Bakersfield
Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
News You Might Have Missed
Stefi Mar May 20, 2025
News You Might Have Missed
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund is taking a victory lap for a Supreme Court win against Alabama’s discriminatory redistricting practices that targeted Black voters there. Attorney Deuel Ross for the Legal Defense Fund says, “The Supreme Court ruled that Alabama had violated the Voting Rights Act by chopping up that Black population and declining to create two majority Black Districts.”
The Stop the Hate Program continues to raise awareness about the importance of people uniting to restore respect for each other, embrace the strength of diversity, and build safe and equitable communities in California.
“Our politics will not save us, but it will be our humanity. Our silence will not protect us, it will be our resistance. Our fears will never advance or evolve our nation, it will only keep us stuck and moving backwards.”
While President Donald Trump and his allies at the Heritage Foundation work to gut diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across America, a dangerous narrative continues to spread—that DEI is some handout to Black Americans.
News You Might Have Missed
Hands off Our History plans more protests like the Saturday Washington DC rally, where several organizations banded together to draw attention to attempts to remove artifacts from the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. “Black people built this country, and we will not allow anyone to erase us from the American story because Black History is American History,” says Melanie Campbell, president/CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”
In America’s schools, the tension between parental rights and learning curricula has created a contentious battlefield.
Summer can be a great time to establish and reinforce good oral hygiene habits. As a dentist, I also emphasize the importance of limiting sugary drinks, which can significantly impact our children’s overall health and well-being.
Former Vice-President Kamala Harris delivered her first extensive public remarks since her defeat in the 2024 Presidential Election.
To address California’s maternity health crisis, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) authored Senate Bill (SB) 626.
News You Might Have Missed
Over the last four weeks, California Black Media (CBM) has been examining the 16 bills included in the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) “Road to Repair 2025 Priority Bill Package.”
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are fighting over whether they should slash Medicaid funding (known as Medi-Cal in California) — and by how much. The cuts are critical to achieving a $1.5 trillion federal budget reduction the GOP-led House already approved in a February resolution.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has triggered a surge in consumer prices, widespread protests, and mounting legal and political concerns—all within his first 100 days. A new analysis from Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) reveals that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on foreign goods have already added $14 billion in costs for U.S. households.
Eboni Tomasek expected to take home her newborn the day after he was born in a San Jose hospital. But, without explanation, hospital staff said they needed to stay a second night. Then a third. A nurse said her son had jaundice. Then said that he didn’t. She wondered if they had confused her with another African American mother. In any event, why couldn’t she and the baby boy she’d named Ezekiel go home?
A growing number of mineral owners in California, investors with oil interests in the state, and their advocates in the Legislature are warning that state government in Sacramento is creating an economic climate that is inconducive for their businesses.
A new national survey from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School finds young Americans facing financial uncertainty, deteriorating mental health, and a growing lack of trust in institutions. The 50th edition of the Harvard Youth Poll offers a comprehensive look at the attitudes of Americans aged 18 to 29—particularly young Black individuals—who feel increasingly left out of national conversations and underserved by political leadership.
News You Might Have Missed