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se rican-Amer o t in han Cooper. ican deathld quadruple The allegeddcuffs and ha New row inmate in ci Cooper’s 1som’s decision could d en Flori t wa making ouda Today reports t Hills famil 985 conviction in lead to the overtu t. y th rn A an e u in th k d g il o ling of a ru their 11-y ri Enough Of of has the Your Lovtie”es say t Californiapnotential, some polieatir-old house guest. ral Chino and a s. The case cal watcher s say, to d Both the C ivide aliforn and more an a dozenia and United States past appeath lo su w p er courts hav re ls. e rejectedmCe courts “I take no p ooper’s osition regar nocence at about the h this time,” Newsodming Mr. Cooper’s g uilt or inigh-profile said in his terest. N ca ex se free 2. When you see a photo or ad with the Observer 1. Get for that hby Yothe as downloading rk Tapp drawn inteecutive order Sen. Kamew im es ’ co rn lu al at m Interactive logo scan over the whole photo with your it from Google Play or The Apple App a io n is H n al in t Nic arri have all ca lled for res -tand reality TV starholas Kristof, U.S.tablet or smartphone. forensic Store technology. esting using curr Kim Kardashian SUL ent, more The ACLU gorilla suitPHUR, La. (AP) – P se n si an ti ve groups hav d other hu mattress befbroke into a Louisiaol man rights e also urged o n a deeper in an Serving Kern County News ouretl officers arrested h ves gation California state o d social justice et into Cooper fficials to la s Gov. Newtiso sp q u o k o for Over 40 Years es te m Mel E unch ’s con m’s tion issu st in ThSuulphu officers saan by formerorder Friday expandviction. w Jeremie es rsday test four ed s G p co o Moran wal re v. stume. They vious direc rry Brown lowed analpyieces of crime scenJe h ad in son looking received ca kin D ember lls a into homes to an orange sts to perform DNe evidence. Brownec ’s . E to A o st es says Mo prosecutors wel; and the han re-testing on a tan rder al- bo p ra ro n ac ran into a hed but w dle and sh dies in the say Cooper T-shirt; as discover eath Ry In th new u charges incl ed investigatseiod in the murders. of a hatchet Joshua Ryen, theen’s home with a total u d of hair frois in g re tr sisting an hoidin y, meth poss victims’ 8-y wound on of 143 stab button Com the victims’ hannd, analysts will look es ea h w si is in ro o g in the San u o son, su throat. He In Louisian n and wearingffia c ffered a slnasds. the al was the old Bernardino tigators plaoper’s attorney No s, blood samples anat strands tack. a, a person in n p ly le h u g County are blic survivor of ations Coo nvicte Angeles Co nted at the scene rman Hile mainta d a green le After Coopers’s per’s attorn not surprise the at- D.A.’s office most. Excecan be sentencedco in g o ja u al f s n il ly ty th in ey b to d . p e v re st S s M ab esti uperior Co ay crime. A re ak thre ar vestigation o an o n ed , e u s ra y in t m ar in ci v o h ak e es al biases an f em freq olidays like al a ho in tigat also urt judge w . ti d discrimth Halloweenlowed for relig uently comg about their ill oversee rethd Los familsay they found eviduse next door to thors found, he il- complaints Cooper, 61 in It at an p ’s la io dM unclear if M e victims. ence in th y’s statio in abou are hand n in the e in, has main years. His g ment. oran has a ardi G tained his For some,nGwagon that tied Coe Ryen’s home and inThey unang prosecutor Miclehd. Just last month,way their cases ort lawy by Gov. Nlawyers hope the re in n o ce d a o ae er o n p th S v. l er ce an pressure fo e Selyem, wh sults of the New ewsom, wh Volume 45 Number Newspapers over the ingObserver Bernardino Wednesday, June 12, 2019 in the case Group the murderCalifornia som’s order oftoSouthern hel40 r o re m p pro o ic n -t ak is h is s. so es in W being met co ti cial media. with dismtoaybroaden DNA te st him. ve their client’s innould take several mong ordered poof the murders Josh His insultgscrude and racist anhdite, resigned - chelle Obama, U ua Ryen an nths, will . The lone su cence and ta rters of the rg mments et ed ,S fo B . d rmer Firstco finally exo Rep. Maxin lack shooti In 1 Lady Minerate they are disappoRyens and Hughesfamily, friends andrvivor n e g W v on four co9u85, a San Diego Co ic at ti er m s . su an in al Th l p te d across the o an unnamed “Unfortunat d with the gov 26 and an nts of murder. At unty jury convicte