On April 28, Black-led organizations from across California that fight prejudice, hostility, or violence directed at individuals based on their race, ethnic origin, or skin color, joined with other anti-hate groups at the California State Capitol for a “Stop the Hate Day of Action.”
In front of a filled to capacity crowd at Harvey Auditorium on the campus of Bakersfield High School, fifty-one seniors from the Kern High School District were honored at the 47th Annual African American Graduate Awards Program. Hosted by the Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation (BILF) and the Kappa Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. ®, the event celebrated academic excellence by awarding over $41,000 in scholarships. The evening’s theme, “Uplifting Brilliance, One Scholar At A Time,” captured the spirit of recognition and support for these accomplished students.
“For Treana Adams, Lexus Block, Nu’Ponica Barker, and a growing number of Black mothers in Bakersfield, a doula was the difference between being heard and being ignored, between a birth plan honored or overridden. Between a greater likelihood of a mother who comes home, and one who doesn’t.”
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, one of America’s most influential Black political leaders, says that some MAGA Republicans told him directly that slavery was a good thing, according to a clip from a political news show that’s gaining renewed attention online.
Once the State Capitol East Annex Project is completed, plans will move forward to install a plaque displaying California’s formal apology for its role in supporting chattel slavery and its legacy of systemic racism, according to former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer.
The June 2, 2026, primary election will test the voter appeal of Black political candidates in California, where Black residents make up about 6.5% of the population.
More than a century after W.E.B. Du Bois presented photographs and data charts documenting Black American life at the 1900 Paris Exposition, his vision has found a new home in Atlanta’s West End, at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta, known as ADAMA.
Six candidates for the 2026 Washington, D.C. mayoral race answered questions on topics ranging from affordable housing, high utility bills and childcare costs, to the budget and working with the federal government, during a recent two-hour forum – and voters showed up in force.
News You Might Have Missed
A bill authored by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) aimed at reforming California’s gang databases — primarily the CalGang system — has advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee with a 5-1 vote.
A senior aide to Mayor Brandon M. Scott sent a letter to the Baltimore City Ethics Board and the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Advisory Board on April 21, calling for a review of Inspector General Isabel Cumming’s online conduct. In the letter, Chief of Staff John David Merrill denounced an April 20 Facebook post from the inspector general’s account that shared a YouTube video with an AI-generated thumbnail of Scott.
“It was a Sunday that I almost didn’t go,” said Jamal. “I’d been out partying all night. I decided to get up and go to church, and she just happened to come in and sit next to me. I noticed she was a visitor, and we struck up a conversation. After church, I saw her in the parking lot, and we talked some more and exchanged numbers.”
As reported in AfroTech, LeRoi Hicks becomes the first African American physician to hold the title of Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the states.
The Dance Theatre of Harlem drew a powerful mix of artists, cultural leaders, and industry tastemakers for its annual Vision Gala, an evening that seamlessly blended performance, tribute, and forward-looking purpose.
“At the end of the day, community heals”- Ucedrah Osby, founder and executive director of Community Interventions.
On Easter Sunday morning, Vassie Lee Jackson, believed to be Bakersfield’s oldest living resident, took her leave. She was 105 years old, just three months shy of 106.
By her pastor’s account, she had been ready for some time.
News You Might Have Missed
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) wants business owners in her community and across the state to know that LA28 is committed to directing procurement spending in the Greater Los Angeles region toward small businesses for the 2028 Olympic Games.
The future of work is no longer a distant idea — it’s here. Automation, artificial intelligence, remote work, and the green economy are redefining the workforce, and at breakneck speed. For the communities we serve and partner with, this moment presents both a challenge and a huge opportunity. The question is: will we be passengers or drivers of this transformation?
The number of babies born in the United States fell again last year. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3.6 million births in 2025, a 1% decline from 2024. The fertility rate dropped to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, down 23% since 2007.
