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Black Californians are most affected by criminal offenses based on prejudice

How California Is Pulling Racism and Hate Crimes Out Into the Open

In Stop the Hate, a 2021 report focused on hate crimes in Los Angeles County researchers reached several revealing conclusions that line up with trends reported across the state.

Among the findings that stood out in the LA County report were: Black Californians are still most impacted by hate crimes; hate crimes are significantly underreported to law enforcement (by as much 50 %); and they violate human rights as defined by 177 nations around the world in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Although African Americans in Los Angeles County make up only 9% of the population, they accounted for 46 % of the victims of hate crimes in 2021, according to the Stop the Hate Report.

Statewide in 2021, Black Californians accounted for a disproportionate 44% of the victims of documented hate crimes although African Americans make up about 6% of the state’s population, according to statistics released by the California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office in June.

The Los Angeles County study was spearheaded by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Rights and research for it was conducted in an area encompassing Central and South Los Angeles, neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, West Hollywood and Hollywood.

In nearby Orange County (OC), officials there joined a growing chorus of other Golden State cities and counties that have declared racism a public health crisis.

At their Dec. 6 public meeting, the Orange County

Mental Health Is Major Hurdle to Solving California’s Homelessness Crisis

Aaliyah Muhammad is a member of the civil rights group All of Us or None and a pillar of her community in Sacramento. She works tirelessly to help the homeless population along Market Street, a thoroughfare in the Sacramento County community of Walnut Grove.

She also is a mother to a son suffering from severe mental illness.

Muhammad fears that she might be the one thing standing between her son and a life on the streets.

“He told them one day he didn’t want their services anymore and so they stopped coming and that’s when he started going downhill,” Muhammad said of the social workers who were handling his case. “But I feel that they

shouldn’t have just quit. They should have tried to talk with him or find some other group that he might work with.”

For many Californians this is not an unfamiliar story. For a lot of families with homeless relatives – or loved ones on the verge of becoming unhoused – it is that one intervention or strategic assistance at the right time that prevented that person battling mental illness or other life challenges from losing their stable housing.

About 161,548 people in the state experience homelessness on any given day, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) reports the number of homeless people in the state increased 42% from 2014 to 2020.

About 25% of the adult homeless population in Los

Angeles County deal with severe mental health issues according to a report from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

According to a survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation, 43% of the Black Californians interviewed reported that someone close to them has experienced homelessness – a rate much higher than any other racial group in the survey.

Experts attribute California’s homelessness crisis to a few key historical factors.

La Tina Jackson, a licensed clinical social worker and a deputy with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, explained that a person can become homeless due to struggles with severe mental illness and vice versa.

“A person with severe mental illness may experience delusions or hallucinations that might result in bizarre, irrational, impulsive, or disorganized behavior. In a minority of cases, even aggressive behavior,” Jackson said.

Alex Visotyzky, Senior California Policy Fellow at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, claims that this crisis has been decades in the making.

“We’ve seen the federal government slowly, over the last 50 years, disinvest from affordable housing in major ways,” he said.

The Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act of 1967 was signed into law by Gov. Ronald Reagan to provide guidelines for handling involuntary civil commitment of individuals to mental health institutions in the State of California. Its intent was to move away from locked mental institutions in favor of more community-based treatment.

LPS also implemented 72-hour holds to limit involuntary and indefinite institutionalization.

Jackson – who, much like Muhammad, is intimately familiar with the subject of mental illness in her own personal life – claims that while the legislation was born from the best intentions, the LPS Act has not worked as well in practice.

“I’ve yet to see someone who truly is having a psychotic break completely reconstituted 72 hours,” she said. “They might be better because you get medication, but I’ve yet to see somebody completely reconstitute.”

Visotyzky argues that the LPS Act led to a lack of adequate investments due to the lack of alternatives. The LPS Act resulted in many individuals being released from

Singer Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters Dies at Age 74

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) – Anita Pointer, one of four sibling singers who earned pop success and critical acclaim as The Pointer Sisters, died Saturday at the age of 74, her publicist announced.

The Grammy winner passed away while she was with family members, publicist Roger Neal said in a statement. A cause of death was not immediately revealed.

“While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace. She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long,”her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer said in the statement.

Anita Pointer’s only daughter, Jada Pointer, died in 2003.

Anita, Ruth, Bonnie and June Pointer, born the daughters of a minister, grew up singing in their father’s church in Oakland, California.

The group’s 1973 self-titled debut album included the breakout hit, “Yes We Can Can.”Known for hit songs including “I’m So Excited,”“Slow Hand,”“Neutron Dance”and “Jump (For My Love),”the singers gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.

The 1983 album “Break Out”went triple platinum and garnered two American Music Awards. The group won three Grammy Awards and had 13 U.S. top 20 hit songs between 1973 and 1985, Neal said.

The Pointer Sisters also was the first African American group to perform on the Grand Ole Opry program and the first contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House, Neal said.

Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977, signing a solo deal with Motown Records but enjoying only modest success. “We were devastated,”Anita Pointer said of the departure in 1990. “We did a show the night she left, but after that, we just stopped. We thought it wasn’t going to work without Bonnie.’’

The group, in various lineups including younger family members, continued recording through 1993.

June Pointer died of cancer at the age of 52 in 2006.

Anita Pointer announced Bonnie Pointer’s death resulting from cardiac arrest at the age of 69 in 2020.

“The Pointer Sisters would never have happened had it not been for Bonnie,”she said in a statement.

Judge Won’t Drop Charges for Former Gubernatorial Candidate

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A federal judge in Florida has refused to throw out criminal charges against Andrew Gillum, disagreeing with the former Democratic gubernatorial nominee’s assertions that he was the victim of selective prosecution because he was a Black candidate for governor.

Gillum and a colleague were indicted earlier this year on federal charges including conspiracy, wire fraud and making false statements to FBI agents. Prosecutors said Gillum funneled donations through third parties back to himself for personal use.

