The Word with Jackie Rae

For 33 years, Long Beach has hosted a parade in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While the 34th annual parade was canceled this past January, this may be a good time to ask how a parade furthers the true message of the civil rights leader, and how a parade benefits the Black community. The annual parade is funded in part through the city's special advertising and promotions budget (which comes...

Long Beach has a thriving LGBTQ+ community. From the outside looking in, this is the ideal place to live for anyone in the gay community.   Identical twins Kyro and Monalise Rose Davis, say those pleasantries often do not extend to the Black LGBTQ+ community. They say the politicians in Long Beach, have neglected to address the needs of their community. But those feelings of abandonment extend far...

Sickle cell anemia is a blood disease that causes blood cells to take the shape of a sickle and restricts the flow of blood. One in 12 African Americans are born with the trait, which means they are carriers but don’t necessarily have the disease. Unfortunately, education about the disease is not common. Often, African Americans don’t even know they have the sickle cell trait. The lack of understa...

When the oil spill in Orange County happened back in October, the outcry from the community was immediate . People not only wanted accountability, they wanted answers on how this could be prevented in the future, which makes sense because most people understand how harmful oil is, and they wanted to make sure wildlife, our beaches and families are protected. But even with that knowledge, we've all...

A few months ago, I had the privilege to interview Ceasar McDowell for the Word Podcast . Under California’s “three strikes” law, McDowell received a sentence of three concurrent life sentences for a non-violent crime. He spent 20 years in prison before earning back his freedom. He did so while starting Unite the People while he was incarcerated. Unite the People is a non-profit organization that...

The word Communism often causes a very negative reaction in most Americans. That is probably why there are very few politicians who have run on the communist ticket and won. But, it is not an uncommon ideology. Civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. W.E.B DuBois and Fred Hampton all embraced some basic principles of Communism. Those being equality, access to adequate health care, employm...

To support this show and projects like it, become a member today at lbpost.com/join . Imagine being on a job for 30 years and struggling to pay $1200 to rent out a room in someone's home. It sounds farfetched to a lot of us but, it is a reality Americans across the country are dealing with and, it is the reason why several CSEA employees, who work for the Long Beach Unified School district, are as...

:16 – The Long Beach Black Restaurant week is just a few days away. The event starts Jan. 23 and runs through Jan. 30. It is organized by the nonprofit Long Beach Food and Beverage and is designed to promote and celebrate African, African American and Caribbean food, as well as highlight Black-owned culinary businesses, chefs, and bartenders in and around Long Beach. - ADVERTISEMENT - Mr. Fries is...

:16 – COVID is dominating headlines around the world and people are flocking to testing centers. Testing centers in Long Beach have been flooded with residents to find out if they’re sick, or retested so they can return to work or school. - ADVERTISEMENT - We spent some time speaking with members of the community who were in line at the Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center in North Long Beach to fi...

:16 – On Monday, more than eight million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Dominguez Channel in Carson. Because of this spill, beaches in Long Beach remain closed. The Long Beach Health Department continues to test the waters to determine when it is safe to go back into the water, but the long-term effects of sewage spills like this aren’t good. Dr. Stephanie Wear, the newest member of The Aq...

:16 – We’ve all heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” But how often do we actually put that into practice? What if there was a way you could do so every day, while also creating nourishment for your garden that is better than fertilizer? - ADVERTISEMENT - The process is called composting. You take your discarded food and make it useful. It sounds good in theory but, as with most resolutions,...

:16 - Are you traveling this holiday season, the CDC has some guidelines to make your travel safe. We break down some of their top recommendations. You can see the CDC’s full list of recommendations here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html 11:52 - Is it you turn to take something to the family diner but, you don’t want the hassle of clean up, you may want to co...

:15 - “What time is it? What day is it?” These are the question Duke Givens, who is the founder and CEO of Care Closet LBC Inc., says those who are unhoused ask all the time. For most of us, this is the season for giving. For the unhoused, this is just another day where their main thought is survival. Givens says there are easy ways to get in the habit of giving year-round. Because Givens and his...

