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LOS ANGELES, CA—- Afro Unicorn®, a fully-licensed character brand founded by trailblazing African American businesswoman April Showers, begins 2023 with a breakthrough year for creativity and authentic representation. Shattering the glass ceiling, Ms. Showers is the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand in major retail.

In 2022, Afro Unicorn hit the shelves of 3,800 Walmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico with party supplies and apparel. For the holidays, Afro Unicorn launched a new gift-giving tradition with its Magic Afro Unicorn gift box, encouraging acts of kindness. The conscious brand also debuted an original EP featuring Grammy Award Winning Anthony Hamilton, Lara D, Brooklyn Marie, and executive produced by producer Askia Fountain, Afro Unicorn’s GM.

2023 promises to be a Jordan Year for Afro Unicorn with a major presence at seven of the world’s top retail stores, including Walmart, Target, HomeGoods, Kohls, JCPenney, Amazon, and NovaKids. Afro Unicorn will also launch at Walmart Canada this February. The brand will skyrocket onto the scene with 25+ categories, from apparel and accessories to toys, puzzles, books, bedding, bandages, backpacks, collectibles, and more. With 45+ licensee partners worldwide, Afro Unicorn is the “blueprint” to empower and inspire entrepreneurs to enter the licensing space.

Ms. Showers says: “Afro Unicorn signifies two ideas: firstly, empowering and elevating emerging entrepreneurs. Secondly, it’s an homage to Africa and a promise to amplify representation. We deliver a product that feels ‘true and right’ and normalizes Black beauty. By doing so, Afro Unicorn uplifts women and children of color with the confidence they need to embrace who they are – unique, divine, and magical.”

Building the brand from the ground up, Afro Unicorn started in the e-commerce industry in 2019. Back then, it was an organic, grassroots brand, and Ms. Showers was pressing shirts and selling them through her eCommerce store, adding logos to T-shirts and bags at her customers’ request. Afro Unicorn burst onto the scene as a brand in August 2021 after a video of a little girl wearing an Afro Unicorn shirt went viral. Then, Ms. Showers received an email from Walmart with the subject title “Afro Unicorn x Walmart” collaboration, marking her start with Walmart as one of the first Black Women to enter the party supplies/celebration category with Afro Unicorn gaining prime shelf placement next to Marvel characters and Disney princesses.

Children will soon be able to live and play in a world of Afro Unicorn with plushies, collectibles, games, puzzles, books, playsets, ride-ons, outdoor play, and live animation in the works. A new line of original Afro Unicorn® books under the Random House Books for Young Readers imprint will be released widely in Fall 2023 featuring three Afro Unicorn characters by name across all Afro Unicorn® products.

About Afro Unicorn®

Afro Unicorn® is a fully licensed character celebrating representation founded by visionary entrepreneur and CEO April Showers as a conscious brand with the mission to positively uplift and impact women and children of color. Afro Unicorn® represents the beauty and uniqueness of vanilla, caramel, and mocha complexions. From clothing and accessories to holiday gifting and educational resources, Afro Unicorn provides women and children with the confidence they need to embrace who they are – unique, divine, and magical. When a video of a kid influencer wearing an Afro Unicorn® t-shirt went viral, Walmart reached out to Ms. Showers about a collaboration. Recently, ABC News Good Morning America 3: What You Need To Know and CBS Mornings did segments on Afro Unicorn™. She created the character @afrounicorn_official (IG Account) to remind women and kids of color how unique and magical they are. Oprah Daily, Viola Davis, Sherri Shepherd, Alicia Keys, and Tina Knowles are all early believers. Ms. Showers hopes her success is the “blueprint” to empower and inspire women of color to enter the licensing space with 45 + licensee partners worldwide.

Shattering the glass ceiling, Ms. Showers is the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand in major retail. In 2022, Afro Unicorn® hit the shelves of 3,800 Walmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico with party supplies and apparel. To learn more about Afro Unicorn™ and how you can become part of this inspiring community, please visit www.afrounicorn.com or follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.

YUCAIPA, CA—- Construction is underway on Crafton Hills College’s (CHC) voter-approved and funded Public Safety Training Center, following a groundbreaking ceremony on January 20 in front of a crowd of more than 150.

Upon completion, the $9.5 million facility will house CHC’s Fire Academy and public safety programs and further elevate CHC’s reputation as one of the premier public safety colleges in the nation. The Public Safety Training Center was made possible thanks to the vision of current and former CHC leaders and funding from 2018’s Measure CC, approved by voters to fund campus upgrades at both CHC and its sister college, San Bernardino Valley College.

