The regional Sacramento community is invited to join us Noon, Monday, December 31, 2012 at the California State Capitol to celebrate Freedom's Eve celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Historical contributions by people of African ancestry throughout the Sacramento region (1840 - 1865) remains a "hidden secret."  In the traditon of "Kuumba" during our special Kwanzaa celebration of creativity, National Emancipation Day is celebrated.  January 1, 2013, marks the 150th Anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the executive order of the Emancipation Proclamation. The California Black Agriculture Working Group leads the effort to recognize a special mile

Black Agriculture leaders mark the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and prepare for regional education events that highlight the ongoing journey towards a greater measure of freedom. Educators, business leaders, government officials and community members will help kick-off the effort to showcase a renaissance of celebrating the emancipation of people of African ancestry enslaved in much the same way that Jewish people celebrate their ancestors' freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt. President Barack Obama continues to utilize the lessons of President Abraham Lincoln to keep a nation united 150 years later and bridge the gap by showcasing source documents of our American

It’s getting harder and harder for students to find, apply for and pay for good education. One student named Irvis Orozco, 23, is attending his final year at UC Davis and is currently involved in many community outreach programs such as interning for the UCLA Labor Center at Asian Resources, the Building Healthy Communities Project and Dream Act Advocacy at the Capitol and in the Sacramento region with 100 other students throughout the nation. Being completely integrated into his community, one would never guess he was not born in the United States as a citizen but came when he was seven months old. Undocumented students like Orozco are hopeful that more educational doors will be opened f

It’s a church. No, it’s a rock concert. It’s a church. No, it’s a rock concert. Actually, for tonight, it’s a rock concert in a church. Grammy nominated Christian singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp’s lyrics soared with spine tingling, melt your heart, open your soul to true, goddess-like quality of Aphrodite truth - giving the audience chills and a shot at their own authenticity. What better place to test the acoustics than St. Marks United Methodist Church, though Knapp really didn’t need the microphone to amplify her strong powerhouse of a voice. In fact, the audience didn’t even notice until she alerted the sound booth that she had forgotten to turn on the acoustics on the guitar for t

Friday, February 4, 2011, the birthday of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks is our official kick-off for Rosa Parks Day in California featuring “Let’s Move !! Food as Medicine” and challenge our “Faith Based Partners” toward implementation of Healthy Solutions in California to met the economic challenges of diet related disease impacting our entire community, especially the youth. On Saturday, February 5, 2011, at the California State Capitol, our Rosa Parks Day Celebration ~ International Year for People of African Descent will honor regional community youth who demonstrate the faith and courage of Rosa Parks featuring a key note address by Delaine Eastin, former California State Superintendent

The Sacramento Comedy Spot will host W. Kamau Bell Friday night and his critically acclaimed show -- "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour.” Bell, 37, has been doing the “Bell Curve” show for the last three years. The jokes are tweaked slightly to accommodate current events, but the core has remained intact. Attendees of the show may be treated to laughs about the recent Shirley Sherrod debacle and the Tea Party. Bell has performed at the Punchline in Sacramento, but that was many years ago. He said he's excited to be back in the area. "I think I have about four or five fans in Sacramento," Bell joked. Bell’s career as a comedian has been on a steady rise ever since

Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings is the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2009-10 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year. I attended the press conference and spoke with the Kings General Manager Geoff Petrie, Tyreke's Brother - Doc Evans, Tyreke Evans, Kings owners - Joe & Gavin Maloof, and Tyreke's childhood friend - Duane Davis. Joe & Gavin Maloof also said President Obama suggested they pick Tyreke during the draft and plan on getting more advice from Obama for the next draft! :) Tyreke was the fourth pick in the NBA Draft 2009 and averaged 20.1 points, as well as team-high 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Tyreke joins Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James as the on

Looking for a way to hold history in your hand? Former presidents Bush, Carter and Clinton, as well as President Obama, will appear at the Sierra 2 Center on Sunday -- on buttons, badges and posters. They are all part of a political collectible show and sale put on by the Northern California Chapter of American Political Items Collectors. The APIC, a nonprofit that began in 1945, has more than 2,000 members and 19 regional chapters. Northern California's chapter has about 300 members, said Adam Gottlieb, the chapter's president. Gottlieb has been collecting political memorabilia since he was 11, starting with a Teddy Roosevelt button from 1904. Gottlieb, 45, said Roosevelt memorabilia m

Upon Mayor Kevin Johnson's invitation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came to Sacramento Thursday to discuss his views on charter schools and education reform. He also met with Sacramento legislators, students and teachers, before answering questions in a town hall forum. A little after 5 p.m., Johnson introduced Duncan to a public audience who gathered inside Sacramento's Central Library. In a five-minute speech, he outlined Duncan's resume as a Harvard graduate and superintendent of Chicago's Public Schools. "I'm more excited about the state and the potential of what we can do in this country with the leadership of President Obama and U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan," Johnson said.