state say Los Angelmas R. Parker, a form ernor’s dec ely, over tim the time of d Cooper for justice in es office, bel er is d io ep cord - incluescaped prison inm n e u . it ty h th is se is case mat head of the ie ems the vic arrest, he w Th ters FBI’s ti s’ desire “The evis guy is innocenvt,es Cooper. as no Distric in Pennsylv ding several burglaate. His lengthy cr ” he told th iminal re- “Prior DNtAAttorney Jason Anless and less,” San m id ries and the ania – did en ce w as B d er o n te er e p n o n C ra st la so N t ar th o in p n h ew n o d e te e el g p icl o sa d st p th f a minor aimed ou Y , he was fr and.” his case. By Dr. Paula L. Parksin 195 er, formerly nam ld exoneratat Mr. Cooper sougidh in a statement. amed, theork Times. What has k per’s guilw e him have t, agreed to cops lied Bakersfield College month 8 near Pittsburgh, ed Richard Goodm t. ep ” t a th fe all confirm e case goin deral appel s ld, he w students,Pen and nsylvare Yet persuas Four lucky Bakersfield ania. Whenan, was born ed g la as adoptedwho During hoCollege te M an ec co r. dC ution and re urt Cooive ar he w six monies and childhooAmerican d renamed part of the Umoja Community African Success LAKE FOR iew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooper alive - is and he spis d, his paran allegationsguments based on co Kevin Coas Gov. Newvso re ESBakersfield ent a go(ASTEP) as en isCalif. w stay his exT, Calif. (A City o o it BAKERSFIELD, recov(AP) ts n f Through Excellencejuand Persistence program, h n o ab ev fl p p m er ic le h id o o ering_afThe ysically abu ting testi- DNA te . gat d part of ad questions ab ence tamper m re venile deten ’s sc P) – Offic d ie ec n te ti is r fi io beithe st c y se n o o in o ev in o rs Council has given the go-ahead to adding d ti n ng stmotto le u to went on a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Univerg g id o u t sc h ro , n se co th en im k al ence living ad centers. In a mental h d ee ruck b“In e lo m ce to m p in w es . C ra et n al S an ea ai is h o if y a polic o in u l rl o o d C th th y rn at g s o in ea er er ta 1 an in ia o 9 n ck lt p d G se 8 God We Trust’’ to police and fire vehicles. ro th er h C 2 , sities (HBCU)s. It was a life changing trip, during which stories inves veral . Three wea , Cooper es facility in P and in swo California. have high ex overnor whose su e term of the p und of th Laguna Beach Po alifornia. p ti ca rn th en o n p re n s te ed sy e were used in pporters on stimony, Jo Therocouncil Joaquin lice Valley attackers w lvania befo fr they were able to tour five Georgia and Alabama pecta Oran CSan gressive of theesouthern Offi city Dcolleges sh oau4-2 uring hisinm ho were W the politica re movingom could hav nty vote. NA testingtions. someone’sgepon Register hecer Thomas approved thel Ldecals Wednesday as well as experienceguhistoric sites. hite. He lautea Ryen said he sathwe solve “D to u e rd b ef ed that cultural ee er t sh et n initially th tr o H w u ia ld th h is l, prosecu Cooper en th r testified th e Ryen case immediately Feb. 19. reported Further com panic. The Bakersfield Californian the decision e ca The Umoja program includes English aretors succ killed courses Ryen, th t dartedfolat they Chiang said husbandthat and finally ta p k ei li in front an e es ca r sf p 1 ti n 0 la u n am -y an ll ce lowed a two-hour debate in which 19 speakers opposed g y required for graduation, academic and personal counseld ear-old dau d wife Dou McGuire sa th ed Diana R ensure just uring the ca to reneighbor C - bel that DNA ghter JessFor g and Pegar oper camee prosecutions’ claim ys when he icdecals mpaign. “N e is seand hand th o ristotrips n ev e the 11 spoke in favor of them. g an id ing, mentoring, study support, activities. in pher and ic rv en g g im a y ed fo to s, ce an al g rw ,” b o a her former ot nly is it Hughes. Po can h p law d was bigger ut testing in t out to chec womd with b boyfriend ar ACLU Jordan the council than lice foundan 11-year-old inal. She turned more information and to apply, see BC’s website. proattorney AnimWells enforcemoen is case woel ven a housethat al Contold who was aloody clothing the eviden the bloodie Even thoth d t cat. u tr es so ld o to tr lv l co o o an e placing “In God We Trust’’ on police cars is bad y ffi m cr The students earned their spot by excelling academied v ce u an io ce e im d gh