CELEBRATING
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
News Observer Bakersfield
Volume 45 Number 22
Serving Kern County for Over 40 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
The American Dream Deferred By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent The American Dream is described as a national ethos: a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. That’s the Wikipedia definition. For African American millennials, the dream remains deferred – and in some cases, is a nightmare. “The American Dream, the idea that anyone can succeed through hard work, is one of the most enduring myths in this country. And one of its most prominent falsehoods,” Reniqua Allen, the author of “It Was All a Dream” wrote in a recent New York Times Op-Ed. “As I entered my 30s, still navigating what achieving the dream would mean, I wondered what other black millennials were feeling. I wanted to figure out what my generation of Black Americans thought about the promise of the American dream and how we can attain it,” Allen said. Keli Hammond, the owner and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based B Classic Marketing & Communications and author of “Craved: the Secret Sauce to Building a Highly-Successful, Standout Brand,” said Black millennials have an uphill climb to achieve the American Dream. “Unfortunately, this is a very true reality. Race is a touchy subject in this country – always has been, always will be,” Hammond said. “It’s funny because, even thought it’s part of our social construct, it’s still incredibly uncomfortable when it’s talked about.” Hammond, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Advertising from Temple University and a certification in Change Leadership from Cornell University, noted that race has a way of humbling dreams quite fast. “Although I believe that millennials in general are struggling to identify with the American Dream, for Black millennials it can often feel like a dream you can’t achieve,” she said. “We weren’t afforded the same job opportunities or raises, we don’t have the same networks, we’re not given the same leeway if we make a mistake, and we don’t have the same access to capital or generational wealth – it’s hard every day,” Hammond said. In a survey customized exclusively for NNPA News-
wire, Branded Research asked 452 African Americans which aspect of the American Dream is most important. A total of 30 percent said having a comfortable retirement; 21 percent said homeownership; 21 percent said setting up their children for success; 15 percent said owing a business; 7 percent said a college education; and 6 percent said having a nuclear family. When broken down by gender, 22 percent of men and 34 percent of women said having a comfortable retirement was most important. Twenty-two percent of men identified homeownership as most important as compared with 21 percent of
Keli Hammond, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Advertising from Temple University and a certification in Change Leadership from Cornell University, noted that race has a way of humbling dreams quite fast.
women. When broken down by age, 24 percent of those between 18 and 24 identified setting up their children for success was most important and 21 percent of the same age group said having a comfortable retirement and owning a business is paramount. Twenty-eight percent of African Americans between 25 and 34 identified home ownership as most important followed by setting up their children for success (27 percent); and having a comfortable retirement (19 percent). Overall, African American consumers are most likely to say that the most important aspects of the American Dream are having a comfortable retirement, homeownership and setting children up for success. African American women are more likely than African American men to say that having a comfortable retirement is the most important aspect of the American Dream. Younger African Americans value homeownership, setting up children for success and owning a business while older African Americans value a comfortable retirement most. “The American Dream isn’t what I strive for [because] my goal is to be successful in my chosen creative path of singing and to travel the world doing that – not to be tethered to a job I don’t like, to pay a mortgage I don’t want in order to live permanently anywhere,” said New York musician Risa Branch. “I finally paid off my student loans. I want the freedom to be wherever I want to be,” Branch said. “If I did get the surplus funds to buy a house, I’d rent it out and use the investment to fund a more mobile lifestyle.” Hammond argued that Black millennials want equality, opportunity and freedom. “We want the same business and home loans, we want the same job offers, we want the same – everything,” she said. “I’m college-educated, well-read, and well-traveled. I’m a business owner and a homeowner, and even with all of that, I’m keenly aware that I am still very much an underdog,” Hammond continued. “Freedom means you don’t struggle financially or live paycheck-to-paycheck. Freedom means you’re able to relax sometimes and not worry about all the ways that you have to work to dispel racial myths and stereotypes.”
ly known as Obamacare, Democrats have also pushed a “Medicare-for-all” proposal that NPR noted has gained in popularity. Several Democratic presidential hopefuls are getting behind the idea, according to NPR which cited California Sen. Kamala Harris who said her aim would be to eliminate all private insurance. “Who of us has not had that situation, where you’ve got to wait for approval and the doctor says, well, ‘I don’t know if your insurance company is going to cover this,’” Harris said during a CNN Town Hall event. “Let’s eliminate all of that. Let’s move on,” she said. Harris was a co-sponsor of a 2017 bill written by Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vermont), that would have created a national, single-payer health system, eliminating the private insurance system. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., both presidential hopefuls, also co-sponsored the Sanders Bill, according to NPR.
