Last Updated on January 5, 2024 by BVN

Photographed and Curated by Aryana Noroozi

This year’s Black Voice News (BVN) and IE Voice Year in Photos provides a glimpse into the diverse moments that unfolded across the Inland Empire in 2023. Photographer Aryana Noroozi, a valued member of the Report for America corps and CatchLight Local Fellow who joined our team in 2022, collaborated with community members to capture their stories featured in Black Voice News and the IE Voice. In partnership with CatchLight, the visual narratives from the past year aimed to document and celebrate the resilience of the communities we serve.

In this second annual edition of the BVN and IE Voice Year in Photos report, we’ve continued to build our visual archive with stories encompassing joy, hardship, compassion, leadership, and capture connections within the community. Our narratives showcase a unique range of community members, including those working to make memorial services more accessible for veteran families, local restaurant owners bringing their native cuisines to the IE, individuals navigating modern redlining, and families graciously sharing their experiences about the joy of parenthood. While the social issues depicted in each story are not unique to the Inland Empire, we’re grateful for the opportunity to visually document how they unfold and impact this community, specifically.

As 2024 begins, Black Voice News and IE Voice express appreciation for your ongoing support and feedback. Together, we look forward to growing our visual archive and providing meaningful snapshots of the Inland Empire community.

Snow falls on West 11th Street in San Bernardino on February 25, 2023. San Bernardino County declared a local emergency on Feb. 27 after mountain community residents and tourists were trapped inside homes as a result of the historic winter storm, which was one of the largest of 2023. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
On November 9, 2023, Mark McKay stands in a showroom that contains caskets, urns, and other afterlife options for families to pick for their loved ones. Located minutes from the Riverside National Cemetery and former March Air Reserve Base, McKay’s Mortuary serves many veteran families. He says his purpose in life is giving back to families so they can afford funeral costs to honor their loved one. McKay hails from a family of veterans, who modeled strong morals of public conduct, good citizenship and respect. McKay says that one of the largest obstacles to the memorial process for families is that many are unaware of what veterans’ burial benefits they have and how to fully utilize them. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson, Joseph Williams of the San Bernardino Community College District, San Bernardino Council Member Kimberly Calvin, Nalaisha Burnett of the San Jacinto School Board and Assemblymember Corey Jackson engage in the Elected Officials panel during the State of the Black IE Symposium at the Moreno Valley Conference Center on October 2, 2023. The symposium served as a point of connection for, and discussion of, the most critical and prominent issues faced by the Inland Empire Black community including social justice, the economy, reparations, Black entrepreneurship, and Black health – including infant mortality. The event concluded with a discussion between Assemblymember Jackson and Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the 1619 Project, about understanding and unpacking the historical and social structures, and implications of systemic racism in the U.S. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News/ CatchLight Local)
Mayor Helen Tran poses for a portrait, gazing out the window of her office in San Bernardino on February 7, 2023. Tran has been nicknamed “the million miles-per-hour” mayor by her colleagues at City Hall. Tran is the third female mayor in San Bernardino’s history and the first Asian American to become mayor of the city. She was officially sworn in as mayor on December 21, 2022 and publicly sworn in by California Attorney General Rob Bonta on January 25, 2023. “My approach is to ensure that we constantly put our city in a positive light. We, as leaders, need to come across in a positive light,” Tran said. “We are constantly working hard to bring [people] in and be inviting.” (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Ly-Bach Truong, 25, poses for a portrait with his grandmother, Tai Nguyen, 80, over a pot of  Cà Ri Gà, Vietnamese curry, she made for an upcoming family gathering on May 13, 2023. “Core” and “traditional” are words that 25-year-old Ly-Bach Truong uses to describe specific childhood memories as he recalled what it was like growing up in an intergenerational household. He shared that memories aren’t merely experiences from a specific time or place, rather everyday life remembered through meals and snacks. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Truong adds crispy onions to the top of the Cơm chiên, Vietnamese fried rice, on May 13, 2023. He explained that people modify the recipe to suit their taste by adding various toppings and sauces. Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese American, Truong’s family made a pot of rice in a rice cooker each day. Rice was a staple for the family and used in a majority of the dishes they made. Truong recalled spending time at the heels of his grandparents, learning the various recipes and meals they cooked from start to finish. Truong said that the Cơm chiên recipe was passed down to him by his grandfather who would make it for him in the early mornings before school. