Bakersfield News Observer 9.28.22

Loved Ones Hope Public Can Help Locate Black and Missing Individuals

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Daniel Robinson drove his 2017 Jeep Renegade west into the desert terrain on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, and no one has seen the Buckeye, Arizona, man since. Investigators discovered the car, described as blue-grey, about four miles from a worksite in a remote part of the desert where Robinson, 25, worked as a field geologist overseeing sites inthe area. At 5’8 inches tall, Robinson is African American, weighs 150 pounds, and has short black hair. He has brown eyes. Police ask anyone with information to contact (623) 349-6400 or the Black and Missing Foundation at (877) 97-BAMFI. On September 21, 2022, Cayla Combs went missing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was last seen that morning near her residence in Marshall Shadeland. Her family described her as suicidal and possibly in possession of a firearm. They said Cayla drives a black 2018 Kia Sorento with Pennsylvania plate KZS4334. Combs, 27, is described as biracial with a light complexion. She stands 5’1 inches and has brown eyes and long black hair. Police ask anyone with information to call (412) 323-7141 or contact the Black and Missing Foundation.

Tiffany Foster, 36, was last seen on March 1, 2021, at Lakeside Apartments in Newnan, Georgia. Her vehicle was located nearly an hour away in Fulton County with her personal belongings inside. Foster, who is Black, stands 5’2 inches and weighs about 220 pounds. She has hazel eyes and long black hair. Police ask anyone with information to call (770) 253-1502 or contact the Black and MissingFoundation. Family members said Robyn Austin might have suffered a mental health crisis when the 32-year-old Marine veteran disappeared on August 11, 2022, at the San Diego Veterans Center. Austin is described as biracial, stands 5’6 inches, weighs 135 pounds, and has brown eyes and medium-length brown hair. San Diego Police asked that anyone with information call (619) 531-2000 or contact the Black and Missing Foundation.

Derrica and Natalie started the nonprofit Black and Missing Foundation in 2008 with a mission to bring awareness to missing persons of color and to provide vital resources and tools to missing person’sfamilies and friends. As laid out in a 2021 HBO special, the foundation’s goal remains to educate the minority

community on personal safety. At one point, statistics from the FBI and other sources noted that approximately 64,000 black women and girls were missing, despite that specific demographic accounting for a relatively small percentage of the U.S. population. Because of the efforts of the Wilson sisters, the Black and Missing Foundation has helped to find or bring closure to hundreds of cases involving missing persons of color. The Black and Missing Foundation also helps families immediately after they report a missing loved one. “Many times, the families don’t know how to file a police report, and often when they file the report, an officer

tells them that it could be a runaway situation or maybe drugs are involved,” Natalie Wilson said during an earlier interview. “We tell the families that they know their loved ones and know what’s not their behavior. So, we are there for the families to hold their hands or to listen.” Wilson said the foundation is a voice for the families, and everyone should have a role in bringing awareness to the plight of missing persons of color. “We have to help,” she said. For information about the Black and Missing Foundation or to donate, visit www.bamfi.org.

Cal Sec of State Weber Travels State Urging Youth to

Get Early Start on Voter Registration

in the last weeks of April and September and offers preregistration, mock voting trials, guidance for teachers and administrators, and other tools to help young people get an early start in voting. Advertising, speaking tours, and videos aimed at future voters are part of the arsenal Weber’s office is using to reach voters.

At the legal voting age of 18, many young voters are in their first years of college or at the end of high school. Through volunteering and education, they are encouraged to participate in the process as early as possible.

Last week, Weber spoke to students at John W. North High School in Riverside County as part of her statewide voting education tour.

“California allows us to register students as early as 16, to preregister for voting,” said Weber. “We also allow those at 16 years old to work in the polls, so we want to encourage voting at every level.”

On National Voting Registration Day, last Tuesday, Sept. 20, she was at Dodger stadium reaching out to citizens and encouraging them to register. The holiday was established by a non-partisan group in 2012, with the goal of increasing voter registration and recruiting volunteers to work at polling places. The National Association ofSecretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors are among the organizations endorsing the holiday, according to their website.

Weber is the first Black woman to hold the position of Secretary of State in California after being appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020. She was sworn in on Jan. 29, 2021.

Her office is responsible for more than accounting for the vote, preparing for elections and campaign filings. She is also responsible for business filings and the historicalarchives of the state.

Weber is one of three Black women in the United States who are Secretaries of State. Tahesha Way of New Jersey and acting secretary of the commonwealth Leigh Chapman of Pennsylvania are the other two. All three are Democrats. Weber acknowledged the historic role of Black women in voting in an interview on NBC.

“Black women in this country have always been sometimes ignored and yet counted on,” said Webber in an interview on NBC. “We’ve been a silent force for change. Everyone always knew you could count on the sister in the front row to get things done.”

Weber has been an active proponent of protecting

voting rights and American democracy.

On Sept. 28, she will be hosting a Voting Rights Town Hall at Sacramento State, where she will discuss the 1965 Voting Rights Act and how to further protect voting rightsacross the nation.

Her advocacy for the vote comes from deeply rooted personal experiences. Growing up, she remembers that her grandparents and parents did not have right to vote during the era of Jim Crow in Arkansas. Her father moved the family to California where she received her PhD from the University of California Los Angeles by age 26. Weber was a four-term Assemblymember representing California’s 79th district and was the chair of the California LegislativeBlack Caucus in 2020.

While Weber is pushing to include more voters in California, many places across the country have taken a different approach to voting rights. After the gutting of the 1969 Voting Rights Act in 2013, which no longer required some Southern states to seek federal approval of voting changes, many enacted new policies and laws that somedeemed restrictive.

The Brennan Center for Justice tracks some of the ongoing fights over voting rights and some of the methods used by states; closing polling places, requiring identification, gerrymandering, removing individuals from voter rolls and casting doubts on the legitimacy of the process, are a few of the complaints they follow.

