Bakersfield News Observer 3.29.23

Meet the Black Women Legislators

Shaping California Policy

Mark Hedin California Black Media

Since Yvonne Braithwaite Burke became the first Black woman elected to serve in the California State Assembly in 1966, 20 other African women have represented their constituents in both houses of the California State Legislature with distinction. Many of them have gone on to make their marks in various political arenas at the state, local and national levels.

Take U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who represented Oakland and adjacent communities in the State Assembly and Senate for eight years before winning the first of 13 terms she has now served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Or Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, also a California Assembly alumna, who became Speaker of the body in 2008. and served six terms in the U.S. Congress. Or U.S.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-29) represented South LA in the Assembly is serving her 17th term in the U.S. Congress.

Other Black alumnae of the California Assembly and Senate are: California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber (2012-2021, Assembly); Theresa P. Hughes (1975-1992, Assembly, and 19922000, Senate); Gwen Moore (1978-1994, Assembly); former U.S. Congressmember Diane E. Watson (1978-1998, Assembly); Marguerite Archie-Hudson (1990-1996, Assembly); former U.S. Congressmember Juanita Millender-McDonald (1992-1996, Assembly); former U.S. Congressmember Laura Richardson (2006-2007, Assembly); Wilmer Amina Carter (2006-2012, Assembly); California State Commissioner on Aging Cheryl Brown (2012-2016, Assembly); Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell (2010-2013, Assembly, and 2013-2020,

Traffic Officer Says He Was Told to Target Minorities

Senate), Autumn Burke (2014-2022, Assembly), and U.S. Congressmember Syndey Kamlager ( 2018-2021 Assembly, 2021-2022, Senate).

In 2023, five of the California’s Black Legislative Caucus’ (CBLC) 12 members are women. They are: Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D – Ladera Heights)

The only Black woman in the California State Senate, Lola Smallwood-Cuevas represents state Senate District 28, a small, densely populated section of Los Angeles County that includes Culver City and parts of mid-city Los Angeles and unincorporated Los Angeles County. She began her career as a journalist in Oakland, Chicago and Long Beach, where she became active as a newspaper union organizer before joining the labor movement on a broader scale, starting with the SEIU.

She worked in the successful Justice for Janitors campaign of the 1990s, and during 15 years working at UCLA, she founded the Center for Advancement of Racial Equity at Work and cofounded the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, which became a model for similar organizations across the country, recognized by President Barack Obama.

In her first months as a state senator, Smallwood-Cuevas has introduced a package of worker and civil rights measures.

Among them is SB 627, legislation that would help workers laid off by a chain business to find work at other locations nearby. Another, SB 497, would offer workers whistleblower protection in cases of alleged wage theft or unequal pay.

Lori Wilson (D – Suisun City)

When she was elected mayor of Suisun City in 2018, Lori Wilson became the first-ever Black woman to serve as mayor anywhere in Solano County. She’d been vice-mayor for six years.

Now, she’s chair of the CBLC after her election in April last year to represent the 11th Assembly district, which straddles Solano and Contra Costa counties.

She earned a degree from CSU Sacramento in Business Administration and in a 20-year career in finance and accounting worked with homebuilders, fair housing agencies and as Solano County’s auditor. In Suisun City, she brought these skills to bear in helping house fire refugees and addressing COVID challenges.

She serves on the Appropriations, Banking and Finance, and the Accountability and Administrative Review standing committees.

Akilah Weber (D – San Diego)

From the 79th Assembly district is Akilah Weber, representing parts of San Diego, her hometown, and El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley/La Presa and La Mesa.

After becoming first Black person ever elected to the La Mesa city council in 2018, Weber left in early 2021 to run for the Assembly seat in a special election to replace her mother, Dr. Shirley Weber, who’d been named secretary of state. She won, and her mother swore her in. Akilah Weber was re-elected in 2022.

Weber is a doctor who founded San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Division, heads the adolescent gynecology program at UC San Diego Health, and is an assistant clinical professor at UCSD.

Looking back at her time on the La Mesa City Council, she told the San Diego Union Tribune her “most important vote” had been to form the city’s Community Police Oversight Board. She also supported creating its homelessness task force and implementing its Climate Action Plan.

In the state Assembly, she serves on six standing committees: Health, Higher Education Appropriations, Communications and Conveyance, and Water, Parks and Wildlife, Legislative Ethics Committee (co-chair) and Social Determinants of Health select committee (chair).

Tina McKinnor (D – Inglewood)

Tina McKinnor’s 61st Assembly district spans communities in western Los Angeles County including Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne, Marina del Rey, Venice, Westchester, Westmont,

Continued on page A2

Equity Report Reveals Statistics on Black Women Compared to Other Races

McKenzie Jackson

California Black Media

Black women in the Golden State trail behind their counterparts from other ethnic groups in median wealth and a lower percentage of them have obtained higher education degrees. Black mothers and their babies have mortality rates that surpass women from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.

California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI) President and CEO Kellie Todd Griffin said the state of Black women in California is troubling.

“There is so much work to do,” she explained. “There is a gap with Black women. Without immediate interventions from a policy and practice transformation standpoint, we’re not going to be able to change the trajectory.”

Griffin’s remarks came a day after the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University released its 12th annual “The Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California” on March 22.

The 40-page report, with the tagline “Advancing Equity: Leading With Meaning and Purpose,” is the Los Angeles university’s assessment of the state of women in California based on a number of social and economic indicators.

It is “what women need in order to attain agency for themselves, add meaning to their lives, and contribute fully to their families, communities, and businesses,” wrote Mount Saint Mary’s University President Ann McElaney-Johnson in the document’s opening pages.

The report highlights issues affecting women and girls in California post-COVID-19 pandemic. The trends documented pertain to women’s education, economic security, health, household labor, and wage and wealth divisions.

The paper’s authors and staff at Mount Saint Mary’s Center

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas City Police Department leaders encouraged officers to meet illegal ticket quotas by targeting drivers in Black and other minority neighborhoods, a lawsuit filed by an officer contends.

Edward Williams, a white traffic officer who said he’s been with the department for 21 years, filed the discrimination lawsuit Monday, the Kansas City Star reported.

Racial profiling is a violation of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ticket quotas are also illegal under a Missouri state law passed in 2016.

Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves said in a written statement that the department “is dedicated to policing that is both equitable and fair in all aspects of our duties.” She said officers do not direct enforcement activities based on demographics but instead on high crash areas and citizen traffic complaint locations.

Williams was reprimanded after he reported the violations to his superiors, Williams’ attorney, Gerald Gray II, said.

“Officers have received unsatisfactory marks on their evaluations and had duties and benefits stripped for low ticket writing numbers,’’ the lawsuit states. “This continues to this date.”

It comes several months after the U.S. Department of Justice announced an investigation into the department’s employment practices to determine if it engaged in any racial discrimination.

Autism Now More Common Among Black & Hispanic Kids in US

By MIKE STOBBE

AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – For the first time, autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white kids in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Among all U.S. 8-year-olds, 1 in 36 had autism in 2020, the CDC estimated. That’s up from 1 in 44 two years earlier. But the rate rose faster for children of color than for white kids. The new estimates suggest that about 3% of Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander children have an autism diagnosis, compared with about 2% of white kids.

That’s a contrast to the past, when autism was most commonly diagnosed in white kids - usually in middleor upper-income families with the means to go to autism specialists. As recently as 2010, white kids were deemed 30% more likely to be diagnosed with autism than Black children and 50% more likely than Hispanic children.