Everyone would get a Medicare card and doctors would have to sign annual agreements to participate. For Moore, that would be ideal, particularly for those who suffer with life-threatening illnesses like cancer. “The mere suggestion that it could be cancer was anathema to me because nobody ever wants to hear the C-word,” Moore said. “All of the while that I was going through the diagnosis and the care that I was getting, I thought about the number of people that I knew who die needlessly from cancer because they didn’t get early diagnosis.” Moore continued: “It’s our job as legislators to ensure that no American has to choose between seeking treatment & providing for their families. “I personally know people who marched into the emergency room two weeks before they died because they didn’t have health insurance. I am just a grain of sand on a beach.”
Moore Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore has made a strong and very personal case for lawmakers to keep the Affordable Care Act. In a televised interview, Moore revealed her cancer diagnosis and where she believes she’d be if it weren’t for former President Barack Obama’s signature piece of legislation which allows her to afford the treatments and necessary medication to fight the deadly disease. “If I had to pay $15,000 a month for this medicine, I’d be here writing my obituary perhaps instead of talking to you,” Moore told MSNBC in an interview this week. She said her oral medication, Imbruvica, helps to keep her in remission. Without the insurance coverage, she’d be on the hook for $15,000 per month. Prior to taking Imbruvica, Moore said she had intravenous therapy twice a month at a whopping $20,000. “The GOP is always talking about the costs of the ACA: the cost of protecting pre-existing conditions, the cost of essential health benefits, the cost of the individual mandate,” Moore said. “But what about the value of life? The lives of your kids? Your parents? That’s the core of this debate,” she said, adding that she’s “alive today because of comprehensive insurance that covers most” of the money in medication costs per month she now needs. First diagnosed last summer with small lymphocytic lymphoma – a non-Hodgkin lymphoma where the cancer originates in the lymphatic system – Moore said the disease is manageable because she caught it early and she takes her medicine every day. After her MSNBC appearance, Moore spoke before the House Ways and Means Committee in which members held a hearing on protecting those with pre-existing conditions – a major component of the Affordable Care Act which President Donald Trump and most Republicans have fought against. Moore and other Democrats, who’ve now taken control of the House, have said they want to reverse the GOP’s decision to take away the individual mandate in the health care law. A decision late last year by a Texas judge who ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional, is currently being appealed and Moore said she hopes Congress will act to protect the law. In their attempt to maintain the law that’s common-
FREEEE!!
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
CSUB Preps for WAC Showdown
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – Damiyne Durham scored 12 points on four treys to lead five players in double figures as CSU Bakersfield coasted to an 8154 win over Division III UC Santa Cruz on Tuesday night. Justin McCall, Justin Edler-Davis and Jarkel Joiner each scored 11 points, Rickey Holden added 10 and Greg Lee chipped in eight as 12 Roadrunners got in the scoring column. CSU Bakersfield will host Grand Canyon Saturday in a showdown between the top two Western Athletic Conference teams. The Roadrunners (15-6, 6-1) are 9-0 at home after rolling over the Banana Slugs. Grand Canyon (13-7, 6-1) has won four straight and six of its last seven games. The Roadrunners got off to a fast start against Santa Cruz, taking an 11-0 lead. They coasted into the break leading 42-27. They pushed their advantage to 68-39 midway in the second half and were never challenged by Santa Cruz, which had won six straight. CSU Bakersfield shot 48 percent (30 of 63) from the floor, while limiting the Banana Slugs to 17-of-42 shooting (40.5 percent). The Roadrunners also won the rebound battle 40-26.
Black History Month Conference BAKERSFIELD – Bakersfield College’s Umoja Community ASTEP chapter celebrates Black History Month with a conference themed “Black Excellence”. The conference will take place on February 8, 2019 inside the Indoor Theatre at Bakersfield College’s main campus. Continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m., and the conference will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by African Soul International, and Dr. Charles Dorsey, author and motivational speaker, will be the Keynote speaker for this event. There will also be a series of workshops and a free event lunch included for all attendees. This event is free, but attendees must fill out the conference registration form to participate: https://docs.google.com/ forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCnaBGXdn0Ila_9AZmnJn4AQXhcRrLJ65GTRKml_p7vcYWYw/viewform. Dr. Charles L. Dorsey is the immediate past Executive Director of COR Community Development Corporation, which advocates on behalf of underrepresented communities on a local, statewide, and national level. He is regularly consulted on matters of community engagement, millennial outreach, and organizational improvement and was recognized by Orange County’s Human Relations Commission and 100 Black Men as an outstanding community leader. In addition, he was a featured speaker with Senator Kamala Harris championing justice for marginalized communities. He believes that one purpose centered leader can influence world change and hopes to serve this generation by identifying and activating untapped leaders. Umoja Community African American Success Through Excellence and Persistence is a program designed for African American students. The program at Bakersfield College includes English and student development courses, mentoring, academic and cultural trips, tutoring support, and counseling guidance to graduate and transfer. The program, which now includes a club, was started in 2015 by Dr. Paula Parks.
