Throughout 2025, reporting by Inland Valley News (IVN) followed how decisions made at every level of government, from city council chambers in the Inland Empire to the halls of Sacramento and Washington, continued to shape the daily lives of Black residents across Southern California.
The year’s coverage documented both immediate, local consequences and broader policy debates unfolding at the state and national levels, often revealing how longstanding inequities intersected with governance, education, public safety and cultural life.
At the local level, IVN reporting consistently tracked city council and board actions in communities such as Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Pomona, Ontario and San Bernardino, areas where Black residents have long raised concerns about representation, transparency and access to public resources.
Across city council chambers, school board meetings, community centers and the state Capitol, last year’s coverage documented how policy decisions, cultural conflicts and enforcement practices converged in everyday life.
A central pillar of the year’s reporting was IVN’s ongoing accountability series, “Inland Valley News Watches the Watchmen,” which focuses on policing, oversight and public safety.
Articles published under the Watches the Watchmen banner examined local law enforcement practices regarding racial disparities in police stops, public oversight mechanisms and resident concerns about transparency.
Early in the year, the series examined racial disparities in traffic and pedestrian stops in “Inland Valley News Watches the Watchmen: Police Departments Face Criticism Over Racial Disparities in California Stops.”
The article focused on statewide stop data reviewed by the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory (RIPA) Board and how law enforcement agencies were being asked to respond to persistent racial gaps in enforcement.
Rather than treating the data as abstract, the reporting connected statewide findings to Inland Valley and Inland Empire communities, where Black residents have long raised concerns about over-policing and unequal treatment during routine encounters.
That focus continued in “Inland Valley News Watches the Watchmen: RIPA Board Has Its First Full Meeting of the Year,” which detailed the board’s early 2025 discussions, including how millions of stops are analyzed, how agencies report data and what gaps remain in understanding racial disparities.
Later in the year, the series tracked policy debates over transparency itself in “Inland Valley News Watches the Watchmen: AB 284 Sparks Debate Over Future of RIPA and Police Transparency.”
That article examined how proposed changes to state law could reshape the oversight board and alter how stop data is collected and disclosed, raising questions about accountability and public access.
Across the series, the reporting underscored that policing debates are not limited to high-profile incidents.
For many Black residents, the cumulative impact of stops, questioning and surveillance shapes daily life long before an arrest or use-of-force case ever occurs.
Immigration was another recurring theme in 2025 coverage, particularly as federal enforcement and court rulings filtered into local governance and community organizing.
In “Immigration Raids and Transportation Improvements Dominate Fontana City Council Meeting,” Inland Valley News reported on residents urging city officials to address concerns over immigration enforcement during a meeting otherwise focused on routine municipal business.
The story highlighted how national enforcement practices often surface at the local level, where residents expect city leaders to take positions that affect community trust and safety.
On college campuses, immigration debates turned into direct protest. “CSUSB Students Protest Supreme Court Ruling, Call for Campus Sanctuary Policies” documented demonstrations at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), where students and faculty criticized a Supreme Court decision and demanded stronger protections for undocumented students.
The story discussed the protest as both a legal and personal issue, noting how fears of increased federal activity in local communities and lack of federal accountability can affect students’ willingness to attend class, seek services or engage on campus.
Immigration also appeared through community organizing and philanthropy.
In “CIELO Fund Celebrates Growth, Scholarships and Immigrant Justice at Annual Brunch,” coverage focused on how advocates are building support systems through scholarships and legal assistance amid shifting policy landscapes.
While immigration is often discussed through a narrow lens, the reporting emphasized that Black immigrants and Black mixed-status families are part of these debates, facing unique challenges that are frequently overlooked.
Education coverage in 2025 reflected broader national conflicts over race, history and curriculum, particularly through debates over ethnic studies.
In “Riverside School Board Weighs Removing Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement Amid Funding Uncertainty and Broader State Debate,” IVN reported on a proposal to eliminate an ethnic studies graduation requirement in Riverside Unified School District (RUSD).
The article detailed how district officials cited scheduling and funding pressures, while parents, students and community members warned that removing the requirement would marginalize Black history and reduce culturally relevant education.
By documenting the arguments, votes and public testimony, the reporting placed the local debate within a wider statewide and national movement challenging how race and history are taught in public schools.
For many Black families, the dispute represented more than just a curriculum change.
They argue that it represents an ongoing struggle over whose histories are treated as essential knowledge and whose are seen as optional when political or financial pressures arise.
However, not all coverage focused on conflict.
IVN also reported on cultural events that functioned as both celebration and civic statement.
In “Thousands Gather in Rialto for Juneteenth Jam Celebration of Black Joy and Freedom,” reporting captured a large community gathering centered on Black history, culture and resilience.
The story emphasized Juneteenth as a public affirmation of freedom and memory, particularly in a year when Black history was being debated or challenged in other institutions.
Such coverage underscored that cultural events are not separate from civic life but a part of how communities assert presence, continuity and belonging.
Long-form profiles published in 2025 centered Black leaders working across education, advocacy and the arts.
In “‘Sankofa’ Shapes Tamika Casey’s Equity Work in Inland Empire Schools,” the article traced her background, community work and reflections on systemic barriers.
In “Tamika J. Carter Channels Therapy, Culture and Community Into Healing-Centered Work,” IVN documented her path into the mental health field and the issues she identified as critical for Black people.
Another profile, “Ipyani Lockert: Honoring ‘Life Within the Living’ in San Bernardino County and Beyond,” explored how photography shaped his civic perspective, connecting creative work to advocacy and accountability.
Local governance stories throughout 2025 showed how national tensions often surface during routine municipal proceedings.
In “Heated Exchanges Mark Ontario City Council Meeting During Public Comments,” IVN documented a contentious meeting where residents clashed with officials, reflecting broader frustrations over governance and accountability.
That theme continued in “Ontario City Council Celebrates Youth Achievements, Faces Public Scrutiny on Development and Transparency,” which juxtaposed ceremonial recognition with sharp public criticism over development and decision-making processes.
For Black residents, these moments illustrated how local power is exercised, through land-use decisions, development approvals and public engagement, and how difficult it can be to secure accountability even at the most immediate level of government.
Across policing data, immigration debates and education disputes, a consistent pattern emerged in 2025 coverage: policies debated at the state or national level often materialize most clearly in local spaces.
By documenting meetings, protests, data reports and community events, IVN’s reporting showed how Black communities in the Inland Empire continue to navigate overlapping systems of power, all while organizing, testifying and celebrating in the same spaces where those systems operate.
As the year closed, the body of work offered less a single narrative than a public record, capturing how decisions are made, challenged and lived with long after the ink dries.
