Category: Government & Politics

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…

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 Fred Redmond, AFL-CIO  Secretary-Treasurer In our workplaces, in our communities and in our government, the right to vote is how working people make our voices heard. The late Rep. John Lewis (Georgia) proclaimed, “Your vote is precious, almost sacred.” The Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing Texas to use a racially discriminatory congressional map threatens…

Over 50 years ago, Ms. Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson, Urban One, Inc., was one of the very first faculty members of the School of Communications at Howard University. Myla Roundy Published on December 11, 2025 Over 50 years ago, Ms. Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson, Urban One, Inc., was one of the very first…

By Stacy M. Brown This is not a reflection. It is a demand. The Black Press of America is being deliberately starved, and unless people act now, it will collapse in full view of the nation it has served for nearly two centuries. This is not about nostalgia. It is about whether truth survives when…

Edward Henderson | California Black Media Representing the 28th Senate District, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) brings a lifelong commitment to working families, shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of a single mother who was a military veteran and a registered nurse.  After earning her communications degree from California State University Hayward (now known…

Edward Henderson | California Black Media Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) joined the California Legislature in 2022 after making history as Solano County’s first Black female mayor, bringing with her a track record of fiscal discipline, community investment, and inclusive leadership.  She represents the state’s 11th Assembly District, which spans Solano County and portions…

Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media   Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) represents California’s 61st Assembly District, covering areas including Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale, Venice, Westchester, and West Athens.  As a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), McKinnor has become a prominent voice in the Legislature. Elected in 2022, she chairs the Los Angeles…

Edward Henderson | California Black Media  Elected in November 2024 to represent California’s 35th Senate District in the Los Angeles area, Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) brings decades of experience in public service to her role.  Before entering elected office, she served as a legislative staffer at the local, state, and federal levels and built…

Edward Henderson | California Black Media   In November 2024, Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) became the first African American south of Los Angeles County to be elected to the California State Senate. She is also a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and founder of the Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Division at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.   Weber…

The County of Riverside Board of Supervisors appointed Rachelle Román, a seasoned executive with 23 years of public service, as the new Director of the Office on Aging (OOA). Román brings extensive experience in strategic planning, administrative leadership, and cross-sector collaboration across aging and public health services. “Rachelle’s many years of service and expertise are…

 Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) represents California’s 55th Assembly District — which also includes Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park, the Crenshaw Corridor, Culver City, Del Rey, and parts of Mid-City — an area long recognized as the political and cultural center of Black Los Angeles.  At 33, Bryan is already one of Los Angeles’ more seasoned…

By Lauren Burke On December 4, during a White House cabinet meeting, President Trump launched into a hateful, racist rant against Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). “Those Somalians should be out of here. They’ve destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her – she’s always talking…

By Maryland Office of the Attorney General Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) today announced a settlement with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., resolving allegations that the company discriminated against a group of students from Dr. James Craik Elementary School based on their disabilities during a visit…

By Lauren Burke “We need to stop all the hell that is reigning down on all of our people,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett from a Dallas stage to a cheering standing-room-only crowd. On December 8, Rep. Crockett, who has built a reputation as a firebrand in Congress in the fight against Trump’s MAGA Republicanism, announced…

By Kevin Harris and Cleve Mesidor Congress is actively working on groundbreaking legislation that would provide much needed regulatory clarity. The Digital Assets Market Structure legislation being developed by the U.S. Senate Agriculture and Banking committees can be better positioned to foster economic growth, promote financial education, and support guard rails for the early and…

By Stacy M. Brown Six months into Kash Patel’s tenure as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a newly compiled internal report from a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI agents and analysts delivers a stark warning about what the Bureau has become under his leadership. The 115-page document, submitted to Congress this…

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent They said it would never happen here. Yet here we are. Forty-eight percent of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s fascist playbook for dismantling American democracy, has already been put into motion. Nearly half of this regime’s roadmap to erase civil rights, gut public programs, and reimpose…

Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌ ‌|‌ ‌California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌   A total of 134 Head Start programs in California and across the country will not receive their operational funding if the federal government shutdown extends beyond Nov. 1 These early-learning programs are located in 41 states and Puerto Rico and serve more than 65,000 children, according to the…