Soul Singer Charles Bradley Dies at 68
Black Women Murdered Usually by Men They Know with a Gun See Page A2
See Page A5
FREE!
News Observer Bakersfield
Volume 44 Number 4
Celebrating Our 40th Anniversary 1977- 2017
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Sen Harris’ Black Caucus Agenda
to all who pay the premiums, including denying mental healthcare and maternity care. Also under the repeal, healthcare providers would be allowed charge more money for preexisting conditions, raising healthcare costs to millions of Californians. Also on the agenda, was the money bail act co-sponSenator Kamala Harris (Eric Risberg/The Associated Press) sored by Sen Rand Paul (RBy James Luckey KY). The Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017 is Bakersfield News Observer In light of the Congressional Black Caucus Week, designed to address the current unrealistic bail guideSenator Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif ) starts the week’s lines that give overwhelming bias to the rich, while events with a conference call to the leaders in Califor- ignoring the poor. The average bail in California is nia’s black press. During the call, she addressed several around $20,000, a bail bondsmen might require a key issues and bills that are in place to aggressively 10% deposit on that bail, forcing a family of an inmove change forward. At the top of the agenda is the carcerated loved one to scramble and come up with Affordable Care Act aka Obama Care. On Septem- $2,000, usually on very short notice. The act requires ber 30 congress will vote for a second time to repeal states to implement bail requirements based on a risk Obama Care and replace it with what can only be assessment system that is structured and unbiased. Other things discussed during the call, that Sen. called a “radical offense” to the health of all AmeriHarris has sponsored or spear headed bills on include cans. The repeal allows states to deny basic coverage the incarcerated women’s act, aimed at providing ba-
sic reproductive supplies and rights to pregnant incarcerated women; the Voting Rights Advancement Act to reaffirm legal protection against voter suppression that “targets African Americas with almost surgical precision”; and of course, DACA, that is clearly a divisive tool used to divide communities of color. So, what can you do? You can call, tweet, write, email, send a smoke signal. Tell your story to your local representatives, your district representatives, the governor, and congress. By sharing your story and how these law changes affect you personally, your representatives are able to better represent the needs of the masses and fight for what is important to all of us. Sen. Harris is a politician for the people. She challenges inappropriate behavior in the political system on every level and has lobbied to be the voice that connects the people of California to the policy makers. In challenging times like these we can often feel powerless and it’s easy to slip into victim mindset. However, Sen Harris is here to encourage us to use our voices, to speak because she hears us and she is fighting on our behalf.
BSU’s First Female President
By Lauren Poteat NNPA Newswire Contributor In her historic role as Bowie State University’s first female president, Dr. Aminta Hawkins Breaux said that she’s ready to lead the top 25 HBCU into the school’s next phase of growth and development. Following the celebrated legacy of Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, the former BSU president that served the institution for nearly 11 years, Breaux said that she is thrilled and honored to accept the leadership role. “When I look at issues that African American women have faced in this country, it makes me realize how very proud I am to get to this point,” Breaux said about serving as BSU’s first female president. “I have received so much positive feedback from faculty, students and staff and recognize that this is a huge responsibility that is very exciting and I wholeheartedly serve in leadership role with great distinction.” Though Breaux has only officially been in office since July 1, the former vice president for advancement at Millersville University in Pennsylvania has already started to outline new initiatives. Heavily involved with community building, Breaux noted that she wanted to enrich the neighborhoods surrounding the university while preparing students for the ever-changing workforce. “Partnerships are going to be extremely import Dr. Aminta Hawkins Breaux is the first female president of Bowie State University. (Bowie State Continued on page A4
University)
Wednesday September 27, 2017
Grimmway Farms Awards 62 Scholarships
BAKERSFIELD, Calif, September 26, 2017 Grimmway Farms today announced the awarding of 62 college scholarships to recent Kern County area high school graduates as part of its annual Rod and Bob Grimm Memorial Scholarship Program. The Rod and Bob Grimm Memorial Scholarship Program is a company-wide initiative designed to help high-achieving high school seniors pursue their dreams of a college education. Award qualifications include superior academic performance, and all scholarship applicants must also have a parent employed by Grimmway Farms, a global produce leader. “We’re proud to help these young people pursue their academic dreams at colleges and universities across the nation,” said Grimmway Farms president, Jeff Huckaby. “By investing in them, we are investing in the future success of our employees and their families, as well as the communities where we operate.” This year’s Kern recipients hail from the Arvin, Bakersfield, Delano, Lamont, McFarland, and Shafter communities – including local academic standouts Belen Bravo and Ashleen Sodhi who topped all 2017 Rod and Bob Grimm Memorial Scholarship recipients by finishing high school with stellar 4.5 grade point overages. “Receiving this college scholarship from Grimmway Farms was like lifting a weight off of my shoulders,” said Bravo. “It allows me to focus on my academics rather than worrying about my finances. Thank you, Grimmway Farms, for giving me the opportunity to further my education.” Bravo, now a Human Biology and Society major at UCLA, graduated from Ridgeview High School in Bakersfield. Sodhi, who also attended Ridgeview, is majoring in Biological Sciences at UC Davis. “Receiving the Grimmway Farms scholarship was literally a dream come true,” said Sodhi. “Now, I can attend my dream college without worrying about the burden of student loans. This scholarship allows me to expand my horizon and pursue my degree.” Since its 1997 launch, Grimmway Farms’ Scholarship Program has awarded more than 565 scholarships for a total of more than $1.5 million to graduating high school seniors. The company continues to expand the program, awarding 65 scholarships in 2017. Scholarships are based on scholastic achievement and provide students attending two-year colleges with an annual $1,250 stipend, and students attending four-year universities with an annual $2,500 stipend – and are renewable for four years. This year’s recipients will attend a variety of schools, including UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and the University of Oregon.
