Black Americans

60th Anniversary of March on Washington, Black Americans Under Attack

As thousands gathered on the Mall of Washington last Saturday, August 26, to continue the fight for social justice and civil rights, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, it was clear that it remains unsafe to be Black in America today just as it was 60 years ago.

L.A. Demonstrating Martin Luther King’s Dream  

The nation approaches an anniversary of a vision, manifested by world renown activist, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., on Aug. 28, 1963, King verbalized the need for America to “live out the true meaning of its creed.”  

World AIDS Day 2022: Get on the Healthy Love Bus

December 1, World Aids Day, was also a day of celebration because a new super weapon was unveiled. “The Love Bus is a preventive mobile health unit. It is meant to meet people where they are, but also where they want to be,” shared Dazon Dixon Diallo, who recognized a growing need in the African American community for health care services in 1989.

Happy Juneteenth, Los Angeles!

On this Juneteenth, I want to pay homage to past generations that paved the way for our communities to advance forward on a more dignified path. Let us take pause this Juneteenth to own our history. From the good, the bad and in between, it is through the trials and tribulations that the resilience of our human spirit radiates. 

Black America deserves its fair share of the American Dream:   Affordable rentals shrinking, growing mortgage denials block homeownership    

Despite unprecedented federal housing assistance during the pandemic, a report by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) finds stark racial and income divides in its analysis of the nation’s rental market. Nearly a quarter of Black renters were behind on rent in the third quarter of 2021, as well as 19% of Hispanic renters. By contrast, the share of white renters in arrears was half that: 9%.    

Prostate Cancer Rising in Black America 

Whether it is other philanthropists, local or regional health centers, or state and federal officials, there is a desperate need for creative solutions to getting more people screened and saving more lives. Smith’s initiative is an innovative approach, but there are other ways to spread awareness and boost screenings in the Black community.  

Robert F. Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Frank Baker and William Pickard Top List of Black Donors to HBCUs 

A recent Washington Post story found that Black Americans donate a higher share of their wealth than their white counterparts – to the tune of around $11 billion each year. Given their cultural and educational importance to the Black community, HBCUs are the repository of much of these donations with a number of household names – and some you may not know – making big-dollar contributions to these institutions.  

AP-NORC poll: Many Black Americans doubtful on police reform

Few Americans believe there has been significant progress over the last 50 years in achieving equal treatment for Black people in dealings with police and the criminal justice system, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The Impact of COVID-19 on HBCUs and Black Students

In March 2020, when college campuses across the country closed and sent students home, many HBCUs continued to house hundreds of students who did not have homes to return to. Groups of students were stuck on campus without the funds to pay for transportation back to their home cities. This challenge was a byproduct of several students losing the jobs they used to help fund their education, along with loss of family income. Many students became both food and housing insecure without the critical resources that HBCUs often provide.