What is Peer Talk?

The Honorable Willie L. Brown,Jr is easily one of the most recongnizable and influential politicians in California . He served as Speaker of the California State Assembly from 1980 to 1995 and as Mayor of San Francisco for two terms from 1996 to 2004. While many politicians keep a lower profile after they service, the 91 year old Mayor Brown still practices law and keeps up public appearances. In November of 2025 the students of Mr Matthews
seventh grade Ethnic Studies class at Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School interviewed their schools namesake about a number of topics- and their questions cut straight to the point ! Please enjoy this candid and heartwarming interview with former Mayor Willie L. Brown jr !

Since 1969, the Gap brand has been a fixture of American retail despite nearly sixty years of challenges, persevering along with sub-brands Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athletica. Robert J. “Bob” Fisher is the chairman of Gap Inc., and the son of original founders Don and Doris Fisher. Bob was chairman of Gap Inc.’s board of directors from 2004 to 2007, as well as interim CEO in 2019.

Outside of his work at Gap Inc., Bob is also the chair of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He is deeply involved with environmental and educational initiatives; he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the nonprofit organization Conservation International, and he and his wife Randi co-founded the Pisces Foundation, which focuses on environmental education and sustainable resource management.

For this episode of Peer Talk, our Willie Brown Middle School students chose to interview someone from Gap Inc., and we were lucky to have Bob Fisher himself join us. Our partner KALW (91.7 FM) graciously hosted us at their San Francisco community event space on May 27, 2025, and broadcast the interview live with the students' families in attendance! For those who missed it on the air, enjoy the students’ interview with Bob Fisher!

This week, the students of Peer Talk go space-bound with the dynamic husband-and-wife duo from NASA’s Ames Research Center, Kimberly and Joseph Minafra. As the Software Release Authority at NASA Ames, Kimberly oversees the release and licensing of NASA technologies. She drives tech transfer and commercialization, connecting with industry and public partners to bring space-developed software into real-world use.

Joseph leads Innovation and Technical Partnerships for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at Ames. His multidisciplinary background spans collaborative research systems, meteoritics, biology, project management, software and UI design, scientific illustration, and even professional cooking.

Pam Moore is a legendary Bay Area journalist with over 30 years at KRON 4 as an anchor and reporter, now serving as a special contributor. Her career spans major cities including Detroit, Boston, Louisville, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

She earned acclaim for her series About Race and won a Northern California Emmy for Who Owns Your Health. A member of the Bay Area Black Journalists Association, she was honored in 2009 for her dedication to journalism. Beyond the newsroom, she volunteers with the East Oakland Youth Development Center and co-founded Friends of Faith, a breast cancer support group.

The Peer Talk team was proud to welcome her to Willie Brown Middle School for an inspiring interview with Mr. O’s students. Tune in to learn more about Pam Moore!

Meet Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, representing California's 12th Congressional District in Oakland. She's the first member of Congress who is congenitally blind, and the first Muslim representative from California.

Before stepping into Congress, Ms. Simon served on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board, the California State University Board of Trustees, and the San Francisco Foundation's board. She also made history as the youngest woman to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.

When Rep. Barbara Lee announced she was stepping down in 2024, Ms. Simon ran for the seat and won. In January 2025, she was officially sworn in. Shortly after, Ms. Simon sat down with Mr. O's students, and we're thrilled to share their interview with you on this week's episode of Peer Talk!

Beyond The Fog Radio presents our most exciting episode yet: an interview with former U.S. representative and current Oakland mayoral candidate Barbara Lee, in partnership with KALW!

KALW (91.7 FM) is the oldest public radio station in the Bay Area, and it hosts a program called "Bay Made" which spotlights local creators and businesses. Ben Trefny is KALW's Executive Producer, and he kindly invited us on Bay Made to record our interview with Congresswoman Lee at KALW's event space in downtown San Francisco. On January 15, in front of a live audience that included former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Carolyn Tyler, and other community leaders, we launched into an in-depth look at Congresswoman Lee's life and career —

PEER TALK  at the Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School is a fresh new podcast emerging from the halls of The Willie Brown Middle School.

At Beyond the Fog Radio, we recognized the need for a platform designed for and by middle school students - where youth can develop their voices and share their perspectives.

Located in Bayview-Hunters Point, in San Francisco  a neighborhood that has been historically home to African American families, Willie L. Brown Middle School carries the name of  the well known former Mayor of San Francisco and Former Speaker of the California Assembly, who has devoted himself to the well being of the lives of others.

In the wake of Election Day 2024, we realized just how