Bakersfield News Observer 4.19.23

White Man Arrested in Shooting of 16-Year-old Who Rang Wrong Doorbell

“Shift Happens”

San Francisco Summit Pursues

Equitable Future for Women

The San Francisco Commission and Department on the Status of Women (DOSW) moved one step closer to helping transform the Golden Gate City into a fully-gender equitable city by staging an event centered on women’s voices, perspectives, and ideas.

In partnership with the African American Art and Culture Complex (AAACC), DOSW presented the “Shift Happens: Women’s Policy Summit” that attracted nearly 600 women to City View at The Metreon in downtown San Francisco on April 13.

The summit was a daylong event about “shifting narratives, policies, and culture” to create a “gender-equitable space” for women, said Kimberly Ellis, Director of DOSW. The event featured prominent women, allies and advocates from across the country to come up with effective ways DOSW can build inclusive pathways to education, tools and resources to create opportunities, and practical guides for health and safety.

“The Department of the Status of Women has reframed our work into three areas: health and safety, economic security, and civic engagement and political empowerment,” Ellis said “Today, you will hear conversations about shifting in those areas that needs to happen in order to get on the path to gender equity.”

Ellis continued, “Truth be told, the shift is always happening. We (women) are always called to higher levels. What I truly do believe is that as we climb, we must lift. And when you get there, bring other women along the way as you climb. So, today is just the beginning. We’re just getting started.”

The AAACC is a space for Black creatives to present, gather, and learn, while serving as a venue for all to experience Black art and culture. The DOSW collaborates with other city leaders and agencies to address issues on numerous intersectional and interdepartmental fronts. It promotes equitable treatment and fosters the advancement of women, girls, and nonbinary people throughout San Francisco through policies and programs.

With the city’s skyline as its background, the summit attracted movement makers, policy leaders, proprietors, elected officials, community advocates, artists, and more.

Ellis and her staff brought in an array of dynamic speakers from various sectors of society. San Francisco Mayor London Breed opened up the eight-hour summit with a warm welcome and address.

Guest speakers from San Francisco included California State Controller Malia Cohen, San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and San Francisco City Administrator Carmen Chu.

Conversations with CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, Sallie Krawcheck, and U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) were also part of the program.

“We have to start highlighting the conversations about addressing the challenges that exist for women and making sure

Continued on page A10

The State of Black America Reveals How Hate Continues to Rise in the U.S.

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The National Urban League’s 2023 State of Black America report concluded that an uptick in police brutality, specifically against Black Americans, is no coincidence. Across the nation, white supremacist groups and domestic terror cells have infiltrated law enforcement and the military ranks, posing a threat to homeland security and the public. The report highlights five topics revealed as troubling threats: 1. A hate manifesto: The Rise in Violent Hate Crimes Across America. 2. Tracking parental rights’ movement rooted in racism: the threat within education. 3. Hate in the nation: The threat within America’s political system. 4. A threat to national security: Hate within law enforcement and the military. 5. The divided state of America: A surge of divisive policies.

The State of Black America, which also drew from information from the Brennan Center, noted that the FBI reported that white supremacists posed a “persistent threat of lethal violence” that has produced more fatalities than any other category of domestic terrorists since 2000. “And FBI policy documents have also warned agents assigned to domestic terrorism cases that the white supremacist and anti-government militia groups they investigate often have ‘active links’ to law enforcement officials,” the National Urban League’s report stated. “Countries around the world have been destabilized by military and law enforcement coups led by extremists holding right-wing ideologies. To protect our communities and our democracy, we must take this threat seriously.” The authors of the report said that groups of state and federal lawmakers working with shady

Vegas School District Fires Substitute Who Wrote Racial Slur

LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Clark County School District has fired a substitute teacher who wrote the N-word on a whiteboard during a class at a Las Vegas school.

Several local outlets reported Wednesday administrators sent a message to parents this week that the substitute had been terminated and would no longer be allowed to work anywhere in the district. A photo of someone speaking to a classroom full of students with the racial slur on a whiteboard in the background had been gaining attention on social media.

The incident happened at Silvestri Junior High. In a statement, Principal Yvette Tippetts said the school is investigating. District officials have not released the name of the fired teacher.

Some parents and organizations such as Las Vegas Alliance of Black School Educators say the firing is not enough. There should be more anti-racism training not just for teachers, but for substitutes.

Brittney Griner Working on Russian Captivity Memoir

NEW YORK (AP) – Saying she is ready to share the “unfathomable” experience of being arrested and incarcerated in Russia, basketball star Brittney Griner is working on a memoir that is scheduled for spring 2024. Griner was arrested last year at the airport in Moscow on drug-related charges and detained for nearly 10 months, much of that time in prison. Her plight unfolded at the same time Russia invaded Ukraine and further heightened tensions between Russia and the U.S., ending only after she was freed in exchange for the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

A WNBA All-Star with the Phoenix Mercury, Griner had flown to Moscow in February 2022 to rejoin UMMC Ekaterinburg, a Russian women’s team she has played for in the off-season since 2014.

‘’That day (in February) was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share,” Griner said in a statement released Tuesday by Alfred A. Knopf.

“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud. After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world.’’

Griner added that she also hoped her book would raise awareness of other Americans detained overseas, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia last month and accused of espionage; businessman Kai Li, serving a 10-year sentence in China on charges of revealing state secrets to the FBI; and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive imprisoned in Russia on spying charges. Around the time Griner was released, Whelan criticized the U.S. government for not doing enough to help him.

Russia has been a popular playing destination for top WNBA athletes in the offseason, with some earning salaries over $1 million - nearly quadruple what they can make as a base WNBA salary. Despite pleading guilty to possessing canisters with cannabis oil, a result of what she said was hasty packing, Griner still faced trial under Russian law.

Griner’s memoir is currently untitled and will eventually be published in a young adult edition. Financial terms were not disclosed.

In Tuesday’s press statement, Knopf said that the book would be “intimate and moving” and that Griner would disclose “in vivid detail her harrowing experience of her wrongful detainment (as classified by the State Department) and the difficulty of navigating the byzantine Russian legal system in a language she did not speak.”“Griner also describes her stark and surreal time living in a foreign prison and the terrifying aspects of day-to-day life in a women’s penal colony,” the announcement reads. ‘’At the heart of the book, Griner highlights the personal turmoil she experienced during the near ten-month ordeal and the resilience that carried her through to the day of her return to the United States last December. “

Griner, 32, is a 6-foot-9 two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time All- American at Baylor University, a prominent advocate for pay equity for women athletes and the first openly gay athlete to reach an endorsement deal with Nike. She is the author of one previous book, “In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court,” published in 2014.

