Bakersfield News Observer 2.15.23

Freedmen’s Bureau Essential for Compensating Slave Descendants Reparations Task Force: Reparations Task Force:

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

The members of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans are preparing the pretext for recommending a modern-day Freedmen’s Bureau that will be critical for compensating descendants of enslaved Blacks for the injustices of slavery and Jim Crow discrimination they suffered.

Task force chairperson Kamilah V. Moore explained during the group’s two-day meeting at San Diego State University (SDSU) that the proposed California American Freedmen Affairs Agency (CAFAA) would identify past harms and prevent future occurrences.

Moore said that the agency would be “a main office or headquarters,” with “specialized offices and branches” dedicated to addressing specific atrocities that have “snowballed over generations.”

“The purpose of this new agency would be to identify how past state-sanctioned atrocities have perpetuated and created new iterations of these badges and incidences of chattel slavery,” Moore said.

“And how (the agency can) eradicate and prevent future badges and incidences from forming and prospering against the American freedman or descendant community,” she added.

The CAFAA would facilitate claims for restitution and would set up a branch to process claims with the state and assist claimants in proving eligibility through a “genealogy” department.

In addition, the CAFAA would implement the recommendations made by a reparations tribunal to settle claims for past harms and set up an office of immediate relief to expedite claims.

Task force member and civil rights lawyer Lisa Holder said the proposed agency bears a resemblance to the federal agency set up on March 3, 1865, two months before the official end of the Civil War.

The Freedmen’s Bureau, as it was named under a series of post bellum legislation, was originally designed to settle the formerly enslaved on land confiscated or abandoned during the war.

The Freedmen’s Bureau, officially known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, assisted formerly enslaved people in acquiring relief, housing,

Black History Month:

employment, education, medical aid, and equality under the U.S. Constitution.  Holder said that the “original Freedmen’s Bureau” was “interrupted and disrupted” when it could have been

a “powerful” institution 100 years later if it “had been allowed to survive and thrive,” she said. According to the Freedmen’s Bureau National Archives at www.archives.gov, the bureau ceased operations in 1872 due to the lack of

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The Black Caucus’ Itinerary

Jaivon Grant California Black Media

This week, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) is celebrating Black History Month in Sacramento with its Annual Legislative Business Brunch, an event organized to honor Black-owned businesses across the state. The brunch is the first in a series of commemorative events -- including a cultural showcase, film screening and awards show -- the CLBC is putting on to mark the monthlong national observation of Black accomplishment.

“It is with great honor to serve as the Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and to collaborate with my 11 colleagues to carry out the vision set forth more than five decades ago to stand for equality, justice and opportunity for all Black Californians,” said Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), who serves as chair of the CLBC.

“For us, Black History is every day. Annually, during the month of February, we are privileged to educate, celebrate, and honor our past struggles and accomplishments, and our future aspirations. Please join us in doing this good work together,” Wilson added.

Black History Month began as Negro History Week in 1926 with the vision of historian Carter G. Woodson.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Black newspapers played a critical role in promoting the establishment of the celebration, particularly among Black Americans at a time when racist Jim Crow laws existed on the books and discrimination was customary across the United States, particularly in the South.

Black History Month has been recognized by every

Lawsuit

American president since 1976 when President Gerald Ford first celebrated it. Today, Americans of all races participate in Black History Month celebrations, which educate people from all backgrounds about the history of Black Americans and their contributions to the United States. President Joe Biden, in his 2023 Black History Month proclamation, encouraged, all “public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States” to mark the occasion of Black History month with relevant programs.“Black Americans’ struggles for freedom, equal treatment, and the right to vote; for equal opportunities in education, housing, and the workplace; for economic opportunity, equal justice, and political representation; and so much more have reformed our democracy far

Brittney Griner Attends WM Phoenix Open Golf Trnmnt

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – WNBA star Brittney Griner attended the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament Saturday in her second public appearance since her release from a Russian prison. Griner was part of a crowd of about 200,000 fans at the tournament, watching the action from the stadium 16th hole.

Last month in her first appearance, the Griner was at the Martin Luther King Jr. march in downtown Phoenix.

Griner is skipping the USA Basketball training camp in Minnesota so she can be with her wife and recover from her time in jail in Russia. She was traded in a dramatic prisoner swap in December.

Griner has said she’ll play for the Phoenix Mercury again this season, although she’s still an unsigned free agent. She hasn’t talked about her international future and potentially playing in the Olympics next year in Paris.

Students Walk Out After Told to Limit Black History Pgrm

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – More than 200 students walked out of class at an Alabama high school after they say they were told by school leaders to omit certain relevant events from an upcoming student-led Black History Month program. However, school officials have denied the allegations even while acknowledging the need for students’ concerns to be heard.

Students told WBMA-TV they were ordered to leave out major historical moments, including slavery and the civil rights movement, from the program scheduled for Feb. 22 at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa.

The students were told they “couldn’t talk about slavery and civil rights because one of our administrators felt uncomfortable,” said Black History Month Program board member J’Niyah Suttles, a senior who participated in Wednesday’s walkout. She said the the direction from a school administrator left her hurt.

“My protector from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. _ for you to tell me I can’t talk about something that is dealing with my culture is very disturbing, it’s very confusing,” Suttles said.

Fellow Hillcrest senior Jada Holt expressed similar emotions.

“Why am I being censored about my culture, something that is rooted in me? Why can’t I talk about it? History is history and it’s already been made, and it can’t be erased,” she said.

Senior Jamiyah Brown, who helped put the program together, organized the walkout, which lasted about an hour.

“Without our history we are nothing. Without teaching our youth where we come from, how can we move forward?” Brown said.

Tuscaloosa County Superintendent Dr. Keri Johnson, in a statement, denied allegations that an administrator told the students to leave out historical elements.

“It is not true that faculty or staff told students that slavery or the civil rights movement could not be part of the program,” Johnson said. “When several community members heard this and contacted Hillcrest High administration out of concern, administration explained to them that this was false information that was circulating.”

beyond its founding,” Biden said. “Black Americans have made a way not only for themselves but also have helped build a highway for millions of women, immigrants, other historically marginalized communities, and all Americans to more fully experience the benefits of our society.”

The CLBC was founded in 1967 to represent the legislative concerns of Black Californians. The organization has been fundamental in providing political influence for the support of racial and gender equality and promoting justice for poor and disenfranchised communities across California.

Here is the CLBC schedule of events celebrating Black History Month: February 13, 10am Annual Legislative Business Brunch Honoring Black-owned businesses in partnership with the CA Black Chamber of Commerce@ Citizen Hotel, 926 J St, Sacramento.

