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Category: Features

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Real Talk: Sistas Spill Health EquiTea Sources of Better Health in Black Communities

April marks National Minority Health Month, a period dedicated to addressing health disparities among minority communities, a mission traced back to Booker T. Washington’s initiatives in 1915. African Americans are continually at high risk of infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, suicide, prostate cancer, and dying of breast cancer. This year’s theme, “Be the Source for Better Health,” inspires a closer look at how culture, communities, and connections play pivotal roles in improving health outcomes and equity in our communities.

Stefi Mar April 23, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Football Legend O.J. Simpson Dies but the Obsession Remains Alive

So much of the analysis around the Simpson case ignores the general context of the criminal justice system’s treatment of Black men. Black men in America are disproportionately incarcerated and given longer sentences than white males. Because of Simpson’s wealth he was able to do something most defendants cannot do: Hire the best multi-expert legal team available. The reality of a Black man being acquitted in the murders of a white woman and man was clearly jarring to many commentators. 

Stefi Mar April 23, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

GAO Study Reveals Persistent Underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic Faculty in Higher Education

 A new study conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), commissioned by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Virginia), has unveiled concerning trends regarding the representation of Black and Hispanic faculty members in higher education institutions. Despite modest increases in their numbers over the past two decades, Black and Hispanic individuals remain significantly underrepresented among college faculty.

Stefi Mar April 16, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Expert Advice: How to Protect Yourself From Bias and Backlash at Work

As reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic threats and acts of hate and violence increase in California and across the country, the California Commission on the State of Hate (Commission) and California Civil Rights Department (CRD) continue to encourage Californians to take advantage of anti-hate resources available statewide, including the California vs Hate hotline and website.

Stefi Mar April 9, 2024
African Americans
Stefi Mar

Empowering Black Mothers and Building a Legacy of Health: The Black Infant Health Program

In Kern County, the Black Infant Health (BIH) program is a beacon of hope for pregnant and postpartum Black women, aiming to improve health outcomes for both mothers and babies. The program focuses exclusively on empowering Black/African American women who are 16 years or older and pregnant or up to six months postpartum at the time of enrollment.

Stefi Mar April 2, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

“A Beautiful Month”: Muslims Prepare for End of the Great Fast of Ramadan

On the night of March 10, 2024, Ramadan began for some two billion believers across the Muslim world. The Islamic Holy Month is a time of spiritual renewal for all participants, including many who do not identify as Muslim. Each year, an increasing number of individuals beyond the Muslim world embark on the journey of fasting during this sacred time. 

Stefi Mar April 2, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

California Black Caucus Members Clash Over Retail Theft Bill

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus CLBC, said she plans to meet with the authors of Assembly Bill (AB) 1990 to discuss her opposition to the legislation authored to curb organized retail theft.

Stefi Mar April 2, 2024
African Americans
Stefi Mar

Title Insurance Helps Homeownership for Black Americans and Others  

Often misunderstood, title insurance is a product that comprehensively protects homeowners’ property rights and their lenders’ financial interest in a property. It is vastly different than other types of insurance because it is a one-time fee and title professionals do the majority of the work upfront to both examine title issues and rectify any problems found. That is why many homeowners thankfully don’t experience the challenge of a claim that threatens their homeownership – but if they do, title insurance is paramount to protecting their biggest investment. 

Stefi Mar April 2, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

COMMENTARY: Lady Day and The Lights!

With just wrapping up Women’s History Month there are more heroines that get left out than featured. “Lady Day” brought some sunlight to one of the darkest eras of modern American history. You know that American history they keep trying to erase. Eleanora Fagan Gough, aka Billie Holiday, aka Lady Day, made a statement that bears rehearsal and rethinking. She once said, “we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough.”

Stefi Mar April 2, 2024
Arts & Culture
Stefi Mar

Art Imitates Life

Hollywood is known for creating fantasies and false narratives, but the entertainment industry does keep it real sometimes, particularly in its efforts to help eliminate the stigma of mental illness. Mental health awareness for African Americans has found its way into popular TV programs with creators and showrunners including storylines that see main characters seeking therapy or having characters be mental health providers. Other shows feature therapy in other ways.

Stefi Mar April 2, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Unveiling the Hidden Truth in The Battle Over Books in American Schools

In the ongoing debates about book bans in American schools, there is one narrative that dominates the discussion: those who oppose certain materials in school libraries are merely “book banners,” seeking to censor and limit the free exchange of ideas. 

Stefi Mar March 26, 2024