In February, she re-signed with the Mercury and will play in its upcoming season, which runs from May through September.

political operatives and violent extremists are dangerously close to destroying American democracy and replacing it with autocratic rule. The 2023 report titled, “Democracy in Peril: Confronting the Threat Within,” sounds the alarm about extremist ideas taking root in classrooms, law enforcement, the military, and the halls of Congress. “The mainstreaming of extremist ideology is an existential threat to American democracy, the rule of law, and decades of hard-won progress toward an equitable, inclusive, and more perfect union,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. “No longer limited to passing out mimeographed leaflets on street corners or huddling in corners of the dark web, conspiracy-mongers and white nationalists openly spew their bile across social media and cable television,” he continued. “They weave it into the public policy they impose on their constituents. It corrodes the trust between police, the military, and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve.” The report also draws on data and analysis from the Southern Poverty Law Center, ADL, and UCLA Law. The State of Black America reveals how deeply extremist ideas have crept into America’s most important institutions, leading to a rising tide of deadly violence, harsh laws, and racial tensions being used as weapons. A special section of the report talks about Morial’s 20 years as president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League. This section shows how his leadership has changed over the last two decades. A special section of the report called “A Climate in Crisis,” made in partnership with the American Council on Renewable Energy, makes a case for equal economic opportunity and environmental justice. “The mainstreaming of extremist

ideology is an existential threat to American democracy, the rule of law, and decades of hard-won progress toward an equitable, inclusive, and more perfect union,” Morial wrote in the report.

Colombian Convicted for Racism Directed at Nation’s Black VP

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - A 62-year-old woman was convicted of discrimination and harassment on Monday for making racist comments about Colombia’s first Black vice president during an antigovernment protest last year.

Luz Fabiola Rubiano pleaded guilty to the charges and will be sentenced by the judge on May 30. In Colombia, acts of discrimination are punishable with up to three years in prison, though judges can replace prison time with parole or house arrest.

The small business owner from Bogota went viral in September after she railed against Vice President Francia Márquez on a video published by a local news site. Rubiano was protesting in front of Colombia’s congress and responded to a question from a journalist by hurling insults against Márquez and Afro- Colombians.

“Apes are now governing us,” Rubiano said in the video, which is still available on Twitter, but was censored by other platforms. “Francia Márquez is an ape ... what education can Black people have, they steal, attack and kill.”

Prosecutors launched an investigation after Marquez’s lawyers filed a complaint.

During a hearing, they accused Rubiano of inciting hate, and damaging the reputation of Márquez and Colombia’s Afro-Colombian population, while compromising their right to not be discriminated against.

Marquez became Colombia’s first Black vice president last year after helping leftist Gustavo Petro win the presidential election. She

about racism in Colombia,

colonialism

has often spoken out

which she says is part of the legacy of

and slavery.

The Shift Happens’ Economic Security panel included S.F. Department on the Status of Women director Kimberly Ellis, left, California State Controller Malia Cohen, center, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, right. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Shown from left to right, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton, San Francisco Assistant Sheriff Tanzanika Carter, and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins were panelists for the Health and Safety segment of the DOSW’s summit. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

The State of Black America, which also drew from information from the Brennan Center, noted that the FBI reported that white supremacists posed a “persistent threat of lethal violence” that has produced more fatalities than any other category of domestic terrorists since 2000.

Lawsuits Pile Up Against Companies Who Failed to Honor DE&I Pledges After Murder of George Floyd

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The aftermath of George Floyd’s murder has led to several large corporations facing multiple lawsuits for failing to meet the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments they made. The commitments were made following Floyd’s death in 2020, with businesses quickly issuing statements and pledging to adopt new ways to combat racism. Those pledges included addressing ethnic and gender inequalities among their employee ranks. However, according to Bloomberg Law, a host of lawsuits claim those pledges were never met. Among the most egregious parties are Wells Fargo and Delta Air Lines. Bloomberg said those companies falsely claimed that, over the past three years, they worked to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Five shareholder lawsuits allege that Wells Fargo ran afoul of federal law against discrimination. Wells performed “sham interviews to nominally fulfill a diversityenhancing policy,” the lawsuit claims. Further, the bank’s board acted on diversity and inclusion issues only because of negative media coverage. Law firms have filed at least 40 suits alleging that employment discrimination has only increased since pledges were made. Sarah Fortt, worldwide co-chair of Latham & Watkins LLP’s environmental, social, and governance practice, told the outlet that she also noted a spike in “‘reverse discrimination’ claims.” According to a published report, these lawsuits take the form of shareholder derivative proceedings, in which investors claim that a company’s failure to achieve specific DEI goals caused the value of its stock to decline. Bloomberg noted that “DEIspecialized lawyers, academics, and practitioners contend that companies must balance the needs of the business, employees, shareholders, and customers when creating progressive initiatives while averting legal action from any of those groups.” Bloomberg continued: One strategy

offered is formulating policies “aspirationally,” or in general terms. Lawyers asserted that instead of creating a strict quota to employ a specific number of people of color for its board, a corporation might aim to match the proportion of people of color in its workforce to that of people of color on its board. Elena Philipova, director of sustainable finance at Refinitiv, noted that the most prosperous businesses are genuine, and authentic and have DEI objectives built into their DNA. Despite the lawsuits, some corporations have moved to improve DEI within their organizations. For example, in December 2020, Microsoft announced that it had achieved its goal of doubling the number of Black and African American managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the U.S. However, the report noted that the company still has work to do to achieve gender and racial parity at all levels. Additionally, some companies are incorporating innovative approaches to improve diversity and inclusion. For instance, Airbnb has reportedly implemented a program called “Project Lighthouse” to increase representation across race, gender, and other dimensions. The program includes creating “belonging assessments” that measure employees’ sense of belonging and connection to the company and then creating tailored solutions based on the results. Still, the report concluded that some corporations had improved diversity and inclusion, while others faced lawsuits for failing to meet their DEI commitments. The most prosperous businesses are open and honest about their objectives, pay attention to their staff, and incorporate DEI objectives into all operations, Philipova told Bloomberg.

Rep. Pearson, ‘Tennessee 3’ Drawing Support

TSD Newsroom

Rep. Justin Pearson and two other Democratic state legislators – now being called the “Tennessee Three” after their involvement in a House protest that has triggered an ouster move by Republicans – are getting mounting support.

Pearson, along with Democratic Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Jones face possible expulsion for taking to the front of the House and chanting back and forth with gun control supporters, who packed the gallery days after The Covenant School shooting in Nashville that killed six people, including three children.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, quickly promised the lawmakers would face consequences,

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warning he would not allow them to set a new precedent for breaking decorum.

Three Republicans members filed resolutions to expel Johnson, Jones and Pearson and successfully set the deciding vote for Thursday.

In Memphis, a caravan of supporters was set to head for the state capitol early Thursday morning.

Pearson and Jones are both first-term lawmakers. Johnson has served in the House since 2019 after previously being elected to the chamber for a term in 2013. All three have been highly critical of GOP leadership.

In a released statement, the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators voiced its objection to “any effort to expel members for making their voices heard to end gun violence. This political retribution is unconstitutional and, in this moment, morally bankrupt.”

The Caucus statement also included this reference:

“The people who elected us are calling for meaningful action to end gun violence and the people have a right to be heard through their duly elected representatives.

Republicans, say the GOP is more eager to take action against colleagues than address gun access and other systemic issues that led to the fatal shooting in Nashville. In Memphis, students have been demanding action, with some walking out. The Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, founder of UPTheVote 901, voiced support for growing efforts to back Pearson, Johnson and Jones and those calling on the lawmakers to act affirmatively to curb gun violence.