Experts attributed the change to improved screening and autism services for all kids, and to increased awareness and advocacy for Black and Hispanic families.

The increase is from “this rush to catch up,” said David Mandell, a University of Pennsylvania psychiatry professor.

Still, it’s not clear that Black and Hispanic children with autism are being helped as much as their white counterparts. A study published in January found Black and Hispanic kids had less access to autism services than white children during the 2017-2018 academic year. Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. There are many possible symptoms, many of which overlap with other diagnoses. They can include delays in language and learning, social and emotional withdrawal, and an unusual need for routine. Scientists believe genetics can play a role, but there is no known biological reason why it would be more common in one racial or ethnic group than another. For decades, the diagnosis was given only to kids with severe problems communicating or socializing and those with unusual, repetitive behaviors. But around 30 years ago, the term became shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions known as ?autism spectrum disorders.’’

There are no blood or biologic tests for it. It’s diagnosed by making judgments about a child’s behavior.

To estimate how common autism is, the CDC checks health and school records in 11 states and focuses on 8-year-olds, because most cases are diagnosed by that age. Other researchers have their own estimates, but experts say the CDC’s estimate is the most rigorous and is considered the gold standard.

The overall autism rate has been rising for decades and it remains far more common among boys than girls. But the latest study also found, for the first time, that more than 1% of 8-year-old girls had been diagnosed with it.

A second CDC report issued Thursday looked at how common autism was in 4-year- olds. That research is important because diagnoses are increasingly happening at younger ages, said Kelly Shaw, who oversees the CDC autism tracking project.

Black children with autism have historically been diagnosed at later ages than their white peers, said Rose Donohue, a psychiatrist at Washington University. But the study of 4-year-olds likewise found that autism was less common in white kids in 2020 than it was among Black, Hispanic and Asian and Pacific Islander children.

Asm.Dr. Akilah Weber (D- San Diego), Asm. Mia Bonta (D- Oakland) Asm. Tina Mickinnor ( D-Los Angeles) Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) Asm. Lori Wilson ( D- Solano)

Trump Ramps Up Attack on Manhattan DA with Violent Imagery and Call for ‘Death’ and ‘Destruction’

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Former President Donald Trump has ramped up the rhetoric and the threats as potential criminal charges loom in New York, Georgia, and Washington.

Trump took to his Truth Social platform and posted a photo of him swinging a bat to the head of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

He also threatened that his anticipated arrest would lead to “death and destruction.”

“What kind of person can charge another person, in this case a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country? Why & who would do such a thing? Only a degenerate psychopath that truly hates the USA!” Trump wrote.

Then in all capital letters, Trump continued his tirade:

“EVERYBODY KNOWS I’M 100% INNOCENT, INCLUDING BRAGG, BUT HE DOESN’T CARE. HE IS JUST CARRYING OUT THE PLANS OF THE RADICAL LEFT LUNATICS. OUR COUNTRY IS

BEING DESTROYED, AS THEY TELL US TO BE PEACEFUL!”

A week before, Trump predicted that authorities from New York would arrest him, however, that never happened.

Bragg’s office said Trump simply misled the public about an imminent arrest.

“We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law,” Bragg said through a spokesperson.

Bragg, 49, maintained that no one is above the law, and everyone receives equal treatment.

“In every prosecution, we follow the law without fear or favor to uncover the truth,” his statement continued.

“Our skilled, honest, and dedicated lawyers remain hard at work.”

Trump’s social media attack on Bragg could reveal the frustrations and even the concern he might possess over all of the legal problems he currently faces.

Bragg’s case, in which the former President allegedly paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and committed campaign finance crimes, is just the tip of the iceberg for the bombastic Trump.

Most legal experts believe Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis might have a more serious

case.

A special grand jury disbanded in January after reportedly recommending charges that include obstruction, bribery, and interfering with a presidential election.

Additionally, a Special Counsel’s investigation into Trump allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Florida home has amped up with a federal judge ordering the former President’s lawyer to testify.

Finally, the Congressional committee that investigated the January 6 insurrection has recommended serious charges against Trump to the U.S. Department of Justice. Those charges could include treason.

“It would be a travesty of justice,” Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson said if Trump isn’t prosecuted by federal authorities for his role in the insurrection.

“Nobody is above the law, not even the President of the United States,” said Thompson, who chaired the commission.

“What we saw after interviewing more than 1,000 people – the majority of who identify with the Republican Party – we are convinced that whatever happened, happened because of one person. So, we are clear in our recommendation.”

Consumer Rage Reaches All-Time High and Businesses Feeling it in Bottom Line

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

According to a new study, second-rate customer service efforts have led to more consumer rage than ever, and patrons have become more belligerent when complaining.

Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC) and the Center for Services Leadership, a research center at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, conducted the National Consumer Rage Survey.

It found that “the alarmingly high rate of rudeness by customers was linked to things that have become normal in business settings.”

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The survey found that businesses risk losing $887 billion in future sales because they handle customer complaints poorly.

That figure is up from $494 billion in 2020.

In addition to charting the trend of customer satisfaction with complaint handling over the past two decades, the study authors said the latest release of the rage survey breaks new ground by exploring the alarming incidence of customer incivility tied to what has become commonplace in everyday business settings.

“Customer rage explores the experience of complaining about a product or service problem,” the authors wrote in a news release.

They said that customer incivility looks at the growing problem of rude, disrespectful, and violent behavior in the marketplace that comes from social and political conflicts between customers and businesses, such as disagreements about politics, sexuality, culture, and faith.

“This first foray into customer incivility reveals that unseemly customer behavior tied to clashes in values between businesses and their customers may be the new normal, as nearly one of every two Americans encountered two or more acts of customer incivility in the past year,” the authors found.

According to the survey, the top customer rage highlighted in the study included:

• Seventy-four percent of customers reported experiencing a product or service problem in the past year, more than doubling since 1976.

• Product and service problems can be disappointing, costly, and distressing.

• Fifty-six percent of customers felt that the problem wasted their time (an average of one to two days of lost time), 43% cited a loss of money (an average loss of $1,261), and 31% suffered emotional distress.

• The level of “customer rage” is holding steady — 63% of customers experiencing a problem feel rage about the experience.

• Customers are becoming increasingly aggressive in their efforts to solve their problems with businesses.

• Forty-three percent raised their voice to show displeasure about their most serious problem, up from 35% in 2015.

Additionally, the percentage of customers seeking revenge for their hassles has tripled since 2020.

The authors found that complaining is increasingly becoming a digital phenomenon.

Digital channels such as e-mail, chat, and social media have unseated the telephone as the primary complaint channel at 50%, increasing from a mere 5% in 2013.

Complainants are also doubling down on social media shaming about their problems.

In addition to complaining directly to the company, 32% of complainants posted information about their most serious problem on social media sites — more than double those who posted in 2020.

Top customer incivility highlights of the study include nearly one in five Americans (17%) who have personally behaved uncivilly during the past year.

The authors concluded that Americans see this kind of value-based aggression toward businesses as a sign of bigger societal problems.

Twenty-two percent cited the moral decay of society as the primary reason customer incivility is on the rise.

The social contract about the norms for individually protesting businesses’ belief systems and values appears to be in flux.

Americans disagree with “civil” and “uncivil” behaviors for expressing their value differences with a business, the authors found.

