S1: Welcome in San Diego , it's Jade Hindman on today's show celebrating 100 years of black history. We start with a profile of Kira Greene and her work to push racial and economic justice in San Diego , then hear about an upcoming Sdsu event that brings skateboarding and black history into focus. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. In honor of Black History Month , we're profiling local trailblazers. Making history Kira Green is one leader fighting for racial and economic justice for working class San Diegans. She is executive director for the San Diego nonprofit the Center on Policy Initiatives , and before that , she was a sociology professor at San Diego State University. Kira , welcome to Midday Edition. Thank you so much for having me. So glad to have you here. First , Relations. And if you could , I mean , tell me about your work at the Center on Policy Initiatives. I mean , what does it mean to run an organization fighting for working class San Diegans in 2026 ? For me.
S2: The first thing to say about it is that it's an honor to get to do the work. All my life , what I've wanted is to do work that helped everyday working people to feel more empowered and to get their fair share of what all what the world offers. And so in 2026 , that means getting to stand up for people who are really struggling in this moment with the increasing cost of living , the difficult time finding quality housing , quality education for their children , all of those things are things that we get to join with the community and help try to make things better.
S1:
S2: But of course , we are focused on the lowest wage workers , who it's almost impossible to imagine these days how people manage to find housing , how they pay for their increasing transportation and energy costs. The other thing is that , frankly , the attack on immigrants in our region continues to be a challenge. It makes it hard for people to leave their homes , to go to work , to feel safe taking their kids to school. And that's regardless of their own immigration status , because people are being targeted. So I think these are some of the big deals people are trying to make ends meet , and yet they live in a world where they're afraid of their own government and their own ability to go out and live their lives. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S2: I think we see this most clearly. And , you know , we name a name , but Elon Musk is a prime example. There's just no limit to how much people are allowed to amass in terms of wealth. And there's no there's seemingly no rules that say to them a societal rule that says , hey , you have plenty. Why are you treating your workers so poorly ? Or whether that's Jeff Bezos , where we're , you know , dependent on Amazon , where workers make some of the lowest wages and work in some of the most difficult working conditions. And so I think that's really the challenge is that we have just unfettered capitalism and an a privileging of rich people over the poor every day. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. I mean , and it's you know , it's not so much like about like amassing all of the wealth. I mean it's about that , but it's about the ways in which right , that folks do that through many times. Exploitation. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. I mean , I think it's the same only because I don't know of a way to become a billionaire without exploiting people. There's just not a way to amass that much money. So we're not talking about people who make a little bit more than their neighbors or live very comfortably. I am talking about immense amount of amounts of wealth , amounts people can't spend in a lifetime , and that are only created by extracting from working people in the most exploitative ways. Hmm.
S1: Hmm.
S2: What I thought is that hiring people like me , having an organization that we could advocate for people. And over the years , what I've realized is that that just doesn't work. People have to advocate for themselves , and people have to hold their government accountable. And there have to be many , many thousands of organized people peacefully and consistently showing up to say what they expect out of their government. And when we work on policy , even when we're successful , if there are not everyday people engaged , then what happens is it falls out of favor. No one's paying attention , and then those policies just exist. On paper , it's real people and their exercise of their rights that make that power , that make that policy real.
S1: Is it difficult , you think , for people to engage in policy , particularly policymaking ? I think the working class folks.
S2: Yeah , it's definitely difficult because much of the work of policymaking happens between 9 and 5 , and many , most people work during those hours. But I think it's gotten easier over the time that I've been in my job. And thanks to the work of many San Diegans showing up and working with us , we have things like budget hearings that take place in the evening so that people can show up. We have open government and more people aware that they can call in to talk to a person or send a letter or even make an appointment to talk to an elected official at their own time and schedule. And we continue to try to model that by holding community events where elected officials come out and hear from others. Hear from everyday people. But the first thing we have to do is create spaces where working people come together and decide what they want in the world together. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. You also spent several years as a professor of sociology at San Diego State. I imagine that work really intersects with what you do now , fighting against racial and income inequality.