TENNESSEE TRIBUNE — Deidre

Malone, president of the National Women’s Political Caucus Tennessee, noted that Johnson is the group’s past president. “These three advocated for gun reform and school safety issues as elected officials,” said Malone in a statement. “Their constituents voted for them to go to Nashville to represent their interest. The legislature should NOT remove them from office for doing what they were elected to do: be the voice of those they represent.”

The House Speaker should be leading a real, bipartisan discussion to generate reforms that could stop the next school shooting.”

House Minority Leader Karen Camper described her Democratic colleagues’ actions as “good trouble,” a nod to late U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ guiding principle on civil disobedience.

“When I saw thousands of people – mostly children and teenagers – protesting and demanding action from us after the slaying of six innocent people, including three 9-year-old children, it was impossible to sit idly by and continue with business as usual,” Pearson wrote in a letter to House members on Monday.

House Democrats, who number just 23 vs. 75

“It is the people responding to the ridiculous and regressive white nationalist congressional supermajority,” he said. “They seek to expel duly elected congressional officials for exercising their duly protected First Amendment right to protest. It’s only right that the people show up, stand up and speak up in support of Pearson, Jones and Johnson.

“In fact, if the expulsion passes in a completely partisan vote, the entire Black Democratic Caucus should protest on the House floor and force them to expel them all.”

Deidre Malone, president of the National Women’s Political Caucus Tennessee, noted that Johnson is the group’s past president.

“These three advocated for gun reform and school safety issues as elected officials,” said Malone in a statement. “Their constituents voted for them to go to Nashville to represent their interest. The legislature should NOT remove them from office for doing what they were elected to do: be the voice of those they represent.”  She said the trio’s voices should be heard and called upon the House to “act in the best interest of this state’s residents and make gun reform and school safety a priority.”

Gloria Sweet-Love, president of the State NAACP Conference, said, “These elected officials are doing their jobs advocating for gun reform laws in our state. These laws continue to put us all in danger. …

“The NAACP State Conference stands with these elected officials and are asking residents across the state of

Tennessee to call and email the Leader Sexton and ask him to rescind his efforts….”

Congressman Steve Cohen, a former state senator, said he understands “the need for compliance with rules in a legislative body. But I would hope that the Tennessee House leadership would consider a lesser consequence for members whose passion on the issue of gun violence in the wake of the Covenant School shootings may have briefly clouded their concern for decorum.”

In his released statement, Cohen added that the expulsion of Pearson,  Johnson and Jones would result in “the disenfranchisement of their constituents in Memphis, Knoxville and Nashville who voted for them, and result in the unnecessary expense of primary and general elections. While I appreciate that order must be maintained in a legislative chamber, the heightened emotions prompted by the horrific Covenant School shootings should be a mitigating factor in any disciplinary response.”

If Johnson, Jones or Pearson are expelled, the county commissions in their districts would get to pick replacements to serve until a special election in several months. The three would remain eligible to run in those.

(This story includes a report by the Associated Press.)

White Man Arrested in Shooting of 16-Year-old Who Rang Wrong Doorbell

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

A White 85-year-old homeowner who allegedly shot and wounded Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, after the 16-yearold went to the wrong home to pick up his siblings will face two felony charges, Clay County attorney Zachary Thompson announced early Monday evening.

Andrew Lester will face charges of assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. Authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest and he’s not currently in custody, Thompson said, according to CNN.

“I can tell you there was a racial component to this case,” Thompson said at a news conference without elaborating.

There is no indication that either Lester or Ralph spoke to one another before the Thursday evening shooting, he said. The prosecutor added there is no evidence that the teen entered the home and preliminary evidence shows Lester opened fire on the teen through a glass door with a .32 caliber revolver.

Earlier, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt was retained by the Yarl’s family. According to the Kansas City Defender, the white man reportedly shot Yarl in the head through the glass door, then when Yarl was already bleeding out on the ground, shot him again. “The family has described it as a hate crime, and community members are calling for justice for the young victim,” reported The Defender, a member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). The NNPA is a trade of more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies representing the Black Press of America. “This

was not an ‘error’; this was a hate crime. You don’t shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell. The fact that the police said it was an ‘error’ is why America is the way it is,” Dr. Faith Spoonmore, Yarl’s aunt, told The Defender. Authorities reportedly escorted the suspect to police headquarters following the shooting, briefly interviewed him and released the man. Yarl’s family said they are outraged that the perpetrator had not been held accountable. “This man intended to kill an innocent child simply because he rang the doorbell of the wrong house,” Dr. Spoonmore asserted. “He looked him in the face and shot him… and the individual is free to go about his day as if he did a great deed. While my nephew Ralph Yarl is a great kid, an intelligent kid, a black boy is left with so many broken pieces.” Crump and Merritt, nationally recognized civil rights lawyers who has represented Ahmaud Arbery and Cameron Lamb, announced they would represent Yarl’s family. Shaun King, a well-known activist and journalist, announced that he’s also assisting with the case. The Defender, which was the first outlet to report on the shooting, said the Yarl family has urged supporters to help spread awareness about the case and bring attention to the issue of racial violence in America. “There is no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening, and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell,” Crump and Merritt said in a joint statement. “We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting.”

The commitments were made following Floyd’s death in 2020, with businesses quickly issuing statements and pledging to adopt new ways to combat racism.

Rep. Justin Pearson spoke Tuesday at the National Civil Rights Museum during the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/ The New Tri-State Defender)

Yarl, a 16-year-old African American, was shot after accidentally ringing the doorbell of the wrong home while attempting to pick up his sibling.

Cedric the Entertainer Enjoying Life in His ‘Neighborhood’

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated

Press

NEW YORK (AP) – "The Neighborhood" might be a hit sitcom now, but needed some careful planning before laying down a solid foundation.

"We shot the pilot twice. We had to recast. And so,

there was moments where you didn't think the show was going to go," said Cedric the Entertainer. "But the elements of it, the idea that it was about gentrification, the idea that it was about a Black family kind of staying true to their neighborhood when they saw white families moving in ... I think it just caught legs and really resonated with people

because we do it in, of course, a sitcom, lighthearted way."

"The Neighborhood," now it its fifth season on CBS, follows the Butlers, a Black family led by Calvin (Cedric) and Tina ( Tichina Arnold ) as they coexist with their white neighbors, Dave (Max Greenfield) and Gemma Johnson (Beth Behrs), who moved from the Midwest to a predominately Black neighborhood in Pasadena, California. The show celebrated its 100th episode this week.

While not every episode deals with heavy topics, the show has unpacked topics like Black Lives Matter and social justice, pregnancy loss and white privilege. But as more issues emerge like attempts to ban books and critical race theory, Cedric believes his show is more than capable of exploring them.

"One of the great testaments to the show is that we try not to preach it, but we also aren't afraid to kind of just dive in," said the former Emmys host. "We try to ... deal with all those kind of subject matters on our show without just saying, 'Hey, this is the line and this is what we believe in.' We just raise a question."