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Truong walks from his kitchen down the hall, passing a wall of family portraits taken over the years, on May 13, 2023. He lives in a multigenerational home with his parents and grandparents, where he says their recipes like Cơm chiên make for “core Vietnamese memories.”  (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Adam Garcia and his mother Nena Garcia pose for a portrait at a Studio City Chevron Gas Station, the first location he was taken in an unmarked vehicle on March 28, 2021, when he was kidnapped by a man who, according to Adam, claimed he was a sheriff. This is one of many incidents where Adams says he was targeted by the Riverside DA that have caused him to fear for his life. Previously, a longtime Riverside County resident, Adam was 33 years-old when arrested. He loves art, music, had dreams of owning an art gallery, and plans for his own signature hot sauce. Adam claims he is innocent, doesn’t know the victim, and says the alleged events described by RCDA in the case, never occurred. Since his arrest, Adam has studied law and legal processes, representing himself (pro per) against what he views as “an illegal arrest and criminal charges.”  With the charges pending, Adam is unable to find employment, his life is on hold, and his future… uncertain. (Aryana Noroozi for CatchLight Local / Black Voice News)
A couple exits Cenaduría Oaxaqueña Donají after enjoying a meal on Saturday night August 5, 2023. Husband and wife Jose and Antonia Toledo, began serving traditional Oaxacan food in their Riverside home nearly 22 years ago. Today, they run the restaurant, known as Cenaduría Oaxaqueña Donají, with their family to bring a taste of their homeland to the community. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Johnny Toledo prepares a tlayuda in the kitchen of his family’s Riverside backyard restaurant on August 5, 2023. Johnny can pinpoint his first experience with the food to when he visited Oaxaca at nine years old. He has not been back in thirteen years, but says he enjoys eating tlayudas at his family’s backyard restaurant, returning to that initial first taste of tlayudas. He helps his parents run their restaurant, Cenaduría Oaxaqueña Donají, in their backyard. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
The San Bernardino PaceSetter drill team lines up to perform at the Martin Luther King Parade and Extravaganza at Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino on January 16, 2023. The event was hosted by the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce and featured guest appearances by the region’s elected leaders, including Mayor Helen Tran and Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, and a performance by Rialto natives, J.J. Fad. (Aryana Noroozi, Black Voice News Newsroom/CatchLight Local).
Alvin Mabson tickles his son Ennis on April 5, 2023. As an active member of the military, Alvin says it brings him joy to cherish the memories he has with his family. He says he is fortunate to have been present for both of his childrens’ home births and to raise them without having to do so over FaceTime. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local).
Dannette Sanders reaches over her husband Daryl Sanders to squeeze their daughter Gabriella’s cheek in their home on April 5, 2023. “Man, I like her. I enjoy her company. She’s funny. She’s witty. She’s kind,” Dannette said about Gabriella. As parents who work full-time, Dannette and Daryl both agreed that it’s important to make time for family and each other, and to set limits on work obligations. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Brandi T. Biggles, known within the Southern California culinary community as Chef Brandi, shops for produce at Lazy Acres market in Hermosa Beach on February 28, 2023. Each month, she creates her signature fire-grilled vegan artisan pizzas at the Prosperity Market, a traveling farmers market featuring Black farmers, vendors and chefs. Biggles helped the founders develop the market as she shared a similar vision of a mobile market and recalled having the idea drafted on her vision board which she displays on her bedroom wall. Today, she calls it her “results board” because she wants the results to come to fruition and not remain a vision. Biggles hopes to soon purchase a vehicle to house a mobile kitchen and travel the country, serving food in cities across the U.S. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Dr. Jasmaine Coleman works on a computer that she uses to perform patient ultrasounds at the Neighborly, Adaptable, Equitable Care for Black Obstetric Patients (NAEBOR) clinic in Rialto on February 2, 2022. Coleman is an obstetrician and is currently training as a fellow at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center to become a high-risk specialist. Her experience growing up in rural Alabama where she witnessed her family travel hours to see a physician and struggle to receive appropriate care, especially while pregnant, empowered her to pursue medicine. “What better way to do something about it than to be part of the solution by going to medical school,” Coleman said. Coleman says if she could give a message to providers across the nation when it comes to maternal healthcare, it would be to listen to the patients and heavily take into account their background and experiences because they affect patient health. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom/CatchLight Local).
