Real Talk About the Town is a unique series of unfiltered conversations about the issues shaping our communities. The Brotherhood of Elders Network invites you to watch the Spring Season 2026 episodes originally created to educate voters prior to the February 2026 Primary Election; yet the episodes address the fundamental issues and challenges facing the City of Oakland. Our goal is to avoid the political sound bites and partisan narratives to help residents answer some basic questions:
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Why should I care about this issue?
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Has this candidate earned my vote and will they be accountable beyond election day?
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Now that I am more informed, how can I be more involved?
In each episode, our team goes straight to the source to hear the people of Oakland break down their views on the political landscape, infused with some of The Town’s best musical talent.
In Episode 1 of Real Talk About the Town, Dr. Saleem Gilmore sits down with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon to hear about her journey to the halls of Congress. They discuss her passion for Oakland residents and the bills she has authored to help improve our day-to-day lives during her time in Washington. We also hear from Sujata Srivastava of SPUR, first time voters at Oakland Technical High School and seasoned voters at Lake Merritt discuss their vision for the future.
In the second episode of Real Talk About the Town, The Community and the Classroom, Dr. Saleem Gilmore talks with Baba Greg Hodge, the Executive Director of the Brotherhood of Elders Network. The two Oaklanders discuss the 40x40 Council, a community collaborative designed to reverse decades of disinvestment in East Oakland. The episode also explores the history of youth voting with Lukas Brekke-Miesner, the Executive Director of Oakland Kids First and Dan Hu, Director of Partnerships for CalMatters. Our man on the street Randy Seriguchi continues his conversation with some of our newest voters at Oakland Technical High School, to hear about their vision for civic engagement. The episode concludes with another installment of Town Sounds and the creative genius of Bianca "BB" Brown.
The third and final episode of our Spring Season, What Is Justice? explores how this foundational idea is anything but universal. It sits at the heart of the deep divisions shaping our communities and our country. Dr. Saleem Gilmore talks with the candidates running to serve as Alameda County’s next District Attorney; Brendon D. Woods, Alameda County Public Defender; Holly Joshi, Oakland’s Chief of Violence Prevention; and David Muhammad, Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. Each guest brings their unique perspective about the legal system as a result of their years of dedicated community service.
We hope you enjoy watching!