According to prosecutors, Gillum met with undercover FBI agents posing as developers while he was mayor of Tallahassee and during his campaign for governor. His associates sought donations from the agents, and suggested ways to provide money without listing them as political contributions, including paying for a fundraising dinner, according to the indictment.

Gillum has pleaded not guilty and denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.

Saying the defendants’ arguments were “meritless,” U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor last week dismissed four motions from the defendants challenging the continuation of the prosecution.

Gillum had asked that the charges be dismissed because prosecutors delayed filing them and he was being prosecuted because of his race and politics. The judge who was appointed by former President Donald Trump said Gillum had offered nothing to support the claim of selective prosecution because of his race or politics.

Gillum, who is Black, was the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 2018 and narrowly lost the race to Republican Ron DeSantis. After losing, Gillum was still seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and was hired as a CNN analyst.

Then, in March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Two days later he entered a rehabilitation center, and later did a television interview in which he said he’s bisexual.

LA Police Offer Reward to Find Christmas Hit-and-Run Killer

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles police announced a $50,000 reward on Thursday for tips that lead detectives to the hit-and-run driver who killed a woman and injured a half-dozen other people during an illegal street takeover on Christmas day.

Elyzza Guajaca, 24, was killed when the driver of a black Chevrolet Camaro lost control around 9 p.m. Sunday and ran off the roadway, colliding with a group of spectators, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The driver fled on foot.

The crash occurred in the Hyde Park neighborhood during a takeover _ an exhibition of speed and wild driving where drivers shut down intersections and perform car stunts like doughnuts, drifting and burnouts.

About 200 people were watching from the street, and investigators believe six or seven people were hurt, with at least three of them critically injured.

Police asked the public for help identifying the injured victims, as well as the Camaro’s driver. The reward is being offered for information that leads to the identity, arrest and conviction of the suspect.

(Shutterstock Photo)

McKenzie Jackson California Black Media Officials and advocates across California are pouring resources into pointing out that racism and racial intolerance impact public health -- major factors, they say, behind the substantial increase in hate crimes and hate incidents in the Golden State.

Board of Supervisors unanimously approved “A Resolution of The Board of Supervisors of the County of Orange Declaring Racism and Inequity as a Public Health Crisis.”

The resolution is based on the premise that systemic racism causes persistent discriminatory policies and evidence cited in numerous studies linking racism to negative health

of

Dr. Lenore Tate, Wraparound

Photo)

Aldon Thomas Stiles

California Black Media

Family of International Soccer Icon

Pelé Bids Farewell to Dying Star

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The family of Pelé, the international star who was instrumental in three World Cup championships with Brazil across three decades and who energized U.S. soccer with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, has spent the past several days saying goodbye.

The 82-year-old legend has been hospitalized since November, and his doctors reported that Pelé’s cancer had advanced, requiring care related to renal and cardiac dysfunction.

He has been receiving regular treatment since doctors removed a tumor from his colon in 2021.

“Father. My strength is yours,” the international star’s son, Edinho, posted on social media.

In a video posted online by his family, Pelé appears in and out of conscious as loved ones cuddle with and embrace him on a hospital bed.

In a separate video titled, “Pelé says goodbye to family and friends from the hospital bed,” Pelé recorded a barely audible message.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson and hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg were among the many international personalities to record tributes to Pelé.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Três Corações, Brazil, on Oct. 23, 1940, Pelé became soccer’s first superstar.

He led the Brazilian national teams to World Cup glory in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

In 1956, he joined the Santos Football Club, with Pelé, at inside left forward, winning nine São Paulo league

championships and, in 1962 and 1963, the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup.

Sometimes called “Pérola Negra” (“Black Pearl”), Pelé became a Brazilian national hero. According to Britannica, he combined kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players’ moves.

“After the 1958 World Cup, Pelé was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government to ward off large offers from European clubs and ensure that he would remain in Brazil,” Britannica researchers wrote.

On Nov. 19, 1969, in his 909th first-class match, he scored his 1,000th goal.

Pelé made his international debut in 1957 at age 16 and played his first game in the World Cup finals in Sweden the following year.

The Brazilian manager was initially hesitant to play his young star. But, according to Britannica, when Pelé finally reached the field, he had an immediate impact, rattling the post with one shot and collecting an assist.

He had a hat trick in the semifinal against France and two goals in the championship game, where Brazil defeated Sweden 5–2. At the 1962 World Cup finals, Pelé tore a thigh muscle in the second match and had to sit out the remainder of the tournament.

Nonetheless, Brazil went on to claim its second World Cup title.

Researchers said rough play and injuries turned the 1966 World Cup into a disaster for Brazil and Pelé, as the team went out in the first round, and he contemplated retiring from World Cup play.

Returning in 1970 for one more World Cup tournament, he teamed with young stars Jairzinho and Rivelino to claim Brazil’s third title and permanent ownership of the Jules Rimet Trophy. Pelé finished his World Cup career, scoring 12 goals in 14 games.

Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a worldwide star.

His team Santos toured internationally to take full advantage of his popularity. For example, in 1967, he and his team traveled to Nigeria, where a 48-hour cease-fire in that nation’s civil war was called to allow all to watch the great player.

Pelé announced his retirement in 1974 but, in 1975, agreed to a three-year $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League and to promote the game in the United States.

He retired after leading the Cosmos to the league championship in 1977.

Pelé was the recipient of the International Peace Award in 1978. In 1980 he was named Athlete of the Century by the French sports publication L’Equipe, and he received the same honor in 1999 from the International Olympic Committee. In 2014 the Pelé Museum opened in Santos, Brazil.

“We thank you all for all the love and light you send,” Pelé’s daughter, Kely Nascimento, wrote on Instagram. The post accompanied a photo of the family inside the icon’s hospital room.

