Los Angeles News Observer 9.30.21

Report Reveals that Los Angeles Sheriff Department Rife with Gangs and Cliques

R. Kelly Found Guilty of All Charges in Racketeering and Sex-Trafficking Case

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Volume 36 Number 46

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Wildfire Smoke Is Here to Stay Here’s How to Clean the Air Inside Your Home

The fierce wildfires that broke out across much of the western United States this summer, spreading smoke across hundreds of miles, continue to pose a serious health hazard to millions.

More are expected this fall. That’s a major health concern because microscopic particles in wildfire smoke, carried by the wind, can penetrate deep into your lungs and travel into your bloodstream. One study linked wildfire smoke exposure to a twofold increase in the rate of asthma and a 40% rise in strokes and heart attacks. Other research tied smoke to hospital admissions, ER visits and premature deaths.

The standard advice is to stay inside when heavy smoke is in the air. But the smoke can get into your house or apartment. So you might want to consider investing in equipment to clean the air inside your home, especially with climate change likely to continue escalating the scope and intensity of the fires.

“I think we have fires enough now that people should think of this as something they want to buy,” says Deborah Bennett, a professor of public health at the University of California-Davis. “Even if they only turn it on during the fires, there’s going to be plenty of times when they’re going to have it turned on.”

There are many options for cleaning the air in your home, depending on your circumstances and — of course — your budget.

If you have an HVAC system, it likely recirculates air that’s inside the house rather than drawing in air from outside. But if you have an air conditioner with a “fresh air” system that brings in outside air, you should turn off the Continued on page A10

One study linked wildfire smoke exposure to a twofold increase in the rate of asthma and a 40% rise in strokes and heart attacks. Other research tied smoke to hospital admissions, ER visits and premature deaths. (Eric Thayer / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Black and Missing Foundation Still Searching for Missing

Natalie and Derrica Wilson/Derrica Wilson (left) founded the Black & Missing Foundation to raise awareness about people of color who have disappeared. (Photo: Allison Keyes/WAMU)

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent It’s been 13 years since Natalie Wilson and her sisterin-law Derrica Wilson founded the Black and Missing Foundation to help bring attention and closure to the evergrowing number of cases in minority communities.

As incomplete and cringe-worthy, the number of the missing – one count suggests that of the more than 600,000 individuals currently reported missing, more than 200,000 are individuals of color – Wilson forges ahead.

She does so, even 13 years and some success stories later, emotionally.

“We’ve come a long way,” Wilson declared during a recent visit to the new, state-of-the-art National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) television studios in Washington, D.C. During a conversation with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Wilson punctuated the need for the Black and Missing Foundation with the story of Phoenix Colden, a young African American woman who went in 2011 missing near St. Louis, Missouri.

“I called every media outlet, and no one covered that

story,” Wilson recalled. “Finally, an assignment editor got tired of me calling and asked me to send Colden’s profile.”

In her interview with Dr. Chavis, which will air on PBS-TV and PBS-World as a special on The Chavis Chronicles, Wilson reflected on how the news media and even law enforcement fail to highlight missing people of color – notably missing Black girls.

“I’m so grateful for the Black Press,” Wilson remarked.

“They have used their platform to showcase [these stories]. Media coverage is important. It could speed up the recovery and add pressure on law enforcement to add resources to these cases, and that’s vital.”

Wilson proclaimed that laws are needed to protect children, particularly victims of sex trafficking. She said she had witnessed young boys and girls arrested after becoming sex trafficking victims.

“They need rehabilitation,” she exclaimed.

Wilson recalled a case in Virginia of a young Black woman who went missing.

“She was too old for an Amber Alert and too young for a Silver Alert,” Wilson stated.

$126.5 Million Black IPO to Acquire Black-owned Firms

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Shawn Rochester, who authored the spellbinding book “The Black Tax: The Cost of Being Black in America,” and Robin Watkins, a highly regarded financial and operations accountant, have made Wall Street history.

And the two are poised to break through more barriers in the financial world.

Their latest venture, Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisitions Inc. (MEOA), has raised $126.5 million they’ve earmarked to help minority businesses and enterprises grow and prosper through mergers and acquisitions.

“It’s amazing to be a part of this,” Watkins, a Drexel University graduate, stated.

While Rochester serves as CEO of MEOA, Watkins counts as the company’s CFO. “I come from a family of entrepreneurs,” Watkins remarked during an appearance on PBS-TV and PBSWorld’s The Chavis Chronicles with National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. The interview took place inside the new state-of-theart NNPA television studios in Washington, D.C. Because her grandfather owned a trucking company and café in Lawrenceville, Virginia, and her father and other family members were entrepreneurs, Watkins leaped at this latest opportunity.

“It’s historic, and it’s amazing,” Watkins stated.

MEOA raised the money after its initial public offering in August and now counts as the first special purpose acquisition company – or SPAC – headed by African Americans.

“We are trading now on the Nasdaq under MEOAU,” Rochester, who earned a master’s degree in Business

Administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with a focus in Accounting, Finance, and Entrepreneurship.