Consistent community support has been the cornerstone of the public safety programs’ successes. Neighboring agencies, like the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and its fire department, have partnered with CHC to provide necessary tools of the trade, such as fire engines, equipment and training while supporting students’ growth with scholarships.

During the groundbreaking, Tribal leaders presented a check for a $1.8 million grant that will cover student out-of-pocket expenses associated with the program. The need for a steady income and secure housing is an obstacle for many who wish to study public safety fields, said Ed Duro, San Manuel Business Committee member-at-large.

“San Manuel believes that those with their heart [set] to serve others should be able to, especially if they come from historically underrepresented communities,” said Duro, a CHC alumnus, as Tribal leaders presented the gift during the event. “This is why I am proud to announce our investment to offer direct support to students, enabling them to devote themselves to the program. It is a priority for the Tribe to advance these opportunities for everyone regardless of background.”

“This project has been a decade in the making and serves as the best example of what happens when a community comes together for a common goal,” said CHC President Dr. Kevin Horan.

Dr. Stephanie Houston, chair of the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees and a CHC alumna, called the new facility “near and dear” to her heart. As a parent of a first responder, Houston said the Public Safety Training Center brings her a sense of relief because “at that end of the day, [first responder graduates] are going to rely on their training, and their training all started here,” she said.

“So, as we look at our cadets, this next generation of students who are going to be coming through this amazing facility that we are building, [we will know that] it’s to ensure that parents, siblings, spouses and children of our first responders can sleep at night,” Houston said during the ceremony. “Because they can rely on that training we provide [to their loved ones]. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us.”

The Academy—including other first responder-related training programs, such as those for paramedics and respiratory care— has undergone a series of upgrades since its inception in 1982. CHC’s Fire Academy originally operated from an old automotive shop on campus that was transformed into a training space.

Horan concluded the ceremony by thanking the community and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their legacy of support.

“San Manuel’s generosity in the direct support of fire cadets enables us to continue to build a capable, highly qualified and diverse first responder workforce that will serve our region for decades.”

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media

At a press conference held at the Pasadena Rose Bowl last week, Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 252, called the College Athletic Protection Act.

If the Legislature passes the bill, it will expand and reinforce protections for college athletes, says Holden, who also serves as Assembly Appropriations Committee chair.

“As a former college basketball player at San Diego State, I know how close you can come to an injury taking away not only the game you love to play, but also your opportunity to finish college,” said Holden. “So, we look at this bill as going further and establishing some important safeguards for athletes as they are out there enjoying what they love to do, but also getting a degree.”

In 2019, Holden introduced a similar bill, the college Athlete Civil Rights Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Newsom. That bill required schools in the state to inform student athletes about their rights and made it illegal for schools to retaliate against athletes who report the school for violations of any kind.

Holden represents Assembly District 41, where Pasadena, “The City of Champions,” is the political center. It is a town that prides itself on its appreciation for sports and the many accomplished athletes who have called the area home, including baseball great Jackie Robinson and several NFL players who have excelled in various sports and made it to the Super Bowl, according to the Pasadena Sports Hall of Fame website.

Holden described AB 252 as “comprehensive.” He told California Black Media at the Rose Bowl press conference, that it will require colleges to set aside $25,000 in tuition for athletes who are not fairly compensated annually to cover the cost of game-related injuries. It will also require that Division1 schools set aside 50% of sports revenue to pay athletes as well as make it easier to report abuses and inform their student athletes of their rights.

While other state and federal bills have dealt with the needs of college athletes in a piecemeal fashion, Holden says, this bill comes with a built-in way to enforce it.

A 21-member watchdog group, called the College Athletic Protection (CAP) panel, will oversee enforcement of the bill’s requirements and ensure that schools are reporting their athletic program’s finances. The board will have the power to enforce the provisions in the new bill and mete out discipline to violators.

The financial responsibility of the schools remains tied to annual revenue reports made to the United States Department of Education. For example, institutions reporting revenue over $20 million will pay for “out of pocket sports-related medical expenses” while colleges reporting over $50 million in revenue will also provide “nationally portable primary medical insurance” to each athlete, according to the language in the bill.

Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the National College Players Association, is a former football player at UCLA and has been a longtime advocate of college athletes.

He was introduced by Holden as a “partner” in crafting the bill.

Huma pointed out the difficulties faced by Black athletes and the exploitative nature of some of the NCAA rules, many of which were highlighted in a 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which looked at basketball and football. It found that the system funnels funds away Black and students from low-income backgrounds.

