By Dianne Anderson Like never before, the Juneteenth tradition is proliferating across the nation to show the world that Blacks in America, despite the worst of times, are still on top, still creating, and still vibrant. Since the celebration became a federal holiday two years ago, festivities are gaining momentum in the gathering, which Dwayne ...

By Dianne Anderson At the rate hate is going, the heated political divide, the intensity of racialized hate has many activists and advocates nervous about how that might show up in the hate crime data five years from now. The Orange County Human Relations Commission does not want to leave it to chance. Every two ...

At the roundtable in Anaheim, local leaders came together to address growing hate crimes and incidents and ways to combat extremism in California As part of a statewide effort to address hate, California Attorney General Rob Bonta was joined by Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and local leaders in Orange County for an anti-hate roundtable discussion. ...

By Dianne Anderson Immigration policy is always a trending topic, and Blacks may not be the first group to come to mind, unless threatened on horseback by patrol at the borders of the Haitian conversation, it hardly makes headlines. But Black immigrants are significantly represented, according to a Pew Research Center report, accounting for one ...

By Dianne Anderson From humble beginnings, all the old landmark traditions of 100 years ago at Second Baptist Church in Santa Ana continue, even as what’s old becomes new again. With the development of a strong digital and online presence, membership is increasing at home, and internationally. During the worst of times, the church prospers, ...

By Dianne Anderson It didn’t take long for counselor Heather Johnson to recognize that Black students at Irvine Valley College were not readily coming into her office when she and fellow counselor Taliah Chatterfield got busy building programs to help them find the door. Through their latest outreach, along with the Equity Office leadership, they ...

By Dianne Anderson Long before race bias in health systems was trending, Ernesta Wright was pushing advocacy, trying to debunk some of the myths that keep the community from getting the healthcare they need. Then and now, her concern was to bring the facts to the community for informed decision-making, and learn the best options ...

By Dianne Anderson Events like Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month and all the time-honored cultural landmarks keep bringing Orange County out to recognize that there is strength in local numbers for the next generation. Pastor Leon Clark, pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church said he can’t wait for the 43rd Annual Orange ...

By Dianne Anderson Young folks and millennials these days may think they invented the call-out culture, but Misty Levingston knows what really happened. Everyone has their own favorite MLK speech, and hers is the 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” where Dr. King calls out society that ignited an entire national justice movement at a time ...

By Dianne Anderson Forget about sleeping late on Saturdays, the boys of 100 Black Men of Orange County wake up hours ahead of time to trek as far away as Los Angeles and Temecula to catch up around some of the highest powered careers on the planet, and beyond. But it’s the heart of the ...