack, former mayor of San Mateo, Rafael Jesus Gonzalez, poet, teacher, humanitarian, and Nadia Lataillade, writer, attorney, and Mrs. Mack's granddaughter. The topic is 100 Authors for Literacy, a free event, Sat., Sept. 21, 2013, at the Martin Luther King

1. Melvin Brown: Movin’ Melvin will take you on a musical journey of his life through Black Music history from 50’s to 90’s…Singing,Tap-dancing and Clogging, Storytelling, and Comedy. Covering everything from Gospel, Soul and Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, the infectious song and dance show has the audience movin' and groovin' along, with songs of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, James Brown, Jackie Wilson and more, as well as his original songs. Melvin tap-dances from Bo Jangles to Gregory Hines styles in his unique way and he clogs to Texas music. The 22nd Annual San Francisco Fringe Festival runs for 14 days, September 6-21, 2013, at the EXIT Theatreplex, 156 Eddy Street, in downtown San Francisco.  This year, the run is longer (14, rather than 12 days) and extended to include three weekends.  The only days the theatre is dark are Mondays. Tickets for the 14-day San Francisco Fringe Festival, Sept. 6-21, are $10 (or less) at the door (cash only) and $12.99 (or less) online.  The ten-show Frequent Fringer p

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay! 1. Melvin Brown, as Movin Melvin Brown: The Man, The Song, The Musicat SF Fringe Festival 2013.  2. Jihan Sabir, actress, Legally Blonde at Woodminster Summer Theatre in Oakland.  Bio:  JIHAN SABIR (Ensemble/Judge/ Paulette Understudy) is super stoked to be doing Legally Blonde at Woodminster Amphitheatre! Originally from the East Bay, Jihan studied musical theatre at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles. Credits include:

Rebroadcast of interview with Nelson Bell--re: National Brotherhood of Cyclists Confernece in Oakland, CA, August 2011,  with organizational chair.

Chris Johnson studied photography with Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham and Wynn Bullock and has been the recipient of grants from the Rockefeller Foundation (w/Hank Willis Thomas); In 1994, he co-produced and directed “The Roof is on Fire” with Suzanne Lacy, which was broadcast on KRON. His fine art photography has been widely exhibited and published. Johnson is a full Professor of Photography at the California College of the Arts http://www.chrisjohnsonphotographer.com/Eric Doversberger is a manager and technology strategist on Google’s People Analytics team, with deep specialization in interactive data visualization.Outside of Google, Eric is a technology advisor for social change organizations and co-creator (with Wendy Levy and Tomorrow Partners) of Sparkwise: an open source and online, social change impact reporting platform. Before joining Google in 2007, Eric was a NSF-funded researcher at the Mathematics Department of Brown University: www.ericdoversberger.com To participate visit: http://bit.ly/174fXV

Today on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Economic Opportunities for Black Americans, we speak to director, Noel Calloway, whose film, Life, Love, Soul is a pause in the narrative that is America today. If 1 and 3 children are living in homes without their fathers, then what does that say about our collective sense of family and the role men play in the lives of their children. When we look at men like Martin King and at his family, the sacrifice they made for the nation and world, when their father was absent from home too many times to count, before he was killed. How many important engagements did he miss? How many goodnight kisses were imagined in phone calls home? In Life, Love, Soul Calloway's character, Roosevelt, raised by a single mom, doesn't know his father and perhaps thinks he doesn't need to know him when the two lives collide in catastrophy when his mother and younger sibling are killed and he has to spend his senior year in high school with dad. Don't expect a clich

We open with a conversation with director,Noel Calloway, director of the film, Life, Love, Soul. This debut feature looks at the important role a father is in his child's life and about choices adults make, some irreversible (interview rescheduled). Thomas Simpson, director/founder with Destiny Muhammad, harpist,  will join us to talk about AfroSolo which will celebrate its monumental 20th season with an all star AfroSolo Alumni performance extravaganza.  The event will take place on Monday, August 26th at 7:30 pm at the African American Arts and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton Street in San Francisco. AfroSolo is dedicated to nurturing, promoting and presenting art and culture of African American sand the larger African Diaspora  through solo performances and the visual and literary arts. Next Damu Sudi Alii , pianist and composer, and Tonye Scott, singer/composer join us to talk about First Edition, which is performing tonight at the 57th Street Gallery at 5701 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, (510) 654-6974 or www