Maryland Dem Rep. Raskin Announces Cancer Diagnosis

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Raskin, 60, has served in the U.S. Congress, representing Maryland’s 8th district since 2017. The District of Columbia native previously served in the Maryland State Senate for two terms beginning in 2007.

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Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin announced that he would begin treatment for large B cell lymphoma. Raskin, 60, has served in the U.S. Congress, representing Maryland’s 8th district since 2017. The District of Columbia native previously served in the Maryland State Senate for two terms beginning in 2007. He insisted that his condition was “serious but curable.” The American Cancer Society describes large B cell lymphoma as cancer that “tends to grow quickly.” Aggressive chemotherapy may

cure this kind of cancer in about half of all patients. Still, doctors stress that it depends on factors, including when physicians initially diagnose the disease. “After several days of tests, I have been diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, which is a serious but curable form of cancer,” Raskin announced in a statement issued by his office. “I am about to embark on a course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis at Med Star Georgetown University Hospital and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. The prognosis for most people in my situation is excellent after four months of treatment.” Raskin, who acted as lead

impeachment manager during former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, also serves on the House Select Committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The committee this month referred charges against Trump to the Department of Justice. “I plan to get through this and, in the meantime, to keep making progress every day in Congress for American democracy,” Raskin asserted. “I [expect] to be able to work through this period but have been cautioned by my doctors to reduce unnecessary exposure to avoid COVID-19, the flu, and other viruses.”

How California Is Pulling Racism and Hate Crimes Out Into the Open

outcomes. In it, the OC Board of Supervisors vowed to promote an inclusive and racial equity justice-oriented governmental organization that is aware of “unfairness through robust trainings and continuing education to expand the understanding of how racial discrimination affects individuals and communities most impacted by inequities.”

Orange County Human Relations Council Director of Operations Don Han applauded the Southern California county board’s move.

“This signified that we are serious about stopping hate,” said Han, whose nonprofit is geared toward combatting discrimination in the Southern California county. “That is our goal.”

Han said there is evidence that systematic racism has existed in Orange County -- which is 70 % White — like most of the U.S., for generations.

Within the last two years, the cities of Coachella, Goleta, Long Beach, and Los Angeles and counties such as Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, and Santa Barbara passed resolutions categorizing racism as a public health distress.

The Oakland City Council deemed racism a public health crisis in June and promised to work to advance racial equity.

At the time, Seema Rupani of the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, said the government had a responsibility to address the health problem racism has caused.

“Structural racism has existed for centuries, and it has

always impacted communities of color here, but during the pandemic the inequities became more pronounced,” she said. “They were growing. They were becoming more exposed particularly with COVID and housing and homelessness and economic disparities and there was just a responsibility to acknowledge what was happening and to take steps to address it.”

Oakland’s resolution directed $350,000 in the city budget for data analyst and consulting services to aid the city and its department of race and equity to enhance “improvements in systems for collection and processing data to track performance and equity progress,” reads the council’s resolution.

The OC supervisors did not attach a dollar amount to what the county will do to combat discrimination but indicated they will support diversity and inclusion as a core component to the delivery of health and human services for underserved populations, including appropriate allocation of resource to personnel training and public education.

Over 200 governmental bodies in 37 states have passed declarations concerning racism’s impact on public health.

U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky called racism a public health danger in 2021.

She pointed to how the pandemic impacted communities of color in terms of case numbers, deaths, and social consequences.

“What we know is this: racism is a serious public health threat that directly affects the well-being of millions

of Americans,” Walensky said. “Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community.”

In Orange County, hate crimes and related incidents were up 165 percent in 2021 compared to five years ago, according to OC Human Relations Council’s “2021 Orange County Hate Crimes Report.”

Black people were the target of 24 reported hate incidents and 16 hate crimes in 2021, while there were 153 hate incidents and 10 hate crimes committed against Asian/Pacific Islanders.

Han touched on how systematic racism can be traced back to slavery -- citing, for example, the U.S. Government never honoring Union General William T. Sherman’s promise to grant formerly enslaved Black people land they after they were freed. He added that people who do not understand history fear what the OC resolution could mean legally.

“There are a number of folks who have a lack of knowledge on this, and they lash out,” Han said. “But they don’t represent a majority of the county. The resolution signified that we are serious about stopping hate. We are seeing a shining light at the end of the tunnel.”

Mental Health Is Major Hurdle to Solving California’s Homelessness Crisis

state hospitals to live in the community.

In the 1980s, under Pres. Reagan there was a disinvestment from the health care systems most American families relied on to provide care and shelter for mentally challenged relatives or those dealing with other behavioral issues. It came in the form of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 (MHSA), according to Vonya Quarles, the Executive Director of Starting Over Inc.

“That shut down mental health facilities and led to the increase in the prison system.” Quarles said.

In the last couple of years California announced a $3 billion investment to provide affordable housing options and services for those suffering from severe mental illness or substance abuse issues.

This included funds for the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act – or Senate Bill (SB) 1338 – which is designed to provide several points of intervention and alternatives before facing more severe outcomes.

The CARE Act includes Care Court, which aims to divert homeless people with severe mental illness away from correctional facilities in favor of mandatory treatment.

“CARE Court has the potential to change the lives of thousands of families across the state,” said Harold Turner, Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles. “Organizations like NAMI urgently need this support so we can quickly begin helping our loved ones who are struggling with untreated

mental and behavioral issues.”

While Care Court has its fair share of criticisms, Muhammad believes that this program is exactly what her son needs.

Muhammad continues to work for those who are not as fortunate while her son is being treated through the Care program in the Napa State Hospital.

“We’ll all go pick up dinners and take them to different encampments and pass them out,” she said. “We hand them all out. We never come back with any dinner.”

California Black Media’s coverage of Mental Health in California is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.

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The 82-year-old legend had been hospitalized since November, and his doctors reported that Pelé’s cancer had advanced, requiring care related to renal and cardiac dysfunction.