Huma was quick to call the NCAA business model illegal using “amateurism” to “strip wealth” from Black athletes. 

“The NCAA and its colleges do nothing about the trail of seriously injured abused and dead college athletes. This unchecked abuse is not an oversight – it’s by design,” said Huma.

Huma’s organization supports the bill, and, in his speech, he talked about player safety and fair market value as important parts of helping student athletes. He referred to the bill as a step to ending what he characterizes as “exploitation” by the NCAA.

The bill requires those students who are not receiving “fair market” value to have a graduation fund created for them every year which will apply to tuition – even if they can no longer play. Making graduation a goal for student athletes, the bill’s supporters say, is pivotal because data shows many students are spending long hours training to the detriment of their education or forced to play with serious injuries for fear of losing a scholarship.

Amy LeClaire was a college gymnast and victim of sexual assault at San Jose State in 2016. She and over two dozen other victims settled with the college, according to Jemma Dunn, her attorney. LeClair was abused by her coach and her trainer, and the college failed to report the abuse, the lawsuit alleged.

Several of the working conditions LeClair endured will also be addressed by the bill. Ensuring athletes can complete medical treatment and providing ways to report abuse without repercussion are both included in the language.

“I have witnessed firsthand the depths and complexities of institutional cover ups. Universities have not earned the privilege of operating unchecked, nor have they earned the benefit of the doubt,” said LeClair. “I entered the Institute as knowing the risks of a high-level sport, but never imagined the dangers of the institution itself.”

Not everyone will be happy if the bill passes. The NCAA has asked the federal government to block many of the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) laws being passed by states and claims that these types of laws undermine their ability to regulate this billion-dollar industry, according to Linda Livingstone, the NCAA’s Board of Governors chair who was quoted in Fortune magazine.

Livingstone said in cases involving NIL disagreements, said, “We already see that state legislators will take action that they believe will give the universities in their states a competitive edge over their neighbors.”

Elisha Guidry is a recent graduate from UCLA and was a student athlete for the Bruins. As a recent graduate, he has a hopeful view on how the bill will affect students.

“I want to thank all student athletes out there past current and future,” said Guidry. “Our hard work and dedication on and off the field has gone unnoticed. This bill is a step in the right direction to improving things for us now and in the future to come.”

Media 2070’s award-winning documentary, Black in the Newsroom, continues to screen at film festivals and universities around the nation, spotlighting the inequality many Black reporters face trying to tell the news.

The 17-minute documentary follows Elizabeth Montgomery, a Black journalist who lands her dream job at The Arizona Republic. However, her dream soon becomes a nightmare when her low salary forces her to choose between rent and groceries– while a white colleague is paid thousands of dollars more per year. The documentary sheds light on the lack of diversity in newsrooms and how this can impact Black news reporters and transform the way stories are told:

“When newsrooms are white-dominated and there is not the diversity that reflects the community or that reflects the demographics or the future of this country even, it means that stories aren’t told truthfully,” says Alicia Bell, co-creator of Media 2070.

Montgomery and many Black journalists report struggling with their mental, physical and/or financial health, highlighting a need for change across the industry.

A trailer for the documentary can be found here. Montgomery, Bell and other reporters are available for interviews.

For more information or to request a screening of Media 2070’s Black in the Newsroom, visit https://blackinthenewsroom.com/.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA Board) released its annual report on policing in December. It revealed that People “perceived as Black were searched at 2.2 times the rate of people” appearing as White.

Additionally, law enforcement officers in the state searched a total of 6,622 more people perceived as Black than those perceived as White, the report states. Also of note, those perceived to be Black adolescents between 15 to 17 years old were searched at nearly six times the rate of those perceived as White youth.

“In addition to providing a detailed analysis of the policing activities of 58 law enforcement agencies, this year’s report provides much-needed context on the negative physical, emotional, and mental health consequences experienced by students and the broader communities that are most often the subject of those activities,” said RIPA board member Melanie Ochoa, Co-Chair of the Board and Director of Police Practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

RIPA Board is a diverse group of 19 members representing the public, law enforcement, and educators. It was formed in 2016 when Assembly Bill (AB) 953, the “Racial and Identity Profiling Act,” was passed. The bill was authored by Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State, when she was an Assemblymember representing the 79th District in the greater San Diego area. The board’s charge is to “eliminate racial and identity profiling and improve diversity and racial and identity sensitivity in law enforcement,” according to language included in AB 953.