S2: I loved being a professor at San Diego State , but the thing I love the most about it was engaging in regular conversations with my students. I think that education is an interaction. It's not a professor talking at their students. It's really a conversation and learning from each other. And the beautiful thing about working at the center on policy initiatives is that's my job. Every day is to go out and have conversations with people , learn from them , and share the things that I know as a researcher. And then to do that research in a way that's driven by the community. So we do research on the questions that we hear out in our community that matter to folks , where they want more data about their own lives , and we get to return it to them. So I always say , I have all of the best parts of being a professor in this job. And I got to drop the worst part , which is grating.
S1: Well , listen , we've touched on this , but a large focus of your work at CPI is fighting economic oppression. For example , you worked on a recent initiative on wage theft. Of course , we know that economic and racial oppression are deeply connected under capitalism.
S2: And so this idea that people work and then they are not paid for their labor is something that's deeply offensive to me. And I'd like to think to most people in this country and today , wage stuff shows up in all kinds of ways. It's paying people under the table so you can pay them less than the minimum wage. It's denying people a rest break that they're legally entitled to and that many people fought for. It's , um , not giving people the required sick days that they're entitled to. It shows up in so many ways that result in people not having the money or the time that they're entitled to by law. And that is rooted in , you know , the deepest , worst parts of this country.
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S2: That's why we fought for a county Office of Labor Standards Enforcement , because currently when people face wage theft , they can file a claim if they know where they can file a claim with the state of California or the federal government. But for instance , because this part of our government is underfunded , people wait years to hear they have their claims heard. And you can imagine someone's just living on the edge. Paycheck to paycheck. Some of their money is missing. They can't afford to wait multiple years to receive those funds. So we're trying to increase the number of offices that exist. And then the second problem that happens is that people go through this whole long process , get a settlement. The law says their due money and then their employer , who already stole for them , just refuses to pay it. So the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement has what's called a worker justice fund , workplace justice fund. And that fund allows people to who have a wage claim to be able to go to the county and get paid a portion of that claim. And then the county works to recover the remainder of those funds. So it's really just trying to make government work for people because it's not enough. If I know my rights , if no one's going to help me defend them.
S1:
S2:
S1: Oh that's great. All right. Um , you know , this this political moment , it's really marked by so much uncertainty , violence , racism , bigotry.
S2: And if I come to work every day and remember that no matter how people are showing up that deep in my heart , I have a love for humanity. And if I work from that place , not from anger , not letting other people's anger trigger my anger , I'm not saying I'm completely immune to it , but if I just tap back into love and that includes spending time with the people that I love most deeply , especially children. Honestly , they remind me so much that the worst of what we experience is not natural to them. It's not how they come into the world and all of us are just trying to return. I hope to that state where we are just filled with love , acceptance and goodness and that we if we fight anything , we fight hate. And that's and we fight for justice.
S1: All right. Well , as we celebrate black history this month , it's important to acknowledge that so many hard fought gains for racial justice are now being attacked by this administration.
S2: I remember that I am personally descended from a woman who must have stood in a new land taken from our home. She woke up. She was never going to see her family again. And she made a brave choice , which was to live and to form relationships and to love. And so it's a reminder to me that we've been here before and we have made progress. And while there are attacks on the things that we've won , they haven't set us all the way back. We are still here. We have our own history , we have our heritage. And when I say our history , I think that black history is the history of all of Americans , of all Americans. So we have that history to depend on and to know that we are part of an ongoing struggle , and we can win because we have before.
S1: All right. And on this show , you know , we often talk about joy as a tool for fighting despair.
S2: I laugh with her. She is a joy to me and to her father , and I am grateful for the opportunity to grow with her. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , um , this this year's Black History Month theme is a century of Black history commemorations marking 100 year of this important month.
S2: And that black history , as I said , is the history of this country. It is the birthright of all of us , every person who comes to this country , even the concept. I think it's a good month to remember that the concept of citizenship being open to everyone is part of the black struggle is what the emancipation meant , and it's a gift that belongs to everyone. And I think it's also a time to remember that even if we are a minority in this country , we are. We're entitled to speak up. We're entitled to continue to fight for ourselves and others , and that we are that history contains the best of American tradition.
