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Years
Vol. 66 No. 19 | Thursday, May 7, 2026
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 66 Years
A NURSE WITH
BLACK LEADERS WARN OF “ATTACK” ON VOTING RIGHTS Call for Urgent Action By Edward Henderson
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA Black elected officials, civil rights attorneys, and grassroots organizers from across California convened in a virtual conference on May 1 to sound the alarm following an
A PASSION FOR JUSTICE JIREH Providers’ Samantha Williams Receives Social Justice Leadership Award
The Supreme Court building is seen, June 27, 2024, in Washington. PHOTO: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File
April 29 U.S. Supreme Court decision they say has severely weakened a cornerstone of the Voting Rights Act — warning that the ruling poses a direct threat to minority voting power and representation. See ATTACK page 2
BLACK ORGS STAND WITH OTHER GROUPS TO REQUEST EXTENSION OF STOP THE HATE FUNDING
SPRING TEA WITH GRAMMY & ME SEE PAGE 5 Samantha Williams. PHOTO: Courtesy of Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial County
Courtesy of Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial County
A PROM WEEKEND TO REMEMBER SEE PAGE 6
Nurse Practitioner and JIREH Providers co-founder Samantha Williams has been named a recipient of the prestigious Nancy Jamison Fund for Social Justice Award, presented by Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties. Selected as one of only two honorees from nearly 200 applicants, Williams will receive a $50,000 unrestricted award in recognition of her transformative work advancing health equity. See NURSE page 2
Lorreen Pryor, president and chief executive officer of the Black Youth Leadership Project (BYLP), stands among supporters of the Stop the Hate program at the State Capitol. Holding the sign is Fxxi Irvin, mentor and counselor for BYLP. PHOTO: Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM
By Antonio Ray Harvey
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA On April 28, Black-led organizations from across California that fight prejudice, hostility, or violence directed at individuals based on their race, ethnic origin, or skin color, joined with other anti-hate groups at the California State Capitol for a “Stop the Hate Day of Action.”
The gathering, featuring the Black Youth Leadership Project (BYLP) and the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference (CA/ HI NAACP), was organized to advocate for the renewal of state funding for the program, which is currently scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2026. See STOP THE HATE page 2
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA CONFRONTS PERSISTENT HATE Expands Its Outreach as Need for Support Grows in State
YOUNG EXCELLENCE CLUB HONORS COMMUNITY PILLARS AT MOTHER’S DAY TEA
The Young and Prosperous Foundation spotlights 13 local women who have made an impact. By Joe Kocurek
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
Californians protesting Prop 8, a 2008 ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriages in the state. EQCA would be instrumental in passing Proposition 3 in 2024, which would ensure same-sex couples retained the right to marry. PHOTO: ID 7261410 © Karin Hildebrand Lau | Dreamstime.com
Even though public attitudes have shifted, advocates say the fight for LGBTQ rights in California remains far from over — a reality Equality California confronts through outreach, policy advocacy and community support. “I was at Sacramento Pride,” said Erin Arendse, program director
for Equality California. “We were setting up and an individual was yelling horrific homophobic slurs at everybody.”
SEE PAGES 6-7
increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024. See EQUALITY CALIFORNIA page 2
Equality California’s outreach at events like Pride includes connecting community members to resources such as CA vs Hate, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50%
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