Crosscurrents

Series produced by KALW

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Context, culture and connection from around the Bay Area.

KALW's Crosscurrents is the Bay Area's public radio news magazine. Winner of three awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and voted "Best Local News Program" by SF Weekly, Crosscurrents brings you context, culture and connection from around the Bay Area.


356 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Children's book aims to kickstart diversity in the mostly white world of kid lit
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
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Think about some of the classics of children’s literature. There’s Where the Wild Things Are...Goodnight Moon...and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatbal...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass. and PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 17, 2015
  • Length: 08:14
  • Purchases: 2
What Facebook means to East Palo Alto teens
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
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For teens in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, Facebook’s presence goes beyond their digital lives. The teenagers in these towns are in the unique pos...

  • Added: Jul 17, 2015
  • Length: 07:42
What Facebook's expansion means for East Palo Alto
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Facebook's sign greets visitors at the original Menlo Park campus, Credit: Chris Hambrick
East Palo Alto is a small, new city -- it was only incorporated in 1983. Its residents are primarily low-income, and the population is mostly Afric...

  • Added: Jul 17, 2015
  • Length: 08:35
Mapping Oakland's immigrant communities through Food
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Empty produce boxes outside of Oakland's Sun Hop Fat Market, Credit: Hannah Kingsley-Ma
For a recent piece displayed at the Oakland Museum of California’s “Who is Oakland?” exhibit, artist Favianna Rodriguez wanted to use food’s symbol...

Bought by XRAY.fm


  • Added: Jul 17, 2015
  • Length: 05:13
  • Purchases: 1
Is Oakland’s DIY music scene in serious trouble?
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Maria Yates, performing at a DiY venue., Credit: ANNA VIGNET
Ambessa Cantave and I are taking a walk in West Oakland, looking for an old music venue he used to go to. He’s having some trouble finding the plac...

  • Added: Jul 16, 2015
  • Length: 06:57
Sights and Sounds of Bayview: Bayview Youth Advocates
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Bayview Youth Advocate John Vuong prepares to outreach to other students about the Bayview Youth Summit., Credit: Kevin Jones
Around 20 teenagers are settling into a classroom at this year’s Bayview Youth Summit. After a few minutes, they’re quiet, eyes focused on someone ...

  • Added: Jul 16, 2015
  • Length: 08:54
A neighborhood history tour aims to strengthen Bayview-Hunters Point
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Oscar James stands in front of the old Chinese seafood restaurant where he used to buy bags of shrimp, Credit: KYUNG JIN LEE
Sixty-eight-year-old Oscar James stands on a hill overlooking the old Hunters Point Shipyard. He points out a street that’s now closed off by a cha...

  • Added: Jul 16, 2015
  • Length: 06:46
Google Maps vs. Muni maps: what the bus-map makeover says about San Francisco
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: The new Muni map, created by Jay Primus and David Wiggins, Credit: SFMTA
When city planner Jay Primus first moved out to San Francisco’s Richmond district, he made an easy mistake: he hopped onto the 2 Clement to make hi...

  • Added: Jul 16, 2015
  • Length: 09:06
NUMMI, five years later
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Sarah Rogers poses with her NUMMI-made car, a Toyota Tacoma named Goldie, Credit: Angela Johnston
When the NUMMI auto factory in Fremont closed five years ago, close to 5,000 people lost their jobs. An estimated 20,000 others were also out of w...

  • Added: Jul 16, 2015
  • Length: 28:37
Is braille relevant in a digital age?
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: "Read" in braille, Credit: ARTWORK BY ANGELA JOHNSTON
Marco Salsiccia is a huge movie buff. He owns hundreds of DVDs. They fill his small apartment in the Sunset District. Some are piled on his dining ...

Bought by KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio


  • Added: Jul 16, 2015
  • Length: 08:26
  • Purchases: 1
To puff or not to puff: The public vape debate
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
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This month a state Senate committee signed off on a measure regulating where e-smokers can vape, but local and public health officials have been at...

Bought by WABE


  • Added: Jul 15, 2015
  • Length: 05:02
  • Purchases: 1
Young adults with disabilities prepare for the workforce at Fairyland
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
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Intellectually and developmentally disabled young adults have few options after they leave high school. In the Bay Area, nearly 60% of these young ...

Bought by KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio


  • Added: Jul 15, 2015
  • Length: 05:03
  • Purchases: 1
Need to vent? Call the Warm Line
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Daisy Matthias is a peer counselor with the San Francisco Mental Health Peer-Run Warm Line, Credit: Audrey Dilling
Seventy thousand people call San Francisco’s suicide crisis line each year. Making that call usually means someone is on the verge of harming thems...

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio and PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 15, 2015
  • Length: 06:27
  • Purchases: 2
Buffalo Soldiers ride on
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Reverend Jeff Moore blesses biker, Credit: Leila Day
Cheryl Morgan is in her kitchen wrapping cookies. Each one is shaped like a buffalo. “They are brown sugar cinnamon, hand-painted buffaloes,” she ...

Bought by WABE


  • Added: Jul 15, 2015
  • Length: 05:19
  • Purchases: 1
South of Market to SoMa: a photographic memory of one of San Francisco’s changing neighborhoods
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Dave Zouzounis stands behind the counter at Ted's Market, holding a book with Janet Delaney's photograph of him and his dad, Credit: Angela Johnston
It’s the last week of school at Bessie Carmichael Elementary on 7th and Harrison in the South of Market neighborhood. Photographer Janet Delaney an...

  • Added: Jul 14, 2015
  • Length: 09:52
When SF needs money, it holds an auction
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
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Public infrastructure – parks, libraries, roads, and sidewalks – surrounds us. But have you ever wondered how any of it actually came into being? A...

  • Added: Jul 13, 2015
  • Length: 07:44
Witching to find water
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Marc Mondavi demonstrates his divining rods.
The lack of rain has forced California farmers and wine makers to turn from the sky to the ground to find water. It’s down there, but you have to k...

Bought by KPIK-LP, KPIK-LP, WABE, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 01, 2015
  • Length: 08:42
  • Purchases: 4
Why are teachers leaving Oakland?
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Oakland High School
It’s 8:08am, the Friday before spring break, and under other circumstances Kathleen Byrnes would already be at work. “We would be in our classroom...

  • Added: Jul 01, 2015
  • Length: 08:26
Can you educate with comedy? Jokes from The Comedians With Disabilities Act
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: Nina G at SOMArts, Credit: Jeremy Dalmas
It’s Thursday night and Nina G is about to get on stage for a comedy set. “I'm a little too overwhelmed to be anxious,” she tells me before taking...

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio and PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 01, 2015
  • Length: 06:23
  • Purchases: 2
Putting an earring in my ear: the centennial of the Armenian Genocide
From: KALW
Series: Crosscurrents
Caption: A lone sailboat flying the Armenian flag to commemorate the centennial as marchers cross Golden Gate Bridge above
On top of the highest hill in San Francisco is the Mount Davidson Cross -- a monument to the Armenian Genocide. Friday, April 24th marks 100 years ...

Bought by PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 01, 2015
  • Length: 14:15
  • Purchases: 1