Category: Bakersfield

African Americans
News Observed

August Is Black Business Month. Few Know Who Started It

Founded in 2004 by engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. and historian John William Templeton, National Black Business Month enters its 23rd observance as Black entrepreneurship — led by Black women — posts some of its strongest growth in decades.

Congregation gathered at the Bethel A.M.E. church - Tallahassee, Florida (6792258210)
African Americans
News Observed

A Third of Black Millennials Left Church — Not God

Survey data shows Black millennials are three times more likely than baby boomers to be religiously unaffiliated, but most who leave organized religion keep their faith in a higher power — and are building spiritual community elsewhere.

Ebenezer Baptist Church - Atlanta Georgia - Sign
Bakersfield
News Observed

The Black Church in 2026: Perceived Decline, Persistent Devotion

A landmark 2021 Pew Research study found nearly half of Black adults believe Black churches have lost influence since the civil rights era — yet the newest national data shows Black Protestants remain among America’s most observant worshippers. Both findings are true, and the tension between them is the story.

Travel
Kathleen Untalan

United brings back nonstop Bakersfield-LAX flights after 12 years

For Bakersfield travelers, getting to Los Angeles just got a lot easier: United Airlines restored nonstop service between the cities Tuesday with a roughly 20-minute flight, even though subsequent flights would last about one hour.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Essay: California Can Close Its Colorectal Cancer Gap

Every breakthrough in cancer care carries a promise: earlier detection, better treatment and longer life. California has helped deliver that promise through world-class cancer centers, a statewide cancer registry and major public-health investments. Yet colorectal cancer still exposes a painful divide: Black Californians are more likely to develop the disease and far more likely to die from it than their White neighbors.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

James J. Carter Installed as 84th President of the National Bar Association

After a rousing introduction by Stellar New Orleans Attorney James Williams and swearing in by the Legendary Judge Kern Reese, the National Bar Association on July 30, 2026 installed nationally accomplished Trial Attorney and Civic Leader James J. Carter as its 84th President.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

5 Deaths, 9 Cases: Louisiana Issues Flesh-Eating Bacteria Warning

Louisiana health officials are urging residents to take precautions after confirming a fifth death this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that can cause severe wound infections and, in rare cases, a flesh-destroying illness called necrotizing fasciitis. The state has now recorded nine cases and five deaths in 2026, a sharp increase from Louisiana’s typical average of seven cases and one death over the same stretch in past years.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Police, Protesters Clash as St. Paul Begins Clearing Pig’s Eye Encampment

MSR Contributing Writer Clint Combs delivers from Pig’s Eye Encampment, documenting the intense standoff between St. Paul law enforcement, community marshals, and local officials. As the city initiates sweeps across local encampments, community members and outreach workers confront police to defend unhoused neighbors, shedding light on shelter bed shortages, lost documentation, and the human cost of displacement.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Money Matters: The State of Black Media – and Why Its Future Matters to Business

Black-owned media has long served as more than a source of news. It has been a trusted institution, an advocate for underserved communities, and an economic catalyst for entrepreneurs and neighborhood businesses. From covering the Civil Rights Movement to spotlighting local business success stories, Black media has consistently filled information gaps left by mainstream outlets.

African Americans
News Observed

Poll: One in Four Young Black Men Uncommitted to Voting in 2026

A survey of more than 1,600 registered Black men ages 18–45 in six battleground states finds they overwhelmingly value voting — but a quarter are not yet committed to casting a ballot in the midterms, and no one appears to track what campaigns actually spend to reach them.