As flames tore through the picturesque foothills of Altadena and Pasadena on January 7, 2025, the Eaton Canyon fires left a historic Black community—rooted in the Civil Rights Movement—nearly wiped out. Among the hardest-hit areas in Los Angeles County, Altadena has seen its many Black-owned homes, churches, businesses, and landmarks reduced to ashes. The unincorporated community in the San Gabriel Valley, home to 42,000 residents, has long stood as a beacon of Black homeownership and middle-class stability. With 18% of its population identifying as Black, Altadena also hosts a diverse community that includes Latino and Asian American residents. Tragically, the…
Author: Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Partnering with unions, the DNC will prioritize diversity in staffing across race, background, and region, ensuring that leadership structures reflect the party’s broad coalition.Democratic National Committee Chair candidate and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has unveiled a comprehensive inclusion platform, that he says demonstrates his commitment to ensuring that the party reflects the diversity of the nation. Central to his vision is an actionable plan to elevate minority business enterprises and foster diverse leadership within the Democratic Party’s infrastructure. O’Malley, who served as Maryland’s governor from 2007 to 2015, has promised that within his first 100 days…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — In 1984, LL Cool J became one of the first artists signed to Def Jam Records, a fledgling label co-founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. His debut single, “I Need a Beat,” sold over 100,000 copies, signaling the start of a career defined by groundbreaking achievements. His debut album, “Radio,” released in 1985, went platinum and featured hits like “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells,” cementing LL’s place in hip-hop’s early canon.LL Cool J, a hip-hop pioneer whose career spans nearly four decades, recently reflected on his profound impact on music, fashion, and entertainment. Speaking on Apple…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The rollback of diversity efforts comes as data reveals significant racial inequities in corporate leadership. USA Today reported that its investigation found that white men hold seven out of 10 executive officer positions at the nation’s largest companies, with one in seven of those companies having all-white executive teams. The lack of representation underscores the stakes for employees of color and marginalized communities as diversity programs face increasing opposition. In 2020, following the global Black Lives Matter protests, Walmart pledged to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. Its “Belonging” program promised associates they would “feel seen, supported, and…
Daniel Penny, the former Marine who placed Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway, was acquitted Monday of criminally negligent homicide. Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with a documented history of mental illness, died on May 1, 2023, in an incident that drew national attention and ignited weeks of protests over issues of mental health, public safety, and racial justice. The acquittal came after a jury of seven women and five men deliberated for five days. Their decision followed a deadlock on a more serious manslaughter charge, leading Judge Maxwell Wiley to dismiss it on…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — In 1972, she made history as the first Black candidate and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.-12) announced the passage of bipartisan legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the late Shirley Chisholm, a pioneer in American politics and the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. The Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act will now head to President Joe Biden for his signature. The bill, introduced in the Senate by Senators Butler and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and in the House by…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler, the bill’s primary sponsor, has garnered backing from key lawmakers, including Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. The legislation seeks to award Chisholm one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, cementing her place as one of the most transformative figures in American history. As the 100th anniversary of Shirley Chisholm’s birth approaches on November 30, a growing effort to honor her legacy is taking shape. Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968 and a trailblazer for equality and justice, remains a powerful…
John Amos, the Emmy-nominated actor and pioneering television star who brought to life some of the most beloved characters in entertainment history, has died. He was 84. His son, K.C. Amos, confirmed in a statement that Amos passed away more than a month ago, on August 21, in Los Angeles of natural causes. The younger Amos didn’t say why he kept his father’s death under wraps for more than a month. “It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” K.C. said. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of…
Vice President Kamala Harris decisively took control of the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, delivering a performance that put Trump on the defensive for much of the evening. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News kept a tight handle on the debate, significantly improving from CNN’s June handling of Trump and President Joe Biden. The debate began with a surprise as Harris approached Trump to shake his hand and introduced herself as “Kamala Harris,” an unusual move that set the tone for the night. Trump’s trademark scowl stayed in place…
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and CBC members have released a first-of-its-kind report titled “What Good Looks Like: A Corporate Accountability Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” The report aims to hold Fortune 500 companies accountable for their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the racial justice movement that followed. This initiative comes as corporate America faces renewed scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case. The CBC’s report highlights which corporations are making tangible progress in advancing DEI…