Entertainment

Trendsetting Rapper Gangsta Boo of Three 6 Mafia Dies at 43

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Trendsetting hip hop star and the only female member of the mega group Three 6 Mafia has reportedly died at the age of 43.

Her labelmate DJ Paul confirmed her death on Sunday, Jan. 1.

Born Lola Chantrelle Mitchell in Memphis, Tennessee, Mitchell counted among the female pioneers in the heavily male dominated genre.

In the 1990s, Mitchell teamed with DJ Paul, Juicy J, Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca and others to form Three 6 Mafia.

She helped the group form an identity that resonated throughout the world with records “Mystic Stylez’,” “Chapter 1,” and “Choice.”

Mitchell later teamed with artists like OutKast, Eminem, Foxy Brown, and Lil Jon.

After leaving Three 6 Mafia, Mitchell released her first solo album, “Enquiring Minds,” in 1998.

The disc reached No. 15 on the Billboard Top R&B/ Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 46 on the Billboard 200, with the hit song “Where Dem Dollas At!?”

In 2001, she released her second album, “Both Worlds

*69,” reaching the eighth spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and 29 on the Billboard 200.

Though her third studio album, “Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera,” failed to achieve the same success as her previous releases, the record did reach No. 24 on the Independent Albums chart.

In 2015 Mitchell released the mixtape, “Candy, Diamond & Pills,” which catapulted her to the forefront of the underground hip-hop scene.

She then toured with Killer Mike and El-P, playing sold-out shows across the United States on their “Run The World Tour.”

Following the tour, Mitchell set the music world on fire with an epic Verzuz battle in which she reunited with Three 6 Mafia to battle Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

“Rest In Peace To Legendary Female Rapper Gangsta Boo From Memphis Tenn,” Tweeted famed DJ Mister Cee.

“She was one of the female rappers from the South that set the trends for so many others to come after her. This is a huge loss for Memphis.”

Singer K. Michelle also joined a long list of artists, fans, and others to pay tribute.

“You already know what it is,” K. Michelle tweeted. “We forever. Broke my whole heart today sis. I love you.”

MISSING

Another Woman Files Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Cosby, NBC

By DAVE COLLINS Associated Press

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Stacey Pinkerton says she was a 21-year-old flight attendant and model that year when she claims Cosby drugged her at a restaurant in Illinois and took her back to a hotel room in Chicago. The lawsuit alleges Cosby “engaged in forced sexual intercourse”with her while she was incapacitated from the drugs.

The lawsuit comes more than a year after Cosby left prison after his 2018 sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania was overturned. Earlier this year, a Los Angeles jury awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager in 1975.

Pinkerton says the alleged assault came after she had met Cosby in New York and he promised to help her career. She says she had a role in an episode of “The Cosby Show”on NBC, but did not appear in the final edit.

Months after the alleged assault, Pinkerton said Cosby invited her to his show at a Chicago theater, where she claims he forcefully kissed and touched her.

“Cosby engaged in the same or similar pattern of conduct with his victims,”Pinkerton's lawsuit says, “including expressing interest in advancing their careers, giving them roles on The Cosby Show, using The Cosby Show and its filming locations as a means to access, isolate, sexually harass, and sexually assault women, using drugs to incapacitate his victims, and forcibly engaging in sexual acts with them without their consent.''

The lawsuit alleges that NBC, Kaufman Astoria Studios and Carsey-Werner Television should have

known Cosby was a danger to women and failed to protect Pinkerton from him.

Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said Friday night that Cosby “continues to vehemently deny all allegations waged against him and looks forward to defending himself in court.''

“As we have always stated, and now America can see, this isn't about justice for victims of alleged sexual assault, it's ALL ABOUT MONEY,”Wyatt wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “We believe that the courts, as well as the court of public opinion, will follow the rules of law and relieve Mr. Cosby of these alleged accusations.''

Representatives of NBCUniversal, Kaufman Astoria Studios and Carsey-Werner Television did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday night. All three companies were involved in the production of “The Cosby Show,”Pinkerton's lawsuit said.

The lawsuits by Pinkerton and the five other women were filed under New York's one-year window for adults to file sexual abuse complaints for allegations that had fallen outside the statute of limitations to sue.

Cosby served nearly three years in prison before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction, finding that he gave incriminating testimony in a deposition about the encounter only after believing he had immunity from prosecution. The trial judge and an intermediate appeals court had found no evidence of such immunity.

Seven other accusers received a settlement from Cosby's insurers in the wake of the Pennsylvania conviction over a defamation lawsuit they had filed in Massachusetts. Their lawsuit said that Cosby and his agents disparaged them in denying their allegations of abuse.

Family Files Missing Persons Report for Theophilus London

By STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The family of rapper Theophilus London filed a missing persons report with Los Angeles police this week and are asking for the public's help, saying he hasn't been seen in months.

London's family and friends believe someone last spoke to the musician in July in Los Angeles, according to the family's statement released Wednesday from Secretly, a music label group that has worked with London.

London's relatives have been trying to determine his whereabouts over the last few weeks and filed a police report earlier this week, the statement said.

Officer Annie Moran, an LAPD spokesperson, confirmed Wednesday that a report for London had been taken. A department news release said London was last seen in the Skid Row area on Oct. 15, and his family has lost complete contact with him.

“Theo, your Dad loves you, son,” his father, Lary Moses London, said in the family's statement. “We miss you. And all your friends and relatives are searching for you. Wherever you are send us some signal. No matter what we will come get you son.''

London posted prolifically on Instagram, but his last posts also came in July.

London, 35, was born in Trinidad and Tobago and later raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York. He was nominated for a 2016 Grammy for best rap performance for a featured spot alongside Paul McCartney on Kanye West's “All Day.''

London has frequently collaborated with the artist now known as Ye, who produced and guested on 2014's “Vibes.”London would often post updates on Ye's “Donda”and “Donda 2”on Instagram, even saying that he was “promoted to tackle media duties”on Ye's behalf for the month of February.

