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From The Editor The Fuss Over Critical Race Theory
At long last, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are inching closer and closer each day to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic here in America. We are not quite there yet. There are still 500 of our countrymen dying every day from complications of this insidious virus. But all over the nation, there is a different feeling in the air. There are people in the streets and restaurants. They are talking, hugging, smiling and laughing. It's simple, but it was missing for the last year. We are finally seeing a marked lift in the spirits of the American people, and there are some important lessons we can draw from this. Restaurants have reopened their doors. Public events are being held. Conferences are taking place. Droves of people have voted with their feet for this to happen. They have made the decision that, after giving in to fear for so long, they are ready to reclaim their lives. The American people have stood up and shown that it is time to get back to work and get back to life. In recent days, the CDC has had to scurry to catch up with the reality: Americans who have chosen to get vaccinated, and even many who have not, are largely forgoing mask-wearing and getting back out into the world. The CDC declared something most Americans already had internalized when it decreed on May 13 that those who have been vaccinated don't have to wear a mask even indoors, except in specific situations, such as hospitals, nursing homes and public transportation. This is a prime example of the people leading the way and our health officials following. This was not guidance as much as an admission of the truth. The power of the people is palpable. The belated guidance demonstrated that the people still have the power to shape policy in America, should we only decide to use it. COVID-19 is real. The death toll has been significant, and the impact on all of us undeniable. The number of lives COVID has claimed in the last year and a half is nothing short of gut-wrenching. At the same time, the hysteria, paranoia and fear generated by the virus had its own toll: on our mental health, economy and so much more. Thankfully, as the death toll is easing in America, so is the feeling of unease and apprehension. The people are no longer letting fear run our lives. We are reclaiming our liberties as we shed our anxiety alongside our masks. And yet, even with the pandemic winding down, we are finding that this may not be the only instance where health officials have been lagging. The recent news that the Biden administration and the scientific community are now investigating whether the virus originated from a lab accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology comes after a full year of this idea being derided as a conspiracy theory. It was dismissed out of hand by the left-wing media; proponents of the theory were immediately written off as nuts or racists. We still do not know exactly what happened, but it is clear that we need the facts. We owe it to the American people, and the entire world, to thoroughly investigate and conclusively determine how and why COVID-19 started. The people have the power to encourage that to happen, so let's raise our voices. We are ready to put this pandemic behind us. With vaccines in arms, Americans are ready to get back to what we do best: working hard, succeeding and leading the world. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The American dream is just waiting for people to step forward and claim it. In the coming months, as more people emerge, we will see life begin to go back to normal. Businesses will reopen. Friends and families will reconnect. The toll of the pandemic is diminishing, because the people have made it so, and the government followed our lead. Years from now, COVID-19 will be a unique moment in time that did not derail us but did challenge us. Then it led us to even higher levels of resilience and success. We are almost there.
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Armstrong Williams is a political commentator, author, entrepreneur. To find out more about Armstrong Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
From the Editor
No three words seem to have set conservatives afire in 2021 as critical race theory with the debate over the teaching of systemic racism sparking a culture war and engulfing national politics and a growing number of local school boards as hysterical white parents seemed to have whipped themselves into a frenzy over the idea of it being taught to their kids. One white parent called it ““psychological child abuse.” Wrote one conservative columnist, “It is a perverse worldview, unsupportable by the evidence, in which all of America's key institutions are inextricably rooted in white supremacy; it is an activist campaign demanding the destruction of those institutions.” Even Televangelist Pat Robertson stirred the pot telling his 700 Club viewers: “People of color have been oppressed by the white people and that white people begin to be racist by the time they’re two or three months old, and therefore the people of color have to rise up and overtake their oppressors and then — having gotten the ‘whip handle,’ if I can use that term — then to instruct their white neighbors how to behave. Now that’s critical race theory.” The hysteria –fueled by former President Trump who labeled CRT as toxic propaganda after the release of the New York Times 1619 Project–reached fever pitch in January as conservatives launched a growing misinformation campaign around the academic concept. In January, GOP lawmakers began quietly drafting and introducing bills in an effort to stop schools from teaching about racism or any topics that confront America’s history of racial oppression and over the past six months, Republicans in more than two dozen states have proposed bills that aim to curtail educational discussions about race, racism, and systemic oppression in the U.S. Under a bill that was proposed in Arizona, teachers could be fined $5,000 for teaching students to feel “guilt” over their race. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the Combating Racist Training in the Military Act, a bill prohibiting the armed forces and academics at the Defense Department from promoting "anti-American and racist theories" including critical race theory. To be honest, as informed as I am, I was unfamiliar with critical race theory, which clearly wasn’t around when I was in school. And I am not alone. One informal poll found just a third of those surveyed understood what critical race theory was. So, what is critical race theory? Well, that depends on who you ask, but at its core is the premise that racism is a social construct and that it is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in America’s legal systems and policies." Hardly new, critical race theory reportedly originated in the 70s with the late Harvard professor Derrick Bell, dubbed as the father of critical race theory, who taught a course entitled “Race, Racism, and American Law. In 1993, a group of legal scholars published a seminal book on the theory, Words That Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, and the First Amendment. As believed by some, it does not assume that all white people are racist, but instead seeks to engage government, systems and individuals about how policies and practices work to disadvantage and harm racially marginalized populations. “For instance, applying a critical race lens to the issue of mandatory minimum prison sentences helps us focus on the over-policing of Black youth (making them more likely to be searched, arrested, and tried for minor offenses)." That’s according to African-American Policy Forum, founded by Kimberle Crenshaw, a leading scholar of critical race theory. For all of the controversy, most experts agree that it is the misinformation about CRT that is shaping its resistance and fueling the controversy. Personally, while I believe that there is a benefit to fully understanding how America’s policies–including systemic racism have shaped and intersect with all facets of society, I am proud to have been born from a race of people who despite a plethora of challenges and obstacles have accomplished so much after having started with so little (like the woman who inspired our feature story on page 10); and to worship a God through whom all things are possible. Keep the faith! LISA COLLINS Publisher
Efforts to Recall George Gascon Intensify Despite Mixed Reviews and One Woman’s Personal Story
TINA SAMEPAY
Contributor
District Attorney George Gascon continues to receive mixed reviews and a lot of pushback over the new reforms and special directives he issued on his first day in office and as groups organize rallies from Pasadena to Lancaster, the controversy surrounding Gascon is only intensifying. Opponents are gathering signatures to begin the petition process to recall Gascon and in January, the Los Angeles Prosecutors Union also filed a lawsuit against Gascon. Many still, however, praise Gascon’s special directives and view him as a progressive D.A on the mission to undo decades of racist laws and practices that have existed on the books in L.A County. These reforms include charging youth offenders as adults, ending cash bail along with three strike laws, as well as gang and weapon enhancements and have yielded him the support of prison reform groups in Los Angeles, to more mainstream activist groups like BLMLA, who are one of the most visible groups supporting Gascon. Jennifer Solorzano says she would have most likely voted for Gascon, had she not been grieving the death of her boyfriend Jonathan McLinn during the 2020 election. McLinn was shot outside a club in Van Nuys Jan. 2020. However, Solorzano says her views have changed because Gascon’s new reforms directly affect the outcome of McLinn’s case. “Being a minority, I understand why people voted for him because he does have progressive directives and policies. Unfortunately, I feel he is using it as a blanket,” Solorzano expressed. “I don’t understand how his new policies are affecting people like John’s case when these were brutal murders.” Initially, Detectives told Solorzano that the gang and gun enhancements would be tossed out under Gascon’s new reforms, which meant McLinn’s killer faced 15 years, while the get-away-driver faced probation. For now, the enhancements are still in play as the Judge in the case rejected a motion to toss them out. Solorzano has been meeting with the family members of others like her who are also frustrated with the way cases are being reviewed under Gascon’s direction. “His policies, they affect people of color the most because our people are the ones being killed, these killings are not happening in White neighborhoods,” Solorzano said. “When I go to these meetings, I would say that 80-90% of these people are Black and Latino.” Monet, 25, is a paralegal in Los Angeles who supports Gascon’s new directives. She understands the institutional racism rooted in many L.A laws, but is more concerned with resources provided to the formerly incarcerated upon release. “I think that if Los Angeles works together more to help inmates upon release, that may help them from returning to a negative lifestyle. There needs to be more programs to help inmates with immediate jobs and housing,” Monet expressed. It is however, the voices of those families of victims that ring the loudest. Take the case of Jessica Corde, a mother, whose son Marquis Leblanc, an 18-year old Black teen, was killed in a racially motivated attack in 2009. Leblanc was at a house party in Pomona and begged for his life after being chased out the house, dragged, exposed and beaten in the street around party-goers who had gathered outside. His attackers showed no mercy as they stabbed him in the heart and then shot him. Leblanc’s only offense was dancing with Latina girls at the party. The suspects later bragged about beating Leblanc and questioned if he was dead the day after his murder. These messages were shown during trial, which is why Cordae was surprised when she received news that her son's killer was up for parole after only serving 11 years. According to Cordae, a parole board member told the killer of Corde’s son that his parole was being granted and consoled him as he cried, telling him that they were not going to hold his past against him. This, despite the fact that her son’s killer admitted to killing anothGascon continued to page 21
Takeaways from New Law Benefitting Landlords and Tenants
ALTON STILES
CA Black Media
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 832, which updates California’s eviction moratorium rules and extends it. “California is coming roaring back from the pandemic, but the economic impacts of COVID-19 continue to disproportionately impact so many low-income Californians, tenants and small landlords alike," Newsom said last week after reaching a deal on the moratorium with lawmakers. The governor said the agreement he reached with the Legislature also gives the state more time to provide the over $5 billion in federal rent relief funds for eligible tenants and landlords. According to a spokesperson with the Business Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH), over 85,907 Californians have submitted rent relief applications to the state-run program and 37,189 of them are already being processed as of June 22. 15.79% of those applicants are identified as Black or African American.
