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Old Tradition, New Line: Black Line Dancers Create Community in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO OBSERVER — At the center of it all is Nights in the Valley, a Black-led line dancing group founded by Sumarah Lewis, 26, and Quincy Middleton, 33. Launched a little more than a year ago, the Sacramento-based group teaches line dancing every Wednesday night, creating a space where beginners and experienced dancers learn side by side.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

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By Williamena Kwapo | Sacramento Observer

In Sacramento, a new generation of dancers is making sure an old tradition stays alive.

Every Wednesday night, hundreds line up shoulder to shoulder in a crowded room, waiting for the beat to drop. Some arrive early to learn the steps. Others show up later, already knowing the routine. By the end of the night, nearly everyone is moving in sync; sliding, turning, clapping — line dancing.

At the center of it all is Nights in the Valley, a Black-led line dancing group founded by Sumarah Lewis, 26, and Quincy Middleton, 33. Launched a little more than a year ago, the Sacramento-based group teaches line dancing every Wednesday night, creating a space where beginners and experienced dancers learn side by side.

“It is a visual form of pure unity,” Middleton says. “Everyone in the room is doing the same thing, going the same direction, to the same beat.”

The group began with roughly 15 people and has grown into weekly gatherings averaging more than 150, sometimes reaching 250. The dances taught each week include classics, newer routines circulating online, and original choreography created by Lewis and Middleton.

Lewis says the idea grew out of a longing for something she couldn’t find in Sacramento. After briefly living in Louisiana in her early 20s, she was introduced to line dancing in a way she had not experienced.

“I walked into a club and everybody was line dancing,” Lewis says. “Nobody was competing. Everyone was just moving together.”

When she returned home, Lewis sought that same sense of collective joy. While Sacramento had line dancing venues, she rarely saw Black dancers on the floor.

“We line dance all the time at cookouts, weddings, family functions,” she says. “But we didn’t have a space here that felt like it was really for us.”

Nights in the Valley founders Quincy Middleton, left, and Sumarah Lewis flank Chelsea Kodama, a member of their line dancing performance team. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER

Rather than wait for one to appear, Lewis decided to build it herself. She approached Middleton, a Sacramento DJ, with the idea of creating a Black-centered line dancing space grounded in Black music, movement, and community.

“We knew right away this was something people wanted,” Middleton says. “We just had to create the space.”

The Nights in the Valley performance team at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento. Courtesy of Nights in the Valley

They were right because line dancing spans throughout Black history and has been a source of joy and necessary escape.

For centuries, African Americans have danced collectively as a form of connection, celebration, and survival. The roots of Black line dancing can be traced to West African communal dances and the ring shout, a distinct ritualistic dance where enslaved Africans moved together in rhythm as a way to preserve culture. Those traditions evolved over time, appearing at juke joints, church halls, and family gatherings, eventually shaping the dances seen today.

From the Electric Slide to the Cupid Shuffle, line dances became shared choreography learned by watching elders, joining the line, and following the beat. The practice emphasized unity over performance, which allowed everyone to participate regardless of age or skill level.

Lewis and Middleton carry that understanding, embodying the history of line dancing in every lesson taught.

“I teach for the people who don’t know how to dance,” Lewis says. “And once they get it, you see their confidence change.”

She teaches without counts, instead focusing on direction and rhythm, making it easier for first-time dancers to follow along. Her approach reflects the organization’s unofficial motto: “no dancers left behind.” She believes such accessibility keeps people coming back and contributes to their growth.

That sense of collective accomplishment has turned Wednesday nights into more than a dance class. For many attendees, Nights in the Valley has become a consistent space for releasing emotions, unwinding, meeting people, and feeling part of a community.

“Once you’re around people who are willing to break it down and teach it to you, it takes away the hesitation of learning,” says Chelsea Kodama, an early member and now a performer with the group’s performance team. “I think it’s the environment that brings people together.”

As the organization grew, a core group of dancers began returning week after week. That group eventually formed a performance team of about 15 people that now represents Nights in the Valley at festivals, weddings, corporate events, and community celebrations across Northern California.

Looking ahead, Lewis and Middleton hope to bring line dancing into schools and create more all-ages events, introducing younger generations to the tradition early. They also envision a permanent home at a venue built specifically for Black line dancing and community gathering. Until then, they’ll keep opening the doors every Wednesday night, carrying forward a tradition rooted in collective movement and shared joy.

“This is healthy,” Lewis says. “It’s therapy for the mind, body, and spirit.”

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#NNPA BlackPress

Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

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Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,