By Jerome Adams Winter is upon us, and for many Americans, that means company parties, get-togethers with friends and of course, gathering with extended family. These festivities are joyous. But they also inherently expose us to infectious seasonal illnesses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19. As vaccination rates decline nationally, that risk is…
Veterans who receive disability compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are seeing higher monthly payments and expanded home loan limits as part of recent benefit updates. A 2.8 percent increase in monthly disability compensation took effect Dec. 1 as part of the annual cost-of-living adjustment, known as COLA. The increase applies to all…
By Damenica Ellis | Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Black-owned businesses across Minnesota participated in a general strike to protest ICE operations. Owners say closing their doors is an act of economic resistance and community solidarity. Hundreds of businesses across Minnesota participated in a statewide general strike Friday, urging residents not to shop, work or attend school in…
By Alaysia Lane | Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Garrison Gibson, a 38-year-old Liberian immigrant and father, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for a second time after being re-arrested hours after a federal judge ruled his initial arrest unconstitutional. Gibson’s attorney confirmed Friday afternoon that he is home with his family and required to wear…
By Jackie Mader, The Hechinger Report For months, Karian had tried to make it on her own in New York. After the birth of her second daughter, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression, major depressive disorder and anxiety. A single mother who had moved from Boston to New York about 13 years ago, she often…
RIVERSIDE, CA – The National Sports Association of Wellness and Mental Fitness (NSAWMF) announces the launch of its national nonprofit association dedicated to advancing mental fitness as a core pillar of athlete development, performance, and lifelong well being. Built to serve athletes, parents, coaches, and institutions nationwide, NSAWMF is designed to make mental fitness education…
Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media A state civil rights investigation into Yuba City Unified School District (YCUSD) has resulted in a settlement requiring districtwide corrective actions after allegations that a Black elementary school student was subjected to repeated racial harassment over multiple school years. The settlement, announced by the California Civil…
by Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer When examining Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s strongest champions, the Black Press stands out as a loyal messenger on the frontlines of the Civil Rights Movement. During the 1950s and ‘60s, Black newspapers across the country dedicated their pages to broadcasting the African-American struggle for equality. From documenting racial…
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper AFRO CEO and Publisher As the nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the real question is not how loudly we celebrate — but whether we are willing to live by the values Dr. King demanded. Each January, the nation knows how to celebrate. We mark the day. We…
By Ben Crump We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each January with speeches, service projects, and by reciting powerful quotes we know by heart. But too many Black families will spend much of MLK Day the same way they spend most Mondays. With the gas tank hovering near empty, hoping the car can go…
Former Black Panther Leader Elaine Brown Delivers Keynote at Black Caucus MLK Breakfast Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown was the keynote speaker at the annual California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Breakfast held at the Sacramento Masonic Temple on Jan….
By TotallyRandie Social Media Correspondent, BlackPressUSA Eighty thousand pounds of steel doesn’t just collide—it obliterates. While corporate lawyers hide behind the sterile jargon of liability and subsidiaries, four Houston families are left haunted by viral footage of a tragedy that should never have happened. On November 5, 2025, a stretch of US 87 became a…
By Raymar Hampshire and Hassanatu Blake Generative AI has dominated our conversations and reshaped how we work, learn, and create. In a recent article published in the Afro American Newspaper titled “Shaping the Future: Black Leadership in Tech Regulation”, Hussainatu Blake and Symone Campbell’s central argument isn’t about AI’s technical capabilities. It’s about safeguarding intellectual…
Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media California health officials have confirmed the spread of a mutated influenza strain known as the “super flu,” as flu-related hospitalizations across the state reach their highest level of the season. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Jan.15 that the strain, a mutated form…
By Hazel Trice Edney (TriceEdneyWire.com) – In the new year, many African-American families are bracing for the consequences of a housing law that threatens to destabilize communities that have fought for decades to remain intact. Texas’s House Bill 21 (HB21), passed by the Legislature last session, is already reshaping the state’s affordable housing system, and…
By Gwendolyn Carole Tipton, The Cincinnati Herald Here in 2026, we must not forget His benefits from 2025. We have already received and continue to receive Spiritual Blessings. Apostle Paul declares that God has blessed believers with “every spiritual blessing.” They encompass gifts of redemption, including forgiveness, grace, and the promise of eternal life. These…
By Dr. Dinelli Monson, Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare of California California moved up two slots from 26 to 24 in this year’s America’s Health Ranking Report produced by the United Health Foundation. America’s Health Rankings is the longest running state-by-state analysis of our nation’s health. The report provides actionable, data-driven insights to inform public policy,…
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Authored by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D–San Jose) and Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Los Angeles), Assembly Bill (AB) 1157 — known as the Affordable Rent Act — failed last week to advance out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, marking the second consecutive year the rent control proposal has been halted in…
Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media A question recently emailed to the office of Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) was not about legislation, policy, or governance. Instead, it asked whether the “Louis Vuitton bag McKinnor was wearing last night “real or fake?” This wasn’t just a casual inquiry. Stella Yu, the CalMatters reporter…
by Seth Wispelwey Abolishing ICE, defunding and abolishing the police…this is the *moderate* position. Whether it’s ICE, Border Patrol, the city, county or state police or your local sheriff, their purpose is to be the violent, front-line stranglehold on a wholly unsustainable status quo that protects the few (white and wealthy) at the expense of…
by California Black Media Taking care of your health shouldn’t wait until you’re already sick. Medi-Cal gives California adults — including Black families, seniors, parents, and caregivers — access to free or low-cost care designed to help people stay healthy, not just treat illness. However, many Medi-Cal members are not using benefits they already qualify…
Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media Responding to recent fatal shootings and an uptick in misconduct and excessive use-of-force incidents by federal policing agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), California lawmakers are proposing some legal guardrails to prevent them and hold officers accountable. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) recently authored legislation to…
Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) last week praised California’s new law limiting when law enforcement officers may wear face coverings, calling it a critical step toward accountability and public trust in policing. The measure, SB 627…
by Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer As the fight for civil rights continues to evolve, activists of today are raising questions about how far the nation has come since the era of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and where progress has stalled. Advocates, scholars and policymakers are assessing voting access, economic equity, education and criminal…
Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media California Attorney General Rob Bonta helped secure a $425 million settlement with Capital One that would provide restitution and improved interest rates for customers who were allegedly misled about their savings accounts, state officials announced Jan. 13. The settlement, which received preliminary court approval last…