By Dianne Anderson At different junctures along the way, Robbie Butler couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t getting appointed to a commission in the city of Long Beach, even though she had a long presence in the community But as any Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member would do, she decided to take the initiative and ...

By Dianne Anderson New hope for transforming the Long Beach Citizens Police Complaint Commission comes with recent city council approval to ready an initiative for the November ballot – provided the voters come out for a charter amendment change. Depending on the will of the people, the language of the proposed initiative, and the strength ...

By Dianne Anderson Robin Thorne is not a novice engineer, but when it comes to her latest management gig, she’s excited to just get her foot in the door. She was recently awarded the contract in managing the Long Beach Transit’s modernization project, which involves upgrading their facilities, including a state-of-the-art training center. The Transit ...

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 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 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 ...

Vice Mayor Rex Richardson has declared his candidacy to be the next Long Beach Mayor. “Long Beach provided me with an opportunity to put down roots, build a family, and spend every day making our community a better place for every resident,” stated Richardson. “I’ve seen the results of what happens when neighbors come together ...

By Dianne Anderson Everyone’s mom – “Mother Doris” – was always guiding and mentoring generations of leaders that wanted to follow in her footsteps where no other African Americans had blazed political trails before. Her sphere of influence opened doors that had never been opened to the Black community in Long Beach. Her son Stephen ...

By Dianne Anderson Getting the kids ready to receive their Christmas gifts is a delicate procedure for Alisha Wade and volunteers as they make their list of children and check it twice, but without any names to go with the cherubim faces. Through her sorority, Beta Pi Sigma, she heads up the Angel Tree Prison ...