Oakland Writers Ayodele Nzinga and Leila Mottley

Oakland Writers Ayodele Nzinga and Leila Mottley

This week, we welcome two contemporary Oakland authors: Leila Mottley and Dr. Ayodele Nzinga. Mottley is an Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, who at just 19 years old published “Nightcrawling” — an immersive novel and an Oprah’s Book Club selection — based on local events. She’s joined by Oakland’s inaugural Poet Laureate, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, who shines not only as an author but also as a director, actor and educator. 

Guests:

• Leila Mottley, “Nightcrawling” author
• Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland Poet Laureate

This Week in California News and Politics

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, together with San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, announced a renewed push to prosecute drug dealers while also helping people dealing with substance use disorder. We talk with Scott Shafer, KQED politics and government senior editor, who spoke with Mayor Breed this week.

Something Beautiful: West Oakland Mural Project

The West Oakland Mural Project highlights the vital role women played in the revolutionary Black Panther Party.