Before we get started, I have some exciting news to share. 

This past Sunday, I accomplished one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I ran the Chicago Marathon. 

I am a part of an interesting statistic: I am one of the Black and Brown women runners who make up less than 2% of the 1% of marathoners. 

Every time I saw a fellow Black girl running I made sure I acknowledged them, even if we didn’t speak the same language. We were breaking ground thanks to all of the women who came before us (A special thank you to Marilyn Bevans!)

It was my second marathon (the L.A. Marathon in 2023 was my first) and my very first WORLD MAJOR marathon (there are six of them — Boston, NYC, London, Tokyo, Berlin and Chicago).

And I ran it completely without music. Talk about mental and emotional fortitude! It was hard but I wanted to fully be present in the moment with the rapturous spectators and the determined fellow runners. It turned out to be peaceful for me. 

It reminded me that I can do hard things. It also reminded me to be grateful for my mind, body and spirit. I ended up setting a personal record in my marathon time by 23 minutes. I’m so proud of myself and my strength. 

If you’re a runner yourself or if you’re interested, please reach out to me! 

And, I want to know…What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done? Reply to this email or get in touch on our contact page.

OK, now let’s get into breaking down the news you need.

FEATURED STORY

Reimagine L.A. urges investment in mental health and housing over policing

by Eliza Partika 

Reimagine L.A. Coalition is demanding that the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors prioritize investing in mental health and housing over law enforcement and incarceration. The county’s latest budget shows an increase of police funding and a decrease in funding for mental health resources, housing and education. 

The Coalition demands include: 

• Reduced investment in adult and youth carceral systems

• $275 million to mental health treatment; reallocation of funds back to pretrial hearings

• Complete closure of the Men’s Central Jail, which the County planned to close more than 3 years ago.

They also want more transparency about the budget, including where the funds are going. 

“It is really important, because it is a core component to who we are as a coalition pushing for budget transparency and accountability,” said La Defensa’s Reimagine L.A. coordinator Megan Castillo. “Decisions concerning the county’s budget should be held within the people and should be held within the taxpayers.”

Read more from Eliza’s story to find out who and what the Coalition thinks should be funded.

ELECTION UPDATES

I don’t know about you, but election jargon can be so confusing to understand. It’s also hard to find a one-stop-shop with all of the things you need to know about voting for huge, consequential elections like this one. 

Well, don’t fear. AfroLA’s Katie Licari and Eliza Partika have us covered. In our guide to 2024 propositions, we’ll tell you about:

• What propositions are

• The different types of propositions

• What bonds have to do with with all of this

Check it out and let us know what you would like to see! 

There are also other news organizations who have excellent voting guides, like our friends at CalMatters. (We thought they did a great job, so we borrowed from them in one spot.)

We’ve also been out and about at AfroLA. On Wednesday, reporter Katie Licari talked to folks at the Beta Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s at an in-person town hall meeting at the L.A. Alpha House.

Here’s her dispatch from the event:

Have you gotten your ballot yet?

You may have decided which presidential candidate you’d like to vote for, but maybe you are overwhelmed by all of the other things on the ballot? The props are confusing (here’s our guide). Why does my vote for city council, mayor or water board even matter?

On Wednesday, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - Beta Psi Lambda Chapter and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Alpha Gamma Omega Chapter held a Q and A panel to educate community members about down ballot voting.

“You may never meet the President of the United States, you may never meet your congressperson. You will meet your city clerk, you will meet your mayor,” said Carson City Clerk Khaleah Bradshaw. “These are issues that impact your block.”

Down-ballot vote races are often decided by just a few dozen to a few hundred votes, so your vote and its impact matters. As Election Day draws near, making a plan to down-ballot vote is critical to ensuring your voice is heard. It is critical to not only plan for yourself to vote but encourage your family and friends to as well.

Bradshaw suggested making a fun evening with friends, family and a little bit of wine to talk about shared values, learn about the candidates and the issues and make a game plan with desired candidates.

Upcoming L.A. events with Beta Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha:

Oct. 30 Virtual version of this event. Aaricka Washington will be moderating a panel. All are welcome.

Nov. 5 Community election night viewing party o.n Follow us on social for more details closer to the event date.

Key Upcoming Election Dates: 

Oct. 21 Last day to register online to vote. Here’s how to register. 

Oct. 26 Vote centers open. Find your location. 