MEOA will target MBEs and Black-owned businesses nationwide.

“We’re really a blank check company that’s funded through an IPO,” Watkins remarked.

“The funds are held in trust to acquire another company. In this case, we are looking at minority business enterprises to take them public through our IPO. We are the only SPAC that is targeting minority business enterprises.”

According to financial experts, SPACs generally have two years to complete an acquisition.

If they fail, the company must return the money raised to its investors.

For Rochester and Watkins, failure isn’t an option.

Rochester said they are looking at companies with enterprise values between $250 million and $500 million with recurring and predictable revenues.

The criteria include having a history of being able to generate sustainable free-cash-flow.

“There is unprecedented demand for diverse suppliers, but many minority firms don’t have the resources to meet the demand,” Rochester said.

“That’s where MEOA, and the decades of combined experience that our team has in operations, strategy, business development, and acquisitions enter the picture for the right business, to help accelerate growth,” he continued.

Further demonstrating a commitment to racial equity and economic inclusion, MEOA engaged the Industrial Bank of Washington, one of the country’s preeminent Black-owned institutions, for its working capital banking needs during the SPAC and IPO process.

Free!

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Groundbreaking for Obama Presidential Center

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Barack Obama’s presidential center will move another step closer to its brick-and-mortar future next week when ground is broken after years of reviews, other delays and continued local opposition.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, will join Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in Chicago on Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center.

“Michelle and I could not be more excited to break ground on the Obama Presidential Center in the community that we love,’’ the former president says, seated beside his wife, in a video announcement shared first with The Associated Press.

The former president in 2016 chose a site in a historic lakefront park on the South Side of Chicago to build his presidential library, near where he began his political career, met and married his wife and lived with their family. The former first lady grew up on Chicago’s South Side.

But the planning process hit numerous snags due to a legal battle with park preservationists and protests from neighborhood activists who feared the planned $500 million center would displace Black residents.

Chicago’s City Council has since approved neighborhood protections, and a four-year federal review process that was needed because of its location in Jackson Park – which is on the National Register of Historic Places – was recently completed.

Officials announced in February that construction would begin this year, starting with the relocation of utility lines followed by actual construction.

“This project has reminded us why the South Side and the people who live here are so special,’’ the former first lady said in the video, adding that the effort has reaffirmed for her and her husband that the future on the South Side of Chicago “is as bright as it is anywhere.’’

Barack Obama has described the center as a hub for youth programming and public gatherings that will jumpstart the economy on the city’s South Side, parts of which are impoverished, by bringing attention, jobs and visitors. Foundation officials estimate the center will help create about 5,000 jobs, both during and after construction.

Funding will be raised through private donations.

The complex will sit on 19 acres of the 540-acre Jackson Park and include a museum, public library branch, athletic center, children’s play area and a test kitchen. Obama’s presidential papers will be available in digital form.

The Obama Foundation will also donate up to $3.5 million toward a public track and field facility in the area, city officials have said.

US Rep. Karen Bass Enters Race for Los Angeles Mayor

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP Political Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) – Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass entered the 2022 race for Los Angeles mayor Monday, shaking up an already crowded field hoping to replace outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Bass made the announcement online, saying on her website that she planned to focus on LA’s unchecked homeless crisis as the city continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

“Forty-thousand people sleep on the streets of LA every night – more than in any other city in the nation,’’ a statement on her website said.

“Karen is running for mayor because she knows that solving this crisis means addressing the root causes of homelessness: lack of affordable housing, health care, job training, mental health services, and drug and alcohol counseling,’’ the statement said.

Bass’ entry into the race immediately reshapes the contest that already has attracted a parade of candidates.

She is the best known Democrat, being a prominent figure in national politics and landing on President Joe Biden’s short list when he was considering a vice presidential pick.

Bass, 67, was a physician’s assistant and community organizer who became the first Black woman speaker of the state Assembly in 2008. She is close to Biden as well as to her fellow Californian who leads the U.S. House – San Francisco’s Nancy Pelosi. Bass, serving her sixth term in the House, previously headed the Congressional Black Caucus.

Her announcement was expected. Last week, a person with knowledge of Bass’ plans who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said she would run.

Those seeking to replace Garcetti include city Councilmen Kevin de Leon and Joe Buscaino, businessman Mel Wilson, City Attorney Mike Feuer and business leader Jessica Lall.

NJ Offers Cash to Get Workers

Shawn Rochester, Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc.’s Chairman and CEO, and Robin Watkins, the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and Secretary.

The company’s directors are majority-minority including, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, MIT economist and Dean, College of Ethnic Studies, Cal State Los Angeles, Mr. Ronald Busby, Sr., President and CEO, US Black Chamber, Inc., and Mr. Patrick Linehan, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson.

“The mission and purpose of MEOA will help to catapult minority enterprise in this country,” Rochester asserted.

“As a SPAC, we have the opportunity to not only help drive significant change and unleash superior performance but to also signal to the broader marketplace that there is tremendous value in companies and teams that have long been ignored.”