February 15, 1pm – 5pm Birthing Justice Screening & Conversation in partnership with Blue Shield & Filmmaker Denise Pines @ 1600 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento. ADVANCE TICKETS

February 17. 2023 African American Leaders for Tomorrow (AALT) Application Opens: https://bit.ly/CLBC2023AALT

February 27, 12:30pm: Unsung Heroes Awards Recognition & Author Bryant Terry@ State Capitol Assembly and Senate Floors 2pm-4pm: Black Food: Stories, Art & Recipes from Across the African Diaspora Book Signing with Author / Educator / Chef Bryant Terry@ Ella Dining Room and Bar (1131 K St., Sacramento

This California Black Media feature was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

Seeks White Woman’s Arrest in Emmett Till Case

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A relative of Emmett Till is suing to try to make a Mississippi sheriff serve a 1955 arrest warrant on a white woman in the kidnapping that led to the Black teenager’s brutal lynching.

The torture and killing of Till in the Mississippi Delta became a catalyst for the civil rights movement after his mother insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago and Jet magazine published photos of his mutilated body.

Last June, a team doing research at the courthouse in Leflore County, Mississippi, found an unserved 1955 arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant, listed on that document as “Mrs. Roy Bryant.”

Till’s cousin Patricia Sterling of Jackson, Mississippi, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the current Leflore County sheriff, Ricky Banks. The suit seeks to compel Banks to serve the warrant on Carolyn Bryant, who has since remarried and is named Carolyn Bryant Donham.

“We are using the available means at our disposal to try to achieve justice on behalf of the Till family,” Sterling’s attorney Trent Walker told The Associated Press on Friday. The AP left a phone message for Banks on Friday,

seeking comment. The sheriff did not immediately respond. Court records showed that the lawsuit had not been served on him by Friday.

Till, who was 14, had traveled south from Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi in August 1955. Donham accused him of making improper advances on her at a grocery store in the small community of Money. A cousin of Till who was there has said Till whistled at the woman, an act that flew in the face of Mississippi’s racist social codes of the era.

Evidence indicates a woman, possibly Donham, identified Till to the men who later killed him. The arrest warrant against Donham was publicized in 1955, but the Leflore County sheriff at the time told reporters that he did not want to “bother” the woman since she was raising two young children.

Weeks after Till’s body was found in a river, her husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam were tried for murder and acquitted by an all-white jury. Months later, the men confessed in a paid interview with Look magazine. Now in her late 80s, Donham has lived in North Carolina and Kentucky in recent years. She has not

commented publicly on calls for her prosecution.

The U.S. Justice Department announced in December 2021 that it had ended its latest investigation into the lynching of Till, without bringing charges against anyone.

After researchers found the arrest warrant last June, the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in July there was no new evidence to try to pursue a criminal case against Donham. In August, a district attorney said a Leflore County grand jury had declined to indict Donham.

Walker, the attorney for Till’s cousin, said Friday that the South has a history of cases of violence that were not brought to justice until decades later _ including the 1963 assassination of Mississippi NAACP leader Medgar Evers, for which white supremacist Byron de la Beckwith was convicted of murder in 1994.

“But for Carolyn Bryant falsely claiming to her husband that Emmett Till assaulted her Emmett would not have been murdered,” Sterling’s lawsuit says. “It was Carolyn Bryant’s lie that sent Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam into a rage, which resulted in the mutilation of Emmett Till’s body into (an) unrecognizable condition.”

Johnson said the school system supports the students’ right to peacefully demonstrate.

“A number of our Hillcrest High students have concerns about the culture within their school. We care deeply about our students, and it is important that their concerns are heard. We are putting together a plan to make sure our students feel heard, so that we know the right steps to put in place to ensure all students know that they are valued,” Johnson said.

The president of the Tuscaloosa Branch of the NAACP, Lisa Young, said the alleged direction was a disgrace.

“I don’t know how you can talk about Black history in this country without talking about slavery or the civil rights movement,” Young said. She said she has asked to meet with Johnson but has yet to be given a date.

Young said she was “angry and part of me feels like we failed our students. We want to see what we can do to assist them, and make their school a safe place.”

Irvin Files Lawsuit Seeking $100 million

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) – Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages, claiming he was falsely accused of misconduct by a female employee at a Phoenix hotel. Irvin, 56, was pulled off the remainder of NFL Network’s Super Bowl week coverage following a complaint about his behavior in a hotel on Sunday. He has worked at the network since 2009.

The lawsuit against a ``Jane Doe’’ and Marriott International, Inc., was filed Thursday in Collin County, Texas. Marriott International declined to comment. In interviews this week with with Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan and the Dallas Morning News, Irvin said he had a conversation with a woman at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel that lasted between 45 seconds and one minute. Irvin said he didn’t know her and ``there was no sexual wrongdoing.``

Irvin also said he initially didn’t remember the meeting because ``I had a few drinks, to tell you the truth.’’

In his lawsuit, Irvin said he returned to the hotel, he briefly greeted, shook hands and talked with several fans, including the woman, for a few minutes before going to his room alone.

The lawsuit claims a hotel manager reported ``false information’’ to the NFL, accusing Irvin of improper behavior toward a hotel employee. Irvin was then ``shockingly woken up by a crew of security’’ and removed from the hotel ``without any explanation or questions,’’ the lawsuit said.

Witnesses have come forward in Irvin’s defense, said Irvin’s attorney, Levi McCathern.

``It is clear Michael is the latest victim of our cancel culture where all it takes is an accusation to ruin a person’s life. Michael looks forward to clearing his name in court and hopes the court of public opinion will see the truth come out as well,’’ McCathern said.

Bureau could help them file a claim in regard to property once owned in Gold County by their formerly enslaved great, great, great grandfather. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Biden Renews Calls for Police Accountability During SOTU Address

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

With the parents of Tyre Nichols in attendance for the State of the Union address, President Joe Biden renewed the call for police accountability and the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

The legislation bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants in certain cases, mandates data collection on police encounters and alter qualified immunity for law enforcement officers.

RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, and Rodney Wells, his stepfather, sat attentively during the joint session

at the invitation of Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nevada).

Since the cops in the Nichols case didn’t stop other officers from beating him up and they didn’t rush to help him, lawmakers have talked about adding a clause that says an officer must stop excessive or deadly force.

After the Nichols killing, eight Memphis police officers were terminated, and five were charged with second-degree murder and other offenses.

The NAACP, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), and other Black-led or owned organizations have demanded police accountability.

Led by President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the NNPA is the trade association of more than 238 African American newspapers and media companies in the United States.

“The NAACP is committed to fighting for meaningful change in the way our communities are policed and how the culture of policing can be reformed to prevent any more violent encounters culminating in the murder of young Black men,” said Leon Russell, head of the NAACP Board of Directors.

Biden also pledged that the Department of Health and Human Services would increase funding to recruit future mental health professionals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and to expand its Minority Fellowship Program. He pleaded with Republicans that he wants to work together instead of “fighting for the sake of fighting.”

During his speech, the president talked about jobs for the middle class, cancer research, the situation of veterans, and making America safer.

“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” Biden commanded.

