Podcast

This KYRC podcast hosted by Diana Barbadillo features artist and activist Brandan Bmike Odums discussing how creativity fuels social change. Odums explains his deep connection to Oakland through the legacy of the Black Panther Party and the inspiration of artist Emory Douglas. He reflects on the growth of murals, the Huey P. Newton Foundation, and the Black Panther Museum as symbols of cultural power. Odums describes art as a tool for imagining better futures, building commun

Award-winning journalist Cerise Castle joins host Di on Know Yo Rights Camp to break down her landmark investigation into deputy gangs inside the LA County Sheriff's Department, the largest sheriff's department in the U.S. Castle explains how these groups, including the Executioners, Jump Out Boys, and Banditos, operate as internal criminal organizations tied to career advancement, misconduct, and violence. She shares what sparked her reporting, from a 1990s Vikings gang ruli

Former juvenile defense advocate Cayden Brown returns to the Know Your Rights Camp podcast as a young adult, marking a powerful evolution from his first appearance at the 2024 Camp when he was still a high school student. Cayden shares how a childhood custody battle, where his voice was ignored, inspired his dream of becoming a judge and defending young people. He later joined a teen court program, representing peers and helping them feel heard. Cayden urges youth to recogniz

This Know Your Rights Camp podcast episode hosted by Di Barbadillo welcomes Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, killed in 2009 at the Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland. Johnson discusses preserving her son’s legacy through the Oscar Grant Foundation, which assists families impacted by police violence. The foundation offers legal guidance, media training, resources, and hosts the annual Oscar Grant Legacy Weekend. Johnson highlights the importance of knowing rights and empow

Hosted by Diana Barbadillo, this KYRC Podcast episode features educator Mr. Earnist Crim III, a teacher dedicated to sharing Black history and overlooked stories. He explains the difficulties of teaching honest history within rigid school systems and stresses how historical knowledge helps people challenge oppression. Crim highlights Oakland’s importance as a center of movement building and the lasting impact of the Black Panthers. He shares how learning Black history shaped

Street medicine nurse practitioner Dr. Arielle Banks joins host Amir Whitaker to reveal how healthcare is delivered in encampments, riverbeds, and alleys, wound care, blood draws, and portable ultrasound brought directly to unhoused patients. They unpack social determinants of health, showing how a $5 copay or lack of refrigeration for insulin gets mislabeled as "non-compliance" when it's really structural failure. The conversation dives into homelessness, the opioid crisis,

Flock cameras are quietly building a nationwide surveillance database, tracking your car, your face, your daily routine, and even your visits to doctors, churches, and homes. What started as a tool to catch stolen vehicles has ballooned into mass surveillance with zero federal oversight. We dig into officers using Flock to stalk partners and exes, ICE accessing the system to track immigrants without a warrant, and the misidentifications that have landed innocent people in ja

On this episode of the KYRC Podcast, host Tat Wza sits down with Emmanuel Wright and Pierre Bazile of the Hidden Genius Project to explore how tech education can change lives. They break down the program’s 15-month immersion in coding, app building, and game design, and why access matters for Black and Brown youth. The conversation tackles AI’s rapid rise, shifting job futures, and the power of human creativity. They also discuss digital safety, data ownership, and preparing

Hosts Mariela Regalado and Dr. Sean Tory are joined by educators Esmeralda Alai and José Fernández Brito of non-profit IMM Schools (@immschools) to discuss supporting immigrant students and families through education on this episode of the KYRC Podcast. Esmeralda breaks down the mission of IMM Schools and its work creating safe, welcoming spaces across multiple states. José speaks on the responsibility educators carry in understanding student rights and building belonging. To

On this episode of the KYRC Podcast, the focus shifts to healing, care, and belonging as Diana Diaz Madera joins the conversation. A licensed clinical social worker with 17 years of experience, she shares insights from her work supporting asylum seekers, displaced families, and unaccompanied youth through her practice, Corte. Diana speaks on emotional wellness for Black and Brown youth impacted by immigration raids, fear, and instability. She highlights the mental weight plac