“California remains at the forefront of the nation in examining police stop data,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Over the last several years, we’ve collected and analyzed information on nearly 12 million police encounters in our state.”

The current report, sheds light on a study of millions of vehicular and pedestrian stops conducted from Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021, by 58 law enforcement agencies in California — a notable expansion from the 18 participating agencies documented in the previous report released by RIPA last July.

At the conclusion of a stop, officers are required to report the outcome such as no action taken, warning or citation given, or arrest. For individuals perceived as Black, the 2023 report stated, officers reported “no action taken” approximately 2.2 times as often as they did for individuals viewed as White. The report concluded that there is an indication that a higher rate of those stopped who were perceived as Black were not actually engaged in unlawful activity.

In addition, Black children and adolescents (10 to 14 and 15 to 17 years old) were detained curbside or in a patrol car, searched, or handcuffed during a higher percentage of stops than any other combination of perceived race or ethnicity and age groups.

The report also details that law enforcement officers used force against people perceived as Black at 2.2 times the rate of individuals perceived as White. For those perceived as Latino, officers used force against them at 1.3 times the rate of individuals perceived as White.

Fifty-eight agencies reported over 3.1 million stops during the data collection 12-month study, with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) conducting the most stops of any single agency (54.9%). In addition, individuals perceived to be Hispanic/Latinos (42.4%), White (30.7%), or Black (15.0%) comprised the majority of stopped individuals.

 “Coupled with a strong set of evidence-based recommendations to the Legislature, local jurisdictions, and policing agencies, such as an end to pretext stops and consent searches, our hope is that this year’s report will continue to push California towards building communities that are safer for all,” Ochoa stated.

The Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), a coalition of over 77,000 public safety workers in more than 950 associations, released its own study, which refutes the RIPA Board’s report.

PORAC’s 2023 annual report, “A Critical Analysis” by Dr. Brian L. Withrow, dated Jan. 2, 2023, states that “California is experiencing a public safety crisis” while “law enforcement departments are understaffed, underfunded, and underappreciated.”

 “Unfortunately, California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA) has pursued an inherently flawed approach to assessing police stop data that both misrepresents the data itself and misleads the public to believe things that simply are not true,” Withrow said. “Californians deserve appropriate scrutiny of officer behavior, but they also deserve the truth. To do otherwise would only sow further division between law enforcement and the communities they risk their lives every day to serve.”

To date, the traffic stop data made available by the RIPA Board is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive collection effort under which all state and local law enforcement agencies will be required to report to the California Department of Justice by April 1, 2023.

In addition to providing an in-depth look into policing in 2021, the Board’s report lists a wide range of recommendations related to policing, with a focus on the impact of pretextual stops, law enforcement interactions with youth, civilian complaint processes, and training on racial and identity profiling.

The RIPA Board insists that the report is consistent with the disparities observed in prior years’ data with respect to perceived race, gender, and disability status.

“California is leading the nation in its effort to collect data on police-citizen interactions and to foster transparency and make progress towards fair, equitable, effective policing,” said Steven Raphael, Co-Chair of the Board and Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. “Data collected under RIPA provides important information to the public, to legislators, and to law enforcement to guide policy and practice throughout the state.”

For more on RIPA and other criminal justice data, members of the public are encouraged to visit OpenJustice, a California Department of Justice, data-driven public initiative that works to increase access to criminal justice data and support the development of public policy.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The City of San Bernardino Building and Safety Division issued
6,093 building permits in 2022, more than any other recent year. The total reflects an increase of 42.6% over 2021, when 4,270 permits were issued.

“These numbers show that people are investing in San Bernardino,” said Mayor Helen Tran.

“There is a great deal of opportunity here and I am glad to see people are taking advantage of it.”

The valuation of the permits issued also jumped significantly, totaling $363,841,706. This represents an increase of 57% over 2021, or a gain of more than $132 million in investment. Also noteworthy is that the building permit amounts do not reflect total project costs. Property acquisition costs and architecture services are not included. Government projects are not included in the total either.

“I expect these numbers to increase further in 2023 despite the national economic headwinds,” said San Bernardino Community, Housing, and Economic Development Agency Director Nathan Freeman. “We have a number of large projects in the queue and our phone continues to ring with developer interest.”

In the short term, the increase in permitted activity will be reflected in an increase of local construction jobs, to be followed by new housing, new shopping options, permanent jobs, local sales tax revenue, and property tax revenue.