The milestone episode was directed by Cedric, who also serves as an executive producer. He said sitting in the big chair has been the next progression of his show responsibilities.

"It was only natural for me to kind of really morph into directing because I can see the show; when I'm reading the scripts, I kind of know where people are going to be. And so, that was something that I've been wanting to grow into," explained the funnyman, who also directed an episode last season.

The St. Louis-area native began his career in standup comedy, although later than most; after graduating from Southeast Missouri State University, he worked for State Farm before diving into professional comedy in his mid20s. After making a name for himself locally, he eventually secured hosting stints for HBO's legendary "Def Comedy Jam" as well BET's popular "ComicView."

While his sitcom star is brighter than ever, it's a culmination of years of experience; he starred in "The Soul Man" which ran from 2012 to 2016, but for many, his role as the loveable sidekick, Cedric Jackie Robinson on the '90s sitcom, "The Steve Harvey Show," won the hearts of viewers.

"I really believe that that's kind of led to my longevity: that idea of watching Steve, being right there close (to him)," Cedric said of his good friend and "Kings of Comedy" brother. "The way he hired, the way he got Black people on the show, how he was able to negotiate his deals - all these things were things that I was exposed to just by being the No. 2 guy in the right situation."

It was an especially huge payoff because at the time, Cedric had a deal in place to lead his own show. But after seeing Harvey's early sitcom, "The Boys," last only one season, he chose learn and observe, rather than jumping into leading a show head-first.

"It's hard to knock that down when someone is kind of saying, 'Hey, you're the man!' ... I kind of saw him fail once. And I was like, I don't want to run out there and get one season," said the "Barbershop'' star. "I kind of felt like that was the right thing for me to do, and it worked out great."

Currently, the star comedian is on the 23-city "Straight Jokes No Chaser" tour with D.L. Hughley, Earthquake, and DC Young Fly, hosted by Mike Epps. Cedric notes the current politically correct climate hasn't necessarily changed his brand of comedy, but believes some programs that provided platforms to create star Black comics might not be able to exist today.

"Def Jam was really one of those rare scenarios where we got to truly voice who we were. You didn't have to change anything about yourself," said Cedric. "I don't think that that kind of rawness, that kind of honesty, visceral, right-off- the top whatever you're thinking kind of joke-telling...I don't think you could get away with that in today's society."

And while he coyly says today's society is "soft as hell," don't expect "The Neighborhood" star to get any homeowners association violations.

"I want to come out and make people laugh and have a good time ... I'm not that comic that's there to challenge you or super offend you," says Cedric. "I got the CBS, Paramount shield with me, and we're doing great. And I employ a lot of people with this show. ... I wouldn't want to be the detriment of somebody else's livelihood. So, I'm very careful of it without, at the same time, without being precious."

Legal Notices

Black Candidates Are Queuing Up for Intense Political Battles Ahead

Tanu Henry California Black

Media

Your roundup of stories you might have missed last week. California Black Candidates Are Queuing Up for Intense Political Battles Ahead The 2024 general election is over a year away but candidates across California have begun throwing their hats in the ring to run for state office.

Several Black candidates with experience, passion and solid connections to the state’s political inner circles are entering the fray.

Last week, Darryn Harris, former chief of staff to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass while she served in the United States Congress, announced that he is vying in the state’s 35th Senatorial District to replace Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), who terms out next year. Others are expected to enter this race.

After Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) announced that she is running in the election next year to replace State Senate pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), LaShae Sharp Collins, former district director for former Assemblymember and current Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced her candidacy. Her announcement states that she is a long-time resident of the 79th Assembly District in the greater San Diego area, a mother and foster parent with years of service in education and non-profit work. Colin Parent, vice mayor of the city La Mesa, has also announced that he is running for this seat. CBM sources have also been told that civil rights leader, the Rev. Shane Harris is expected to enter the race. Harris is president and founder of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates.

In Senate District 5 former Tracy City Councilwoman Rhodesia Ransom announced last month that she will be running to replace Sen. Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) when her term ends in 2024.

In the Inland Empire, African American candidate Dejonae Shaw, a nurse and union leader, announced she is running for the 50th District Assembly Seat, representing parts of San Bernardino and Los Angeles County, after Assemblymember Eloise Reyes announced she will be running for State Senator in 2024 the 29th District.

Former Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson has announced that he is running to replace Sen. Nancy Skinner in Senate District 7, which covers Oakland and surrounding communities.

Heather Hutt Is Sworn in To Replace Mark Ridley Thomas on L.A. City Council Los Angeles’s embattled city council has a new member. With an 11 to 1 vote last week – and to rounds of applause -- councilmembers in California’s largest city decided to appoint Heather Hutt to serve the remainder of former councilmember Mark Ridley Thomas’s term instead of holding a special election. Ridley Thomas lost his seat

representing the city’s 10th district after he was convicted on federal corruption charges last month.

Shortly, after, Hutt, who was district director to Vice President Kamala Harris when she was U.S. Senator, was sworn into office.

“It is an honor for me to serve the people of the 10th District. I just want to take a moment to thank my colleagues, council president and my friends and family, my staff and the constituents of the 10th District,” said Hutt after her swearing-in ceremony.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass commended Hutt for her outstanding service, highlighting her “exemplary record.”

“I look forward to continuing to work with Councilmember Hutt to confront the critical issues facing Los Angeles like homelessness, public safety and the overall livability of our city,” said Bass.

Following Ridley Thomas’ suspension last year, Hutt was selected to act as caretaker of his seat after former Councilman Herb Wesson resigned as interim replacement.

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer Wants State to Use Prison Savings for Crime Reduction Programs

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, is advocating for the state to allocate the projected annual savings of $235 million from shutting down prisons toward programs aimed at crime reduction.

Last week, Jones-Sawyer and Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Modesto), who co-authored Assembly Bill (AB) 912 – the legislation that would write the proposal into state law – held a rally at the Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento. AB 912 would establish “the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program, to be administered by the Office of Youth and Community Restoration, for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for youth, as specified,” according to the bill’s language.

Jones-Sawyer said the Assembly Education Committee has approved AB 912 with a 6-0 vote.

“Investing in our youth & preventative crime programs is exactly what my bill, AB 912, does,” JonesSawyer shared on his Facebook page with the hashtag #educationnotprisons.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee is now reviewing the bill.

March Income Tax Revenue Is 10% Below Projections

Last week, the California Department of Finance announced that personal and corporate income taxes

collected so far this year, totaling $923 million is 10% below the number Gov. Newsom projected as a basis for his budget proposal in January.

Based on the weak revenue collection, analysts project that total income tax for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year could be up to $5 billion below projections. By law, the governor’s office will release an updated forecast of tax income revenue on or before May 14.

California

Black Media will keep watching this story to keep our readers updated.

Alameda DA Pamela Price Under Fire

Bay area residents have been leading rallies and protests encouraging voters to recall Alameda County African American District Attorney Pamela Price. The demonstrations have been centered on what some residents view as Price’s leniency on crime since she took office in January and suspicion that she will cut a deal with three men from Richmond and Vallejo accused of killing a two-year-old toddler in a shootout on the 880 freeway. With chants of “do your job,” “justice for Jasper” and “recall price,” the protest organizers have been rallying at the Alameda County Superior Court. ‘ Price’s office released a statement.

