C e l e b r a t i n g 2 6 Ye a r s o f Service in Inglewood, Airport area Communities
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EYE ON THE CITY Rams
Chargers
July 9-15, 2020
Clippers
Forum
& Lakers “Stop Killing Us:” See Page 4
VOL. 35, No. 28
COVID-19 Cases Rise Inglewood deaths climb to 65
Testing for COVID-19 can be available through your primary healthcare provider or you can contact cityofinglewood.com By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
As the City of Inglewood gleefully awaits the opening of the National Football League (NFL) season with both the Rams and Chargers making their home season debut at the $6 billion SoFi Stadium on Prairie and Century, COVID-19 cases are rising at an alarming rate and deaths of local
residents has jumped to 65. Inglewood remains under a state of emergency until Aug. 30 and COVID-19 testing is still fluid at the Forum, but if the current trends continue there is a very likely possibility the County of Los Angeles will issue governor mandate stay at home order. COVID-19 has been altering the
lives of Californians for more than four months now and just as it seemed empty stadiums occupying NFL teams emerged, so too did coronavirus as citizens became delinquent in implementing the required safety measures such as wearing a mask and social distancing that would prevent the disease from spreading.
L.A. County had recorded 121,000 cases and 3,579 deaths at press time. Of those 3232 were Black, 32,574 were Hispanic/Latino, but the more frightening number is individuals in the ages of 0-17 and 18-40. The deaths of Blacks and Hispanic/Latino stood at 369 and 1,471. The County of Los Angeles Public Continued on page 2
Inglewood Today mourns Brad Pye, Jr. By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
Inglewood Today joins with the Black press of America in mourning pioneering Black journalist Brad Pye, Jr. who died on July 5, 2020. He was 89. For three years during Inglewood Today’s early existence Brad Pye, Jr. wrote a column for what was then a magazine. “We knew way back then we were getting a history maker,” said Inglewood Today President/Executive Publisher Willie Brown. “I was absolutely honored for the time he spent with us and our heartfelt condolences goes out to his wonderful family. Thank you Brad
Buppie is Back! See Page 6
Pye, Jr.” Pye is responsible for hiring and mentoring Inglewood Today Publisher Kenneth Miller in 1977 at the Los Angeles Sentinel. “For most of my life I aimed the please an audience of one. It was Brad Pye, Jr. I’d constantly ask myself what would Brad think? how would Brad fell about this? In short he is the reason that I am who I am. As heart broken as I am, I know that he would want me to continue being the best journalist and person I can be,” added Miller. (SEE PAGE 5)
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July 9-15, 2020
NNPA Salutes Attorney Benjamin Crump and The Crump Law Firm in Memory and Honor of the Family of George Floyd
The NNPA plans to present Crump with its Trailblazer Award for his work fighting for freedom, justice and equality. Floyd’s family will also be honored at the virtual conference
and his law firm while honoring the family of George Floyd, during the The National Newspaper Publishers NNPA’s Annual Convention, July 8 and Association (NNPA) paid tribute to Thursday, July 9. civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump The Virtual Convention marks the
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
Continued from page 1: COVID-19...
PRESIDENT/ EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Willie Brown PUBLISHER Kenneth Miller VICE PRESIDENT Gloria Kennedy PRODUCTION Kenneth Denson QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER Gloria Kennedy Inglewood Today Weekly is a legally adjudicated newspaper of public circ ulation, published weekly by Ads Up Advertising, Inc. News and press releases may be submitted for consideration by mail to 9111 La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 100, Inglewood, CA 90301 or by email to itnetworks@msn.com.
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Health registered 8,647 cases among the 0-17 age group and an even more astonishing 49,445 among individuals 18-40 countywide. The latter being higher than the most vulnerable age group of 41-65. Those were reportedly the two age categories that were least likely to be affected by the virus. The death total for Inglewood ranks only behind Westlake (106) Glendale (112) and Los Angeles (1,727) among all cities in the county. In comparison to Inglewood COVID-19 related deaths, Carson and Gardena had 31, Compton 25, Hawthorne 23 and Lawndale 7. The rise in COVID-19 cases has directly impacted local business, with bars closed and restaurants limited to walk up and curbside delivery. Fines are now being leveled against Californians not wearing a mask in public places. Professional sports leagues are cautiously moving forward with resuming play; Major League Baseball is slated for a compacted 60 games regular season; The NBA targeted Orlando in a tournament style format to determine the champion, boxing and UFC is staging events without spectators. Scientist are provided the data, local governments are implementing the regulations, the federal government is a mess and it appears that slowing the rise of COVID-19 will rest in the hands of those most likely affected. YOU!