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey is offering a $500 incentive to unemployed people who go back to work at businesses with 100 or fewer employees and receive job training, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

The incentive, dubbed the Return and Earn Program, will be financed with $10 million of federal COVID-19 funds.

The Democratic governor says the new program will use already-existing job-training infrastructure to provide wage reimbursement to employers. Employers who hire workers with “skills gaps’’ can also get 50% of the wages reimbursed during the training period under the program.

The employer wage subsidy will be capped at $10,000.

The program has the support of lawmakers as well as business groups. Tom Bracken, president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said the program will provide job training as well as an incentive to get workers back in jobs.

John Harmon Sr., president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey added: “It’s a good use of funds to help address the labor shortage that has adversely impacted our small businesses during the pandemic.”

Murphy said the $500 incentive to eligible workers would be paid in their first paycheck.

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Los Angeles News Observer

Thursday, September 23, 2021

World & Nation

Game Changing Legislation in the Racist ‘War on Drugs’

Congress Poised to Pass EQUAL Act

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Many have identified New York City in the 1980s as the epicenter of the War on Drugs.

With the February 1988 assassination of NYPD Officer Edward Byrne in Queens, federal officials and law enforcement agencies around the country descended upon the Big Apple.

Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. earned the moniker the “nation’s murder capital” because it held the dubious distinction of the city with the highest homicide rate.

“This is the capital of the United States of America.

We have to have standards here that are reflective of the country as a whole, that this is not some third-world country,” Republican Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas said during a hearing in 1989.

President George H.W. Bush soon followed Gramm’s dissertation by proclaiming a war on drugs – though that war dated to the early 1970s when President Richard Nixon made a similar declaration.

With all of that as the backdrop, Congress on Tuesday, September 28, prepares to vote on the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of Law (EQUAL) Act, which would eliminate the disparity in authorized sentencing offenses involving crack versus powder cocaine.

The bipartisan EQUAL Act would eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

It also would allow those currently serving time for crack offenses to motion for reduced sentences.

Under current federal laws, individuals caught with 28 grams of crack receive the same sentence as someone caught with 500 grams of powder cocaine, despite the American Medical Association’s findings that there is no chemical difference between the two substances.

Starting with the 1980s version of the “War on Drugs,” those caught with small amounts of crack – primary people of color – received decades longer prison sentences than those with powder cocaine – overwhelmingly white individuals.

According to Human Rights Watch, African

The Honorable Bobby Scott, U.S. Representative (D-VA), has sponsored legislation to end the racial disparities in crack and powder cocaine sentencing.

Americans comprise 62.7 percent and white people 36.7 percent of all drug offenders admitted to state prison.

That despite federal surveys and other data show clear that this racial disparity bears scant relation to racial differences in drug offending.

“There are, for example, five times more white drug users than Black,” Human Rights Watch officials wrote in a recent report.

“Relative to population, Black men are admitted to state prison on drug charges at a rate that is 13.4 times greater than that of white men. In large part because of the extraordinary racial disparities in incarceration for drug offenses, Black people are incarcerated for all offenses at 8.2 times the rate of whites,” officials at the nonprofit continued.

“One in every 20 black men over the age of 18 in the United States is in state or federal prison, compared to one in 180 white men.”

The eye-opening report concluded that: “Shocking as such national statistics are, they mask even worse racial disparities in individual states. For example, in seven states, Black individuals constitute between 80 and 90 percent of all drug offenders sent to prison. In at least fifteen states, Black men are admitted to prison on drug charges at rates from 20 to 57 times greater than white men.

“These racial disparities in drug offenders admitted to prison skew the racial balance of state prison populations.

In two states, one in every 13 Black men is in prison. In seven states, Black people are incarcerated at more than 13 times the rate of whites.”

The authors concluded that the imprisonment of African Americans for drug offenses is part of a more significant over-incarceration crisis in the United States.

“Although prison should be used as a last resort to protect society from violent or dangerous individuals, more people are sent to prison in the United States for nonviolent drug offenses than for crimes of violence,” the authors determined.

The EQUAL Act also removes conspiracy charges that have contributed to numerous years of sentencing for drug offenses, particularly when it involves African Americans.

Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the co-sponsor of the legislation, said in a recent interview that individualized review in sentencing allows judges to more effectively resolve issues like “the girlfriend problem,” in which a drug dealer’s girlfriend may have driven him to a deal or passed along a message but still received an exorbitant sentence based on the mandatory minimum law.

(Courtesy Photo)

“(Retroactivity) could have a profound effect on people who have been given sentences, particularly on conspiracy,” Congressman Scott told VOX. “Because on conspiracy, you’re addled with the whole weight of the operation, even if part of it was negligible,” Scott remarked.

Still, in an Op-Ed, officials at the American Bar Association cautioned that optimism over the progress on the EQUAL Act must be balanced against Congress’s continued willingness to place rhetoric over science when it comes to drugs.

“For example, the 117th Congress recently voted to renew a policy that will continue to subject more people to mandatory minimum sentences for offenses involving synthetic opioids,” editors at the nonprofit wrote.

