By Lauren Victoria Burke/BlackPressUSA Newswire Contributor “The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, and not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries…
By Stacy M. Brown The U.S. labor market showed further signs of strain in November, with new federal data revealing rising unemployment, steep losses in government jobs, and worsening conditions for Black workers, particularly Black men, according to an analysis of the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report and a review by the National Women’s…
By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media California Senate Bill (SB) 648, authored by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Los Angeles), takes effect on Jan. 1. The law strengthens legal protections for workers against employee tip theft. The legislation applies to restaurant servers, hotel staff, hairdressers, and other service workers who rely on gratuities to cover…
By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media On Jan. 1, Assembly Bill (AB) 422 — legislation authored by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D–Moreno Valley) – takes effect. Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, the bill updates the criteria for the State Seal of Civic Engagement (SSCE), an official recognition awarded to high school students…
By Dawn Montgomery Earlier this year, in March, the current President signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education. If carried out, this will completely change the landscape of public education at all levels. Ninety percent of students attend public K-12 schools. Despite funding tied to a student’s zip code, Black communities…
Nationwide — Attorney Zulu Ali, a former police officer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has released a powerful commentary titled “Attorney Zulu Ali Speaks on Justice: Trying Cases in a System Built to Oppress Black People.” In it, Ali argues that the American court system is racially biased beyond repair, compares being Black in the…
by Kristen Hwang Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to fill vacant medical and mental health positions at prisons and state hospitals, California has little to show for it, according to a new report from the state auditor. Job vacancy rates have increased since 2019 at the three facilities examined in the audit, as…
Amid funding headwinds, national media arts nonprofit intensifies support for diverse Black stories with world premiere of climate and social justice film NEW YORK (December 18, 2025) — Black Public Media (BPM), the Harlem-based national media arts nonprofit, is doubling down on its mission to fund and support stories about the Black experience despite recent…
Sarah Lund In the beautiful diversity of humankind, we are invited to celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This is especially true when it comes to the holy work of disability and mental health justice. Alice Wong, disability activist and author who died on November 14, at age 51, felt like a friend to me,…
Figure 1: Nearly 1.2 Million Uninsured Californians Are Eligible for Financial Help SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California is encouraging all uninsured Californians to sign up for health insurance by Dec. 31. The open-enrollment period for 2026 ends on Jan. 31, but to have insurance in place for January, consumers need to enroll by the end…
By Edward Henderson | California Black Media Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom represents the 13th Assembly District, which includes Stockton, Tracy and Mountain House. With over 20 years of experience in public service, Ransom is a former Tracy city councilmember and an outspoken advocate for social justice, equitable education and economic empowerment. Ransom currently serves as chair…
By Edward Henderson | California Black Media Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) is entering his final year of service in the state Legislature due to term limits. A native of the Watts community in Los Angeles, Gipson says he inherited a spirit of service from his parents. He was elected to the Carson City Council in…
By Edward Henderson | California Black Media Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2024 to represent the 79th District, which includes southeastern San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, a master’s in education with an emphasis in Multicultural Counseling, and…
By Edward Henderson | California Black Media Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) represents the 60th Assembly District. He was first elected in November 2022. In the Legislature, Jackson has emerged as a key voice on issues related to equity, social services, and community well-being — first as chair of the Human Services Committee in…
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Board of Education presented its November Outstanding Community Partner Award to the Inland Empire Children’s Book Project for helping ignite a lifelong love of reading by placing thousands of free books into the hands of children across the District. “A home…
The Evening Features the George Coleman Quintet in Concert with Steve Myerson, John Webber, Peter Bernstein and George Coleman, Jr.,and Special Guests, Camille Thurman, Sarah Hanahan, Alexander McCabe, Eric Alexander, Gideon Tazelaar and Adam Brenner Tickets: $25.00-$55.00 | ticketing.jazz.org NEW YORK, NY, December 22, 2025 – The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) will present the…
By Andrea Stevens AFRO Staff Writer/astevens@afro.com The Department of Education will no longer classify several long-recognized graduate programs as professional degrees, a shift that will affect financial aid limits and reshape how universities describe advanced training in fields that rely on licensing. The updated definition removes nursing from the government’s professional degree category. The change…
by BVN Enhanced premium tax subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will expire on Dec. 31 as Congress prepares to break for the holidays without voting on a health care package. Though House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to call for a vote regarding extending ACA tax credits for three years as proposed by Democrats,…
By Katie Dukes, EdNC QuaShawnda Everett, the program chair for early childhood education at Edgecombe Community College in North Carolina, has traveled the globe with her musician husband, but she’d never flown anywhere by herself — or even traveled outside of North Carolina alone. That’s why she was skeptical when the college’s president, Greg McLeod,…