it. rs public at no cost to len im es over to the is the state.”, trauma. al hospital, where itrushed the ble police, buttcrim- issubold, he is treadinNgewsom’s decision in African Am policy. cally and having an interest in transferring to an HBCU. they ericans, His carefully on e that Calif the Co“Unlike diagnose oper case God, police are fallible,’’ hewassaid. Dr. officers Students are more likely to transfer to a four-year college ornia voters panics and a potential Kristi Kra w at ch in o ly ac g th u sh . se ro er minoriti p H e , o ss “Their conduct should be scrutinized by the public, and a e ex la out of town if they visit and feel the campus and can enviv th is ri p et ec zi e k er n p ts the 1 -p eeping his inarian, tell g bac es liv- Con l spectr omust focus on ofaliticawhen und (5insist k inauthority, they their ac- s th tinued on um overstep sion themselves there. While CSUB provides an excellent to the wild1we are -kilogon irnes ra page A2 s and justic af te r countability.’’ M it education, transferring to an HBCU after attending BC cGuire visit regains strem) cat to e th ngth. edsaid the she Councilmemberat Jacquie if he seesSullivan allows students the ability to save money and to broaden bobloves cat ontheFri it againThose , he’llwords motto. “It’s meaningful. It’s powerful. in- day. their horizons. issue aare ticket for j tended to encourage,’’ Sullivan said. Explained student Michaela Edwards: “The trip gave Councilmembers Willie Rivera and Andrae Gonzales me an experience that I never knew that I needed. I had voted against the plan. never visited a college campus other than my own (BC) “I think it’s clear this decision doesn’t represent everybody in this community and I think this is a problem,’’ Rivera said. Gonzales noted he is a Christian but opposes the deLeft VP Jesse Kane, Dr. Karen McCord who conducted the tour, and far right is VP Dr. T. Ramon Stuart. (Dr. cals. “The God I believe in is much bigger than a bumper sticker,’’ he said. Paula L. Parks photo) Earlier in the week, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy deand my first experience doing so was HBCUs in the South. panies that provide jobs and internships. clared his support for the decals. Being able to mix in civil rights sites added to the overall Keon Warren was sold on Morehouse: “I”d like to at“Displaying `In God We Trust’ _ the official motto of experience. I’ve never felt as in touch with my people and tend Morehouse because it’s always been the hub of creat- the United States _ on Bakersfield Police Department cars ancestors. ing young Black male leaders. With notable alumni such is a testament to each officer’s commitment to upholding GEORGIA as Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s almost impossible to feel the rule of law and defending the City of Bakersfield and Clark Atlanta University Morehouse’s rich African-American history when you’re on its residents,’’ he said in a statement to The Californian. Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is part of the part of campus.” The decals are to be privately funded, although details the complex that includes all-male Morehouse and all-feMartin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social have yet to be worked out. male Spelman. One huge advantage of each is that all stu- Change Leaders of the neighboring Kern County city of Deldents can take classes in the other colleges. The historic site includes his childhood home, the ano approved placing the motto on its police cars in April. Tour guide and senior assistant director of transfer graves of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, the The city of Shafter will take up the idea later this month. Andra Brantley touted the honors programs,availability of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and two museums about Dr. In a similar issue, the Laguna Beach City Council student housing, and the advantages of being in Atlanta King and his role in the Civil Rights Movement. voted earlier this year to retain a new red, white and blue American flag motif that runs through the word “police’’ Alabama State University. (Dr. Paula L. Parks photo) with its rich history as well as access to Fortune 500 com- Continued on page A8 on its black-and-whites after some complaints. The panel had approved a design more muted than the graphic that was actually produced.