In this episode of the Know Your Rights Camp podcast, hosts Dr. Sean Tory and Amir Whitaker sit down with entrepreneur and financial literacy advocate Nicole Walters. Walters shares her inspiring journey from the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants to becoming a self-made multimillionaire and New York Times bestselling author. She speaks about the real challenges of today’s economy, including inflation and new digital financial trends, and explains why earning money is only part

On this episode of the KYRC Podcast, host Dr. Sean Tory(@theedrseantory) sits with Claudia Ramos (@claudiaramosdesigns) and Brandan Bmike Odums(@bmike2c) to explore how art becomes a living response to injustice in Los Angeles. Ramos shares her journey from El Salvador, how discrimination shaped her voice, and why her bright, playful visuals confront issues like immigration pressure and racial harm. Odums reflects on the responsibility artists carry to tell real community st

At just 19, Cayden Brown is already reshaping how the world talks about children's rights. In this powerful episode of the Know Your Rights Camp podcast, the youth advocate, author, and executive director of the Trespass Project opens up about being silenced in family court as a six-year-old during his parents' divorce; an experience that inspired his Amazon #1 bestselling children's book, The Kid in a Courtroom. Cayden breaks down how teen court offers a peer-driven alternat

On this episode of the KYRC Podcast, a powerful conversation unfolds with Dr. Lupe Carrasco Cardona, a veteran educator and community organizer with over two decades of experience. She reflects on her parents’ lives as migrant workers, the lessons learned beyond textbooks, and how lived history shapes education. Dr. Cardona breaks down her laa methodology, which weaves personal, community, and historical narratives to reconnect students with their indigenous roots. She also d

Investigative journalist Lexis-Olivier Ray of LA Taco and Adam Rose of the Freedom of the Press Foundation join us to break down what's really happening to press freedom in the United States today. From covering the George Floyd protests and Dodgers championship celebrations to anti-ICE demonstrations and homeless encampment sweeps, Ray shares firsthand accounts of being targeted, beaten, and arrested by police while doing his job. Rose connects these stories to a troubling n

Dyana R. Williams, pioneering journalist, broadcaster, and the "mother of Black Music Month," joins host Amir Whitaker to uncover the powerful origins of Black Music Month, from Kenny Gamble's Black Music Association to President Jimmy Carter's historic 1979 White House recognition. They explore how enslaved Africans used spirituals and coded songs as resistance, expose systemic exploitation in the music industry, and trace Black music's DNA across global genres. From Marvin

California attorneys Rosezetta Upshaw and Candace Neal join the Know Your Rights Camp Podcast to share how personal experiences with injustice shaped their careers in law. Rosezetta exposes how poverty and over-policing, not abuse, drive unnecessary family separation in LA's child welfare system, while also helping everyday people protect their businesses. Candace built her practice around protecting families and ensuring people are compensated when harmed. Together, they bre

What does police accountability actually mean and why is it so hard to achieve in America? In this powerful episode of the Know Your Rights Camp Podcast, hosts Diana Barbadillo and Amir Whitaker sit down with civil rights attorney Lauren Bonds, Executive Director of the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), to break down the legal, political, and structural barriers protecting police, ICE agents, and correctional officers from consequences. Watch the episode here: Li

On this week's episode of the KYRC podcast, host Amir Whitaker sits down with entrepreneur, bestselling author, and podcaster Nicole Walters for a powerful conversation about surviving and thriving in a rigged economy. Nicole shares her journey from a six-figure corporate job to self-made millionaire, breaks down why the "good corporate job" was never truly secure, and offers practical strategies for Black women and marginalized professionals to become "walking businesses." F

The KYRC Podcast crew breaks down the real story behind diversity, equity, and inclusion in America, from the GI Bill and Social Security to today's executive orders gutting DEI programs. Discover how "anticipatory compliance" is reshaping museums, corporations, and federal agencies, why Costco stood firm while Target faced boycotts, and how cuts are pushing Black women out of the workforce. We expose the hidden costs of "colorblind" policies and explain why intentional inclu