On Saturday, December 21, prominent civic, political and religious leaders across southern California joined Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA during its 34th annual West Coast Peace Conference in Chino, to discuss ways to resolve conflict with compassion. The special event brought together thousands of people across the religious spectrum (Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims) and political spectrum ...

By Charlene Crowell Amid the tinsel and garland celebrating the holiday season, two important federal financial regulators are planning how the future financial needs of low-and-moderate income (LMI) communities – including neighborhoods of color – will be met.  In an effort to “modernize” the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) on December 12 the board of ...

One Year of California for All  By Governor Gavin Newsom There’s no state in America quite like California. In troubled times for the Nation, California is where the American Dream is alive and well. The most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy, California is big-hearted, thriving, inclusive and bold. This year, we’ve been ...

By Dianne Anderson Pamela Foddrell is wrapping up a fast-paced year of getting everything from health care resources and case management services, to food and backpacks, out to the disabled community. Now comes the fun part. Around her annual Tree of Hope, Foddrell has gifts piled up for over 200 children and 38 disabled families ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent More than four years after sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were taken out by the Supreme Court and following four attempts under a House led by Republicans, Rep. Terri Sewell’s (R-Ala.) bill to reinstate voting protections has finally passed. “Voting is personal to me ...

By Dianne Anderson What once struck fear in the hearts of everyone can now be managed with a simple pill or two a day. But for all those who lived through the HIV/AIDS terror of the 80s, today’s generation seems to be acting like there’s a cure. However, it may be more a matter of ...

To better meet the needs of patrons of the Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) who may be experiencing homelessness, mental illness or have substance use challenges, LBPL is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services to explore models of integrating social work into its existing services. With support from the Health Department’s Trauma ...

Sheila Head has been an entrepreneur in Oakland for 36 years. “I love what I do,” said the hairstylist and owner of Head Designs. But while her business was relatively healthy, Head’s body was not. “I only would go (to the doctor) when I absolutely had to go,” Head said. “Then Covered California came around, ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent Democratic Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) has introduced the 100 percent Clean Economy Act of 2019. The legislation sets a nationwide goal of achieving a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050, defined as net-zero climate pollution across all sectors of the United States’ economy. The bill contains more ...

By Seth Ashley Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies, Boise State University When it comes to news literacy, schools often emphasize fact-checking and hoax-spotting. But as I argue in my new book, schools must go deeper with how they teach the subject if they want to help students thrive in a democratic society. As a ...