“The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, and conflict for the sake of conflict get us nowhere.

“And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class, to unite the country. We’ve been sent here to finish the job.”

The president also spoke passionately about his economic plan, which includes “investing in forgotten places and people” and “building an economy where no one is left behind.”

During

Biden plans to call an end to the COVID-19 emergency in May, and during the State of the Union, he painted a positive picture of the country’s economic recovery. He also assured those in need that he understood their predicament.

“Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible,” the president stated.

“Maybe that’s you watching at home. You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away. I get it.”

The president described America’s story as one of “progress and resilience.”

“We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it,” he asserted.

“That is what we are doing again. Two years ago, our economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs – more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years.”

He continued:

“Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much. Today, COVID no longer controls our lives. And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.”

Biden stated that his economic plan focuses on investing in forgotten places and people.

Too many people have been left behind or treated as invisible during the past four decades of economic upheaval, according to the president.

“Maybe that’s you watching at home. You remember the jobs that went away,” he remarked.

“And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away. I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back; pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.

Finally, the Democrat appealed to the GOP.

“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” Biden said.

Seven Additional Police Officers Facing Discipline After Tyre Nichols Beating Death

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Seven more Memphis police officers are facing discipline in the aftermath of Tyre Nichols’ death, according to City Attorney Jessica Sink.

The officers will be given an internal statement of charges, which will inform them of policy violations. Sink stated that a hearing and written decision will follow.

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CNN reported that the action is not criminal in nature, but Sink stated that the final round of charges will be filed this week.

Next week, the agency will hold administrative hearings.

Six officers have already been fired for their roles in the incident, five of whom have been charged criminally with second-degree murder.

The announcement came during a meeting of the Memphis City Council on Tuesday, where members were scheduled to discuss nearly a dozen public safety proposals and reforms, as well as question the city’s police and fire chiefs.

It was the council’s first public hearing since the video of police beating Nichols was released by the city.

January “has deeply affected all of us and continues to do so,” serving as a clarion call for action, councilwoman Rhonda Logan said.

“Today our focus will be on peeling back the layers of public safety in our city and collaborating on legislation that moves us forward in an impactful and intelligent way,” she stated.

According to an online agenda, the council’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee was set to take up 11 proposals in total, including an ordinance requiring police to only make traffic stops in marked cars, a presentation on a civilian law enforcement review board, and an ordinance establishing a procedure for an independent review of police training.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis and Fire Chief Gina Sweat both spoke at the hearing and discussed their future plans for their departments.

The officials also answered questions from council members who were dissatisfied with the answers.

The hearing occured about a month after Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was beaten by Memphis police officers from the specialized SCORPION unit after a traffic stop near his family’s home.

He was rushed to the hospital and died three days later.

The city released body-camera and surveillance footage of officers repeatedly punching and kicking Nichols while

his hands were restrained in late January.

According to the video, they then left him without medical care for more than 20 minutes.

According to a falsified police report, Nichols began fighting with them and grabbed one of their guns.

His death has reignited calls for police reform and reignited a national debate about policing justice. Five officers involved in the beating, all of whom are

Black, have been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

A sixth officer was also fired, and a seventh was placed on leave. In addition, the Fire Department terminated two EMTs and a lieutenant for failing to provide emergency care. The specialized SCORPION unit was also disbanded less than two years after it was established.

Freedmen’s Bureau Essential for Compensating Slave Descendants Reparations Task Force: Reparations Task Force:

Continued from page A1

funding and “deeply held racist attitudes.”

Holder added that the CAFAA should be the “guiding light” behind reparations efforts in the state of California.

“One of the things I like about this notion of a Freedmen’s Bureau is that it’s in keeping with this concept that reparations and damages for human rights abuses have to create systems that end the harm that causes the harm,” Holder said. “It is also supposed to create institutions that make the community whole in a sense that they get you up to a place where you were before the harm happened.”

Elmer Fonza of Las Vegas and his elder brother Medford Fonza, who lives in the Los Angeles area, have attended task force meetings and activities around the state. Their great, great, great grandfather Nelson Bell was brought to California as an enslaved person around 1850 to mine for gold. He was later freed.

Bell purchased land in Coloma, 48 miles east of Sacramento, but the family lost it all after he died in the 1870s, the brothers told the task force at the September meeting in Los Angeles. Elmer Fonza believes that the property was confiscated through unscrupulous means.

The Fonza family, who visited and toured Gold

Country last summer for the first time in their lives, wants to know how they can benefit from an agency such as CAFAA.

“Now, as we gather more evidence, we want to file a claim through reparations to see if we lost anything or could gain anything,” Fonza said. “We want to know if such an agency (CAFAA) could help us facilitate the process. Right now, we don’t know how that would be done.”

How the CAFAA can be used to determine reparations eligibility for Black Californians has been a topic of public discussion by Black grassroot organizations started before the task force was formed in May 2021. Now it can be addressed. Thanks to new laws that can help reparations eligibility, supporters say.

For the first time in California and American history, a specific category of data collection will be required for African Americans who are descendants of persons enslaved in the United States and living in California, starting with the state’s 2.5 million employees.  California is the first state to require its agencies to present a separate demographic category for descendants of enslaved people when collecting state employee data. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2022-2023 budget trailer bill -- Senate

Bill (SB)189 -- includes language directing state agencies to disaggregate or use separate data collection categories for different Black or African American subgroups.

The State Controller’s Office administered by Malia Cohen and the Department of Human Resources can start collecting this information as soon as Jan. 1, 2024.

The Task Force affirmed lineage-based eligibility for California Reparations in March 2022. The 5-4 majority decision by the task force determined that descendants of enslaved people or free Black people in the United States as of the 19th century are the only group of people eligible for any future cash payments.

“There was great care and intentionality around the creation of this proposal, our proposal in the Interim Report that we released almost a year ago,” Moore said of CAAFA. “It just flushed out more to make all the proposed agencies fully reflect the totality of what we discussed in our 500-page report.”

The reparations task force’s next meeting is in on March 3 and March 4. Times and location have yet to be announced.

his speech, the president talked about jobs for the middle class, cancer research, the situation of veterans, and making America safer.

Tyre Nichols, 29, died in a Memphis hospital on Jan. 10, three days after he was beaten by officers during a traffic stop. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

At 82, Dionne Warwick Staying Busy with Youth Musical, More

Her latest project with music producer son Damon Elliott and others is an upcoming 50-city live touring show called “Hits! The Musical” with performers ranging

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – With a stunning musical career already spanning decades, Dionne Warwick couldn't be blamed for slowing down a bit at age 82. That is nowhere near happening.

The Grammy-winning, multimillion-selling singer has a soon-to-be released duet with Dolly Parton and a new biographical documentary now streaming on HBO Max. That's not all.

Her latest project with music producer son Damon Elliott and others is an upcoming 50-city live touring show called “Hits! The Musical” with performers ranging in age from 10 to 22.

