Newssite of Contra Costa County student Journalism

CC Spin

CC Spin

CC Spin
Lisa Ling touched on today’s polarized landscape during her talk as part of the Lesher Foundation’s Newsmakers: Speaker Series. “When you erase someone’s history, you make it easier to erase their humanity,” Ling said. “Books that tell uncomfortable truths that are necessary for progress are the books we have to support.”

‘Erasing history doesn’t protect us, it weakens us’: Lisa Ling speaks from the heart about career, political climate

Yonglin Zhu, Special to Contra Costa Youth Journalism
July 17, 2025
Journalist and television producer Lisa Ling will be the featured speaker at the Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series on July 10 in Walnut Creek.

Lisa Ling up next for Lesher Newsmakers series

Caroline Donahoe, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
July 5, 2025
Some students acknowledge that many of their peers refrain from voting because they don’t want to speak up, while others might not have strong opinions or be informed enough on political issues. Photo credit: gorodenkoff via Istock

Youth voter interest becomes more important amid political polarization

Keerthi Eraniyan, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
June 2, 2025
Author and columnist Dave Barry brought his unique humor to the Lesher Foundation's Newsmakers: Speaker Series in Walnut Creek on May 13. "Humor is mostly just observing what’s going on around you. I think most of the things that people find most funny are not weird, exotic topics that would just scream out, ‘Well, this is weird and exotic, so you should write a column.’ It’s more like things that everybody has dealt with."

Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry leaves them laughing

Keerthi Eraniyan, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
May 22, 2025
Martin Luther King III, here with his wife, Arndrea Waters King, and daughter, Yolanda, at an event earlier this year, will be the featured speaker at the Lesher Foundation’s Newsmakers: Speaker Series event on April 23 at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Photo by Joshua Qualis/Massachusetts Governor's Press Office via Wikimedia Commons

Martin Luther King III brings his father’s dream to the Lesher Speaker Series

Emma Mayta Canales, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
April 19, 2025
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author George Will and veteran Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile discuss the state of politics during the Lesher Foundation speaker series event on March 31 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California.

‘Politics of hope’: Donna Brazile, George Will friendship crosses political lines

Loujain Habibi, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
April 10, 2025
Film and television stars Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler shared stories on how they met and became lifelong friends when they appeared at the Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series on March 18 in Walnut Creek, California.

‘If you will it, it is not a dream’: Henry Winkler, Marlee Matlin stress importance of resilience when pursuing a dream

Loujain Habibi, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
April 3, 2025
Political strategist Donna Brazile will join journalist and author George F. Will to discuss politics at the Lesher Foundation's Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series on March 31 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Photo by Charles Watkins/DOE courtesy of Bay City News.

Donna Brazile, George F. Will bring two ends of the political spectrum to Newsmakers series

Emma Mayta Canales and Ishita Khanna
March 28, 2025
Henry Winkler returns to the Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series on March 18 along with his close friend Marlee Matlin. Winkler spoke at the speaker series in 2023. Photo courtesy of the Lesher Foundation.

Winkler, Matlin bring unique friendship to Newsmakers series

Caroline Donahoe, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
March 15, 2025
President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and other federal agencies to crack down on undocumented residents and step up deportations, which has spread fear in immigrant communities across the Bay Area. Photo by Charles Reed via Bay City News

‘Stand up for your rights’: Nonprofit groups, county defend undocumented immigrants

Emma Mayta Canales, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
March 9, 2025
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox spoke at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek in late February. Fox was the first of eight speakers scheduled for the 2025 Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series.

‘We’re losing our humanity’: Former Mexican President Vicente Fox decries the state of politics today

Loujain Habibi, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
March 5, 2025
The Lesher Foundation's Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series begins its 20th season on Feb. 24. Among the speakers last year was fashion designer, entrepreneur, and television personality Tan France. Photo courtesy of the Lesher Foundation.

Lesher Foundation’s speaker series celebrates 20th anniversary

Keerthi Eraniyan, Contra Costa Youth Journalism
February 16, 2025
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