James W. Sweeney was born in Fresno on July 28, 1948 to the union of Lonnie Lee Sweeney and Evelyn Randle. He is the younger of two sons born to this union. Sweeney’s parents, and his brother Sherman Sr., preceded him in death. While a portion of his childhood was spent in Fresno, where he ...

By Dianne Anderson Out walking the wards of Riverside, local Ward 3 city council candidate Jalani Bakari is hearing some recurrent concerns on the street, such as access to affordable housing and the growing homeless population. Traffic complaints are also coming up loud and clear. “We need better off-ramps, we definitely need to deal with ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent Commentary That Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris announced her candidate for president on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is no coincidence. For her supporters and those who know her well, Harris has long been a fighter for freedom, justice and equality and she’s often invoked the spirit ...

By Julianne Malveaux As strange as it seems, I now view the Bush years with nostalgia. Both Big Bush (POTUS 41) and his son Shrub (POTUS 43) incurred the ire of Democrats, with Shrubs Supreme Court-complicit theft of the 2000 election prompting anger and protests. Both Bushes, perhaps because of their love of country, comported ...

By Julianne Malveaux At this writing, Megyn Kelly is off the air at NBC. After her horridly vapid statement saying she didn’t see anything wrong with blackface, she apologized the next day and even invited journalist Roland Martin on to take her to school. Roland did a brilliant job in explaining the history of blackface ...

By Dianne Anderson Direct voter action these days depends a lot on the demographic. To the millennials – an age group that hardly ever picks up their phone –  it could mean texting for democracy. For some, it may mean picking up signs in protest. For others, it could be pursuing a party delegate to ...

By Dianne Anderson Between all the pros and the cons, the slew of statewide ballot propositions should give voters enough reading material to keep them busy from now until the November 6 election. On Saturday, October 6, for those that haven’t had time to wade through the state ballot propositions, they can still catch up ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Two senators – Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sen. Kamala Harris of California will serve as honorary co-chairs for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc.’s 48th Annual Legislative Conference scheduled Sept. 12 through Sept. 16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. It will ...

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Wildly outspent by a billionaire challenger and the daughter of a former Florida Governor, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, 39, shocked the political establishment to win the gubernatorial primary in Florida on August 28.  Gillum defeated former Congresswoman Gwen Graham 34-31 percent to win the Democratic nomination. He will now ...

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes honored Ipyani Lockert of Fontana as the 2018 Man of the Year. The Man of the Year award recognizes the accomplishments and service of a distinguished man in the 47th Assembly District for their dedication to improving the lives of others. Ipyani Lockert was selected as one of 25 finalists of exceptional ...