Category: Covers

Ron Finley owns an Olympic-size swimming pool, but there’s no water inside. The cavernous structure has been empty for several years and currently serves as the centerpiece for a tropical paradise embedded in the heart of South Los Angeles.
“I have three sons—they’re all creators like me,” Finley explained. His voice emitted the joyous tone of a proud father.

About one in five American adults—roughly 43.8 million people—will experience some form of mental illness in any given year. As Mental Health Awareness Month winds down, the statistics are startling regarding how pervasive the many aspects of mental illness can be.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that approximately one in 25 adults (9.8 million people) will experience a serious mental illness this year that substantially interferes with one or more major life activities. About one in five youth ages 13 to 18 years are projected to experience a severe mental disorder at some point in their life. Possibly more stunning is that 16 million Americans have had at least one major depressive episode—including a suicide attempt—in the past year.

Anari Sengbe, who comes from a family of immigrants from Sierre Leone, is now one of the most sought after coders and app creators in America. He is part of a class of burgeoning “techies” rising from all walks of Black life.
Sengbe, for example, got his start playing games on a PlayStation when he was a kid, coming from the African coast to equally sunny California.
Late in April, NBC News reported a growing hashtag #BlackTechMatters. According to the news network and other media sources, more and more Blacks are getting into advanced technology, and the result is a new class of developers being sought after by major companies.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that each year about 3 million teenagers graduate from high school, and another 1.5 million earn a college degree. Unfortunately, for many, the fit between themselves and future employment is precarious at best. Teen labor force participation has been on a downward trend and the decline is expected to continue through 2024.

Now that the dust has settled in the wake of numerous documentaries, television news specials, formal studies by educational centers, think tanks and other entities in this, the 25th anniversary of the 1992 revolt/riot/uprising of Los Angeles, we may ask the burning questions: What did it mean, and where do we go from here? In light of the billions of dollars spent in well-publicized efforts to rebuild and/or revitalize the city, a few well-placed voices from differing vantage points consented to give their “take” on the passage of time, and the changes that have or have not taken place.

Modern motherhood is a far cry from yesteryear. Just preparing breakfast, for instance, today requires careful planning and dutiful attention to what is best for children. These days, the familiar bowl of breakfast cereal is often paired with organic, soy or even almond milk. Should you prepare “free range” or “natural eggs?” Forget the Colonel or Chicken McNuggets for lunch. Now moms shop for hormone-free, organic, or “cruelty-free” raised chicken breasts.

Who can forget Clair Huxtable’s radiant smile and infectious charm? Can you still remember Vivian Banks and her smooth, mahogany skin and sharp intellect? Will we ever witness a more steadfast and loving TV mom than Florida Evans? These fictional characters embodied the essential qualities that every matriarch should possess. They remind us of the invaluable role that women play in the development and success of their offspring.

Alzheimer’s disease continues to baffle neuroscientists around the world. This year, the disease was listed by the Alzheimer’s Association (AA) as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States; just 20 years ago it was 13th. Experts generally agree that there is a lack of progress in determining a cause, providing individual treatment protocols and, eventually, finding a cure.

It is exactly 3:30 p.m. and Morgan Taylor is pulling into his driveway after receiving four hours of intravenous fluids and pain medication. He sounds like he is feeling okay, you can hear the energy in his voice.
This is a ritual he undergoes three to four days a week.
Taylor is one of the estimated 100,000 individuals suffering from Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Twenty-five years ago on April 29, the world got a first-hand demonstration of how dangerous unchecked racism and prejudice can be.

It began with an attempted police stop of a motorist that spiraled out of control and ended with four members of the Los Angeles Police Department charged with assault and excessive use of force.

A video of the incident in Lake View Terrace, taken by amateur videographer George Holliday, was widely screened.