This week at a rehearsal space in Clearwater, Florida, it was time to hear the kids sing and dance, the first chance for Warwick to see the “Hits!” revue in person. It's set to begin performances Feb. 23 in Asheville, North Carolina, and end May 8 in San Francisco.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Warwick said she did not hesitate when the opportunity arose to be an executive producer of the show.

“Anything that deals with children is an automatic yes for me,” Warwick said. “These babies are amazing. They've proven what music can do, bring joy, happiness, inspiration, ability – just life, you know?”

Warwick said she had “an amazing experience” after watching the group run through high-energy medleys of everything from Ricky Martin's “Livin' La Vida Loca” to “Where Is The Love?” by the Black-Eyed Peas to a mashup of Adele's “Rolling In The Deep” and “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars.

“I'm really at a loss for words and I'm never at a loss for words,” Warwick said. “To see this kind of brilliance.”

One of the youthful 29-member cast, 15-year-old Matthew Jost, said he's thrilled to be part of the show even after playing guitarist Zack in “School of Rock” on Broadway. The show runs through key eras of music over three acts, from rock to pop to hip-hop.

“It's just music that means a lot to me. For this year, we're all over the place,” Jost said, adding that he hopes the audience “just gets that we're kids, we're here, and music brings people together.”

Much credit goes to Warwick's son, Damon Elliott, who was nominated this year for an Academy Award along with songwriter Diane Warren for the song “Applause” from the film “Tell It Like A Woman.” The pair also teamed up on a song called “Gonna Be You” in the new “80 For Brady” movie.

“Mom and I, we don't take on anything, we don't endorse pretty much anything,” Elliott said in an interview about the “Hits!” show. “But when it involves kids, as long as they are truly up to par and they work hard and bring that energy, I'll be behind it.”

Another executive producer is Thaddeus M. Bullard, a former college and professional football player best known as WWE wrestling star Titus O'Neil, and show CEO Bob Gries, a Tampa financier who formerly owned two Florida Arena League football teams.

Warwick's rehearsal show Wednesday capped a week in which she attended the Grammy Awards, performed at a MusiCares dinner honoring Motown greats Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson and then flew to Nashville, Tennessee to shoot a video with Parton for their new tune.

That song, “Peace Like A River,” is set for release Feb. 24. Warwick said she has known Parton for years but they've never recorded together.

“She sent me a song and decided she wanted me to sing with her,” Warwick said, noting she plans to record a gospel/inspirational album herself in the coming months.

“It's so timely. This song fits completely inside what I'm getting ready to do.”

Those projects will only add to the estimated 100 million records Warwick has sold since her 1960s partnership with composer Burt Bacharach _ who died this week at age 94 _ and lyricist Hal David yielded such hits as “Walk On By,” “Do You Know The Way To San Jose?”

“Alfie,” and “I'll Never Fall In Love Again.” She has had 56 singles make the charts.

All of this ground is covered in the new documentary, titled “Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over” that's streaming on HBO Max. It is chock full of music titans discussing Warwick's life and career. A key section is the rise to superstardom and death in 2012 of Whitney Houston, who was Warwick's cousin and a huge part of the family's impressive musical heritage.

Back in Florida, the “Hits!” troupe gathered on stage at the end of the recent rehearsal to sing an a cappella version of “That's What Friends Are For,” the song Warwick cut in 1986 to boost AIDS research along with Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight.

Warwick said she's not ready at all to rest on all those accomplishments.

“My voice is fine. I don't take care of it, God does,” she said. “I'll keep going as long as the people want me to be there and they fill the seats. That's all I can tell you.”

Like Michael Jackson Before Her, Beyoncé Proves More than Just a Music Superstar

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Senior National Correspondent

Probably no two groups of people in the history of popular music have ever had more devoted followers than Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. Fans of the Beatles and Elvis Presley have been known to be a bit fanatical and even a little bit crazy. Like the late King of Pop, though, Beyoncé’s fanbase (the Beyhive) is unrivalled. The two are so revered that even A-list celebrities pay their respects to them. Pop’s undisputed king and queen have devotees who have shown

or expressed a willingness to mortgage their homes, max up their credit cards, and even sell body parts just to see them perform live.

Tickets for her next Renaissance Tour reportedly cost more than $500 on average, with the more deeppocketed of her fandom willing to spend a whopping $2,100 for a standing room only spot in a section called the B-HIVE. Trevor Noah, who hosted this year’s Grammys, was so overcome by her presence, he handed Beyoncé her award while she was still in her seat and declared that the Queen was in the building. “We’ve got Beyoncé in the room people,” Noah giddily announced. “Do you understand how amazing this is people? Beyoncé is nominated for her album, ‘Renaissance,’ which is by the way, was better than anything from the actual Renaissance, in my opinion.” He added, “The Renaissance was just pictures of grapes and stuff. Beyoncé took it up another level. I was so inspired by the lyrics of ‘Break My Soul’ that I actually quit my job. That’s how powerful that was.” When Noah had previously erred in stating that the “Lemonade” singer had arrived, Lizzo, one of music’s biggest superstars, nearly lost it, stargazing through the audience in search of the goddess. Later, when Lizzo won Record of the Year, instead of basking in her victory, she heaped praise on Beyoncé. “Thank you so much,” she told the Queen. “You clearly are the artist of our lives.” That echoed the 2017 Grammy ceremonies when Adele won Album of the Year over Beyoncé. As Carrie Battan of the New Yorker pointed out, there was such a sense of cosmic injustice that Adele herself could not bear the result. “I can’t possibly accept this award,” Adele told the crowd. “I’m very humbled . . . but my artist of my life is Beyoncé. The ‘Lemonade’ album was so monumental.” On social media, fans declared that their devotion to Beyoncé would force them to do whatever it took to score tickets to her upcoming tour. Content creator Jay Denson said he was priced out. “So, I thought about attending Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour until I saw these ticket prices,” he observed, before breaking down the cost. “Nosebleeds: $197; Section 100: $539; B-HIVE (Standing Room Only): $2,100; Floor seats: $3,500.” For

the most die-hard of fans, a special standing room only section called the B-HIVE cost $2,100. When an assembly of A-list celebrities got together at Madison Square Garden in 2001 to celebrate Michael Jackson’s 30th anniversary in showbiz, tickets on the secondary market climbed as high as $10,000. Despite the high price, two shows at the Garden sold out within minutes. Among the elite paying tribute to Jackson were Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Marc Anthony, Liza Minelli, Justin Timberlake, Luther Vandross, and Usher. A red carpet was placed at the entry of the World’s

Most Famous Arena, and tens of thousands of fans and passersby gathered on the cement steps of the Farley Building across the street hoping to catch of glimpse of Jackson as he entered the building arm-and-arm with Taylor. Stars and ordinary fans alike viewed Jackson as an idol. While Jackson’s impressive total of Grammy wins (13) pales in comparison to the record 32 now held by Beyoncé, there should be no argument that the two are music’s unquestioned king and queen. Their fiercely devoted fans and an unending number of celebrities would die on that hill.

