By Dianne Anderson Instead of being funneled through the police, a new pilot program is set to deescalate mental health crisis in West Long Beach with calls for nonviolent help being handled by trained nonsworn mental health professionals. As part of the City’s Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative, the program focuses on connecting the community ...

Keep Kids Cool and Safer in Hot Weather Back to school is near and as families gather essentials for the new year, heat preparedness must remain top of mind. Ensuring the safety of our children during extreme heat events is critical to their well-being and educational success. It is crucial that we all—parents, caregivers, and ...

By Dianne Anderson Growing up in District 6 in Long Beach, Autrilla “Sheba” Gillis lived next to her grandma and with her mom – both by definition powerhouse sheroes – they always had something good in the works. Likewise, Gillis draws from her community activist roots as the daughter of Sharon McLucas, and granddaughter of ...

By Dianne Anderson Local advocate Duke Givens doesn’t have much time to dig around for what new grants or funding may be coming up, but he just sticks to the mission at hand. He does what he can do to help the homeless. That kind of focus has led to good support and donations for ...

By Daniella Masterson Structural racism is not dissimilar to systematic racism except now it has been validated, or elevated, as a health crisis.  In a bold and innovative move, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has adopted a progressive Countywide Racial Equity Strategic Plan with five goals intended to improve the lives of residents ...

By Dianne Anderson Those that have it to give will dig deep in their closets and pantries this weekend in support of the city’s fifth big donation drive-through to help the homeless, and the nonprofits who serve them. On Saturday, July 29, the drive-through runs from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Main Facilities ...

By Charlene Crowell When the Biden Administration announced its latest initiative to reduce the nation’s unsustainable trillion-dollar student debt, both borrowers and advocates rejoiced. In the coming weeks an estimated 804,000 student loan borrowers will together receive $39 billion in federal loan debt cancellations. These unprecedented debt cancellations are available due to systemic corrections that ...

By Dianne Anderson Alzheimer’s and dementia can take decades to show up, but there is no time like the present to start working on healthier lifestyles. Compared to whites, Blacks get the disease twice as much, but another issue is at play. Expert Dr. April Thames said the community, especially Blacks being most impacted, must ...

By Dianne Anderson Straight from city plot to plate – nothing beats local organics. Local kids and families are working the land, now in full bloom without pesticides. Ms. Sheila G. said that her nonprofit Adventures to Dreams Enrichment gave away bags of produce earlier this month filled with carrots, tomatoes, lots of different varieties ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Sr Natl Correspondent Tributes have continued to pour in for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who announced on July 14 his retirement as President and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the influential civil rights organization he started decades ago to carry on the struggle for equality and justice that ...