Freeman added that San Bernardino is in the process of launching a One Stop Shop to speed up the development process. “This is reinventing our customer service approach to serving residents, contractors, investors, and developers through the entitlement and
permitting process, making it easier to get projects done.”

By Barbara Arnwine

I’ve fought for civil rights my entire career. In fact, in honor of my late mother, Vera Pearl Arnwine, I will tell you that my actual birth was amidst a fight for justice and equality to desegregate a White Hospital that refused to service the African Americans in the nearby community.

After being driven past the White hospital during two previous labors, my mom was determined to force change. She purposefully waited until her contractions were advanced and called the ambulance, which seeing her state, took her to the nearest hospital, the White hospital. When the White nurses tried to refuse service, the examining doctor said it was too late and ordered, “We got to deliver this baby.” Thus, my mom defied the “Whites Only” designation and ultimately won as she gave birth to me, the first Black to force the integration of the now closed Seaside Hospital in Long Beach, California.

Being born a “civil rights protest baby” It is no wonder that I went on to graduate from Duke University School of Law and became president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where I served for more than 26 years.

That hospital story, of course relayed to me by my mother, is quite relevant during this season in which we not only celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but we escalate our commemoration of Black History. Now, as founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, I remain keenly focused on issues of justice from every walk of life.

In 2023, one aspect of civil rights and racial justice that barely remains addressed is racial inclusion in media ownership. It’s high time to irrigate that fallow civil rights ground as America’s access to trusted, credible and diverse local and national news sources is the key to democracy. There is far too much misinformation and non-inclusion out there; especially impacting communities of color.

An article by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, headlined, “The Abysmal State of Media Ownership Diversity in America,” says that “Access to the media by the broadest sector of society is crucial to ensuring that diverse viewpoints are presented to the American people, but racial and gender disparities in media ownership that date back to the beginning of the civil rights era continue to persist. Diverse voices in the media landscape help to ensure that diverse topics and perspectives are presented to counter disinformation and misinformation.”

The article continues, “At a time when more people, particularly Black people, are distrustful of the media, diversity in media ownership has become more important than ever for the functioning of our democracy. Diversity in ownership is part of that solution.”

This crucial issue is the reason that my good friends and colleagues in the current civil rights movement are going on the record in support of Standard General’s application before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to acquire TEGNA, a media company which owns more than 60 television stations across the country. Those colleagues include Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president/CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, president/CEO of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. Standard General has a proven record of investing in local news and enhancing diversity with a goal to have newsrooms look like the communities they serve.

Enhancing media diversity is a primary objective at the FCC, but it has a lot of work to do. The FCC just reported that Blacks account for only 3% of majority interests in full-power TV stations with Asian Americans at only 1%. Now it has a chance to really show that it cares about this goal as the Standard General transaction would radically enhance minority media ownership of broadcast channels. Asian-American Soo Kim, Standard General’s Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, has expressed commitment to helping newsrooms evolve and stay relevant in this age of on-demand content.

One of my primary venues for taking stances on civil rights issues is my 8-year-old radio show, “Igniting Change with Barbara Arnwine,” heard weekly on Tuesdays at Noon on Radio One’s WOL 1450 a.m. During the hour-long show, I have spent much time discussing voter participation and suppression. Based on the questions and concerns expressed by my listeners on the call-in format, it is clear that preserving local news and making it better and more reflective of the changing faces of America will make our democracy stronger and produce more informed voters. We cannot get this done without aggressively irrigating and sowing into the now fallow ground of minority media ownership. This is a goal that we must all share and promote.

Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq, is president & founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition and former president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Listen, when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, let him that readeth understand, then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house… And let him that is in the field not turn back. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! For in the days to come shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be… And if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce. Behold, I have foretold you all things. Take ye heed, watch and pray. What I say unto you I say unto all. [Mark 13].

Wake up! Discern the times. The hour is late! I don’t say that to scare you, but to prepare you. Many of the things that Jesus Himself describe as initial indicators of the last days are happening now. In [Matthew 12], Jesus told us that in the last days there will be people falsely coming in His name, wars and threats of wars, food shortage, earthquakes, and intensified persecution of God’s people, and a mass falling away. And all that Bible Prophecy said would happen, is happening right before our eyes, [Revelation 3:10] and all who are not firmly established upon God’s Word and the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be deceived and overcome. Understand, Satan “works with all power and signs and lying wonders with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” [2 Thessalonians 2:9-10] to gain control of mankind, and his deceptions will increase right up to the very end.