80th anniversary of the NNPA and 193 years of the Black Press of America. Crump has earned recognition as a freedom fighting lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to defend the life and legacy of African Americans harmed by police violence and racially motivated acts. He currently represents the families
of Ahmad Arberry, George Floyd and other Black men and women unjustly victimized by law enforcement. “I salute the Black Press of America and the NNPA on the 193rd anniversary of the Black Press and the 80th anniversary of the NNPA,” Crump states. “The family of George Floyd and the families of all the Black American victims of racist police murders and violence appreciate the support the Black Press has provided. I thank you for this award.” The NNPA plans to present Crump with its Trailblazer Award for his work fighting for freedom, justice, and equality. Floyd’s family will also be honored at the virtual conference. “When you are on the front line fighting for the rights of our people in the courts and in the streets of America, it means a lot for the Black Press to always be there as the strong, trusted voice of Black America. Thank you NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards and NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.,” Crump says. In addition to Crump, the Black Press will present Trailblazer Awards to Chuck D of Public Enemy, MC Lyte, legendary Supremes singer Mary Wilson, and Reggae Icon Ziggy Marley. Wilson and Marley plan to deliver virtual performances at the conference.
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July 9-15, 2020
EYE ON THE CITY GEORGE DOTSON
ALEX PADILLA
JAMES BUTTS
ELOY MORALES
RALPH FRANKLIN
AROUND THE CITY
Recent Financial Audit; “Maliciously Motivated” By Francis Taylor, Senior Correspondent
At the beginning of the meeting, Treasurer Brown stepped to the microphone during the public comments and cited a recent financial audit pointing out several irregularities. Mayor Butts immediately addressed the audit’s individual, negative assertions by indicating that they were either false or otherwise beyond the scope of a normal financial audit. The council adopted a resolution ratifying several appointments to the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB) and approved a cooperative agreement to purchase Cement and another with Enterprise Fleet Management. (General Fund) The council approved invoices submitted by B & H Inglewood Tow, Inc. (B & H Tow) for services rendered on January 24, 2012 and from September 22, 2018 through March 31, 2020. The council pulled from the agenda the staff report recommending the award of a contract and approve a one-year agreement (with the option to extend four (4) additional one-year terms) with Ride Co, Inc., to assist with the operation of a pilot shuttle service, per RFP-0142. The council approved a funding adjustment for the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Phase V to reflect the required split ratio of 80% funding from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and 20% funding for the City’s local return. The council set a public hearing to consider the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center Project – Certification of the Project
Environmental Impact Report No. EA-EIR 2020-045, General Plan Amendment No. 2020-003, Specific Plan Amendment No. 2020-001, Zoning Code Amendment No. 2020-002, Zone Change No. 2020-001, Ordinance Amending Inglewood Municipal Code Chapters 2 (Administration), 3 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic), 5 (Offenses, Miscellaneous), 10 (Public Works), and 11 (Building Regulations); and Sports and Entertainment Complex Design Guidelines and Infrastructure Plan (SEC Development Guidelines), and Development Agreement between Murphy’s Bowl LLC and the City, for July 21st. There were no public comments
however Council Member Dotson urged everyone to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines to stop the spread of the disease. Member Padilla expressed his regret that the City Treasurer continues to repeat unfavorable and untrue statements about the city’s fiscal condition and that she walks out of the meeting before listening to the truth. Member Franklin echoed Padilla’s remarks and added that the city council salaries have been in place since 2003 and have not been adjusted, despite the treasurer’s assertions. He also indicated that in years past, the treasurer did not have a microphone during the council
meetings. Member Morales reminded everyone that there is an established process to address concerns or complaints outside of the city council chambers. Mayor Butts invited the Assistant Finance Director to the microphone to address the scope of the recent financial audit, the timing of their investigation and the delay in presenting a written report. It was made clear that many of the audit findings were not financial in nature but were subjective and opinion based. Mayor Butts indicated that the audit findings were an extreme reach and maliciously motivated and should not be parroted by the city treasurer.
Black Groups Drag FDA Into Lawsuit Over Newport, Kool Other Menthol Cigs Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Seven out of 10 African American youth between ages 12 and 17 who smoke use menthol cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And a higher percentage of Black adults who smoke began using menthol cigarettes (93%) — that’s more than two times higher than the number of White adults who did the same (44%), according to the CDC. The two top-selling mentholated cigarette brands in the United States are Newport and Kool. Anti-Tobacco advocates say these numbers are alarming. So, two of the nation’s top organizations committed to decreasing the use of tobacco in the United States are taking legal action to end the consumption of menthol by African Americans, calling them chemically unhealthy and deadly. They want it eliminated from all tobacco
products. The two groups, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) formally announced their joint lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during a ZOOM news conference on June 17. “We are suing the United States’ Food and Drug Administration for their failure to enact public health policy that protects the health and welfare of African Americans,” said Carol McGruder, co-chair of AATCLC. Represented by Pollock Cohen, LLP, a New York City-based firm, the complaint requests that the court compel the FDA to act on the organization’s own conclusion that it would benefit the public health to add menthol to the list of prohibited cigarette flavors in the United States. The AATCLC and ASH’s lawsuit also asks the court to carry out its duties under the Family Smoking Prevention
and Tobacco Control Act. That action ban on the sale or possession of flavored would also result in the removal of tobacco products. However, a growing menthol-flavored tobacco products number of communities in the state from the marketplace. Continued on page 4 In California, there is no statewide
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July 9-15, 2020
Area Communities S e r v i n g L a d e r a , H a w t h o r n e , W e s t c h e s t e r, L a w n d a l e , G a r d e n a , C a r s o n
“Stop Killing Us:” Activists Bring Their Pain to State Capitol
Asale Haquekyah Chandler, left, Yolanda Banks, right. (Photo/Antonio Harvey) By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Last week, several California social and criminal justice organizations, as well as community-based groups, gathered for a rally at the state Capitol titled “Stop Killing Us.” Oaklandbased All of Us or None (AOUON) organized the event — with the help of other partners across the state — to condemn police violence against African Americans. AOUON is a project of Legal Service for Prisoners With Children (LSPC), a nonprofit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of formerly and currently incarcerated people and their families. Their demonstration was peaceful — done with official permission — and less spontaneous than recent explosive protests and riots triggered by the brutal murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minnesota, at the hands of police officers.