“Even though such ‘war on drugs’ strategies have not historically reduced the flow of drugs into the country or overdose deaths, legislators continue to back a harsh opioid policy that has – and will continue to – produce similar racial disparities as did the original sentencing scheme for crack cocaine.

“Hopefully, after 35 years of enforcing a law that has failed to produce desired results, the time for passage of the remedial EQUAL Act has come.”

Senators Fail to Reach Deal on George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Talks to enact the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act were halted on Wednesday after a bipartisan Senate negotiations team announced it failed to reach a deal.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Tim Scott

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(R-South Carolina) called off the talks. No further discussions are in the works.

“Unfortunately, even with this law enforcement support and further compromises we offered, there was still too wide a gulf with our negotiating partners, and we faced significant obstacles to securing a bipartisan deal,” Sen. Booker stated.

“The effort from the very beginning was to get police reform that would raise professional standards, police reform that would create a lot more transparency, and then police reform that would create accountability, and we’re not able to come to agreements on those three big areas,” the senator remarked.

Lawmakers had worked toward a measure following the police murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

Optimism about a deal peaked in April when a jury convicted former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin of Floyd’s murder.

Floyd’s killing led to global protests and corporate awareness of the call that Black lives matter.

Introduced by California Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act addressed a range of policies and issues surrounding police practices and accountability.

The bill sought to lower the criminal intent standard to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution.

In addition, the measure would limit qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against an officer, and it would grant administrative subpoena power to the Department of Justice in patternor-practice investigations.

Notably, the measure establishes a framework to prevent and cure racial profiling by law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels.

It restricts the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and carotid holds.

“On behalf of the families of George Floyd and so many others who have been impacted by police violence, we express our extreme disappointment in Senate leaders’

inability to reach a reasonable solution for federal police reform,” Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump wrote in a statement.

“In the last year and a half, we have witnessed hundreds of thousands of Americans urging lawmakers to bring desperately needed change to policing in this country so there can be greater accountability, transparency, and ultimately trust in policing,” Crump continued.

“People – including many police leaders – have raised their voices for something to change, and partisan politics once again prevents common-sense reform. We cannot let this be a tragic, lost opportunity to regain trust between citizens and police.

“We strongly urge Democratic senators to bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the floor for a vote so Americans can see who is looking out for their communities’ best interests and who is ready to listen to their constituents so we can together put the country on a better, more equitable path for all.”

Gov. Newsom’s New $15 Million Climate Change Program Includes Grants for Communities Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a historic $15 billion climate change package. The initiative has funds in it to combat the state’s current environmental crisis as well as to help communities prepare for and prevent any disasters that may result from shifting weather patterns and changing global temperatures.

It is the largest investment of its kind in the history of the state.

“At the KNP fire today, while the realities of climate change surrounded us, we signed into law a $15 BILLION package that will help California tackle the climate crisis — from record heat waves, to extreme drought, to massive wildfires,” Newsom tweeted after the press conference he held in regards to this investment.

The governor was referring to a range of wildfires authorities have designated the KNP (Kings Canyon National Park) complex that has been burning since Sept.

9 in that park and in the adjacent Sequoia National Park.

As of Sunday, that wildfire had burned nearly 46,000 acres of land.

Across the state, the effects of climate change have decimated over 1.9 million acres of land, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Some experts believe this is due to California’s severe drought this year.

As is the case with many other crises in the United States, communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change.

This climate package hopes to change that by providing grants to help communities plan for climate change, as well as bolstering fire and drought prevention and response through program funding.

“California is doubling down on our nation-leading

policies to confront the climate crisis head-on while protecting the hardest-hit communities,” said Newsom.

“We’re deploying a comprehensive approach to meet the sobering challenges of the extreme weather patterns that imperil our way of life and the Golden State as we know it, including the largest investment in state history to bolster wildfire resilience, funding to tackle the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience,

(Shutterstock Photo)

and strategic investments across the spectrum to protect communities from extreme heat, sea level rise and other climate risks that endanger the most vulnerable among us,” he explained.

The state has not yet announced a schedule for release of the funding to communities or at how it will be dispersed. California Black Media will be following that process.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Entertainment

Los Angeles News Observer A3

“It’s wonderful to be back together. When The Tempts first met Smoke we were teenagers, young black men in Detroit who had no clue that our partnership at Motown would produce ‘My Girl,’ one of the greatest hits of all time,” says Williams.

Temptations Mark 60th Anniversary with Release of New Single w/Smokey Robinson

By NNPA Newswire LOS ANGELES, CA This year marks the 60th Anniversary celebration of The Temptations, the legendary, Grammy Award-Winning group known as the “No. 1 R&B Artists of All Time” (Billboard).

And releasing today is their brand-new single, “Is It Gonna Be Yes Or No,” a duet between the group and the equally legendary Smokey Robinson, the man who delivered their first hits.

The song, also written and produced by Smokey, is a preview of the upcoming TEMPTATIONS 60 album.

The single and taster of their 2022 album, Executive Produced by Temptations’ founding and sole surviving original member Dr. Otis Williams, is available now.