London himself has released three studio albums – 2011's “Timez Are Weird These Days,”“Vibes”and 2020's “Bebey.”He recently was a featured artist on Young Franco's “Get Your Money,”released this past September –the month before he was last seen.

While “Vibes”was a Warner Records release, “Bebey”was released on London's own label, My Bebey Records.

“I wanted to see what a sense of family is, a sense of me having a plot of land, building a house on my own land, instead of sleeping at a hotel for the rest of my life,”he told Complex of branching out on his own in 2020.

Gangsta Boo performing at House of Blues. Born Lola Chantrelle Mitchell in Memphis, Tennessee, Mitchell counted among the female pioneers in the heavily male dominated genre.

woman who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1986 sued the comedianactor, NBCUniversal and other companies Friday in New York, where five other women filed a similar lawsuit earlier this month.

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Record Number of People Signed Up for Obamacare

During 2022

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

President Joe Biden said he promised to lower costs for families and ensure that all Americans have access to quality affordable health care.

On Tuesday, Dec. 27, the president proclaimed that he’d delivered on that promise.

A record number of people – nearly 11.5 million –signed up for insurance on HealthCare.gov – about 1.8 million more and an 18% increase over last year.

With enrollment remaining open through Jan. 15, and not counting those who signed up for coverage through their state marketplaces, Biden said gains like those have helped to drive down the uninsured rate to eight percent, the lowest level in U.S. history.

“In recent days, we received further proof that our efforts are delivering record results and bringing families the peace of mind that comes with health insurance,” the President stated.

“Right now, four out of five people who sign up for

health insurance through the Affordable Care Act can find health care coverage for $10 a month or less. These lower rates were set to expire at the end of this year, but thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we were able to extend them and save millions of Americans on Obamacare an average of $800 a year.”

The Biden administration noted that, on Jan. 1, Americans will see the benefits of additional cost-saving measures because of the Inflation Reduction Act.

That includes seniors realizing a month’s supply of insulin capped at $35, Medicare beneficiaries paying $0 out of pocket for recommended adult vaccines covered by their Part D plan, and prescription drug companies needing to pay Medicare a rebate if they try to raise their prices faster than inflation for drugs administered at a doctor’s office.

“We’re not finished working to make health care a right, not a privilege,” Biden declared.

The administration continues to encourage individuals to visit HealthCare.gov by Jan. 15 to take advantage of lower rates and sign up for health care for the coming year.

11.5 million – signed up for insurance on HealthCare.gov – about 1.8 million more and an 18% increase over last year.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) will soon announce its choice for the next County Administrator for the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD).

In the job description applicants were told “the district has made significant strides toward recovery and is within 3-4 years of being able to meet the minimum milestone for self-governance, offering the successful candidate a rare leadership opportunity.”

If history is any indication, IUSD has had eight State/ County Administrators (including 3 interim) in a little over 10 years. The odds are against the ninth administrator being around to coordinate IUSD’s transition back to local control.

The IUSD Board of Education should be selecting the next leader for the school district, not LACOE. But, in 2012 facing the possibility of insolvency, Senate Bill 533 authorized a state loan and gave the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), Tom Torlakson control over IUSD. In 2018, Assembly Bill 1840 transferred authority to LACOE Superintendent Debra Duardo.

Since 2012, IUSD’s five-member Board of Education has been serving in an advisory role to the revolving door of appointed State and County Administrators.

Existing laws governing receivership say that a school

district will regain control when it shows adequate progress in implementing the recommendations of a comprehensive review conducted by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance (FCMAT) in five operational areas (financial management, personnel management, community relations and governance, facilities management, and pupil achievement).

FCMAT is an independent and external state agency that provides financial management assistance and general consulting to the state’s school districts. Their latest review of IUSD generated 885 recommendations for implementing 153 operational standards spread across the five operational areas.

IUSD has achieved proficiency in just two of the FCMAT operational areas – governance and personnel management - after 10 years under State and County control.

Existing laws give Duardo, with the concurrence of SPI Tony Thurmond and State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond, the power to determine when IUSD can resume local control. However, many Inglewood residents familiar with the school district believe it’s Duardo’s choice of administrators that are failing to conform with FCMAT standards.

The nine reviews FCMAT conducted show that constant turnover of leadership and the number of poor leader choices by the State and County have led to

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inconsistency in developing and executing effective recovery plans for IUSD, stunted academic progress for the students, and inadequate maintenance of IUSD facilities.

When Torlakson took over IUSD, he said, “The State Administrator will control the district until fiscal insolvency has been eliminated, between two to six years.

The commentary I wrote titled, “After 10 Years it’s Time to Return Control of Inglewood Schools to the Community,” showed that ten years of state intervention is not a guarantee that a school district in receivership will be better managed.

While existing law mandates that the state controls IUSD to protect its $29 million loan, the opportunity cost to IUSD of the state’s mismanagement has been significantly more than the amount it borrowed.

For example, before receivership, the Los Angeles World Airports (“LAWA”) agreed to fund noise mitigation measures for IUSD not to exceed $118.5 million. The State/County Administrators who took over have only secured $44 million of the funding, leaving $74.5 million on the table.

City Honors High School is a dependent charter school run by IUSD that was recognized by U.S. World and News Report as a silver-medal finalist. When the Charter Schools Facilities Program was awarding grants for charter school construction, Don Brann, who Torlakson had appointed to oversee IUSD, didn’t apply for a state grant. But, DaVinci Charter schools which Brann helped found in the Wiseburn Unified School District located next door to IUSD applied and was awarded a $52.7 Million grant. Had IUSD applied for a grant for a City Honors building it would have been ahead of DaVinci in line for the limited funds.

Since 2012, IUSD has paid FCMAT about $2.6 Million for the nine yearly comprehensive reviews, an expense mandated by the statue authorizing the loan and paid from the school district’s General Fund.

