Happy Friday! Katie here, bringing you this week's top Race and Culture stories. What a month it has been for us at ABC10!
All throughout February, we celebrated Black History Month by highlighting our Black community, history and culture. We want to emphasize we are committed to covering stories reflecting all of our diverse communities every day. Here's a snapshot of some of the stories we've had the privilege of sharing during Black History Month.
The history of slave deeds in America
Gerald Gordon, a genealogist who lives in Dixon, was able to obtain a copy of a slave deed from 1838 tracing the history of his ancestors and painting a picture of America's dark past.
Slave deeds are property deeds, such as bills of sale, used during the slavery era containing information about enslaved people. They were often registered with county courts, which is how we can trace back these records today. During the slavery era in America, enslaved people were considered property by law. Slave owners carefully documented the selling, buying, renting or gifting of enslaved people through books and receipts.
A look at Black success in white dominated fields
Black people are disproportionately underrepresented in industries like law and contracting, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 41-year-old Jess Washington has been a contractor for nearly 20 years and started his own independent company in 2018 called Jess Electric. Despite his success, Washington said he continues to face setbacks because of racial bias.
40-year-old Tamica Smith, a Black attorney in Stockton, recalled similar experiences. She said strangers would never initially believe she was an attorney.
We want to hear from you!
What's happening in your community that you want us to know about? Send your suggestions and feedback to raceandculture@abc10.com.
Help us grow our newsletter community!
Have someone in mind who you think would enjoy our content? You can forward this newsletter via email! You can also have them sign up for our newsletter HERE. (Just make sure they sign up under the "Race and Culture" box!)
Standing in solidarity with Ukraine
Hundreds gathered at the California State Capitol to show their support for Ukraine, one year after Russia's invasion. The rally, hosted by the nonprofit Ukrainian American House, featured speakers like U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker, as well as performances by artists like Ukrainian singer Tina Karol.
Ukrainian veteran Serhiy Voronia, who lost his legs in an explosion during the war, also spoke at the rally and called for America's continued support. Hear the community's continued pleas HERE.
Sacramento State opens a new APIDA Center
There were cheers and claps as the ribbon was cut on Sac State's new Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center in Lassen Hall, Tuesday.
The APIDA Center was created to foster holistic, academic and personal development to raise cultural awareness and advocacy needs for APIDA identifying students. It will now serve the more than 6,700 students whose families come from more than 40 countries. The center is now one of six APIDA centers in the entire CSU system. The university also expanded its Martin Luther King Jr. Center. Read more about the ultimate goals of the APIDA Center HERE.
Get to know us!
Community-driven storytelling isn't possible without the dedication of all of our ABC10 journalists and staff. That's why in every newsletter, I will introduce different members of our team so you know the amazing faces and names behind our content. Let's meet Gonzalo!
My name is Gonzalo Magaña and I've been at ABC10 for six years. As the Director of Special Projects and Engagement at ABC10, I lead our Race and Culture efforts and help ensure we are living our mission of telling the stories of historically overlooked and underrepresented communities, and ensure our coverage is fair, balanced and equitable. I am passionate about producing impactful journalism that helps hold people accountable, shines a light on broken systems and creates positive change. As a person of color, immigrant and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have a unique perspective of the world and understand the inequities diverse communities face. That's why I think it's important to celebrate cultures and their stories.
I love to travel and see the world. I have learned so much from traveling to other countries and immersing myself in their culture. I've traveled to over thirty countries and counting. I have made some great friends along the way. When I am not traveling, I like to go wine tasting with friends and enjoy the great and diverse food we have in the Sacramento region.
Fun fact, I am a second-degree Black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I spent 17 years training, teaching and competing in the sport.
What's happening in your community that you want us to know about? Send your suggestions and feedback to raceandculture@abc10.com.