S1: Our history is very much present. That's right. I've been speaking with Kyra Greene. She's executive director for the Center on Policy Initiatives. Kyra , thank you so very much.
S2: Thank you.
S1: Up next , skateboarding and black history come together in an upcoming program at Sdsu. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. For more than 30 years , photographer Atiba Jefferson has captured some of the biggest moments in cultural icons in skateboarding. And this Wednesday at San Diego State , he'll be looking back on his journey with an event tied to Black History Month. It's called Atiba Jefferson Finding Focus. Atiba joins me now. Atiba , welcome to the show.
S3: Thanks so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
S1: So glad to have you here. Also with us is Neftali Williams. He's the director of the center for skateboarding , action , Sports and Social Change at Sdsu. He'll be one of the moderators for the event. Professor , welcome back to the show. Thanks.
S4: Thanks. Always good to be here.
S1: Always glad to have you as well. Atiba , before we talk more in depth about your work , I want to start with your connection to San Diego. You actually came to Oceanside before moving to LA.
S3: When I got here , it was December , so it was freezing in Colorado and San Diego was blue skies , red curbs and palm trees. So I fell in love. And then about six months later , I loaded up a U-Haul with my identical twin brother and just risked it. And luckily , I had connections with the great photographer Grant Britton at Transworld Skateboarding and literally drove straight to Oceanside and found an apartment off mission that day by driving around. And , uh , after we got the apartment , we went and had Johnny Bananas on the beach , so I have a lot of ties with San Diego. It has a very , very special place in my heart. Oh.
S1: Oh. Very nice. Uh , professor Williams , a Tiba is an iconic name in the skateboarding scene.
S4: And Atiba was , was , uh , Karim's photographer for his Brand City Stars. And later on I went on to work with Kareem , and he was the one who really who , um , who just helped me know. Uh , Atiba learned more about his process and really value all the work that he did in the game. But I was a fan just like everyone else.
S1:
S4: Everything you did was game changing because he would switch the formats of cameras. He would shoot in different ways color , cross , process , do all these things that other photographers were not doing at the time. And he brought a love of love of skateboarding and a love of photography across fields into skateboarding in a way that hadn't been done before. I mean , as he knows , everyone got a Hasselblad after he got his Hasselblad camera and , um , he just really he made everyone rethink how beautiful skateboarding could be. Uh , and in just a new way. It was amazing. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , it's an experimental style that's that's influenced a lot of other skating and sports photographers.
S3: Um , I really think if my trademark was anything was to break all the rules and photography. I think that is , um , the way that I approach photography and what I do , I don't want to repeat myself , but I also want to learn every aspect of photography. I'm still constantly learning. I'm still making mistakes. And , um , that's what makes me so excited about picking up a camera every time I do it. So I want to master it. But I've been trying for 30 years. I'm still not quite there , but , um , you know , I've I've learned a lot on the way , and as a skateboarder , it's all about , you know , what people see as failure. Like us trying tricks over and over , I see , is a learning process , and that's what I apply to my photography , the the way that skateboarding has taught me to problem solve and learn a trick is how I apply it to everyday life , including photography.
S1: Yeah , it's like you never stop learning. That's great. Um , how how has the landscape for skateboarding photography changed over the years ? Atiba.
