“Sights and Sounds” is our weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene through the eyes and ears of local artists. On this episode, host Jenee Darden speaks with poet Kira Allen. Her book is Write this Second and she’ll be performing her poetry about Black women’s bodies at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley on Saturday, May 7th.
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park
Oakland
This huge 1800-acre park is home to a lot of wildlife such as deer, racoons, rabbits, and even the golden eagle. You can also have a picnic, go out for a hike, or camp underneath the stars. Whenever you want to get away from city life, the park is only a few miles away from downtown Oakland.
Bandung Books
East Oakland
The bookstore’s mission is to uplift and connect Oakalnd’s communities of color. They feature works by Black, Indigenous, Raza, and Asian creators. The business was named after the Bandung Era, a time when African and Asian countries came together for the first time without the influence of the US and Western Europe.
“Women of the Black Panther Party” Mural
West Oakland
The art project is meant to remind us of the role Black women played among the Black Panther Party. They were teachers, artists, community organizers, nurses, and family members. To date, 300 names are cataloged. There’s also a museum inside that features historical info and photographs, but reservations have to be made ahead of time since it’s still someone’s house.
Check out Kira’s book Write this Second: A Poetic Memoir. Also, watch her perform with our host, Jenee Darden, and other Black women writers at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley on Saturday, May 7th at 1pm.
