Bakersfield News Observer 11.30.22

California Supreme Court Black Justices Bring Diverse Experiences to

19-Yr-Old’s Ask to Attend Father’s Execution Denied

ST. LOUIS (AP) – A federal judge has denied a request from a 19-year-old woman to allow her to watch her father’s death by injection, upholding a Missouri law that bars anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.

Kevin Johnson is set to be executed Tuesday for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Johnson’s lawyers have appeals pending that seek to spare his life.

His daughter, Khorry Ramey, had sought to attend the execution, and the American Civil Liberties Union had filed an emergency motion with a federal court in Kansas City. The ACLU’s court filing said the age requirement served no safety purpose and violates Ramey’s constitutional rights. But U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes ruled late Friday that Ramey’s constitutional rights would not be violated by the law.

“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be able to be with my dad in his last moments,” Ramey said in a statement.

“My dad is the most important person in my life. He has been there for me my whole life, even though he’s been incarcerated.”

While the judge acknowledged that the law would cause emotional harm for Ramey, he found that was just one part of the court’s consideration and the law did not violate her constitutional rights.

Ramey said she was praying that Gov. Michael Parson would grant her father clemency. Johnson’s lawyers have filed appeals seeking to halt the execution. They don’t challenge his guilt but claim racism played a role in the decision to seek the death penalty, and in the jury’s decision to sentence him to die. Johnson is Black and McEntee was white.

Johnson’s lawyers also have asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age _ he was 19 at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.

In a court filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.

“The surviving victims of Johnson’s crimes have waited long enough for justice, and every day longer that they must wait is a day they are denied the chance to finally make peace with their loss,” the state petition stated.

and

Evans,

“Throughout

The Mind Behind California’s

New Digital License Plates

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, California joins Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, and Arizona as states that have approved digital license plates for use statewide, after completing a four-year pilot program that evaluated a replacement for metal plates.

Reviver, a tech company founded by Black entrepreneur Neville Boston, is the creator of the world’s first digital license plate. About 10,000 California drivers bought digital plates during the pilot program.

Based Granite Bay, 24 miles east of Sacramento, Reviver expects the number of digital plate users to increase exponentially as all 40 million vehicles registered with the state are now eligible to adopt the new high-tech tags.

Thanks to Assembly Bill (AB) 984 signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, trips to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) – which many Californians would like to avoid because of the long lines and waits they expect -- might become a thing of the past.

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), Chair of the California Black Legislative Caucus for the 2023-24 legislative session, sponsored the legislation.

“I am honored and humbled to see AB 984 signed into law,” said Wilson. “AB 984 strikes a necessary balance between innovation and privacy while digitizing the only thing on our cars today that remain antiquated, license plates.”

The new digital plates will appear as wireless tablets about the same size as traditional plates on the front and back of vehicles. The digital plate will include a processing unit, wireless connectivity, and storage media all built into

an electronic display.

Drivers will be able to update their titles, registrations and other vehicle records remotely. Other advantages of the technology include a flashing message if a vehicle is reported stolen or if there is an Amber Alert. The wired or battery powered plates can be purchased with monthly rates starting at $19.95 and yearly rates at $215.40 for a four-year agreement.

Boston, who majored in political science and business, applied his academic training to create a compelling vision that attracted high-level investors, software and hardware engineers, and financial consultants to the concept.

It was just one meeting that discussed how to get people to have a “better customer experience” at the DMV. That discussion led to a meeting with then-Senior Vice President Avery Brown of the Automobile Club of Southern California and about a dozen officials from the California Highway Patrol.

To avoid asking “for forgiveness later” in case the idea ran into obstacles years later, Boston said he first asked all parties what their thoughts and ideas were to avoid implementing a prototype without their input.

“Our first meeting was in 2008,” Boston said. “We met with Dennis Claire at (California) DMV about a crazy idea of a digital license plate. What I thought would be a five-minute meeting ended up being an hour-and-a-half meeting. What I got from those meetings was the impetus for us to move forward.”

Boston raised seed money domestically and internationally to fund the venture. He enlisted the

Racist Sentenced to Life in Prison

By Stacy M. Brown

A white man who traveled to a Buffalo grocery store in May and killed 10 African Americans, including Black Press writer Katherine Massey, pled guilty to 25 criminal counts on Monday and will spend the rest of his life in prison.

A grand jury previously indicted Payton Gendron, 19, on domestic terrorism, first-degree murder, attempted murder, hate crimes, and weapons possession.

A single domestic terrorism motivated by hate charge carries an automatic life sentence upon conviction.

Prosecutors said Gendron acknowledged that he committed the heinous crimes “for the future of the white

race.”

A lawyer for the victims indicated relief that the state’s case didn’t go to trial.

“It avoids a lengthy trial that they believe would be very difficult for the families,” said Terrence Connors, an attorney representing the victims’ families.

“I think it was pretty clear they had no real defense.”

The self-described white supremacist, Gendron, previously pled not guilty to federal hate crime charges. Federal law allows for the death penalty in those cases.

He still faces 27 federal counts, including ten counts of hate crimes resulting in deaths, three counts of hate crimes involving an attempt to kill, and 13 counts of using, carrying, or discharging a firearm related to a hate crime.

Prosecutors said Gendron possessed a 180-page manifesto that revealed troubling perceptions the selfavowed white supremacist had.

He complained of the dwindling size of the white population and included his fears of ethnic and cultural replacement of white people.

Gendron described himself as a fascist, a white supremacist, and an anti-Semite.

His live-streamed shooting spree has left at least ten dead and several more wounded.

Unlike the many unarmed Black people killed during encounters with law enforcement, the white racist is alive to plead not guilty in court.

“While past violent white supremacist attacks seem to

Michigan Hockey Player Alleges Racial Slurs Used

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan State hockey player Jagger Joshua has alleged an opponent from Ohio State directed a racial slur at him multiple times during a game earlier this month.

Jagger, who is Black, shared his experience on social media from the Nov. 11 game at home in which the Spartans defeated the Buckeyes 4-3.

Jagger said an official in the game heard what the opposing player said, and gave him a game misconduct penalty. The box score that day shows Ohio State senior forward Kamil Sadlocha was the only player given a gameInmisconduct.

a statement Tuesday night, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Sadlocha “is returning home and will not practice or compete at this time.’’

“No student or student-athlete should experience hatred or racism, and everyone should feel welcome,’’ Smith said. “I have spoken with Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller, and I’m thankful Jagger is getting the support he needs.’’

Smith added that the hockey team “will complete education on racial sensitivity, diversity, equity, inclusion and the use of respectful dialog.’’

The Big Ten collected and evaluated information from the conference’s officiating crew, both schools and video footage and supported the in-game penalty on the Buckeyes, but decided against further punishment.

“Due to the absence of indisputable evidence presented to the conference, the conference has not imposed further disciplinary action,” the Big Ten said in a statement.

Joshua said he was motivated to publicly share his version of the events because racism in the sport will get worse if it is not acknowledged.

“Acts of racism do not belong in hockey, as they can discourage African Americans and minorities like myself from playing and loving the game,’’ Joshua wrote in his post. “Inaction in the face of racist comments and actions allow these behaviors to continue.

“The inaction has left me feeling confused and pessimistic about the movement of diversity within hockeyOhioculture.”

State said its athletic department and hockey program worked with the Big Ten to come to a resolution following the allegation of misconduct.

“Ohio State is focused on providing an inclusive and supportive environment for all,” the school said in a statement.

Gladys Knight’s Christmas Special

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Gladys Knight recalls Christmas as more than a family affair when she was growing up in Atlanta.

“Because Mom and Dad were the way they were, they would just embrace all the kids in the neighborhood,’’ said the legendary singer. Many of the children were in the same church choir and ‘’we were just so excited about the music.’’

She counts “O Holy Night’’ as a favorite Christmas song. The best childhood gift she received? A bicycle, blue and silver, “and it was sharp.”

Knight will be celebrating the holiday on-screen in the TV movie “I’m Glad It’s Christmas,’’ airing 8 p.m. EST Saturday on the Great American Family channel. Knight plays matchmaker Cora, who wants to bring together a salesclerk dreaming of Broadway fame (Jessica Lowndes) and a songwriter (Paul Greene) for a small town’s Christmas concert.

