By Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the statewide indoor mask mandate for vaccinated Californians expired. As COVID-19 cases decline, public health officials say the state is easing restrictions in an effort to return the state to pre-pandemic normalcy. “Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 ...

Millions of $$$ By Dianne Anderson Millions of American Rescue Plan Act funding lies just around the corner in Long Beach, provided that applicants first know the contract opportunities exist, and then submit their proposals really fast. As is often the case, RFQ and grant information slowly circulate within the Black community, and nonprofits must ...

By Dianne Anderson High-profile suicides are weighing heavy on the community, among the most recent Ian Alexander Jr., and the presumed suicide of lawyer and former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst. Kryst, also an entertainment reporter, was just 30 years old. She had often interviewed other television stars on mental health issues, and had spoken openly ...

By Dianne Anderson Long Beach City College is inviting the community out for giveaways and good soul food eats as the campus kicks off its Black Heritage Month for an outdoor in-person event in front of Bldg A on February 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Dr. Jerome Hunt, a co-chair of the Black ...

By Dianne Anderson Water, that nearly invisible thing that nobody thinks about until it’s gone, is the catalyst behind Phyllis Venable’s mission with Sister Cities of Long Beach, and their Mombasa affiliate. Currently, the east coast of Africa leads the world in babies dying from waterborne diseases. It’s what keeps Venable up at night. Their ...

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Gov. Gavin Newsom says his administration is emphasizing combating drug addiction and mental illness as part of the state’s multi-year plan to solve California’s homelessness crisis – the worst in the country. Newsom says focusing on those health needs of unhoused people is a component of his ongoing ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Sr Natl Correspondent With President Joe Biden’s tanking approval rating and the failure by Democrats to push through vital legislation, political preferences in the United States have taken a shift. A new Gallup poll released on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day revealed that Americans’ political party preferences dramatically ...

By Dianne Anderson What started as a call to action for an accurate Census count is now winding down through the final stage to close out the redistricting process that determines who gets elected and where the money goes. For the Black community, battered by the pandemic economy, the redistricting maps have been about getting ...

By Dianne Anderson Teens and parents are invited to join up and talk out their problems, but especially if they don’t think they have a problem, which was true for Maleka Chris throughout her growing years. Chris said she didn’t realize that she was the problem behind her choices that were causing more problems. It ...

By Dianne Anderson Martin Luther King, Jr National Day of Service on-site events have canceled out as Omicron picks up speed, but local nonprofits are determined to mask and glove up for the community to honor the slain civil rights leader in all he represents. In the Inland Empire, local activist Trudy Coleman said that ...