This year, 32 cases have been filed in fifteen states. Some of these legal complaints illustrate concerns that protections for the right to vote need to be strengthened. Campaign Legal Center v. Scott, No. 1:22-cv-00092 (W.D. Tex.), for example pointed to voting role purging enacted by then Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott. In the case, which Scott loss, the judge said it had “flawed results” which removed nearly 10, 000 voters from the rolls -- only 80 were ineligible.

When visiting Southwestern College in South Bay, on Sept. 9, Weber spoke about the need to protect voting rights and the importance of inclusion and vigilance. She challenged students to find the “courage” to defend democracy with their votes.

“We are helping people to understand that voting is power, that it is an equalizing power, and that every voter gets one vote,” said Weber. “I tell the students all the time do not give away your power … use your power to yourbest interest.”

Man Pleads Guilty to Bringing Molotov Cocktails to Protest

SEATTLE (AP) – A Renton, Washington man has pleaded guilty to bringing 12 Molotov cocktails to a protest at the Seattle police union headquarters on Labor Day 2020.

Justin Christopher Moore entered his plea to unlawful possession of destructive devices Thursday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, prosecutors said in a press release. He’s scheduled to be sentence on December 21, 2022. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

According to the plea agreement, Moore made 12 gasoline devices and carried them to a protest march at the Seattle Police Officers Guild headquarters, prosecutors said. Police smelled gasoline and discovered the box in a parking lot.

Investigators used video and information from other co-conspirators to confirm that Moore was the person carrying the box to the site, prosecutors said. A searchof his home found “numerous items that are consistent with manufacturing explosive devices,’’ prosecutors said.

Lawsuit: Florida Discriminates Against Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A group of Florida A&M University students sued the state’s university system Thursday claiming the historically Black university is underfunded and subject of discriminatory practices compared to other state institutions.

The federal lawsuit filed in Tallahassee claims the state is violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by engaging “in a pattern and practice of intentional discrimination ... by maintaining a segregated system of higher education.’’

The lawsuit said the state takes years longer to complete infrastructure improvements at FAMU than at non-historically Black schools, duplicates programs at nearby Florida State University that discourage attendance at FAMU, doesn’t provide enough resourcesfor student recruitment and retention and doesn’t do enough to recruit and retain a diverse faculty and staff.

The state university system didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment from TheAssociated Press.

4th Defendant Pleads Guilty in White Supremacist Attack

SEATTLE (AP) – A fourth defendant has pleaded guilty in federal court to a hate crime for beating a Black DJ unconscious at a bar in Washington state in 2018.

Jason Stanley, of Boise, Idaho, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Wednesday. He is one of four men from across the Pacific Northwest prosecuted for punching and kicking the DJ at a bar in Lynnwood, north of Seattle, while yelling racist slurs.

The defendants were members of white supremacist groups marking what they refer to as “Martyr’s Day,’’ an annual gathering honoring a white supremacist who died in a shootout with federal agents on nearby WhidbeyIsland in the 1980s.

They went to a bar where they made Nazi salutes on the dance floor, started a confrontation with the DJ and beat him unconscious while yelling racial slurs. They also attacked two biracial people who tried to intervene on the DJ’s behalf.

“Violent, hate-driven conduct that has no place in our society today,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a news release. “The Department of Justice will continue to use every resource at its disposal to fight white supremacist violence.’’

Stanley, 46, also pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI when he initially claimed he wasn’t in the state at the time of the attack.

Daniel Dorson, of Corvallis, Oregon; Randy Smith, of Eugene, Oregon; and Jason DeSimas, of Tacoma, Washington, previously pleaded guilty to hate crime and false-statement charges. None has yet been sentenced. The hate crime charge carries up to 10 years in prison.

Stanley is due to be sentenced by Judge Richard Jones on Jan. 6.

Michelle Obama Plans 6 City Book Tour

NEW YORK (AP) – Michelle Obama plans a sixcity tour this fall in support of her new book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times,’’ beginning mid-November in Washington. D.C. and ending a month later in Los Angeles.

Obama will open at the Warner Theatre in Washington on Nov. 15, the publication date for her book. She will then travel to Philadelphia’s The Met, Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and San Francisco’s Masonic, before closing at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.

“Becoming’’ was a near-instant million seller and went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide, making it the most popular book in modern times written by a former White House resident.

As with “Becoming,’’ Obama will speak at each city with guest moderators, to be announced later. Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Sarah Jessica Parker were among those who joined her for “Becoming.’’ In partnership with Live Nation, Obama will also set aside tickets at each venue for a select number of community members.

Fans can begin registering from Wednesday through Sept. 26 through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan Platform, https://verifiedfan.ticketmaster.com/michelleobama. Any unsold tickets will be available to the general public starting Sept. 30.

Secretary Weber is greeted by the president of the Jurupa Unified School District Melissa Ragole and Vice President of of the Riverside Unified School District Dr. Angelo Farooq.

Solomon O. Smith

Black

California Secretary of State Shirley Nash Weber has been traveling across the state encouraging young people to register to vote.

High School Voter Registration Week occurs

Derrica and Natalie started the nonprofit Black and Missing Foundation in 2008 with a mission to bring awareness to missing persons of color and to provide vital resources and tools to missing person’s families and friends.

World & Nation

Biden Student Debt Forgiveness Plan

Begins, Not Ends

States Must Increase Funding, Hold More Bad Actors Accountable

By Charlene Crowell

President Joe Biden’s recent student debt cancellation announcement elicited a diverse range of reactions– some congratulatory, others critical, and still others that seem unsure what to make of the unprecedented multi-billiondollar effort.

Predictably, long-time education and civil rights advocates spoke to the need for additional reforms, while others wondered about cancellation’s impact on an already troubled economy. Families struggling with the rising cost of living and deepening student debt –have only a few months to make household budget adjustments before loan payments resume in January.

The good news is that of the 43 million people affected by the executive action, 20 million borrowers will have all of their debt cancelled. Many of these borrowers incurred student loans but dropped out of school, left with thousands in debt and lower earnings due to the lack of a degree.

Another 27 million people from working class backgrounds who received Pell grants are assured of up to $20,000 in debt relief.

