By Dianne Anderson Drums, the ancient African sound that doubles as a language, continues to serve as an entertaining wake up call to the keepers of tradition. In historic times, John Beatty said the African drums heralded festive occasions and reasons that the ancestors held certain rhythms for certain seasons. There were special sounds for ...

By Dianne Anderson Anyone ever wanting a greater say in the direction of cultural and artistic expression for the city of Long Beach will get their chance at an upcoming Arts Council 5-year strategic planning event. Local poet and blues performer Shy But Flyy is coming out in support, where she hopes to raise and ...

By Dianne Anderson As a young boy, Jesse Johnson remembers standing in front of his grandmother’s house at the very edge of the street, trying to grab his handful of beads thrown from the passing car. The ten-year-old was keeping with the long-standing tradition for the New Orleans French Quarter. It was a Cadillac, to ...

By Dianne Anderson Voters will rush to cast their ballots in the primaries this March 3 election, or at least that’s the hope for several Long Beach candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring. Some are seeking to take their new place at the table, or hang tight to their old seats. Long ...

By Dianne Anderson Top teenage mathematical minds in the Long Beach Unified School District are gearing up to teach students half a world away about how to build, program and code computers. Kids with the Urban Math Collaborative will soon catch up with students off the coast of Africa in a new long-distance learning project ...

By Dianne Anderson Long Beach kids are learning how to use their innate multitasking abilities to expand on something else they naturally have in play. One of the first things that Everett Glenn always tells students in his program is that making it to the top of their sports dreams might be a one in ...

By Dianne Anderson Segregation is not some awful signpost of the distant past. It’s on the playgrounds, it’s in the lunchrooms and follows kids throughout the middle and high school years. Even when students are close neighbors, they are not necessarily positively sharing their experiences and cultures. On Saturday, January 25, the California Conference for ...

By Dianne Anderson It’s that time of decade again when people tend to pull down the shades and pretend they don’t hear the knock. But rest assured, the Census enumerators will miss no door, and will likely come around more than once until that form is filled out. Community leaders are urging the Black and ...

Stater Bros. is spreading cheer this holiday season by giving back to the loyal communities it serves.  To brighten the holidays for those in need, Stater Bros. Charities donated over $840,000 to local non-profit organizations that benefit hunger relief and children’s well-being initiatives. Stater Bros. Charities supports critical needs in the communities where Stater Bros. ...

To better meet the needs of patrons of the Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) who may be experiencing homelessness, mental illness or have substance use challenges, LBPL is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services to explore models of integrating social work into its existing services. With support from the Health Department’s Trauma ...