Dionne Warwick, left, and her son Damon Elliott sit in on a rehearsal for the touring show, “Hits!

The Musical,” on Feb. 8, 2023 in Clearwater, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

in age from 10 to 22.

Mississippi Lawmakers Seek Return to Jim Crow with Separate White System of Justice

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Mississippi’s Black community is outraged that state lawmakers are moving closer to establishing a separate justice system in Jackson for whites and African Americans.

According to Mississippi Today, the proposed new law would let the state’s white chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, its white attorney general, and its white state public safety commissioner appoint new judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and police officers to run a new district in the city that includes all the city’s majoritywhite neighborhoods.

Such a move would create a separate justice system for whites in an area where whites are statistically the majority. And it would happen without a single vote from any of Jackson’s 80 percent Black residents for any of these officials.

“It makes me think of apartheid,” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said.

Three of the bill’s principal backers said on the floor of the Mississippi Legislature that “public safety” was the bill’s primary goal because of worries about the crime rate in Jackson.

But Newsweek reported that some legal experts said that what the Mississippi Legislature was trying to do was a way for white conservative politicians to try to hurt the Black vote in a way that hadn’t occurred since the Jim Crow era. Many Republican lawmakers who voted for the bill live in districts being fought over by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union because they make it harder for Black people to vote.

Such a move would create a separate justice system for whites in an area where whites are statistically the majority. And it would happen without a single vote from any of Jackson’s 80 percent Black residents for any of these officials.

Bill Quigley, a retired law professor at Loyola University-New Orleans and a former lawyer for the NAACP Legal Fund, told Newsweek, “I am shocked by this.” “I know of no other such legislation in judicial elections or selections in decades. This is not a step backward. This

The

is a complete Olympic-level broad jump backward to Jim Crow era politics.”

Quigley said that this kind of system was “the rule for

decades” in the South until the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 and formally prohibited arbitrary rules like poll taxes and literacy tests designed to prevent African Americans from voting. Experts stated that the latest proposal from the Mississippi Legislature would likely be unconstitutional because it has a clear racial bias, which is against the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In 2020, Lumumba said he wanted to make Jackson “the most radical city on the planet” by implementing policies like a universal basic income, a reformed police department, and other progressive policies.

Lumumba has been under constant scrutiny from Mississippi’s conservative establishment.

The Voting Rights Act would have helped Jackson in this case, but the U.S. Supreme Court removed many protections offered by that law.

State leaders had recently been very critical of Lumumba’s government and of the city’s liberal leanings, leading to claims that the latest move is politically motivated.

Experts said the only problem is that, unlike other states, Mississippi does not have a clause in its constitution that says laws can’t target one group, which would make this more difficult for the city to challenge the law in court.

“In the absence of any evidence that this was done with a racial purpose—people don’t tend to do things for racial reasons as much as they used to—and so the courts kind of often will conclude that their hands are tied,” Fred Smith Jr., a scholar of the federal judiciary at Emory University, told Newsweek.

“It’s concerning to see from a perspective of democracy. While in some ways, it’s not as bad as declaring secession, it also is in the sense people’s taxes are being invested in a system they cannot democratically control.”

SANS Institute Reopens HBCU Cyber Academy Application

Window to Address Growing Need for Cybersecurity Professionals

Through the HBCU Cyber Academy, students will receive in-depth training from top SANS instructors and access to cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies. The program is designed to be flexible, allowing students to complete the training around their

academic schedules and giving them the opportunity to gain practical experience in a real-world setting.

Bethesda, MD - The SANS Institute is proud to announce the reopening of the HBCU Cyber Academy application window from February 1, 2023 to March 1, 2023. The HBCU Cyber Academy is a unique opportunity for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to gain hands-on cybersecurity training and real-

world experience, free of charge.

The HBCU Cyber Academy was established with the goal of addressing the growing need for cybersecurity

professionals and increasing diversity in the field. According to recent studies, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years, making it a highly lucrative and fulfilling career path for those with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Through the HBCU Cyber Academy, students will receive in-depth training from top SANS instructors and access to cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies. The program is designed to be flexible, allowing students to complete the training around their academic schedules and giving them the opportunity to gain practical experience in a real-world setting.

“The HBCU Cyber Academy is more than just a scholarship program,” said Max Shuftan, Director of Mission Programs and Partnerships. “It’s an investment in the future of the cybersecurity industry and in the students who participate in the program. By providing free, indepth training and real-world experience, we’re helping to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and ensure a diverse and well-rounded workforce.”

The application window for the HBCU Cyber Academy is open to all juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled at HBCUs who have a strong interest in cybersecurity and any alumnus who would like to shift careers into cybersecurity. SANS Institute is dedicated to supporting the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and helping them to achieve their full potential.

“Misconceptions about cybersecurity abound due to popular culture, which often suggests that only those with a computer science background are suited for the field,” says Delisha Hodo, Chair of the SANS Institute HBCU. “The reality is that the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals requires individuals from diverse backgrounds, and even just having an interest in the field matters. Diversifying the industry now will improve its future and dispel these false ideas.”

“The HBCU Cyber Academy is a truly remarkable program,” said Shuftan. “We’ve seen firsthand the impact it can have on the students who participate, and we’re excited to see the positive impact they will have on the industry as a whole.”

For more information on the HBCU Cyber Academy and to apply, please visit https://www.sans.org/scholarshipacademies/hbcu-cyber-academies/

Growing demand for cybersecurity professionals requires individuals from diverse backgrounds.

(Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

Lawmakers Push Bill to Grant Prisoners Right to Vote

By Maxim Elramsisy California Black Media

Last week, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) the chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Elections introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4 (ACA4). The legislation proposes amending the California Constitution to allow felons serving time in state and federal prisons to vote.

Proposition 17, approved in 2020 by California voters, enabled persons convicted of felonies on parole to vote.

If the bill passes the Assembly and Senate, and the governor approves it, voters in California could vote to join Vermont, Maine, and Washington D.C. in allowing incarcerated individuals to vote.

“After the 13th Amendment liberated the slaves, we started to see different types of voter disenfranchisement occurring,” Bryan explained in an interview with California Black Media (CBM).

“We saw Black code, we saw Jim Crow, poll taxes, literacy tests, felony disenfranchisement, becoming more commonplace in statewide constitution and so it’s through that legacy that we’ve been trying to roll back all of these years and make sure that our democracy is inclusive of everybody,” Bryan commented on the systemic discrimination and disenfranchisement African Americans have endured over centuries.

Lawmakers opposing the legislation say allowing incarcerated felons to vote is a slap in the face to victims of the crimes they committed.

“I believe that it discounts the impact that this will have on people who have suffered being a victim of a very violent offense,” Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) told CBM.

