Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden,” where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show:
Today’s show is...
Ericka Huggins
All week long KALW has been airing programming about activists who fought for justice and fairness. We call this week “Stand for Something.”
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party in Oakland. Black women have often been the foundation and front lines of many movements, including Civil Rights and women’s equality, Yet, their contributions get erased. Stories and films about the Black Panther Party tend to focus on the male leaders. However, women made up at least 66 percent of the party. They served in various roles, such as organizing, teaching and providing healthcare. “Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party” is a collection of historical photos and stories about these female activists who were a force in the party.
Activist Ericka Huggins was a leading member of the Black Panther Party for 14 years. She co-authored “Comrade Sisters” with photographer Stephen Shames.
This interview originally on KALW's "Crosscurrents" in2022.
Caroline McCaskey
That song you hear at the beginning of this interview is called “Cheticamp-Reel Beatrice-Célina.” It’s from Caroline McCaskey’s album “Flying Leap.” Caroline is the new music director of the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers. World-class fiddler Alasdair Fraser, who founded the group 40 years ago, retired from his music director position last year. San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers' upcoming spring concert series is called "Stravaig." About 100 musicians will be playing Celtic music . See them perform at the Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis on May 8th, the Freight in Berkeley on May 9th and the Crocker Theater in Aptos on May 10th.
Caroline chats with Host Jeneé Darden about her musical career and her vision for the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers.
Donna Personna and Mary Vice
Decades ago, Compton’s Cafeteria in the San Francisco’s Tenderloin was a popular gathering space for transwomen and drag queens.. On a late summer night in 1966, a cop put his hands on a customer. She threw coffee in his face. This prompted the queens and queer folks, who were fed up with police violence against them, to riot right there in the restaurant. This historic event became known as the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. It’s one of the first acts of organized LGBTQ+ resistance in the United States.. The riot took place three years before the Stonewall uprising, which was the catalyst for Pride. There’s an immersive play in the Tenderloin that turns audiences into diners who are witnessing history over a plate of blueberry pancakes and a cup of coffee. “The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot” play is produced by the Tenderloin Museum. Donna Personna is a transgender rights activist and co-writer of the play. She was a Compton's Cafeteria customer, but not the night of the riot. Mary Vice is an actor-turned-drag-queen in the play.