IUSD is no longer in financial trouble. According to the latest 2022-23 budget projections, it will have a positive ending General Fund balance of $94.5 million and positive ending cash balance of $83.7 million. IUSD owes $19.6 million on its state loan.

In a recent review FCMAT conducted, LACOE admitted that IUSD had made little annual progress and is

no closer to recovery today than two years ago.

IUSD has gone without local control longer than any school district that’s taken a state loan. It can no longer afford the compromised quality of education being delivered to students by LACOE’s management.

The IUSD community has been expressing its frustration at school board meetings about the quality of the schools the last 10 years, but LACOE lacks the management judgment to effectively respond to community concerns.

Schools LACOE operates not including IUSD, lead all California with the largest gap between Black and White students meeting states standards on the 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessments in English language arts.

Because statues governing state loans offer no way for IUSD to regain local control at this time, legislation amending those statues is needed that recognizes for 10 years State and County administrators have failed IUSD students and that it’s in the best interest of IUSD students to have the school board retain all of its legal rights, duties and powers.

The education system in California is based on local control

The new legislation needs to recognize that a statute of limitations has to be established on how long school districts under receivership have to put up with ineffective state management, especially if the school district is no longer in financial hardship.

Specific agencies have to be identified in the legislation with authority to hold the State or County accountable for addressing the slow progress it is making to qualify the district for a return to local governance. Incentives for quick turnarounds must be offered.

The offices of the legislators representing IUSD – Sen. Steve Bradford (D-District 35) and Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor (D-District 61) and Isaac Bryan (D-District 55) have been approached about the need for legislation to return local control to IUSD. The office of recently elected Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-District 28) was also contacted, but no staff was available to discuss legislation. Support from the California Legislative Black Caucus is also being solicited.

It will be up to IUSD’s legislators to introduce a bill during this legislative session for the return of IUSD to local control.

Joe W. Bowers Jr.

California Black Media

Features

A Look ‘Black’ on 2022 and How Black Excellence Still Prevails

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Black Press of America entered its 195th year in 2022, highly engaged in the continued fight for freedom, justice, equity, and equality.

Just one year after the Jan. 6 insurrection not only threatened America’s democracy but freedom for people of color, the United States and the hundreds of millions of news consumers demonstrated a need for the Black Press like never before.

Fake News and the growing number of overt racists who dispensed misinformation and false reports had taken over social media and mainstream headlines.

But like in 2020, when the Black Press was the first to reveal that the coronavirus was airborne, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) issued facts on which African Americans and others could be certain.

The NNPA is the trade association representing the more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America.

Reeling from the deaths of American icon Sidney Poitier, Civil Rights leader and legal scholar Lani Guinier, Helen Chavis Othow, the beloved sister of NNPA President and C.E.O. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., and many others, the Black Press challenged Congress.

Many urged lawmakers to eliminate the racist filibuster that suppressed needed laws like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) responded, calling for a vote to change the filibuster on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The vote failed, but America heard the clarion call from the Black Press.

When the Black Press noted President Joe Biden’s declining approval ratings among African Americans, the commander-in-chief responded on several fronts.

First, the Biden-Harris administration took a historical approach to advancing racial equity, including directing every agency across the federal government to address the lasting impacts of systemic racism on Black communities.

Maya Angelou became the first Black woman on the U.S. quarter, and Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman appointed and confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

With the help of federal authorities, the killers of Ahmaud Arbery received life in prison.

Black Press U.S.A. ran the headline, “Will Commission Conclude that Trump was Negligent in Jan. 6 Insurrection?”

In December, the Jan. 6 Commission referred criminal charges to the Department of Justice, emphatically stating that the former president should face a judge and jury for inciting the insurrection.

Having already spearheaded a lawsuit against prison officials in Mississippi over conditions there, hip-hop superstar Jay-Z and his team publicly demanded that authorities investigate racism and corruption in the Kansas City Police Department.

In February, the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) began facing bomb threats, while Howard University’s Lacrosse team met racial slurs during a game in South Carolina.

As critical race theory proved all the rage, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton called on Congress for $30 million to combat implicit bias in schools.

In a year of Black achievement, Snoop Dogg purchased Death Row Records, the label that made him, Dr. Dre, and many others famous.

The three officers involved in the murder of George Floyd finally received the justice many had sought, each pleading guilty for their role in killing the Black Minneapolis man.

As Russia invaded Ukraine, the Black Press reminded the world why Black lives should matter in Ukraine.

Russia responded to America’s assistance to Ukraine by taking WNBA star Brittney Griner hostage, charging her with possessing a small amount of cannabis oil.

A Russian court found her guilty, and the basketball player received a more than 9-year sentence. However, in a December prisoner swap, Griner finally returned home in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The P.G.A. Tour reiterated its commitment to the Black Press and continued offering scholarships and grants to HBCUs and other initiatives to people of color.

Meanwhile, an emotional Tiger Woods opened up for the first time.

During his induction into the Pro Golf Hall of Fame, Woods spoke candidly about the racism and discrimination he faced as a child.

As African American homeowners continued to face bias in real estate, Vice President Kamala Harris released a plan to stop appraisers from putting an unfair low value on the homes of Black people.

Congress also passed the Crown Act, which ends discrimination against natural Black hairstyles.

In Entertainment, despite the controversial Will Smith slap of Chris Rock, Florida A&M graduate Will Packer led an all-Black production team for the 94th annual Academy Awards.

Deion Sanders, who survived life-saving surgery that resulted in the amputation of his toes, led Jackson State University’s football team to another successful season.

Sanders then signed a multi-million-dollar contract to lead Colorado State in 2023.

The Black Press made news with outstanding accomplishments within its ranks.

William Garth, Sr., a philanthropist, community leader, activist, political influencer, and freedom fighter, earned posthumous enshrinement into the Black Press Archives and Gallery of Distinguished Black Publishers at Howard University’s historic Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.