Robinson brought in stellar studio musicians to play on the ballad, including his longtime associate Dave Garfield on keyboards, bassist Freddie Washington and drummer Steve Ferrone.

And in all the years Robinson has delivered such timeless Temptations classics as “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl,” “Since I Lost My Baby,” “Get Ready” and more, the duet marks the only time he and the Temptations have sung lead together, save for a recording of “The Christmas Song” in 1989.

“It’s wonderful to be back together. When The Tempts first met Smoke we were teenagers, young black men in Detroit who had no clue that our partnership at Motown would produce ‘My Girl,’ one of the greatest hits of all time,” says Williams.

“And our success together didn’t stop there. We had chart hit after chart hit and, soon after, our music was heard around the world. Now, 60 years later, as I turn 80, Smoke and I have come full circle. I never imagined we would have the opportunity to get back in the studio and do it all again.”

Smokey adds, “When Otis called me and said, ‘Hey man, we’re doing a new album and we’d like you to do a song, that got me excited about working together again. That was it, that’s all it took. I proceeded to write a new song for them, and I was very happy to, because it’s been a long time. When I showed up at the studio, Otis said, ‘Man, I want you to sing on this one with us.’ So, I said, ‘Oh, okay, I’m very excited about the song, let’s do it! You, know, it’s just great working with them, always.”

The Temptations’ 60th Anniversary campaign launched this summer and will run through June 2022, in a celebration befitting one of the most revered and prolific musical institutions of all time.

The year-long campaign includes the new album in 2022; a 50-city tour through the end of this year, with more global dates to be announced; remastering of their music videos, including “Standing on the Top” with Rick James and their No. 1 hit “Stay;” a new content series; the Imperial Theatre re-opening on October 16th of the Broadway musical, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, based on Otis Williams’s personal journey that was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and won the Tony Award for Best Choreography at the 73rd Tony Awards

ceremony in June 2019 and whose Ume cast album was GRAMMY-nominated; and celebratory events along the way including Otis Williams’ 80th birthday on October 30th.

Their Emmy Award-Winning Television mini-series, The Temptations, which first aired to rave reviews in 1998, is still on air or streaming every day somewhere in the world.

Williams’ critically acclaimed autobiography, Temptations, was recently released as an audiobook edition for the first time, with a new introduction by Williams.

Temptations History The Temptations are today one of the most iconic, bestselling brands in the entertainment world. With Otis Williams, the founding and sole surviving member of The Temptations, their track record of history-making music is breathtaking, their presence across multi-media platforms has never been more vivid, and their popularity is ever-increasing. Most recently, adding to their dozens of sampled tracks, their hit “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” was used as the foundation of the Migos smash, “Avalanche.”

The Temptations were among the first African American musical artists to crossover into mainstream America and appear on popular, national mainstream television programs, such as The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Hollywood Palace in the 60s. Trailblazers, the group’s star power was so striking that these top-rated, national programs, and many others, scheduled appearances for the Temptations multiple times during a single year.

At the time, this was an unparalleled accomplishment

for African American entertainers. The Temptations helped change the face of primetime television and fueled the growth in the performing arts and entertainment world for African Americans artists forever.

The Temptations rank No. 1 in Billboard magazine’s most recent list of Greatest R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of All Time, and the group appears in the magazine’s list of 125 Greatest of All Time Artists. Rolling Stone magazine commented that the Temptations are “Indisputably the greatest black vocal group of the Modern Era…,” and listed the group’s Anthology album among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The group has won four GRAMMY Awards, including Motown’s first-ever statuette, awarded to the Tempts for “Cloud Nine” for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental in 1969.

The Tempts were also awarded a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, while their No. 1 hits “My Girl” and “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” are in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. The group has been inducted into the Rock & Roll, National Rhythm & Blues Music, and Vocal Group Halls of Fame, and they have a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Apollo Theater’s Walk of Fame.

Throughout the group’s evolution, they have released countless gold, platinum and multi-platinum chart hits, many of which are considered American masterpieces.

They have 16 No. 1 R&B chart albums, 44 Top 10 R&B chart hits, including, 14 No. 1 R&B singles, plus four No. 1 Hot 100 singles.

R. Kelly Found Guilty of All Charges in New York Racketeering and Sex-Trafficking Case Singer R. Kelly was found guilty of leading a decadeslong scheme to recruit women and underage girls for sex in New York on Monday, with the jury declaring him guilty of all all nine counts of the racketeering and sex-trafficking charges against him, according to the New York Times.

The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, convicted Kelly of racketeering and eight violations of an anti-sex trafficking law after nine hours of deliberations in federal court in Brooklyn, after beginning its deliberations Friday afternoon. Kelly faces the possibility of decades in prison; an attorney for Kelly told CNN they are considering filing an appeal and are disappointed in the verdict.

The singer sat motionless in the courtroom as the verdict was read, according to the paper. His facial expression was obscured by a mask. The verdict comes 13 years after Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges in Illinois. He faces further charges in Illinois.