“Part of rehabilitation is going through a process of

recognizing the seriousness of what has been done, and I think when we allow someone to exercise the most sacred privilege that we have in this country, that people have died so that we can exercise that privilege, that is an affront against those who have suffered ill, and a lot of times eternal pain,” Lackey said.

Responding to Lackey’s objection, Bryan said, “That’s like saying allowing incarcerated persons to breathe is an affront to their victims, allowing incarcerated persons to drink water, allowing incarcerated persons to hold conversations with one another.”

“There is no reason that that should be coupled with disenfranchisement and the expelling of individuals as citizens of this country.”

“There’s a difference between suspending a privilege and dehumanizing someone,” Lackey said. “Certainly no one expects someone to go through inappropriate suffering. That is not part of justice. That’s not part of our judicial process.”

David Liamsi Cruz, an advocate from Initiate Justice, was released in September after serving 13 years in prison.

“One problem that I constantly came across was that people serving their sentence alongside me felt that they didn’t have the means to improve their environment that controlled their lives or to contribute to their families’ wellness outside. Despite what many people assume, people in prison care about the same political issues that we outside do,” Cruz said.

“Those who were willing to become civically engaged with me were diligent in their work, they even brought me bill ideas that could have solved issues that were longstanding in their communities. I was honored to witness their passion for change, for an opportunity to grow, and to contribute to something way bigger than

themselves.  Even though I am home [from] prison now, I have not forgotten the 10,000 voices of people who are still inside and have so much to contribute. I want their voices to be heard.”

Supporters of the plan say that reducing recidivismor the reincarceration of persons less than 3 years after they are released from prison – is one of the primary benefits of this plan.

“We already know a lot of the facts, and the facts are that the more someone is engaged in their democracy, they are 50% less likely to reoffend,” said Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) who is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“So, if we already know this, then the policy not allowing those who are incarcerated to vote has nothing to do with public safety.”

Kalra said when he was a public defender it was “plain as day” to see who was given second chances.

“Those who were given probation versus prison, and it was so connected to race and class and the same communities who have been fighting to be free since the inception, and before the inception of this nation,” he said.

Another concern is the ability for those who are incarcerated to hold public officials accountable. “Those who are incarcerated and their families are some of the most educated people in our state, far more educated than the average voter,” said Kalra. “And they will hold us accountable, and maybe that’s what people are afraid of. They don’t want that accountability from those who are suffering the most from decisions that are made traditionally in [the Capital].”

The legislation is backed by a coalition of lawmakers, including California Legislative Black Caucus members – Assemblymembers Lori Wilson (D – Suisun City), Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), Tina McKinnor

(D – Inglewood), Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), Dr. Akilah Weber (D – San Diego) and Senators Steven Bradford (D- Inglewood) and Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D–Ladera Heights).

“There was a time where women couldn’t vote,” Jones-Sawyer said at the press conference held last week to announce the bill. “There was a time when African Americans couldn’t vote, and just recently we tried to get slavery out of the California state constitution and it failed, because of Democrats.”

“An American citizen’s right to vote is the most powerful right in our nation,” McKinnor said. “Let’s be clear, an incarcerated American citizen is an American citizen, and no law should ever restrict an American citizen’s right to vote. Too many Americans have died, too many Americans have sacrificed, too many Americans have been denied the right to vote for too long.”

Lackey and others who oppose the legislation, however, insist that denying a felon to vote is appropriate punishment.

“There has to be a period of reflection and a period of suspension of certain what I would call privileges or rights in order for the judicial process to be effective,” Lackey said to CBM.

Bryan said the protection of citizens’ rights is paramount.

“There are some basic human rights, and then there are some basic American rights that have to be preserved, even in the systems of accountability,” he emphasized.

Memphis Police Murder Case Puts Spotlight on California Legislation

Charlene Muhammad California Black Media

There was no “protect and serve.” Just an out of control and outside-the-bounds-of-their-authority attack on an unarmed Black man, said Sen. Seven Bradford (D-Gardena).

Bradford was referring to the beating death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

The Memphis Police Department has terminated the five officers involved in Nichol’s death: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith. Each one was indicted on a seconddegree murder charge and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.

Since the incident, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has deactivated the city’s SCORPION (Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods) unit. The 50-person unit of crime suppression officers was launched in 2021 to patrol hot spot crime areas.

“The beating and murder of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis Police Officers is brutal and heart-breaking,” said Bradford. “This is yet another example of the need to hold police officers accountable regardless of the color of their skin.”

In 2021, Bradford authored Senate Bill (SB) 2. The law creates a process to make sure police officers who break

the law can never wear a badge again in California. “This legislation will save lives,” he said.

Bradford is currently working on SB 50, which would prohibit police in California from making traffic stops for low-level violations. This will reduce the potential for more harm to innocent citizens, said the lawmaker.

“We tend to pass a lot of legislation that doesn’t really have a lot of binding power,” said Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson. His nephew, Oscar Grant, III was shot in the back while subdued on a Bay Area Rapid Transit District station platform on New Year Day in 2009.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act does not adequately address some of the most critical issues that we’re dealing with, said Johnson, referring to the bill named for the 46-year-old Minneapolis Black man who was murdered by White cop Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. The officer was convicted of 2nd and 3rd degree murder and manslaughter.

The bill would end police restraint techniques, including chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level, as well as improve police training.

More money for training has been part of the problem, according to Johnson, who supported Assembly Bill (AB) 392, the California Act to Save Lives, which mandates that police officers should only use deadly force when necessary.

It was introduced by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber when she was a San Diego Assemblymember. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that bill in 2019.

“What happened to Tyre impacted so many in California. It re-traumatized many of the families,” said Johnson. “Many families’ wounds have been reopened. Many families’ hopes that there has been some progress have been totally erased,” continued Johnson.

In Los Angeles, the Rampart police division scandal exposed gang unit officers planting evidence, framing suspects, and stealing drugs and money.

In Oakland, a group of cops dubbed the “Riders” stood trial for beating, planting evidence on, and stealing drugs and money from alleged suspects. But a deadlocked jury acquitted them of eight charges and a judge declared a mistrial after they could not agree on 27 other charges. The officers went free.

“Initially, it looks like they’re doing great things but behind the scenes, people in communities will tell you they are terrorized by them,” said Johnson.

Marc Philpart, executive director of the California Black Freedom Fund, organized 26 foundation CEOs and leaders to issue a call to action to push back against systemic barriers. Established two and a half years ago following the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and countless others, the California Black Freedom Fund is a five-year, $100 million initiative created to mobilize the resources necessary to build Black power and eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

The coalition leaders posted on cablackfreedomfund. org a letter reminding the public of the protests that gave voice to collective outrage, frustration, and grief that permeated Black communities and communities across the country in 2020.

“America recognized that the problem lies not within Black communities, but within structures that institutionalize and perpetuate racial violence and inequity,” they wrote.