The guiding force behind the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group, Garth joined a host of others enshrined, including Lenora “Doll” Carter, Marcus Garvey, Frances Murphy, Dr. Mary Ellen Strong, Charles Tisdale, and M. Paul Redd.

Dr. Toni Draper, the publisher of the AFRO, earned NNPA Publisher of the Year honors, and won selection as one of “25 over 50” by Editor & Publisher Magazine.

Texas Metro News Publisher and IMessenger Media boss, Cheryl Smith, also earned the same distinction. Additionally, Smith earned induction into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

She was also named Distinguished Alumni by Florida A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic Communications.

Additionally, Houston Forward Times Associate Editor Jeffrey L. Boney, who serves as Mayor Pro Tem in Missouri City, has received appointments to two crucial national posts.

The award-winning journalist, author, and twoterm councilmember earned an appointment to the National League of Cities (N.L.C.) 2022 Community and Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee (C.E.D.) and the 2022 Race, Equity, And Leadership Council –or REAL.

Dr. Chavis continued to bring the Black Press and NNPA to a global audience with his PBS TV and PBS World show, The Chavis Chronicles.

Meanwhile, the NNPA’s live morning show, Let It Be Known, continued to attract mainstream viewers and celebrity guests like Gabrielle Union, LisaRaye McCoy, and Skip Marley.

The show remains the NNPA’s premiere public-facing entity and, on Dec. 31, airs its 500th episode.

With its vision, legacy, culture, and story on full display, the AFRO celebrated its 130th anniversary in style Saturday night with a gala at Martins Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Comedian and D.C.-area native Tommy Davidson served as the night’s host, while Temeka Moore and Absolute Music performed various hit songs.

The sold-out crowd capped the evening with a dance party as famed D.J. Kid Capri worked his magic on the

White Supremacy again reared its racist head with the massacre at Tops Supermarket in Buffalo.

An 18-year-old white male, Payton Gendron, killed ten people and injured three others on Saturday, May 14, in a venue where Blacks make up the most significant percentage of shoppers and count as the majority of those who died.

Once again, Americans grappled with the nation’s latest example of senseless and unprovoked violence.

This time, the dead include grandmothers, fathers, sons, and sisters whose only “crime” would be picking up essential groceries for their families.

The victims in the shooting included a former police officer and a beloved wife and grandmother who served as the primary caretaker for her husband, who lives in a nursing facility.

Federal and state governments, including in California, failed to protect Black artists, culture-makers, and mediamakers from discrimination and simultaneously promoted discriminatory narratives, according to a report done by a task force investigating reparations for citizens in the Golden State.

State governments memorialized the Confederacy as just and heroic through monument building while suppressing the nation’s history of racism and slavery, said researchers for the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

When the U.S. Supreme Court abolished Roe V. Wade, individuals like the Rev. William Barber held a “Moral March on Washington,” helping to push the Biden administration and local governments into action to protect women.

In June, the NNPA wrapped its 2022 convention in New Orleans with a cruise aboard the Creole Queen Riverboat along the Mississippi River.

But the convention, which celebrated the 195th anniversary of the Black Press in America and featured a live concert by Stephanie Mills, wasn’t about smooth sailing – especially given the issues facing African Americans and other marginalized communities.

Mark Thompson, the decorated journalist, and host of the podcast “Make It Plain,” moderated the topic, “Amplifying Voices of Generation Z and Millennials Through the Black Press of America.”

Electrifying the audience were on-air personalities Jonita “Go J.J. Go” Buchanan, DaNeshia Bell, Joshua McMillian, Lafayette Barnes, and Melony Mainor.

Erica Myles, the senior consultant and senior vice president of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion for Wells Fargo, discussed the topic, “Relationships and Resources: Tools to Move Black-owned Small Businesses from Surviving to Thriving.”

A General Motors contingent spoke with NNPA President, and C.E.O. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. about “The Path to Inclusion is Electric: How G.M. is Building an All-Inclusive Workforce to Build an All-Electric Future.” Representatives from G.M. and Wells Fargo also sat for a live interview on the NNPA’s national news program “Let It Be Known.”

In 2021, Rihanna achieved billionaire status.

In 2022, Forbes acknowledged that the Barbadian beauty is now the youngest self-made billionaire in America.

The 34-year-old, who recently gave birth to her first child, ranked 21st in the latest Forbes list of billionaires.

For the first time in its 246-year history, the Marines have a Black four-star general. In addition, lt. Gen. Michael Langley was confirmed to lead all U.S. military forces in Africa as chief of U.S. Africa Command.

Democrats elected New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as the party’s leader, making him the first Black ever to head a major political party in Congress.

The congressman, who once quoted the late Notorious B.I.G. during one of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment hearings and has maintained a vow to oppose Republican extremism, takes the reins from longtime House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who earlier this month stepped down from the party leadership role she held for nearly two decades.

For the second time in as many years, voters in Georgia have delivered a Senate runoff victory for Democrats.

Incumbent Raphael Warnock, who won a runoff in January 2021 against Republican Kelly Loeffler, defeated G.O.P. nominee Herschel Walker on Tuesday in a close contest that saw both candidates earn nearly 2 million votes.

Warnock’s victory underscored the major disappointment experienced by the G.O.P. after pundits and Republicans anticipated a so-called red wave that never materialized.

Harvard University has announced Claudine Gay as its new president.

The dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Gay, becomes the first African American to serve as the university’s leader and the second woman president in the institution’s illustrious history.

Founded in 1636, the university has graduated Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, W.E.B Du Bois, and other famous individuals and leaders.

turntables.

During the signing of anti-lynching legislation, Vice President Harris sang the praises of the Black Press.

“Ida B. Wells,” Harris stated midway through her speech.

“The courageous nature of that incredible American who used her skill, her profession, her calling, as a journalist to help open the eyes of our nation to the terror of lynching which speaks to the role — going off-script — and the importance of the Black Press and making sure that we have storytellers in our community, who will tell the story when no one else is willing to tell it.”