“The District Attorney’s Office has not made any decisions regarding the charges in the murder of Jasper Wu. We gave this information directly to Jasper’s parents last week. We will continue to review the case, and will make decisions directly in accordance to the evidence,” the statement read.

Building Strong Children and Restoring Strong Adults

How One California Community Is Empowering Change

near decimation brought on by the crack and opioid epidemics.

Despite the cultural taboos around mental health that still exist in many communities, this transformation is healing intergenerational trauma and changing trajectories - by getting to the root.

There’s plenty of evidence documenting how our early

experiences shape our health and behavior. Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, such as abuse, neglect, and growing up in a household with violence, incarceration or problematic substance use, can lead to prolonged activation of the body’s stress response, a condition known as the toxic stress response, which affects both mental and physical health throughout the lifetime - even making changes to our DNA that ripple across generations.

The impacts of ACEs are compounded by factors like racism, poverty, and community violence, leading to even greater risk of developing the mental and physical health problems associated with toxic stress.

Consider that adults with four or more ACEs are 30 times more likely to experience suicidal behaviors than those with no ACEs. That’s one in six US adults. The urgency begins early in life, as children with four ACEs are eight times more likely to experience suicidal behaviors compared to children without ACEs. While these statistics may sound alarming, we see this as a charge - a cause to connect in community, a way to destigmatize what we carry, and a path to prevention.

The good news is that healthy environments and resources can help to regulate the stress response and heal and protect us from the effects of ACEs and toxic stress. Some of the most powerful and effective work we can do to address mental health and suicide - including the concerning rates among Black men and boys - is to prevent and address childhood adversity and intergenerational trauma. This is the core of the work we’re doing from our home on the intersection of Grand Avenue and Clay Street in the heart of Del Paso Heights (DPH) in Sacramento, through grassroots organization Neighborhood Wellness

In DPH, like so many neighborhoods all over the US, many of our Black families are navigating intangible complexities of poverty every day. They are suffering - some out loud, spreading their pain through violence. Some move with what appears to be a reckless disregard, coping in ways that put themselves and others at risk. Some hold it together in stoic silence, grinding through the days but barely calling it a life, or masking their inner world as they perform to others’ expectations.

Childhood in DPH is far from carefree. In addition to carrying their own baggage, Black people have been handed down the traumas of our elders. They navigate systems hostile to them while bearing these tremendous burdens. Since Neighborhood Wellness got its start in 2015, we’ve been disrupting cycles of intergenerational trauma. We work to remove stigma around accessing help, and to change what help can look like. For many in our community who have felt institutionally and structurally betrayed and neglected, just learning to trust somebody is the beginning of breaking the cycle.

Programs like our Restore Legacies restorative justice program and our Higher Heights self-paced high school diploma program for adults, along with services ranging from parenting skills and DUI classes with trauma education to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal and wound treatment response trainings all address a legacy of inequities and lower barriers to thriving in our community. Our Healing Circles create a trusted space to help us deconstruct what we carry - the effects of our childhoods, what we’ve inherited from those who came before us, the ways racism and trauma have impacted our ability to learn, grow, and create our own paths.

In DPH, transformation is taking place. Mixed generations are sharing in our Healing Circles, acknowledging the need to be mindful of what others may be carrying, stepping into their roles in their families as the innovators - the ones to help make change. We’re working to empower our community, to help them see their value. Consider the fortitude, the resilience, the strength it requires just to keep showing up most days. To do the work of unburdening what we can and shouldering what we must continue to carry, and still trying to find happiness, joy, love, and greatness. Students in our high school Healing Circles get an early start on this work of unburdening, and we provide additional behavioral health services on campus to ensure our young people have a safe space to make strong strides toward promising paths.

At Neighborhood Wellness, we provide the kind of

community care that shines like a beacon in any kind of weather, calling our neighbors home and reminding us: no one is on this journey alone.

When we disrupt cycles of trauma and reduce childhood adversity for the next generation - through awareness, education, skill-building, mental health care, access to resources, and lowering barriers - this is suicide prevention. This is helping keep each other alive. This is building the future of our neighborhood, and beyond.

About the Authors Gina Warren, Pharm.D. - CEO & Co-Founder, Neighborhood Wellness Dr. Warren, who earned her doctorate from UCSF, brings both clinical and grassroots perspectives to leading an interdisciplinary team to serve the Del Paso Heights community, her childhood neighborhood.

Marilyn Woods - CFO & Co-Founder, Neighborhood Wellness

The retired CEO/CFO/co-owner of the Institute for Fiduciary Education, Marilyn manages corporate development, assists with strategic development and executive management, and serves on the board.

Damond “Fade” Dorrough - Senior Neighborhood Navigator, Neighborhood Wellness

Damond is generationally rooted in DPH and provides historical perspective and understanding that help address the challenges in the current conditions.

Sarah Marikos, MPH - Executive Director, ACE Resource Network

A public health leader and epidemiologist, Sarah leads ACE Resource Network’s national and community-based efforts, along with their work to advance research on the biology of trauma. California Black Media’s coverage of Mental Health in California is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.

(Gina Warren, Damond Fade Dorrough and Marilyn Woods)

Gina Warren, Marilyn Woods, Damond “Fade” Dorrough, and Sarah Marikos

Special to California Black Media Partners

There is a transformation taking place in an area of Sacramento once notorious for gang violence, sex trafficking, and

Top to bottom: Rhodesia Ransom, Dejonae Shaw, LaShae Collins and Darryn Harris

Former  Assemblymember Sandre Swanson

The Rate of Older Californians Dying of Malnutrition Has Accelerated

By Phillip Reese California Healthline

A growing number of California’s oldest residents are dying of malnutrition, a yearslong trend that accelerated during the covid pandemic.

Deaths attributed to malnutrition more than doubled, from about 650 in 2018 to roughly 1,400 in 2022, according to preliminary death certificate data from the California Department of Public Health. The same trend occurred nationwide, with malnutrition deaths more than doubling, from about 9,300 deaths in 2018 to roughly 20,500 in 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Malnutrition is particularly common among older people, especially those who are ill, low-income, homebound, or without reliable access to healthy food or medical services. It can result from not eating enough but also from poor eating habits that lead to nutritional deficiencies. The majority of deaths in California from malnutrition last year occurred in residents 85 and older.

Several experts said covid lockdowns likely cut off access to healthy food. Because the oldest people were the most likely to die from covid, officials encouraged them to limit their exposure to others who might have the disease.

“People who may have been reliant on public transportation or reliant on others to get to the grocery store — suddenly they’re nervous to take the bus,” said Lindsay Clarke, senior vice president of health education and advocacy at the Alliance for Aging Research, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C. “That family member or friend who would have come to pick them up and take them to the grocery store is worried about having them in their car.”