Please surrender your life to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. For we are truly living in the end times now, and as the Bible reveals in [Revelation 12], Satan has come down to this earth with “great fury” knowing that his time is short, and he is using all his power to deceive us and keep us from Jesus Christ.

I tell you; the enemy is approaching! Do not be complacent. We can all see that something is awry in our world. All of the alarm bells are sounding. Even people around the world who don’t understand biblical prophecy can sense something has gone wrong. I admonish you to repent and turn to Jesus Christ before it is too late! Because the final crisis is coming! A man of Lawlessness, the Anti-Christ, the Beast.

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.”(Joel 3:14) Are you saved?

By Jaivon Grant | California Black Media

For some, it may be hard to imagine barely escaping alive from one of the biggest mass genocides in world history, or hearing stories about family members who were the victims of a catastrophe of that magnitude. But for Jewish Americans living in California that scenario is a painful and present truth that they live with, respectfully acknowledging and memorializing it every year.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD), commemorated yearly on January 27, is a memorial day established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 to honor victims (and their families) who suffered from the German genocide that lasted more than a decade. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the day of commemoration was established for several purposes. Among them are serving as an official date to honor victims of the Nazi regime and promoting Holocaust education worldwide.

In Jewish communities, January 27 is known as Yom HaShoah. Families and communities will often light Yahrzeit candles — Yahrzeit means anniversary (specifically related to someone’s death) — to honor those who were murdered in the Holocaust. The candle burns for 24 hours, and it is custom to light it at sundown on the day before Yom HaShoah. Occasionally, electric Yahrzeit candles are used as a substitute and are plugged into a wall in places like hospitals, for safety reasons.

In Los Angeles, at the Holocaust Museum LA, visitors can see firsthand artifacts that were personal items from survivors and other memorabilia. This museum, founded in 1961, is the oldest survivor-founded Holocaust exhibit in the United States that is solely focused on the impact of the mass genocide. The experience is free for students, and the museum offers tours, educational programs, and conversations with survivors meant to inspire critical thinking and show the Holocaust’s current social relevance.

Morgan Blum Schneider, Director of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center, says that she is dedicated to raising social awareness about Jewish history and inspiring social responsibility.

“The JFCS Holocaust Center was founded by Holocaust survivors through perseverance and determination to fight antisemitism. We continue to share their testimony with thousands of students each year,” said Schneider. “This week, in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and every week throughout the year, the JFCS Holocaust Center works in partnership with CA teachers to bring lessons of the Holocaust and genocide into classrooms throughout California to inspire social responsibility and moral courage in today’s youth.”

The JFCS Holocaust Center is a program of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties. It holds more than 13,000 books and several thousand documents, photographs, and artifacts in the Tauber Holocaust Library and Archives.

For Brandon Brooks, director of California Black Media’s Stop the Hate Project, it is critical for Californians — and all Americans — to recognize and uplift the experiences and perspectives of their neighbors from other ethnic groups. Funded by the California State Library, the Stop the Hate project aims to eradicate hate crimes and hate incidents in the state and promote inter-cultural understanding and cooperation.

“For Black Americans, the way we identify with the horror stories of the Holocaust is immediate and deeply sympathetic. It is a recognition based, in part, on our own collective memory of slavery, exclusion and suffering because of who we are – not what we did – as a people,” he says. “The only way we, Americans from all backgrounds, can begin to do something about the division, misunderstanding and normalization of racial and ethnic hatred that we see trying to flourish in our society is to fight it by learning; push back on it by listening. Get to know about each other’s histories, celebrate each other’s traditions, embrace the things that unite us as Americans and take a hard, uncompromising stance against hatred in any form and the violence it triggers.”

Notably, the dedication to honoring IHRD extends incredibly far beyond California, where there are an estimated 1.19 million people of Jewish descent (about 3% of the state’s population), based on U.S. Census numbers compiled by World Population Review.

According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, 39 countries participated in IHRD commemorating ceremonies in 2015. Many of those countries hosted lectures, showed films, or lit candles while reading names of the victims. Additionally, many participating countries established their own remembrance days that linked to events caused by the Holocaust.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — established in 1945 to promote international cooperation through education, science, and culture — has also fought to counter antisemitism and other forms of group-targeted violence.

“The Holocaust profoundly affected countries in which Nazi crimes were perpetrated, with universal implications and consequences in many other parts of the world,” reads the UNESCO site. “As genocide and atrocity crimes keep occurring across several regions, and as we are witnessing a global rise of antisemitism and hate speech, [sharing a collective responsibility] has never been so relevant.”

This California Black Media feature was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.