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Beyond the Bills: Reparations’ Impact on Black Californians

Cheryl Grills, Ph.D. served from 2021 to 2023 on the California Reparations Taskforce, shares her expertise on the impacts and potential of California’s ongoing efforts toward reparations and the thorny specifics that can undermine the movement’s true aims.

Q&A on Taste of Soul with Crystal Williams, Community Relations Manager at SoCalGas

The 19th Annual Taste of Soul Family Festival is set for Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., along Crenshaw Blvd., from Obama Blvd to Stocker Ave. It takes a multitude of individuals and agencies to successfully present the largest street gathering on the West Coast. One of the premier sponsors of Taste of Soul is SoCalGas and Community Relations Manager Crystal Williams shares about the organization’s involvement. Why does SoCalGas support Taste of Soul? The Taste of Soul is an annual family-friendly festival that celebrates Black culture and community. SoCalGas has been a proud sponsor of the

Make the Right Choice At The Time

Everything is going to be all right. It’s up to you. “What do you mean? It’s all up to me?” There’s a stream of hope that runs through “believers.” That stream speaks to us. That stream assures us. It comforts. It guides. It’s the voice that speaks to us with quiet certainty and assurance. Everything is all right, but you need to make the right choices. Yes, it is true you can choose but think through your thoughts to determine if it is the right choice. Just because it’s glamorous doesn’t make it right. The wrong choice or the choice

Little Ethiopia Hosts 23rd Annual New Year Cultural Street Festival

The vibrant streets of Little Ethiopia in Los Angeles were filled with festivities as the Ethiopian community came together to celebrate the Ethiopian New Year festival. “The annual event, known as Enkutatash, marks the beginning of the Ethiopian calendar and is a time for friends and family to come together to feast, dance, and celebrate the coming year. It is 2017 in Ethiopia,” said Negest (Nikki) Legesse, president of Little Ethiopia Business Association The streets were lined with festivalgoers, mostly wearing cultural Ethiopian attires, and vendors selling traditional Ethiopian clothing, jewelry, and food, while music and dancing filled the air.

KJ Booze is Getting Our Stories to the Screen

KJ Booze is an Oklahoma-raised, Los Angeles-based television producer. He currently serves as a Vice President at Khalabo Ink Society (KIS), which is the production company of “Black-ish” writer, Kenya Barris.

Kamala Harris Visits New Hampshire to Tout Small Business Tax Plan

Vice President Kamala Harris used a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Sept. 4,  to propose an expansion of tax incentives for small businesses, a pro-entrepreneur plan that may soften her previous calls for wealthy Americans and large corporations to pay higher taxes.

The Importance of Young People Registering and Voting 

Deciding the future of democracy for this nation is a very important role for young people 18 years and older to not only Register to Vote but more importantly Vote. Young people can have a more inclusive future American democracy with the power to vote on Election Day November 5, 2024. This is not the time to be complacent if they are going to live their future in a more inclusive American democracy providing equal access to resources and opportunities for all Americans. 

“Critical Decisions” 

I wrote my last article, “BulletProof,” on July 12, the day before the attempted assassination of former President Trump! Some said, it’s luck! Others who were more in tune with reality of what is in the purview of “the divine” said, “It had to be God!”  

“The Seed” 

Everything has a beginning. When you see beauty or mediocre or excellence or not perfection, we can know factually that everything has a beginning and there is thought before action.   

Compton Mayor Emma Sharif Partners with Compton’s Branch of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office to Host a Juneteenth Freedom Day Expungement Event

On Friday, June 21st, Compton Mayor Emma Sharif will partner with the Compton branch of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office to host a Juneteenth Freedom Day Expungement from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Dollarhide Community Center. This community event is being held to honor the spirit of freedom and restoration of rights that Juneteenth represents.

Remembering a Gentle Giant

My professional career started over three decades ago in the field of event management and community relations.  One of the clients I had the privilege of working with was the historical Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Los Angeles (SCLC-LA).    The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is a civil rights organization originally founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Bayard Rustin, and Fred Shuttlesworth.  One of SCLC’s goals was to help with, “Redeeming the Soul of America.”   The SCLC chapter in Los Angeles was very strong and had deep ties in the community.  One of the leaders involved in SCLC