February 1968King protests Vietnam War, plans Poor People’s March In the Feb. 10, 1968, edition of the AFRO, Dr. Martin Luther King is seen supporting the Black United Front, a leadership group formed by Stokely Carmichael, in Washington, D.C. Rev. King was in the city to protest the Vietnam War and to also confer on the Poor People’s March, which was slated for April 1968.

Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper is CEO and publisher of AFRO News. This week, she warns that much more than history is lost when the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is diluted. (Photo Credit: AFRO Archives File Photo ) By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper AFRO CEO and Publisher As the nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the real question is not how loudly we celebrate — but whether we are willing to live by the values Dr.

Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA. By Ben Crump We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each January with speeches, service projects, and by reciting powerful quotes we know by heart. But too many Black families will spend much of MLK Day the same way they spend most Mondays. With the gas tank hovering near empty, hoping the car can go until the next paycheck arrives.

Former Black Panther Leader Elaine Brown Delivers Keynote at Black Caucus MLK Breakfast

By TotallyRandie Social Media Correspondent, BlackPressUSA Eighty thousand pounds of steel doesn’t just collide—it obliterates. While corporate lawyers hide behind the sterile jargon of liability and subsidiaries, four Houston families are left haunted by viral footage of a tragedy that should never have happened. On November 5, 2025, a stretch of US 87 became a crime scene of corporate negligence, claiming four vibrant Texan futures in a heartbeat.

By Raymar Hampshire and Hassanatu Blake Generative AI has dominated our conversations and reshaped how we work, learn, and create. In a recent article published in the Afro American Newspaper titled "Shaping the Future: Black Leadership in Tech Regulation", Hussainatu Blake and Symone Campbell’s central argument isn't about AI's technical capabilities. It's about safeguarding intellectual property and building regulatory infrastructure that protects Black technologists' ideas, stories, and data.

Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media  California health officials have confirmed the spread of a mutated influenza strain known as the “super flu,” as flu-related hospitalizations across the state reach their highest level of the season. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Jan.15 that the strain, a mutated form of seasonal influenza A known as H3N2 subclade K, is present in the state.

By Hazel Trice Edney (TriceEdneyWire.com) - In the new year, many African-American families are bracing for the consequences of a housing law that threatens to destabilize communities that have fought for decades to remain intact. Texas’s House Bill 21 (HB21), passed by the Legislature last session, is already reshaping the state’s affordable housing system, and African-American neighborhoods are likely to bear a disproportionate share of the harm.

Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA. By Gwendolyn Carole Tipton, The Cincinnati Herald Here in 2026, we must not forget His benefits from 2025. We have already received and continue to receive Spiritual Blessings. Apostle Paul declares that God has blessed believers with “every spiritual blessing.” They encompass gifts of redemption, including forgiveness, grace, and the promise of eternal life. These blessings are not based on human merit but are freely given by God’s grace.

Dr. Dinelli Monson By Dr. Dinelli Monson, Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare of California California moved up two slots from 26 to 24 in this year’s America’s Health Ranking Report produced by the United Health Foundation. America’s Health Rankings is the longest running state-by-state analysis of our nation’s health. The report provides actionable, data-driven insights to inform public policy, research, and news reporting.

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Los Angeles) said the rent for her two-bedroom apartment in Sacramento increased from $2,100 per month to $2,800. She is a co-author of AB 1157, which did not pass out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Jan. 13. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌ ‌|‌ ‌California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌ Authored by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D–San Jose) and Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Los Angeles), Assembly Bill (AB) 1157 -- known as the Affordable Rent Act -- failed last week to advance out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, marking the second consecutive year the rent control proposal has been halted in the Legislature.

Asm. Tina McKinnor (D- Inglewood) Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media   A question recently emailed to the office of Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) was not about legislation, policy, or governance. Instead, it asked whether the “Louis Vuitton bag McKinnor was wearing last night “real or fake?” This wasn’t just a casual inquiry. Stella Yu, the CalMatters reporter who asked the question, told McKinnor’s chief of staff, Terry Schanz, that it came from an editor.

by Seth Wispelwey  Abolishing ICE, defunding and abolishing the police…this is the *moderate* position. Whether it’s ICE, Border Patrol, the city, county or state police or your local sheriff, their purpose is to be the violent, front-line stranglehold on a wholly unsustainable status quo that protects the few (white and wealthy) at the expense of the many. The support they have from our elected legislators is enthusiastically bipartisan.

by California Black Media Taking care of your health shouldn’t wait until you’re already sick. Medi-Cal gives California adults — including Black families, seniors, parents, and caregivers — access to free or low-cost care designed to help people stay healthy, not just treat illness. However, many Medi-Cal members are not using benefits they already qualify for, including dental checkups, vision exams, medications, and preventive screenings for diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media   Responding to recent fatal shootings and an uptick in misconduct and excessive use-of-force incidents by federal policing agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), California lawmakers are proposing some legal guardrails to prevent them and hold officers accountable. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) recently authored legislation to place limits on federal officers operating in the Golden State.

Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media  Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) last week praised California’s new law limiting when law enforcement officers may wear face coverings, calling it a critical step toward accountability and public trust in policing. The measure, SB 627 -- also known as the No Secret Police Act -- was signed by Gov.

Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media  California Attorney General Rob Bonta helped secure a $425 million settlement with Capital One that would provide restitution and improved interest rates for customers who were allegedly misled about their savings accounts, state officials announced Jan. 13. The settlement, which received preliminary court approval last week, resolves claims that Capital One unfairly kept interest rates artificially low for holders of its 360 Savings accounts while offering significantly higher rates through a nearly identical product.

Joy is the one word that comes to top of mind when Yan Searcy, dean of California State University, Northridge’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, thinks about comedian, actor and entrepreneur Cedric the Entertainer “He’s one of the rare comedians who operates from a disposition of joy. Not trauma. Not tragedy. Joy,” Searcy said, explaining why he invited Cedric the Entertainer to be the featured speaker for this semester’s Salon Series.

The Hale Academy 

A proposed constitutional amendment that would end the use of temporary congressional district maps after the 2026 election has officially entered circulation, according to the California Secretary of State’s office. California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced that “the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures on Jan. 12, 2026,” allowing supporters to start gathering voter signatures statewide.

In his final State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted California’s role as a national "beacon" of progress. He also criticized the Trump administration’s federal policies, calling them a "carnival of chaos" and an "assault on our values." CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Before a joint session of the California Senate and Assembly, Gov.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at a protest (Photo Credit: Library of Congress) By Charlene Crowell As 2026 unfolds, affordability, which emerged as a critical issue last year, will become a more pressing concern for most people in America. A comment by a respondent to a recent student loan borrower survey by The Institute for College Access & Support (TICAS) summarized the complexity of the affordability problem for striving workers:

Andrew Campanella By Andrew Campanella All parents in California and across America want their children to thrive in learning environments that reflect their diverse interests, talents, and individual challenges. That’s why one in five parents last year enrolled at least one of their children in a new K–12 school. In fact, the process of moms and dads actively choosing how and where their children learn—often referred to as school choice—reached a five-year high in 2025.