By Dianne Anderson As school gets back to the daily grind, parents are scrambling to find safe after-school programs, available resources, and a backup plan for tutoring with maybe a snack to hold the kids over until dinnertime. After the final school bell rings, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Marine Department is stepping up its ...

The JW Vines Society will host the Elma Vines Summer Health Academy Banquet on Thursday, August 6, at 6:00 PM. The event celebrates two decades of excellence in mentoring the next generation of medical professionals through hands-on learning and dedicated interactions with physicians. For 24 years, the Elma Vines Summer Health Academy has provided exceptional ...

By Dianne Anderson Even if the kids are only working with little or nothing to start, they always seem to rise to the level of expectation. Judging by their quick study, conductor Dwayne Burrell is surprised at how much his students’ musical abilities have grown. They also turned out to be years younger than he ...

By Jesse B. Johnson, Jr.  The 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) professional organization. During the 38th International Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, June 11-18, the “Best of the Best” Stock Market Game competition took place, where only the top four teams competed for top prizes. Fourteen weeks prior to ...

By Dianne Anderson They may enter as boys, but when they graduate they’re more like kings at SBX Youth and Family Services, where their students learn who they are and what they can become. Kayla Booker, SBX Black Empowerment coordinator, said their mentoring programs have helped many Black students make the grade at school, and ...

By Daniella Masterson When this year’s California Assessment of Student Progress and Performance (CAASPP) scores dipped for students K-12,  it confirmed what educators at San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) already knew: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning across the board. The CAASPP test is just one measure of progress.  It is ...

By Dianne Anderson Robbie Butler finds that the hardest fight against COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Black community is getting past all the misinformation that’s floating around. As part of the city’s Black Health Equity collaborative, her organization is reaching out, educating and encouraging the community to get tested and vaccinated. She’s working health fairs, ...

Social Lites, Inc. of San Bernardino launched the 53rd Beautillion Scholarship Season under the leadership of Mrs. Tina Darling, Beautillion Chairperson.   Young men seeking scholarship opportunities in addition to being mentored by leaders in the community are encouraged to attend the upcoming briefings to learn more about the program.  Parents are encouraged to attend briefing ...

By Dianne Anderson Tenacious businesswoman, loving grandmother, teacher and down to earth social justice advocate are a just few of the many endearing qualities to describe local tech diva, Cynthia Renee Frazier. Ms. Frazier passed away last week. Charmain Johnson reflects on 20 years of their friendship, the long intellectual conversations about the community, business ...

By Dianne Anderson It’s no secret that too many African American kids are lagging far behind their peers well into high school, an issue that starts from early formative years, and at least some of the problem with economics at its base. African American moms often work two jobs, and many kids these days are ...