Black Don’t Crack: Building Our Bench, Owning Our Power, Investing in Our Strength

By Kellie Todd Griffin, Special to California Black Media Partners

Over two million Black Californians call this state home — making us the fifth largest Black population in the country. That’s not just a statistic; it’s a statement of power, presence, and potential. Yet, as housing costs soar and our communities shift from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland to inland regions like the Inland Empire and Sacramento, the one constant that remains is this: Black Californians still have the power to shape the political and cultural direction of this state.

And in close elections, we are the margin. We are the difference between a win and a loss. The deciders. The protectors. The visionaries. But that power doesn’t mean much if we don’t build the infrastructure to wield it — and that star