While 50% of Americans view less aggressive forms of behavior (such as yelling, ranting, arguing, giving ultimatums, and social media character assassination) as uncivil, the remaining 50% see these behaviors as either “civil” or as “depends on the circumstances.”

Similarly, 25% view more hostile behaviors — like threats, humiliation, foul language, and lying — as civil or circumstantially acceptable.

“Even after 20 years of intensively researching customer rage, I remain astonished that — when sorting out ordinary product and service problems — acts of simple kindness and a sense of kinship are, all too often, in short supply,” said CCMC President and CEO Scott Broetzmann.

“The incidence and public displays of customers and companies misbehaving are commonplace, on the increase,

and can be downright scary,” he noted.

Broetzmann continued:

“Perhaps of growing concern now is that customer hostility appears to be mutating like a virus. The expressions of malice and aggression triggered by differences in the value systems of companies and customers — so-called customer incivility — only fuel the fire.”

Broetzmann said defusing customer rage is not rocket science.

Thomas Hollmann, executive director of the Center for Services Leadership at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, said many customers are looking for repairs or refunds. Still, they also hope for a sincere apology and acknowledgment of their complaints.

“These no-cost actions show that the company cares, is listening to the customer, and values them,” Hollman stated.

“It’s up to brands to communicate as humans with their customers. A sincere “I’m sorry this happened,” can turn a potential blowup into a lifelong customer.”

Meet the Black Women Legislators

Shaping California Policy

Continued from page A1

West Athens and parts of Los Angeles.

She was elected to the state Assembly in July last year in a special election after the sudden resignation of Autumn Burke, herself a former CBLC vice-chair and the daughter of California Assembly alum and three-term U.S. Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke. Burke cited COVID impacts on her family at the time for her resignation.

McKinnor, who had worked in the Assembly for years as Burke’s chief of staff, is now chair of the Assembly’s Public Employment and Retirement Committee, chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Select Committee, and a member of the Business and Professions and the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials committees.

Before serving in the Assembly, McKinnor worked for the nonprofit LAVoice developing affordable housing in coordination with faith-based organizations.

McKinnor has also been active in advancing reproductive rights, health care and police reforms.

Mia Bonta (D – Oakland)

Mia Bonta ran for and won the 18th Assembly district seat in Alameda County in a 2021 special election called atter her husband, Rob Bonta, who’d held the seat since 2012, was named California Attorney General.

Bonta describes herself as a “proud Black Latina, raised by activists who protested outside the halls of power so that people like her could one day have a seat at the table inside.”

She earned her law degree at Yale, after studying there as an

undergraduate. She earned her Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Prior to being elected to the state Assembly, Bonta work revolved around improving educational outcomes for low-income students as CEO of Oakland Promise, a district-wide Oakland college and career prep program, and board president of the Alameda Unified School District. She serves on six Assembly committees: Joint Legislative Budget, Public Safety, Human Services, Communications and Conveyance, Business and Professions and the Budget Committee, including two of its subcommittees No. 5 -- Public Safety -- and No. 6 -- Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation.

West Athens and parts of Los Angeles.

She was elected to the state Assembly in July last year in a special election after the sudden resignation of Autumn Burke, herself a former CBLC vice-chair and the daughter of California Assembly alum and three-term U.S. Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke. Burke cited COVID impacts on her family at the time for her resignation.

McKinnor, who had worked in the Assembly for years as Burke’s chief of staff, is now chair of the Assembly’s Public Employment and Retirement Committee, chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Select Committee, and a member of the Business and Professions and the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials committees.

Before serving in the Assembly, McKinnor worked for the nonprofit LAVoice developing affordable housing in coordination with faith-based organizations.

McKinnor has also been active in advancing reproductive rights, health care and police reforms.

Mia Bonta (D – Oakland)

Mia Bonta ran for and won the 18th Assembly district seat in Alameda County in a 2021 special election called atter her husband, Rob Bonta, who’d held the seat since 2012, was named California Attorney General. Bonta describes herself as a “proud Black Latina, raised by activists who protested outside the halls of power so that people like her could one day have a seat at the table inside.”

She earned her law degree at Yale, after studying there as an undergraduate. She earned her Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Prior to being elected to the state Assembly, Bonta work revolved around improving educational outcomes for low-income students as CEO of Oakland Promise, a district-wide Oakland college and career prep program, and board president of the Alameda Unified School District.

She serves on six Assembly committees: Joint Legislative Budget, Public Safety, Human Services, Communications and Conveyance, Business and Professions and the Budget Committee, including two of its subcommittees No. 5 -- Public Safety -- and No. 6 -- Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation.

Q&A: Chuck D Talks Rap’s Rise Through ‘Fight the Power’ Doc

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.

AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hip-hop became a cultural phenomenon against the backdrop of American history, and now Public Enemy's Chuck D has committed himself to explore the artform's origins.

Chuck D rounded up several rap greats - including Ice-T, Run DMC and MC Lyte - who offered their firsthand accounts ahead of this year's 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Their reflections are explored in the four-part docuseries "Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World," that aired on PBS and is available to stream on its platforms and YouTube with a premium subscription.

The series delves into the history of hip-hop including the genre's radical rise from the New York City streets, creating a platform for political expression and being a leading voice for social justice

"Fight the Power" touches on how the hip-hop has played an impactful role in speaking up against injustice in the aftermath of America's racial and political reckoning in 2020 after George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police. The series, executive produced by Chuck D, features archival footage and insightful interviews from of rap's most integral figures including Fat Joe, Lupe Fiasco, Grandmaster Caz, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Melle Mel, will.i.am, John Forte, Roxanne Shanté and Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Chuck D talked about hip-hop's cultural growth in 50 years, the genre being the backbone for Black men's voices and how rap could last for another half century.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and bravery. ___

AP: You mentioned in your docuseries that hip-hop was a catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement. How so?

CHUCK D: It's a collective where people felt the same way. It spoke politically to the injustice regarding George Floyd and was a spark that connected around the world. Hip-hop has done the same thing. Hip-hop ties human beings for their similarities and knocks the differences to the side. It's a movement, when you talk about collective people feeling similar, enact upon something and still even stay within the constraints of the law. Younger people say, "OK, listen, we're going to speak truth to power right now. We're going to protest march. We're going to show you numbers that you ain't seen in a long time about something you probably didn't care about.'' That's hip-hop, right?

AP: During the birth of hip-hop, how do it help encourage Black voices?

CHUCK D: Black men didn't have a voice. You might've sung records for people who were fortunate to become recording artists. Our music has always been code. Hip- hop is the term for our creativity, maybe for

the last 50 years. But before that, we always was creative and musicianship, vocalization, arts and craft, and also the movement of dance. Just that the elements had gotten refined in another period in the '70s out of another Big Bang Theory of socio political environments. That's where that voice came out and it came out culturally. It still speaks loudly, culturally.

AP: How does your documentary amplify that notion?

CHUCK D: Some people like to deal with hip-hop where they first started. I think what this documentary series says is "Nah, this is where it started." You might have picked up on it after you were born in the 1990s and picked up maybe 2000, but it started before you.

AP: What do you want people to take away from your documentary?