CSUB Announces Spring Festivities February 6, 2019 — California State University, Bakersfield has welcomed 2019 with the largest enrollment in campus history and a great lineup up of exciting events that will engage the community and lead us into commencement later this spring. Our University continues to excel academically and athletically. Our amazing community continues to support CSUB by attending campus events, Kegley Institute of Ethics lectures, theater performances, athletics events, and provides generous funding to our Foundation in support of our programs and scholarships. U.S. Representative Gwen Moore. (Photo: Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association/flickr/cc)
Public Policy is Problematic for People of Color
“Once you get a felony conviction, your life is practically ruined based off of the current laws on the books in many states,” said nationallyrecognized civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump while speaking to attendees and members of the Black Press at the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Mid-Winter Training Conference last week in Orlando. “It is as if you are walking dead, but they just haven’t given you the death certificate.”
By Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Political Analyst According to the World Prison Brief, which is a unique database that provides free access to information about prison systems throughout the world, there are over 2 million people in prison and jails throughout the United States, which is approximately 0.66 percent of the country’s entire population. Out of those incarcerated individuals, more than 50 percent of them are detained or convicted for non-violent offenses and roughly 56 percent of them are Black. It is, and always has been, a huge issue. One of the primary issues is the money associated with mass incarceration. Mass incarceration is a multi-billion dollar business — the annual cost of incarcerations is over $87 billion dollars. Many of the people who have played a major role in ensuring that this economic engine remains intact are legislators and other elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. This is why voting matters and elections have consequences. Speaking to attendees and members of the Black Press at the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Mid-Winter Training Conference last week in Orlando, nationally-recognized civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump spoke passionately about the need to have people in office who care about the rights of people of color through public policy. “Once you get a felony conviction, your life is practically ruined based off of the current laws on the books in many states,” said Crump. “It is as if you are walking dead, but they just haven’t given you the death certificate.” In looking at each state and county, legislators and
District Attorneys have the power to decide which rights they can strip away from people once they have been convicted of a felony. Of course, many of those rights continue to remain stripped away even after those individuals have served time for the criminal offense that they were convicted of. On the flip side, legislators and District Attorneys also have the power to decide which rights individuals can regain once they are released from prison and/or are no longer on probation. This is extremely important across counties and states in the United States, where, according to a study done by the Equal Justice Initiative in 2014, roughly 95 percent of the 2,437 elected state and local prosecutors in the U.S. in 2014 were White. The study went even further to show that although White men made up 31 percent of the population nationwide, approximately 79 percent of the elected prosecutors were White men, and 66 percent of the states that elected prosecutors had no African Americans working for them in those offices. Although the rights of formerly incarcerated individuals are slightly different from state to state, there are some common rights that are customarily taken away*. Federal law states that any person who is convicted of a crime that is punishable by a minimum of 12 months in prison, is prohibited from purchasing or owning a firearm, regardless of whether that person actually served time in prison or not. Of course, voting is extremely important and voting rights vary from state to state. The majority of states across the country deny convicted felons the right to vote, although there a few states
where convicted felons are still allowed to vote while they are in prison or jail. However, once a person is released from jail, the majority of states continue to deny formerly incarcerated individuals the right to vote until after they complete some form of probation. Even worse, there are a few states that prohibit formerly incarcerated felons from voting ever again in life. There are several other rights that are impacted, such as prohibiting formerly incarcerated individuals from serving on a jury, stripping away their ability to travel outside the country, impeding their ability to obtain gainful employment in certain professions, impacting their parental rights, making it difficult to receive public assistance and housing, and many other quality of life issues that make life in America so much more manageable. The prevailing culture within America’s criminal justice won’t change overnight, and it won’t change at all unless there is a conscious effort to advocate for that change. Crump challenged the Black Press to “go to any courtroom across America and sit in the back of the room” to observe the visibly apparent disparate treatment that people of color often experience on a day-to-day basis. Crump also expressed the importance of working with the Black Press to raise awareness and push for changes in the criminal justice system across America. “We have to stand up for our children and speak up for our children,” said Crump. “We are together in this. The Black lawyers, Black law enforcement officials, and my Lord, the Black Press, are needed more now than ever before.”