In the 6 years I've known journalist and political organizer JR Valrey he's always used his various media platforms to push "the people's agenda." "Freedom fighter is first on my list of priorities" he says "then journalist." Over the last 10 years the Oakland native has become a fixture in the Bay Area progressive media as well as one of it's most polarizing figures.

Currently juggling positions as Associate Editor at the San Francisco Bayview newspaper, producer of The Block Report radio show, promoter for a series of touring community conversations as welling as being a budding filmmaker, Valrey has managed to almost completely sidestep traditional channels while developing a national network of grassroots outlets and supporters comprised of like minded activists and independent media.