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They (New York Yankees) not like us
And a new pre-Election Day listen to kickstart your weekend
Aaricka Washington
November 01, 2024
Do you smell that? That’s the sweet smell of VICTORY, baby!
By the time this newsletter hits your inbox, hundreds of Angelenos will be donning my royal blue and white Dodgers fits and blasting Kendrick down the streets of Downtown L.A. You might just see me out there partying along with everyone like the bandwagon hometown fan that I am. I don’t care. There’s nothing like your hometown beating New York in anything.
They NOT like us.
ELECTION UPDATES
We have a lot to be excited about. We have one of the most inconsequential elections in front of us next week. I will say, it’s been wild to see ballot box burnings in THREE states this week. It makes me think of all of the ways this country tried to limit Black people from exercising their voting rights from poll taxes to the grandfather clause to literacy tests. Voter suppression didn’t disappear with Jim Crow. Voter suppression tactics still exist today.
My Black ancestors fought for their right to have a say in who leads their local, state and federal jurisdictions. It’s more than a privilege to be a part of this democratic process. It was always our right.
So even in 2024, in this inconsequential election, I’m going to vote as if my life depends on it.
I hope you do too.
In our election guide, we’ll tell you about:
What are ballot measures (aka propositions)?
The different types of propositions
What bonds (the government borrowing money) has to do with some propositions
5 important propositions that most impact Black communities
Other stories you should read before you head to the polls:
A guide of guides to help you fill out your ballot.
AfroLA Voter Guide (A guide on 5 Props that most impact Black communities)
Los Angeles Public Press (They explain what each newsroom guide includes…they also have helpful stories that include how to pick a judge, understanding Measure G and Proposition 36)
CalMatters Voter Guide (A statewide newsroom organization that includes the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the California State Senate and State Assembly elections as well as the state props)
LAist LA County Voter Guide (LAist is one of LA’s NPR broadcast stations. They have a Voter Game Plan that includes municipal and county proposals in LA County.
By now, you should’ve received your mail-in ballot. Registering to vote is now closed. Vote Centers are now open. You can find YOUR L.A. County vote center and drop box locations here.
Tuesday, Nov. 5 is Election Day! If your vote-by-mail ballot is postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days (that’s Nov. 12), it will be counted. Vote in person between 7 AM to 8 PM.
Keep in mind we won’t know who won on Tuesday. It’s a process that takes time (as late as December). Read more about it here.
Email us your best “I Voted” stickers at [email protected] or tag us @afrolanews on social.
Now, let’s break it down.
FEATURED STORY
By Armon Owlia
Armon Owlia hosts season 2 of divided., produced in collaboration with AfroLA. divided. explores what separates us as Americans and how we can find common ground. In this season, he’ll explore how politics often take a toll on Americans’ mental health and social well-being, affecting how — and even if — we choose to engage. With a pivotal election just THREE days away, staying informed and involved has never been more critical.
Episode 1, “The Mirror,” reframes how political rhetoric clouds our collective mental health, exploring the deep psychological effects of today’s divisive political landscape. Experts weigh in on whether we can lift the fog and find healing amidst the growing division.
Listen to Episode 1 on AfroLA, or stream it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
MORE STORIES
Our recent series explores child welfare reform amid racial disparities, especially for Black children. Read our three stories that examine how child welfare reforms piloted by UCLA Pritzker Center have been implemented elsewhere, and how they could be scaled and modeled more widely going forward.
(Illustration by Hal Marie Saga; Photo credit: iStock)
Even though Black children only make up 5% of the state’s population, they make up 16% of its abuse victims, a higher rate than any other race or ethnicity.
The blind removal process removes race and class identifiers so that caseworkers aren’t able to make biased assumptions about children who need to be removed from their homes.
The L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) partnered with UCLA’s Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families to try a new model that could lower the rate of children—especially Black children—removed from their families.
Los Angeles piloted programs in DCFS’s West L.A. and Compton-Carson offices. But certain factors made the study results are hard to analyze. Read Elizabeth’s latest story about what researchers discovered.