But it was charged with strong convictions and a solemn sense of grief, much like those protests. “You mess with our children, I’ll come running,” said Yolanda Banks, the mother of Sahleem Tindle, who a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer killed on Jan. 3, 2018. He was 28. “I have to march,” Banks continued. “We fight together.” Banks frequently joins other grieving African American families from around California who have lost loved ones to police violence for rallies and vigils like the one AOUON held in Sacramento. Participants arrived from Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Vallejo, Richmond, Oakland, San Francisco, and other places in the state. Most of the people in attendance were people who have been impacted by police violence. On the front steps of the State Capitol, large black-and-white photos of people of color who have been victims of
police deadly force were on display. According to AOUON, police violence has claimed the lives of 600 people in California over the last five years Asale-Haquekyah Chandler (pronounced “Ah-SAH-lah”) made the trip east to Sacramento from San Francisco to support Banks and the other families involved with “Stop Killing Us.” Chandler is hosting the “One Life Walk: A Silent Walk Parade Protest” in downtown San Francisco July 28. Chandler, who ran unsuccessfully for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 10 seat in 2018, has also been affected by violence, but not at the hands of law enforcement. Her 19-year-old son Yalani Chinyamurindi, while on a lunch break in San Francisco, was shot and killed, along with three individuals he knew. The young men 20, 21, and 22 years of age were giving her son a ride back to his job when four gunmen surrounded the car they were in and opened fire. Locally, around the Bay Area, the crime, which took place on Jan. 9, 2015,
has been dubbed the “San Francisco 4.” Chandler said she and Banks (the two women knew each other well before their sons died) attended the event because see themselves as “fighters of justice and equality for all of our lives,” she said. “We were fighting way before these children were murdered,” Chandler said. “So, the uniqueness we’re bringing to the table was meant to be. Though I hate to say it — because we lost (our children). My child was killed by the community and her child was killed by the police. We didn’t want to be in this club (mothers of children violently killed). But we are the right ones to be in this club.” Banks, who lives on a rural farm in Calaveras County, told California Black Media (CBM) that the events that AOUON stage are “painful but therapeutic.” The pain and passion expressed by Banks, Chandler, and other participants (who each read aloud the names of the departed) was evident. Several lawmakers emerged from the State Capitol to support the event and stand with the families. They included African American legislators: Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), Sen. Steven Bradford (D- Los Angeles), and Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento). McCarty authored a constitutional amendment, ACA 6, which will be on the general election ballot in November. Known as the “Free the Vote Act,” ACA 6 will seek voters’ approval to restore voting rights to former inmates on parole. AOUON and LSPC’s policy director Ken Oliver said the prison inmatesupport organizations side with ACA 6. “Yes, we support ACA 6,” Oliver told the large crowd at the rally. “We have 40 thousand people out here who can’t vote. So, understand when we talk policy. I have 80 thousand sitting behind the wall right now, I have eight million in California that have felony convictions, I have neighborhoods that are suffering. People can’t get jobs, and I have people out here getting killed by the police. That’s going to change.”
Continued from page 3: Black Groups...
are banning the sale of them. So far, more than 30 jurisdictions have placed restrictions on the sale of mentholated cigarettes. San Francisco County was the first county in the state to ban menthol cigarettes in the summer of 2017. In an effort to protect the public and design a healthier future for all Americans, the Family Smoking
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), was signed into law on June 22, 2009, by President Barack Obama. “When the Tobacco Act was signed, all characterizing flavors were banned from cigarettes. All except menthol,” McGruder said. “Menthol was inexplicably given a pass. Characterizing flavors are the building
blocks to nicotine addiction. As we witnessed last year with the nicotine baby epidemic, flavors seduce children (and) nicotine hooks them.” The Tobacco Control act gives the FDA authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products, including: ·Restricting Tobacco Marketing and Sales to Youth
·Requiring Smokeless Tobacco Product Warning Labels ·Ensuring “Modified Risk” Claims are Supported by Scientific Evidence ·Requiring Disclosure of Ingredients in Tobacco Products ·Preserving State, Local, and Tribal Authority.
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July 9-15, 2020
Sports & Entertainment There will NEVER be another Brad Pye, Jr.
