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to ti ci ei g cr ng ord ed of the murd hite, al m ng met it b aden D eir client’s him. h dismay. ro A test- chelle Obamedia. His insults taurgde and racist and co resigned innocenceke several months, er porters of ers Joshua Ryenwan The lone N mments et a, w ed an U il l ,S d th fo su B . d e rm fi R la In 1 rvivor nally exon ep ck shooting er erate they are disappoRinyens and Hughesfaalmily, friends and su victim. . Maxine Waters andFirst Lady Mion four co9u85, a San Diego Co Th l p te ac d o an mas ross the stat with e go unnamed “Unfortunat 26 and an nts of murder. At unty jury convicte vernor’s dec e say Los Angeles oR. Parker, a former ely, over tith the time of d Cooper for justice in is ffi d m io ep ce cord - incluescaped prison inm n e , u . it b ty h th el is se is h ie em ar ead of the This guy is ves case matters rest, he was no Distric s the victi FBI’s in Pennsylv ding several burglaate. His lengthy cr innocent,” Cooper. s’ desire “The eviden iminal re- “Prior DNtAAttorney Jason Anless and less,” San m ries and the ania – did h e ce to ld w as B th d er o n te er e p n ot help his n Cooper, form rape of a m st la so N ar th in n ew n d te e g icl sa d st th ai Y , id an ork at r. Coo med ould he was fram d.” case. inor erly named in 1958 p sought,in a statement. exonerate M ed, the copTimes.

What has k per’s guilw him have er agreed to an s lied t.” months onldear Pittsburgh, PenRichard Goodman, ep t a th fe al e d eral appella l confirmed case going d nsylvania. was born Yet persuas During his , he was adopted an te M an W ec co r. d u h u C ive argumen tion and re en he was C per aliv rt ooLAK(AP) six monies and eiew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooSACRAMENTO, and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin ts ased on E FO–RThe Calif. most Gov. Newvso EST,nation’s ents physica is re w stay his exisCooper. reasonable qualeslegations of evidenbce t a good p co it Cof h n coin fl aliflast m ic verthe juvenile det o ti . (Ayear, m re n in D ’s g sc gsecond ar P) –

populous state shrank a bit N ll d te ti ie after bhalf t ta y ec A o n st o m n ab ti is if g te s p fi io at ad u ab st er c en y se n o ei o in o ev in o rs d ti n n le u to g g id o g u t sc h ro , n se co th en st im k al en ad centers. In a mental h d to nail Co eep raising Californ ruck by aOpffici e methods low an mes early ce. figures released ce living in in SouFriday. according to official o

By J. CunninghamC th th at ea er er ta 1 an in ia o 9 n ck lt p d G se 8 ro th er h C 2 , st o v . u , e L fa al er an v ories Thre nd ohad Co ern aguna Bofea39.78 ifornia cility in Pen te of th California al d as. of olic ifornia. f athpopulation Special to Texas Metro alNews ch Polimillion e progthe nsylvania obper escaped from three attackerin sworn testimony,e weapons were usedinvesti- have high expectatioor whose supporterrm e O ce re ra ss O n iv January, state Department of Finance said, down ffi g s e e o s ce ef Josh Durin hishas ravaged the U.S. County Reg in th n the politi wh ore moving r Thomas The coronavirus pandemic NA testing ns. somofeo39.96 cal Left report murder tria ister hine July. to could have been Hoiswere White. He lautea Ryen said he sawe solve “D ne’s pet gscores from its previous million ued thatofCgobusinesses should imm initially th when residents th economy, leaving R in limbo l, proseand p r e F an te o R eb th F p st ic y u . e er en ifi . ed rt 1 cu ca ed k 9 h ia But Doug Kuczynski of the department’s il t ca . to er mplica le yen, th 1 tely take p darted in fr that they Chiang sa se and fin livelihoods in jeopardy. ti g the pro 0-year-oldd husband and wifersDsuccessfully ar- an named Diaco lace to reResearch ont McGsaid Demographic two numbers aren’t neighborei-Crmany uirethe that DNA id during the campally ensure just - the Unit na Roper n daugwere secutions’ cl o u sa g y ic b hter Je And Black businesses which already an s el e hristopofher w o d is h n ev ca ai P en g se g an ss eg id m in ai n directly comparable because of various adjustments and ic rv en h e g g im . m a y e ed fo “N to s, ce an al g rw ,” b o a h o H ca d w u t w er t ard with blo t testing in ughweather as biggerinthtime. Byouthe an 1 n h p law fo mnbecause ly is it peach es. Policethis fighting to access capital - are struggling to Animal aCopoint enforcemoen ody clothoin an a houset to chec ro figure represents is case woel found the1-year-old dinesal. She turned thermer boyfriend who w Even thoth nadded t solve crimven g cat. economic disaster COVID-19 has wrought. u tr ld evidence ov bloodied o to troyed it. as l co o an a department’s reckoning, California about ffi m v ce u an io e g rs ru87,500 at le imal hospit h Newsom es, tr nt crim- is bold, he no cost to th er to the p shed the ble They are calling on the federal government to ensure ’s al au African Am , d is residents during the last full calendar year, comparing o w ec e m li tr e h st is ce a. ead ere it was d ion , but they issue that e.” ericans, His e Cooper at that their companies aren’t wiped out by the pandemic’s iagnose Californiaing carefully on a poin thJanuary-to-January figures.

