The Black Landscape
The Black Landscape is a series of conversations that spotlight Black emerging and established leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area communities in various industries including the performing and literary arts, local government, the Peralta College system, labor unions, fashion design, event management and curation, entrepreneurship, and more!
Episodes
57 episodes since 2022
Season 6 Mini Episode #6 PHER
PHER, the Oakland native and global singing phenomenon formerly known as Chris Turner, is a rare artist fully versed in both the jazz tradition and classic soul, and equally comfortable in either universe. As a Soul, R&B and Jazz ar...
June 15, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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19:44
Season 6 Mini Episode #5 Nazelah Jamison
Nazelah Jamison (she / her) is a Bay Area-based performance poet, author, actor, vocalist and emcee. Her first book of poetry, Evolutionary Heart, was released on Nomadic Press in 2016, and reprinted and re-released on Black Lawrence Press in F...
June 15, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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17:58
Season 6 Mini Episode #4 Nora Free
Nora Free is a Bay Area based artist (saxophone and flute) from a multiracial background. She's a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and did her PhD in Composition at the University of Pittsburgh. Free is returning to music after a long il...
June 14, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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17:22
Season 6 Mini Episode #3 Tiffany Austin
Oakland Black Music Week Artist!Tiffany Austin is a vocalist, composer, educator, impresario and philanthropist, whose life's work is the liberation and inspiration of people of African descent. She has released two critically acclaimed jaz...
June 14, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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19:46
Season 6 Mini Episode #2 Angela Edwards + Monique Griffin
Monique and Angela, owners of The Pour Up wine company, started their wine company during the pandemic and have continued blossoming ever since. They have five different wine varietals that they sell online and at pop ups around the Bay Area. T...
May 22, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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17:27
Season 6 Mini Episode #1: Ashlie Kego
Ashlie Kego is a Nigerian-American self-taught artist based out of Pleasanton, CA. She is known for her vivid, eye-catching Afro Cubism Art.She discovered her new talent of painting during covid, November 2020. With being locked u...
May 22, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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10:05
Season 6 Episode 6: Nadine Rambeau
Nadine Rambeau is the Executive Director of EPACENTER (@epacenterarts), a creative youth development organization that works with East Palo Alto youth to amplify their talents and impact their world through art and design. EPACENTER is a LEED c...
April 26, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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47:40
Season 6 Episode 5: Qing Qi + Terrence Paschal
Qing Qi is a notable Bay Area Rap Star and acclaimed performer. She makes grassroots anthems like “IDWIW” & “Big D” that permeate. Visual Artist, director, promoter, actor, Founder of femme rap community Putang Clan and events team #...
March 13, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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22:38
Season 6 Episode 4: Jewelle Gomez
Jewelle Gomez (Playwright, Cabo Verdean/Ioway/Wampanoag, pronouns: she/her) is a novelist, poet, and playwright. She is the author of seven books including the double Lambda Literary Award-winning, Black lesbian vampire novel, The Gi...
February 28, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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36:35
Season 6 Episode 3: Fred Pitts
Meet San Francisco resident, Fred Pitts. His solo show “Aren’t You…?” recounts his hilarious journey to visit all 21 California Mission churches, where he discovers that being Black ...
February 14, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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26:21
Season 6 Episode 2: Oysterknife
OYSTERKNIFE—a name derived from Zora Neale Hurston’s essay “How It Feels To Be a Colored Me”—was formed in late 2017 out of a longtime creative friendship between Gabriele Christian and Chibueze Crouch. Nourishing a desire to su...
January 24, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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45:34
Season 6 Episode 1: Toni Rochelle
**Trigger Warning! This interview includes topics of suicide & depression**Toni Rochelle was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 2005, she relocated to the Bay Area and immediately started modeling, appearing in fashion s...
January 10, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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39:13
Season 5 Episode 8: Lance McGee/Unique Derique
Unique Derique is a longtime San Francisco Bay Area favorite whose dual careers merge the performing arts and healing with the belief that the world can be a brighter place, one breath—and one laugh—at a time. Internationally acclaimed “Clown P...
December 27, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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34:59
Season 5 Episode 7: Don Reed
NPR award-winning storyteller Don Reed (Writer/Performer/Director) was a 2018 nominee for the Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Outstanding Solo Production, as well as the 2016 TBA winner and the 2017 TBA nominee for the same award. The playwright...
December 13, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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50:24
Season 5 Episode 6: Courtney Jones
Courtney Jones (she/her) is a 3rd generation Oaklander who is passionate about diversity, inclusion, giving back, and providing resources to distressed communities. Courtney is a co-parent of two daughters and the Fine Art Museums of San Franci...
November 22, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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33:29
Season 5 Episode 5: Ryan Thurston
Born & raised in Oakland, CA.Actor, Model, Costume Designer, Writer.A Meisner trained actor who has the ability to transform himself into a variety of characters with strong ideologies.Growing up in the diverse Bay Area, he was ...
November 08, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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33:09
Season 5 Episode 4: Ashley Jemison
Ashley Jemison is bringing a new school vibe to smooth jazz. Covering the current styles of R&B and pop music of today while adding a unique improvisational twist leaves her audiences wanting more. With a mother and father who were ...
October 25, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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18:58
Season 5 Episode 3: Mélia Mills
Mélia Mills is an Oakland native. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and is and is a writer, comedian, actress, and rapper. Mélia co-hosted the podcast “TALK LIKE A GIRL” on Feral Audio and was selected by Anna Deav...
October 11, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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23:11
Season 5 Episode 2: David Mack
For over a decade, David Mack has managed some of California's most innovative dance, opera and theatre companies, including: The Industry, Joe Goode Performance Group and Watts Village Theater Company. Additionally, he has consulted for a vari...
September 27, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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48:12
Season 5 Episode 1: Ezra Myles
Ezra Myles (IG: @ezramyles) is a Multidisciplinary Artist, Arts Educator and Event Producer based in Oakland, CA. Much like his birthplace of Newark, NJ, Ezra creates and curates art ex...
September 14, 2023
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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36:02
Season 4 Episode 9: Pendarvis Harshaw
Pendarvis Harshaw is a writer from Oakland. He currently works at KQED where he hosts the Rightnowish podcast and radio show that covers the arts, culture, prisons & people. Penn is currently really focused on Bay Area hip-hop history. ...
May 24, 2023
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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26:30
Season 4 Episode 8: Netta Brielle
Netta Brielle is a R&B/ soul singer from Oakland. She was born in Berkeley and started performing at the age of five. Netta graduated from San Jose State University with a major in Musical Theater.Netta released her first album, ...
April 26, 2023
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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28:37
Season 4 Episode 7: Marissa McGee
Marissa McGee is an author and educator. She released her debut title, Free the Curls in 2022. Teaching for over a decade, she’s read hundreds of children’s books. After visiting several stores and finding all the products for her hair type loc...
April 12, 2023
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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23:24
Season 4 Episode 6: Ellen Sebastian Chang
Ellen Sebastian Chang(she/her), whose creative practice spans 45 years, is a storied figure in the performing arts, as a multi-disciplinary director(theater, opera, dance, and installation) arts educator and lighting designer. She has co-cr...
March 22, 2023
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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43:41
Season 4 Episode 5: Alexis Henry & Josie Santiago
Alexis is the founder of We Are Talking, a platform providing empowerment, motivation and education on the topic of personal finance through one-on-one coaching, group workshops and fun events. She founded We Are Talking because she LOVES talki...
March 09, 2023
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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30:42