Oct. 29 Last day to request a replacement mail-in ballot 

Nov. 5 Last day for mail-in votes to arrive at county elections offices 

SUPPORT AFROLA

Your loyalty. Your donation. Your membership. 

For just the amount of a cup of Joe from your favorite coffee shop, you can keep us producing news specifically about groups of people who often get left out of authentic, crucial news coverage: Black Angelenos and other historically-marginalized communities. Please keep us going, and rest-assured we will do our part, too!

MORE STORIES

‘Complicating the Narrative’ around cash reparations for Black Americans

By Dana Amihere 

What’s the "right" approach to give reparations to Black Americans? Should eligibility be based on the specific harm that those in the African Diaspora have faced or should it be focused specifically on those who have direct lineage to those who were enslaved in the United States?

For the latest edition of AfroLA's I Can See That solutions journalism podcast, we talked to two activists — Tara Perry and Kamm Howard — who have different views on who should be eligible for reparations. Listen and read their annotated discussion to understand how they were able to share their views, and better understand each others’. This work was produced with support from the Solutions Journalism Network.

WEEKEND LONGREAD

The rise of Black nerd culture: Embracing tabletop and role-playing games 

By Ural Garrett 

For reporter Ural Garrett, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) sparked an interest in tabletop role-playing games from an early encounter, highlighting its influence on modern gaming and the depth of narrative possible through pen-and-paper games. Experiences like his across Black culture and gaming reveal a shift toward inclusivity and representation in gaming communities, underscored by the rise of Black creatives within the industry.

Read more in Ural’s story, our first featured weekend longread. 

WHAT’S NEW, WHAT’S NEXT?

LAUSD’s Black student achievement program upended, targeted by conservative Virginia group 

By Los Angeles Times 

Due to a federal civil rights complaint from a right-wing Virginia-based group, Los Angeles Unified officials have shifted away from only academically-supporting struggling Black students in a program that was originally focused just on them.

Parents Defending Education filed a complaint in 2023 to the federal Office for Civil Rights against BSAP citing that the program had violated civil rights law because of the services provided to specifically Black students. This is just one of the latest attempts of a national culture-war from the political right.

The $120 million Black Student Achievement Plan’s mission was to support the mental and academic well-being of Black students by adding several psychiatric social workers, counselors, “climate coaches”, and restorative justice advisers to schools with the highest number of Black students. In February 2022, one year after LAUSD approved of the program, several Black students said they’d noticed positive changes in the school environment because of the support staff in the program. LAUSD’s schools are predominantly Latine, but Black students make up 7% of the district’s 410,000 students.

_______

Harris announces a new plan to empower Black men as she tries to energize them to vote for her

By AP News

On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris launched an economic-driven plan centered on Black men. Her agenda includes providing 1 million forgivable loans up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs, supporting education training that could create more Black educators, legalize recreational marijuana at the federal level, launch a National Health Equity Initiative centered on Black men and provide down payment support to spur new Black homeownership. This comes as Harris tries to rile up support from this very key voting bloc, going to oft-controversial, popular Black media personalities and outlets like Roland Martin, The Breakfast Club and The Shade Room.

_______

‘I would have been a great mom’: California finally pays reparations to woman it sterilized

By CalMatters

Geynna Buffington was not told that a certain procedure she received while incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla would impact her future ability to have children.

California robbed her reproductive freedom when doctors performed an “endometrial ablation” on her. Now, she’s eligible to receive reparations as someone who was forcibly sterilized while in a state prison. CalMatters reports, “Starting in the early 1900s, more than 20,000 people — disproportionately poor women, people of color and people with disabilities - were involuntarily sterilized in state-run homes and hospitals under California’s eugenics laws. Those laws were repealed in 1979, but the practice continued.”

“I find it most rewarding when I can share the feeling of community that AfroLA’s stories have introduced us to.”

—Henry Davis, former social media producer

“The same way there are a plethora of issues to highlight in California, there are a plethora of incredible people that deserve to be spotlighted right here in our own backyard. I’m honored and grateful to be able to tell those stories.”

—Eric Russell, former senior social media producer

“We started working with the organization this past year, and with [our founder’s] guidance, our contributors’ stories, and engagement with our audience, we have learned plenty to carry forward in all lines of work. AfroLA places a lens on Los Angeles with the intention of uplifting all Black folks, regardless of background. This work is something to be celebrated.”

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