D panics and r. ca K se w ri v te at st ote ntially pThe i Kratoward ching. He other mino onslaught. use, a vet40 million olaristate expeccreeping is keeping rs across the politica zing hasshebeen erin rities liv- C ts th ariatops e 11-pthere. n, tell l spectrumwithout his focus o Last month, the government passed the $2.2 trillion residents ever quite getting It still b o ac ontinued u k n d in (5 to ar n fairnessecond-place -kilpeople.\ theabout on page A ogram) castthe wild af CARES Act, which was supposed to help support s and justic eTexas, which has 30 million te r 2 M to it cGuire visitcomparison re used e January-to-January ns streby Even the businesses and sustain underemployed and out-of-work ngth. that if he se ed the bogai b es ca it aggrowth on Friday the department shows population Americans. But business owners said the funding fell ain, he’llofisjust t0.2%, sue a since which officials said continues slow growth trends ticket for ja. short. The $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program that the Great Recession. The figures predate the current was part of the CARES Act ran out of money in just two recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. weeks, and multimillion-dollar chains extracted huge sums Growth slowed to near zero or declined in most from the program. For example, Ruth’s Chris Steak House coastal counties, grew slightly in the San Francisco Bay received $20 million, and the Potbelly Sandwich Shop got Area, and remained robust in the Central Valley and $10 million. counties east of Los Angeles.

Smaller business owners meanwhile complained that Los Angeles County lost residents for the second they couldn’t get their applications through. straight year, but it remains the nation’s most populous Last week, the release of a second loan program to with more than 10 million residents. bolster businesses and revive the economy provides about Among other highlights: $484 billion for small businesses, hospitals and additional • The fastest-growing counties were, in order, testing. But Black business owners said funds need to be Glenn, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado, San Benito, San Joaquin earmarked specifically for African American firms to ensure But Black business owners said the COVID-19 pandemic will decimate their ranks if the government doesn’t and Kern. step in to help keep them from shutting down. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) • The state for the first time added more housing Continued on page A3 units than people. California has been struggling to address a severe affordable housing and homelessness problem.

• Bakersfield had the largest population gain, by percentage, among the state’s 10 largest cities.

• The fastest-growing cities from housing construction not related to wildfires were, in order, Colma in San Mateo County, Calimesa in Riverside County, Lathrop in San Joaquin County, Wasco in Kern County, and Rio Vista in Solano County.

Friday’s report did not address migration trends.

But the department in December said more people were leaving California than moving in, thwarting projections

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. other communities of color, as well as individuals who were are low-income people of color who are disproportionately from demographers who have predicted the state would President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association on the social margins long before the crisis. bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis, dying from the top 40 million.

The deadly destruction wrought by the coronavirus The inequities have surfaced in obvious ways, including deadly disease at twice the rate of white people.

The department said then that more people left pandemic has laid bare the harsh inequities in American early data released by states showing that the virus is killing Additionally, in New York, it is well-documented California between July 2018 and July 2019 for the first society, disproportionately ravaging Black America and African Americans at disproportionately high rates, a that a statewide plastic bag ban also disproportionately time since the 2010 census, leading to the state’s slowest disturbing trend that illustrates the substandard availability hurts Black and Latino-owned businesses and shoppers. recorded growth rate since 1900. of health care in Black America.

Though there is an exemption in this ban for recipients of The state’s population had nearly tripled in the last The inequities have also surfaced in subtle ways, such benefits like WIC and food stamps from paying the fivehalf of the last century. as policy decisions that fail to reflect the needs and day-to- cent tax on paper bags, working-class people of color and day realities of low-income communities and communities low-income New Yorkers still must pay. of color. The irony is that many of these policies are wellSome stores have been charging for both plastic and meaning. But in some cases, they also have had troubling paper, and in some cases, more than five cents a bag. Five unintended consequences. cents might not seem like much. But five cents (or more) Consider the area of environmental policy. Protecting per bag adds up, especially when one is living paycheck-tothe environment should be about protecting people, paycheck, or, as is more likely at this moment, not working regardless of the color of their skin, ethnicity or race, or at all due to the financial toll of the COVID-19 crisis. where they live or how much money they make. The fight Some environmentalists have argued that opponents of to save our planet should be about ensuring a long and the bag ban are trying to capitalize on the COVID-19 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – Authorities are successful sustainable future - for everyone. crisis by recommending a suspension of any bag investigating the death of a man arrested after sheriff’s Yet, there are many in the mainstream environmental regulations. Again, it appears that some mainstream deputies responded to a reported domestic violence movement who continuously overlook the needs and environmentalists only use research data to support policies incident in Southern California. realities faced by some of our most underserved and that reflect their privileged vantage point without respect The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said the department vulnerable communities. That includes the mainstream to the impact of those policies on the underprivileged. received multiple calls about the incident in a Bakersfield I coined the term environmental racism in 1982 while New York, it is well-documented that a statewide environmental advocacy community’s push to enforce neighborhood late on April 30. plastic bags bans in favor of reusables, despite the fact that involved in the Warren County, NC protests against the plastic bag ban also disproportionately hurts Black Deputies used force to take the man into custody and Latino-owned businesses and shoppers. Though cardboard paper and other reusables pose a clear public digging of a PCB landfill in the heart of a poor Black after he did not comply with orders, the sheriff’s office there is an exemption in this ban for recipients of health risk – especially for workers on the front lines of the agricultural community. At that time there were some who thought that environmental issues were should not be said. benefits like WIC and food stamps from paying the pandemic response.

Shortly after his arrest the man had an unspecified Why, for example, is it smart public policy to insist considered as civil rights or as racial justice issues. There five-cent tax on paper bags, working-class people medical problem, officials said. Deputies provided aid of color and low-income New Yorkers still must pay. that grocery workers be exposed to reusable bags, when was in the past, and it continues in the current public research shows these bags can be repositories of the discourse, a kind of arrogance by the privileged who think until medical personnel arrived but the man died at the (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) scene, according to KBAK-TV. COVID-19 virus? The majority of these essential workers Continued on page A3 The man was not immediately identified.

Sheriff’s detectives and the coroner’s office are investigating.

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Artistic Likeness of Frederick Douglass Adds Ancestral Wit to COVID Awareness

Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media The Frederick Douglass Family Initiative (FDFI), an organization the social reformer and writer’s descendants founded to keep his legacy alive, commissioned the awardwinning African American concept artist Nikkolas Smith to sketch a rendering depicting Frederick Douglass in a medical mask.

