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 artist, PHER is taking center stage with his upcoming album “Songs by PHER” complete and ready to be marketed to the wor…

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 Fall 2023. Her work can also be found in The Racket Journal: Issue Fifteen (2020), Culture Counts Magazine …

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 illness and the work she's now doing with Tiffany Austin at Wyldflowr is essential to her growth as an artis…

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 jazz/soul albums, holds a Berkeley Law JD and is cofounder of The Diaspora Sessions (an immersive Black Art expe…

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. Their journey continues to an upcoming wine bar set to open in 2024. W: https://linktr.ee/thepourupwine IG:…

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 up and nothing to do she decided to pick up a paintbrush and paint on a shirt. With the amount of positive feedback she …

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 certified, 21,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art arts and cultural center featuring classrooms, a gallery, cafe,…

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 #PuTangParty, Qing Qi is a Bay Area staple like beans and rice! Using her life experiences as inspiration, she speaks …

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 Gilda Stories. Waiting for Giovanni, her play about James Baldwin, and Leaving the Blues, about Alberta Hunter, were co…

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 makes him an instant celebrity – the question is which one? Pitts has been performing in the Bay Area for over 20 years. He has worked with numerous regional theatres, …

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 subvert their collegiate theatrical training, which often ignored the complex Afro-Diasporic queer experiences, they found t…

**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 shows, magazines, and several (music) videos. Soon after, she started landing roles in independent films and stage pla…

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 Prince'' Unique Derique’s appearances have spanned the globe from South Africa to Scotland, Taipei, London,…

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/performer/director is also a SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominee and NAACP triple nominee for Best Actor a…

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 Francisco’s first Associate Director of Diversity & Inclusion. Her professional career includes the previous ope…

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 exposed to many different shades of people at a young age. That is where he found his love for people and their stories…

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 musicians it was inevitable that Ashley would follow in their footsteps. Working tirelessly to be at her own personal …

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 Deavere Smith to take part in her Performing Personal Narratives, Global Identities workshop. She has opened f…

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 variety of performing arts organizations, including: Center Theatre Group, L.A. Dance Project and Ate9 Dance C…

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 experiences that bridge the gap between the shared cultural legacies of the African Diaspora. As the Executive Director of MylesBeyond Entertainment (@mylesbeyondmedia…

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. Rightnowish Instagram: @ogpenn Twitter: @ogpenn AD: Review the show on Apple Podcasts Want to promote your busines…

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, Electrik Rebel Sounds- The EP in 2009; the following year OMW 980 was released, followed by Love, Pain & Music Mixtape, …

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 locked in a case, she decided she had a story to tell and picked up a pen. As an anti-bias educator, Marissa …

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-created with Deep Waters Dance Theater, 15 Episodes of House/Full of Blackwomen, that closed this past March 202…

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 talking about money. She especially enjoys talking about how to set up a strong financial foundation and maximi…

Clay Xavier is a music producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Berkeley, CA. Coming from a musical family he experimented with many instruments as a child leading to his love and passion for music. Starting with saxophone Xavier quickly expanded to many different wind instruments including flute, clarinet, harmonica, and recently trumpet…

Babatunji Johnson was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. Though never formally trained as a child, Babatunji was always moving his body to the beat. At the age of 15, he discovered the art of hip hop. Following over a decade of self-taught street performance, he has developed a unique approach to various styles of hip…

Generous, compassionate and encouraging are a few key characteristics to define Willem Leeks. He is known as the “gentle giant”, always matching his 6’7 external height with the height of love and compassion that he expresses to others daily. He is a transformative thinker and poet; Leeks love for poetry was commenced in his adolescent years, findi…

Marc Allen is an Oakland native and has been practicing photography professionally for ten years. Starting early with an education at the Museum of Children's Arts (MOCHA) and influenced by his mother, a talented musician, he has been an artist his entire life and always shifting and expanding his interests and mediums. See Marc in person! - Trap A…

John Mason aka JM3 is a young Christian rapper born and raised in Pittsburg, CA. Best known for his popular "God Step", he is making his way through the local music scene. Follow him on Instagram and check out his music on Spotify. The rapper's latest single "So" definitely is steeped in that Bay Area sound. IG: @jm3fromthep Support the Show. Follo…

Jazmyn K. Robinson was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She received her BS in Criminology from Fresno State University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Jazmyn has served the community in several capacities and ultimately experienced emotional and physical burnout during her early 20s. Jazmyn suffered from obe…

Tonya Amos received a BA in Cultural Anthropology from U.C. Berkeley & trained four years on full scholarship at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. A member of Actors Equity Association, she has appeared with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater & Donald Byrd, was a member of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Footprints & Amy Pivar Dances, perform…

Tammy Johnson is a dancer, producer, culture keeper, writer, equity consultant and godmother extraordinaire. Johnson directed living wage, welfare rights, public education and election campaigns as community organizer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has partnered with World Trust and spent a decade at Race Forward as a national organizer, trainer, wri…