But these actions do not resolve the structural mismatch between the still-rising costs of college, limited family financial means to contribute to that cost, and the availability of financial aid other than interest-bearing loans.

“We’ve all heard of those schools luring students with a promise of big paychecks when they graduate only to watch these students be ripped off and left with mountains of debt,” stated President Biden on August 24. “Well, last week, the Department of Education fired a college accreditor that allowed colleges like ITT and Corinthian to defraud borrowers…Our goal is to shine a light on the worst actors so students can avoid these debt traps.”

It seems like a perfect time for the Department of Education to clean house of all the bad higher education actors -- especially costly for-profit institutions that promise a lot but deliver little, and accreditors that fail to do their jobs.

On August 30, following President Biden’s announcement, the Department of Education took action against another defunct for-profit: Westwood College. This trade school lured unsuspecting students into costly debt from January 1, 2002 through November 17, 2015 when it stopped enrolling new borrowers in advance of its 2016 closure. The Department found widespread misrepresentations about the value of its credentials for attendees’ and graduates’ employment prospects.

“Westwood College’s exploitation of students and abuse of federal financial aid place it in the same circle

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of infamy occupied by Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute,” said Under Secretary James Kvaal. “Westwood operated on a culture of false promises, lies, and manipulation in order to profit off student debt that burdened borrowers long after Westwood closed.”

Now, 79,000 Westwood borrowers will benefit from $1.5 billion in debt cancellation, thanks to the Department.

Changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program rules will allow borrowers that would not otherwise qualify, to receive credit for past periods of repayment. Interested borrowers and their families can get more information on the program’s information page, but they must act by October 31. Details on the time-limited offer are available at:https://studentaid.gov/announcementsevents/pslf-limited-waiver.

But individual states must do their part as well. Across the nation, state revenues are flush with surpluses.

“I don’t think there’s been a time in history where states are better equipped to ride out a potential recession,” said Timothy Vermeer, senior state tax policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. “A majority, if not all, of the rainy-day funds are in a really healthy position.”

Additionally, and according to the 2021 edition of the annual State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report, short-changing higher education funding at the state level will likely lead to worse, not better results. The report tracks enrollment trends, funding levels and distributions of state institutions.

“Generous federal stimulus funding protected state revenues and directly supported higher education, reducing states’ need to cut funding during the pandemic and short economic recession,” states the report’s news release. “However, sharp declines in student enrollment and net tuition and fee revenue signal continued upheaval for public higher education revenues.”

Federal stimulus funding during the pandemic boosted state education appropriations, but only 8.9 percent of state aid to public institutions in 2021 went toward providing student financial aid, according to SHEF. And without federal stimulus funds, state education appropriations would have declined by one percent in 2021 if full-time enrollment had held constant, according to the report.

“States vary in their relative allocations to higher education,” states the report. “Public institutions in some states remain primarily publicly funded, but a growing proportion have become primarily reliant on student tuition and fee revenue over the last two decades.”

The report notes that while federal stimulus and relief funds are helpful, they cannot be a replacement for longterm state investments, because stimulus funds are timelimited and often restricted in their use.

If we want to end the student debt trap, now is the time for citizens to challenge states to use their tax revenue to do more for their own constituents.

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene. crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Death of Queen Elizabeth Ignites Debate on British Colonialism

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II at 96, tributes and reflection have been broadcast and written on. Her length of time in the spotlight was a contributing factor.

Queen Elizabeth’s time as the reigning monarch of England was 70 years and 214 days. It was the longest reign of any British monarch. Elizabeth had become a fixture in popular culture and a constant in the lives of many in Great Britain, whether in the background or as a much seen figure in the news.

But with Elizabeth’s death came a discussion around the meaning of the monarchy and whether history can separate the individual from what they represent in the position they hold. Many viewed Queen Elizabeth as a grandmotherly figure who transcended politics and was a symbol of continuity in a rapidly changing world.

But for individuals whose families endured hardships under British colonial rule the moments around the Queen’s death could not pass without critique. Some viewed Elizabeth as a sovereign ruling over all of the decisions made by England, even before 1952 whenElizabeth took the throne.

“I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating,” wrote Professor Uju Anya on twitter as news

of the Queen’s death overtook the airways and social media.

“If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star,” wrote Professor Anya added in a second message.

Carnegie Mellon issued a relatively rare rebuke of a Professor from an institution they’re employed at. Even rarer: Twitter removed Anya’s first message from the platform. Many questioned the precedent for that and wondered what twitter rule was violated.

“We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account. Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster.

Carnegie Mellon University, a private research university based in Pittsburgh.

“Today, there is a great controversy for this statement for survivors of British colonial rule. Her university publicly chastised this statement. Benjamin Franklin refused to address British demands for compensation for American Tories recounting the atrocities of the British,” wrote economist William Spriggs on Sept. 8.

Though there was discussion on many networks, starting with Roland Martin’s BlackStar Network, by the middle of the week, many watching the ceremoniesas Elizabeth’s coffin traveled from Scotland to London reviewed her seven decades in the public eye differently.

“She meant different things to different people,” said royal correspondent Zain Asher, who is British Nigerian, on CNN during the ongoing coverage.

“Today, I paid my respects and signed a book of condolence at the British Embassy in Mogadishu — in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. During this time of grieving, I extend my deepest sympathies to His Majesty King Charles III and the Royal Family,” stated thePrime Minister of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre.

As the days passed after the Queen’s death there appeared to be a general consensus that respect, historic analysis and ceremony can go hand and hand. Several of the Black royal watchers in journalism, such as Zain Asher, blended commentary on the impact of British colonial history, Elizabeth’s specific cultural connections and the complex issues around why some revere the monarchy while others do not.

Only time can tell whether Queen Elizabeth ll’s son, King Charles III, will be able to successfully reconcile thoseissues as well.

Predictably, long-time education and civil rights advocates spoke to the need for additional reforms, while others wondered about cancellation’s impact on an already troubled economy.

Only time can tell whether Queen Elizabeth ll’s son, King Charles III, will be able to successfully reconcile those issues as well. (Photo: Prince Phillip, Queen Mother, Cecilia Kadzamila, Queen Elizabeth, and Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, prime minister and later president of Malawi.)