Today is the first day of NewsMatch. What’s that you may ask? From today through Dec. 31, every dollar you give to AfroLA, up to $1,000, will be matched. This makes a huge difference for us.
As you probably know, AfroLA is in the first couple years of its existence. We have a great team, excellent community relationships and a mission focused on solutions journalism. But, pulling all this together has a big price tag. Individual donations, especially recurring donations, are crucial because they help us produce quality reporting for Black and other historically-marginalized communities. (And, they provide money we can count on each month helps us better plan for the future.)
The impact of your donation dollars IRL
Our former intern Robbi Gallegos was recently featured in an Instagram post from her alma mater Cal State Dominguez Hills spotlighting alumni, and it mentioned her time at AfroLA. Robbi graduated in May with her bachelor's degree in journalism. Robbi's engagement work was a step toward the increased social media presence and workshops we have today. (Our Instragram is DOPE 🔥🔥🔥)
Your donations help us mentor and train students like Robbi, and support other your people who work with AfroLA. We’re often a springboard for them to their next career step. We can’t support them without YOUR support.
(Illustration by Hal Marie Saga; Photo credit: iStock)
According to the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families, the number of Black children within the foster care system is nearly four times the rate of their population in California. Many times, Black children bear the brunt of misconceptions of neglect in households. Increased surveillance of Black families can lead to bias. Read Eliza’s f about how poverty can sometimes be mistaken for poverty, and how those blurred lines impact children being placed into foster care.
(Illustration by Hal Marie Saga; Photo credit: iStock)
Steps to decrease the disproportionate number of Black children in L.A. County's child welfare system has remained elusive for decades. UCLA's Pritzker Center has possible solutions.
Since UCLA Pritzker Center was established in 2019, staff have completed 10 projects, including a blind removal program, a decision-making process about placement of children and families referred to child welfare which eliminates all information that could identify their race or ethnicity.
The results were mixed. Too few families were evaluated and social workers expressed concerns for children’s safety as the reason for not using the process.
Since then, the Pritzker Center has continued to build trust with marginalized communities. The staff talked Black youth who were formerly in foster care for feedback about their experiences. They’ve identified information gaps around the intersection of domestic violence and child welfare cases.
Read ChrisAnna’s story about Prtizker Center research and projects aimed to reform the child welfare system.
WHAT’S NEW, WHAT’S NEXT?
We’re continuing to bring you news from Los Angeles and beyond for and about our communities.
By Ars Tecnica
Across more than 3 million résumé and job description comparisons, some pretty clear biases appeared: White names were preferred in about 85% of the conducted tests, compared to Black names being preferred in just 8.6%. When it came to gendered names, the male name was preferred in about half of the tests, compared to 11% preference for female names. The results could be even clearer in “intersectional” comparisons involving both race and gender; Black male names were preferred to white male names in none of the tests done by researchers.
Read more here.
By NBC News
When La’Tannya Banks went to the Los Angeles Police Department for help to find her missing 15-year-old daughter Lelah, they responded with little urgency and told her that it didn’t meet the standards for an Amber Alert.
So she had to ask authorities to send out an Ebony Alert, which is California’s new system to inform people about missing Black children.
According to NBC News, it was put in place to help find the disproportionate amount of Black children who go missing or are abducted in California. Since being in place a year after its approval, it's been able to recover 27 people.
Read more here.
By The Conversation
Dr. A.D. Carson, a hip-hop professor at the University of Virginia, is taking back the definition of mastering. His newly released album is all about taking ownership in a place (the album was written in South Carolina at Clemson University) where there was irreparable harm to enslaved Black Americans.
The name of his album? It’s aptly titled: “Owning My Masters (Mastered): The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions,” and it’s his academic capstone. Learn more about his album and listen to it here.
SUPPORT AFROLA
Individual gifts to AfroLA are also an important sign to the foundations who grant us money, showing them that we are growing and diversifying our revenue streams. Please consider giving to AfroLA in any amount today. Your donation will be doubled! If you’re feeling really generous, share us with someone in your life who could be interested in supporting us. We deeply appreciate each and every one of you.
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