Nationally, police killed at least 1,176 people in 2022 - about 100 a month - making last year the deadliest year on record for police violence since killings began being tracked, according to Mapping Police Violence.

“While the nation is grieving, some are making statements telling Black people how to express their outrage. That’s not the focus of our letter. Our letter is a call to action for everyone concerned with the brutalization of Black people and Black communities,” the leaders wrote.

During a Jan. 29 protest for Mr. Nichols and 31-yearold Keenan Anderson, Dr. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter L.A. and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, said outrage over the police-involved murders of Black men is justified.

“We should shed tears. We should feel it. We should refuse to become numb. Our hearts should break,” shouted Abdullah.

brutally

“We should allow ourselves to sob in the dark of the night. And we should demand justice, not just for what’s happening in Memphis, but what’s happening right here in L.A.,” said Abdullah to demonstrators blocking the intersection of Lincoln and Venice boulevards. The location is where Anderson, a cousin of Black Lives Matter Movement co-founder Patrisse Cullors, flagged down a

Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer for help following a traffic collision.

Anderson died in police custody hours later, after being tasered six times on the back of his heart, according to family attorneys. LAPD body cameras detailed what happened during the minor traffic stop, when a man, afraid, called the police for help, said family attorney Carl Douglas. In every way, Anderson was respectful of authority: “Sir! Help me, sir,” the unarmed and compliant man repeatedly pled, Douglas said.

“That officer then calls for backup, and Keenan sees several officers then rushing toward him. His reaction then was a reaction that several Black men would react in a similar situation, one of fear. And that fear drove him to run into the middle of the street,” stated Douglas. Back in Memphis, Mr. Nichols’ brother Michael Cutrer urged people to stand together and fight for their rights. “We definitely speak loud and proud, and we are there marching and protesting and all that’s great, but it has to be about something,” he said.

Police screenshot from body camera footage of Tyre Nicholes lying on the ground after being

beaten by police officers.

Senator Steve Bradford ( D-Gardena)

A Black Woman-Owned Business Encounters Discrimination in Quest to Help Ukraine

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Carolyn Davis, like many others, had an immediate reaction to the destruction in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion.

“Those folks need help,” said Davis, the CEO of the District of Columbia-based CDAG International.

To help, her construction company visited areas of the war-torn country where civilians and military personnel alike needed assistance.

Davis said her group had installed “living containers and living facilities” that provided families with things like furniture and bunk beds, as well as generators.

“We installed electrical systems and other mandatory features,” she stated.

As the war’s anniversary approaches, though, it appears that American impulses have also kicked in.

U.S. politicians, government organizations, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and others have neglected CDAG’s work, even though U.S. military aid and spending has reached over $50 billion, and firms are pitching services to gain contracts to help reconstruct that Eastern European nation.

Davis has repeatedly requested that USAID allow the company to compete for contracts to provide relief in

Ukraine, but USAID has routinely declined.

USAID counts as an independent agency of the government that’s responsible for providing civilian foreign aid and helping development. Legislators also have ignored CDAG’s attempts to contact them.

Davis stated, “They do not recognize me. I’m just some Black woman who wants to lend a hand. And that’s exactly what they perceive. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to support a Black-owned business, but they clearly don’t.”

The American envoy to Ukraine also snubbed CDAG’s request for a meeting, despite the Ukraine Ministry of Defense having given Davis’s firm a glowing recommendation.

The Defense Ministry expressed gratitude to the United States government in a letter dated December 30, 2022, for its support during Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.

The letter addressed to Nathaniel Adler, the principal director of the U.S. Office of the Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defense, noted that Ukraine still requires urgent supplies, equipment, and logistical support.

Meeting such requirements would be impossible without access to necessary resources and a reliable support system, the defense minister wrote.

“Due to the intense fighting in several areas, it’s very difficult to get these materials to our troops on the front line and other locations, and there are very few companies that can accomplish this task,” the letter continued.

“CDAG International has worked with our military and has proven that they can assist the Ukrainian government to acquire critical services and facilitate many of our requirements. CDAG has proven beneficial to our troops and had contributed to saving lives.”

The letter is only one of many testimonials to CDAG’s capabilities, according to Dwight Brown, senior managing partner for CDAG and a retired U.S. Army Sgt. Major.

“We’ve created enough housing to accommodate 3,000 people and we’ve done it in approximately eight months,” Brown said.

CDAG has focused its efforts on the western side of Ukraine, where the war’s destruction has forced many people to relocate, he said.

“There are people who left Ukraine and are trying to make their way back,” Brown noted. “We see a lot of squatters and in villages there are people with tents on the side of the road. We want people to get back inside warm structures before it gets too far into the winter there.”

The Ukraine government provided CDAG 60 acres of land, but without funding or even a token commitment

from the American government, it will be difficult for the company to meet current demand.

CDAG managing partner Warwin Davis added that the firm has supplied heating, generators, and external stoves to aid Ukrainian forces.

Davis, who has managed multinational supply chains for almost three decades, insisted, “We made history over there.”

“Historically speaking, it was Carol Davis who made history,” Davis demanded.

“It’s incredible that we haven’t been able to acquire a quarter from USAID despite what we’ve shown that we can accomplish.”

CDAG hopes to meet with White House officials.

“The elephant in the room is we are a woman-owned and minority small business, and the U.S. government and USAID are giving all the dollars to the regular companies,” Brown asserted.

“We’re going not continue to ride the Office of the Secretary of Defense, USAID, and congressional offices. People with weaker constitutions than us would have thrown in the towel. That’s not us. When they tell us ‘No,’ it just means next opportunity. We’re coming to the table and not asking for special set asides, just an opportunity.”

Cal State Dominguez Hills & Head Coach John Bonner is Biggest Secret in SoCal

By Earl Heath

Contributing

Sports Writer

When thinking of the top colligate women’s hoop teams in Southern California Cal you may think UCLA (20-6) or USC (18-6)(at press time) first. They both are having good seasons and likely headed for post-season play.

But when you span the area you’ll find a less talked about Cal State Dominguez Hills team that started the season with a school record 19 straight wins. At press time they are 23-1, 11-1 in the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association). The team has quietly been a regular in the NCAA Division II top 10 all year.

They haven’t grabbed major headlines in print nor on broadcast.

They are led by Bakersfield native John Bonner who is an Alum of West High. After graduation he and classmate Bryson Sumlin headed to Fresno State.     Sumlin played football as a DB and RB for the Bulldogs then landed with the then San Diego Chargers. Bonner would earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a

master’s degree in counseling - marriage & family therapy both at FSU. He was team manager for the women’s basketball team.

Under Bonner this year’s team has raced out to a 23-1 record 11-1 CCAA (at press time). At some points during the season the team has literally run teams out the gym.

They have nine wins by 10-points or more. “ We have an up tempo style,” said Bonner. “We want to play fast and have fun.” Cup that with six victories by 20-points or greater including a 100-58 win over Western Oregon on December 16th.

