Author Archives: Aryana Noroozi

Black Voice News photojournalist Aryana Noroozi was born in San Diego, California and graduated with a master’s degree from The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her love for visual storytelling led her to document immigrant and deportee communities and those struggling with addiction. She was a 2020 Pulitzer Center Crisis Reporting Fellow and a GroundTruth Project Migration Fellow. She is currently a CatchLight/Report for America corps member employed by Black Voice News. You can learn more about her at aryananoroozi.com. You can email her at aryana@blackvoicenews.com.

Musicians in Academia Maqueos, a Los Angeles-based music academy, alternate playing their instruments in their performance of traditional Oaxacan music on stage at CSUSB’s AfroOaxacan cultural celebration at the Garcia Center for the Arts on February 25, 2023. The group was led by co-director Yulissa Maqueos.

CSUSB’s Anthropology Museum Celebrates AfroOaxacan Culture as Black History Month Closes

by Breanna Reeves and Aryana Noroozi February 28, 2023February 28, 2023

Breanna Reeves | Afromexicanos — Mexicans with African roots — make up just two percent of Mexico’s total population. For hundreds of years, Afromexicans have fought for recognition and in […]

The IRS is accepting and processing 2022 tax returns, with April 18 as the deadline to file last year’s tax returns.

2023 Tax Filing Season Begins with Increased Support for Taxpayers this Year

by Aryana Noroozi January 31, 2023January 31, 2023

Sara Fee poses for a portrait after speaking about her experience as an Amazon worker at the picket outside of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse in San Bernardino, on October 14, 2022.“We’re working for the biggest corporation in California, Amazon, and I have to choose whether to buy food or gas.” Fee says Amazon has ignored many issues that workers and advocates have raised and that they must continue fighting for safe working conditions and against retaliation. “It's not always just about the pay. It's about the way they treat the workers.”

San Bernardino Amazon Worker Sara Fee Fights Retaliation

by Aryana Noroozi January 26, 2023January 27, 2023

The entrance to Star Ballroom Dance Studio is blocked by police and marked as a crime scene on January 22, 2023. The night before, on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a gunman walked into the venue and opened fire, killing 10 people and injuring at least 10 more. Monterey Park’s population of approximately 60,000 is about 65 percent Asian American. “We need to get this person off the street,” the Los Angeles County sheriff said.

Shooting in LA’s Monterey Park leaves 10 dead, scores injured

by Aryana Noroozi January 22, 2023January 22, 2023

The Valero Refinery, which sits in the middle of Wilmington, California, runs operations on January 11, 2023. According to the city of Long Beach, Wilmington is the third largest drilling site in the U.S., producing 46,000 barrels per day from 1,550 active wells. The majority of Wilmington’s residents identify as Latino. SB1137 would create protections for communities like Wilmington, requiring oil and gas facility operators to implement strict pollution controls and develop response plans to protect the health of frontline communities living within 3,200 feet of existing oil wells.

Oil and Gas Referendum May Halt SB 1137’s Intent to Protect CA Communities from Toxic Oil Operations

by Prince James Story and Aryana Noroozi January 18, 2023January 18, 2023

“[MLK] never led alone. He led with community,” said newly elected Mayor Helen Tran at the Martin Luther King Parade and Extravaganza event sponsored by the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce in San Bernardino.

“Living the Dream” San Bernardino Martin Luther King Parade and Extravaganza

by Aryana Noroozi January 16, 2023January 16, 2023

Celebration-goers and vendors enter and exit White Park in Riverside where The Black Collective X Itoas hosted their annual Juneteenth Celebration. June 18, 2022.

Black Voice News and IE Voice: 2022 in Pictures

by Aryana Noroozi January 1, 2023January 5, 2023

Queen Shamala Bessie Davis Fayemi Smith poses for a portrait in her home in Gardena, California, on November 19, 2022. Smith is a longtime artist and educator who recently released her book, “Breaking the Cycles of Pain: Soul Secrets, A Memoir.” The book is the first in a trilogy detailing her life story and trauma she overcame as a Black woman.

Breaking the Cycles of Pain: Soul Secrets

by Phyllis Kimber Wilcox and Aryana Noroozi December 2, 2022December 6, 2022

(From left): Savana Villanueva, Aimee Durante and Bobbie Butts protest along with fellow parents and community activists against San Bernardino County Child Protective Services (CPS) and the Juvenile Court System outside of the San Bernardino Juvenile Justice Court on November 16, 2022.

Parents Demonstrate for Change to Child Protective Services (CPS) System in San Bernardino County

by Breanna Reeves and Aryana Noroozi November 23, 2022November 23, 2022