Pandemic lockdowns also hindered safety net programs

that feed seniors. For example, many adult day care centers closed, eliminating places for seniors to go during the day as an alternative to nursing care. Dr. Louise Aronson, a geriatrician and professor at the University of CaliforniaSan Francisco, said seniors who used the programs “may rely on the food they get there as their best meal of the day.”

Malnutrition deaths rose in 2022 even as lockdowns faded. Experts said the persistence of the trend could be due to some of the oldest residents continuing to isolate.

Covid remains a serious danger for that demographic. About 5,400 Californians 85 and older died from covid last year, making it the fifth leading cause of death for that age group — responsible for more than twice as many deaths as diabetes, preliminary state data show.

“For a lot of people who are older adults and people with disabilities, it’s not really over,” said Trinh Phan, who works from California for the nonprofit Justice in Aging. Phan said many older Californians are afraid of covid, asking themselves, “Do I actually want to risk that for myself given my own risk factors?”

While the number of California malnutrition deaths jumped during the pandemic, it had been increasing for years. Some of that increase may be due to the overall aging of the population, experts said.

About 678,000 Californians are 85 or older, a number that increased by roughly 59% from 2000 to 2021, census data show.

Californians 85 or older accounted for almost three in five malnutrition deaths in the state last year. Those 95 or older make up almost one in five malnutrition deaths, even though only about one in 700 Californians fall within that age group.

“Biologically we do eat less as we grow older,” Aronson

said. “You’re just literally less hungry.”

In addition, particularly old people have slower metabolism and digestion than younger people. “When you’re eating less food overall, it’s hard to get all the nutrients you need,” she said.

More factors beyond pandemic lockdowns and an aging population may be causing the steep rise in reported malnutrition among older people. The rate of malnutrition deaths per 100,000 residents in California among those 85 or older rose precipitously around 2013, jumping fivefold by 2019 and from there doubling during the pandemic.

Complicating the picture is how often malnutrition appears in conjunction with other illnesses. Older adults are more vulnerable to diseases — such as heart failure, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression — that can reduce their appetites and lead to malnutrition as a secondary cause of death.

Malnutrition was a contributing cause in 5,600 deaths in California on top of the 1,400 deaths for which it was the primary, underlying cause, provisional CDC data show. The number of deaths for which malnutrition was a secondary cause of death rose by about 1,700, or 43%, from 2018 through 2022.

“You might be admitted with diabetes but at the same time you’re also malnourished, and so the malnourishment adds to your problems,” said Paul Brown, a professor at the University of California-Merced who has co-presented papers on malnutrition in California at an American Public Health Association conference.

There is also an increased push to recognize malnutrition. Two of the nation’s leading nutrition science organizations released updated guidelines in 2012 to better standardize diagnosis.

The highest malnutrition death rates among older Californians from 2020 through 2022 were in rural or semirural counties: Lake, Merced, Butte, Tuolumne, and Sutter.

Brown said older residents living in rural counties often live in “food deserts,” which are areas that lack access to healthy food.

Among large, urban counties, Sacramento had the highest rate of malnutrition deaths among those 65 or older from 2020 through 2022. County spokesperson Macy Obernuefemann said the public health agency helps control and manage chronic diseases often accompanied by malnutrition and that several programs help seniors get the food they need.

Several programs in California seek to lower malnutrition among older people. The state’s network of 33 Area Agencies on Aging often offer healthy meals to older adults, according to Sara Eisenberg, a spokesperson for the California Department of Aging. Organizations such as Meals on Wheels do so as well. The agencies also regularly try to make sure seniors are enrolled in CalFresh, the state’s food assistance program for eligible low-income residents, Eisenberg said.

CalFresh benefits increased in late 2021 by 27%, helping many seniors afford food. A bill in the legislature, SB 600, would increase the minimum CalFresh benefits from $23 a month to $50. There’s also a push to expand CalFresh benefits to more undocumented immigrants, many of whom face food insecurity.

“I think that there has been really positive movement,” Phan said.

However, enhanced CalFresh benefits that gave millions of people more money during the pandemic expired in late March.

Population trends suggest malnutrition will continue to be a problem. The number of Californians 85 and older, the group most prone to malnutrition, is projected to grow by about 420,000, or 54%, from 2020 to 2030, according to state Department of Finance projections.

Phillip Reese is a data reporting specialist and an assistant professor of journalism at California State University-Sacramento.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

San Francisco Summit Pursues Equitable Future for Women “Shift Happens”

Continued from page A1

that we are taking action, putting forth women’s voices and women’s needs -- and not to be apologetic about talking about it publicly” Breed said. “Today is that day to hear from various panels, actresses, people in law enforcement, men who support women and all of these kinds of folks from all over the state of California coming together to empower you.”

The first panel during the Economic Security segment focused on various economic and financial resources available to women at the local, state and federal levels in California, as well as products and support through private and philanthropic initiatives. Panelists included Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor; Natalie Foster, Economic Security Project President and Co-Founder; Amy Everitt, CEO of Golden State Opportunity/CalEITC; Nicole Agbayani, San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment Director; and Kimberlee Vaye, program director of California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

“We understand at the core that women are responsible for keeping families whole and keeping communities whole,” said Mitchell, who is one of five history-making policymakers serving on an all-woman L.A. County Board of Supervisors. “When we have policies that disproportionately, negatively impact us, we are compromising the integrity of all of our communities. We do what we can to end the systemic racism and sexism that have led us to the conditions that we are expected to live and survive in today.”

The second panel addressed health and safety. Panelists included women of color Police Chiefs, District Attorneys and Sheriffs who mostly lead predominately male staff. Diana Becton, Contra Costa District Attorney; Tanzanika Carter, San Francisco Assistant Sheriff; Christina Corpus, San Mateo County Sheriff; Bisa French, Richmond Police Chief; Brooke Jenkins, San Francisco District Attorney, Tina Nieto; Monterey County Sheriff and moderator Diana OlivaAroche, the Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the San Francisco Police Department spoke during this segment.

The final panel, civic engagement and political empowerment, discussed specific legislation already in the works to address structural gender inequities, as well as ways DOSW intends to leverage individual and collective efforts to organize.

The panel consisted of U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Emiliana Guereca Zeidenfeld, Women’s March Action Chief Executive Officer; Molly Watson, Deputy Director of California Donor Table; Erica Pinto, chairwoman of Jamul Indian Village of Kumeyaay; Sara Guillermo, IGNITE National Chief Executive Officer; and the panel’s moderator Aimee Allison, She The People President.

Tlaib made history in 2008 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan legislature. She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. She shared her childhood experiences, talked about her close connection to the Black community in Detroit, and the tensions she sometimes experiences serving in Congress as a woman of color.

“When I got on to that floor it really was not an institution ready for me. It really wasn’t,” Tlaib said at the summit. “But it’s going to be ready for us (women of color) because we are not going anywhere.”

An all-male panel, titled “Power ‘Man-el,’” provided a provocative conversation that explored topics including strategies to shift cultural narratives around societal roles, gender equitable frameworks in the business and private sectors and recent legislation around pay transparency.

The members of San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women spoke about championing the equitable treatment and advancement of women and girls across social, economic and political indexes through policies, programs and legislation.