CHUCK D: I don't want people to do what they don't want to do. If you say you love hip-hop, then you should be able to know about what you love. You don't have to love hip-hop. I used to ask people straight out, "Do you love hip-hop?" They would respond "Oh yeah. I love it." Then I was ask, "Do you love Black people?" They would say "What's that got to do with it?" I'm here to tell you that the culture and the music comes out of the people. Sometimes your love of it got to infuse and give something back to the people. That's the cycle.

AP: How do you feel about hip-hop being misinterpreted at times?

CHUCK D: I'm 12 years older than hip-hop, so I'm not in awe of it. I've seen the trajectory and my involvement in it was to see if I can make it go head-to-head, stand shoulders and shoulders next to everything else that gets bragged and talked about. I'm a big sports fan. You know, a lot of people in New York broke up because the Giants lost. That's how they tied into their loyalty for something that they say that they love. Well, people love music, too. They seem to know less about it than they know about sports, because sports make sure you're not stupid. Stephen A. Smith now is a superstar journalist who makes sure that if you come in the room, you're not stupid about sports. You can't go off the top of your head and freestyle what you think when it's fact. This four-part series at least deals with facts, especially in this misinformation age. Facts are important. Facts is not opinion, bro.

AP: How have you seen hip-hop transcend?

CHUCK D: Africa is the future of hip-hop. It's 54 African nations. Not only are they spitting like crazy, but they're also braiding languages. Hip-hop is going to like 3.0 when you talk about Africa. Hip-hop is there. So that's the sustaining power if you want to pay attention to it.

AP: Do you feel like rappers can still be commercially successful while being socially conscious?

CHUCK D: Depends on where they are and who they're talking to. If you're in France, it might work for you. Each level that you get into it, you got to go deeper because you build a fan base that's three times harder than you. If you're an activist, you're going to bring on activists that's really doing this. You as an artist could engage on it and group them together.

Now, as far as what's going to make that artists keep a light on or go out and get the Lamborghini, that's a personal thing. Money is relative. There's pressure put on the arts. That's an illusion. It's a little unfair to any art - which is not supposed to bring you an industry. It's supposed to be able to bring a canvas to the world.

AP: What's it going to take for hip-hop to live for another 50 years?

CHUCK D: Commitment collective, people recognizing that this is a part of us and recognizing more parts of us that have been part of our cultural history around the world. We got to recognize the world too.

Jonathan Majors Arrested on Assault Charge in New York

By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - The actor Jonathan Majors was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, authorities said. On Sunday, an attorney for Majors said there's evidence that he is "entirely innocent.''

New York City police said that Majors, star of the recently released "Creed III'' and "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania," was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. Police responded around 11 a.m. Saturday to a 911 call inside an apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea.

"The victim informed police she was assaulted,'' a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement. ''Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident. The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition."

A representative for Majors denied any wrongdoing by the actor.

"He has done nothing wrong,'' the representative said in an email to the AP on Saturday. ''We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up."

On Sunday, an attorney for Majors, Priya Chaudhry, came out more forcefully, saying Majors "is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows'' and blamed the incident on the woman having "an emotional crisis."

Chaudhry said there was evidence clearing Majors, including "video footage from the vehicle where this

episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations."

An email seeking additional comment from the NYPD based on Chaudhry's assertions was not immediately returned Sunday.

Majors was arraigned Sunday on a complaint involving misdemeanor charges for assault and aggravated harassment, the Manhattan district attorney's office said. A judge ordered Majors released on his own recognizance on Saturday night with a limited order of protection. He was scheduled to appear in court on May 8.

In the meantime, the U.S. Army suspended its TV ad campaign featuring Majors that was intended to target younger audiences. The Army Enterprise Marketing Office said in a statement Sunday that the U.S. Army is "deeply concerned by the allegations surrounding his arrest."

"While Mr. Majors is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete," the office said in a statement.

Majors is one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood.

After breaking through in 2019's "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," Majors has starred in "Da 5 Bloods," "The Harder They Fall'' and last year's "Devotion." He also stars in the recent Sundance Film Festival entry "Magazine Dreams," which Searchlight Pictures is to release in December.7

One of the pioneers of hip-hop Public Enemy’s Chuck D is giving you the origins of hip-hop in his new PBS documentary.

The four-part docuseries has guests and hip-hop royalty such as Fat Joe, will.i.am, Ice-T, Melle Mel, Run DMC and MC Lyte.

Equity Report Reveals Statistics on Black Women Compared to Other Races

Continued from page A1

for the Advancement of Women are advocates who push for changes in legislation to help women and girls in the state.

Robin L. Owens, Interim Director, Center for the Advancement of Women and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Mount Saint Mary’s University, said all of study’s findings need to be addressed.

“My personal opinion, wealth impacts everything, so that is the one that struck me the most,” she emphasized. “The differences in the wealth gap between men and women, but also between African American women and other races. That was striking.”

The wealth gap among women is vast, according to the study. For every $100 owned by a White woman, Latinas own $10, and Black women own $9. Twenty-four percent of households led by single Black women and 25% of Latina households are more likely to live in poverty than single White (14%) and single Asian (15%) women households.

In corporate leadership, 5% of the women in management positions and CEO chairs are African American. In comparison, 46% of women in management positions are White and 86% of women CEOs are White.

Black women hold 4% of the bachelor’s degrees obtained by California women, while White women have 47%. Among women holding graduate and professional degrees, 52% are White women, whereas African American women make up only 5%. There is a connection, Griffin stated, between Black women’s trailing in education and wealth figures.

“We’re the smallest population amongst the groups that were assessed, however we shouldn’t be 4% of the bachelor’s degree holders,” she noted. “It’s disheartening. How do you get into corporate leadership if a majority of good paying jobs require a degree? We can’t get in the door to be able to accelerate up.”

Black women are more than four times more likely to die

from pregnancy-related causes then White women, and Black babies are more than twice as likely to die within one year than White babies.

The maternal death rates African American women and their babies have are still comparable to numbers from decades ago despite funds and efforts put into improving that rate for all women, Griffin said.

“That is not an improvement,” she deemed.

CBWCEI is focused on using the numbers from the report and other statistics they have gathered to shine a light on the challenges Black women in the state have and to uplift their voices.

The group advocated for and received state funds to create the California Black Women’s Think Tank at Cal State Dominguez Hills, which focuses solely on Black women and girls through research and leadership development. The nonprofit organization is also conducting other African American womengeared initiatives.

“We are focused on Black women, Black girls, Black joy, Black advancement,” Griffin stated. “We understand if we invest in Black women, then we invest in Black communities. We are investing in Black California.”

Owens hopes readers of the report take actions like the CBWCEI.

“I hope people read the report and really give some thoughtful consideration to how they can add to the advancement of women in general and African American women in particular,” she said. “Even if it is in a small way. Sometimes we tend to think we have to fix the whole problem. If we could just find out in our own corner of the world, how we could make a small increase in helping African American women and women in general that would make a difference.”

for the Advancement of Women are advocates who push for changes in legislation to help women and girls in the state.

Robin L. Owens, Interim Director, Center for the Advancement of Women and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Mount Saint Mary’s University, said all of study’s findings need to be addressed.

“My personal opinion, wealth impacts everything, so that is the one that struck me the most,” she emphasized. “The differences in the wealth gap between men and women, but also between African American women and other races. That was striking.”

The wealth gap among women is vast, according to the study. For every $100 owned by a White woman, Latinas own $10, and Black women own $9. Twenty-four percent of households led by single Black women and 25% of Latina households are more likely to live in poverty than single White (14%) and single Asian (15%) women households. In corporate leadership, 5% of the women in management positions and CEO chairs are African American. In comparison, 46% of women in management positions are White and 86% of women CEOs are White.

