By Dianne Anderson If the latest hate crime numbers in Orange County seem scarier than usual with this last sharp increase against Black people – imagine what it’s like for the kids. The apple never falls far from the tree. Don Han said the last two years have seen an increase in racial slurs against ...

By Dianne Anderson As a recent ACLU lawsuit against the Orange County District Attorney demands to see what the county is hiding, activists wait for data to show what they already know – that Black and Brown people are unfairly prosecuted more than other groups. Gabriela Hernandez, speaking as plaintiff of Chicanxs Unidxs, said for ...

By Dianne Anderson Throngs of renown activists, powerhouse organizations, and marchers of all persuasions dedicated to the cause will converge on Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to revisit the same social justice ground their parents once fought – some to their death — to protect. Led by Martin Luther King, III, Board Chairman of the ...

By Dianne Anderson Nonstop running, busy with numerous community organizations had Joan Powell feeling wiped out, needing lots of extra rest. Maybe she was a little anemic – or so she thought. She still remembers her doctor calling her to get to the ER. Her blood count was down to 5.5, risking a stroke or ...

By Dianne Anderson Probably the first step toward getting young girls aware that they have choices when it comes to healthy relationships and self-respect is talking about the topic that most adults try to avoid, even if they are going through it themselves. In her outreach, Kandee Lewis addresses intimate partner violence, trauma, sexual assault ...

By Dianne Anderson Housing and eviction cases piling up are keeping Tyler Press Sutherland, along with her dozens of attorneys busy, not showing signs of relief any time soon, or within the last two years since the pandemic. Attorneys at the Public Law Center handle seven different areas of law, including family law, immigration consumer ...

By Dianne Anderson When Yvonne Peeples first walked into the Heritage Museum exhibit featuring her mother, and all the early pictures taken with the movers and shakers of the day, there is one simple picture of her on her bike that is the most overwhelming. It was when she first moved to California. “I almost ...

By Dianne Anderson There’s power in numbers for Black nonprofits in Orange County that are coming together to collaborate within their collective, now convening to learn from each other about how to keep their programs going strong. Wendy Gladney, among the first funded through the Orange County Community Foundation African American Alliance Fund, said Black ...

By Dianne Anderson If it’s hard for Black and Brown adults to deal with the increased scourge of racist hate, odds are that it’s brutal for the kids. Kids can be cruel, and being Black in OC is not without its challenges. Dr. Ricardo Parker said his work with young Black students has been intensely ...

By Dianne Anderson Everyone that is anyone doing big things in the community usually has one special internal motivator in common – they can’t stop until they right the wrongs to balance the scales. So it is with Shakoya Green, executive director of Thomas House Shelter in Garden Grove. Born and raised in Compton, both ...