According to the BCSH, $660 million L.A. Focus/ July 2021 in rental assistance has been requested and the state has paid a total of $61.6 million in back rent so far through the program. “Our housing situation in California was a crisis before COVID, and the pandemic has only made it worse – this extension is key to making sure 6 that more people don’t lose the safety net helping them keep their home. While our state may be emerging from the pandemic, in many ways, the lingering financial impact still weighs heavily on California families," Senate President pro Tem Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) stated. "People are trying to find jobs and make ends meet and one of the greatest needs is to extend the eviction moratorium–which includes maximizing the federal funds available to help the most tenants and landlords possible–so that they can count on a roof over their heads while their finances rebound." AB 832 also prioritizes cities and counties with "unmet needs." Kendra Lewis, executive director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance, said the law will benefit families impacted by the pandemic that are still struggling. "The pandemic showed us all how unequal housing is and how many renters are vulnerable," Lewis said. "We need to do a better job at outreach and education because if you're in a vulnerable community, or any situation regardless of your race or whatever, and the government has a program where it's going to help you pay your rent, there's going to be some apprehension." Lewis praised the eviction moratorium extension, claiming that many families will benefit from it. "Imagine being in a vulnerable community, worried about losing your job or you're a frontline worker with kids at home. The last thing you need is to be evicted," Lewis said.
How Tenants Will Benefit From AB 832 · Allows a tenant to receive full amount due if the landlord doesn’t participate in the program so that they are not carrying it as consumer debt. · Permanently masks COVID rental debt civil cases, thus protecting tenants from having these cases impact their consumer credit. · Extends current eviction moratorium.
How Landlords Will Benefit From AB 832 · Increases rental assistance payments to give 100% of rent owed for eligible landlords and tenants. · Allows a longer timeframe for rental assistance funds, so more unpaid rent can be covered. · Authorizes rental assistance payments to be provided to landlords in situations where the tenant has moved out and now lives in a new place, but still owes rent payments to their prior landlord. · Requires a tenant to fill out the necessary paperwork for the rental assistance program within 15 business days of receiving notice of their landlord filling out its portion when a three-day eviction notice has been served. · These eviction protections do not apply to new tenancies beginning on or after October 1, 2021
On his first night home from prison, comedian/actor Bill Cosby enjoyed pizza, cracking jokes and according to spokesman Andrew Wyatt, plans of getting back to comedy. Four the last three years, life for the 83-year old entertainer has been no laughing matter. But on June 30, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that Bill Cosby was denied a fair trial and after spending nearly three years of a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison, Cosby was set free. The ruling overturns Cosby’s 2018 conviction for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Constand, a former Temple University employee who testified that she was assaulted by the entertainer in his Pennsylvania mansion, was one of over 50 women who accused Cosby of sexual assault. The court found in favor of Cosby’s attorneys who’d argued that the now 83-year old entertainer had relied on an agreement made with prior prosecutor, Bruce Castor, that would have prevented him from being criminally charged in the case and was led to believe that the testimony he’d originally given at the time was immune from prosecution. It was Castor who had originally declined to charge Cosby in 2005. With the case behind him, Wyatt told Fox News that "He wants to get back on stage sooner or later.” In the meantime, Wyatt said Cosby was excited about the precedent set with his release. Said Wyatt, “This is a resounding statement around the world that you cannot take a person's constitutional rights away especially when they're given a deal.”