Rihanna to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show

Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Rihanna, who refused to perform during the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show because of her stand with Colin Kaepernick, has decided to headline the big event in February.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Apple music made the announcement on September 25, and Rihanna took to Instagram displaying an NFL football, signaling her appearance.

The highly anticipated performance takes place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12.

Rihanna also is expected to soon drop new music.

“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” Jay-Z said in a statement.

“A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”

For the Barbadian beauty and multi-talented songstress, music is far from all in her phenomenal

portfolio.

In 2021, Rihanna achieved billionaire status.

In 2022, Forbes acknowledged that she’s the youngest self-made billionaire in America.

The 34-year-old, who recently gave birth to her first child, ranked 21st overall in the latest Forbes list of billionaires.

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line counts among the most popular in the world, is the only billionaire under 40 on Forbes’ list.

Earlier this year, reports noted that Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie planned an initial public offering valued at about $3 billion.

The megastar owns 30 percent of Savage X Fenty and 50 percent of Fenty Beauty, reportedly generating $550 million in revenue in 2020.

The nine-time Grammy Award winner has stated that she intends to increase her philanthropic efforts around the globe.

“My money is not for me; it’s always the thought that I can help someone else,” she told the New York Times

in 2021. “The world can really make you believe that the wrong things are priority, and it makes you really miss the core of life, what it means to be alive.”

In 2021, Forbes estimated Rihanna’s net worth at $1.7 billion, trailing only Oprah Winfrey as the world’s richest entertainer.

“A lot of women felt there were no lines out there that catered to their skin tone. It was light, medium, mediumdark, dark,” Shannon Coyne, co-founder of consumer products consultancy Bluestock Advisors, told Forbes about Rihanna’s successful beauty products.

“We all know that’s not reality. She was one of the first brands that came out and said, ‘I want to speak to all of those different people.’”

Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, the tantalizing starlet delivered hit after hit with songs like “Umbrella,” “Rude Boy,” and “Diamonds.”

With over 100 million social media followers, Rihanna’s fans have pleaded with their idol to deliver new music.

But with her Fenty and Savage X Fenty business whitehot, Rihanna appears to have settled in as an entrepreneur and business magnate.

Cutting deals with Puma in 2014, Dior in 2016, Fenty Beauty in 2017, Savage X Fenty in 2018, and Fenty Skin in 2020, Rihanna kept her business focused.

Forbes writer Madeline Berg described Rihanna’s rise this way:

“When Robyn Fenty, known to the world as Rihanna, launched Fenty Beauty in 2017, she sought to create a cosmetics company that made “women everywhere (feel) included.” A perhaps unintended consequence: The beauty line has helped her enter one of the world’s most exclusive ranks: Billionaire.”

Berge concluded by providing commentary from Coyne, the consultant.

“She is creating a brand outside of herself. It’s not just about Rihanna. Even if you don’t like her music, she’s created a real style in the fashion and beauty space.”

Documentary Explores History of Aylum for Black Patients

By MICHAEL MARTZ Richmond Times-Dispatch

PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) – When the American Psychiatric Association celebrated its 175th anniversary three years ago in San Francisco, it featured photographs of two Virginia mental institutions that contributed to its birth _ what are now Eastern State and Western State hospitals.

The exhibition also featured two Virginia psychiatrists who led what were then called lunatic asylums _ Dr. John Galt at Eastern in Williamsburg and Dr. Francis Stribling at Western in Staunton _ and co-founded the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane, the forerunner of the national association.

Former Virginia Mental Health Commissioner King Davis, a featured speaker, was struck by the absence of another state mental institution, now known as Central State Hospital near Petersburg.

The hospital was founded in Richmond in 1870 as the world's first mental institution for Black people in a state that had also established the first state mental hospital in the nation at Eastern in 1773.

“They had no idea,'' said Davis, even though the association awarded him its coveted Benjamin Rush Award for his work to preserve and digitize more than 800,000 records and 36,000 photographs documenting a century of the hospital's past.

“You have to ask the question, why Virginia?'' he said at a recent reception hosted by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

During the reception, the foundation saluted the archives project by showing a new documentary film, “Central Lunatic Asylum for the Colored Insane'' and giving tours of an exhibition of documents from the archives that has been on display since early February.

The film _ written, directed and produced by Virginia Commonwealth University professor Shawn Utsey _ was to be featured in the seventh annual Afrikana Film Festival.

Utsey, a professor of counseling psychology and chair of African American studies at VCU, began work on the documentary in 2019 as a study of a hospital founded on racial separation during federal Reconstruction after the Civil War and maintained as a segregated institution for Black people until 1968.

“I ran into King Davis and discovered all the work he had done,'' he said. “It made my work a lot easier.''

Davis, now professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin and a resident of Hanover County, makes an emphatic case for the importance of Central State in American history, not just as a psychiatric institution but as a critical condition for Virginia's readmission to the union in January 1870.

The month before, Maj. Gen. Edward Canby issued an order as military governor of Virginia that required the state to establish a “temporary lunatic asylum'' for Black people, both those freed before the war and those emancipated through the Union victory.

Gov. Gilbert Walker, whom Canby had appointed, accepted the requirement and established the Central Lunatic Asylum for the Colored Insane at Howard's Grove, a former Confederate hospital just outside of Richmond in Henrico County that the Freedman's Bureau had run as a general hospital for Black people after the war.

“Why did it happen in Virginia and not anywhere else? Virginia didn't have a choice,'' Davis said in an interview.

The military order chose to require the establishment as a separate asylum for Black people at the recommendation of Stribling, who had strongly opposed allowing racial integration at Western, as Galt had done on a limited basis for freed Black people at Eastern since 1840. Galt had died in 1862, and Stribling became chairman of the Virginia Asylum Commission under the federal military government.

“Part of what (Canby) sought was a balance between the interests of the white population and the interests and needs of the Black population,'' Davis said.

Central operated at Howard's Grove as an asylum for

mentally ill Black people, including those transferred from Eastern, until the state opened a new hospital in 1885 on the former Mayfield Plantation outside of Petersburg in Dinwiddie County.

