The California Black Media Political Playback: Black Advocates Celebrate Women’s History Month

to be about achieving something. It needs to reflect the broader society,” said Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, Policy Link, who presented during one of the panel discussions.

CBFF is a “five-year, $100 million initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism,” according to the organization’s website.

In April 2022, CBFF named Marc Philpart its Executive Director, a leader with broad experience in social advocacy working with grassroots and community organizations.

Panelists at the event included Blackwell; author Steve Phillips (Brown Is the New White); Lateefah Simon (president of the Meadow Fund); James Herard (Executive Director of Lift Up Contra Costa); Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker (District 1 Antioch City Council); Kavon Ward (CEO/Founder of Where Is My Land); and James Woodson (Executive Director of California Black Power Network.

Californians Impacted by Winter Storms Get

Extended Tax Deadline

Both the state and federal governments are offering some relief to Californians impacted by winter storms in January and February.

In addition to allowing qualifying state residents to make deductions for disaster losses, last week Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state tax deadline for those affected by the winter storms will be October 16, 2023.

“As communities across the state continue recovering from the damage caused by the winter storms, California is working swiftly to help recovering Californians get back on their feet,” said Newsom.

The extension aligns with Biden administration adjustments to the IRS tax deadline for people affected by winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in the following counties: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba.

For filing instructions and more details on eligibility, visit the California Franchise Tax Board.

Mayor Karen Bass Endorses “Friend for Decades”

Rep. Barbara Lee of Directors as we welcome Emerge California’s Class of 2023 – the most diverse class in organization’s history,” said Ransom, who joins four other board members, including Julie Waters, Board Treasurer, and Jacqueline Piccini, Board Secretary. Founded in 2002, Emerge California has trained over 800 women political candidates. The organization prides itself on a win rate of nearly 70 % and, last year, there were 125 alumnae of its training program on the November ballot, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, State Controller Malia Cohen, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and seven state legislators.

Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass endorsed her former colleague and “friend for decades,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), in her bid to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein who is not seeking another term.

“I’ve seen her leadership firsthand. Her work in a divided government to secure billions of dollars in COVID relief for underserved communities is just one example of the type of principled and tenacious leadership she will bring,” Bass tweeted.

Both alums of the California Assembly, Bass and Lee served together for nearly 11 years as two of three Black women members of California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. The other Black woman is Rep.

SoCalGas Customers Can Apply for Hardship Assistance

Responding to spiraling inflation and a winter hike in gas prices, SoGalGas is offering hardship assistance to its customers that have been hit hardest.

“SoCalGas is stepping up to help customers in need with charitable donations of $10 million in shareholder funding to help customers with bill assistance and to bolster community resources for those who may be struggling financially,” the company said in a press release last week. The assistance will be distributed through three channels: $5 million through the Gas Assistance Fund administered by United Way for “Income Qualified Customers”; $4 million through the company’s Fueling our Communities program, a community feeding program organized by local food banks and nonprofits; and $1 million to restaurant owners through its Restaurant Cares Resilience Fund.

Maxine Waters (D-CA-43). Emerge California Announce Black Woman as New Board Chair Emerge California, an Oakland-based organization that recruits and trains women in the Democratic Party to run for political office, announced it has appointed Rhodesia Ransom to chair its Board of Directors.

“I’m excited to step into this role to lead our Board