Guest Contributor

The number of Black Angelenos and their agency has declined precipitously over the years. The spirit of Black LA, embodied by Nipsey Hussle and others who carry on his philanthropic legacy, urges the Black community to recover power by reclaiming and preserving Black spaces for the next generation.

Adwoa Blankson-Wood is a Black nurse but felt she had to protect herself by keeping race out of her workplace. She writes, 'Nobody understands what it means to be Black in America, unless they are Black in America.'

The things you hear when people can't pinpoint your race -- and insist on asking questions or making assumptions -- can run the gamut from mildly amusing to downright horrifying.

When you're young, male, and Black, you learn that sometimes, situations involving the police can instantly turn dangerous. Even if all you're doing is reading a book on the lawn.

Brandi Carter reflects on what reparations for Black Americans could look like now, a modern-day take on the fabled 40 acres and a mule that were given to some slaves during the Civil War. "It's not just about righting a centuries-old wrong. It's about reinvestment in our country to create the level playing field that everyone deserved from the start."

As a light-skinned Mexican American in the entertainment industry, Sam Varela was aware of her privilege. She often felt "like I 'made the cut' due to my white skin" when getting hired. Lately, she's been thinking about how it all connects to white supremacy.

A self-described "Black Valley Girl" pledges to prioritize her dignity after feeling forced to explain herself to a suspicious neighbor. "I don't owe it to anyone to make them feel safe."

The day the police came to the door, 5-year-old Esther Lira was terrified. She cowered under the table as officers ran through the house. Then, her brother Charlie did something unexpected.

His parents left Mexico and moved their family to a country with better opportunities, "even though they knew the opportunities were not going to be for themselves," but for their children. Now it's up to him to complete his parents' American dream.

She'd grown accustomed to the "sprinkling of macro- and micro-aggressions from some of my own people about my skin tone and hair texture" that comes with colorism. But there she was, scrambling to show photos on her phone of "my beautiful chocolate family" when yet another person brought up her light skin.

Hundreds of high school and college students in California are rushing to apply, fearful it will be slammed shut again.

Her mother used to refer to them both as "mutts" when it came to ancestry. Here's why this daughter of Mexican and European-ish parents rejects the label. (And her mom agrees.)