“Today’s guilty verdict forever brands R. Kelly as a predator, who used his fame and fortune to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification,” Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, acting U.S. attorney from the Eastern District, said outside court after the verdict was read, according to CNN. “He is a predator who used his inner circle to ensnare underage girls and young men and women for decades, in a sordid web of sex abuse, exploitation and humiliation.

“This conviction would not have been possible without the bravery and resilience of R. Kelly’s victims. I applaud their courage in revealing in open court, the painful, intimate and horrific details of their lives with him,” Kasulis continued. “No one deserves what they experienced at his hands or the threats or harassment they faced about telling the truth about what happened to them. We hope that today’s verdict bring some measure of comfort and closure to the victims.”

In the New York trial that began Aug. 18, Kelly faced federal counts of human trafficking, racketeering, child pornography, kidnapping and forced labor. The former music star denied all allegations against him, and pleaded not guilty. During the trial, the prosecution sought to prove that not only is Kelly a predator, but his team has long enabled his behavior.

During closing statements on Wednesday, federal prosecutor Elizabeth Geddes drove home the point that R. Kelly used his fame to take advantage of underaged girls and boys, as well as young women, characterizing the R&B

singer as a predator.

“For many years, what happened in the defendant’s world stayed in the defendant’s world,” Geddes said, according to the Times. “But no longer.”

Over the course of the five-week trial, the prosecution brought nine women and two men to the stand to tell their accounts of Kelly’s sexual, physical and mental abuse, along with 34 witnesses, including former employees of Kelly.

Kelly will not take the stand, per the Times.

According to the Associated Press, accusers testified that Kelly allegedly locked a radio intern in a room where she passed out and he sexually assaulted her, videotaped a woman wiping feces on her face as punishment for not following his rules and knowingly gave multiple people herpes without informing them of his STD status.

In one of the most explosive moments during testimony, a witness alleged that they had seen Kelly sexually abusing late R&B star Aaliyah in 1993, when she was only 13 or 14, according to the AP. That same witness also testified that Kelly began to sexually abuse her when she was 15. Part of the prosecution’s evidence included a fake marriage license that they alleged Kelly and his team used to wed the two when Kelly came to believe he had impregnated her, the AP stated. The faked license claimed that Aaliyah was 18, when in reality she was only 15. The prosecution alleged that Kelly wanted the sham marriage so that he could make Aaliyah get an abortion, out of fear of criminal consequences, according to the Times.

“We all know what the defendant was thinking,” Geddes said, according to the Times. “No baby, no jail.”

Geddes’ closing statement lasted more than three hours, according to the Times, also detailing what she called Kelly’s “violent temper” and tendency to use the promise of fame to take advantage of others sexually.

“He used lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse to dominate his victims,” Geddes said. “Just because you have one of your henchmen do your dirty work doesn’t make you any less responsible. The defendant’s pattern of sexual abuse of minors didn’t change after he wed Aaliyah.

In fact, it didn’t skip a beat.”

The defense presented four character witnesses, including former employees, an audio engineer and an accountant, the latter of whom testified about the structure of Kelly’s company, RSK, as demonstrated by an illustration of an octopus and its tentacles.

This is the first of several cases against R. Kelly, as

he faces charges in several states, including Illinois and Minnesota. It’s the latest in a string of court procedures propelled by hit documentaries. On Sept. 17, Robert Durst, the New York real estate heir and subject of HBO’s 2015 docuseries “The Jinx,” was convicted of murdering his friend, Susan Berman, more than 20 years ago. On Sept.

29, Britney Spears faces a California judge in the matter of her 13-year-long conservatorship, the validity of which was questioned starkly in the New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” Interest in Kelly’s case was revived in large part due to the Lifetime series “Surviving R. Kelly.”

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UDC President Perfectly Explains the Tremendous Value of HBCUs

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Historically Black colleges and universities in America remain as vital as ever, and University of the District of Columbia President Ronald Mason Jr. took less than a minute to explain.

“We’ve held America together until it’s able to figure out its issues with race,” Mason said during a visit to National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) state-of-the-art television studio in Northwest, Washington, D.C. “The challenge for America is that you hear companies say they can’t find talent – whether it’s cybersecurity, nursing, or IT,” Mason expressed.

“Well, one reason is that, for the system America designed to exist, 77 percent of the wealth is controlled by 10 percent of the population, and 90 percent of that 10 percent is white.”

Further making the case, Mason continued: “Either white people are supreme, or we live in a system designed to produce those kinds of numbers. There is no science to say that the first thing is right, so it’s the second.

“To produce those outcomes, you have to have a system that eliminates talent as part of the education process because you can’t allow talent to compete on the basis of natural talent and end up with those kinds of numbers.”

Mason visited the NNPA studios to tape an appearance on the PBS-TV and PBS-World news and talk show, The Chavis Chronicles, with host and NNPA President and CEO Dr.

(Courtesy Photo)

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. He declared that HBCUs “overproduce” the talent needed to fill significant positions inside and outside corporate America.

“We correctly diagnose the problem, we know what the issue is, and we know what our students face and are up against,” Mason remarked.