The new hospital, renamed Central State in 1894, operated as the only mental institution for Black people in Virginia until the end of racial segregation after passage of the Civil Rights Act 70 years later. (Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, based at Burkeville in Nottoway County, originally operated as a tuberculosis sanitarium for Black people until it became a state hospital in 1967.)

For most of its history, Central State labored with fewer financial resources and less support than other state institutions.

“Somehow the facility was still characterized as `the Black hospital,''' said Olivia Garland, who became the first Black director of Central State in 1985 under Gov. Gerald Baliles.

Garland, a former state prison warden and administrator, recalled how soon after she arrived, three Black employees “peeped'' at her from the doorway, afraid to enter the director's office without being summoned.

“'We just wanted to see you're really who you are,' “ she recalled them saying.

When Dr. Ronald Forbes arrived in 2001 as the state hospital's first Black medical director, he said some separation remained between the mostly Black staff and mostly white administration, housed in a building employees nicknamed “the White House.''

“I was kind of an ambassador between the wards and the White House,'' Forbes said during an online town hall held by the psychiatric association in February in conjunction with the exhibition.

However, he said, the employees, most of them Black residents of Petersburg and the surrounding area, made the hospital “poor with resources but rich in caring.''

“It was the Petersburg community coming over the walls at Central State,'' said Forbes, who retired in 2017 and now serves as vice chairman of the Friends of Central

State, a nonprofit organization led by Davis.

Utsey said the role of the employees he featured in the documentary _ including Florence Farley, a former Petersburg mayor and psychologist at the hospital who recently died _ was transformative in “how they turned a bad situation into the illumination of the humanity of the patients.''

Davis had first encountered the history of Central State after moving from Massachusetts to Virginia in 1972 to become state director of mental health for 40 programs across Virginia that became community services boards.

He set out to document the history after receiving a call in 2008 from Charles Davis, then director at Central State, who was concerned that the institution's historical records were in jeopardy of being lost.

“The records were in jeopardy in part because of deterioration,'' said King Davis, who served as statecommissioner for behavioral health services from 1990 to 1994 under Gov. Doug Wilder, the first elected Black governor in the country.

Davis arranged with Central State and the Library of Virginia to digitize them, using about $150,000 he had raised from benefactors, including the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and the University of Texas, where he was a professor of public policy research.

The dilemma now is how and where to preserve the physical records. The collection is too large for the Library of Virginia, which has its own collection of Central State records, spanning 1874 to 1961.

There also won't be room at the new Central State hospital that is expected to open on the Dinwiddie campus in 2025. The new hospital will feature a Legacy Wall in the lobby of its administration building to honor the institution's history.

Davis hopes to create a repository for the archives, potentially using one of the older hospital buildings scheduled to be demolished. “Having space at Central would be fantastic if we can pull it off,'' he said.

Features

Prop 30 Debate Splits

CA Democratic Party

The debate surrounding Proposition (Prop) 30 is causing division between the California Democratic Partyand Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Prop 30 calls for a 1.75% raise on income taxes for people earning over $2 million annually. It is projected that the tax could generate around $5 billion annually. A majority of the funds would go towards programs helping people buy electric cars and install charging stations. Twenty percent of funds would go towards CalFire staffing and wildfire prevention/response programs.

Newsom is arguing that Prop 30 would disproportionately benefit one company, Lyft Inc. He is featured in a new television ad to spearhead efforts promoting a NO vote.

“Prop 30 is being advertised as a climate initiative,” Newsom says in the ad. “But in reality, it was devised by a single corporation to funnel state income taxes to benefit their company. Put simply, Prop 30 is a Trojan horse that puts corporate welfare above the fiscal welfare of our entire state.”

Lyft has given more than $15 million to support the measure, including funding for signature-gathering to get it on the ballot. It plans to exclusively use electric vehicles by 2030.

This declaration follows California’s efforts to rein in the emissions of transportation companies like Lyft and Uber. The California Air Resources Board adopted a rule last year that would require those companies to cut 90% of their emissions by 2030.

The Governor along with the “NO” camp believe that Lyft is trying to use Prop 30 funding to help lower their costs as they transition to employing only electric-poweredvehicles.

The California Clean Air Coalition, which has been running the political campaign in support of Prop. 30, responded to Newsom’s ad with the following statement:

“Prop 30 is supported by the American Lung Association, California state firefighters, and California Democratic Party because it will prevent catastrophic wildfires and reduce the tailpipe emissions polluting our air and threatening the health of our families. It is disappointing that the Governor would side with the California Republican Party and a handful of San Francisco billionaires who would rather kids breathe toxic, polluted air than pay their fair share.”

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D–Inglewood), member of the California Black Legislative Caucus (CBLC), is supporting Prop 30. She cites air quality as the number one concern prompting her decision.

“I know how this air quality affects my district. On a

personal note, I raised my children in Lawndale, and we were right off the 405 freeway. My sons grew up with reallybad nosebleeds. Both of them had asthma … I know we need cleaner air … Back in the day it was good to buy a

house off the freeway but now not so much. We’ve since learned how it pollutes the air and how bad it is for people who live out there … We got to think about our kids, and their quality of life in the future. We can’t have children

living in that kind of pollution.”

On Nov. 8, California voters will decide the ultimate fate of Prop 30.

Black Youth Mental Health:

Will Our Kids Be Alright?

Rhea Boyd and Jade Davis

Special to California Black Media Partners

We are living in unusual and challenging times, when despair and despondency have replaced hope as a more common, and perhaps as the more acceptable lens, through which too many of us view the future. In the wake of widespread disease, mass loss, economic instability, climate breakdown, police violence, erosion of bodily autonomy for women and girls, violence towards transgender and non-binary communities, and an actual insurrection, no wonder many have lost hope.

Our kids are no exception.

Nationally, there has been a concerning rise in reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among teens. Suicidal thoughts and attempts are up. And hospitalizations for mental health crises for children and youth are at an all-time high. These trends pre-date the pandemic and have only worsened over recent years.