Black women hold 4% of the bachelor’s degrees obtained by California women, while White women have 47%. Among women holding graduate and professional degrees, 52% are White women, whereas African American women make up only 5%. There is a connection, Griffin stated, between Black women’s trailing in education and wealth figures.

“We’re the smallest population amongst the groups that were assessed, however we shouldn’t be 4% of the bachelor’s degree holders,” she noted. “It’s disheartening. How do you get into corporate leadership if a majority of good paying jobs require a degree? We can’t get in the door to be able to accelerate up.”

Black women are more than four times more likely to die

from pregnancy-related causes then White women, and Black babies are more than twice as likely to die within one year than White babies.

The maternal death rates African American women and their babies have are still comparable to numbers from decades ago despite funds and efforts put into improving that rate for all women, Griffin said.

“That is not an improvement,” she deemed.

CBWCEI is focused on using the numbers from the report and other statistics they have gathered to shine a light on the challenges Black women in the state have and to uplift their voices.

The group advocated for and received state funds to create the California Black Women’s Think Tank at Cal State Dominguez Hills, which focuses solely on Black women and girls through research and leadership development. The nonprofit organization is also conducting other African American womengeared initiatives.

“We are focused on Black women, Black girls, Black joy, Black advancement,” Griffin stated. “We understand if we invest in Black women, then we invest in Black communities. We are investing in Black California.”

Owens hopes readers of the report take actions like the CBWCEI.

“I hope people read the report and really give some thoughtful consideration to how they can add to the advancement of women in general and African American women in particular,” she said. “Even if it is in a small way. Sometimes we tend to think we have to fix the whole problem. If we could just find out in our own corner of the world, how we could make a small increase in helping African American women and women in general that would make a difference.”

Black Professionals’ Ability to Focus Disproportionately Affected by Rising Cost of Living, Health Concerns

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Black workers prioritize their mental well-being more than any other racial group, according to a survey by the employment platform Oyster. The platform surveyed more than 2,500 desk-based – or so-called knowledge – employees and found that more than 58 % of Black workers globally chose their mental well-being as their top priority. Asian respondents came in second at 37.7 %. “Bearing the brunt of systemic racism, prejudice, and societal injustice, perhaps Black knowledge workers must put more energy into protecting their mental health and can less afford to spend it elsewhere,” the report stated. Study authors found the ability of Black knowledge workers to focus has suffered because of external factors like the rising cost of living and health concern, particularly in America, Western Europe, and Canada. For instance, 60.1 % of Black workers struggle with the cost of living, the survey found. About 9.5% of respondents were Black knowledge workers, and the authors called it disheartening to see that

they’re disproportionately affected by the ever-rising costs of living. “In fact, Black workers are more affected by pretty much every category than other racial groups, notably by global health concerns – 41.6% of Black workers (compared to 14.8% of white workers) were very concerned about this, compared office in many cases, against their will,” the authors wrote. But nothing came close to spiraling living costs and personal concerns when factoring in the top external stressors, which the authors said was true across genders and geographies. White workers reported being least affected in nearly every category – an example of privilege in practice, the authors concluded. “What privilege does do is protect certain populations from being as negatively affected when taken as a group,” the authors noted. They said the racial wage disparity present at many companies (and in society in general) means it’s logical that Black workers are more affected by rising costs of living. Systemic racism in healthcare and legislative environments means it’s logical that Black workers are more affected by health concerns and political

instability. Additional findings of the report:

• 55% of Black workers see a safe, inclusive work environment as very important, almost 14 %age points higher than their white colleagues. • 63 % of Black employees indicated that regular raises affect their well-being at work, compared to 48.3% of white workers. • Black employees value access to mental health support (64%) more than their white colleagues (22%).

Across all genders and geographies, the rising cost of living (75%) and personal worries or concerns (74%) are the top stressors impacting employees’ ability to focus on work, followed by:

• Global health concerns (61%)

• Economic downturn (55%) • War and conflict (35%) • Political instability (34%) • Climate change (23%) Black knowledge workers’ ability to focus on work is disproportionately affected by these external factors, more than any other racial group. Most critically: • 60% of Black employees report struggling with the rising costs of living, compared to their Hispanic (46%), Asian (39%), and white (30%) colleagues. • Global health concerns

impact 42% of Black workers, compared to 15% of white workers. • Younger generations are almost twice as affected by rising living costs and personal concerns than their Gen X colleagues.

“Our data broken down by race was also very revealing. Black employees valued a safe working environment almost 14 percentage points more than their white colleagues and were 20 percentage points more in favor of check-ins with their manager,” the study revealed. “These employees also placed far more emphasis on regular raises (63.0% compared to 48.3% of white workers), which tracks given that our data also found Black workers were the most concerned with rising costs of living.” The authors concluded: “What we’re seeing is a greater need to support, include, and create equitable work environments so all employees can thrive. At the very least, managers should be aware that Black employees on their team may appreciate more face time and encouragement and be ready to provide this support as needed.”

Remembering Kenneth Brown, Educator, Engineer, CSU Prof., and El Camino College Trustee President

Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media

The El Camino Community College District, California State University Dominguez Hills, and the aerospace industry have lost a great leader and advocate with the passing of Kenneth Brown on March 23, 2023.

Brown was a pioneer in his fields, and his work as an educator, scientist, engineer, and trustee impacted countless lives.

Born and raised in Carson, CA, Brown attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he earned his B.S. in Computer Science and B.S. in Physics. He later went on to earn his M.S. in Applied Physics from Clark Atlanta University.

“As a Morehouse alum, Ken upheld the tradition of striving to make a positive difference in the world, especially for the Black community. He had a keen analytical mind and he eagerly engaged in discussions in a variety of subjects, including politics and social issues that challenged you to think critically,” said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rupert Byrdsong, a friend and college classmate.

Brown’s career in aerospace spanned over three decades. He worked for over 20 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where, as a System Engineering Analyst for the Mars Science Laboratory, he worked on some of the most groundbreaking missions in the history of space exploration.

He was last employed as Operations Manager for Northrop Grumman Missions Systems Engineering & Sciences (E&S) Maritime Land Sensors and Systems/Field Engineering, at Space Park, Redondo Beach. where he was the lead for a major new enhancement to the program, driving technical integration to meet performance and functional requirements.

In recognition of his contributions, Brown received the Black Engineer of the Year Modern Day Technology Leader Award in 2019. Brown’s passion for teaching led him to serve as an adjunct professor of Physics at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. For more than 20 years he taught undergraduate physics, physical science, and math courses. Because of his exceptional ability to connect with his students, his dedication to teaching, and his caring nature, he had a reputation for being a devoted and well-admired instructor.

For the California Department of Education, Brown served as a Content Review Panel expert and helped author “Next Generation Science Standards,” which is being used in K-12 classrooms in over 40 states.

In addition to his work in aerospace and as an education practitioner, Brown was President of the Governing Board of Trustees at El Camino Community College in Torrance. He had been a Board member since 2010.

“He never stopped advocating for students’ needs to ensure they found success in higher education, their chosen career fields, and in their personal lives. He inspired us to become extraordinary,” Brenda Thames, Ph.D., El Camino College Superintendent/President reflected on her connection with Brown. “He led as an unapologetic advocate for equity and the expansion of educational opportunities for all students. The legacy of his work will impact millions of students for decades to come.”