“We learn to implement an education system that adjusts to the damage that white supremacy tries to do. People need not support HBCUs out of the goodness of their hearts. They need to do it because they need the talent and 90 percent of the talent in America is inside these vast and untapped resources that HBCUs specialize in and produce.”

Earlier this year, UDC announced an Independent Economic Impact Study that revealed the University generated $406 million within the District of Columbia and $523 million in annual financial impact in the Washington Metropolitan Region.

“The results of the study demonstrate UDC’s value proposition to the Washington Metropolitan Area as a force for good through its research, academic preparation, job creation, and role in community development,” Mason noted.

As the District of Columbia’s only public university, UDC has a longstanding commitment to providing affordable, worldclass instruction that addresses the needs and challenges of groups historically denied access to higher education, Mason added.

“This independent study confirms the importance of having a strong public system of higher learning in the District as the anchor for a sustainable, resilient, equitable urban community,” he said.

“Either white people are supreme, or we live in a system designed to produce those kinds of numbers. There is no science to say that the first thing is right, so it’s the second.

Vaccines are Masks are Effective Like Airbags and Seatbelts in Vehicles

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, a double-board certified physician in pediatrics and obesity medicine, minces few words when protecting children.

After all, Dr. Lewis-Ragland has lived and practiced medicine in the Ward 8 section of Washington, D.C., for nearly two decades.

In one of the nation’s capital’s poorest and most traumatized communities, Dr. Lewis-Ragland has gained the kind of trust and respect from residents that other physicians often find elusive.

That respect and trust remain crucial as medical experts and providers attempt to give more access to the all-important Covid-19 vaccines many people of color hesitate to accept.

“We did a study and came up with the top reasons for hesitancy,” said Dr. Lewis-Ragland, a Children’s Hospital pediatrician and owner and CEO of Family Fitness and Wellness for Community Health.

Dr. Lewis-Ragland also counts as the founder and President of Dr. Yolanda Cares Foundation, her nonprofit organization that focuses on reducing health disparities in at-risk communities.

“Negative coverage about the vaccine was one of the reasons,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland reflected, sitting in a white executive office chair inside the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) state-of-the-art television studio in Northwest, D.C. “One of the top reasons also was not understanding the rapid development of the vaccine and needing more clarity,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland explained while prepping for an appearance

with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., on his PBS-TV and PBS-World news and talk show, The Chavis Chronicles.

“Community members didn’t understand, and they had no one who looks like them to talk to,” Dr. LewisRagland continued.

“We need physicians of color having these conversations. I get all of my vaccines done because my parents are asking me direct questions.

Kids are telling me what they see on Tik Tok and online, so I’ll have the candid conversation.”

Dr. LewisRagland — the author of two pandemic-influenced books, “Navigating a Triple Pandemic (Volume 1),” and “Navigating a Triple Pandemic: Volume 2: COVID Virus and Vaccine Facts, Fiction & Fears” — said there’s a huge uptick in the number of Ward 8 parents receiving the vaccine.

“We actually vaccinate our parents o n s i t e ,” D r .

Le wis-

Ragland remarked. “When they bring their children in for vaccines, we ask the parents to get vaccinated. So we lead by example, and I believe we are going in the right direction because we are starting to employ the resources of the voices that are in the community.”

She continued: “When you see a Dr. Kizmekia Corbett at town halls when you see individuals like that having these conversations in the community, there’s going to be a positive reception.”

For much of the past few years, Dr. Lewis-Ragland has actively addressed issues like heart disease in vulnerable Black communities through her annual Heart-to-Heart Red Carpet Affair.

The event educates families about the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

Dr. Lewis-Ragland introduces practical ways to address the underlying issues contributing directly to hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, and death.

Though a native Washingtonian, Dr. Lewis-Ragland left D.C. at a young age and moved with her family to Seattle, Washington – she calls her story a tale of two cities.

She returned to D.C. to attend the Howard University College of Medicine.

The mother of three, and mentor to several youth organizations and trainees, Dr. Lewis-Ragland engages in community advocacy through her medical missions and health fairs throughout the Caribbean.

She has dedicated her life’s work to providing excellent healthcare services, closing the gap of healthcare disparities, and advocating for health equity in vulnerable populations and communities.

“My mother was interested in nursing, and I was a very curious young person with three older brothers,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland divulged.

“I wasn’t afraid of anything. But, growing up with boys, I felt if they could do something, then I could do it better,” she continued.

“When I was in 7th grade, we dissected cow’s eyes. No one wanted to do it, except me. I dissected 20 cow’s eyes, and I decided that I wanted to learn more about biology. I was a latch-key kid, and I saw [fictional television] doctors

like Marcus Welby, Quincy, and Cosby and decided that I wanted to be in medicine.”

Dr. Lewis-Ragland worked in West Africa as part of the Peace Corps., and that experienced opened her eyes.

“I’m here in D.C. because our nation’s capital, like third-world countries, needs help,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland determined.

“When I came back from Africa, I realized that I didn’t have to go far to see health disparities. Many communities need that grassroots outreach, and I wanted to serve and live in the community, so I decided to stay in Ward 8.”