In this, California is no exception.

In 2019, almost 1 in 3 adolescents experienced serious psychological distress. Suicide rates remain worrisomely high. And California ranks 43rd in the nation for providing screenings that could identify children and youth who are suffering and in need of support.

By a number of measures, Black children and youth in California are particularly in need of the types of support that unfortunately, few are finding.

Black children in California are most likely to report serious emotional

But these problems, that now burden our children, are not entirely new. Their current needs expose past oppressions, unvanquished by time. Just as their new struggles reveal older foes, unchallenged by the status quo.

And so, the work to address the mounting mental health challenges our children now face - and Black children are too often left to face without adequate support - must begin with confronting systems of oppression and challenging the status quo.

Thankfully, the model we, as a state, must follow from those most impacted, particularly Black communities, who have long imagined and worked to realize, a loving path to mental, physical and emotional well-being.

These folks, including Black children and youth, are building on the rich legacy of social activism, mutual aid, and intergenerational bonds in communities of color, that can and should be brought to bear as California considers how best to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

For example, the thoughts and dreams of young Black people, should be used to guide the apportionment of Gov. Newsom’s recent multi-billion dollar investment in youth behavioral health. The promise of these investments, alongside some major changes in Medicaid policy, have created an enormous opportunity to shift how the state shows up for our kids and how our kids can show up for each other.

Placing billion-dollar investments in Bay Area institutions like Ryse’s Community

If California were to take seriously the aspirations of young Black people in reshaping our state’s behavioral health programs, it might also lead to the uplifting of the students and parents of color who have called for Police Free Schools in Oakland and Los Angeles. The racial inequities in exposure to policing, judicial scrutiny, and incarceration for children of color are enormous in California and contribute to and compound the barriers to learning and mental health in under-resourced schools.

Finally, to address the state’s crisis of children’s mental health, it is important that caregivers and youth be positioned to intervene on behalf of their family or friends who are struggling. That positioning might include an expansion of Guaranteed

In short, the possibilities to respond to the crisis affecting our children’s social and emotional wellbeing are only limited by the confines of our collective imagination. And there are those among us, particularly in the Black community, who have been busy imagining, for generations. If, we, as a state, collectively, choose to turn to those folks, especially our kids of color who are disproportionately impacted, and work alongside them to create a new future together, our kids will be more than alright. They can thrive.

About the Authors

Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH is a pediatrician, public health advocate and Director of Equity and Justice for the California Children’s Trust.

Jade Davis is an administrative assistant for the California Coalition for Youth (CCY) and a member of the California Children’s Trust’s Youth Advisory Board. She is currently attending Grand Canyon University to get her master’s in Business Administration.

More Democratic leaders are coming out to support Prop 30, while Gov. Gavin Newsom is campaigning against it. (NBC Bay Area)

Edward Henderson

California Black Media

Features

CA Reparations Task Force LA Meeting’sPublic Comments Get Heated

LOS ANGELES - The nine member California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans convened in Los Angeles at the California Science Center for its tenth meeting on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24.

The meeting opened with comments from the public with speakers passionately delivering their views on what reparations should look like.

Many focused their comments and opinions on who should and should not receive reparations. The opposing views created tension among those in the audience on an issue that the task force resolved months ago.

“I think it’s a good thing. We have a lot of passion in our community and reparations speak to the core of what makes Black Americans. I wouldn’t expect any less,” said Chad Brown, a member of the National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants (NAASDLA) and Coalition of a Just and Equitable California (CJEC).

“This is the process. I expect a lot of passion. It’s passion directed at finding solutions,” Brown told California Black Media.”

The temperature in the room rose when Kevin Cosney, associate director of the California Black Power Network (CBPN), addressed the task force members and said that a majority of the members made a “problematic” decision in excluding people such as Africans enslaved in the Caribbean, Native Americans, and persons from the continent of Africa.

“We encourage this task force to be transparent, bold, gracious, expansive, and unified in its work of diverse opinions,” Cosney told the task force. “The fact that you prematurely rushed on eligibility is problematic and disrespects the community’s voice. We would like you to reconsider and take this into account.”

Cosney’s CBPN and Brown’s CJEC are two of seven “anchor organizations,” selected across the state to host “community listening sessions” in conjunction with thetask force.

The nonprofit California Black Power Network describes itself as a “growing, united ecosystem of Black empowering grassroots organizations” collaboration to

change the lived conditions of Black Californians “by dismantling systemic and anti-Black racism.”

CJEC is a state-wide coalition of organizations, associations, and community members united for reparations for the descendants of enslaved Black American men and women.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber who authored the task force legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 3121 in 2020 while serving in the Assembly – has taken the position that compensation should be limited to African Americans who are descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States.

“Reparations are designed to repair and heal the damages done to Africans for 400 years who (suffered) through Jim Crow (laws),” Weber said last January. “Reparations are for those who are descendants of slavery. Their ties are permanently severed from their homeland and their ability to return to Africa is almost impossible. We are truly Americans.”

Last March the task force voted 5-4 that lineage will determine who will be eligible for reparations over race.

Task Force chairperson Kamilah Moore, vicechair Amos Brown, pastor of Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, and president of his local NAACP branch; University of California-Berkeley professor Jovan Scott Lewis; San Diego City Councilwoman Monica Montgomery-Steppe, and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) voted in approval of lineage.

Eligibility is determined by an individual being African American, “the descendant of a (person enslaved as chattel) or the descendant of a free-Black person living in the United States prior to the end of the 19th century,” Moore said.

Attorney Don Tamaki, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), Los Angeles-based attorney Lisa Holder, and Loyola-Marymount professor Cheryl Grills, voted in favor of race.

AB 3121 established the task force with a “special consideration” of those who are descendants of persons enslaved in the United States. Starting with the Atlantic Slave Trade, chattel slavery was sanctioned in the U.S. from 1619 to 1865.

“We agree that there should be special consideration for those that trace their lineage back to Slavery,” Cosney said. “But we also know and understand that the system

of white supremacy affects everyone who is Black on this planet and in this country.”