By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
The missed call was from a number that I didn’t have stored into my cell phone. As I drove home from a family gathering in Anaheim last Sunday, I called back. “Hi, this is Becky! You may not remember me, but I met you when you came over to the house to see Brad and I kept your number. I wanted to let you know that Brad passed this evening.” Not long thereafter a text message from Danny Bakewell, Jr.: “You hear Brad Pye passed away? I texted back: “I know.” A few days before I was informed by his daughter Jill that he was in hospice and as she said “living out his last days on earth.” So, I knew it was coming, but still not prepared for it. My mentor, my confidant, my role model and hero…Brad Pye, Jr. had died. He was 89. During the past week, my longtime friend and former Sentinel colleague Mike Taylor and I reflected quite a bit about Brad. He mentored both of us as he did many others. I first met Brad in 1977 when I was a senior at Fremont High School. An aspiring journalist who had been featured on a television show hosted by the late Tommy Hawkins, Brad took notice of me early on. He hired me at the Sentinel in ’77 with a promise of making me the next sports editor. That never happened under Brad’s watch, but ultimately did at the Sentinel. I had to convince my mother that I would eventually attend college so that I could accept Brad’s offer to come and join him at the Sentinel in ’77. It was a decision that in retrospect turned out to be one that would shape and hone me not just as a journalist, but also more importantly as a Black man. I knew very little about Black history before joining the Sentinel where civil rights came alive and the fight for social justice was raw and real. Yes, I had an affinity for sports and yearned to become sport editor, but I now believe that Brad used the lure of sports to teach me about culture and life. He was the man who integrated the Los Angeles Coliseum press box along with his late friend Brock Brockenberry. I followed in his footsteps and so did Mike Taylor. Brad wanted to make sure that I knew what my responsibility was to Blacks who would someday follow. He knew how privileged media access for Blacks was and how responsible we had to be to maintain it. While Blacks lacked the resources of our white contemporaries, our professionalism had to be tiptop.
Not only did Brad have Al Davis as an ally, but before that he earned the respect of legendary times columnist Jim Murray. Because they respected Brad, that respect translated to others and myself. Brad was instrumental in the Raiders allowing for Sentinel writers to travel with the team on road trips, an accommodation that had long been afforded to white reporters. One of those flights was the first time I had ever been on a plane or left the city limits of Los Angeles. Brad made it is life mission to record and document the accolades of every Black athlete and he enjoyed relationships with many of them such as Olympic track and NFL great Ollie Matson and former Lakers great Elgin Baylor. He understood and treasured loyalty in relationships.
He would often tell me that you never know when you may have to cash in on one those relationships. One of his fondest relationships was with the late iconic County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, who hired Brad after Ken Thomas fired the entire Sentinel staff after acquiring the paper upon Ruth Washington’s death in 1987. Brad took me under his wing. Two words that will always resonate with me when I think of Brad Pye, Jr: Fear & Respect! “Ken there will always be people more talented than you, but don’t ever let anybody out work you,” he’d say. His presence was towering and often intimidating. “The only time you should miss work is if you are dead or dying,” he’d tell me. For more than five years I never missed a day of work, including
weekends. The newsroom in those days wreaked of the musty smell of old newspapers. We worked out of the office on 43rd and Central Ave. The late owner Ruth Washington was the publisher; Brad was the man in charge of everything. I do mean everything. He’s known for being a long time pioneering sports journalist, but when I got there in ’77 he was the managing editor and sports editor. Royal manual typewriters occupied small desk inside a crested row of cubicles, with outsized square cut to where Brad could see the head of each person. The late great Jim Cleaver had his own office. Our advertising manager was the later chain-smoking Phil; Margie Sturgis was our copy editor, Dorothy in the front office, Denise assisting Phil. It was some team, and Brad was at the helm. We all feared him and we all respected him. Brad Pye Jr. had a work ethic that was unparalleled. Brad wore a lot hats, but none figuratively. First Black Coliseum Commissioner, and first AfricanAmerican public relations staffer in Major League Baseball while working for the Los Angeles Angels first African-American administrator in the American Football League while serving under Commissioner Al Davis. He began as a deputy under Hahn; was promoted to assistant chief deputy and also worked as a top deputy to Yvonne Braithwaite Burke when she replaced Hahn as county supervisor in 1992. Brad launched a program to provide free year-round swimming instruction for kids, which continues today as the Aquatic Foundation of Metropolitan Los Angeles. In 1993 he became division chief of the Department of Children and Family Services and worked as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator and manager of the Disaster Services Section, the Exams/ Recruitment Section, and the Health and Safety/Return to Work Section. Brad also volunteered throughout the city of Los Angeles and was the first African-American president of the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks Board of Commissioners. He paved the way for the advancement of African-Americans to senior level positions within the department. In 2015 the City of Los Angeles named the gymnasium at Saint Andrews Recreation Center the Brad Pye Jr. Athletic Center in honor of Pye’s impact and contribution to the city and local residents.