Vice President of the Board of Trustees Trisha Murakawa told The Union, El Camino College’s student paper, that she and Brown “‘were making good trouble, to truly help’ with education and equity at the statewide level and at El Camino.”

“Brown was a champion for students in everything he did …. and his legacy and commitment will empower generations of leaders to come,” Daisy Gonzales, the interim chancellor of California’s community college system, said in a statement.

Brown was elected to the California Community College Trustees Board in 2016, and in 2020 was elected to serve as President of the CCCT Board. He served as President of CCCT’s Board Financial Aid Implementation Committee as well as the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Change Leadership Committee.

“I don’t think he had “no” in his vocabulary,” said

Pam Haynes, President Emerita, California Community College Trustees Board and Los Rios Community College District Trustee. “He was unwavering in his steadfast advocacy for students of color, especially Black and Brown students within our community college system.”

On a national level, Brown served on the Association of Community College Trustees Public Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Brown also served on the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees from 2019-20 in the Wiseburn Unified School District, El Segundo and on the Da Vinci Schools Fund Board.

A true renaissance man, Brown’s accomplishments extended beyond his professional life. He was an accomplished athlete, twice named All-American in Track & Field at Morehouse College and he played in the NCAA Div. II Basketball Final Four. He qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and Pan AM Games in the high jump. Brown, 54, lived in Inglewood with his wife of 25 years, Dr. Karla Harness Brown, a teacher, counselor, and child welfare and attendance advisor for 30 years at the Inglewood Unified School District. He is survived by two sons, Kenneth II, a Morehouse graduate who is now attending UCLA and Kaleb, a freshman at Howard University. He is also survived by his mother, Dr. Martha Brown, a retired professor of music and his mother-in-law, Gloria Armstrong, a retired Inglewood city employee. His father Keith Brown (deceased) was a Probation Officer.

From the outpouring of condolence messages and personalized tributes Brown’s family is receiving from the Inglewood community and beyond, it is certain that he will be deeply missed by his family, colleagues, and the countless students whose lives he touched through his work in education.

The San Francisco Branch of the NAACP is engaged in a public information blitz to clarify a press release it sent out urging the San Francisco city government to reject a proposal to pay each qualifying Black city resident a onetime lump sum reparation payment of $5 million.

The Rev. Amos Brown, a member of the San Francisco reparations board, pastor of Third Baptist Church, and the president of the San Francisco NAACP, released a March 14 statement before the recommendations were presented to the supervisors rejecting the $5 million payout.

Reparations should focus on investments and opportunities” in five areas: education, employment, housing, healthcare, and a culture center for San Francisco’s Black residents, the prepared statement reads.

“We strongly believe that creating and funding programs that can improve the lives of those who have been impacted by racism and discrimination is the best path forward toward equality and justice,” Brown stated. Brown is the vice-chairperson of the California Reparation Task Force, which is proposing recommendations for two million Black residents in California.

The NAACP’s press release was met with immediate backlash by supporters in the movement for reparations across the country who have, for decades now, invested time, energy and money in bringing the issue to national attention. In 2020, California became the first state to set up a task force to investigate the state’s involvement in slavery, state-sanctioned atrocities against African Americans and all other forms of discrimination and discriminatory policy that excluded Black Californians from state benefits or protections or that prevented them from gaining social or economic power.

“This is reprehensible. It is a betrayal to Black Americans, tweeted Bishop Talbert Swan on March 17 reacting to the press release.

“As a life member of the NAACP and the longest serving president in the history of my branch, I am ashamed by the position taken by the San Francisco branch.

Brown has since clarified in several public appearances that he is not against the idea of a cash payout but only wants the recommendation to be a reasonable compromise – one, he says, that does not give the city’s Black residents “false hope.”

“We don’t want to get set up for another study or for them to put this up on a shelf to collect dust,” said Brown in an interview with Roland Martin. We must have action. We believe in cash-plus - not either or.”

Eric McDowell, chairperson of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC) -- a task force set up by San Francisco city government -- said that recommendations presented to the Board of Supervisors is an “appraisal” and he is “hopeful” that the city will deliver much needed compensation for Black community.

McDowell made the statements in an interview with San Francisco’s KRON 4 News on March 24. AARAC presented recommendations on March 14 to address the harms and struggles Black Americans have endured since they began migrating west after the Civil War.

“What the city will decide to do is fully in the hands of the supervisors, mayor’s office, and full leadership of the city,” McDowell said in the six-minute segment. “We’re hopeful as a committee that they will take up the charge and do what they believe both is right to do and have the capacity to do.”

The recommendations, McDowell said, are only in “draft” form at this stage. They cover economic empowerment, education, generational

wealth building, and public policies for the benefit of Black San Franciscans. McDowell referred to the recommendation as an estimation of value.

“Our task (AARAC) was to do the appraisal and it’s the city’s task to determine, based upon recommendations, what they decide to adopt,” McDowell said.

“Once again, that conversation is yet to come: the determination of how it will get financed and made possible,” McDowell continued, talking about reparations payments to San Franciscans who are Black American descendants of enslaved people.

The 14-person reparations committee advises the Board of Supervisors, Mayor London Breed, the Human Rights Commission, and the public on the development of a San Francisco Reparations Plan. The plan features ways that San Francisco’s policies have harmed Black lives.

Paying qualifying Black residents individual payments of $5 million, the elimination of personal debt and tax liabilities of African American households and

Kenneth Brown (Courtesy Photo)

Eric McDowell, right, the chairperson for San Francisco’s  African

American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC), said the committee presented 111 recommendations of reparations to the city’s Board of Supervisors. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. December 2022.

Antonio Ray Harvey and Manny Otiko California Black Media

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor Wants More Affordable Housing The California Black Media Political Playback:

Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Your weekly news roundup of stories you might have missed.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor Wants More Affordable Housing

Assemblymember Tina Mckinnor (D-Inglewood) says she is “not here for the B.S.”

“I’m here to build houses,” McKinnor said to rounds of applause from members of the NorCal Carpenters Union surrounding her podium as she made the statement last week in Sacramento supporting Senate Bill (SB) 4.

SB 4 is one of several housing bills making their way through the California Legislature designed to expand housing opportunities and eliminate some of the red tape that prevents or slows down the construction of affordable housing units in local communities across the state.

On March 21, members of the Assembly Housing Committee approved the bill with a 9-to-1 vote. It has been referred to the Committee on Governance and Finance for review.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber Releases Voter Registration Report

Last week, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber released a report updating the public on voter registration across the state.

According to the report, there are 21,980,768 registered voters in California. That number accounts for 82.27% of all eligible voters in the state.

Currently, among all registered voters, 23.83% are Republicans; 46.89%, Democrats, 22.48%, no party affiliation; and 6.81%, other.

The report does not break down voters by race.

It is a compilation of voter registration data (as of Feb. 10) submitted by elections offices in all 58 of California’s counties and it includes:

Voter registration by political party, county, city, congressional district, state senate district, state assembly district, state board of equalization district, county supervisorial district, and political subdivision

Statewide voter registration by age group and by county

Historical comparisons to previous reports in oddnumbered years

Voter registration by political bodies attempting to qualify as political parties (by county)

Legislature Advances Bill Written to Penalize Oil Companies for Price Gouging Last Summer

Last Thursday, the California Senate passed a bill close to Gov. Newsom’s heart calling for oil companies to be punished for making arbitrarily increasing prices at the gas pump last summer and benefitting from it.