The Black Press also called out how white people were more likely to ignore safety precautions like wearing masks and social distancing during the pandemic when they realized the various and disproportionate ways COVID-19 affected African Americans.

Psychologists at the University of Georgia’s Department of Social Science & Medicine made those conclusions following an in-depth study of racial disparities during the pandemic.

In releasing the 2022 State of Black America report, National Urban League President and C.E.O. Marc Morial said factions of state and federal lawmakers, working in concert with shady political operatives and violent extremists, are dangerously close to dismantling American democracy and establishing autocratic rule.

The report outlined “the conspiracy and the urgent case for a national mobilization to protect and defend our most sacred constitutional right,” Morial noted in the report titled “Under Siege: The Plot to Destroy Democracy.”

Karine Jean-Pierre became the first Black woman to hold the White House press secretary job, while colleague Erica Loewe continued to open doors for Black media at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

“The Google News Initiative Lab: Growing Digital Advertising Revenue” panel featured publishers James Washington of the Dallas Weekly, Janis Ware of the Atlanta Voice, Google News Initiative employees Eric Rosato and Casey Pallenik, and Association of Alternative Newsmedia Manager Todd Stauffer.

Munson Steed, the Rolling Out National Publications publisher, presented the topic: RIDE (Rolling Out Innovation Digital Entertainment) Lab for NNPA Publishers.

The year of Black Excellence continued despite repeated attacks on Blackness.

But like in 2020, when the Black Press was the first to reveal that the coronavirus was airborne, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) issued facts on which African Americans and others could be certain.

Frances “Toni” Draper wins ‘Publisher of the Year.

Cheryl Smith, Publisher, Texas Metro News / iMessenger Media

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre with NNPA Sr. National Correspondent Stacy M. Brown at the White House (NNPA)

(Pictured left to right): Karine Jean-Pierre, the nation’s first Black press secretary, Erica Loewe, director of African American media and outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki.

New Year’s Eve With The Roots

By David Jordan Jr Whatsgoodinsports.com

The final day of 2022 presented festive partygoers the opportunity to bring in the new year with one of the most iconic hip-hop musical groups of all time, The Roots. Playing two shows on December 31st, 2022 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles, California, The Roots gave the audiences the ultimate display of showmanship, musicianship and energy on the eve of the new year.

the show without an obstructed view from any vantage point inside of the hall. The acoustics provide an amazing sound, which can give the attendee the same experience one would have listening to an album in the car, at home or on airpods. The lighting inside of the hall provides great viewing and the spotlights allow the performers to be clearly seen without a person having to squint or wonder who is being spotlighted.

The seating is narrow, somewhat similar to an airplane. Those that have aisle seats or front row seats in

causing them to miss parts of the show. Having more big, outside monitors would ease the fact of not being able to drink inside and enjoy the show, especially considering the prices of the drinks.

For anybody attending a future show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the venue will provide the ultimate

musical experience; they will just have to be made totally aware of sitting policies (if applicable) and the drinking policies for the venue. Having insight about these things will help the attendee be mentally prepared and have the greatest experience.

CBC Stands United at Swearing-In

As Republicans Battled over Speakership

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

On Tuesday, Jan. 3, members of the Congressional Black Caucus held an inspiring swearing-in ceremony, even as Republicans were fighting over who would become the next Speaker of the House.

“In the work we do, we honor our history, like the many Black members that served before there was even a Congressional Black Caucus,” said Nevada Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, the CBC’s new chairman.

Horsford, 49, counted among the 58 CBC members taking the oath of office, most praised the Biden-Harris administration, spoke glowingly of the CBC’s history, and kept an eye on their Republican counterparts as they tried to find the votes to select a new speaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who is 57 and from California, continued to face strong opposition from his own party as he tried to replace outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).

At least six members of the GOP have opposed McCarthy, who needs 218 votes.

Democrats have seized upon the GOP’s inability to unite.

“The 118th Congress has yet to begin, and Americans are already seeing how dysfunctional and disastrous GOP control of the House is going to be,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Washington).

DelBene is the new chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

“While House Republicans fight one another in

unprecedented ways, and Kevin McCarthy gives in to the most extreme flanks of the Republican Party in desperate plays for their support, Democrats are clear-minded, unified, and eager to get to work for the American people,” she said.

“No matter who becomes Speaker of the House or how many votes it takes, the contrast is clear, and in two short years voters will reject this chaos and confusion.”

Further complicating McCarthy’s bid, Republicans with a small majority only occupy 222 seats in the 118th Congress, which means there’s enough opposition to block his candidacy.

He needs a majority of the present members to vote for him.

Incoming House Minority Leader, New York Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, said no Democratic party member would be absent for a vote and did not expect any to simply vote “present.”

Headed into Tuesday, there was even the belief that Jeffries, 52, could get more votes than McCarthy in a first round of voting.

But, because the GOP controls the House, he wouldn’t become speaker.

“We’re focused right now on making sure that every single Democrat is present and voting, and I hope to be able to earn everyone’s vote,” said Jefferies, the first African American to lead a party in Congress.

“It’s unfortunate that all we’re seeing is chaos, crisis, confusion, and craziness take hold of the other side of the aisle, as opposed to trying to find common ground to deliver real results for the American people,” Jefferies

continued.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to a place sooner rather than later when the Congress can actually function in a way that brings Democrats and Republicans together to get things done for the American people.”

Jeffries and Horsford focused on the historic battles of African Americans.

“Our community’s journey in this country has been

a turbulent one. From slavery to Jim Crow, Jim Crow to mass incarceration, and mass incarceration to a malignant narcissist in the White House,” Jeffries states.

Horsford added that “this is our opportunity to advance the mission, the vision, and the goals of those 13 founders and the 166 Black members of Congress who have served in our nation’s 246 years in both the House and the Senate.”