African Americans
COMMENTARY: From Reconstruction to the SAVE Act
Frederick Douglass did not know the day he was born.
Stefi Mar March 24, 2026
Frederick Douglass did not know the day he was born.
On behalf of the nearly 9 million people who are now in default on their student loans, a coalition of advocates from consumer, civil rights, and education organizations is appealing to the federal Education Department to halt its plans to begin garnishing borrowers’ wages this month. Default status connotes borrowers are 270 days or more behind on their payments.
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California has always been seen as the land of vitality — sunshine, beaches, and wellness culture. But beneath that image is a growing public health crisis we cannot afford to ignore.
Senate Bill (SB) 1067, introduced in February by Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson (D-San Diego), seeks to close California’s racial achievement gap in education by requiring universal screening and early identification of math difficulties for students in kindergarten through second grade.
Nearly 100 members of the Black Press – some still honing their skills as journalists in college classrooms along with seasoned veterans representing Black publications from across the U.S.; and both friends of and corporate sponsors of the Black Press, gathered on the campus of Howard University (HU) on March, 18 for this year’s Black Press Week Reception.
The nation is right to hope and pray for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor on NBC’s “Today.” Any disappearance is terrifying. Any family thrust into uncertainty deserves compassion, urgency, and relentless attention. But compassion should never be selective — and that is precisely where the media’s response exposes a troubling, long-standing inconsistency.
Today, across the United States of America, in some of the largest urban cities, Black Americans are having renewed nightmares about being taken for granted, ignored, and being erased in history and in the public square.
UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close has preached consistency all season — focusing on daily improvement and making the most of every practice.
Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County fell sharply last year, offering a rare sign of progress in a crisis that has devastated communities across the region. But health officials say the improvement has not reached everyone equally.
The Education Department office responsible for protecting the rights of marginalized and minority students in the nation’s K-12 public schools dismissed nearly every discrimination complaint it received last year, due to the Trump administration’s massive reduction in force, according to a new government watchdog report.
An investigation into cosmetic surgery chains by KFF Health News and NBC News has prompted consumer warnings from industry groups representing plastic surgeons and a call for more transparency around physician disciplinary actions in California.
As we bring Black History Month to a close here’s a look at some historic Birmingham milestones since the city’s founding.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley became the second Caribbean politician to win all the seats in a national Parliament on three occasions as she led the Barbados Labor Party (BLP) to yet another whitewash of her opponents in the Barbados general election.
Raised in the agricultural town of Watsonville on the Central Coast, Mahan says working-class upbringing shaped his views on opportunity and public service. Before entering elected office, he worked in the technology sector and in education, including teaching through Teach For America in East San José.
A new report released by Black Women Organized for Political Action through its Training Institute for Leadership Enrichment (BWOPA-TILE) and Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) is shedding new light on the barriers Black women and Latinas face in California’s health care workforce — and the steps advocates say are needed to close those gaps.
The recent release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poses a challenge for communities and individuals struggling with food insecurity. The new guidelines flip the traditional food pyramid on its head, recommending increased intake of costly red meat, whole dairy products, healthy fats, and whole grains.
During a recent gathering on Capitol Hill, lawmakers and advocacy leaders sharply criticized a series of policy decisions implemented since Trump’s return to the White House, as well as the president’s rhetoric and governing approach. While participants outlined broad areas of concern, they provided limited specifics regarding immediate tactical responses.
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The California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) held its annual Legislative Days at the State Capitol to engage in direct advocacy with state policymakers and elevate issues that specifically impact Black communities in California.