“Disease is cured by the right use of remedies,” Douglass’ quote beneath the image reads.

According to Kenneth B. Morris Jr., the co-founder and president of FDFI, the image is more than a fun image depicting a Black icon in a contemporary setting. To the FDFI, it is a powerful image about Black people’s position in America and the lurking threat of the coronavirus crisis.

“The image - perhaps seen as cute, clever or even amusing - a simple juxtaposition of a historical figure and a contemporary challenge,” wrote Morris, who lives in Orange County, in a letter.

“While the message is open to interpretation,” he added. “FDFI looks at this very differently. The image and message are about how communities of color are affected and treated unequally, not surprisingly but predictably, during this pandemic.”

FDFI will allow organizations to use the image for free to raise awareness about COVID-19.

Despite being about 13% of the total United States population, nearly 20% of confirmed COVID-19 related deaths have been African Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Morris directly addressed his personal connection to this pandemic in a YouTube video posted April 14 addressed to FDFI supporters.

“Our daughter Nicole contracted COVID-19 several weeks ago. We’re thankful that she has recovered, and we feel more compassionate than ever about helping those going through similar experiences,” Morris said.

Morris himself is a descendant of both Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington and FDFI serves to further some of the ideals of both of those famous Americans.

Founded by Morris, his mother Nettie Washington Douglass and Robert J. Benz, the FDFI focuses on education as a means to combat human trafficking, one

form of modern-day slavery.

“When we work with students,” Douglass said on the FDFI website, “We can accomplish several things at once: provide an interesting narrative about an important period in our history that is often overlooked; inspire modern abolitionists; provide timely information that may prevent young people themselves from becoming victims and help create better world citizens.”

Morris spoke about how important this image is in the scope of Black struggles during a crisis.

“FDFI commissioned social justice artist Nikkolas Smith to create a COVID-19 portrait of Frederick Douglass to protest racial discrimination,” Morris said.

“We will disseminate this image all over the country and draw attention to health disparities in Black and Brown communities. During this health and financial crisis, these disparities will become increasingly exposed.”

While Morris says that art is up for interpretation, he looks at this image with the lens of one who has witnessed a long history of oppression and inequality.

“Black people still struggle mightily under poverty, mass incarceration, disparities in health care, education and economic opportunity, racial profiling and police brutality,” Morris said. “One only must look at the astounding poverty rates for people of color in this country to realize that things are not exactly equal. We continue to pay the price for policy failures that have compromised our health and disproportionately impacted our educational and economic opportunities.”

Smith, the artist who worked on this piece, has designed posters and other artwork for companies like BET, Disney, Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios and many others.

He emphasized the impact of this piece in relation to the racial divide in infections during this pandemic.

“I was honored to take on this project. I really felt the weight of it,” Smith said. “This art piece is really a piece that symbolizes the combination of one very current and topical struggle joined with this ongoing struggle with racial justice that we are still fighting today.”

As for what Morris hopes this image will accomplish, he said, “I pray that Nikkolas Smith’s artwork inspires and motivates our people to heed my great ancestor’s call to ‘agitate, agitate, agitate.’”

No Joke: Tupac Shakur Needs Unemployment Benefits FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – It’s no joke – Tupac Shakur lives in Kentucky and needs unemployment benefits to pay his bills.

The Lexington man’s name was brought up by Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday night as he spoke about how the state is trying to process all unemployment claims filed in March amid the coronavirus pandemic by the end of April.

According to Beshear, a few “bad apples” including a person who filed an unemployment claim under the name of rapper Tupac Shakur _ who was killed in a 1996 shooting _ are responsible for slowing down the state’s unemployment processing. He blamed people who “think they’re funny” for making “thousands of other people wait” for their unemployment payments.

But the Lexington Herald-Leader reports Tupac Malik Shakur, 46, who goes by Malik, lives in Lexington and worked as a cook before restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus shut down restaurants.

He filed for unemployment March 13 and has been waiting to receive his first check.

“I’ve been struggling for like the last month trying to figure out how to pay the bills,” Shakur said.

He told the newspaper he wondered why his benefits were being held up, but did not think the labor cabinet would declare his claim was a prank.

“I’m hurt, I’m really embarrassed and I’m shocked,” Shakur said.

Beshear’s office originally said the state could not verify the identity on the application but after getting information from the newspaper, the state is working to resolve the claim.

Beshear called Shakur personally on Tuesday to apologize and Shakur said he appreciated the gesture and forgave Beshear.

“I understand, he’s dealing with a lot,” Shakur said.

“Mistakes happen.”

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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

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World & Nation

The Role of the Black Church During a Pandemic

(Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pastor Jamal Byrant)

By Pastor Jamal Bryant Senior Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church I recently came across an article on NewsOne.com that highlighted a furor on several social media platforms regarding whether wealthy pastors are contributing enough to COVID-19 relief efforts.

Admittedly, some of the social media memes and tropes were amusing and of course, some were outright meanspirited, sophomoric and disrespectful but that’s the complex mosaic of the social media space and if you’re the public square at all, you have to be able to stomach the bitter and the sweet.

As I processed the article and the dialogue it generated, my personal and pastoral PTSD was kicked into overdrive recalling the pummeling my church (New Birth) and I took just a few weeks earlier when we announced that we’d formulated a partnership with a telemedicine firm and a community health clinic to provide coronavirus testing to our community.

Without bothering to do any due diligence, we were labeled as “opportunists,” “vultures,” “ungodly” and worse.

And while it is always painful to be insulted and castigated, it hurts even more when it’s the African American community leading the campaign of misinformation. Of course, New Birth and I were confident in our intent and execution of the testing initiative and fortunately, local affiliate C BS 46, cleared the issue up nicely and we’re moving forward.