1:30 – In April, the Long Beach Unified School district reached a contract with the teachers union. However, negotiations are dragging with the district’s classified employees. These employees are part of the second-largest union, which represents over 2,100 classified employees like maintenance workers, instructional aides, bus drivers, and nutrition workers. Chapter President Gilbert Bonilla, Jr...

:16 - The shooting death of Mona Rodriguez by Long Beach Unified School District Safety Officer Eddie F. Gonzalez continues to spark concern. Mike Guardabascio covers the school district for the Long Beach Post. He also has small children who attend school in Long Beach. He gives us his perspective on last week's events. 17:39 - A protest took place on Sunday in front of the Long Beach Police Depa...

This week on the word on Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific is honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month.  Plus, the City Manager is creating a Memorial to honor those in Long Beach who have died from Covid 19. 1:15 - In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Aquarium of the Pacific is holding the 20th annual Baja Splash Cultural Festival.  The event features live music and dance repr...

This week on the Word on Long Beach we take a closer look at how the non-profit organization Unite the People Inc., began. :51 - Cesar McDowell spent 20 years in prison for a non-violent offense based on California's 3 strike rule. From his prison cell, he started Unite the People Inc., to help people who were in his situation and do not have the means to retain a competent attorney. If you would...

This week on The Word on Long Beach we recap how the recall effort of Gov. Gavin Newsom came to be and, give some tips on what you need to do to begin your entrepreneurial journey. Segment 1:59 – The final date to vote in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election is Tuesday, Sept. 14. On Monday, President Joe Biden made a trip to Long Beach to help Newsom stay in office. Those in oppositio...

This week on the Word on Long Beach, school is back in session, Mike Guardabasico tells us how it went. And, Tim Grobaty gives us a veteran's perspective as we approach the anniversary of 911. :08 - Two weeks ago, Thomas Cordova, Mike Guardabasico, and myself covered the protest from Anti-Maskers and Anti-Vaxers at the Long Beach Unified School District. We talk about how volatile our time was whi...

This week on the word on Long Beach we talk to residents of Long Beach to get their perspective on the possibility of a vaccine passport.  We also visit a new pilot program with the Long Beach Police Department designed to prevent lethal force. :42 On August 24, 2021the Long Beach Health Department gave an overview of where we stand as a city in a meeting with the City Council.  During that meetin...

This week on The Word on Long Beach.  Fathers find a resource that allows them to open up. And, a local dentist's office helps an exonerated man brighten his smile as he transitions back into society. 1:13 - When starting a family, most parents will admit they are not sure what to do.  Some may read books, some will take classes, and others will just default to how they were raised.  There is a be...

This week on The Word on Long Beach, we discuss the importance of mental health, specifically in the Black Community.  And, we’ll get an inside look into someone who has a passion for giving back to the city of Long Beach. 1:40 - Conversations surrounding mental health and the best ways to take care of the body and the mind are still very prevalent throughout our society.  Today Dr. Sandra Hardy w...

This Week on the word on Long Beach we discuss the slow process of social change. :59 - We have talked a lot about social justice and social change since the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Since then things have been moving at a snails pace. Police reform has not happened in the way that community activist have hoped. The low numbers in the Black and Latino communities indicate there is...

This week on the word on Long Beach we discuss a current issue that will have a lasting impact on the communities of Long Beach.  :37 - By the end of 2020, district lines within the city of Long Beach may be different.  The Independent Redistricting Commission, which is comprised of Long Beach residents, is an independent body tasked with drawing those lines.  Several factors go into establishing...

This week on The Word on Long Beach we explore funds that the Long Beach Black Community should know about, and, we’ll tell you how to get a custom skateboard. :50 -  Framework for Racial Reconciliation.  If that is a phrase you’ve heard before you are way ahead of a lot of people.  But now here is a bigger question, what does that mean? Following the murder of George Floyd on On May 25, 2020, Lon...