Category: Features

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Don’t Get Distracted: 5 Trump Policies Black Americans Need to Watch Now

The public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk over the GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” has Republicans scrambling—but civil rights and other advocates warn that the drama may serve as a smokescreen, drawing attention away from harmful policies disproportionately targeting Black Americans.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

“He Sure Fought Like Hell for Us”: Californians Gather to Honor Trailblazer Nate Holden

Long before Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a national holiday, before California women could secure a home loan on their own, and long before South Los Angeles began to rise from the ashes of the 1992 unrest, Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a towering figure in state politics, had already planted seeds for a more just and equal California.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Role Reversal: Millions of Kids Are Caregivers for Elders. Why Their Numbers Might Grow.

High school senior Joshua Yang understands sacrifice. When he was midway through 10th grade, his mom survived a terrible car crash. But her body developed tremors, and she lost mobility. After countless appointments, doctors diagnosed her with Parkinson’s disease, saying it was likely triggered by brain injuries sustained in the wreck.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

RFK Jr. Says Healthy Pregnant Women Don’t Need Covid Boosters. What the Science Says.

You’re pregnant, healthy, and hearing mixed messages: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is not a scientist or doctor, says you don’t need the covid vaccine, but experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Protection still put you in a high-risk group of people who ought to receive boosters. The science is on the side of the shots.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Commentary: California Must Protect Mental Health Funding That Centers Our Communities

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised budget proposal includes the California Department of Health’s complete elimination of the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), a devastating move that would dismantle critical, community-driven mental health programs across the state. This includes our own Sisters Mentally Mobilized – Advocate Training Program, which trains and supports Black women as mental health advocates and change agents in their communities.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Affordable Childcare Remains a Barrier: Solutions in New Report

While America’s childcare supply grew nationally, the price of that care continues to rise—placing affordable, high-quality care out of reach for many families. A new report released by Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA), Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, shows that despite promising signs of increased supply, affordability remains a major barrier — and underscores the need for increased sustained federal and state investment.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

The Lead Up to the Five-Year Anniversary of George Floyd

“Companies have not necessarily been transparent” in the corporate data collection process about their commitments following the police-involved death of 46-year-old George Floyd, says Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

AFT Official on FAMU Hire: ‘They’re Trying to Run our Minds’

The hiring of Marva Johnson by Florida A&M University is a calculated political strategy to control Black institutions and influence how future generations think, said Fedrick C. Ingram, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers. “They are trying to change the mindset, get into the brain trust of young people to try and change history, to try and change a cultural mindset,” Ingram asserted.