There\u2019s a new lady in town \u2014 as in OakTown. She is 34-feet tall, and she traveled all the way from just outside of Mexico City. She is a cultural legend who is absolutely beautiful. Her name is La Catrina de Oakland<\/a>. The radiant statue is bringing smiles to many faces at the Fruitvale Transit village. <\/p>\n
La Catrina is a cultural symbol in the Mexican and Latin American holiday D\u00eda de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. A family collective of Mexican artists named Artsumex<\/a> created the sculpture, which The Unity Council commissioned. La Catrina arrives as the Fruitvale community prepares for the annual Day of the Dead festival<\/a>, and during a time of extreme xenophobia in the United States. <\/p>\n Caheri Gutierrez<\/a> is the director of fund development and communications for The Unity Council. She shares the cultural significance of La Catrina. <\/p>\n La Catrina de Oakland statue is currently on display in the Fruitvale Transit Village until November 1. The Day of the Dead festival will occur in the same area and also on November1.<\/p>\n (L-R) Rachel E.H. Photography; Photo Provided by Minnie Phan<\/p>\n (L-R) Children’s author Hanh Bui, and illustrator and KALW’s Minnie Phan<\/p>\n Hanh Bui and Minnie Phan That\u2019s sort of the premise of the book, “The Yellow \u00c1o D\u00e0i<\/a>.” It\u2019s about a little Vietnamese-American girl who is excited about performing a traditional Vietnamese Fan Dance at her school. She has outgrown her \u00e1o d\u00e0i, which is a Vietnamese dress. So she finds her mother\u2019s dress, puts it on and accidentally rips it while practicing her fan dance. What happens next is a tender story about family, love and culture. <\/p>\n Hanh Bui<\/a>, is the author of “The Yellow \u00c1o D\u00e0i;” and KALW\u2019s Minnie Phan<\/a> is the illustrator. They talk about the creative inspirations behind the book and their work <\/p>\n “The Yellow \u00c1o D\u00e0i” is in bookstores now. Also look for it to be featured on the latest season of \u201cReading Rainbow<\/a>\u201d on YouTube.<\/p>\n Photo Provided by Kevin Kopjak<\/p>\n “Every Saturday Night” co-playwright Michael Gene Sullivan<\/p>\n Michael Gene Sullivan During the musical, the audience gets to relive his memories of when his mother used their home as a speakeasy in the 1950s to pay the mortgage. Back then, like today, Black people were fighting to stay in their neighborhoods. The play is in inspired by the childhood of Bay Area artist Danny Duncan. <\/p>\n![\"(L-R)](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792636810_152_.png\"\/)
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When Host Jene\u00e9 Darden was a kid, and her mother was taking a nap, she would sneak into her mother’s bedroom and try on her clothes. Some of you out there may have enjoyed putting on your parents\u2019 clothes as kids.<\/p>\n![\""Every](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792636810_274_.jpeg\"\/)
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The musical \u201cEvery Saturday Night\u201d transports audiences back and forth between 1950s and present-day Fillmore District. It\u2019s about an elder Dante, who is a longtime Fillmore resident and on the verge of losing his home. An elite Black family from Washington, D.C. is interested in buying it. <\/p>\n