Members from CJEC and CBPN moved their heated discussion outside of the facility after making their comments. But, the conversations cooled off with smiles and gestures of mutual respect for opinions.

Brown said the eligibility issue is settled but he is not at odds with debating the merits of the decision the task force made who oppose it. He “stands on” the fact that Black families were impacted by slavery and “those families, descendants, are owed reparations.”

“Reparations are not something that is a cure. It is not something meant to change the minds of people,” Brown said. “Reparations are meant to repair a special community that has been impacted by slavery, Jim Crow, convict leasing, mass incarcerations, and the throughline of slave ships and chains.”

The next Task Force in-person meeting is scheduled for Oakland in December 2022 followed by San Diego in January 2023 and Sacramento in February 2023.

A New Kind of Hope Lives Here

By Amanda Mahan Chief Communications Officer

Operation New Hope Research has found that 70 million people in the United States have criminal records. Of that number, 63 percent are no longer in jail, on probation, or on parole, yet roughly 27 percent of these ex-offenders remain unemployed due to their criminal records. This disproportionate statistic to the overall unemployment rate confirms the realization that the challenge of finding work for the formally incarcerated can be a daunting task.

Evidence indicates that ex-offenders have substantially lower probabilities of being hired than members of other disadvantaged groups – such as welfare recipients, high school dropouts, unemployed people, and those with “spotty” work histories – who do not have a criminal record. Dionne Barnes-Proby, a researcher at the non-profit, nonpartisan think tank the RAND Corporation, has studied how to improve employment outcomes for ex-offenders.

“People transitioning from incarceration to employment face many challenges,” says Barnes-Proby, “from limited education, skills, and work history to stigma and employers’ fears about criminal behavior and reincarceration.”

Barnes-Proby led a study of the Sacramento Probation Department employment program Career Training Partnership (CTP), which offers career and life skills training and a comprehensive support team, to analyze how these combined elements can positively affect program participants and identify remaining challenges.

RAND’s research of the CTP program suggests that combining education, vocational training, and job placement with staffing agencies or reentry programs, local employers, and union relationship building can yield positive results.

At Operation New Hope (ONH), we understand that people returning from incarceration face a multitude of barriers, with employment, transportation, and housing being three of the most reported obstacles. Without these necessities, people often feel less connected to their environments, creating communities that experience

higher rates of crime, unemployment, and recidivism.

ONH supports life and job skills training for people with a history of involvement with the criminal justice system and places them in employment that offers a sustainable quality of life. People like Kendall McCoy, a convicted felon, can attest to the effectiveness of the nonprofit’s mission. For months, McCoy had tried unsuccessfully to navigate a wary job market with limited skills. At the not-so-subtle urging of his probation officer, he reluctantly showed up at the facilities of ONH. He found we offer family reunification services, a galaxy of job training and employer partnerships, mental and emotional therapy, and other wraparound services. As it turned out, working with his probation officer was a tremendous benefit.

For McCoy, it was important that ONH’s program qualified him to make a sustainable living wage while paying restitution and court costs, making the decision not to consider illegal sources of income that much easier. RAND’s study revealed that securing employment at a livable wage is one of the most significant challenges facing ex-offenders. Career training can be a way to obtain a hand-up, not a handout.

Josh Martino, a partner and board member at ONH, says he’s hired several ex-offenders in his businesses. He realized that hiring employees through ONH’s “Ready4Work” program cut down on time, hiring costs, and his concerns as an employer. He appreciated that employment candidates had been thoroughly vetted and came with a qualified endorsement.

To make training programs more successful, RAND suggests removing obstacles to participation, for example, by providing transportation or helping ex-offenders address driver’s license issues. Providing a subsidy or stipend may also help participants offset costs and increase their chances of completing the program.

ONH understands the importance of providing support to the ex-offenders and continues to work every day to build a stronger community by creating opportunities to realize second chances and reduce recidivism.

Advocates of reparations debate the issue of eligibility outside of the Wallis Annenberg Building in Los Angeles while the Caformina Task Force For Reparations holds a meeting inside. Sept. 24, 202. (Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM Photo)

California Task Force For Reparations members Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, left, and San Diego City Councilwoman Monica Montgomery-Steppe, right, listen to public comment at California Science Center in Los Angeles. Sept. 23, 2022. (Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM Photo)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

All nine Task Force members were present on the first day of the two-day meeting. Sept. 23, 2022. (Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM Photo)

Cheryce Cryer provides her thoughts about reparations and shares issues she had trying to access a community listening session run by one of the anchor organizations. Kevin Cosney. Sept. 24, 2022. (Antonio Ray Harvey/CBM Photo)

Evidence indicates that ex-offenders have substantially lower probabilities of being hired than members of other disadvantaged groups – such as welfare recipients, high school dropouts, unemployed people, and those with “spotty” work histories – who do not have a criminal record.

Features

Chancellor Reveals New and ExpandedFinancial Aid for Community College

California Black Media

New and updated financial support for the state’s community college attendees, including changes to the Cal Grant and expanded aid for new and returning students, has been announced by California Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Daisy Gonzales.

Gonzales told California Black Media (CBM) that she wants college hopefuls to know that these programs which are described in the “I Can Go to College” campaign can be accessed at icangotocollege.com and that the grants do not need to be paid back.

Aside from grants, the website offers online mentorships for students.

The need for these programs, Gonzales said, were developed with students in mind as her office conducted statewide surveys.

“What has been very intentional during this pandemic is that we went straight to the students. We’re not guessing here,” she said. “We were very intentional in doing student outreach, interviews and focus groups.”

The average tuition cost for state community college is a little under $2,000 per year while private community colleges average over $21,000 in tuition costs.

This doesn’t include books and other fees.

The Chancellor’s office asserts that there are over 200 programs available to community college students to helpwith these costs.

There are programs like the Student Success Completion Grant, which now offers $4,000 per semester for students taking 15 or more units, and $1,298 per semester for students taking 12-14.9 units, expanded eligibility for the California College Promise Grant fee waiver, the Cal Grant Entitlement Award for students attending community colleges, and grants available to current and former foster youth.