Daniel Martinez and his sister, Nancy Sanchez, pose for a portrait after the Operation Green Light for Veterans ceremonial light-switch event at the Riverside County Administration Center building on November 7, 2023. Riverside County is part of the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes, and boroughs in Operation Green Light, which signifies support and appreciation for veterans. Martinez, who joined the Navy at sixteen and served in the Vietnam War, traveled to Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. He also took part in a covert mission in Cambodia and later Desert Shield. While he recalls those experiences fondly, he also faces the difficult memories from his service. Today, he is 34 years sober. He credited the Riverside County Department of Veteran Services for his opportunity to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lung disease treatment from Agent Orange exposure. Sanchez lived with her husband overseas in Germany when he was drafted during the Vietnam War. She provides support to her brother after events like this where he talks about his service.“That’s why I have my sister come with me because if I were to drive home right now and thinking about all this [it] wouldn’t be good,” he said. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News/ CatchLight Local)
Esteban Zúñiga, a Los Angeles-based artist, and a fellow festival-goer craft large turtle and bull structures using bamboo sticks and twine on February 25, 2023. The fixtures were later used to perform the ritualistic dance at the Garcia Center for the Arts while Academia Maqueos played traditional Oaxacan songs on stage. The Anthropology Museum at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) celebrated AfroOaxacan culture by holding the event at the Garcia Center which featured art, dance, music and food. The free, two-day event celebrated the richness of AfroMexican identity and encouraged attendees to learn more about the history of Afrodescendants in Mexico. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Adrian Venegas cuts a pumpkin stem with a sharp cutting wire in the field at Venegas Family Farms on October 31, 2023. The farm provides customers with a pair of gloves and a cutting wire to cut their own pumpkins at the Ontario farm. Venegas thinks that this experience is unique to his pumpkin patch and thinks that many Inland Empire residents may not have had this experience before. Originally a family of dairy farmers, the Venegas family converted part of their farm to pumpkin farming after the 2008 recession in efforts to subsidize some of the losses they were experiencing in milk sales. Today, the pumpkin patch has brought them closer to their community due to the direct-to-consumer model, which is lacking in the dairy industry, Venegas said. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Founder and owner of Cellar Door Books, Linda Sherman-Nurick, poses for a portrait at the bookstore on March 17, 2023. Sherman-Nurick was an educator who taught writing at Riverside Community College until 2012 when she was asked by a friend what she would do, if she could choose anything. Sherman-Nurick said she’d open a bookstore. “I think that we are seeing the fight for books… what they’re fighting against is a history that includes all of us and not some of us,” Sherman-Nurick said, adding that her heroes are the bookstores and publishers in states like Florida and Idaho that are continuing to put books in the hands of children. She believes that the property management of Cellar Door’s original storefront wanted to terminate their lease because of her beliefs. “I was just like, ‘What? Are you serious?’ I’ve been here 10 years. I made it through COVID,” she said, recounting her reaction when reading the email the property management sent to terminate her lease with less than two months’ notice. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local).
Founder and owner of Cellar Door Books, Linda Sherman-Nurick, talks with Steven Cason, a longtime customer on March 17, 2023. Cason is an essential part of the bookstore’s community and upon learning of the lease termination, stepped in to support Sherman-Nurick with the move, from costs to logistics. Sherman-Nurick says when she posted about the situation on social media, the store was the busiest it had ever been in its 10 years of existence. “I think it hit something very visceral in people. [The customers thought] ‘This is our bookstore. This is not her bookstore, this is our bookstore, and you [the property managers] just attacked.’ So people came back very hard.” (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local).