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July 9-15, 2020
The Lion Queen
BCOMMENTARY: U P P I E |TheBAmerican U S I NEconomic ESS System Works Just Fine—for White People
WAKE UP MRS. WEST… By Michelle Lyons, Columnist
Warren Buffet, the fifth richest man in The World, once said, “The most important decision you’ll ever make in your life is who you marry.” Kanye West, who is also a billionaire, married Kim Kardashian. Although, Kim Kardashian played a huge role in his financial gain, once loaning him 53 million dollars to get out of debt; Now, Mr. West is seeking The Highest Office in The World, The President of The United States. All this week, both liberals and conservatives have weighed in on this announcement just made on July 4, 2020. I have known for a while that Kanye West is serious about running for office, and anyone who does not take a black man serious who is just 1 of 15 black billionaires in The World, obviously doesn’t know how hard it is for The Underdog to get on Top. With that said, I am NOT voting for Kanye because I do not agree with his politics and his alliances. My biggest issue is his ally and wife, Kim Kardashian. I have been advocating for Kim Kardashian to change her narrative for years. I was shocked this did not happen the moment Kanye started promoting Sunday Services and toying with the idea of Presidency. Similar to Michelle Obama, I am all about Women Empowerment. I believe Empowered Women Empower Women, which is part of my political platform. Now, clearly Michelle Obama and I are not Kim Kardashian. Michelle Obama is a much bigger role model than myself. However, Michelle Obama and I are not most people. What Michelle Obama and I have in common, which most people can relate to is that we are both from The Southside (She is from The Southside of Chicago and I am from South Los Angeles) and we have accomplished more than what anyone could imagined (obviously she has accomplished much more than me). However, Kim Kardashian’s need for attention, and her dramatic dating history makes her extremely relatable in this day and age to where she has more followers on social media than the number of people who voted in 2016’s general election. There are more girls influenced by Kim Kardashian than Michelle Obama and Oprah combined. That’s Power… Can you imagine what she could do for womanhood if she used her platform to Empower Women? Imagine instead of promoting false body images that cause women to have low self-esteem she promoted her law school classes. Imagine if she hired women to model her clothes and the Continued on page 7
By Jerome Love, Special to the Houston Forward Times
For the past four hundred years, and most recently after the brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and other Black citizens by police forces in America, Black people and progressive Whites in America have protested that “the system” is racist, broken, and needs to be fixed. By the system, I mean the machinery of daily life that we as individuals use to work, play, raise our families, worship in our churches, educate ourselves, and stay healthy. The police are part of the system. The schools are part of the system, as is health care, and politics. As President of the Texas Black Expo (TBE), my primary interest is the economic part of the system—the creation and growth of Black-owned business enterprises. You’d think that such an effort would be greeted with universal approval from everybody, regardless of ethnicity. What could possibly be wrong with strengthening the economic position of Black businesses—and therefore Black families? Don’t we believe in capitalism, free markets, and the positive power of entrepreneurship, regardless of the color of the entrepreneur? By building businesses, you create jobs; and with jobs comes greater
community stability, lower crime rates, better health, and overall prosperity. We believe in taking action. During the COVID-19 pandemic, TBE had the goal to support 100 businesses by providing 1,000 grants to help them. To announce the program, we put out a press release. You would think this would have been celebrated—and it was, but not universally. Immediately we were bombarded with complaints from various White people who called us racist. They said, “What if there was a White Expo? Wouldn’t that be terrible? So why is there a Black Expo?” I found myself wondering, what’s the problem? The “problem” is that every Black entrepreneur is bucking the system. Over the past four hundred years, our economic system has been deliberately designed to perpetuate the material interests of White Americans by subjugating Blacks—first when we were slaves, and then after we became citizens. The police are simply one piece of the apparatus designed to enforce the economic system and interests of Whites. According to Dr. Gary Potter, professor at the Eastern Kentucky University School of Justice, the first centralized police departments were formed in the 1830s as a direct response to “disorder” as defined by commercial elites. In other words, wealthy White
Americans formed police departments to protect their economic interests, and anything they deemed a threat was considered “disorderly” or criminal. Today, as far as many white people are concerned—not all of them, but many—the current economic system works just fine. It accomplishes what it’s been designed to do, which is to ensure the protection of the economic interests of White Americans and the long-term suppression of Black wealth. Welcome to the Casino Here’s a story that illustrates how the system works. A busload of people from a Black organization take a day trip to the local casino. They are eager to enjoy themselves playing the slots. They walk into the casino, filled with the whirring of slot machines and the bright flashing lights and sirens from the jackpot payouts. The group members sit at the slot machines and play. Sure enough, as the hours pass, a few of them win jackpots—a few dollars here and there. One or two might even win enough money to come out ahead. When their friends see they’ve won, it makes them think they could win too, so they pump more tokens into the machines. But as a group they’re losing money. At the end of the day, while a few of them will Continued on page 8
Five Major California Firms, Other Businesses, Invest Billions in Black Enterprises Where Will The Money Go? By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
Over the last month, several corporations have stepped up to fund the Black community. Two weeks ago, Netflix announced it will drop 2% of its cash holdings, up to $100 million, into Black-owned banks and other financial institutions and organizations that directly support African American enterprises, initiatives or communities. “Banks that are Black-owned or led represent a mere one percent of America’s commercial banking assets,” the Los Gatos-based digital streaming service wrote in a blog post. “This is one factor contributing to 19 percent of Black families having either negative wealth or no assets at all — more than double the rate of White households — according to the U.S. Federal Reserve,” the post continued.