In the Fall of 2020, Ellis was appointed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed to lead the DOSW. She was charged with

helping to lead advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels for resources and policies that create greater opportunity for women, girls and nonbinary people.

Ellis manages a $25 million budget, including more than $13 million in discretionary city-funded grants to communitybased organizations to support issues like gender-based violence and housing insecurity. An additional $11 million in state, federal and privately funded grants are under her purview.

Kimberly Ellis is doing such an amazing job and really making shifts happen,” U.S Congresswoman Lee said before her virtual fireside chat with Ellis during the summit.

Ellis is known around the country as a power player in politics. She has appeared on syndicated television and radio, having been interviewed by national political media outlets,

including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Associated Press.

Ellis has run national operations, including the shepherding of the state and federal incorporation and launch processes in 2010 as the National Affiliate Director at Emerge America, the nation’s most effective training program for Democratic women who run for office. She led the flagship affiliate, Emerge California, as its Executive Director. Ellis holds a law degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Law at Northcentral University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Jacksonville University.

“If you like what you saw, heard, and felt it today, tell a friend, tell two or three, and tell them we are going to do this again next year,” Ellis said of hosting another women’s summit.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed provides the opening statements at the inaugural Shifts Happen Women’s Policy Summit in San Francisco on April 13, 2023. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

State Assemblyman Issac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) served on the male panel that discussed support of women and equality. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Action Required: Medi-Cal Renewal Process Is Underway Across California

McKenzie Jackson

California Black Media

Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal should keep an eye out for a yellow envelope in their mailbox over the next 14 months.

The Medi-Cal eligibility of over 15.4 million Golden State residents is under review for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

If a Medi-Cal beneficiary does receive the yellow envelope, they must provide their current contact information to health care officials as soon as possible to retain their Medi-Cal coverage, noted California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Assistant Deputy Director Yingjia Huang.

“It is critical that they do it by the due date that is on the packet that will come,” she said. “If that is not completed by the due date, there is a possibility that you will lose your coverage from Medi-Cal.”

Huang was one of several speakers featured during an April 12 online media briefing held to notify Medi-Cal members of the health coverage eligibility check, which began on April 1. The media teleconference was organized by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services in partnership with DHCS.

Medi-Cal is California’s version of Medicaid, the federal government-funded health insurance program. Administered in conjunction with states, Medicaid is designed for people with limited incomes. The insurance covers services such as dental care, prescriptions, and medical and preventive care.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, enacted in 2020, directed Medicaid programs nationally to keep everyone enrolled during the pandemic. The annual

redetermination process was suspended due to the severity of the worldwide health emergency. However, federal agencies declared the emergency over last month. So now, 80 million Americans are in the process of having their Medicaid eligibility checked by their states’ health department.

According to DHCS figures, 1,066,215 African Americans in California have Medi-Cal. Over 2.6 million Whites are enrolled in the program, as are 7.4 million Latinos. Over 2.8 million people who did not provide a race or ethnicity are insured by Medi-Cal and the number of Asian/Pacific Islanders enrolled is over 1.4 million. By ethnicity, people of American Indian/Alaskan Native descent account for the lowest number of enrollees at 55,851.

Children’s Partnership Executive Director Mayra Alvarez said during the online call that it is important for Medi-Cal eligible families to keep coverage.

“As we come out of this public health emergency, health insurance coverage and access to care is essential for everyone to be healthy and thrive,” she explained.

“Particularly during this pandemic, which has also exacerbated mental health issues for children and youth across the state.”

Alvarez said most of Medi-Cal enrollees are people of color, and nearly 70% of the 5.7 million children that use the service are minorities.

“It is a lifeline for so many in our communities, and it’s a program that continues to be available for the millions enrolled,” she stated. “Even before the pandemic, long standing, structurally racist policies and practices have created an environment wherein families of color experience significantly greater degrees of instability. Instability in

employment; instability in income; instability in housing. These economic and housing conditions actually heighten the risk of disruptions in health coverage and in doing so, eliminates the security that comes with having health insurance coverage.”

The packets inside the yellow envelopes MediCal members will receive ask for personal information, including their current phone number, email address, and street address. Recipients must reply by the deadline, which is typically between 45 to 60 days after getting the packet in the mail. For example, packets mailed this month have a June 30 due date and packets sent in May must be returned by July 31. The Medi-Cal account holders can provide that info by mail, online, or by calling their county’s Medi-Cal office.

“The easiest way to actually do this is online,” Huang

remarked. Medi-Cal members all have different medical renewal months. Around 30% will be automatically renewed. Those people will get a letter in the mail acknowledging that.

Also, addressed during the briefing were the steps involved in redetermining a person’s eligibility and how to get information in 19 different languages.

Between two million to three million Californians will lose the health service, while others will become eligible for the first time.

Workers hired to jobs that provide health benefits and people who earn enough income to be shifted from the health coverage to Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange, are among those predicted to lose Medi-Cal.

Huang said the switch from Medi-Cal to Covered California can be automatic.

“It all goes back to the member must have the most updated information with the county Medi-Cal office for that process to happen,” she said.

The Medi-Cal packets are sent to the last known address of beneficiaries. Recipients whose name, phone number, email address or mailing address have changed in the last three years need to update that information at Covered California, BenefitsCal, or My Benefits CalWIN. Medi-Cal coverage, Alvarez said, can continue for everyone who is eligible.

“Now is the time to make sure we are taking the necessary steps to keep our coverage,” she noted. “This is especially important for people of color, who are more likely to rely on Medi-Cal for coverage and who are more likely to be at risk of losing that coverage.”

Gov. Newsom and Advocates at Impasse Over Funding for Black Student Education

Joe W. Bowers Jr.

California Black Media

Last week, at the invitation of the Black in School Coalition (BISC), over 2,500 K-12 students, parents, education advocates, and civil rights leaders marched to the California State Capitol to demand increased funding for Black students in the state’s public schools.

BISC is a statewide advocacy association consisting of 17 organizations from all parts of the education community, including teachers, administrators, local school districts and county board of education trustees, parents, civil rights, and faith groups.

The BISC marchers were calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to not move forward with the “Equity Multiplier” proposed in the governor’s Education Budget, which is supposed to be a substitute for Assembly Bill (AB) 2774 authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D – La Mesa).

AB 2774 would have guaranteed funding for California’s lowest performing group, Black students, but advocates say, Newsom’s proposal falls short of that goal.

Because Newsom raised concerns that targeting

funds to a specific group of students would violate Prop 209, which prevents preferential treatment based on race, Weber withdrew AB 2774. In exchange, Newsom agreed to increase funding for Black students under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in the 2023 budget.

The LCFF is a state law that provides funding to local school districts based on the needs of their students.

California’s highest-needs student populations receiving supplemental funding for additional support are English Language Learners, low-income students, and children in foster care or homeless youth. However, despite chronic underperformance, Black students are not identified as a high-needs population for funding.

According to state data, in the 2021-22 academic year, 30% of California’s Black students met English standards and 15% met math standards, compared to 61% and 48% of White students meeting reading and math standards, respectively.