Other programs like the Middle Class Scholarship, designated for students with a household income of over $200,000, who may not qualify for other federal grants, are examples of the chancellor office attempting to provide aidfor students who would otherwise not have it.

Another program being offered to students is the Golden State Education and Training Program. It is a grant of $2,500 for anyone who lost their job during the pandemic and has entered a career training program to help them get back to work.

According to Ken Brown, Immediate Past President of the California Community Colleges Trustee Board and Vice President of the El Camino Community College District, this is the business of California’s community colleges.

“Our assumption is that not everybody who goes to college is trying to get a four-year degree, not everybody who goes to community college is even trying to get an

associate’s degree. Many of the folks who go to college are trying to get trained up or retrained,” Brown told CBM.

Nationwide, fewer people are going to community college. And Black male attendance is declining at a disproportionate rate.

Brown addressed this phenomenon.

“You can see the numbers for community college across the nation going down in attendance for all groups,” said Brown. “Specifically African American males are going further down than the average.”

Brown and Gonzales both expressed the view that part of the reason for the decline in attendance is financial in nature.

“Obviously people look at the pandemic,” Brown said. “A lot of Black males – you’re talking about 18- to 30-year-olds – could not afford to continue with school.”

Brown goes on to point out that many Black men, especially since the pandemic, have gone straight into the workforce instead of to community college to provide forthemselves or their families.

Gonzales addressed this declining number by offering solutions that are currently in the works.

Part of the solution she proposed was the work being conducted with the Black and African American Advisory Panel.

That collaboration includes programs that help facilitate transfers to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) as California’s community colleges have partnered with HBCUs.

Another solution comes from the grant moneyavailable to students.

“Many of the structures that existed prior to this year’s budget were not meant for the students that we’re trying to serve,” said Gonzales.

According to the survey, the Chancellor’s office conducted another possible explanation for the decline in community college attendance for Black males is the lack of representation and community.

Gonzales and her team have been working with Umoja to remedy this and help Black students feel less isolated on campus.

The African American Male Education Network and Development was provided with roughly $1.1 million in state funding to “create a model” to transform education to help support Black men.

“We’re thankful for the Governor’s budget allocation to increase enrollment and graduation rates among African American male students,” said Dr. Amanuel Gebru, President of the African American Male Education Network and Development. “We’re equally thankful to the Chancellor’s Office for their call-to-action to improve Black student success and for partnering with [the African American Male Education Network and Development] to manifest this vision. As college enrollment of Black men is

declining at an alarming rate, our organization is eager to continue engaging with our partners to expand our impact on retention rates among Black male students.”

Students who have been to community college but have yet to finish their education will now be eligible for financial aid. Before this year, that was not the case. These grants and programs will use some state and

federal emergency dollars.

Additionally, some districts have implemented their own programs to aid their students.

According to Gonzales, San Bernardino Community College District will be providing free books and supplies for all enrolled and San Diego City College is offering free books, supplies, child care and a work-study program.

Aldon Thomas Stiles

Local

Alzheimer’s Disease in Bakersfield with

By Rhyan Nile Contributing Writer

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. A disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. According to Public Health Action, 690,000 people, aged 65 and older living in California have Alzheimer’s. The disease can be unpredictable in the sense that sometimes patients can live up to five years with the disease or even up to 20 years. It all depends on how quickly the disease progresses. There is currently no cure for this disease, so understanding the proper care is highly essential.

Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Kern County, Inc. (ADAKC) is located in Bakersfield, CA was incorporated as a non-profit in 1983, and was granted a license by the state of California to provide Adult Day Services in 1984 and has been serving local families for 38 years. Janelle Capra is the Executive Director of the ADAKC and joined the board in 2017, and served as a board president 2018-2019 and was then hired as the director in April 2019. Capra has her own personal journey with Alzheier which led to her passion to want to help others and become an active advocate for the disease. Capra’s mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers’s at the age of 65 and her and the family did their best to navigate how to help their mother in the best way they can.

What Capra took away from her personal experience with the disease and what she practices at the clinic to ensure hope and light to other patients and their families who are battling the disease is 1) they are not alone and 2) we hope to be the light for those who are experiencing the darkest days, to help them with much-needed respite, crisis counseling and weekly support groups.

They’re so many important roles that go into caring for their clients. One being transportation. Armando Soliz, Air force Veteran, transports clients on the ADAKC bus and ensures their safety to and from. “I make sure to get them home safely and to make sure someone is at the home to greet them, usually that’s a loved one or caregiver. I also coordinate transport services for the family. I have

to communicate with the Family Services Manager, the client’s family and the other driver to make sure the route plan and time works for everyone” said Soliz.

Soliz understands the importance of his job, because he too has a personal connection with this disease. His mother suffered from dementia and Alzheimer for many years, and he spent the last six years of her life caring for her. And that’s why he wanted to get involved with the ADAKC.

Alzheimer’s is a battle that can’t be won alone. It takes a lot of care, dedication, kindness, and faith to help be at peace with it all; that is why this clinic is so vital. For the people such as Capra and Soliz who spend their days caring for them, you have to wonder how they feel at the end of each day. “ Blessed and fortunate, I can bring a little comfort to the loved one and client,” said Soliz.

Recognizing the signs is how we all can start to do our part. This is a slow progressing disease. Forgetfulness and not the type we all suffer “what did I come into this room for?” More like where am I and what am I doing holding keys, what are they for.” Or “ not being able to recognize a loved one or repeatedly asking the same question. So being gentle and consistent is essential. Every Client and their loved ones are extremely grateful for any kindness, care, and resource given to them to help with the disease. So please feel free to help out any way possible.

Reach out and visit their website at www.adakc.org or call 661-665-8871. The clinic is currently a small but mighty team of 20 and is always looking for compassionate people who want to make a difference for Alzheimer’s families. The clinic welcomes donations of cash or in-kind goods, sponsorship of fundraising events or the gift of time through volunteering. Email us at info@adakc.org and get involved today!

Bakersfield News Observer coverage of local news in Kern County  is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support community newspapers across California.