Uzo Nwadugbo serves as the Executive Director of The Black Neighborhood organization, established in 2016. He was born and raised in East (got to be specific!) Oakland, California and always had a passion for giving back to others from a young age. He went to Skyline High School and from there went on to get his BA in Communications at San Jose Sta…

Cherie Hill-Surya Devi is a choreographer and dance educator who practices and shares expressive and healthy processes to nourish the mind, body, and soul. A dancer most of her life, Cherie holds a graduate degree in dance and somatics and has taught dance for over ten years. A creator of art that explores human expression through the body in colla…

Dani Offline is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer and songwriter. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she is currently based in Oakland, California. IG: @dani.offline Twitter: @dani_offline AD: 10 in 10 Video Series Support the Show. Follow us everywhere! Donate at the link below. https://linktr.ee/TheBlackLandscape…

A native of Oakland, CA Traci Bartlow is an artist and entrepreneur with a longstanding career as an activist, business owner, photographer, dance educator, lecturer, curator, and cultural archivist. As a dancer she has taught and performed internationally and produced many local events in the Bay Area. She is a founding member of Eastside Cultural…

An Oakland native, performing vocalist, & culture, arts education and wellness advocate, Rashida Chase recognizes and embraces the power that music and culture hold and uses her voice as a tool for liberation. Rashida is the Director of AMP Oakland, a curated busker series piloted in Downtown Oakland in 2019 showcasing more than 300 artists, the sa…

Dieudonné Brou is a first generation Ivorian-American, West Oakland native who spent most of his early life trying to find his identity. As a young black male navigating historically marginalized communities in Oakland and the Bay Area, Dieudonné would soon find himself caught in the school-to-prison pipeline. Dieudonné’s blended West African herit…

Shanice Monique Whittaker, MBA-HRM, is a christian, black woman who's purpose is to uplift and bring positive change to her community through her many gifts. Shanice is a praise dancer, Creative Director, empowerment coach, licensed cardio kickboxing instructor, seasoned HR leader, and entrepreneur. Her multi-faceted abilities allows her to present…

Jameelah Lane was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is an educator, entrepreneur, professional artist, and community leader. She is the CEO/Founder of MELANAID and co- founder/worker owner of the DEEP Grocery Co-op. As a visual artist, professional dancer and poet/storyteller Jameelah is always learning new ways to uplift and transform the commun…

Nakia Dillard is the founder of Magnetic Woman Coach and Goddess Crowns By Nakia. She helps Black women put themselves first, be more bold and courageous, and leap into their next chapter. Through her services at Magnetic Woman Coach, she provides private coaching, workshops, and facilitating an annual group coaching program. Whether rocking their …

Sarah Crowell is a retired professional dancer who has taught dance, theater and violence prevention for over 30 years. She is the Artistic Director Emeritus at Destiny Arts Center in Oakland, where she served in different capacities from 1990-2020, including Executive Director. She founded and co-directed the award-winning Destiny Arts Youth Perfo…

Poet, actor, creative and Classic Man, Michael Wayne Turner III has been described in “The Examiner” as “remarkable, dynamic and real....Turner is maximally obsessed with character...his impact resonates and questions churn long after patrons leave the theater.” The SF Chronicle describes Michael as one “with a magnetic deep-dyed earnestness and al…

Rev. Vickia Brinkley is a Community Organizer and Clergy person, with a demonstrated history of providing service and problem-solving talents in the Higher Education, private sector and retail industries. Singer-songwriter and Social Justice ministry public speaker, she leads as the Pastor of True Faith Community Baptist Church in Antioch, CA. Walk…

Derick Morgan is the Policy Associate for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. He provides leadership on campaigns to expand principles of truth and reinvestment at the state level. Before joining EBC's staff, Derick contributed to campaigns to end mass incarceration volunteering with the Ella Baker Center. He also helped create a sober social s…

Tayleur is a poet, New Yorker and Howard University alumna. Curating beautiful moments and threads throughout segments of her life, Tayleur began her career on the corporate marketing and merchandising teams at AARP, Gap and Banana Republic. Tayleur dedicated herself to becoming better at curating art-filled experiences for Black people through her…

Jasmine Malone was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically the unceded land of the Me-Wuk (Bay Miwok) peoples. She attended Delta Academy for the Performing Arts and worked front of house at local theatres in the bay. She misses dance/acting class!!! Jasmine has been writing short stories and poetry for as long as she can rememb…

An Oakland native, Adesha made her solo debut singing for hundreds of people at The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco at the tender age of six. By age ten she had starred and co-starred in musicals, she sang a jingle for a commercial, and had performed solo at a few of San Francisco’s live music venues. Years of training from singing in chu…

Kevin Jenkins has served on the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees since December of 2020. Kevin is a proud alumni of the Peralta Community College District. He earned his Master’s of Public Administration from CSU East Bay and a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies and Planning from SF State University. Kevin has worked in local go…