By Carla Thomas

Community members gathered at the Black Panther Party Museum on Saturday, Aug. 15, in downtown Oakland for a screening of “Seeds for Liberation,” an award-winning documentary examining the Palestinian liberation movement and its connections to Black, Chicano and other movements for collective liberation.

The film reveals the face of conflict, struggle, and injustice today and yesterday. In one scene, a bleeding child pleads for help on a shell-shattered rooftop after a bombing in the Gaza Strip last year. In another scene, newly freed Nelson Mandela addresses thousands at the Oakland Coliseum in 1990, at the end of apartheid.

The screening was hosted by the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America and the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. Following the film, director Matthew Solomon joined local community leaders for a discussion about solidarity, resistance, and the historical connections explored throughout the documentary. 

Directed by Solomon and executive-produced by Donna Hadjikhani and Alana Hadid, “Seeds for Liberation” situates Palestinian experiences within the broader history of anti-imperialist and decolonial movements.

Through interviews with historians, legal scholars, activists and organizers, the documentary examines Palestinian resistance. It also details the role of social media in shaping the public’s understanding of the impact of Palestine’s 77-year occupation by Israeli forces, events in Gaza and the West Bank, and relationships between liberation movements across generations and geographic boundaries.

The film includes perspectives of people connected to the Black Liberation Army, La Raza Unida and the Stop Cop City movement. Those featured talk about colonialism, U.S. foreign policy, policing, racial justice and their views of what solidarity with Palestinians has meant.

Solomon developed the documentary following his previous film, “Reimagining Safety,” which explored alternatives to traditional policing.

“I use film as a medium to connect personal testimony with larger social and political questions,” said Solomon, who is currently touring the film across the nation as well as Canada and other countries.

Executive producer Hadjikhani brought a personal connection to the project. An Iranian American designer and social justice advocate, she traveled to Gaza and the West Bank as a college student in 1993 during the First Intifada. Hadid has since focused on Palestinian stories and other underrepresented voices.

The Oakland screening carried added historical significance because it was held in the Black Panther Party Museum, where the history of Black resistance and community organizing provided a backdrop for the film’s examination of interconnected struggles.

Activist and artist Cat Brooks passionately spoke about the fight for the freedom of all people. “No one is free until everyone is free,” she said.

Brooks played a key role in the struggle for justice for Oscar Grant, who was gunned down by a BART police officer in 2009 and is co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP), whose mission is to rapidly respond to and ultimately eradicate state violence in communities of color. 

Rather than treating liberation movements as isolated chapters, “Seeds for Liberation” asks audiences to consider how movements separated by time, race and geography have influenced one another and how solidarity has continued to evolve across generations. 

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By Brandon Patterson

ATLANTA—The 52nd National Association of Black Journalists conference brought thousands of journalists, students, media executives and civic leaders to Atlanta Aug. 12-16 for its 2026 Convention and Career Fair, a five-day gathering centered on the theme “Our Revolution: Truth, Power and Black Journalism.”

Among the conference’s most closely watched sessions was Thursday’s Newsmaker Plenary, where House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries discussed the national political climate with NABJ President Errin Haines. Journalist Joy-Ann Reid later led a fireside conversation with legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, creator of the term “intersectionality,” and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the 1619 Project.

The plenary also turned toward grief, accountability and justice as the parents of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, appeared with civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Crump was also the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s, Michael Brown’s, and Tamir Rice’s families. Moderated by journalist Tiffany Cross, the Wells family’s appearance focused on unanswered questions surrounding Nolan’s July death in Mississippi and calls for a federal review.

Reid and journalist Don Lemon also joined a separate discussion with Cross, columnist Michael Harriot and journalist Chandra Whitfield about career disruption, resilience and building independent platforms as Black journalists face layoffs and wider media industry upheaval.

Across generations, attendees exchanged ideas about sustaining careers and serving Black communities.

The gathering reflected NABJ’s long-standing role as both professional home and public forum for Black journalists. For Black-owned legacy newspapers, including ours, the Atlanta convention reinforced a familiar mandate: defend truth, elevate Black voices and connect national debates over politics, justice and media power to the communities most affected.

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra is positioning himself as a results-driven Democrat willing to work across party lines, laying out an agenda focused on affordability, health care, housing, energy and technology at a Sacramento summit last week.  

In a conversation with POLITICO California Bureau Chief Melanie Mason, the former California attorney general and U.S. health secretary pushed back on Republican criticism that Democrats bear responsibility for California’s persistent housing, homelessness and affordability problems. 

“We’re a state. We’re a family. We all work together,” Becerra said, arguing that California’s challenges require cooperation rather than partisan blame. He added that, as governor, he would have to work with lawmakers “whether they’ve got a D or an R behind their name.” 

The approach reflects Becerra’s broader campaign argument that voters are looking for results rather than ideological promises. He pointed to his experience handling crises and negotiating lower prescription drug prices as evidence that he can deliver, while rejecting what he called “pie in the sky, inflated promises.” 

That philosophy is reflected in his housing proposal. Becerra says he wants to accelerate construction by reducing regulatory delays and creating greater certainty for developers, but declined to promise three million new homes, calling that an “inflated promise.” He also pledged to expand programs that help Californians purchase their first homes. 

Health care is another major component of his platform. With federal cuts threatening coverage for Californians, Becerra proposed making the state a “backstop” so residents do not lose insurance. His plan would seek savings from administrative waste and require insurers and providers to help reduce costs. 

On energy, Becerra unveiled his “Power Hour” concept: two hours of free electricity, initially aimed at lower-income households, during periods of excess solar generation. The proposal would encourage Californians to shift energy use to the afternoon, when solar production is high. 

Becerra also supports requiring larger employers to contribute more when workers rely on publicly funded health programs, arguing that taxpayers should not subsidize companies that fail to provide affordable coverage. 

On climate policy, he said California’s 2035 goal for phasing out new gas-powered cars is achievable if the state invests in charging infrastructure. He also wants stronger guardrails for artificial intelligence, particularly to protect children and workers, while keeping California at the center of the technology industry. 

The candidate also addressed the proposed Paramount-Skydance merger, saying the state should consider whether the deal would keep Hollywood’s entertainment industry vibrant and protect working families. 

On taxes, Becerra opposes the specific billionaires tax proposal on the ballot but maintains that wealthy Californians should pay their fair share. He also rejected the idea that Democrats face an “existential crisis,” arguing that different ideological factions can strengthen the party if they focus on delivering results.

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