“Black banks have been fighting to better their communities for decades but they’re disadvantaged by their lack of access to capital.” Kaiser Permanente has made a similar commitment. Last week, Kaiser Permanente revealed that it will direct $100 million towards Black businesses in the form of investments and grants. It is the Oakland-based health management consortium’s way of combating racism and promoting equality, company officials say. “The tragic murder of George Floyd and so many others has reverberated around the world, pushing us to demand overdue change to a status quo that keeps communities of color in the margins and holds us all back as a society,” said Greg A. Adams, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser-Permanente’s plan is to direct $60 million in joint investments and
“Life is messy but when we get through the mess we find out who we really are..”
$40 million in grant funding to more than 2,000 businesses owned by Black and other underrepresented people across the country. The business loans of $100,000 to $4 million is intended to help them overcome systemic economic disadvantage. Kaiser Permanente is also reserving $15 million in grant dollars to increase access to formal training, business networks, and recovery and growth capital to help African American-owned businesses. “As a country, this is a moment to define who we are and what we stand for. We must take strong action to stop the physical, psychological, economic, and social impacts of inequity and systemic racism so that we can create healthier communities where everybody, regardless of their skin color, can feel Continued on page 7
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July 9-15, 2020
Real Estate/Classified
PUBLIC NOTICE Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020097106 The following Person is doing business as:
Saint Mother Studios 5249 Thornburn St., Los Angeles, CA 90045 Registered Owner(s): Karis Renee Dolberry, 5249 Thornburn St., Los Angeles, CA 90045 This business is conducted by an individual(s). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on June 19, 2020. I(We) declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) Karis Renee Dolberry, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk on June 19, 2020. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or common law (See Section 14411 et.seq., Business and Professions Code.) Original June 25; July 2, 9, 16, 2020 IT0042230120020132 Inglewood Today
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020093492 The Following Person Is Doing Business As: Khaki Noir 326 S. Serrano Ave., #3 Los Angeles, CA 90020 Registered Owner: MAJR LLC, 326 S. Serrano Ave., #3, Los Angeles, CA 90020 This business is conducted by a company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business listed above on June 10, 2020 I (We) declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) MAJR LLC, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk on June 10, 2020. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A New Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Name in violation of the rights of another under Federal, State or common law (See Section 14411 et.seq., Business and Professions Code.) Original July 2, 9, 16, 23 2020 IT0042230120020132 Inglewood Today
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safe and thrive,” Adams said. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest healthcare and health management systems in the United States, serving over 12 million members. It operates some 700 medical facilities, including 39 hospitals, with a network of 23,371 physicians, 63,306 nurses and 219,149 employees. The news of Kaiser’s series of actions fall in line with other large companies’ willingness to help make the Black community whole after centuries of slavery, injustice, legal segregation and widespread discrimination. But Black business groups and leaders have questions about how programs such as Kaiser-Permanente’s will be implemented. The funding is sorely needed, Black business advocates point out. Yet, putting it in the right places must be strategic. “We don’t want it to be a situation where companies are just throwing money at us. They throw money at a problem and then think it changes the situation. It’s just a band-aid,” said Salena Pryor, founder of the Black Small Business Association of California (BSBAC). “So the question is how are they going to actually make sure the money gets to the Black communities. That would be our concern.” BSBAC helps advocate for minorityowned businesses that struggle finding resources. In just over a few months, Pryor, a former legislative consultant, said her organization has grown from serving a handful of clients to representing 1,153 businesses and self-employed individuals across the state. She says her organization is still growing. Pryor explains that her concern about how the money will reach its target is warranted. Because on the back end, she said, the money will not only support Black businesses but show companies that they made the right investments. “All of that is important,” Pryor said. Facebook, based in Menlo Park, has also announced that it is investing $200 million to support Black-owned businesses and organizations in part of the company’s broader $1.1 billion investment in Black and diverse suppliers and communities in the United States. The social-networking platform is responding to the outbursts of protests against racism, police brutality and racial injustices that African Americans face across the country. Facebook’s
Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg stated that the “need to take action” is highly necessary for the company. “The past few weeks have compelled us to confront the reality of violence and injustice which members of the Black community face on a daily basis,” Sandberg stated in a letter dated June 18. “We have shared words of support for our friends, colleagues, and communities. We need to take action as well.” Black-owned businesses increased by 34.5% between 2007 and 2012, totaling to 2.6 million firms, in reference to a report by Black Demographics. But according to the U.S. Census figures from 2017, Investopedia reported that Black businesses in the country dipped down to just over two million firms. Worldwide Technology, Inc., a Maryland Heights, Missouri, Black business, had a revenue base of $11.28 billion in 2018. Black Enterprise Magazine (BE) listed it as the top Black firm among a ranking of 100. BE compiles its annual list by revenue and the number of employees. Worldwide Technology, Inc., founded in 1990 by David Steward and James Kavanaugh, has more than 5,000 employees. The company enables its clients to implement technology for products and services. After the death of George Floyd and the civil unrest that followed, companies with deep pockets have stepped up to the plate to provide moral and economic support to the Black community. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Mountain View-based Alphabet, Inc., the parent company of Google, said June 17 that the company has committed $175 million to African American businesses. The company will also increase Black representation in leadership roles. Youtube has pledged $100 million to subsidize Black artists and creators. CNBC reported that Google’s Black workforce was just over 3% before the global pandemic and the riots that broke out around the country after Floyd’s death, took place. It had also decreased its diversity programs. On June 17, PayPal, based in San Jose, joined corporations and public institutions supporting the Black community. It will kick out $530 million to Black-owned businesses and newly established proprietors
through its “PayPal Equity Investment for Underrepresented Minority-led Startups and Investment Funds” program. PayPal has made a commitment in an effort to help address economic inequality and is requesting applications for submission. The PayPal team will review each response and evaluate each proposal before making an investment decision. Several applicants, such as the Los Angeles-based Kiva and Opportunity Fund, both not-for-profit financial institutions, and other groups, have received funding. In a written statement, PayPal said that it is “uniquely positioned to help in this area” and have committed to doing its part to “address the unacceptable racial divide by advancing a more just economy and society.” “For far too long, Black people in America have faced deep-seated injustice and systemic economic inequality. Black lives matter and we need to drive transformative change. We must take decisive action to close the racial wealth gap that sustains this profound inequity,” said Dan Schulman, PayPal’s president and CEO. Last month, Lowe’s, the home improvement company, was one of the first to announce support for the Black community. It will provide $25 million in grants to support minorityowned proprietorships to help boost the country’s economy. While there is a boom in help going toward the Black community to help it rebound from the devastating effects of the novel coronavirus, Pryor said it is a perfect time to solidify stable working relationships with big corporations. Traditionally, she said, when something like investing in Black communities occurs, the relationship dynamics slowly disappear. That breakup has to change and accountability must be practiced, Pryor said. “We really have to reevaluate our relationships with these companies. It doesn’t make sense to help them flourish and thrive and they are not doing anything to make sure we flourish and thrive,” Pryor said. “It has to be more than just one-time giving money to small Black businesses. What about the ongoing relationships? What about your boards? What about your employee hiring practices? All of that has to be addressed.”
Kim K, just a couple months ago was literally fighting on camera, which degrades women, while simultaneously promoting a documentary about women behind bars called, “The Justice Project”. I watched it because I am an advocate for prison reform, but none of my friends did because they said they can’t take her seriously. If Kim
Kardashian-West decides she wants Respect more than attention, she will inevitably get more attention for it (and she may have a chance to be First Lady), but until then I say, “Wake Up Mrs. West because To Much Is Given Much Is Required.”
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focus was on natural beauty coming in all shapes, shades and sizes. Imagine if she showed the difficulties of being A Bawse: balancing work, school, mom and wife life. Imagine if she separated herself from The Kardashian Drama. Imagine if she conducted herself as if she was running for President and what that can do for our GDP? Yet instead,
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July 9-15, 2020 Continued from page 6: COMMENTARY...
walk out of the casino with more money than when they came in, the overall result is that the wealth of the group has been diminished and transferred to the owner of the casino. A few members of the group complain to the owner. They knock on his door and demand the system be changed. He listens and smiles politely. “I appreciate how you feel,” he might tell them. “We will take action to adjust our machines to be more generous. Thank you, and please come again.” The group, poorer but wiser, has no choice but to go home. Of course, the owner does nothing. The casino stays the same. From the owner’s perspective—the person who has the power to enact change—the system is working fine! It is perpetuating his interests. The system was designed for the casino to make money. He will promote the fact that you can win big, and encourage you to participate; but ultimately, the owner will not change a thing, as he created the system to build his wealth. He knows that while a few individual players will make money, the group as a whole will lose money. If you were a member of that group, appealing to the owner would be ludicrous. In your mind the system is broken because you lost. In his mind, the system is functioning properly. He won’t tell you that the system is designed to take your money; he’ll just smile and be polite as he shows you the door. For Many, the System Works Perfectly In this same respect, our economic system is not broken at all. It is operating quite well. It is only broken and in need of repair in the minds of those who are taking a loss. All the components of the system— the police, the schools, the healthcare system, the government—continue to play an integral role in ensuring that this overall mission is accomplished. The numbers prove it. In America, more than half a century after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black households have far less wealth than their White counterparts. As the Brookings Institute reported, in 2016 the net worth of a typical White family was $171,000, while the average Black family’s wealth was $17,150—roughly one-tenth as much. This figure includes wealth in the form of home ownership; in 2016 only 41.7 percent of Black families owned their own homes, as opposed to 72.2 percent of non-Hispanic Whites. So, what’s the problem? Why do we see this disparity? The truth is that for generations, the system has either violently or subtly suppressed Black wealth. From 1619 until 1865, we were in bondage. After the Civil War and emancipation, Reconstruction became nothing more than “reconstruction of oppression.” Discriminatory policies throughout