He has the players that love his running system. Several played prep and at other colleges locally.

Asia Jordan is from Lakewood High. The six-foot sophomore led the TOROS with 23 points and 9 rebounds in a 82-65 win over Cal state San Bernardino that restarted the next streak after a 19-game streak ended. She has had season high 26 point 11 rebounds vs CUI in a 81-66 win last week.

Dawnyel Lair is a the former Fairfax High stand-out who is averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds a game for the Toros She’s been a team leader and has added another piece of history into the record books.  The senior guard becomes the first Toro to repeat as CCAA Player of the Week and win the award several times in a season. She now joins Toro great Breanne Garcia as a three-time conference player of the “Returningweek.    this year we knew she was a good leader and played solid defense but her scoring was an added bonus that helped the  team,” said Bonner.

Deejanee  Poland is a graduate from Animo Jackie Robinson School in  LA where she led the team to the Ocean City Conference title.  Nala Williams a freshman from Long Beach Poly also had a season high 22 points vs Cal Poly Pamona.

It appears everyone has stepped up in different ways to help the team this season.

Bonner spent time working with the Fresno State women’s basketball team. Part of his duties as a grad student to assist with skill development and other aspects of the program. He coached and helped develop two All- Americans.   He had other duties on the team and that’s where he met his current assistant Coach, Jaleesa Ross. She starred for the Lady Bulldogs throughout her career and left the program as the All-Time leading scorer in school history with 2002 points, Also was a third all-time three-point shooter in the nation, a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America Honorable Mention nod, a WBCA All-Region First Team honor, three All- Western Athletic Conference (WAC) First Team honors, back-to-back WAC MVP honors and a WAC Newcomer of the Year accolade.

“She’s such a great coach she works with the players really well,” said Bonner. “We would not be in the position  in the position today without her. She has the attention and respect of all the players.”

As an assistant coach the team hovered just over .500.Things changed when he and Ross recruited their own players and implemented a diverse culture and one that prepared players for life after basketball in a “family” environment.  CSUDH is one of the most diverse schools in the Cal StateThesystem. most common degree at CSUDH is General Business Administration and Management (576 awarded followed by General Psychology (499) and Sociology (246).  “We created our own culture around the team,” added Bonner. “There are several conversations on how to prepare

them for life and what we can after basketball to help them out.”   As time moves on there’s one thing Bonner added that is so true: “The balls going to stop bouncing someday.”

Families Speak Against The Unjust Killings By Kern Law Enforcement

By Janell Gore

South Kern Sol

The docu-series “Killing County” launched its first season earlier this month focusing on a string of killings from the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Families in the documentary told their stories of losing brothers, husbands, and children unjustly.

Following the release of the docuseries the families involved and community members who have also been impacted by Kern law enforcement gathered to protest and demand accountability.

“All of us families literally suffer because of these cops and it’s just like, they throw something in our face like it’s justified,” said Nicole Ramirez who is in the documentary and sister of Jorge Ramierez who was murdered by the BPD. “How? How is it justified? When are they ever going to hold people accountable?”

Nicole was a main organizer of the protest and said through telling her story and protesting she hopes to save a life.

“If we can save somebody’s life because of all the things we’ve been through that’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna change things because nobody should feel the pain that we felt over these last years. It’s been almost 10 years and it feels like it just happened,” said Nicole.

In the documentary is it shown that in an attempt to get rid of his case, Jorge was working as an informant with BPD, and due to poor communication among the officers Jorge was killed by BPD.

Stories like what the Ramirez family experienced are far from rare in Kern County. Jorge contacted the police in an attempt to help them and others have contacted the

police for help only to be harmed.

Martin Higuera spoke about the need for the police to be abolished and also recounted stories his own family has experienced with calling BPD.

“I’ve had family call the police before for domestic disputes and things. The police would always escalate

tension and cause harm to one of my family members. Limbs have been broken and have had to deal with that for weeks in the hospital. It would financially hurt my family a lot,” said Higuera through tears.

Higuera hopes that as people watch the docu-series and learn more about the practices of BPD and KCSO that it leads to abolishment.

“I hope that people see this docu-series and come away with the realization that the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County Sheriff’s office cannot be reformed and they must be replaced. We must abolish the police.

Laura Serna, daughter of Franciso Serna, a 73-year- old man killed by BPD was also present at the protest. The docuseries explains that her father had dementia and was killed walking toward the police with a crucifix in his robe pocket at his home. The department was aware that he had dementia because according to Laura they had been there several times because Francisco would set off the home alarm. The docu-series showed that it was documented he had dementia when they were called out by a neighbor.

“I don’t like that the sheriff is saying that we’re lying I guess… that’s sick of him. We need to just get rid of him. Put term limits and get him out. He and the DA are just harming our community and they don’t care about minorities and I am here because I want to hold them

accountable,” said Laura.  Another family who decided to come to the protest and tell their story is the family of David Garcia. Garcia was killed in his home in Wasco in 2015 in front of his wife and children after the wife called for help because Garcia was attempting to kill himself.

Denise Bonilla, Garcia’s wife, was compelled to go out after seeing that people were starting to see the issues in Kern“SeeingCounty. that there’s actually a lot of families out here and there’s actually something coming out of it. It’s not just hidden like it used to be where nobody knew and everybody thought oh they have this coming or it’s their fault they’re gone. There’s a lot of support out here now,” said Bonilla.

Bonilla stated that the called the police when her husband was having a mental breakdown and trying to kill himself. She explained that at that time she had already taken the knife from Garcia and wrapped his writs in paper towels where he was bleeding.

“He did have a warrant out for his arrest so when officers got there he got scared and got up and when he stood up they shot him four times in the back and he was dead in front of my three children,” said Bonilla.

As Bonilla was crying retelling her story she said she wants people to know that having a criminal record or mental health issues doesn’t justify being killed unjustly.

“No one deserves to be shot in the back and especially not in front of their children and still handcuffed after being murdered,” said Bonilla.

Bonilla explained that her husband’s body was left on the floor for hours while the officers investigated and they did not try to resuscitate him. Deputy Robert Reed with KCSO is who killed Garcia.

Bonilla stated that since this it has been hard for her family resulting in them not trusting the police and having mental health issues after being traumatized. She expressed that the anger will never go away.

“There is no safety because who do you call when you’ve experienced calling 911 for help and then this happening? Who do you call? You can’t call 911 when you are in trouble because you fear the worst,” said Bonilla.

Present with Bonilla was her daughter Dulce Garcia who was only 10 years old when she saw her father die.

“I thought you guys were supposed to protect and serve us but you guys took away the one person that was supposed to protect and love me unconditionally,” said Dulce. “You guys took him away. I didn’t get to dance with him for my quinceanera, he won’t be able to walk me down the aisle for my wedding. You guys took that away from me. Robert Reed took away my dad from me.