The equity multiplier proposal provides $300 million in ongoing Proposition 98 funding to the LCFF to accelerate gains in closing opportunity and outcome gaps. The funds are allocated to school districts with schools

serving high concentrations of students eligible for free meals.

The equity multiplier is part of Newsom’s plan to overhaul how the state can hold districts and schools accountable for student performance, with particular attention to racial disparities. According to Newsom’s office, 95% of Black students in California will be impacted because they are enrolled in districts potentially facing new accountability requirements due to low performance.

Dr. Margaret Fortune, president and CEO of the charter school organization Fortune School of Education and the lead voice for BISC says Newsom’s proposal sounds good but does not reflect the intentions of Weber’s bill.

According to an analysis conducted by EdSource, the funding from Newsom’s proposal would benefit about 6% of Black students statewide and they would be receiving an estimated $18 million out of $300 million proposed. Overall, the proposal targets just 5% of students in the state in about 800 schools and the students reached in those schools are mostly Latino.

To address this disparity in funding for Black students not in low-income schools, BISC has developed an alternative plan to the Equity Multiplier. It proposes additional funding for any group not already funded that scores below the state average on any two metrics on the California School Dashboard. Based on this year’s dashboard results, Black and Native American students would qualify.

Because students who have received LCFF funding have shown progress and improved outcomes due to concentrated resources aimed at their improvement, BISC’s funding alternative intentionally provides Black students the additional support that has benefited highneeds student groups.

Prior to their march on the Capitol, members of the BISC and students provided public comments at the State Assembly’s education budget committee hearing in support of their alternative budget proposal.

Fortune suggested to the committee that the $300 million in the governor’s equity multiplier proposal be directed to student groups who perform below the state average on two or more state indicators on the California school dashboard. This would increase per-student funding from $713 under the governor’s proposal to $3,318 for students in California with the greatest academic needs.

Under the BISC alternative plan, an additional 81,617 Black students and 8,807 Native American students would be eligible for this funding, compared to an additional 22,699 Black students and 1,806 Native American students under Newsom’s proposal.

Christina Laster, Western Regional Education Director of the National Action Network, stated that not many Black students attend the low-income schools targeted by the governor’s equity multiplier. Instead, she recommends focusing on student groups who perform below the state average on two or more state indicators on the California school dashboard. This would target student groups in the most academic need based on their performance, not their race.

Dr. Ramona Bishop, CEO of ELITE Public Schools, urged the Legislators to consider the BISC alternative proposal for the equity multiplier, which would address the needs of the students who stood behind her as she spoke. She emphasized that all Black students in the state deserve care, attention, and the best efforts of those in power.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said, “We share the ultimate goal of the Black in School Coalition to eliminate opportunity and achievement gaps for Black students. However, we continue to believe that our more comprehensive and legally sound proposal is a better option than AB 2774 and its related alternative proposal. We are not alone in that belief – as I believe you have seen, we have the support of members of the CLBC (California Black Legislative Caucus including Weber), CAAASA (California Association of African American Superintendents), the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Tony Thurmond) and many others.”

So BISC and Newsom are at an impasse at what is the best way to direct state funding for educating Black students in the public schools.

BISC wants funding targeting Black students based on their need for support due to poor academic performance, while Newsom’s Equity Multiplier focuses on schools with high concentrations of poverty, impacting about 6% of the state’s Black students.

Newsom is concerned about the legal implications of funding aimed at specific racial groups and aims to reform the LCFF to address underperforming racial groups. BISC, on the other hand, is focused solely on Black student funding and not on reforming LCFF.

But the California Department of Justice (DOJ) in a preliminary report it wrote for the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans recommended funding Black students through the state’s funding formula, suggesting that Newsom should not be so concerned about violating Prop 209.

A recent report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office complicates the debate by noting that high-poverty schools already receive targeted funding and recommending that the Legislature not approve funding for the Equity Multiplier.

Until a solution to the impasse is achieved, the state must persist in its efforts to identify and implement the appropriate policy to assist its Black students in improving their academic performance, based on their individual needs rather than their race.

Third-grade student Solomon D. Reedus, from Fortune School, participated in the activities at the State Capitol along with his classmates on April 11. Critics say Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal  falls short of narrowing the academic achievement gap between Black students and other groups on state achievement tests. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Funding from Newsom’s alternative would target 5% of students in the state. The students reached would be mostly Latino, while including about 6% of Black students statewide. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

An estimated 2,700 students, civil rights, and education leaders demonstrated their opposition to the Governor’s proposed education budget by marching around the State Capitol in Sacramento on April 11, 2023. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Umoja Students Tour HBCU’s Local

Words of Expression

By James Luckey, Sr. Bakersfield News Observer

Finding the right words to honor a Bakersfield legend is not an easy task. However, I must take the time and honor my friend, John Henry Johnson, Jr affectionately known as “Footlong.” For almost 3 decades I have had the pleasure of sitting in his barber chair. Foots has been not only my barber, but a friend, a comedian, and at times a part-time therapist. Anyone who has ever experienced his haircuts knows that those moments in the chair was full of

laughter and a time for him to share his advice and wisdom.

Over the years Foots has prepared myself and my two sons for some of the most monumental occasions; birthdays, weddings, and graduations. Never realizing that our time would come to an end. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

Foots, my family and I would like to publicly thank you for a lifetime of love, wisdom and friendship. We will forever honor your legacy.

By Paula L. Parks, Ph.D.

Over spring break, Umoja Community at Bakersfield College offered students a life-changing trip to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

They toured colleges in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Pennsylvania as well as two museums and historic sites. Colleges included Virginia State University, Cheyney University, Lincoln University, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, and Howard University.  Said Jordyn Davis: “This trip changed how I view my college education for the better. . . It made me excited to learn again.”  Umoja (which means unity) Community is a program designed for African-American students which has tripled their success, graduation, and transfer from Bakersfield College to four-year universities. Dr. Paula L. Parks, who founded the program in 2015, is the coordinator. The program offers academic counseling, courses required to

graduate, cultural activities, motivational and educational trips, leadership opportunities, a study space, and mentoring.

Laila Diaz, a studio art major, said her favorite college is Bowie State because the campus buildings have a more modern feel and the art department is strong. All three BC students said they enjoyed making connections with students from Las Positas College and visiting the cultural sites.

“I feel like so much more is possible. . .  I’m more prepared for my upcoming years in college,” added Jordyn, who wants to be an attorney.

To learn more about Umoja Community AfricanAmerican Success Through Excellence and Persistence (ASTEP), see https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/student/ aai/umoja. You can reach Dr. Parks, Umoja Community Coordinator at pparks@bakersfieldcollege.edu or at 661232-0191.

(From left Eryka, Laila, Dr. Parks, and Jordyn)

(the BC students with Dr. Parks left and Heritage Empowered CEO Dr. Karen McCord right)

(the students from Bakersfield College and Las Positas Colleges at the MLK Memorial in Washington, D.C.)

(Both community college groups at the Smithsonian African American Museum in Washington, DC. They are wearing their shirts from the tour company, Heritage Empowered.)