Stockton, California in 1886

The Important Civil Rights Activist You’ve Never Heard Of

Like other African-Americans, Jeremiah B. Sanderson was intrigued by the new state of California—a free state that promised economic and social opportunity.
Berkeley mural

The Fight for People’s Park

Fifty years ago, tens of thousands of people converged on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the “Human ...
Migrant Mother, Dorthea Lange

Dorothea Lange and the Making of Migrant Mother

Follow the rich history of Dorothea Lange, as she captured the iconic and lasting portrait of Florence Thompson, more famously known as Migrant Mother.
Watts

Did The 1965 Watts Riots Change Anything?

Sociological data from immediately after the riots in Watts, Los Angeles, in 1965 show major disparities in attitude by race.
Snøhetta expansion of the new SFMOMA, 2016; photo © Henrik Kam, courtesy SFMOMA

SFMOMA: The Brave New World of Art Museums

SFMOMA celebrated its 75th anniversary with a huge architectural expansion, only rivaled by its technological innovations.
Multilingual conversation.

Is Bilingual Education Returning?

The U.S. Department of Education now recognizes biliteracy as a mark of educational excellence, which may mean that bilingual education is coming back.
Children playing at the St. Francis Square Housing Development Play Center

St. Francis Square: How a Union Built Integrated, Affordable Housing in San Francisco

How a union built integrated affordable housing in early 1960s San Francisco.
A family eating elephant ears at a fair

What State Fairs Used to Mean

The historical significance of state fairs
A desalination plant

Desalination: Drought Relief or Liability?

Is desalination a viable solution for California's water crisis?
Statue of Father Serra

Father Junípero Serra: His Statue and Contested Legacy

While Father Junípero Serra may earn posthumous canonization this fall, his statue in D.C. may be getting the boot.