From hippies to Black Panthers, the Bay Area has been a place for those seeking liberty within the United States.

Though increasingly becoming known for it’s start-ups and high rent, it’s still finding ways to deliver messages of awareness and change.

The trend was marked by the break out Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why,” which was filmed on Mare Island.

The series provides commentary on current issues like bullying and how to recognize signs of distress in our youth, concerns made more evident as school shootings continue to occur.

This April marks the release of “Sorry to Bother You,” a satire centering around an African-American man working in Oakland who finally finds success upon the discovery of his “white voice.”

Also this April, local writer and director Joe Talbot is poised to begin production on his film, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.”

A native to San Francisco, Talbot wrote the film to comment directly on the gentrification taking place within the city he loves.

Though the latter projects aren’t going to be global phenomenons, both will see wide releases, filling screens across the nation.

We should be proud that the Bay still has voices worth listening to.