At the height of the surge, gas prices in some cities in California reached as high as $8 per gallon, causing widespread public frustration.

“For decades, oil companies have gotten away with ripping off California families while making record profits and hiding their books from public view,” said Gov. Newsom last week after the Senate vote.

Newsom says the legislation will serve as a deterrent.

“With this proposal, California leaders are ending the era of oil’s outsized influence and holding them accountable,” the governor continued. “Thanks to the Senate’s quick action, we’re getting this done for California families.”

The legislation calls for the creation of an independent regulatory group, the California Energy Commission (CEC), to investigate and determine whether the oil industry (more specifically, the five major oil companies servicing California) are engaged in price gouging.

The five-member commission would be appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate, and it would be granted the authority to access the financial statements

and other corporate documents of oil companies, as well as subpoena executives if needed.

According to the Governor’s office, the CEC would establish an “allowable margin” within which oil companies can set the price of gasoline per gallon. And before it imposes penalties, it would have to determine that the fine would benefit customers.

If the law passes, the CEC would be subject to oversight by the State Auditor.

Woman of the Year: Assemblymember Akilah Weber Celebrates Her Mom, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber

In a heartwarming tribute last week, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) celebrated her “Woman of the Year.”

“This Women’s History Month, I am proud to announce that our Woman of the Year is none other than California Secretary of State Shirley Nash Weber, who also happens to be my phenomenal mother,” said the lawmaker and medical doctor who represents the state’s 79th Assembly District in the San Diego area.

“Although she is a woman of many firsts, she has made it a point to leave the door open for others who come behind her, including myself,” said the younger Weber, before listing her mom many personal and policy achievements.

“It is truly my honor to recognize Secretary of State Weber,” the younger Weber concluded.

Assembly Bill to Make Big Tech Pay Usage Fees for News from Local News Outlets

Assembly Bill (AB) 886, or the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), requiring big tech companies like Google and Facebook to pay fees for content they display from local news outlets was expected to go into print late last week.

The bill, authored by State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), calls for the large digital companies – who have become advertising giants earning money from content distributed on their platforms – will pay a “journalism usage fee” each time they use “local news content and sell advertising alongside it,” according to a statement released by Wicks’ office.

The legislation also requires publishers to use 70% of the usage fee they recover from the big tech companies to invest in jobs.

“The CJPA provides a lifeline for news outlets – large, small, and ethnic – by directing a portion of the ad dollars back to the print, digital, and broadcast media that bear the entire cost of gathering and reporting local news while Big Tech bears none,” said Wicks. “These dominant digital ad companies are enriching their own platforms with local news content without adequately compensating the originators. It’s time they start paying market value for the journalism they are aggregating at no cost from local media.”

Both the California News Publishers Association (CNPA) and the News/Media Alliance (NMA) support the bill.

Apply Now: The California Legislative Black Caucus Launches Annual Scholarship Program

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) has launched its annual Frederick Roberts Scholarship Program for college-level study.

“We invite our community partners to share this scholarship application far and wide to graduating high school seniors and sollege freshman throughout California. The scholarship application deadline is May 15th,” the CLBC announcement reads.

Named for Frederick Roberts, the first AfricanAmerican legislator in California, the CLBC says the scholarship program was “established to assist deserving students by offering financial assistance to help meet educational expenses.”

To apply visit the CLBC website.

Black Non-Profit’s Art and Jazz Gala Celebrates 12 Years

Black Non-Profit’s Art And Jazz Gala Celebrates

12 Years Of Service To Breast Cancer Survivors And FamiliesTickets are available now for April 30 event benefitting local breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families.Nationwide -- I Will Survive, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) based in Atlanta, Georgia and founded by combat veteran Anisa Palmer, celebrates its 12th year in operation providing philanthropic assistance to breast cancer patients and their families. To celebrate this milestone and raise additional funds for local families in need, I Will Survive (IWS) will partner with Manifest Destiny (MD) to host a Mental Health focused Art & Jazz Gala Sunday, April 30th at The Gathering Spot, 384 Northyards Blvd NW in Atlanta. Corporate sponsorships and tickets are available.The co-founders of MD were inspired to partner with IWS for this event in many ways, including being personally impacted by breast cancer and the mental health challenges that can go along with it.

“My godmother, who was an image of health, before being diagnosed with breast cancer, has had a tumultuous 2 years. She is on her last round of chemo, but to be honest, she is always the most positive person in the room and lights up any room with her smile. Even on the bad days, she maintains her joy and faith,” said Chanell Angeli, cofounder of Manifest Destiny.

Co-founder Mario Reyes has stated, “Once you are the change you want to see, you will see everything around you change.” Since its inception, Manifest Destiny has been able to host 20 community wellness programs, impact 10 schools and extend art programs to over 500 children.

Screenshot from Assemblymember Tina McKinnor at a press conference in Sacramento CA

Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber honors her Mom, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Nash Weber as Women of Year for her district in San Diego.

Actress and Grammy-Nominated Singer Halle Bailey Helping Make Disney Dreams Come True

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

During a press junket held in a roped-off lawn area near the famous Walt Disney World Parade, a little girl named Mila experienced a dream moment.

“The Little Mermaid” star and Grammy-nominated singer Halle Bailey spotted Mila in a crowd of onlookers as Bailey spoke to the media during an event that kicked off the Disney Dreamers Academy, where 100 students receive mentorship during a four-day educational and entertainment excursion.

Mila wouldn’t let the star go, and Bailey reacted in the most superstar way: she held on and even shed a tear.

“You’re so pretty,” Bailey told Mila. “You’re so beautiful and sweet.”

Those unscripted moments helped to underscore why the Disney Dreamers Academy has meant so much to so many children for 16 years.

Bailey, like the 2022 celebrity ambassador, singer Kelly Rowland, found time not only to mentor the 100 Academy students, but step from behind the parade ropes to embrace fans.

This year, Bailey is joined by other celebrities like H.E.R., Quest Love, and Marsai Martin.

But clearly, Bailey has won over the high school students, their parents, and others with gawkers surrounding Disney Coronado Springs Resort where cast and crew gather for the daily events taking place in the large ballrooms.

On Day 2 of the Academy, Bailey left two aspiring teen filmmakers speechless when she surprised them with a personal invitation to join her on the red carpet at the movie’s world premiere in Hollywood.

Dylan Jones of Atlanta and Madison Henderson of Los Angeles were in the middle of a movie production training session Friday morning during Disney Dreamers Academy when Bailey, the program’s celebrity ambassador, made a surprise appearance and delivered the personal invitation to come to Hollywood.

For the students it was a truly magical dream come true moment. The movie’s world premiere takes place just before the film officially hits theaters nationwide on May 26.

Bailey is one of several celebrities taking part in the program that runs through Sunday.

This is the 16th year of Disney Dreamers Academy, a four-day, transformational, mentoring program designed to broaden career awareness and create opportunities for 100 Black high school students and teens from underrepresented communities across America each year.

The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey surprises Disney Dreamers Academy participants with premiere invitations. (Courtesy Photo)

Governor Newsom Unveils Ambitious Plans for California’s Homelessness Crisis, Prison Reform, and Healthcare

Philtrina Farquharson

Contributing Writer

This past week, Governor Gavin Newsom took action to tackle major issues the state of California has been facing for years. Homelessness had always been a key problem and recent studies quoted by the LA Times found significant increases in the major hotspots, including skid row.