Knight said she and husband William McDowell expect their Asheville, North Carolina, home to be packed as usual this Christmas, given their large brood of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Everybody’s invited to come in a good mood and share the joy,’’ said Knight, a seven-time Grammy winner known for hits including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine’’ and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

Aldon Thomas Stiles

California Black Media

In November, Associate Justice Kelli Evans became the third Black Associate Justice on the California Supreme Court. Black justices now make up half of the Associate Justices on the state’s High Court. The state Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice

six Associate Justices. It reviews decisions by the six state Courts of Appeal, decisions by the Public Utilities Commission, and cases that result in a death sentence.

54, is the first openly lesbian female Justice to serve on the bench of the court. She was nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom in August and approved this month after a unanimous vote by the Commission on Judicial

Appointments.

her career, Judge Evans has been widely recognized for her intellectual curiosity, diligence, work ethic, humility, and integrity,” the commission’s report reads.

Justice Martin Jenkins

Justice Leondra Kruger

Justice Kelli Evans

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Black entrepreneur Neville Boston (Courtesy

Photo)

Edward Henderson and Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

The Fall of FTX and Renewed Mistrust Signal Disaster for Cryptocurrencies

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The fall of Cryptocurrencies, the recent wave of the investment craze that includes NFTs and trading cards, has not only ruined bank accounts for some but now has the federal government investigating its dramatic downfall. FTX, the Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange founded just before the pandemic paralyzed America and much of the world, landed in bankruptcy this month, leaving federal authorities perplexed over the fall of the $32 billion company. Some have compared the fall of crypto to Bernie Madoff. “And just as Madoff’s Ponzi scheme fell apart during the 2008 financial crisis, FTX’s collapse arrives amid a broader pullback for the tech industry,” Erin Griffith, a tech writer, penned for the New York Times’s digital newsletter. “Tech stocks have crashed. Venture capital funding is drying up. As a result, nearly 800 tech companies have laid off more than 120,000 workers this year, with cuts hitting Meta, Amazon, and Twitter,” Griffith noted. In a CBS News interview this week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the fall of FTX should warn Americans about investing their money in “extremely risky” financial products traded in a space lacking “appropriate supervision and regulation.” “I think this is a space where investors and consumers should really be very careful,” Yellen stated. “We have very strong investor and consumer protection laws for most of our financial markets, but in some ways, the crypto space has inadequate regulation.” Yet, the crypto space has lured not just financial bigwigs but heavyweights in entertainment like Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons,

component benefiting historically Black colleges and universities. Earlier this year, Ja Rule told the Black Press that he wanted to create a space for people of color in the crypto world. “That’s important. We need to be at that table,” Ja Rule said. Simmons, the hip-hop architect, and successful businessman said he leaped into the NFT market because he wanted hip-hop pioneers to get their flowers and much-deserved money while still alive. In collaboration with NFT marketplace Tokau, Simmons’ NFT honored individuals like D.J. Hollywood, Bizzy Bee Starski, and Grandmaster Caz. Snoop Dogg agreed to curate the NFT collection. “This is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and so many of the younger generation don’t know the shoulders on whom they stand,” Simmons told the Black Press at his launch party. “Some of these guys [founders] don’t even have bank accounts, but we have to consider, all of us have to consider. None of us would be here without them.” Simmons insisted that Snoop Dogg “gets it.” “He wants to be a part of this. That’s why I love him so much,” Simmons asserted. “Snoop has such a big heart; he cares about these guys.” In June, Jay-Z announced that he teamed with Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey to launch a new “Bitcoin Academy” for underserved residents – particularly those in Brooklyn, New York’s Marcy Houses. The plan included adding other locations for the program designed in collaboration with Crypto Blockchain Plug and Black Bitcoin Billionaire. Jay-Z and Dorsey said their mission included providing education and empowering the community with knowledge. Program participants were promised MiFi devices, a one-year limited data plan, and smartphones if needed. Each of the artists has yet to speak

on the current state of the crypto space. This week, a new study found that the District of Columbia topped the list of American states and places that have demonstrated the most interest in NFTs and cryptocurrency. The study found that Bitcoin sold for a record $68,000 in November 2021, while NFT sales peaked at $12.6 billion in January 2022. Both have since dropped precipitously. “Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occurred here,” John Ray III, the new CEO of FTX, told MSN as he laid out “a damning description of FTX’s operations under its founder Sam Bankman-Fried, from a lack of security controls to business funds being used to buy employees homes and luxuries.” “From compromised systems integrity and faulty regulatory oversight abroad to the concentration of control in the hands of a very small group of inexperienced, unsophisticated, and potentially compromised individuals, this situation is unprecedented,” said Ray. He performed cleanup work in the aftermath of the disastrous Enron scandal. Griffin wrote in the New York Times newsletter that it would take time and multiple federal investigations to entirely understand what happened behind the scenes at FTX. However, the impact is already evident. “Lawmakers are calling for more oversight,” Griffin wrote. “Crypto die-hards are trying to distance themselves. Critics of this sector of finance are crowing. And for those of you who had, until now, managed to ignore the rise and rise and rise of crypto as a phenomenon? First of all, good for you. And second, you may want to watch this one play out.”

Study Reveals ‘Crisis’ in New Recruit Police Training Across America

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

A comprehensive new report asserted that American authorities have traditionally trained police officers on the cheap, noting that more than 71% of agencies devote less than 5% of their total budget to recruit training. Issued by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), the report found that nearly half of the agencies responding to the survey agreed that spending on recruit training had increased over the past five years. However, that was before police budgets faced the dual challenges of cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and calls to “defund” the police. The 84-page exposition noted that investments in training could be stalled or reduced at the very time they need to increase to bring about changes required

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in American policing. Researchers found that in many jurisdictions, “the goal seems to be moving as many recruits as possible through academy training as fast as possible and at the lowest possible cost.” They argued that this approach had been driven partly by the desire to quickly get more officers on the street – a challenge that became particularly acute as officer hirings declined and retirements and resignations increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic and as homicides and other violent crimes surged. “Besides recruiting and hiring, there is perhaps no activity that is more crucial to the success of police departments and sheriffs’ offices than how they train recruits,” researchers wrote. “Recruit training is where new officers acquire the basic knowledge and skills to do their jobs. It’s where they learn the right way to do things and have an opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them, without the serious consequences of making those mistakes in the field.” They continued: “It is where new officers acquire the foundation of technical know-how that will stay with them throughout their careers. But recruit training is about more than just technical instruction. “Recruit training is where prospective officers are introduced to the concept of public safety and public service. The training academy is where police agencies can articulate their philosophy and vision and begin to instill their core values. “Finally, recruit training is where agencies build and reinforce their culture through the next group of frontline employees.” While policing has changed in many respects throughout the years, officers struggle with challenges on several fronts, including dealing with individuals in crisis. The report contended that, far too often, police recruits are trained as warriors, not as guardians and partners intended for civil communities. To effect change, new officers should receive new and adequate instruction sensitive to the communities they serve, researchers wrote. “The current state of recruit training demands that we rethink – and remake – the system for how new police officers is trained,” the researchers argued. “We need national consensus and national standards on what the training contains, how it is delivered, and by whom. “This report may present a grim picture of the current state of recruit training, but it also puts forth a series of principles that can help guide the transformation of training to meet the challenges of policing for today and tomorrow.” Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the PERF, said one could ascertain much about a police training academy from the moment an individual walks in the door and encounter a group of recruits. “If the recruits immediately back up against the nearest wall, look straight ahead, and bark out in unison,

noting that American policing needs to re-imagine and retool recruit training. They recommended that officials rethink how academies are operated and staffed, what the recruit curriculum contains, and how the training is delivered and by whom. They also suggested authorities rethink how to use reality-based scenario training more broadly and effectively and how recruit training integrates

Researchers concluded the report by

model that emphasizes discipline, deportment, following orders, and a strict hierarchy where recruits are often on the lowest rung. Wexler continued: “Discipline and following the chain of command are certainly important and necessary aspects of police training and operations. But when those elements become so pervasive that they overshadow almost everything else, it can undermine the academy’s mission, which is to prepare new police officers to serve and protect their communities with compassion and humanity.”

with field training once recruits leave the academy. “Reimagining policing begins with tackling how police officers are taught. This report is a blueprint for fundamentally rethinking the current way we train new police officers – for dismantling the existing model and building a new approach,” Wexler asserted. “The goals are ambitious and far-reaching. But we hope that if police agencies can attract those who possess the ‘right stuff,’ we can provide them with the kind of training that will take us into the future guided by a new way of thinking.”