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ASTEP Program Tours Black Colleges
U.S. Attempt to Erase Harriet Tubman
A. Scott Bolden is the current Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C., office of Reed Smith and former At-Large Member on the Executive Committee of the firm.
By A. Scott Bolden NNPA Newswire Contributor With uniquely American hypocrisy, the Trump Treasury Department has pushed back the 2016 plan to put escaped slave and Underground Railroad heroine Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. Tubman would be the first African-American woman featured on U.S. currency. The $20 currently features a former president, Andrew Jackson, who not only owned slaves, but ordered the death march of thousands of Native Americans. Euphemistically called “Indian Removal,” the Trail of Tears made way for white settlers to claim millions of acres of southern land. The attempted erasure of Tubman represents yet another move in the Trump playbook to disconnect racial reality from white fantasy. In the fantasy of white supremacy, traitors like Jefferson Davis and other Confederates are memorialized for being freedom fighters — the freedom of whites to own black human beings and work them to death — while a woman who risked her life time and again to free enslaved people is simply dismissed. Ignored. Erased. In the fantasy of white supremacy, white people are always justified in killing unarmed black men, women and children, either with their own guns or by aiming the unquestioned power of the police. No act is too repugnant,
even those resulting in the sexual abuse or death of immigrant children in American custody, if it can be framed as a defense of white superiority. In the fantasy of white supremacy, the FBI spent millions in time and treasure to plant false evidence of Communist influence on Martin Luther King — while in reality, Russians today are using the racial tension in American to incite violence and paralyze our society, while they work towards global dominance. By erasing Tubman, the Trump forces again deploy their most effective weapon in the quest to maintain power— the unholy alliance of racism and misogyny. Because in America, it seems, freedom is for whites only, and more specifically, for white men. To be sure, Trump has ordered his own digital Trail of Tears, as he rolls back civil rights protections for people of color, for women, for immigrants fleeing starvation or oppressive regimes, for LGBTQ people, for the poor and the voiceless. And currently, the cognitive dissonance in America has reached a new, critical level of psychosis. As a nation we exalt independence, freedom and equality—we boast Continued on page A5
Most of World Failing at Gender Equality By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent
Nearly 40 percent of the world’s girls and women live in countries that are failing on gender equality, according to information compiled by Equal Measures 2030 and its partners.
According to the website for the project, “The 2019 SDG Gender Index measures the state of gender equality aligned to 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 129 countries and 51 issues ranging from health, gender-based violence, climate change, decent work and others. The 2019 SDG Gender Index provides a snapshot
of where the world stands, right now, linked to the vision of gender equality set forth by the 2030 Agenda.” The index reveals that 1.4 billion girls and women are living in countries that get a “very poor” or failing grade on gender equality. The SDG Gender Index is considered the most comprehensive tool available to measure the state of gender equality when compared to defined SDGs. The average score across the 129 countries – which represent 95 percent of the world’s girls and women – is 65.7 out of 100, which translates to a “poor” rating based upon the index’s scoring system).