Rather than get lost in trying to salve healing wounds, I believe our focus should turn to the larger question of

what exactly the role of the church should be, not only in this season of a global pandemic but as the core societal anchor of the African American community.

I’ve preached many times that 93 percent of what Jesus did was outside of the walls of the church as he healed, fed, evangelized and organized.

Admittedly, if you were to honestly assess the 21st century church, that dynamic has been completely flipped.

Far too many churches and pastors are concerned with what happens inside of the building and not concerned or active enough with affecting the greater community, and those who need to be ministered to beyond the opulence and comfort of gleaming wood floors and the immaculate stained glass.

We indeed have a conundrum. Should the church be doing more? Yes; and if you look closely many churches are doing plenty.

I am blessed to pastor at New Birth, where we have the capacity and more importantly, an engaged, committed church family who take seriously our mandate to love, lead and live like Christ. Our goal is to be a church that does 93 percent or more of our ministry beyond the walls of our beautiful sanctuary.

In a little over a year, we have provided meals for furloughed federal workers; we have provided 5 000 pairs of free shoes for school-aged kids in the DeKalb/Atlanta community; we have b ailed o ut first time, nonviolent offenders; and married 30 couples free of charge in two mass w eddings.

Even as we are all in the chaos and calamity of the

COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided that even if church has stopped, ministry doesn’t.

Consequently, we are providing free groceries to 1000 families each week and we have entered a partnership with local hotels to provide free lodging and meals to our beleaguered doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

This is the work of the church and it is not only having a major impact in the community; it is helping to attract souls to Christ and members to our church. To God be the glory for over 300 new members who have joined New Birth since we suspended our in-person worship a month ago.

I am proud of what we are doing at New Birth but there are plenty of other churches who have stepped up in a major way even if they are less heralded, barely noticed and never celebrated.

It is disheartening to see so much misinformation gain momentum and to see the church chastised and rebuked in haste and seemingly at will.

The church is needed now more than ever and as we emerge from this recent Easter holiday, I am praying for my comrades of the gospel and I am hopeful that we as a people will be less antagonistic towards the body of Christ and that God will resurrect our hopes, restore our compassion and revive our love and interdependency on one another.

These times are challenging, stressful and unprecedented; it calls for all of us to raise our game and our consciousness in the hopes that we will emerge as a stronger, better connected community.

Biden Wants Michelle Obama as VP Tempering any enthusiasm of a Biden-Obama ticket, Biden added that, “I don’t think she has any desire to live near the White House again.” He concluded that it’s still too early to select a running mate

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent Is a return to the White House by the Obama family in the cards?

It can happen if former First Lady Michelle Obama would accept a public invitation from former Vice President and presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden.

On Tuesday, April 21, Biden said Obama tops his list of potential vice presidential candidates, and the country would be better served if she joined his ticket.

Neither Obama nor her husband, former President Barack Obama, have commented on Biden’s statements, which he first made on KDKA television in Pittsburgh.

Remarkably, the comments have not yet gained traction in the media, but a KDKA source pointed NNPA Newswire to the video clip that the station says has gained a lot of momentum in the Pittsburgh area.

“I’d take her in a heartbeat,” Biden said of Michelle Obama in the video viewed by NNPA Newswire. “She’s brilliant. She knows the way around. She is a wonderful woman. The Obamas are great friends,” he said.

Tempering any enthusiasm of a Biden-Obama ticket, Biden added that, “I don’t think she has any desire to live

near the White House again.” He concluded that it’s still too early to select a running mate.

During the most recent debate in Washington, D.C., in early March, Biden pledged to select a woman as his running mate. That promise sparked a national discussion about who would best serve as vice president. Among the names bandied about in the media have been California Sen. Kamala Harris, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“In terms of who to pick, we’re just beginning the process,” Biden told KDKA. “We’ll shortly name the committee to review this and begin to look through the backgrounds of the various potential nominees. And that’s just getting underway.”

“I’ll commit to that it will be a woman because it is very important that my administration look like the public, look like the nation. And there will be, I’m committed that there will be a woman of color on the Supreme Court, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a vice president, as well,” Biden said.

“I think it’s really important now that we establish once and for all, we should have had a woman president already, in Hilary (Clinton), in my view,” Biden added.

“There are a number of qualified women out there.”

On Tuesday, April 21, Biden said Obama tops his list of potential vice presidential candidates, and the country would be better served if she joined his ticket.

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Stop Excluding People of Color When Implementing Environmental Policies Continued from page A1

they know what is best for the underprivileged.

Today as the environmental justice movement has grown into a global campaign for change led by grassroots activists and leaders from people of color communities throughout the world, we all now know much more about the intersection between the issues of racial justice and environmental justice.

I recall vividly back in the late 1980’s when I coauthored and published the landmark study for the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice: Toxic Waste and Race in the United States, the established environmental movement was unnerved that people of color would dare to do empirical research and define our own reality with respect to exposures to environmental hazards. Our national study proved that there was a deliberate link between race and the placement of toxic waste facilities in America.

In adherence to a blind devotion to a privileged ideology, some who call themselves environmentalists often neglect to take into consideration the day-to-day

concerns of millions of low-income and Americans of color living in urban centers that are also communities that house hazardous sanitation sites, incinerators, rail yards, power plants and other environmental threats.

Some mainstream environmental groups consistently insist on pushing for policies that make life harder for people of color and poor communities, arguing that the hardship – if they recognize it at all – is a necessary price to pay in order to achieve their overall goals that those of privilege have exclusively envisioned as the standard for all others to obey.

As the pandemic continues, we need to let go of highminded ideological arguments and do everything possible to protect workers on the front lines – including grocery clerks and those who make deliveries. Some states have temporarily lifted their bans or eradicated them altogether.

A number of grocery stores are bringing back plastic bags and telling customers not to bring their own reusable bags.