Black Justices Bring Diverse Experiences to

California Supreme Court

“From all this, the commission concluded that Judge Evans will make an outstanding Associate Justice and found her to be well qualified for the California Supreme Court,” the report continues.

Evans is a graduate of Stanford University and UC Davis Law School. She is a former ACLU staff attorney, worked as a senior trial attorney in the US Dept of Justice Civil Rights Division and represented clients in civil rights litigation at the law firm Relmen & Associates. In addition, she worked in the California Attorney General’s office, for the State Bar of California, and was Newsom’s chief deputy legal affairs secretary before becoming an Alameda County Superior Court judge.

Anthony Rendon (D-Lakeside), Speaker of the California State Assembly, called Evans’ approval “excellent news for California’s Supreme Court” in a Tweet.

During a conversation with Newsom in a video posted by Newsom’s office, Evans spoke about her 28-year career.

“I’ve been really privileged to have an incredibly diverse and rewarding legal career, having had the opportunity to impact people’s lives for the better,” Evans said.

Newsom praised Evans’ appointment by tweeting, “Judge Kelli Evans has dedicated her life to promoting equality and justice through her work. Her broad experience in law and policy will serve her well as an Associate Justice on California’s Supreme Court.”

Evans is joining two Black colleagues already on the

court - Associate Justice Leondra R. Kruger and Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins.

Associate

Kruger,

Kruger attended Harvard College before attending Yale Law School and asserts that “My approach reflects the fact that we operate in a system of precedent,” she said in a 2018 Los Angeles Times interview.

“I aim to perform my job in a way that enhances the predictability and stability of the law and public confidence and trust in the work of the courts,” she continued.

From 2007 to 2013, Kruger worked in the US Department of Justice as an Assistant to the Solicitor General and as Acting Deputy Solicitor General. While there, she argued 12 cases before the United States Supreme Court representing the federal government.

In private practice, Kruger specialized in appellate and Supreme Court litigation. This year, she was on the short list to be appointed to the US Supreme Court by Pres. Joe Biden to replace Justice Stephen Breyer when he retired.

Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins, 69, was the first openly gay California Supreme Court Justice.

Jenkins earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Santa Clara University. Before entering the University of San

“Justice Jenkins is widely respected among lawyers and jurists, active in his Oakland community and his faith, and is a decent man to his core,” Newsom stated when he announced Jenkins’s confirmation. “As a critical member of my senior leadership team, I’ve seen firsthand that Justice Jenkins possesses brilliance and humility in equal measure. The people of California could not ask for a better jurist or kinder person to take on this important responsibility.”

Jenkins was unanimously confirmed to the Supreme Court on Nov. 10, 2020.

At his confirmation, when asked by the Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye why he wanted to serve on the Supreme Court, Jenkins said, “I felt I could do good work, that I had a voice to add to the discussion that might be absent, not better, just different and ultimately being a man of faith, I felt this was a calling and never once have I refused the call of service.”

Member of The National Newspapers Publishers Association, Associated Press, and The Better Business Bureau

and Ja Rule. Along with friend and business partner Herb Rice, Ja Rule co-founded The Painted House and launched the NFT collection Black Is Beautiful, with a charitable

Issued by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), the report found that nearly half of the agencies responding to the survey agreed that spending on recruit training had increased over the past five years.

‘Good morning, ma’am!” or “Good afternoon, sir!” you pretty much know the culture and operating philosophy of that academy,” Wexler stated. “If, on the other hand, the recruits pause, look you in the eye, and offer a more conversational, “Good morning, sir” or “How are you today, ma’am,” that tells you something else. “Academies have traditionally followed a paramilitary, boot camp-like

Justice Leondra R. Kruger, 46, was nominated by Gov. Jerry Brown and confirmed and sworn in on January 5, 2015. She was the second Black woman to be appointed to the California Supreme Court.

a native of Southern California, was born in Glendale and raised in Pasadena.

Francisco (USF) Law school, he played football for the Seattle Seahawks.

Justice Jenkins previously served as a trial judge on the Oakland Municipal and Alameda County Superior Courts. He was a federal district judge for the Northern District of California appointed by President William J. Clinton in 1997. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him to the California Court of Appeals. Preceding his appointment to the Supreme Court he was Senior Judicial Appointments Advisor to Newsom.

Black Sands Entertainment Gets Boost from Hart, ‘Shark Tank’

By CRAIG HORLEMAN Delaware Sate News

Six years ago, Manuel and Geiszel Godoy were only looking to fill a need for their daughter and children like her. But they ended up exceeding those expectations.

Mr. and Mrs. Godoy, owners of Delaware-based Black Sands Entertainment, were unable to find children's books and comics that represented their family and its Black heritage.

They realized how such representation is still something with which the entertainment industry struggles. While there are a few examples _ such as “Black Panther” _ Black characters, directors and content creators remain the minority in the entertainment world and face additional struggles while trying to make it there.

So the Godoys started their enterprise as a way to diversify the field, by introducing Black characters and storylines in their comic books.

“We saw a need just to do stories on African history before slavery. We wanted to connect with that aspect because it's never really been told before. So we focus on all the different countries around Africa and other Indigenous groups, too,” said Mrs. Godoy, whose company's books also extend to the Incan and Malaysian cultures.

They started Black Sands to tell stories of strong Black characters set in those early days of history before colonization. Established in 2016, their empire has grown to 25 titles. The most popular series is “Black Sands,” about important Black pharaohs and their families in ancient Egypt and surrounding areas.

To further their journey into getting these stories told in a full-length, animated way, the couple, both Army veterans, scored $500,000 on the ABC show “Shark Tank” via actor/comedian Kevin Hart and Mark Cuban, during a show that aired in January.

Mr. Hart's global media company Hartbeat formally closed the deal recently with Black Sands Entertainment.

As part of the partnership, Hartbeat will offer advisory services to accelerate Black Sands' efforts, especially in the area of film and TV. Hartbeat and Black Sands are already

in development on an animated feature and a series around the “Black Sands” flagship franchise.

“The moment that Manuel, Geiszel and the Black Sands Entertainment team walked into the `Tank,' I knew that this was a company that I wanted to bring into my eco-system,” said Mr. Hart in a statement.

“The Black Sands team was looking for a partner that has resources to grow their distribution, expand on their production, find new creative talent, and promote their current and future portfolio of content _ these are all areas of Hartbeat's core business. I'm very excited that our team will be able to help Black Sands grow and continue to share their unique stories with audiences all over the world.”

The deal follows Mr. and Mrs. Godoy's successful Kickstarter campaign, which reached its goal of $10,000 in one minute and garnered $100,000 in one day. Black Sands has sold 200,000 print copies of its comic books, resulting in $2 million in sales since its inception.

Aside from their military backgrounds _ Mr. Godoy was a radar technician, and Mrs. Godoy worked in human resources _ both have an interest in art.

“I went to fashion design school in California and have a bachelor's in fashion design. I worked with Calvin Klein designing for them. ... And my husband went to college for video game design. So he's an artist, as well,” Mrs. Godoy said.

In addition, both have had hands in writing many of the books.

Mrs. Godoy, who serves as the company's chief financial officer, said she is very surprised by the company's success.

“I thought I was going to continue to do fashion forever,” she said.

But, thinking back to Black Sands' early days, she said going the independent route was the right move.

“Usually, when you write novels and stuff, you have to go to the big dogs, and they want to change everything,” said Mr. Godoy, Black Sands' CEO.

“I remember trying to pitch this really beautiful book, and they wanted to change the character's name from

Mrs.