S3: It's changed immensely. Um , you know from the fact that skateboard photography really started predominantly with print media and now has seen a whole different trajectory. You know , through the internet in some ways , but really through social media. And when there was a point in skateboarding that it was I've seen it go through all phases , really , from film to video grabs back to film to the print being dominant to , you know , social media where we're at. And and really , there was a point where everybody was like , no one's going to care about photography , they're only going to care about video. And then all of a sudden social media happens and photography became this thing , you know ? Love it or hate it. I'm still trying to process the right or the wrong of it , but Instagram made photography popular again. And that really I think saved you know , I work I'm a staff photographer for Thrasher magazine , which has been great to still work out. It's the best skateboard magazine , and it's one of the it is the only monthly one. And you know , to see them still be relevant and still be the best and still be on top of this amazing journey. Um , you know , you can't ever get over the feeling of picking up and magazine and having the cover. That is something you can't replicate with a phone or internet and stuff like that. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S4: I mean , there's been , uh , just such a movement in seeing a Tebow , you know , flourish in , in any medium in any magazine and , um , continue to make that connection. And one of the things that excites me the most about him is he's been through several generations of skateboarders and still always remained relevant with every new generation coming up , which is a testament to the type of photography and images that he's produced. And he always has his ear to the streets. And I also just want to go back for a second and think through what he said about learning. That's one of the things that I learned about Atiba before I met him is that every photographer I knew said , man , there's nobody who wants to study the actual technique of skateboarding more. And he's done that , and that's what's continuing to drive his work and make it something that everyone's been proud of. And I think that's a testament to his ability to to shoot beyond skateboarding is that he is really a student of it. And I'm excited for our for our Sdsu students to get to see someone with so much passion and drive and has had so much influence on the culture , you know , just because he naturally loved it and wanted to be the best he could be. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , and speaking of. Thank you. Yeah. And speaking of culture , Atiba , you know , like outside of skateboarding , you've also captured the culture keepers in art , music , sports. In fact , you were a photographer for the Lakers during the Kobe Bryant and Shaq era.
S3: Um , spots are a kick out. You don't know the weather , you don't have craft services. You don't. You don't have these easy things on commercial shoots or in an event , you know , no one's bringing you a water. You got to be quick on your toes. So when I go into those other things , it's actually a lot easier. To be honest , I think skateboard photography next to , um , outdoor rock climbing , Nat Geo type of photography is one of the most complicated , uh , type of photography. But , you know , I also think what I learned from the basketball world changed my photography. And that's what I learned early on , is take these influences from other things and bring them into your world. And , you know , that's also the great thing. The world has so many skateboarders. So I found that , you know , in art there was a skateboarder that you'd work with and they'd be like , I'm familiar with your work in music. It happens all the time. And I think that's one of the greatest things that I have so much pride on being a skate photographer and not trying to hide from that , because I I've realized that it's made me a very special and unique photographer. Whereas if I was just a music photographer , I don't think it would be as special if I was just a , you know , this is no shade to those other fields. But I think being a skate photographer has made me very , very , very unique of a photographer. And it's made me approach shooting those other things in a different way. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , Professor Williams , you know , this event is taking place during Black History Month and skateboarding has become a safe space. It's been a safe space for for black , the black community.
S4: And so for us to be able to celebrate this for Black History Month and , and honestly , just to be able to have Atiba on stage and Adrian Snowball on stage and show people that you can pursue skateboarding in a number of fronts as as a black person , as African-American , but really as any as anyone , and see that Atiba is there as a master photographer. I'm in an academia. Adrian Lobo , who is just a just an amazing skateboarder Pursuing her professional endeavors. I think that that's just something that that shows that black people can exist in numerous fronts in skateboarding , and we want to invite people who have not looked at skateboarding as a way , a place for their future. Or maybe there might be some preconceived notions about who participates in skateboarding. And so we're really excited to be able to present that and just let people see that that as a team , we will tell you. And Adrian will also say it's like it's been a space for us to grow together , despite the way that the world can be a particular times. I think it's , um , I think it's it's a great testament to excellence in , uh , in both skateboarding , skateboarding culture and for black folks within the space.
S1: Atiba , you've sort of documented all that. You did a film with ESPN called monochrome celebrating the black experience in skateboarding.