Newsom spoke to local media on Wednesday to announce his plan for $1 Billion in funding to launch the state’s largest mobilization of small homes. According to the governor’s office, the funding will be used to create more than 7,500 new housing units across the state. The investment will also be used to provide services such as mental health and addiction treatment to those in need.

The governor’s announcement was welcomed by advocates for the homeless. “This investment will make a

real difference in the lives of thousands of people who are experiencing homelessness,” said Maria Foscarinis, executive

director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. “It’s a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go to solve this crisis.”

The announcement came just one day after the governor visited San Quentin State Prison to announce a transformation plan for the facility. The plan calls for the closure of the prison’s death row unit and the conversion of the facility into a center for rehabilitation and education.

The plan is part of a broader effort to reform California’s criminal justice system. The state has been grappling with overcrowded prisons and a high rate of recidivism for years.

The governor also shared on Friday that the state will provide insulin at no cost to low-income Californians who need it. The program, called CalRx, will provide up to 30 days of insulin for free to those who qualify. The program is designed to help those who are struggling to afford their medications. “No one should have to choose

between paying for their medications and putting food on the table,” said Governor Newsom.

Lastly, Governor Newsom proposed a modernization plan for California’s behavioral health system. The plan calls for increased funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment, as well as the construction of new housing for those with mental illness.

“We need to make sure that everyone who needs mental health care has access to it.” said Rusty Selix, executive director of the California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies.

Overall, Governor Newsom’s announcements represent a significant investment in California’s most vulnerable communities. From tackling homelessness to reforming the criminal justice system to improving access to health care, the governor is taking bold action to build the state for a promising future.

Local Artist Connects The Community Through Music

South Kern Sol

Crimson Skye, a local singer-songwriter, just performed recently for an NPR submission on Youtube for the single “Fire,” with band members Jordan Belardes playing the electric violin and Adrian Diaz on drums. Skye has been touring, songwriting, and making an impact on her community while leading up to the level of success she’s at now.

Born and raised in Bakersfield, Skye knew as she was growing up that she would make music. She described signing as a way to raise her confidence and heal her soul.

“I draw a lot of inspiration from my mother who passed away when I was four, and she was a singer. She was such a joyful, powerful, inspirational person and she used her voice to positively impact others. She literally gave her life for me,” Skye said.

Her mother was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant causing dangerous health complications due to cancer. Doctors at the time suggested Skye’s mother should terminate the pregnancy. Despite this, It was important for Skye’s mother to get the care and support she needed during her pregnancy because she was adamant about giving birth. Skye stated it’s important for women to have autonomy

over their bodies and a right to choose the best healthcare path for them.

“Women are such powerful forces – there is no life without women. Of course, women should have the right to end a pregnancy, and who knows what situation they may have been put in that lead them there,” said Skye.

Community involvement and social awareness of the struggles surrounding Skye directly impact her music. Her

maturity as a human being and songwriter can be heard through her musical progression throughout her albums.

As early as 19 years old, Skye financially supported her first debut album Between the Frets. She referred to the album’s sound as not fitting into one genre but being more psychedelic-soul, ranging to progressive rock.

“I also pull inspiration from certain artists that have really made a positive impact in the past, a lot of them are dead. People like Bob Marley, his music was all about peacemaking. Nina Simone is such a powerful woman that was all about equality and peace, and justice,” stated Skye.

The Beatles are also amongst Skye’s top artists because of what they stood for and promoted in life, not just their music.

“I love to bring different people together under the same roof and realize that we don’t have to agree on everything, we don’t have to express ourselves the same way, we’re just here to enjoy the music,” Skye stated. “It can be peaceful and full of love, there doesn’t have to be any judgment.”

For Skye, connectivity with her audience is very important. She mentioned that there’s a divine healing from connection to music and other human beings.

“I think that it’s important to provide spaces like that for people. I love playing music that can appeal to a child or a grandparent and all in between, and straight people and gay people. All types of races and cultures, just break down those barriers of why we fight against each other, why we judge each other,” Skye also added that when the band gets together she feels those barriers fade away.

Skye and fellow bandmates won two awards at the 2nd annual 2022 Bakersfield Music Awards, one was for the best band on the album The Far Side. Her debut music video from 2020 for the album The Window and its single “Deck of Cards” won Video of the Year at the 2021 Bakersfield Music Awards. She was also recognized for being 2020’s Artist of the Year.  While touring, songwriting, and recording albums

can keep anyone busy, Skye remains involved in her community.

During the 2020 protests and riots after George Floyd’s unjust murder, Skye held a sit-in at Mill Creek for the community to heal and gather while mourning. She expressed the importance of peaceful protests.

Skye urges her fans to get involved by voting in elections. More training for police officers and reformations from political systems are a few of the major changes Skye said should be made in Kern.

“I personally have not seen a whole lot of change in law enforcement since the murder of George Floyd,” Skye continued to state that she did hear about possible training for mental health crises.

“Sometimes going out there and being yourself is part of the activism. Take a Black, Queer, Woman- if I were to just keep to myself, stay inside, and not be myself unapologetically, then there’s not a display of what it looks like to just be ourselves,” Skye stated.

She continued to explain that being from a mixedrace family and being half White creates an uncomfortable duality between having certain privileges and experiencing systemic struggle due to the color of her skin.

“I think when we are ourselves that’s when we win… I think that’s when you see progress and growth. You find yourself in a situation where you’re like oh I don’t feel that different, there are other Gay people here, other Black people here, and other open-minded people.”

Skye has been invited and performed at many Kern events because of these positive sentiments that she lives by. Visibility and representation are important in music, and Skye makes the extra effort to accommodate audiences so her music can be enjoyed by all.

“If I want to be an activist for gender equality or an activist for racial equality, me being me, because I’m a combination of races and genders if I just am myself I’m already being an activist,” Skye stated.

Kern County Aging And Adult Services to Host Free Webinar on Preventive Medicare Services

Janell Gore South Kern Sol Kern County Aging and Adult Services will be hosting a free webinar on Medicare coverage of preventive services on March 31 at 10 a.m. According to a release preventative care is not only to prevent illness but also to help in detecting conditions.  Carolina Oehler, Program Specialist and Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator for Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) stated that this webinar is important because people do not always know what Medicare will pay for.

“Some people may not know that Medicare pays for many preventive services to keep them healthy and that preventive services can find health problems early and can keep them from getting certain diseases, that’s why knowing how to take advantage of these services can make

a big difference in their health,” said Oehler.

When looking for coverage Oehler explained that is important for community members to know their rights and be able to compare different plans to make the best decision for them and HICAP provides that assistance.

“We all know Medicare can be complex and confusing but this is why HICAP offers free counseling, education, and assistance. HICAP is the most dependable source of unbiased and accurate Medicare-related information,” said Oehler.  Oehler stated that HICAP counselors are registered with the California Department of Aging. According to the release all Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, social workers, and healthcare providers are able to join the webinar.

The webinar will be held via zoom.

Meeting ID: 819 9840 6024

Passcode: 223687

(Courtesy Photo)

Dana Carrillo

‘It Can Be Peaceful and Full of Love, There Doesn’t Have to Be Any Judgment’