“My last name is Godoy. It's about my son and my daughter. I wrote about them in the book, and they wanted me to change the names. My kids love me incorporating them in our stories,” she said.

In the `Tank'

The decision to go on “Shark Tank” was made for a few reasons.

“We wanted exposure, and we wanted to grow and scale the company, to take our company to the next level because there is so much red tape involved,” Mrs. Godoy said.

However, appearing on the show was a tough task.

“They don't play games. They want to know your entire history. They do their due diligence. They want to know your credit report of your company, the health of your company. They want to see all your documents relating to your company. It's a very, very, very hard process. And they were telling us during that process, a lot of people get cut, and they don't make it,” Mrs. Godoy said.

They appeared on “Shark Tank,” which was taped in summer 2021 and aired Jan. 7, with their head of studio, Teunis De Raat.

They came in asking for $500,000 for a 5% stake in their company but settled for an offer from Mr. Hart and

Mr. Godoy

“They are putting their name out there with us. And now that that's happened, we can actually start making some real business plays on the animation production side. We have it out there. It's all public. It's all ready to go. And that alone allows us to go after key voice actors, go after animation studios and stuff like that, when we couldn't do that prior,” he said.

Expansion

Along with looking to grow into animation, Black Sands has launched an app to help Black creators reach larger audiences and a podcast to share secrets of indie publishing success.

The Godoys said they would love to bring their books into more schools, too. They have some Southern states onboard but are aiming to expand farther, with Delaware chief among those regions.

“That's one of the big things that we're currently focusing on. We're currently trying to get into New York and the D.C. area (schools), as far as getting very wide distribution in those places. We really did a lot of work to make sure that we have the books available for those areas,” Mr. Godoy said.

Singer-Actor Irene Cara Dies at 63

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

NEW

Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, writing that a cause of death was ``currently unknown.'' Moose also confirmed the death to an Associated Press reporter on Saturday. Cara died at her home in Florida. The exact day of her death was not disclosed.

``Irene's family has requested privacy as they process their grief,'' Moose wrote. ``She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.''

During her career, Cara had three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including ``Breakdance,'' ``Fame'' and ``Flashdance ... What A Feeling,'' which spent six weeks at No. 1. She was behind some of the most joyful, highenergy pop anthems of the early '80s, including ``Out Here On My Own'' and ``Why Me?''

Tributes poured in on Saturday on social media, including from Deborah Cox, who called Cara an inspiration, and Holly Robinson Peete, who recalled seeing Cara perform: ``The insane combination of talent and beauty was overwhelming to me. This hurts my heart so

much.''

sweet person.''

She first came to prominence among the young actors playing performing arts high

in Alan Parker's ``Fame,'' with co-stars

Paul McCrane and Anne Meara. Cara played Coco Hernandez, a striving dancer who endures all manner of deprivations, including a creepy nude photo shoot.

``How bright our spirits go shooting out into space, depends on how much we contributed to the earthly brilliance of this world. And I mean to be a major contributor!'' she says in the movie.

Cara sang on the soaring title song with the chorus _ ``Remember my name/I'm gonna live forever/I'm gonna learn how to fly/I feel it coming together/People will see me and cry'' _ which would go on to be nominated for an Academy Award for best original song. She also sang on ``Out Here on My Own,'' ``Hot Lunch Jam`` and ``I Sing the Body Electric.'' Allen took to Twitter Saturday to mourn, posting pictures of them together and calling Cara a ``a gifted and beautiful genius. Her talent and her music will live forever! Forever remember her name!''

Lenny Kravitz addressed Cara in a tweet: ``You inspired me more than you could ever know. Your songwriting and vocals created pure energy that will never cease. You also defined an era that is so close to my heart.'' Stephanie Mills. who co-starred with Cara in ``Maggie Flynn'' on Broadway in 1968, wrote: ``Such an amazing talent and

Three years after her triumph with ``Fame,'' she and the songwriting team of ``Flashdance'' _ music by Giorgio Moroder, lyrics by Keith Forsey and Cara _ were accepting the Oscar for best original song for ``Flashdance ... What a Feeling.''

The movie starred Jennifer Beals as a steel-town girl who dances in a bar at night and hopes to attend a prestigious dance conservatory. It included the hit song ``Maniac,'' featuring Beals' character leaping, spinning, stomping her feet and the slow-burning theme song.

``There aren't enough words to express my love and my gratitude,'' Cara told the Oscar crowd in her thanks.

``And last but not least, a very special gentlemen who I guess started it all for me many years ago. To Alan Parker, wherever you may be tonight, I thank him.''

The New York-born Cara began her career on Broadway, with small parts in short-lived shows, although a musical called ``The Me Nobody Knows'' ran over 300 performances. She toured in the musical ``Jesus Christ Superstar`` as Mary Magdalene in the mid-1990s and a tour of the musical ''Flashdance`` toured 2012-14 with her songs.

She also created the all-female band Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel and put out a double CD with the single ``How Can I Make You Luv Me.'' Her movie credits include ''Sparkle`` and ``D.C. Cab.''

Godoy to Jefferson just because of their market research. And I'm like, `That's kind of stupid stuff.”'

Godoy agreed.

Mr. Cuban of $500,000 for 30%. The actor would handle the entertainment portion, and Mr. Cuban the technical side of things.

shared his excitement about Black Sands' future with its new investors.

On a recent episode of ABC’s hit unscripted series, Shark Tank, founders of Black Sands Entertainment, Manuel and Geizel Godoy found themselves face to face with the legendary panel of investors and special guest shark Kevin Hart.

YORK (AP) _ Oscar, Golden Globe and twotime Grammy winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie ``Fame'' and then belted out the era-defining hit ``Flashdance ... What a Feeling'' from 1983's ``Flashdance,'' has died. She was 63.

schoolers

Debbie Allen,

Features

Rainbow Push Auto Scorecard Shows Vast Improvement in Diversity Efforts

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Longtime National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) partner General Motors joined Toyota in helping automakers set new ethnic diversity and inclusion standards in the United States. Both automakers reflected best practices for ethnic diversity in five of six categories, according to the Rainbow PUSH/Citizenship Education Fund Automotive Project’s annual Automotive Diversity Scorecard. “We have seen many automakers take big steps forward with their diversity programs as they have come to see the value of diversity and inclusion programs truly,” stated Jackson, the founder, and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition. The scorecard provides a snapshot of each automaker’s success at building and sustaining ethnic diversity and inclusion, primarily focusing on people of color. Jackson developed the scorecard in 2012. The six areas under consideration are employment, advertising, marketing, procurement, dealers, and philanthropy. The automakers earn red, yellow, or green grades, depending upon how well each performed in the six categories above. A company earns a green grade when they’ve met the best practices for ethnic diversity. Yellow grades signal some indication of diversity goals, initiatives, and accountability. A red grade is essentially a failure, meaning an automaker’s diversity “initiatives and investments were non-existent, not disclosed, or did not provide enough relevant information for scoring.” For the first time during the decade the scorecard’s been issued, no automakers received a red grade.

“We’ve made some progress over the last 12 months,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. declared. “But one of the things we learn from our history is that when you make progress, you must continue, or else you will slide back. So we join this coalition and the Global Automotive Summit in saying to all the auto industry that

we want to make more progress.” GM and Toyota received green grades in five areas and a single yellow grade in the sixth. GM earned its yellow grade in employment efforts, while Toyota’s was in the dealer network. However, GM and Toyota scored the highest among the 12 automakers surveyed this year. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen scored the lowest, with yellow grades across the board. Between the high and low marks, Ford, Stellantis, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, and Kia earned between four and one green grade. “We cannot afford to be complacent — our work is far from being done,” Jackson said. “The automotive industry and the communities it serves would benefit from having more Blacks in the C-suites and as owners of dealerships. In addition, our advertising agencies need larger budgets, and, of course, we need to make sure minorities play a meaningful role in the emerging electric vehicle supply chain.” Dr. Chavis noted a connection between the auto industry, its success, and the African American community and young people. “We present not just the past but the present and the future,” Chavis declared. “The NNPA continues to be the national media partner of the Global Automotive Summit sponsored by Rainbow Push Coalition for 23 years. We salute the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Chair John Graves for their consistent global leadership in working with the key executives of the automotive industry. This year’s focus on electric vehicles is timely and strategic for business and career opportunities for Black America.”