Due to the crisis, New York has twice extended nonenforcement of its plastic bag ban in the face of a lawsuit

that challenges its constitutionality. This is not enough.

The state should give essential workers and shoppers alike a sense of protection during the pandemic and bag the plastic ban altogether.

More often than not, these life-changing decisions are being made without the consultation or input from the affected communities of color. Close to 40 years later we still remain on the outside of these conversations, continuously overlooked by many in the mainstream environmental movement as well as in local and state governments.

There is an obvious divide between the members of the mainstream environmentalism movement and the environmental justice community, primarily made up of urban Black and brown people. Until both parties can come together and pay the necessary attention to the pervasive environmental concerns that our communities endure on a daily basis the rift will only deepen, if not completely fracture. Exclusion of people of color will not solve the nation’s or the world’s environmental challenges.

Black-Owned Businesses Demand Share of Federal Dollars as COVID-19 Rages On Continued from page A1

that their companies survive the pandemic.

“It’s clear that we’re taking the biggest hit, but we’re finding that the resources aren’t being given to the worst hit,” said Larry D. Ivory, president of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, which represents 144,000 businesses, calling the phenomenon “pandemic racism.”

“It makes no sense. If you have devastation, you need to put money and resources into the people and places worst hit.”

Black-owned businesses already stand to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, reinforcing disparities in the United States. Some 40 percent of revenues from Black-owned businesses are in the top five most vulnerable sectors, including retail, leisure and hospitality, according to a report from the McKinsey Institute that was released earlier this month. Compared to

other businesses countrywide, just 25 percent of revenues are affected, the report says.

“We need relief economically,” said Regina Smith, the CEO of the nonprofit Harlem Business Alliance. “We cannot continue to support the continued demise of Black businesses.”

There are about 2.6 million Black-owned businesses in the United States, which employ about one million people, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

These firms, many of which are small, are considered to be the lifeblood of many communities. They create jobs, they keep money in communities, and they provide residents with needed products and services.

But Black business owners said the COVID-19 pandemic will decimate their ranks if the government doesn’t step in to help keep them from shutting down.

They need grants and loans on a hyper-local level that will help Black business owners with their immediate bills and keep them from having to furlough, fire, or cut the pay of employees.

They also need access to local, state and federal government contracts - and specifically, a “master contract” where the government awards money to a nonprofit, community-based partner, and that entity, in turn, identifies Black businesses to fulfill the contract, according to a white paper from the Black Business Empowerment Committee, a group of business owners, houses of worship and community groups committed to growing and sustaining Black-owned businesses.

J. Cunningham is a long-time journalist and editor in New York.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

A4 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

News

Court’s in Session: Will Labor Please Rise!

The task in front of us that we can’t fail at: Stopping the anti-union, anti-labor judiciary being put in place by an administration that consistently puts Corporate America first and working people last. And that administration and this Congress throws our middleclass existence, and all working people, into more and more peril with each new federal judge appointed. the anti-union, anti-labor judiciary being put in place by an administration that consistently puts Corporate America first and working people last. And that administration and this Congress throws our middle-class existence, and all working people, into more and more peril with each new federal judge appointed.

Here is a thumbnail of what’s been going on. The last three years have been disastrous for working families, and by extension, our civil and human rights. More than 191 federal judges appointed (a record), and two Supreme Court Justices, all anti-union, anti- collective bargaining, slotted in to undermine labor whenever and wherever they get the chance. Most damaging are the appointments to the courts of appeal, the final say in most federal cases. In less than three years, 50 have been named to the bench. These appointees across the judiciary have drawn three times more “no” votes in the Senate during their confirmation hearings than all confirmed judges in the 20th century combined.

But to no avail. A number of the judges were named before they had received a rating from the American Bar Association, only about 40% previously served as a judge.

Three were deemed unqualified. Despite these disturbing facts, they were confirmed. These appointments, qualified or unqualified, unfit or untested alike, had one thing in common: a conservative agenda that backs a pro-corporate, anti-labor platform.

And all these judges align perfectly with the current National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the government agency that enforces labor law as it relates to collective bargaining and unfair labor practice charges. This NLRB has been stacked with judges who have extremely antilabor, anti-union records and consequently the agency has systematically rolled back workers’ rights to form unions or, in some instances, take part in their protected right to collectively bargain with their employers, hurting workers, their communities, and the economy itself.

Just plain hostile to workers And they align just as perfectly with the administration’s nomination of Eugene Scalia for Secretary of Labor. Scalia, son of the late conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, was confirmed by the Senate last September. It In early 2018, the conservative stacked Supreme Court ruled in the Janus decision that public sector union is certainly fair to say that our new Secretary of Labor

By Ray Curry UAW Secretary-Treasurer This November, we’re going to have to do some hard work to make sure that going off to work every day means a decent living for our families.

That is, if your job pays your bills, provides you and your family with healthcare, paid sick leave, and paid time off; if it guarantees a voice for your rights and job safety that will be heard — if it works for you — you are going to have to go at it harder than ever to keep it that way. And if you’re one of the millions of hard-working Americans who

aren’t making a living wage, have little or no healthcare or job protections, the stakes are even higher.

And tragically, we’re seeing in this unprecedented global health crisis what happens to working people who don’t have unions to stand up for them.

But we have an opportunity to stand together and make our voices heard. Our work in this election begins with knowing what you are voting for, what’s at stake, and then voting accordingly up and down the ballot. The power behind the power The task in front of us that we can’t fail at: Stopping

fees violate non-member’s First Amendment rights, a decision made to weaken public sector bargaining rights. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF HEARING GUARDIANSHIP CASE NO: BPB-17-002666 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF KERN 1215 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 GUARDIANSHIP of: MADISON FLORETTA GRISSUM, Minor This notice is required by law. This notice does not require you to appear in court, but you may attend the hearing if you wish.