S3: Because for me , I started skating in 1989. And that's right. When the transition came from predominantly vert ramp skating , a lot of predominantly white skaters to street skating , where I one of the first skaters I ever saw pro was Ron Allen. And he's black. And that was like , I can relate to that. And in 1989 we didn't have internet , we didn't have these things. So it was really about seeing what was in front of you and , um , feeling like an outcast. Growing up in a predominantly white school and area , skateboarding was a place that I felt like no matter what I was into , it was accepted and okay. And , you know , that's the great thing about skateboarding , it's very inclusive. It's not perfect. We'll always , always say that. But it has been the safest place I've ever been to be a person of color , and also to look around and see all walks of life , genders and colors and everybody just be together and be unified by skateboarding. And and that makes it really , really special. Um , you don't need much. You need the skateboard and you need the street. And that makes it very inclusive. It's hard to keep people out when you just need some pavement. So it's it's it's an amazing place. And with the film it was you know , it was it was so great to tell that story. You know , it was post George Floyd. So it was really , I think , a time for people of color to use their voices and to show how special and loved they are. And , and especially in skateboarding. I mean , it's just unbelievable. I mean , it was hard to tell in such a short time. We need a couple more editions of that because there's so much more to tell and it keeps going. There was a group of friends of mine that wanted to do a documentary. Um , Alyosha Moore , who's amazing person from , you know , lives in San Diego from New York but lives in San Diego that wanted to do a documentary. And we were going to do that in like 1998. And the story about black skateboarding has gone so far since then. So it was really great to turn around and do this. You know , 30 years ish after I've been involved in skateboarding almost. So and it got nominated for a sports Emmy , which was something I never thought I would ever do. So there again. Being black and being in skateboarding , it's it's endless the opportunities that that that are out there. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , since 2020 when that film was made and to today , um , it is just a very chaotic time politically and socially. Yet skating has been and really continues to be a means for social change.
S4: And so one of the things that we always do is think of how do we generate new meetups , how do we , you know , just how do we march forward or roll forward in a way that that allows everyone to see that we really do value them and that we want them ? And I think that that's sort of sort of the most important thing. And , you know , it is always a case of knowing that skateboarding has the opportunity and to recognize that we are sort of the vanguard and that we want to continue to be want to continue to be an example in the world , that is , that sometimes is not great and can be chaotic , as you said. But how do we how do we stay to the ethos of we're a community that stands up for each other and that makes sure that everyone can be involved. And so , you know , we just always need to be reflective.
S1:
S3: And I think , um , the greatest thing about skateboarding is it's a it's a beautiful community that's trying to stay positive and uplift. And in the very turbulent times that we're in right now , we need positivity , we need community , we need love. And , you know , for me , um , you know , the the last protests , every protest that I go to. I do a lot of going to protests and and I think as a skateboarder , the great thing social media is a very , um , a big thing in our community. So we can use our voices as well on our social media to , you know , stand up for what we believe in. And what I love so much is when I'm protesting , the one thing that I always see is a lot of skateboarders. Yeah , there's always a ton of skateboarders trying to make a difference and trying to make this world a better place. And and there's always been those type of skateboarders throughout time , whether it's Tommy Guerrero riding and racism in the early 80s on his grip tape on his board and not his corpus spreading the , you know , support of Martin Luther King. This is a white skater , and I'm seeing wearing a Martin Luther King shirt. So , you know , that's the amazing thing about skateboarders is , um , you know , the community is always trying to , to make this a better place , and we need it more now than ever.
S1: Yeah , that in mind. I mean , the theme for this year's Black History Month is a century of commemorating black history. You know , celebrating 100 years here. How do you think the history of skating can continue to be celebrated ? Atiba.
S3: Um , I think that the amazing thing about how to celebrate skateboarding is going to do it itself , because skateboarding is really about progression and learning and growing with tricks. And that's just our ethos. So I think for us it's just , you know , it's we're seeing it in so many different ways. You know , that we've never seen before. I mean , when I was a kid , you got beat up for being a skateboarder and now you have little Wayne being a skateboarder. So for us in our community , I think it's just going to get better and better. And that's making skate parks and that's , you know , having , you know , these places that people can be safe and grow and learn and have a positive , healthy physical outlet to life.
S1: I've been speaking with photographer Atiba Jefferson and Professor Naftali Williams , director of the center for skateboarding , action , Sports and Social Change , again. They'll be at Sdsu this Wednesday. The event is called Atiba Jefferson Finding Focus. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and it's free. You can find more details on KPBS. Atiba Neftali , thank you so much.
S3: Thank you.
S4: Thank you.
S1: That's our show for today.
S5: I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