Telva McGruder, GM’s chief diversity equity and inclusion officer, said the company stands proud because of its progress. “We recognize that we are in the heart of our journey and continue to drive robust DEI connection through our business actions,” McGruder stated. “GM’s commitment to diverse-owned businesses and communities at large remains central to our overall strategy and ongoing investments.”

5 officers Charged after Black Man Paralyzed in Police Van

As Cox pleaded for help, saying he couldn’t move, some of the officers mocked him and accused him of being drunk and faking his injuries. Then, the officers dragged him by his feet from the van and placed him in a holding cell prior to his eventual transfer to a hospital.

The five New Haven police officers were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons. All have been on administrative leave since last summer.

New Haven’s police chief, speaking to reporters Monday along with the city’s mayor, said it was important for the department to be transparent and accountable.

``You can make mistakes, but you can’t treat people poorly, period. You cannot treat people the way Mr. Cox was treated,’’ said Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

The officers turned themselves in at a state police barracks Monday. Each was processed, posted a $25,000 bond and are due back in court Dec. 8, according to a news release from state police. Messages seeking comment were sent to attorneys for the officers.

The case has drawn outrage from civil rights advocates like the NAACP, along with comparisons to the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. Gray, who was also Black, died in 2015 after he suffered a spinal injury while handcuffed and

shackled in a city police van.

The attorney for Cox’s family, Ben Crump, said Monday that the New Haven officers need to be held accountable.

``It is important _ when you see that video of how they treated Randy Cox and the actions and inactions that led to him being paralyzed from his chest down _ that those police officers should be held to the full extent of the law,’’ Crump said.

Cox was arrested June 19 after police said they found him in possession of a handgun at a block party. The charges against him were later dropped.

Cox’s family filed a federal lawsuit against the city of New Haven and the five officers in September. The lawsuit alleges negligence, exceeding the speed limit and failure to have proper restraints in the police van.

Four of the officers filed motions last week claiming qualified immunity from the lawsuit, arguing that their actions in the case did not violate any ``clearly established’’ legal standard.

New Haven officials announced a series of police reforms this summer stemming from the case, including eliminating the use of police vans for most prisoner transports and using marked police vehicles instead. They also require officers to immediately call for an ambulance to respond to their location if the prisoner requests or appears to need medical aid.

NNPA President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., with Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Push Coalition’s Annual Automotive Summit in Detroit/NNPA

FILE - In this image taken from police body camera video provided by New Haven Police, Richard “Randy” Cox, center, is pulled from the back of a police van and placed in a wheelchair after being detained by New Haven Police on June 19, 2022, in New Haven, Conn. Five Connecticut police officers were charged with misdemeanors Monday, Nov. 28, over their treatment of Cox after he was paralyzed from the chest down in the back of a police van. (New Haven Police via AP, File)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) _ Five Connecticut police officers were charged with misdemeanors Monday over their treatment of a Black man after he was paralyzed from the chest down in the back of a police van. Randy Cox, 36, was being driven to a New Haven police station June 19 for processing on a weapons charge

when the driver braked hard, apparently to avoid a collision, causing Cox to fly headfirst into the wall of the van, police said.

Features

After Restaurant Depot Fires

Single Mom L.A. Coalition Accuses Them of Being “Anti Black”

LOS ANGELES – About 200 protesters gathered on Nov. 24 at wholesale cash and carry foodservice supplier Restaurant Depot/Jetro in Culver City to demand justice for Passion Schoolfield, a single Black mother who was fired for expressing an opinion about Ye, the rapper also known as Kanye West.

According to Schoolfield, she was speaking with a customer in her cashier’s line about celebrities they like and was overheard by another customer when she said, “I like Ye. He keeps it real.”

Then, she says, a customer, a White male, got out of the check-out line, got in her face, and questioned her, “You like Ye?” After repeating this several times, he walked off and spoke with a manager. Moments later, she was suspended and the next day she was fired.

“This protest was a community effort to get justice for Passion, and what this focuses on is what we believe was anti-Black aggression against her for a basically ridiculous firing because she said she liked Kanye West. We really wanted to get that message out that there’s a line that was crossed,” stated Ludlow Cleary, II., Schoolfield’s attorney.

Schoolfield did not speak during the press conference. However, she told California Black Media that retail has been her career since she was 18, and while working at Restaurant Depot, she loved the customers and the people.

The protest was called by the newly-formed, faith-based Grassroots Community Coalition Against Anti-Blackness (GCCAA). For now, they are demanding compensation for stress caused to Schoolfield and her children, particularly

her two autistic sons, “Blackness Sensitivity” trainingnot diversity training -- they emphasized and revising the company’s employment policy.

“Black Jobs Matter and no one will be able to get in here to buy (nothing) from Jetro Restaurant Depot until my sister gets justice, until Passion gets her job back. She has the right to her job to take care of her family,” stated Nation of Islam Western Region Representative Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad (formerly known as Tony Muhammad).

“She poses no threat to anybody. We in the Nation of Islam believe that a nation can rise no higher than its woman and that when you attack a woman, you attack a nation,” he stated.

Muhammad, who is also the student minister of Muhammad Mosque #27, issued the GCCAA’s 48-hour demand for a response during the press conference and protest.

“This is a Rosa Parks moment. We’re living in a cancel culture, but it looks like that cancel culture is directed at Black people with consciousness,” he stated. “And any of us who desire to stand up and be conscious and support one another, there seems to be a system in place that’s telling us we can’t do that,” he said.

Ralph Vasquez, manager of the Restaurant Depot Store, gave no comment when asked about Schoolfield’s termination and the protest. No response has been received yet from Restaurant Depot’s corporate and West Coast regional offices.

“There are people in our world that have done worse things than Kanye, that get voted into office, and people never lose their job for supporting them,” said Ryan Sims, pastor of Revelation Church of God in Christ.

As a father, Sims said, no one would want their child, wife, aunt, mother, or even their cousin, to go through what Schoolfield has endured. As a community, big brothers and sisters, they are standing with her, he said.

“If someone in our community likes someone in our community, it’s not a violation. It’s not against humanity. It’s not against the law. It’s simply self-love, and if that’s a crime, then lock us all up,” continued Pastor Sims.

Schoolfield is that kind and engaging worker behind the counter that’s attentive to their customers, said Anthony “Shep” Crawford, senior pastor of the Experience Christian Ministries Church. “And in that conversation, someone overhears it, gets offended, tries to bully her … and once she answers the questions, he asks her again. I do not like that. We do not like that, but she stood her ground,” he stated.

Her mistreatment is about a corrupt system, not a rogue manager, he said, pointing to the store’s entrance. “We will not have it. We will not stand for it. You have here, present today, Muslims, Christians, Baptists, Church of God in Christ, community mothers…even law enforcement, here to stand,” said Crawford.

Many who turned out to support Schoolfield felt she was unjustly fired. Some offered donations for the young mother of three who is now unemployed and may be unable to apply for unemployment benefits.

“We’re standing here for Passion because what took place here at Restaurant Depot is unjust,” stated Reverend K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Los Angeles and member of the National Action Network. “What Jetro did was wrong! And we want to make this wrong a right,” he said.

The GCCAA has set up a GoFundMe page, which so far has raised $2,000 to help Schoolfield pay rent and feed her children.

They intend to interrupt the economy of Restaurant

Depot/Jetro,

He

“There

so if you are anti-Black Passion, then you are anti-Black our dollars,” stated Worsham.

Other organizations present were Asians with Attitude and Second Call Gang Intervention and Prevention. She has a right to express her opinion about a public figure, they said.

You can follow this movement on Instagram @_gccaa and #WeStandWithPassion.

Three Bay Area Counties Have Black Women Chief Prosecutors

Price is proposing to take a progressive approach to dealing with the criminal justice system. She intends to end racial disparity in prosecutions, terminate mass incarceration of Black and Brown people, and ban the practice of charging youth as adults.

