By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media   Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill (SB) 518, landmark legislation creating California’s Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery — the first state agency in the nation dedicated to implementing reparations for Black Americans. “A few days ago, I, with a few other members of the California ...

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey ‌California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌ On Aug. 29, three bills from the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) “2025 Road to Repair” bill package were released from the Suspense File, where they were placed in July by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The California Legislature places any bill that would potentially cost the state more ...

By Antonio Ray Harvey and Edward Henderson California Black Media   California lawmakers and state agencies are intensifying efforts to combat the growing prevalence of hate crimes and bias incidents across the state. On June 25, a legislative hearing and two newly released government reports highlighted the persistent threats facing communities targeted by race, religion, ...

State Funding By Agustin Duran Leaders representing diverse, victimized communities urged California not to end its funding for initiatives aiming to combat hate crimes. “If there is ever a time when we need support, it is now,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of the AAPI Equity Alliance. “We have an administration that is openly anti-immigrant, anti-Asian anti-Latino, anti-Black ...

By Edward Henderson California Black Media “Senate Bill (SB) 437 utilizes the California State University to explore options to determine how to confirm if an individual is a descendant of a person who was a victim of American chattel slavery,” said Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego). “The bill seeks to determine a clear, concise ...

California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) abrupt and unlawful rescission of prior agency actions that preserved states’ access to hundreds of millions of dollars in funding currently being used by school districts to support the academic recovery of students following the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorney General Bonta ...

By Edward Henderson California Black Media   The Trump Administration is dismantling the Department of Education (DOE). That action fulfills a campaign promise that has been a goal of right-wing conservatives since the department’s inception. In fact, on March 20 — the day President Donald Trump signed the executive order to begin that process — ...

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media With ballots still being counted, Black candidates across California are turning in a strong showing in the Nov. 5 General Election. While the results remain unofficial, the leads held by many Black candidates indicate they are likely to secure their positions in Congress, the State Senate, and ...

COMMENTARY By Rick Callender Special to California Black Media Partners In the Black community, literacy stands as a cornerstone of empowerment, guiding our way toward liberation and advancement. For centuries, African Americans have been denied their right to read either through the direct outlawing of literacy instruction and books for enslaved people of African descent, ...

Bracy Hawkins Law, P.C. announced that it has been selected to represent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) California Hawaii State Conference Legal Redress Program and Stop the Hate Campaign. The firm will provide legal counsel and representation to the organization’s members in its efforts to prevent workplace discrimination and harassment ...