the 20th century included the New Deal’s Fair Labor Standards Act’s exemption of domestic agricultural and service occupations, allowing Black workers to be paid low wages. The G.I. Bill of 1944 was designed to accommodate Jim Crow laws and benefited few Black veterans. Redlining ensured that Black families could not get mortgages. The net result is that 150 years after emancipation, Blacks are still denied full access to the tools for building wealth. Know the Author Once we come to the realization that the system is not broken and is working to perfection to perpetuate wealth inequality, we can begin to ask more critical questions, such as, “Who designed the system? Why was it designed?” As hip-hop legend KRS One once said, “If you don’t know the history of the author, then you don’t know what you have read.” In America, too many of us don’t know the history of the author—the owners of the casino, or wealthy White men. We’ve been taught false narratives of peaceful men who believed in liberty and justice for all. The history has been intentionally distorted, and thus we assume that something is wrong when we see blatant inequality. From our perspective the system is broken, but from the perspective of the wealthy elites, who are disproportionately White, the system is working just fine. Thus, it is understandable how New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees could say, in regard to Colin Kaepernick and many others taking a knee during the national anthem, “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.” He’s on the side for whom the system works well. Economic Empowerment is the Only Cure for Wealth Inequality In 2004, I started the Texas Black Expo, Inc. Then and today, the goal is to create wealth within the Black community. Our methodology is to build strong businesses. And yet we encounter opposition from people who believe that economics is a zero-sum game. They believe the economic pie is of a finite size and cannot be increased. Therefore, if Black people earn a larger slice of the pie, then the portion received by White people will be reduced. This has long been the argument for the continued suppression of Black wealth. The ruling class says that if “they” get more, then “we” get less. This argument is absurd. Wealth can be created, and the size of the pie can increase. Over the long term, our national economy steadily grows, creating more wealth. But since the 1980s, the biggest share of new wealth has gone to the people who are already wealthy. The top one percent—almost exclusively White—has gobbled up a
bigger slice of the growing pie. And yet people object to efforts by African American entrepreneurs to build Black wealth.
What they say reminds me of the story of the two houses. Once there were two homes next to each other. One was a beautiful twostory red brick home with a three-car garage and a pretty flowerbed out front. The other was a modest one-story home with a white picket fence and an old garage. One day, the one-story home caught fire. The firefighters arrived, pulled out their hoses, and began to spray water on the one-story house to contain the fire. As the firefighters were spraying water, the owner of the big two-story house came out of his front door and yelled, “That’s not fair! Why are you pouring water on their home and not on mine? I pay taxes, and I should get some of that water!” Sounds ludicrous, right? But that’s exactly what it’s like when White Americans complain about programs such as Affirmative Action, or organizations like Texas Black Expo that are focused on solving an existing problem. It is the epitome of selfishness to ask a firefighter to douse your home with water when your home is perfectly fine. With the understanding that the economic system was created to benefit wealthy, White Americans while oppressing minorities, including African Americans, by locking them out, then expecting those who benefit from the system to change it would be as silly as asking the casino owner to change the rules so that you have a better chance at winning. It’s not going to happen, which leads to two conclusions. 1. Protest is good, but it’s no substitute for political action. I strongly applaud the millions of peaceful protestors who have raised their voices in support of change. Thanks to them, we have seen some positive
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results. Minneapolis banned use of choke holds; Dallas adopted a “duty to intervene” rule that requires officers to stop other cops who are engaging in inappropriate use of force; in Maryland, a bipartisan work group of state lawmakers announced a police reform work group. All of this is wonderful and is to be commended, but while the overt brutality may be reduced you still have a system that is not functioning on behalf of all people. Many entrenched white politicians are immune to protests. They simply don’t care how many people take to the streets, because demonstrations eventually fade. We need to use the power of the ballot— from the local city councils up to the presidency of the United States—to remove regressive politicians and elect people who understand, and want to fix, the inequalities that deprive Black families of wealth. 2. African Americans need to take action and build our own economic base. We know it is unlikely that those who benefit from our oppression will do anything to help unless it benefits them economically. So, while Black people can lobby and do our best to work the system in our favor, it’s an uphill battle, and ultimately we are not in control. What do we control? We control how we spend our money. We need to be strategic in supporting our own businesses and building our own communities independent of the current system. This will allow us to create and control our own economic destinies, as well as provide resources needed to influence the overarching racist system that still exists. Let us remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who in 1965, at the Sermon at Temple Israel of Hollywood, said, “We’ve been in the mountain of hatred long enough. It is necessary to move on now, but only by moving out of this mountain can we move to the promised land of justice and brotherhood and the Kingdom of God. It all boils down to the fact that we must never allow ourselves to become satisfied with unattained goals. We must always maintain a kind of divine discontent.” As a nation, we have many unattained goals, but by keeping a spirit of divine discontent and working together, we can create prosperity and justice for all.
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