Price is the fifth Black woman to be elected District Attorney in California. Former D.A.’s on the list are Vice President Kamala Harris who was San Francisco’s D.A. from 2004 to 2010 and Jackie Lacey who was Los Angeles County D.A. for two terms from 2012 to 2020. She lost a bid for a third term.

“We knew this election was going to be an exclamation point in history for Alameda County,” Price said in a written statement. “The D.A.’s office has been an untouched tower of legacy appointed and unchallenged District Attorneys. For the last ten years, the D.A.’s office has stood in the way of the progressive reforms ushered in by our California legislature and endorsed by Alameda County voters.”

Price defeated another Black candidate, Terry Wiley, a 32-year veteran of the Alameda D.A.’s office and its thirdhighest ranking member as a chief deputy D.A.

The California Legislative Black Caucus submitted Becton’s and Wiley’s names as possible replacements for the state’s Attorney General position when Xavier Becerra resigned to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services in Pres. Joe Biden’s administration.

“I congratulate Pamela Price on becoming Alameda County’s first-ever African American district attorney,” Wiley said after conceding to Price. “I look forward to working with Pamela in her transition to district attorney.”

Price is a product of the Ohio juvenile justice and foster care systems. She graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1978

“My administration will begin an era of change that ultimately will make us stronger and safer,” Price said in a Nov. 18 Twitter post.

In 2017, Becton became the 25th D.A. for Contra Costa County after being appointed by the Board of Supervisors. She was elected D.A. in June 2018 and reelected in June 2022. Before her appointment Becton was a judge in Contra Costa County for 22 years, where she was elected as Presiding Judge.

In April 2021, Becton charged white Danville police officer and sheriff’s deputy Andrew Hall for an on-duty killing. Hall was convicted by a jury for assault with a firearm, deadlocking on a charge of voluntary manslaughter. He is serving six years in prison for shooting a mentally ill man during a slow-car chase.

“(We) must continue to hold anyone who harms communities accountable – even if they are in elected office or wear a badge – because that is what real safety demands,” Becton said in a written statement in June 2022.

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed appointed Jenkins to replace the former D.A. Chesa Boudin following the recall election on June 7, 2022. Jenkins campaigned for the D.A. position decided on Nov. 8 and defeated former police commissioner John Hamasaki on a ranked-choice voting system.

Jenkins served as an Assistant DA in the San Francisco DA’s Office from 2014 to 2021, where she worked her way up, serving in the Misdemeanor and Felonies Units before

working as the office’s Hate Crimes Prosecutor. She was later promoted to the Sexual Assault Unit and eventually the Homicide Unit.

Jenkins resigned from the San Francisco DA’s Office in October 2021, because she disagreed with Boudin’s lenient policies.

Jenkins said after her appointment in June that she would “do everything” in her power to navigate a

progressive platform of reform while instituting a strict policy of accountability and reform. After the election, she doubled down on her office’s objectives.

“Together, we proved that San Franciscans want accountability and smart reforms in and for our criminal justice system,” Jenkins stated in a Nov. 9 Twitter post.

“Together, we proved that we will lead with our city’s progressive values and advance public safety in all of its forms.”

(l-r) Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Los Angeles and member of the National Action Network, Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad, Nation of Islam Western Region Representative, and Passion Schoolfield, during press conference outside Restaurant Depot/Jetro Jefferson Blvd. store in Los Angeles.

Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Los Angeles and member of the National Action Network, during press conference outside Restaurant Depot/Jetro Jefferson Blvd. store in Los Angeles.

Angela Birdsong CBM Contributing Writer

(L to R) Pamela Price, DA Alameda County, Diana Becton, DA Contra Costa , Brooke Jenkins D.A. San Francisco

Antonio Ray Harvey

California Black Media

Civil rights attorney Pamela Price made history when she was elected Alameda County’s first African American District Attorney (D.A.).

Price joins two other Black women, Contra Costa County D.A. Diana Becton and San Francisco D.A. Brooke Jenkins holding the same office in their Bay Area counties.

and from U.C. Berkeley School of Law earning a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Arts degree in Jurisprudence and Social Policy in 1982. She was admitted to the California bar in 1983.

said Bishop Craig Worsham, founder and Sr. Pastor of The Agape Church of Los Angeles.

challenged all present at the protest to stand united in that cause until Restaurant Depot comes to the table with a reasonable resolution.

are African American-owned restaurants, catering companies, churches that dump hundreds of thousands up to millions of dollars into this establishment,

Ga. Senate Runoff Between Warnock, Walker Has Bitter Closing

By Bill Barrow Associated Press

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (AP) _ Ads with the candidates’ ex-wives. Cries of “liar” flying in both directions. Stories of a squalid apartment building and abortions under pressure. Questioning an opponent’s independence. His intellect. His mental stability. His religious faith.

The extended Senate campaign in Georgia between the Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock, and his Republican challenger, football legend Herschel Walker, has grown increasingly bitter as their Dec. 6 runoff nears. With Democrats already assured a Senate majority, it’s a striking contrast from two years ago, when the state’s twin runoffs were mostly about which party would control the chamber in Washington.

“Herschel Walker ain’t serious,” Warnock told supporters recently in central Georgia, saying that Walker “majors in lying” and fumbles the basics of public policy. “But the election is very serious. Don’t get those two things confused.”

Walker casts Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, as a “hypocrite” and servile to President Joe Biden. Underscoring the insult, Walker calls the incumbent “Scooby-Doo,” complete with an impression of the cartoon hound’s gibberish.

The broadsides reflect the candidates’ furious push in the four weeks between the Nov. 8 general election and runoff to persuade their core supporters to cast another ballot. For Walker, it also means drawing more independents and moderates to his campaign after he underperformed a fellow Republican on the ticket, Gov. Brian Kemp, by 200,000 votes.

Warnock led Walker by 37,000 votes out of almost 4 million cast in the first round, but the senator fell short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

In many ways, the shift from his first runoff campaign is exactly what Warnock wanted: a straightforward choice between two candidates. Two years ago, then-President Donald Trump, fresh off his defeat, and Biden, then president-elect, made multiple Georgia trips to illuminate the national stakes of the races between Warnock and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Sen. David Perdue as control of the Senate hung in the balance.

Trump ended up alienating his own supporters and many moderates with his false claims of a rigged 2020 presidential election. Victories by Warnock and Ossoff put the Senate at a 50-50 split, with Democrats gaining control by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote. Warnock also became Georgia’s first Black senator.

This year, with Warnock vying for a full six-year term after winning the 2021 special election, Democrats have already guaranteed control of the Senate by flipping a seat in Pennsylvania. A Warnock win would give Democrats an outright majority at 51-49, meaning that the parties would not have to negotiate a power-sharing agreement.

Warnock’s preferred emphasis for most of his reelection bid has been his deal-making in Washington

and the personal values he brings to the job. It took until the campaign’s final stages _ only after two women accused Walker, an opponent of abortion rights, of encouraging and paying for their abortions _ for the senator to ratchet up his attacks, arguing Walker is “unprepared” and “unfit” for the job.

“My opponent lies about everything,” Warnock said in a recent campaign stop, ticking off a litany of Walker’s repeated falsehoods and exaggerations. “He said he was a police officer. He’s not. He said he worked for the FBI. He did not. Said he graduated from the University of Georgia. He did not. Said he was valedictorian of his class. He was not. ... He said he had another business with 800 employees. It has eight.”

Walker, alternately, has relished the jousting since he won the GOP nomination in the spring.

“Herschel is a competitor. He’s very comfortable with the mano a mano,” said Scott Paradise, Walker’s campaign manager, noting the candidate’s athletic prowess as a football running back, kickboxer and Olympic bobsledder.

Indeed, Walker takes his attacks right to Warnock’s strengths as the pastor of the famous church where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. Walker has criticized Warnock over an Atlanta apartment building, owned by a foundation of Warnock’s church, where residents have

complained to The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative media outlet, of eviction notices and poor conditions

“What he’s doing in this apartment building at Columbia Towers is not right,” Walker said recently at a suburban Atlanta campaign stop. “You shouldn’t put Jesus’ name on what you’re doing to people, and don’t put Martin Luther King name on it. ... You’re not Jesus, and you’re not Dr. King.’

