Thursday, May 7, 2026 | Vol 40 No 8

WESTSIDESTORY NEWSPAPER

This Mother's Day, Pour into Her

The Westside Story's Picks for the Mom Who Deserves It All

JIREH

RAPHA NISSI SHALOM

JIREH RAPHA NISSI SHALOM

She's been the backbone, the safe place, the first call and the last resort. She's shown up early, next adventure at soulstamped. org.

One Life Live Lit | For the Mom stayed up late, and poured herself Who Carries Her Light Everyout again and again-without complaint. This Mother's Day, the Westside Story wants to help you give her something that matches her energy. We're spotlighting two standout brands making it easy to celebrate the woman who deserves to be celebrated right.

Soul Stamped For the Mom Who Deserves a Real Getaway This Mother's Day, give her more than a card give her a destina- tion. Soul Stamped is a boutique travel booking service curated for couples, groups, and solo travelers who are ready to experience the world with intention and style. From romantic escapes to girl- friend getaways, Soul Stamped handles the details so Mom can simply show up and exhale. Be- cause she's spent a lifetime pour- ing into everyone else it's her turn to be poured into. Book her where

Some gifts decorate a space. The best ones speak to a soul. One Life Live Lit creates themed collections of totes, journals, accesso- ries, apparel, and lifestyle pieces designed to remind us of exactly who we are seen, purposeful, and lit from within. Whether Mom is stepping into something new, rediscovering herself, or simply needs something that reflects the season she's in, One Life Live Lit meets her right there. Because a life well-lit isn't about being perfect - it's about showing up firm in your own light. Shop the col- lection at onelifelivelit.com This Mother's Day, choose gifts that go beyond the moment-ex- periences and reminders that tell her, in no uncertain terms: you are seen, you are valued, and you de- serve every bit of this.

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At the center of concern is the Supreme Court's ruling in Loui- siana v. Callais, which limits how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be used to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps. For decades, Section 2 has served as a key legal tool to combat practices that have historically disenfran- chised Black voters.

Speakers said the ruling raises the bar for proving discrimination by allowing states to justify ineq- uitable maps as partisan decisions rather than racial ones.

"This decision is not just about one state, one map, or one elec- tion," said Rick Callender, presi- dent of the NAACP California-

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026

Black Leaders Warn of "Attack" on Voting Rights: Call for Urgent Action

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Black elected officials, civil Hawaii State Conference. "It's rights attorneys, and grassroots organizers from across California convened in a virtual conference on May 1 to sound the alarm following an April 29 U.S. Supreme

Court decision they say has se- verely weakened a cornerstone of the Voting Rights Act warning that the ruling poses a direct threat to minority voting power and rep- resentation.

The discussion, moderated by civil rights attorney Nicole Car- men-Cox, brought together voices from government, legal advocacy, and community-based organizaabout whether Black voters and other historically excluded com- munities will have a fair opportunity to be heard, counted, and represented."

"This is not just a policy fight. It's a fight over whether democ- racy is dismantled or expanded,"

said Kristen Nimmers of the Cali- fornia Black Power Network, a coalition of dozens of Black-led grassroots organizations across the state.

Speaking during a Congressional Black Caucus press conference in Washington, D.C., Rep. Sydney tions to outline the stakes and Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) said chart a path forward. the Supreme Court's decision is a "call to action." She encouraged voters to take a stand against forc- es "continuing to demoralize and marginalize the Black vote."

"Let's be clear, in California, for example, the three U.S. House seats that are held by Black people are not in majority African Ameri- can districts. We have proven that we can represent districts that are not majority Black. So, let's not have a binary conversation that only Black people can represent Blacks because when we do rep- resent a district the entirety of the district rises," she said.

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