Category: Los Angeles

Arts & Culture
Stefi Mar

COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue

Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

COMMENTARY: When Politics Intersects with Professional Sports

It appears that every week, there is a news story or event that leaves us even more tired and weary of the political climate we live in. At a time when we should be paying increased attention to evolving events, we also face the personal need for emotional and mental breaks from the chaos. Taking that mental off-ramp to recharge and receive the temporary relief we need is critical.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

National Leaders in Miami for First Black-Jewish Alliance in More Than 25 Years

TV personality Van Jones and media executive and philanthropist Shari Redstone joined more than 100 leaders from across the United States in Miami this weekend for the National Convening on the Black-Jewish Alliance. It is the first national gathering of its kind in more than 25 years, aimed at renewing one of the most consequential partnerships in American history.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

California First Partner Champions Mental Wellness With Sports‑Focused Events

To close out Mental Health Awareness Month, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom hosted hundreds of families, youth athletes, coaches, educators, and mental health advocates at the Street Soccer USA facility in downtown Sacramento on May 29 for the fourth annual “Movement and Mindfulness: Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind Day” — a statewide event promoting physical activity, social connection, and emotional well-being.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

COMMENTARY: The Politics of the New Civil Law Wars

In the continuing battle for political respect and inclusivity that Black folks in the U.S. have been immersed in since the end of the U.S. Civil War, a little bright bulb of hope and redemption just appeared in the southern sky.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

COMMENTARY: Joy of Educating Black Boys

In this op-ed, Saint Paul Public Schools assistant principal Richard D. Terrell reflects on the joy of educating Black boys, pushing back against narratives focused only on struggle, and calling on educators, parents, mentors, and community leaders to celebrate Black boys’ brilliance, build relationships rooted in care, and create environments where they can thrive.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

IN MEMORIAM: Rest in Power: Hip-Hop Legend Rob Base Dead at 59

Rob Base, born Robert Ginyard and one half of the legendary hip-hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, at age 59 after a private battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy rooted in the 1988 anthem It Takes Two and a pioneering role in bringing hip-hop and house music to mainstream audiences.