Warnock, who says no residents of Columbia Tower have been evicted, incorporates Walker’s attacks into the list of the challenger’s documented exaggerations and falsehoods. “What kind of a person lies on the church?” Warnock said in Macon. “This isn’t the first time people attacked Ebenezer Baptist Church. They attacked Martin Luther King Jr. I’m in good company.’

Still, asked whether he’s reconsidered his church’s stewardship of Columbia Towers, Warnock sidestepped: “I’ve already answered the question. I’m proud of what my church does to feed and house the hungry and the homeless every single week.’

Walker also accuses Warnock of “getting rich” as a senator, a nod to the pastor’s $7,500-a-month housing allowance from the church. The payments are not a violation of Senate ethics rules that limit senators’ outside income.

On at least one occasion during the runoff, Walker has suggested Warnock is a negligent father. Warnock told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the comment “crossed a line.” Earlier in the campaign, Walker publicly acknowledged three of his children for the first time, doing so only after The Daily Beast reported on their existence. Warnock has not mentioned those children in any of his critiques of Walker.

Walker, meanwhile, has not taken reporters’ questions at an open campaign event since late October, when a second accuser came forward to say he had pressured her to have an abortion _ a contradiction of his advocacy as a candidate for a national ban on all abortions. Walker has denied the women’s claims.

Both candidates’ former wives also loom in the campaign, though the two men avoid the topic themselves, leaving the discussion of their marriages mostly to paid advertising. In one ad, Warnock’s former wife tells Atlanta police that he ran over her foot. The Republican ad doesn’t note that a police report states that officers found no physical evidence supporting her claim. A Democratic ad features an interview with Walker’s first wife detailing that he threatened violence against her, circumstances Walker has confirmed in an autobiography.

Since the two men met for their lone debate Oct. 14, Warnock has hammered Walker for a lack of policy details and sometimes flubbing what policy he does discuss.

Warnock promotes his new federal legal provision capping insulin costs for Medicare recipients and notes Walker said diabetics could manage their health by “eating right,” a practice that isn’t enough for insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

“Maybe he ought to apply to be a dietician. I’m running for the United States Senate,” Warnock said in Macon.

He pounced when Walker declared the United States is “not ready” for climate action and should “keep having those gas-guzzling cars” that he said already have “good emissions” standards. Warnock added gleeful mockery when Walker recently introduced a tangent about vampires to a campaign speech.

“I mean, who says that kind of stuff?” Warnock asked supporters.

Warnock’s aides say that the personalized arguments help convince core Democrats that they should not sit out the runoff, while also swaying the potentially decisive middle of the electorate in the senator’s favor. “Herschel Walker continues to be bogged down by his pattern of lies and disturbing behavior, all of which led him to underperform” in the first round, said Quentin Fulks, Warnock’s campaign manager, in a statement.

From Walker’s camp, Paradise insisted that Republicans’ best argument remains Warnock’s alignment with Democrats on economic policy. Still, he acknowledges the campaign’s tone has darkened.

“We’re certainly going to continue to aggressively prosecute the case against Warnock,” he said, “and I suspect they’ll do the same.”

Nurse Who Died Saving Patients in 1953 Finally Has Headstone

By KRISTEN HARE Tampa Bay Times

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Gertrude Warnick died 69 years ago, hailed, then questioned, then forgotten. Since 1953, her body has rested in an unmarked grave under patchy dirt and creeping weeds at Clearwater Municipal Cemetery. Until now.

It started on March 30, 1953, when news clips and eyewitness accounts reported Warnick running in and out of a crumbling building, the heat “so intense it blistered paint on buildings across the road,” while rescuing at least one patient from a fire at the Littlefield Nursing Home in Largo.

In all, 33 people died that night, including Warnick.

A few weeks later, the couple who owned the nursing home testified in a trial about who was at fault. Mrs. Littlefield, one of the owners, claimed Warnick died in her bed and “could have been under the influence of something that night.”

Warnick was new to the job, an orphan with one sister, no husband and no children. When the jury ruled the cause of the fire was undetermined, the nurse and her role were quickly forgotten.

Decades passed. Clearwater grew. The fire became part of history.

In 2021, an amateur historian came across Warnick’s name while looking through old records. He started digging. And he believed the eyewitness accounts of her actions that day.

In April, the Tampa Bay Times shared her story.

In October, Warnick got a headstone.

It reads: “A nurse hero.”

Here’s how it happened.

If you are in the ground .

Craig Siapno climbed off his bike one day and walked through an old cemetery. He saw the history of Clearwater told one headstone at a time. Now, a few times a year, he walks through old cemeteries, maybe Rousseau or McMullen in Clearwater.

Siapno and his wife both came from great families, “but we had nothing . I’ll put it this way, when the TV broke in 1958, we didn’t have another one until 1962.”

He retired as an insurance adjuster after seeing some of the worst things people face _ fires, crashes, death _ and knows how easy it is to lose everything.

When he read about Warnick, Siapno felt sad. Then he sent an email.

“Ms. Hare, read your article about a headstone for Gertrude,” he wrote on the day the story ran. “If you advise me who to make a money order to and where to mail, I will send $50 toward the cost. I am nobody, and when my call to the other side comes, my instructions are for cremation and (to be) dumped in the Gulf. That said, I believe if you are in the ground, there should be a marker.”

He soon delivered a $100 money order to the Clearwater Historical Society.

Over the phone, he took a long pause when asked about it.

“We’ve just been so fortunate,” he said.

Then he asked where he could find Warnick’s newly marked resting place. He plans to go see her at block 8, lot 8, plot 3 on one of his cemetery walks.

Set in stone

Like his mother and father, Kevin Cantrell works in granite, marble and memory.

In 1985, Will and Doris Cantrell opened a monument company in Tarpon Springs. Now, the Cycadia Monument Co. is run by Cantrell, his wife and their two sons.

He heard about the nurse in the unmarked grave from the head of the Dunedin Historical Society. Then he read her story.

Cantrell decided to donate a headstone, something he tries to do when he can. His son, KJ, engraved it. They worked out the logistics with the city. He figures it was worth about $575. And in October, the sandy patch of unmarked earth where Warnick rests got a marker. Stories like hers matter, Cantrell said. They’re part of our history.

“People are able to feel their roots, trace their roots that way. People feel part of the community that way.”

It’s important that someone’s name is permanent, he said.

“It’s not going to go away with the weather.”

Into the graveyard

After her story was told, before her name was etched in stone, Warnick’s name was plastered on a few trolleys. She’s one of several people featured on the Clearwater Jolley Trolley’s Haunted Clearwater Tour.

That tour raised about $5,000, which will be given to the Clearwater Historical Society, said CEO Michael Helmstetter. Some of that money includes payment for using the historical society’s property as a pickup for the tour.

But the value of what’s happened since the nurse’s story resurfaced goes beyond just her headstone.

“The whole cemetery is in the middle of a major, wellneeded makeover.”

That includes removal of an old fence and dead trees. Overgrown bushes got trimmed. And a place that felt neglected _ one that includes graves of Clearwater’s founders _ got new life.

And the people who made it happen are not done yet.

A headstone for Carrie

The man who first discovered Warnick’s story drove out to see her recently.

“It was neat,” said David Barmore, who volunteers with the Dunedin History Museum. “It made me feel that she’s not forgotten anymore.”

In discovering Warnick’s story, Barmore worked with Vinnie Luisi, executive director of the Dunedin History Museum. Luisi hasn’t been out to see Warnick yet but plans to visit this week.

“I’m just grateful that her name is out in the public

now,” he said. “People are aware of what she did, and she’s recognized in the cemetery.”

With the remaining donations, the volunteers plan on getting a headstone for the woman Warnick reportedly died trying to save. That woman, Carrie Hatcher, rests in an unmarked grave next to Warnick. Her headstone will go in next year.

They aren’t the only people lost to history and now returned.

