Lauren J. Mapp (She/her/akaónha) is a Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) reporter who has covered Indigenous communities, caregiving, senior care, art, music, travel, the restaurant industry and culinary traditions since 2005. Most recently, she was a staff reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, but previously worked for several other newsrooms in San Diego County and Akwesasne, NY, including inewsource, Times of San Diego, North Coast Current, Indian Time and The People's Voice.
Indigenous
At an inaugural summit at Viejas Casino, organizers with the new nonprofit MMIP San Diego called for better collaboration between tribal, local and federal governments in the ongoing effort to reduce rates of violent crimes against Native people. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey Faced with disproportionately
Newsletter
Plus, a guide to staying safe as an activist and local AANHPI leaders share their hopes for year-round support that goes beyond heritage month celebrations. Sekon (Hello), everyone, San Diego’s Indigenous community is mourning the loss of Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians Chairman Bo Mazzetti, who died from cancer
Social Justice
Months into President Donald Trump’s second term marked by the slashing of diversity initiatives, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander leaders say San Diego needs better mental health programs and push for more to join anti-hate initiatives and the fight for lasting inclusion. Written by Lauren J. Mapp,
Newsletter
Plus, it’s the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and San Diego is celebrating with a packed schedule of upcoming events. Sekon (Hello), everyone! It’s May Day, an international observance honoring the history of the labour movement and the struggles of workers around
Culture
From film screenings to dragon boat racing, San Diego’s May calendar is packed with ways to connect with Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultures. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey Update: This story was updated on May 16, 2025 to reflect that the 50th
LGBTQ+
Organizers said Pride’s decision to cancel the Pinkwashing 101 workshop related to Israel and Palestine only 12 hours before last year’s event was the catalyst to separate. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey She Fest, an LGBTQ+ collective, announced earlier this month it was separating
Indigenous
The annual event is among the longest running college-hosted powwows across the United States. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey Drum rhythms echoed across San Diego State University on Saturday as students, faculty and community members celebrated the campus’ 53rd annual powwow. The event, one of the
Palestine
The event coincided with Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey Dozens of community members chanted “Free Palestine” in downtown San Diego on Sunday morning to commemorate Palestinian Land Day and honor the end of Ramadan. Nearly 20
Newsletter
Lauren J. Mapp specializes in covering food, social justice issues and Indigenous communities Introduce yourself. Sekon (hello in Kanienʼkehá:ka)! My name is Lauren J. Mapp (she/her/akaónha), and I am a Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) and Black journalist who has called San Diego home since 2005. Why did you
Newsletter
Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties has joined us as our fiscal sponsor to speed up our editorial timeline. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey Our team at Daylight San Diego is excited to announce we are now officially a fiscally sponsored project of Catalyst of
Newsletter
Your voices are shaping the future of news in the region. Written by Lauren J. Mapp, Edited by Kate Morrissey Since last August, we have been listening to what San Diegans want to see more — and less — of in local news. Through a series of discussions throughout the region, we’