Category: Local

Local
Stefi Mar

Los Angeles Urban League State of Black LA 2025

There was an adrenaline rush, or buzz, around the campus of USC on Thursday, October 16, 2025. This wasn’t the typical energy associated with a sporting event. Fight On!

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Head Start Gave the Author an Early Inspiration to Share Her Story

It did not come as a surprise to Atiya Henley’s parents, alumni of Head Start, that she would become a published author before the age of 10. “Atiya has a BIG imagination,” said her mother, Amy Deanes. “This isn’t her first book, but it’s the first one that we published. She wrote this book because of no experience of her own, but because of her passion to help others.”

Local
Stefi Mar

Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party

A steady flow of music aficionados, foodies, and art patrons gathered on the backlot of Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center, 101 South La Brea Avenue. Guests were in attendance for the Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party. This festive celebration featured music performances, dance, interactive activities, food trucks, and more. The event was held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical western medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an individual’s health. 

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

The Isley Brothers Bring Black Joy to the Kern County Fair

The Ferris wheel glowed against the Bakersfield night sky. The scent of kettle corn, barbecue, fries, and other fair treats drifted through the air as children’s laughter and screams mingled with the sounds of carnival rides. Beyond the games and food stalls, Kern County showcased its agricultural pride through livestock displays and farm produce exhibits. But as the sun dipped below the horizon, all eyes turned toward the main stage, where living legends were about to perform, the Isley Brothers.

Entertainment
Stefi Mar

Carson Jazz Festival – Party in the Park

You are keenly aware that the season has changed to autumn/fall. What you may not know is that the outdoor concert season is still in full bloom. My social calendar has several upcoming events lined up in the month of October.

Local
Stefi Mar

Witnessing The Destruction Of America: It’s Not Too Late

What happened to Rome and its destruction from within is now being
experienced by Americans in Real Time. The meeting that the Secretary of
Defense held with all the senior military leaders is a prime example of the
effort to not only force all senior military leaders to resign or quit out of
protest and frustration, but to also undermine the position of women in the
military, many of whom have earned their way to some of the highest ranks
in our armed forces.

Local
Stefi Mar

Jazz on the Grass – Groove to the Music

Compton residents and visitors from surrounding communities gathered once again on the beautiful, manicured lawn of Compton College. This was an overcast, gray day. Fortunately, the sun came out in the afternoon.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

Democrats Pour Millions into White Media, But Continue to Starve the Black Press

One could make the case that Democrats lost the 2024 election in part because they abandoned the Black Press—the voice of Black America. Black voters, the backbone of the party, walked away in numbers unseen in modern times. At the very moment when all Americans—Black, white, Latino, and others—are called to stand against authoritarianism, Democrats have shown not courage but cowardice, not gratitude but contempt for their own base.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Speaking Without Sound, Loudly and Clearly

Candice Goodie was born deaf. Growing up in an African-American home, she enjoyed music, danced, and lived life much like her hearing peers. With the help of hearing aids, she could listen to her favorite songs. But that changed in college when her hearing aids began to fail.

Local
Stefi Mar

Celebrating 30 Years of All That Jazz & More on Central Avenue

The 30th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival is one for the history and record books. The Central Avenue Jazz Festival was presented by Los Angeles City Councilman Curren D. Price, Jr., in conjunction with the Coalition for Responsible Community Development and Concerned Citizens of South-Central Los Angeles. This free, family-friendly festival celebrated a milestone on Saturday, September 20, 2025. The party on the block was held on Central Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the north and Vernon Avenue to the south.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

Meet Cecil Egbele, the News Observer’s Newest Reporter Telling Bakersfield’s Black Stories, One Voice at a Time

When I first walked the streets of Bakersfield as a California Local News Fellow with the Bakersfield News Observer, I wasn’t sure what to expect beyond what I had read online. The drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Bakersfield left me in awe of the beauty of the place I will now call home, stunning landscapes of the Central Valley, vast farmlands, and a desert-like climate where the air grew warmer with every mile. Still, I wondered if my time here would be easy or filled with challenges. Only the weeks ahead would tell. What I did know, though, was that to truly settle in, I had to “dance” with the community by introducing myself – “Hi, I’m Cecil Egbele, your new Bakersfield reporter” — and asking one essential question: What stories matter to you?

Local
Stefi Mar

Keeping the Blues Alive in the Heart of the South Bay

It’s that time of year again when the spotlight shines brightly in the City of Lawndale. The blues community and other music lovers from all walks of life came together for the 12th Annual Lawndale Blues Festival, Saturday, September 13, 2025, on this beautiful, overcast day with a slight breeze. The weather was a nice respite from the warm weather experiences during the month of August.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

The Black Vote, Polling, and Redistricting

As California enters the redistricting battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives, it is very interesting to observe the lineup for and against Proposition 50, which would place Redistricting on the November Ballot. From the moment the Governor signed the legislation, the opposition immediately started direct mail campaigns. The supporters of the measure, mainly the Democratic Party, began to gather and spend money on Radio and television Ads and the polling of the people in the state to see where Support could be found. As usual, the African American community, which largely votes democratic, has not been included in the early stages of this campaign on either side.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

The Lasting Impact of Bedtime Stories

One of the joys of parenthood is the peaceful, soothing experience of reading a bedtime story to your child. Your comforting voice can help lull them into a sleepy state as you read aloud melodic nursery rhymes and other enchanting stories.