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Sights + Sounds Magazine: What Home Means to Long-Time Bay Area Artists in the Midst of Gentrification

Poet Josiah Luis Alderete is co-owner of the bookstore Medicine for Nightmares.
Jeneé Darden
Poet Josiah Luis Alderete is co-owner of the bookstore Medicine for Nightmares.

Gentrification and the high cost of living have forced many long-time residents out of theBay Area, including artists. Still there are people in the Bay, both long-timers and new residents, who want to preserve the culture that makes the Bay Area unique and continues to draws people. Artists and activists are doing the work to make that happen.

Black Cultural Zone staff (l-r) Caniya Johnson PR, events and ambassador program manager; Ndidi Love, economic development manager
Jeneé Darden
Black Cultural Zone staff (l-r) Caniya Johnson PR, events and ambassador program manager; Ndidi Love, economic development manager

On this episode of Sights + Sounds Magazine, host Jeneé Darden takes you the Akoma Market at Liberation Park in East Oakland. The market is located on a plot of land called Liberation Park. The Black Cultural Zoneis the organization that operates both. We
hear from Black Cultural Zone staff Caniya Johnson, PR, events and ambassador program manager and Ndidi Love, economic development manager. Before leaving Jeneé buys some greens from farmer Jamil Burns of Raised Roots.

Farmer Jamil Burns of Raised Roots
Jeneé Darden
Farmer Jamil Burns of Raised Roots

Then we jump on BART and head across the bay to the Mission and chat with poet Josiah Luis Alderete. He is the author of "Baby Axolotls y Old Pochos" (Black Freighter Press) and co-owner of the bookstoreMedicine for Nightmares. Josiah, who was pushed out of the Mission due to rising rents talks about the importance of owning a slice of home as an entrepreneur and how his culture and the Mission inspire his poetry.

Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.