By Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra met with Black elected officials and faith, labor, civic and community leaders in South Los Angeles on Oct. 15, outlining his priorities for working families, education, housing and health care. He also pledged to defend diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs against ...

By Dianne Anderson Now is not the time to get too comfortable with democracy or throw that ballot into the recycling bin. With Election Day a couple of weeks away, the clock is ticking for voters to fill in the bubbles, get to their nearest ballot drop box or Vote Center, or just hand their ...

By Andrew Edwards Diego De La Cruz found belonging at Cal State Long Beach. The aspiring special ed teacher, a fourth-year liberal studies major, felt at home quickly upon arrival. De La Cruz’s dreams — to lead a classroom and “show it’s possible that anyone can do anything” — are taking shape, and the community and ...

By Bo Tefu California Black Media Black Californians saw a sharp rise in unemployment and worsening job stability between 2024 and 2025, according to a May 2026 report from the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies’ Black Policy Project. The report links the shift to federal funding rollbacks, public sector job losses, ...

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) and the San Bernardino County School Boards Association (SBCSBA) recognized five exceptional leaders for their outstanding service and support to public education within San Bernardino County. The five recipients, representing various areas of the County, were honored during the 2026 Spring Awards ceremony held on Apr. 7 at ...

The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Vanya Quiñones to serve as president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Quiñones currently serves as president of Cal State Monterey Bay. “I am profoundly honored to be chosen to lead Cal Poly Pomona, become part of its long and impressive history and contribute to ...

By David Danelski A study by UC Riverside and USC education scholars found that Black and Latino teens report having significantly more digital literacy skills such as detecting online disinformation than their white peers—particularly content related to race and ethnicity. These youth are not only quicker to identify false claims and racist propaganda, but also ...

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 who ...

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has had to conclude its Healthy Active Long Beach (HALB) program due to the recent passage of H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, which eliminated funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), the nation’s largest nutrition education initiative. For ...

By Dianne Anderson Before the grades, first the goals. A small but powerful circle of dads is getting back to school for a safe space to share their own stories about tackling the tough challenges for kids and themselves, learning to advocate, and getting support from a system that usually keeps them out of the ...