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One of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen remembers struggle for recognition amid Trump’s DEI purge
NationalPolitical

One of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen remembers struggle for recognition amid Trump’s DEI purge

MEAD GRUVER and THOMAS PEIPERTMarch 24, 2025

By MEAD GRUVER and THOMAS PEIPERT Associated Press AURORA, Colo. (AP) — With members of a trailblazing Black Air Force unit passing away at advanced ages, efforts to remain true to their memory carry on despite sometimes confusing orders from President Donald Trump as he purges federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Col. James H. Harvey III, 101, is among the last few airmen and support crew who proved that a Black unit — the 332nd Fighter Group of the Tuskegee Airmen — could fight as well as any other in World War II and the years after. He went

South LA Leaders Join Smallwood-Cuevas to Launch Historic Black Cultural District  
News

South LA Leaders Join Smallwood-Cuevas to Launch Historic Black Cultural District  

Lila Brown, Contributing Writer March 12, 2025

In a landmark move to honor and preserve South Los Angeles’ rich Black history and cultural legacy, California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, alongside community leaders, business owners, and residents, gathered at City Hall to announce the launch of the Historic South L.A. Black Cultural District. 

Dr. Virginia Joy Simmons – Destination Crenshaw’s Senior Art Exhibition Advisor
FamilyNews (Family)

Dr. Virginia Joy Simmons – Destination Crenshaw’s Senior Art Exhibition Advisor

Shelby Stephens, Contributing WriterMarch 6, 2025

Los Angeles has been a quiet hub for Black art since the 1960s.  With artists like Betye Saar, Melvin Edwards, and Noah Purifoy, creating community and exhibitions, Black art has become a staple in West Coast culture. Dr. Virginia Joy Simmons has diligently contributed to this movement and keeps Black stories alive through art collection and philanthropy.

Burris Promotes Black History Through Creative Crossword Puzzles
FamilyNews (Family)

Burris Promotes Black History Through Creative Crossword Puzzles

Cora Jackson-Fossett, Managing EditorFebruary 23, 2023

Simon Burris is a brilliant historian sharing his vast knowledge of Black History by developing clever brainteasers, more commonly known as crossword puzzles. His creative and challenging games, which appear in the L.A. Sentinel Family section, are educating readers from ages eight to 80+ about the innumerable contributions of Black people.

Black History Month: Business Profiles
HistoryNews

Black History Month: Business Profiles

Brian W. Carter, Contributing WriterFebruary 2, 2023

Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934) – Maggie Lena Walker was the first Black woman to charter a bank in the U.S., opening St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, where she served as president. After having three sons, she went to work part time as an agent for an insurance company, the Women’s Union, while attending night school for bookkeeping.  She also volunteered at St. Luke and eventually worked her way up in 1889, to become the executive secretary-treasurer of the renamed organization, the Independent Order of St. Luke.   Walker started publishing the St. Luke Herald in 1902 to publicize and promote the