Year: 2026

Silverado High School teacher Lydia Lane has received the 2026 Guiding Light Award from the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), recognizing her exemplary commitment and outstanding leadership in mental health awareness through the Directing Change Film Contest. DBH leadership proudly visited Lane at Silverado to underscore the transformative impact of creative expression…

By National Women’s Law Center The National Women’s Law Center released its annual State Child Care Assistance Policies report, finding that the number of children placed on waiting lists for federally funded child care assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 — and that number has only continued to grow. The report serves as a…

Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌ ‌|‌ ‌California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌ The California Civic Media Program’s grants will open in the summer of 2026, with the first round of award decisions and funding distributions expected to be officially announced in the fall of 2026, according to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Referred to as the…

Megan Thomas, President and CEO – Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties Chet P. Hewitt, President and CEO – Sierra Health Foundation, Founder and CEO – The Center at Sierra Health Foundation California communities are once again grappling with the deadly consequences of hate. In May, a shooting at the Islamic Center of San…

Ontario, CA — Recently, business leader and funding strategist Luvina Beckley was honored with the Innovator of the Year Award during the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Dinner in Ontario, CA The award recognized Beckley’s years of work helping businesses, nonprofits, and underserved communities gain better access to funding opportunities, federal grants,…

Zaidee Stavely Assemblymember James Ramos has a persistent memory from his childhood in San Bernardino County. A teacher at his elementary school played a drum song and asked students to stand up if they were Native American and interpret the song for the class. “That’s not our culture,” Ramos told his teacher. He grew up…

Raven Jones-McKinney Across California, at least 5,000 school employees received preliminary pink slips this spring as districts scramble to close budget gaps caused by falling enrollment and rising costs. Oakland Unified plans to eliminate counselors, case managers and attendance clerks as part of sweeping layoffs to address a $103 million deficit. Counselors and mental health…

By Sunita Sohrabji Black, Latino, and Native American households face greater food uncertainty than the population at large, according to data from the Congressional District Health Dashboard. During a period marked by soaring food prices, more than 3 million people have lost access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — SNAP — over the…