Civil Case Against Former D.A. Jackie Lacey and Her Husband Allowed to Move Forward
Last month, a judge ruled that David Lacey, the husband of former Los Angeles County D.A. Jackie Lacey, would avoid jail time in the three misdemeanor charges of assault with a firearm when on March 2, 2020, he pulled a gun on–and threatened–Black Lives Matters protesters just days before his wife’s election primary. The 67-year old will instead enter a diversion program and be required to perform 100 hours of community service, attend gun safety courses and anger management as well to have the criminal case against him dismissed. However, he will not entirely be off the hook. Still pending is a civil lawsuit filed by Black Lives Matter activists Dr. Melina Abdullah, Dahlia Ferlito and Justin Marks against both the former D.A. and her husband in connection with the incident. The 16-page lawsuit alleges assault, negligence and infliction of emotional distress. This week, that case was allowed to move an L.A. Superior Court judge allowed the case to move forward. “Dr. Melina Abdullah, Dahlia Ferlito, and Justin Marks are thrilled that we have now overcome all of the procedural challenges and can turn the spotlight of this matter back on David Lacey’s outrageous use of force against three peaceful protesters,” said Attorney Carl Douglas, who was retained by BLM. “Jackie Lacey and her army of lawyers have thrown every procedural hurdle known to man against us, and today, finally, Judge Theresa M. Traber said enough is enough, let's move this case towards a jury trial. That process begins now with us placing Jackie and David Lacey under oath forcing them to answer for their outrageous transgressions.
Delta Variant Poses Serious Risk to Communities With Low Vaccination Rates
With the Delta variant of COVID19 spreading like wildfire in communities with low vaccination rates, there is renewed concern for serious risk in L.A.’s African American communities. A new Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that continued lower vaccination rates put minority groups at a greater risk for the coronavirus as new variants–like the Delta variant– spread. While recent trends suggest a narrowing of racial gaps in vaccinations at the national level, particularly for Hispanic people, who have received a larger share of vaccinations compared to their share of the total population, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department reported 275 new Covid-19 cases among Blacks in the last week of June (which was up by 77). It marks the third consecutive week of rising numbers for new cases of COVID-19 among blacks in L.A. county, where the total number of diagnosed Black cases are 47,653 with 1,919 deaths. The White House has said it would send out special teams to hot spots around the United States to combat the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant amid rising case counts in parts of the country where vaccination rates remain low. "It is clear that communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that remain vulnerable," said U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky. The easily transmitted Delta variant is believed to h a v e
become the second most prevalent coronavirus variant in the United States according Walensky. County officials were so concerned about the variant that they recommended that vaccinated residents resume wearing face coverings indoors after detecting that about half of all recent cases were the delta variant. In the week ending June 12, Delta variants comprised of nearly half of all variants sequenced in Los Angeles County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Delta variants are now responsible for about one in every five new infections across the country, up from approximately one in every 10 the week before. “While COVID-19 vaccine provides very effective protection preventing hospitalizations and deaths against the Delta variant, the strain is proving to be more transmissible and is expected to become more prevalent,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of L.A. County Public Health. “Mask wearing remains an effective tool for reducing transmission, especially indoors where the virus may be easily spread through inhalation of aerosols emitted by an infected person.” President Joe Biden had set a goal of 70 percent of all adults getting at least one shot by July 4. CDC data show that as of June 30, 66.5 percent of adults age 18 and older had received at least one shot. At the same time, the data show that 87.9 percent of adults age 65 and older have gotten at least one vaccine dose. “We still have to be careful and cautious,” said Dr. Jerry Abraham of Kedren Health. Abraham–dubbed by some as “South L.A.’s Dr. Fauci’–also pointed out that the national hospitalization and death rates are just as high as they were two months ago. “It’s been a difficult 17 months now, but that doesn’t mean it’s all over,” Abraham continued. “The faster we all get vaccinated, the faster we all get back to life.”
City Council Adopts Ordinance To Engage the Unhoused and Promote Public Safety
The Los Angeles City Council has taken steps to adopt an ordinance that would engage unhoused homeless individuals and connect them to housing and services, while promoting public health, safety and access to the public right of way. “I fundamentally believe that in order to address homelessness — and particularly street homelessness — we must lead with a trauma-informed perspective. Trained outreach workers from experienced community-based nonprofits must take the lead in engaging our unhoused individuals. Bringing people indoors can take time, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for individuals that have lost everything,” said Councilmember Ridley-Thomas. “But we must also recognize that there are public health, safety and access issues created by the conditions on the streets that impact the quality of life of Angelenos. We are seeing an unprecedented level of fires involving homeless encampments, and far too many unhoused individuals are killed by vehicle incidents each year. Not every space is a safe space for those who are forced to sleep outside.” The ordinance approved by the City Council would provide the City with authority to maintain the public right of way, in a manner that is consistent with City Council continued to page 20