Residents play bingo in the recreational game room of San Bernardino’s new permanent supportive housing for chronically unhoused seniors on March 16, 2023. The facility is equipped to support its community with onsite social and mental health services and professionals, including a live-in manager. The unit, developed at the repurposed All Star Lounge, was funded by Governor Newsom’s Homekey Program and Shangri-La Industries. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local).
Hail pours over hills in Colton as a winter storm onsets on February 25, 2023. Special weather statements were issued for the cities of Riverside, Fontana and Corona on Feb. 23, due to threats of winds at 40 miles per hour and possible penny-size hail. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local).
Steven Zeeb, who joined the Air Force in 1979 and served for 20 years, and his wife Barbara McInnis, unload a power chair from their truck to take to the Murrieta Marine Corps Birthday celebration on November 10, 2023. The couple hope to raise awareness about All From the Heart, the organization they are a part of that provides these power wheelchairs to veterans. Zeeb, a Chicago native and Murrieta resident, met McInnis through the organization. McInnis’s previous husband used a power wheelchair after suffering injuries from Agent Orange exposure. Today, Zeeb and McInnis actively give back through the organization. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
On November 10, 2023 at the Marine Corps Birthday Celebration in Murrieta, Don Krampe, the oldest member of the Marine Corps at the celebration who was born in 1929, gifts his slice of cake to Ethan Crampton, the youngest member born in 2005. The tradition of this birthday celebration is that the oldest member gives the youngest member his piece of cake. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Billy Ross poses for a portrait on May 11, 2023. In 2006 Ross moved from Compton to Fontana for his wife’s job. Both had great credit and moved into their home after being offered a mortgage loan that was almost too good to be true, with the incentive that they could refinance at any time: a subprime loan. By 2008, their home lost value and they were drowning in payments, while simultaneously being unable to find lenders who would help them refinance their home. Ross says his experience with subprime loans was stressful and complicated, but due to his extensive knowledge and expertise within the space, he and his wife were strategic and intentional to avoid foreclosure. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Founder and CEO of TruEvolution, Gabriel Maldonado, gives a tour of one of the homes in Project Legacy during the official opening of the supportive housing unit on June 30, 2023. TruEvolution is a community organization working to close gaps in health and racial inequity and provide an improved quality of life to the LGBTQ+ community. The community-based organization joined forces with the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside to co-create Project Legacy, a housing development intended to serve the LGBTQ+ community in Riverside County. Many members of this population are impacted by co-occurring conditions and chronic homelessness. By implementing a community campus model that integrates comprehensive supportive services and residential bungalows, Project Legacy will offer on-site primary and specialty health services, a mental health clinic, a workforce training center, a fitness center and community garden. Maldonado has led TruEvolution’s efforts for the last eleven years with initiatives including comprehensive HIV prevention and care services, a mental health clinic, an emergency supportive housing program, and the new housing development project. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Tonja Bellard shares a moment with her granddaughter Kai Bellard at the Halloween Chino Hills Celebration at The Shoppes at Chino Hills held by the City of Chino Hills on October 31, 2023. Tonja, who was born and raised in Inglewood and moved to the Chino Hills area to raise her own children, learned of the event from The Champion Newspaper, a community newspaper, and brought Kai from Chino Hills to enjoy the celebration which included trick-or-treating and a costume contest. According to the City of Chino Hills, there were approximately 3500 attendees at the event which has been a holiday staple for the community for over a decade. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)
Yolanda Moses stands outside her parents’ home in Perris on April 20, 2023. Moses said her father moved their family from Compton to Perris in 1959 when she was a child, partly because he did not want his four daughters to grow up around gang violence and crime. Their home became a centerpoint for community organization as well as a safe space for family members and close friends who moved from urban areas to Perris to begin a new life. Like the Moses’, working-class families migrated from Los Angeles to Perris and Moreno Valley over the last few decades. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News / CatchLight Local)

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.