Altogether, 2.8 billion girls and women live in countries that get either a “very poor” (59 and below) or “poor” score (60 – 69) on gender equality. (Illustration: iStockphoto / NNPA)
No single country is the world’s best performer – or even among the world’s top ten performers – across all goals or all issues. In 2015, world leaders from the participating countries committed to achieve gender equality by 2030 for every girl and every woman when they signed on to the ambitious goals and targets of the SDGs. “With just 11 years to go, our index finds that not a single one of the 129 countries is fully transforming their laws, policies or public budget decisions on the scale needed to reach gender equality by 2030,” Alison Holder, the director of Equal Measures 2030 said in a news release. “We are failing to deliver on the promises of gender equality for literally billions of girls and women,” Holder said. Overall, the world is furthest behind on gender equality issues related to public finance and better gender data (SDG 17), climate change (SDG 13), gender equality in industry and innovation (SDG 9) and – worryingly – the standalone ‘gender equality’ goal (SDG 5). Denmark tops the index, followed closely by Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. The countries with the lowest scores in the index – Niger, Yemen, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad – have all faced conflict and fragility in recent years. Altogether, 2.8 billion girls and women live in countries that get either a “very poor” (59 and below) or “poor” score (60 – 69) on gender equality. Just 8 percent of the world’s population of girls and women live in countries that received a “good” gender equality score (80 – 89) and no country achieved an “excellent” overall score of 90 or above. The 129 countries featured in the index cover five regions – Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. “It’s clear that even the most gender-equal countries need to improve on issues like climate change, gender budgeting and public services, equal representation in powerful positions, gender pay gaps, and gender-based violence,” Holder said. The index also shows that countries with far fewer resources are still able to tackle key gender inequalities. Senegal, for example, has a higher percentage of women in parliament (42 percent) than Denmark (37 percent), Continued on page A2
Bobto caAdd t Recove Bakersfield AftTrust’ er Beito ‘In God We ng Hi P o lice Car Police Vehicles
Black Drivers Stopped, Searched More Often LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – An analysis of traffic stop data by The Courier Journal has found African Americans in Louisville are disproportionately stopped and are three times more likely to be searched than white drivers. The paper analyzed 130,999 stops between 2016 and 2018. They found that African Americans accounted for 33% of the stops although they make up only about 20% of Louisville’s driving-age population. Of 8,942 searches, 57% involved African Americans. That’s despite a much higher incidence of contraband found with white drivers. According to the analysis, police found contraband in 72% of the searches of whites versus only 41% for African Americans. Speaking before the Metro Council Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, Police Chief Steve Conrad said traffic stops are only one tactic for violence reduction, though he added, “In terms of them being effective for reducing violent crime, I would agree that statistically they are not.’’ He said that is one of the reasons he announced a new approach last month in which stops will no longer be “a matter of routine.’’ Under new rules, which go into effect Aug. 1, officers must be able to justify why they remove drivers from vehicles, frisk or handcuff them, or make them sit on the ground. Jamaj Johnson was stopped last June by Louisville Metro Police for failing to signal a turn. The Ford assembly line worker with no criminal record was ordered out of his car, frisked and handcuffed while his car was searched by a drug-sniffing dog. A passenger and her baby also had to get out during the search. No contraband was found in his 2007 Chevy Tahoe after 20 minutes, and the traffic charge was later dismissed. In an interview with the newspaper, Johnson said he was furious because he knew there was nothing illegal inside his truck. “I never even smoked a cigarette,’’ he said. Johnson said the stop and search were particularly offensive and intrusive because his friend and her baby had to stand outside in the rain. “Did they pull me over because I have an SUV and am black?’’ he asked. “I can’t think of any other reason.’’
Spike Lee Calls for Hollywood to ‘Shut it Down’ in Georgia LOS ANGELES (AP) – Director Spike Lee is calling for Hollywood production companies to leave Georgia over a law that would ban abortions as early as six weeks, upon detection of a fetal heartbeat. Most studios that have commented have said they’re waiting to see if the so-called ``heartbeat’’ law actually takes effect next year, or if the courts will block it. But at the arrivals line for Denzel Washington’s American Film Institute lifetime achievement tribute Thursday, Lee said now is the time for Georgia-based productions to ``shut it down’’ and boycott the state’s booming film industry to drive change. Lee acknowledged that a mass exodus could dent livelihoods, but cited black bus drivers affected by the Civil Rights Movement-era boycott in Montgomery. ``I know it’s going to affect people’s livelihood. But that’s how things change,’’ Lee said. ``You’ve got to be on the right side of history, and the state of Georgia and those other states, they’re wrong,’’ he added. Georgia’s economy currently gets a $9.5 billion annual boost from the industry.