1.NOTICE is given that STELLA ESQUER and JOSEPH MENDEZ (representative capacity, if any): PETITONER has filed (specify): PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN OF THE PERSON 2. You may refer to documents on file in this proceeding for more information (Some documents filed with the court are confidential Under some circumstances you or your attorney may be able to see or receive copies of confidential documents if you file papers in the proceeding or apply to the court.)

4. A HEARING on the matter will be held as follows: Date: July 13, 2020 Time: 8:30 am Dept: P Address of Court Same as noted above BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 15, 22, 29, May 6, 2020

of letters as provided on Probate Code section 9100.

The time for filing claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. IF you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (for DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate code section 1250. A request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Petitioner: YVETTE REGINA WATTS-LYKES 14300 CHESTNUT STREET #220 WESTMINSTER, CA. 92683 Telephone: (310) 505-2685 Email: yvette.lykes@yahoo.com IN PRO PER

�������������������������������

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF LONNIE WATTS, JR. CASE NUMBER: BPB-19-002400 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of LONNIE WATTS, JR. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by YVETTE REGINA WATTS-LYKES in the Superior Court of California, County of KERN 1215 Truxtun Ave Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 Branch Name: JUSTICE BUILDING THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that YVETTE REGINA WATTS-LYKES be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval.

Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: JUL 5, 2020 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: P Room: P located at 1215 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93301 IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the deceased, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issuance

is utterly hostile to unions and labor. The younger Scalia has spent a career in corporate law fighting for the interests of companies over workers, with clients ranging from Walmart to the major Wall Street banks seeking to avoid and evade post-crisis regulations. He has often been described this way by so many members of labor: “Eugene Scalia has spent his entire career making life more difficult and dangerous for working people. We opposed him in 2002 for Solicitor of Labor based on his anti-worker record, and his disdain for working people has worsened, not improved. His extreme views are in direct conflict with what America deserves from a secretary of labor.”

All of this at a time in our history when unions are viewed very favorably according to recent PEW Research findings, Business Insider national polling and a Gallup poll which said union support is at a five-decade high. Still, these anti-labor judges and justices have gone about their unpopular business with zeal.

In early 2018, the conservative stacked Supreme Court ruled in the Janus decision that public sector union fees violate non-member’s First Amendment rights, a decision made to weaken public sector bargaining rights. That same year, in the Reese vs. CNH case, a Supreme Court decision allowed an employer to unilaterally drop healthcare for retirees, a contract provision guaranteed them! The list goes on and on.

And while the Supreme Court gets the attention, it’s the lower courts that decide the bulk of the cases. For example, the now more conservative federal appeals court brought new life to executive orders that could make firing employees and weakening their union representation easier for federal agencies.

So, let’s get to work, workers. Take a look at the type of leaders we have that would say one thing to get elected and then do the exact opposite; who would put corporate dollars and stock gains ahead of the people who make it all possible.

Please do your homework. If you go off to work for a living every day, make sure you know who will vote on your side — and who won’t. Together we can reverse a whole lot of anti-labor institutions and can start building back a justice system for all, one that safeguards and represents the backbone of this country, not just the wallets of the few.

Legal Notices

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 29, May 6, 13, 2020

������������������������������� ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER BCV-20-100786 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of Kern, 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301 PETITION OF: BRUCE DONALD CHAMBERS FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: BRUCE DONALD CHAMBERS for a decree changing names as follows: Present name BRUCE DONALD CHAMBERS Filed a petition with this court Proposed name BRUCE RONALD CHAMBERS THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: Aug 5, 2020 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: 12 The address of the court is: Same as noted above.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER Date: March 19, 2020 Linda S Etienne COURT COMMISSIONER Rebecca Saldivar DEPUTY BRUCE DONALD CHAMBERS 4313 Cambridge Dr. Bakersfield, Ca. 93306 Phone: (661) 871-5360 IN PRO PER BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Apr 29, May 6, 13, 20, 2020 �������������������������������

Coronavirus.org

Artwork by Shepard Fairey | Amplifier.org

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A5

Entertainment

Legal Drama ‘All Rise’ Adapts to Pandemic for Season Finale

By RYAN PEARSON AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The legal drama “All Rise” has become the first U.S. scripted television series to adapt the the pandemic by producing an episode remotely, enlisting its stars to work from home on their own makeup, set design and lighting.

The season finale, airing Monday night on CBS, finds Simone Missick’s Judge Lola Carmichael presiding over a Los Angeles Superior Court bench trial via video conference.

Missick said she was exhausted at the end of each shooting day after making her own adjustments to costume and sound, converting her living room into an office and her dining room into a court room.

“I did pick up new skills. I think that I could be a location scout-slash-set design coordinator. I don’t need to lead the department, but I could be in the background,” Missick laughed in a Zoom interview. “So if this acting stuff doesn’t work out, I could maybe pick up a career doing it virtually because that was the fun part.”

While most full-season shows cut production short due to stay-home orders, “All Rise” creator Greg Spottiswood said he realized that the dialogue-heavy nature of his show allowed for remote production. A key challenge _ predicting how the legal world would adjust to the novel coronavirus, with prisons becoming outbreak hotspots and

video chats replacing in-court hearings.

“The justice system needs to find a way to respond to this moment. Technology is one of the ways that they’re responding to it,” he said.

Spottiswood said producers paid the full crew, even those that weren’t able to work, for the episode. While the show could produce more episodes remotely in a second season if necessary, he’s anxious to get back to sets and realworld locations.

Missick said her mother-in-law in Atlanta had been hospitalized with COVID-19 for eight days, with symptoms serious enough to require a ventilator. She had fully recovered by the time Missick began shooting, but it brought the coronavirus crisis close to home for the 38-year-old actress.

In her downtime after production, Missick has enjoyed Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and the Netflix series “Unorthodox.” But she’s been struck by how far away from today’s reality the action on the screen can feel.

