By Dianne Anderson Moving into his new location gives local community activist James Stapleton a better way to serve more kids, especially in the coming days as the toys they’ve been dreaming of fly off the shelves. With the help of a distribution from Toys for Tots, he said his December 22 toy giveaway is ...

By Dianne Anderson Love jazz? Love kids? Standout musicians are bringing their sparkle center stage at the upcoming Jazzy Christmas concert to help support the muse for some of Santa Ana’s most promising young violinists. In the spirit of the season, jazz enthusiasts and the entire community are invited out for an evening featuring top ...

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 ...

By Dianne Anderson Thanksgiving isn’t just a feel-good moment for Robert Flournoy and friends. He says he passed that stage over 20 years ago. “Now it’s the passion to do it, and the drive to accomplish it,” said Flournoy, founder and director of the nonprofit Loaves and Fishes X 10. It could be said that ...

Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents the Ahmad Jamal Quartet for one performance only on October 19 at 8:00pm. The extraordinary night of music features jazz legend and celebrated pianist-composer Ahmad Jamal who returns to the center with his quartet which includes James Cammack, bass; Herlin Riley, drums; and Manolo Badrena, percussion. Single tickets are ...

By Dianne Anderson Entrepreneurs and established business owners will converge in Orange County soon to learn new tricks of the trade from some of the best in the business. The upcoming three-day 2018 Ron Brown Business/Economic Summit and Women’s Symposium promises to bring rising business stars up to par for opportunities that are plentiful, provided ...

By Dianne Anderson Cancer survivors, numbering about 37 million in America, know the drill of what cancer patients are still learning – that diet, exercise, proper nutrition, and the right attitude are essential from the first diagnosis to disease-free. Sonya Adams started her journey five years ago of celebrating cancer survivors after retiring from her ...

Distinguished legal scholar and teacher L. Song Richardson is the new dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law, becoming the only woman of color to serve in this role among U.S. News & World Report’s top 30 law schools. “Song Richardson is a brilliant scholar and inspirational leader, and we are excited that ...

By Megan Cole/UCI Despite almost a decade in the gaming industry, UCI computer science professor Magda El Zarki has never worked on anything quite like “Sankofa.” The recently completed computer game – created by El Zarki and a colleague, UCI history professor Patricia Seed – follows a young protagonist navigating an unconventional environment for the ...

By Dianne Anderson It usually comes as no surprise to most in the Black community that hate crimes are often white on Black crimes. At last count nationally, the FBI reports hate crime is up over 6%, again with African Americans taking the brunt of victimization, followed by the Muslim community. The FBI reports that ...