Activism
Fund Launched to Aid “Cherished” Black Communities Impacted by Fires
For thousands of displaced Black residents like those mentioned by McKenzie, the road to rebuild is just beginning. Historic and systemic inequities add hurdles to the prospect of rebuilding. The Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund seeks to address those critical challenges so Black communities can return, reclaim, and rebuild. The days, months, and years ahead will require hope, healing, and our collective resources to recover.

By Edward Henderson and Charlene Muhammad, California Black Media
The California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF) and California Community Foundation have partnered to launch the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund to support community organizations on the ground working to meet the immediate and long-term needs of Black communities displaced by the wildfires. The fund will particularly benefit residents of Altadena, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County that has historically been a haven for Black homeowners who could not at one point buy homes elsewhere because of redlining.
“Over the last few days, we have gained a better sense of how expansive the devastation was, and we decided we needed to take action,” Marc Philpart, CEO of CBFF told California Black Media.
“Black families that had settled in that region really did so because those were the only regions that they could settle in, so we wanted to be a part of helping those individuals who were impacted find some relief and begin to start the long road to recovery.”
The recent fires in Los Angeles County have claimed 25 lives, burned over 40,000 acres of land, forced more than 150,000 people to evacuate and caused nearly $275 billion in damages.
Historically Black communities in Altadena and Pasadena have been hit particularly hard by this disaster.
Patrice Marshall McKenzie, a representative of Pasadena Unified School District 5, spoke with California Black Media about the scale of the devastation.
“I am blessed that my immediate home, is not threatened, but I cannot begin to count the number of people whose homes are,” McKenize said. “We are really working to support families, standing up locations to provide food to families, providing childcare resources to parents who still have to go to work and being able to support the needs of our students while they’re unable to be on campus full time.”
McKenzie highlighted the need for donations for many of the displaced individuals living in hotels.
For thousands of displaced Black residents like those mentioned by McKenzie, the road to rebuild is just beginning. Historic and systemic inequities add hurdles to the prospect of rebuilding. The Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund seeks to address those critical challenges so Black communities can return, reclaim, and rebuild. The days, months, and years ahead will require hope, healing, and our collective resources to recover.
“In the wake of these devastating fires, we can’t just rebuild. We must ensure communities heal and flourish for generations to come. This is about more than recovery. It’s about restoring the heart and soul of neighborhoods that hold so much history, culture, and promise,” said Miguel Santana, President and CEO of the California Community Foundation said in a statement.
Money raised by the fund will go to 12 grassroots organizations vetted by CBFF that are on the frontlines of the disaster, giving aid, counseling, housing, food rations, and other services to those most in need in the Pasadena and Altadena area.
“We’re in a prime position to support them,” said Philpart. “Many of these organizations have been starved. They haven’t had the investment that’s necessary for them to be able to do the work that’s needed in this critical moment.”
For more information or to make a donation to the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund, please visit https://www.pledge.to/BlackLA or text BlackLA to 707070.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces
It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans
Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.
It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.
At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.
Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.
Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.
Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.
This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.
Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks ago
It Just Got Even Better 2026 Toyota RAV4 AWD GR Sport Walkaround
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area
-
Alameda County3 weeks ago
Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025
-
Activism3 weeks ago
LA to the Bay: Thousands Protest in Mission District Against Immigration Raids, Travel Bans
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Over 500 Join Interfaith Rally in Solidarity with Los Angeles Resistance to Trump Invasion
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Congress Says Yes to Rep. Simon’s Disability Hiring and Small Biz Support Bill