“Everything is BC. It’s ‘before coronavirus.’ You’re watching people _ they’re in restaurants, they’re hugging each other. You’re like, `God, I remember what that was like.’ Now, I think every show that comes after is going to have to deal with what this pandemic is.”

Simone Missick on CBS’s “All Rise” filming from her home.

Valeisha Butterfield Jones Named as Recording Academy’s First Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Valeisha Butterfield Jones has been named the Recording Academy’s first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent Valeisha Butterfield Jones, a leader, a global influencer, and culture shifter who co-founded the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WENN) and served as the National Youth Vote Director for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, has been named the Recording Academy’s first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer.

The Los Angeles-based Recording Academy consists of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals, and it’s most famous for the Grammy Awards, which recognize achievements in the music industry.

Butterfield confirmed the appointment on Instagram.

“The mission continues, and I’m deeply honored to join you on this journey,” Butterfield wrote.

“We are thrilled to welcome Valeisha Butterfield Jones into the Recording Academy family,” said Academy Chair and Interim President and CEO Harvey Mason in a statement. “Valeisha has been a force in driving systemic change and enhancing equal opportunities for

underrepresented groups across entertainment, technology, and politics.”

He continued: “I’m excited to work with her to continue evolving the Recording Academy as an organization that represents our music community and a place where all voices are welcomed, supported, and nurtured. We are so fortunate to have Valeisha’s leadership in this crucial area.”

Variety reported that Butterfield Jones would report directly to Mason beginning on May 11. According to the announcement, she will join the executive leadership team responsible for advancing the Recording Academy’s mission and ensuring that diversity and inclusion are core to business values and standards, and demonstrated throughout the organization.

Butterfield Jones will “design, build and implement world-class programs and industry standards focused on inclusion, belonging and representation for underrepresented communities and creators,” according to the news release.

The daughter of U.S. Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) and North Carolina State Legislator Jean Farmer

Butterfield, Valeisha Butterfield Jones most recently served as the Global Head of Women and Black Community Engagement for Google.

She’s also served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration, and Butterfield Jones also held the post of Executive Vice President of Rush Communications and as the National Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Alzheimer’s Association.

She maintains a seat on the National Board of Directors of ColorComm, MC Lyte’s Hip Hop Sisters Network, and iVote.

“The Recording Academy has an opportunity and responsibility to ensure that diversity and inclusion are embedded in its core values,” Butterfield Jones stated.

“I’m deeply honored to join the Academy as we enter a new chapter of transformational growth, leadership, and change. During this unprecedented time in world history, together, we will double-down on our focus to drive systemic change and equitable outcomes for underrepresented communities and creators.”

Former Radio Personality Creates Social Media App for African Americans ‘Marcel’ to Debut his New App on Chuck D’s RapStation

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent On Friday, May 1, legendary Public Enemy front man Chuck D will host a “Hip-Hop Earthizen Town Hall,” with Dr. Khan, one of today’s most relevant rappers.

The Town Hall will take place via livestream at Chuck D’s Rapstation.com and on the station’s new app, built by the 30-year radio personality, Marcel.

“This app is bigger than just a way for people to have freedom of speech, or monetize their content,” Marcel told NNPA Newswire of his Nu Media Tech app.

“Those are truly important things, but bigger than that, we need to look at this app as a country. Our own country, in digital form,” he stated.

Expected to rival Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook the Nu Media Tech app is in the final stages of readiness, and those interested will be able to get it soon from the Apple Store or Google.

“It’s an app that will rival the majors that we deal with,” Marcel stated. “I told Chuck that I’m on Mars, and everybody else is on planet Earth because I keep hearing that we need this. I wanted to have an app where I can control it. You saw Teddy Riley and Babyface do their thing, but they’re not getting paid, Facebook got paid. My app is about freedom of speech, and it does what these others do and more. And, we won’t curb anyone’s free speech, and you should be paid when you use it.”

The app will provide a personal social media platform for users who can determine themselves what content they’d like to monetize and get paid instantly, Marcel said.

He added that he’d invested much to make the app a reality.

“It’s about putting forth an effort to be a part of the solution to our problem as a people. People always say, ‘we need to come together and support one another,’” Marcel explained.

One of the benefits of the app is that it provides a place where everyone in the black community can all come together, Marcel said.

“Never before in the history of the world have we been able to come together in real-time, instantly. Information is knowledge, and knowledge is power. We need to share information in real-time,” he stated.

If an African American is unlawfully and wrongfully “shot in the back by the police or a Zimmerman type, we need to know this when it happens, and for those who organize, we can organize immediately,” Marcel noted.

His app will then allow African Americans to “use our collective voice and say ‘This is wrong and we aren’t allowing it.’”

“And then take it out to social media and blow it up with this kind of atrocity,” he said.

Like other social media platforms, the message can reach communities quickly.

“This, as I see it, is truly going to be a powerful platform for us, and yes, we have to support it. Yes, it’s hard to do, yes it is very expensive and nearly impossible but so what. It has to exist. We can do it. It’s already here,” Marcel offered.

Chuck D told NNPA Newswire that he’s excited about Marcel’s invention.

“I’ve been having Rapstation.com, a 10-station channel portal that gets into the curation and total eloquence and narration of hip hop, and I met Marcel through the general manager,” Chuck stated.

“He’s one of those geniuses, and when people look around and say how come we don’t have these portals to get our content around, he ends up partnering with a super mega-company (Apple), and he keeps making inventions and innovations. What’s great is that he’s got one name, Marcel, like Prince.”

Marcel recently received a notice from his Apple submission team that there were still a few bugs that need working through that could delay the app for another week, but that won’t affect Chuck D’s scheduled Town Hall on Rapstation.

“Every time I fix a bug, I have to test with my team as well, and it usually takes a week for just the beta testers to have it,” Marcel stated.

“I am glad to be getting the word out about the app coming, but at the end of the day, I care about the app being done right more than a timetable of completion. It has to be right. As an African American, I don’t get to get it wrong. It has to be perfect or better. Especially in this space.”