Reporting from Tampa Bay Times’ Paul Guzzo has found entire Black cemeteries that have been erased by development all across the Tampa Bay area. Clearwater’s Whispering Souls African American Cemetery, once abandoned, has new caretakers. In Tampa, College Hill Cemetery received a historic marker. Archaeologists,

researchers and community members continue finding graves and cemeteries. And in Tampa, 112 years after she was buried in Zion Cemetery, Anna Rebecca Wyche was remembered by her great-great-granddaughter with a funeral.

Next year, the Clearwater Historical Society plans to honor Warnick as part of its Women’s History Month celebration, said president Allison Dolan.

“It’s nice when you can reverse some negative history,” she said.

Warnick is remembered now for helping others when it mattered. In their own ways, almost 70 years later, the people who helped get her a headstone did the same thing.

Gertrude Warnick was “tall, dark haired,” “cheerful and very patient.” She died in a 1953 fire and rested in an unmarked grave in Clearwater, pictured here, until this October. (Courtesy Photo: David Barmore)

CA Digital License Plates

support of technology industry veterans Nicholas Brathwaite and Michael Marx, co-founders of Celesta Capital. Celesta assists partners with “deep tech” –the technological engine the venture capitalist states “powers” the modern world.

John W. Thompson, a board member of Microsoft since 2012, is also an investor in Reviver. He is an active investor and advisor in early-stage technology companies in California’s Silicon Valley.

Allen Wayne Warren, president of New Faze Development, is another Reviver investor, Boston told California Black Media.

Reviver included the California Black Chamber of Commerce, California New Car Dealers Association, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and the California Police Chiefs Association as supporters.

The pilot program was first approved by the DMV under provisions provided in Senate Bill (SB) 806. The program tested the operational capability and functionality of three products to determine the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of statewide implementation.

The pilot program gave Reviver access to 160,000 vehicles to evaluate in the trial program.

“We were able to sell the digital plate in the pilot program,” Boston said. “It didn’t give us access to the entire state, but it gave us access to over 100,000 people. See that’s the big thing: sometimes people are afraid to work with governments. But we took it as, ‘Hey, we’re going to partner with you (and) how

can we make the experience for the customer better.’ That was always our focus, making a truly private-public partnership.”

There has been concern that the new technology could be a target for hacking and remote tracking of vehicles by employers, creditors, and the state. To quell some of these concerns, AB 984 contains language that prohibits digital license plates from being equipped with GPS or other vehicle tracking capabilities. The only exception would be for fleet and commercial vehicles. Those employees will have the ability to disable the technology during non-working hours.

Aside from a few traffic stops by police who believed the digital license plates were illegal during the pilot program, no other significant concerns were reported by drivers, according to a 2019 review by the DMV.

The bill requires the DMV to recall all devices that were equipped with GPS or other tracking technology as part of the pilot program by no later than Jan. 1, 2024.

Other states are following suit with similar legislation. Texas recently approved digital license plates for commercial fleets of twenty-five or more vehicles.

“California now has 40 million vehicles, one-seventh of the driving population comes from California. This market is huge,” Boston said. “This is the fourth largest economy in the world, passing Germany. When you look at it from that perspective getting it down in California is a huge deal. All this was about taking something old and making it new.”

Racist Sentenced to Life in Prison

have factored into this heinous act, we must acknowledge that extremist rhetoric espoused by some media and political leaders on the right promoting theories that vilify or dehumanize segments of our society like ‘the great replacement theory’ is a factor too,” wrote U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson in an earlier statement.

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell added that the organization condemns the white supremacist terrorist attack targeting Black men and women in Buffalo and the racist rhetoric that has sparked such violence.

“The constant repetition of white supremacist conspiracy theories on social media and even mainstream media outlets has led to horrific violence in places as distant as Christchurch, El Paso, Oslo, and Charleston,” Mitchell asserted earlier.

“Those who promote racism, white supremacy, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry must be held accountable for the violence they inspire.”

Mitchell added that CAIR has often spoken against those who promote the “great replacement” and other racist conspiracy theories.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told National Newspaper Publishers Association’s live daily morning show, Let It Be Known, that Gendron surveilled both the community and the grocery store as part of the attack’s planning.

Brown said the teen surveilled the area for several days and targeted a busy place in an area predominantly populated

by Black people. Gendron’s manifesto noted, “Zip code 14208 in Buffalo has the highest Black percentage that is close enough to where I live.”

According to the U.S. Census, the zip code is 78 percent Black and among the top 2 percent of zip codes nationwide with the highest percentage of the Black population. In addition, it has the highest rate of the Black population of any zip code in upstate New York.

“Well, this manifesto tells everything to us. And that is what’s so bone-chilling about it is that there is the ability for people to write and subscribe to such philosophies filled with hate,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said after the shootings.

“The white supremacist acts of terrorism that are being fermented on social media and to know that what this one individual did has been shared with the rest of the world as well as the live-streaming of this military-style execution that occurred in the streets of my hometown.”

Massey, one of Gendron’s victims, spent her life trying to clean up and help her community. While she retired from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Massey, 72, remained active in her community as the Cherry Street block club president and as a columnist for the Buffalo Challenger, an NNPA member newspaper.

“She was the greatest person you will ever meet in your life,” her nephew, Demetrius Massey, told reporters.

By David Ford, Two-time cancer survivor, Senior Government Relations Manager at Southern California Edison, and member of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Board of Directors

The holidays are a time to gather with friends and family for food, fun, and great conversations. But imagine those conversations not going as planned and the joy of being with your loved ones overshadowed by someone sharing that they have cancer. You may not have been ready to have that discussion, yet it was happening. And you may not be prepared to talk about screenings with your loved ones, but it’s necessary. As someone who has had two different cancers in my life, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting screened.

It was 2015 when I first heard those earth-shattering words, “it’s cancer.” I thought back to a conversation with my doctor just a few months earlier when they recommended a routine colonoscopy screening. Instead of getting it done right away, I kept putting it off. My life was busy. I had a family and was in the midst of a successful career. It just wasn’t a priority for me, and all the while, I was unknowingly putting myself at risk. Then flashforward to a critical moment with my doctor. It was too late; surgery was needed to treat my cancer.

If I’d gotten my colonoscopy, a screening for colon cancer, when it was recommended, it’s possible that I could’ve avoided surgery, treatment, and the emotional toll I put on my family. Even though the treatments saved me, I had to learn the hard way not to take unnecessary risks with my life. So, three years later, when my doctor recommended screening for prostate cancer, I did not wait. I completed the screening immediately, and we were able to find and treat my second cancer at an early stage. Now, I am once again cancer free and sharing my story to help others understand why they should be getting screened.

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will face a cancer diagnosis in their

lifetime, yet the discussion of cancer screening remains taboo in our community. Now is the time to start having conversations about cancer screening and having it often. Be an example for your friends and family. It’s okay to say, “Hey, as your buddy, I want us to be together 20 years from now. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself. That includes going to the doctor and getting screened for cancer.” It may be a tough conversation to have, but you may be the one that could make a lifesaving difference.

Cancer wasn’t something I was prepared to factor into my life. But through my experience, I learned some tough lessons. It is important to listen to my doctor. I need to take the time to share with others, so they don’t make the same mistake. It’s necessary to go to the doctor on a timely basis. It’s okay to have scary conversations about health with loved ones. And if a doctor recommends cancer screening, get screened.

Through my work with the American Cancer Society, I have seen that cancer doesn’t discriminate. It’s not just older people getting cancer, anyone can be at risk. This is the reason why it is so important for you to talk to a doctor about the type of health care and screening you may need. You can’t play around with your life. It’s more than just a cancer screening, it’s a way to help ensure that we will be around for our families. The longer we are around, the more opportunities we have to live our dreams and to see our loved ones achieve their goals.

As we prepare to gather for the holidays, whether it’s a large gathering or with immediate family, I encourage you to have a conversation with your loved ones about regular cancer screening. I hope that you take the steps yourself to schedule an appointment to get screened. If you need cancer screening recommendations, resources, as well as tips to start the conversation visit cancer.org/get-screened. A small discussion can make a lifesaving difference, so please don’t wait.

Dave Ford (Courtesy Photo)