Erika D. Smith is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times writing about the people, politics and quest for a more equitable California. She joined The Times in 2018 as an assistant editor, expanding coverage of the state’s homelessness and affordable housing crises. She previously worked at the Sacramento Bee as a columnist and editorial board member. Before the Bee, Smith wrote for the Indianapolis Star and Akron Beacon Journal. She is a graduate of Ohio University and a native of Cleveland.
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Commentary on people, politics and the quest for a more equitable California.
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As president, Trump normalized racism. Now U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has been assigned to his felony case tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
The short answer is probably not. But the movement is 10 years old and, after several controversies, public opinion is down. Some want a new strategy.
The state’s reparations task force released its final report on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action policies at colleges and universities.
State Sen. Steven Bradford wants to give Black people closed prisons in rural towns. It’s exactly the sort of weird plan that might move a wary Legislature.
The South L.A. neighborhood is being remade as a Black-owned corridor for culture. But last week’s chaotic Juneteenth festival shows it won’t be easy.
At a time when the GOP is trying to erase Black history, Jefferson Boulevard now highlights a history that has long shaped this city and its people.
The insurance companies refusing to write new policies for California homeowners is a wake-up call. Climate change must be part of the conversation about how and where we build.
The South L.A. councilmember is charged with embezzlement and perjury. This follows the conviction of another Black leader, Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Hours after the Florida governor announced his run for president, LeVar Burton of “Reading Rainbow” fame issued a stark warning about what’s at stake.
In a new report, California’s reparations task force calculates how much Black people are owed for racism. It’s at least hundreds of millions of dollars.