Chuck D told NNPA Newswire that he’s excited about Marcel’s invention. (Photo: Courtesy Chuck D)

A6

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

Local

Barnes Adds Easter to `Runner Squad Butler Community College standout Grehlon Easter will join the CSU Bakersfield squad in 2020-21.

Grehlon Easter (Courtesy of BCC Athletics via GoRunners.com)

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Another standout guard has been added to the CSU Bakersfield men’s basketball roster for 2020-21 as Head Coach Rod Barnes has announced Grehlon Easter will become a Roadrunner. A native of Little Rock, Ark., Easter is coming off a successful 201920 season with Butler Community College (Kan.). The 6-foot-3 guard helped the Grizzlies to a 25-8 record while Butler received votes in the NCJAA Top 25 Poll for the first time since 2005. For his efforts, Easter earned All-Region VI and All-KJCCC honors while leading Butler to the Region VI Championship game. “We are excited about the signing of Grehlon Easter,” said Barnes, who is heading into his 10th season at the helm of the `Runners. “He is a versatile guard who is extremely competitive. He plays with energy and a winner spirit that is contagious. He is a really good defender and he can also score on all three levels.” As a sophomore, Easter averaged a team-high 14.9 points per game for the Grizzlies on 41-percent shooting from the field. A diverse player, Easter ranked third on the team with 1.9 assists per contest while also adding 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals a game. In the Region VI semifinal against Colby, Easter netted a season-high 28 points to help the Grizzlies win by a one-point margin. Easter tallied doubledigit scoring in 27 of 34 games while recording 20+ points on five occasions. Barnes commented on why he believes

Easter is a good fit in the CSUB program: “Grehlon has been well coached and he really understands what it takes to win. He fits the profile we needed to shore up our backcourt. We feel his talent and attitude will impact our program immediately.” Prior to his time at Butler, Easter spent his freshman season at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. The guard appeared in 30 games with the NCAA Division I program, averaging 2.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per contest. Easter’s biggest game of the season came against Georgia Tech as he tallied 10 points against the Yellow Jackets. A 2018 graduate of Mills High School in Little Rock, Easter was ranked among the top ten guards in the state of Arkansas. Averaging over 15 points and 2.5 assists a game as a junior, he led MHS to the 2017 Arkansas state title with a 31-2 record. For his efforts, Easter earned All-Conference and All-State honors. He also gained valuable experience playing with the Arkansas Wings, one of the top AAU teams in the country. Coach Barnes, Easter, and the rest of the `Runners will continue anxiously awaiting the day when they can get together on the court. Bakersfield’s mission remains the same as the team heads into the Big West Conference this summer as it was in the Western Athletic Conference: win a league title and play on the national stage next March.

Kern County Public Health Says Governor’s Stay-at-Home Order is Still in Place Elizabeth Sanchez South Kern Sol The Kern County Public Health Department on Monday said at a press conference the Governor’s stay-athome order is still in place.

After much confusion over the weekend, County officials clarified an announcement made Saturday. The Kern County Public Health department announced Saturday it rescinded the local order of the Kern County Health Officer, which was made on April 2. It did not rescind the local emergency declaration.

“Kern County is preparing to get back to work,” said Megan Person, the chief communications officer for Kern County. “We want to be in a position to react quickly.”

Person said the rescinding of the local order doesn’t change much for the residents of Kern County. Nonessential businesses are still expected to remain closed, and residents are still encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing.

“Everything remains the same,” said Michelle Corson, the spokeswoman for Public Health. “This was strictly so we can respond when the Governor takes actions.”

Person said the rescinding of the local order is a step in preparation of when the Governor modifies or rescinds his stay-at-home order, which is just “days away,” according to a news released by Public Health. Person said this is just “clearing the red tape that would slow us down in the future.

Local law enforcement will still be able to issue citations to businesses not in compliance with the Governor’s orders.

Law enforcement has issued two citations since the order went into effect, according to Person, after health officials made repeated attempts to get them to abide by the order.

The local order was originally instituted to garner additional tools to assist with Kern County’s compliance with the Governor’s stay at home order and California Department of Public Health’s gathering guidance.

Kern County has also put together a committee to help with a swift and smooth reopening of the economy when the Governor decides to lift the shelter in place order.

Person said the committee will work with industry sectors to ensure communication on state directives, and industry sectors will have an opportunity to provide recommendations for the reopening of the local economy when the times comes.

The committee will provide best practices, guidance and recommendations for implementing necessary changes locally for safely reopening businesses when the Governor’s orders are lifted, according to a news release.

A sign of the times is posted at the entrance of Lorene’s Downtown. As people in Bakersfield are told to observe isolation and distancing precautions because of the Coronavirus pandemic effecting the United States and the world, the streets in Bakersfield are much less crowded during peak hours. Some businesses can remain open if they provide essential needs of the population. While many have closed doors. (Photo by Henry A. Barrios for Kern Sol News)

Lowering the Cost of Course Materials

Saving Student CostsThrough Affordable Learning $olutions May 5, 2020 – Faculty at California State University, Bakersfield are working to lower the cost of course materials to zero.

CSUB began participating in the California State University Affordable Learning $olutions (AL$) initiative

in 2013. Its goal is to provide students with easy access to quality, low- or no-cost textbooks. The initiative has saved CSUB students a grand total of $1,521,197.

The AL$ initiative is led by associate librarian Sandra Bozarth in the Walter W. Stiern Library.

This spring, the Child, Adolescent and Family Studies Department received a $10,000 award made available through AL$ for having the most courses with no- or lowcost textbook adoptions for the 2019-2020 academic year.

By offering only zero cost course materials for every

course within their department, they have saved CSUB students a total of $221,410 in one academic year. The department savings over a two-year period is $279,410.

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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER A7

Local

A8

BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER

Local

Wednesday, May 6, 2020