SICKLE CELL DISEASE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor A new poll about sickle cell disease (SCD), presented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Pfizer revealed that while the majority of respondents were familiar with the illness, less than 40 percent realized that it disproportionately affects people of African descent. The NNPA is a trade group that represents more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers operating in the United States. Earlier this year, Pfizer partnered with the NNPA to increase awareness about SCD in the Black community and to encourage greater participation in clinical trials for treatments involving the disease. The groundbreaking poll also helped to dispel one of the long-held myths about the negative perception of medical professionals in the Black community. The poll revealed that, despite long-standing historical perceptions of mistrust in medical professionals by the Black community, 91 percent of respondents indicated that they believe healthcare professionals are trustworthy. Seventy-nine percent of respondents had positive or neutral attitudes toward sickle cell disease (SCD) trials and a majority indicated a willingness to participate in future clinical trials for SCD, given appropriate knowledge and recommendations from health care professionals. “Our core belief is that every patient counts, especially when it comes to rare disease,” said Michael Goettler, the global president of Pfizer’s Rare Disease unit. “When you have a rare disease, often you feel lonely and your physician may not be able to help you.”
NNPA President and CEO Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. (far left) and NNPA Chairman Dorothy Leavell (3rd from left) joined researchers from Howard University and Pfizer officials to release a new poll on sickle cell disease at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/AMG/ NNPA)
“These poll findings will give our readers an indepth understanding of how sickle cell disease is perceived by African-Americans,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “With this knowledge from the dedicated research team at Howard University, and through our collaboration with Pfizer, we can spur meaningful conversation and assess the best ways to improve disease education for those impacted in our communities.” Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA, said that she’s pleased to be a part of a group delivering “good news,” as well as the research that Pfizer continues to embark upon, on behalf of SCD pa-
tients. SCD is a lifelong and debilitating disorder that affects red blood cells and it’s the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. Most people who live with SCD are of African descent and the disease occurs in one out of 365 African-American births. The median age of death for sickle cell disease patients in America hovers in the mid-40s, said Dr. Kevin Williams, the chief medical officer for Pfizer’s Rare Disease unit. Williams also writes a regular column about SCD for NNPA, titled “Ask Dr. Kevin.” Williams said that the insight form the poll will not only help researchers determine how to further
enhance disease education and awareness, but will also help Pfizer educate SCD patients and their families about the importance of clinical trials in bringing novel treatment options to market for those in need. The survey was conducted by researchers at Howard University, who made 31,934 telephone calls for the poll that was conducted between June 15 and July 15. A total of 741 individuals aged 20 to 70 living across the country, who identified as being of African-American ethnicity, responded to the survey. The majority of respondents (79 percent) said they understood the importance of disease education and expressed the need for additional current information, specifically regarding pain relief, clinical trials and progress toward better treatment or a cure. “It’s not surprising for us that a majority of our participants understood and were previously aware of sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Terri Adams, an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. “The overwhelming majority understood that it’s a disease, a blood disorder.” Adams continued: “There was a willingness to participate in [SCD] clinical trials, however, 82 percent had very or somewhat negative attitudes toward clinical trials in general, so there’s still a general mistrust in clinical trials.” Researchers and officials at Pfizer and the NNPA each said that they hope to continue to educate patients, family members and primary care doctors about SCD clinical trials. “Close to 20 percent said they were unsure of how it was inherited and this presents a problem,” Adams said. “Because, if you don’t know how it’s inherited, you may be putting your offspring at risk.”