She continued: “When I hear the same sirens that my families hear at night, and affected by the same poor food choices in grocery stores, the same torn-up streets, I will be more sympathetic and passionate. That’s what they need here in Ward 8.”

Dr. Lewis-Ragland said she chose to work at Children’s Hospital because of her love for kids. However, she said America must do a better job of caring for children.

She also decried the politicization of the Covid vaccines.

“We have parties who have decided we are now infringing on rights and freedoms when we ask people to vaccinate,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland pronounced.

“It is preposterous. This is a public health issue. You have to protect the entire public because [the virus] is highly transmissible.”

Dr. Lewis-Ragland likened the debate over vaccines and wearing masks to driving.

“In your car, you have an airbag,” she offered.

“When deployed, the airbag stops you from serious injury or death. If it’s not there, you might die or seriously injure yourself. So it’s not stopping accidents,” Dr. LewisRagland emphasized.

“When people say that you may still get Covid if you are vaccinated, that is true. But, you won’t get seriously injured, and you’re not going to die. When we talk about masks, the N-95 mask offers 87 percent protection against the virus. Tha’s like having that seatbelt on; it will keep you safer. You are less likely to die from impact because you have on

The Case for Reparations: Cal Task Force Hears Painful Personal, Family Stories Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Last week, California’s Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals took an expansive but deeply personalized look at the history of Slavery, racial violence and injustice in America and traced how that past still shapes how we live now.

During the two-day meeting that concluded Sept.

24, participants shared details of harrowing incidents that happened in California and across the country. Their stories will help the panel determine what compensation should be for descendants of enslaved people in the United States who provided free labor for nearly 250 years and survived discrimination, lynching, racial violence and Jim Crow laws for more than a century after that.

The nine-member panel listened to close to five hours of emotional testimony presented by slave-trade experts, academic scholars, historians, and members of the Black community.

“The pain is real,” said California Secretary of State Shirley Weber after hearing testimony from individuals sharing personal and family experiences of bigotry and enslavement.

Weber, too, testified in front of the Task Force on Sept. 24.

“I think when we all reflect on it, we try not to reflect on it often because it is extremely painful,” said Weber, who authored Assembly Bill (AB) 3121, signed into law in 2020, that created the California task force that is currently investigating the history and costs of slavery and discrimination in America – and the extent of California’s involvement.

Weber, providing a broad understanding of why she penned AB 3121, discussed how her family was forced out of Arkansas and fled to Southern California after her father attempted to organize union rights for sharecroppers.

Weber also shared a largely unknown part of history that has direct ties to why reparations are being discussed.

She highlighted the 1919 race riots in Elaine, Arkansas, which has not gotten the attention of other mob incidents of racial terror that happened in places like Chicago, St. Louis and Tulsa.

Historians document a series of those massacres that occurred from April to November 1919 as “Red Summer,” when a wave of anti-Black riots and lynching took place after World War I. The word “red” symbolizes the color of the fires that engulfed burning, Black churches.

Weber’s family was from nearby Hope, Arkansas, but during her research, she discovered that Black farmers “were chased in the fields, the cotton fields” murdered by non-Black people “to strike a sense of fear” in African Americans. Weber

between their life conditions and those of their enslaved ancestors.

Gorman shared specifics about racism she experienced working and living in the state’s capital city.

She moved to Sacramento in the late 1950s to attend Sacramento City College. While enrolled, Gorman lost her job because she tried to take a test for a clerk position for the state of California.

Eventually, Gorman was able to land a job with the California State Assembly, but says she was given every “imaginable excuse” to prevent her from taking the test before she realized it was the color of her skin that was holding her back.

“I hope my story will further the understanding of the legacy of harm and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that our people suffered and (that affected) my ancestors and their descendants. And the discrimination that followed them from Texas, New Mexico to California,” Gorman said.

Isabel Wilkerson, the author of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,” said during her testimony that about six million Black people left the deep South former slaveholding states and moved too western and northern states and territories from the 1900s to 1970s.

(Shutterstock Photo)

said “hundreds of people” were killed.

Weber, whose father was born in 1918, a year before Red Summer, says she was more concerned with her grandfather’s mental state after the incident because he was “fearful of White people.”

“Elaine, Arkansas, had the worst race riot of any state in the nation. It was considered the deadliest race riot in the United States. Deadlier than what happened in (Tulsa) Oklahoma,” Weber said. “It’s now being researched and looked at, but I have to begin to ask myself what impact probably did the race riots of 1919 have on my grandfather.”

Bertha Gaffney Gorman, who worked for The Sacramento Bee newspaper from 1971 to 1978, was one of the only Black reporters in the newsroom at the time. She also testified to “tell her family’s history” and discrimination

they experienced in the Golden State.

Gorman is the grandmother of Amanda Gorman, 23, the first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017 who recited her powerful poem “The Hill We Climb” at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. The younger Gorman, who graduated from Harvard University, was born and raised in Los Angeles.

The elder Gorman said in Texas, where she was born in 1940, members of her family “were free on paper but not in reality.” Gorman said that Black Codes and vagrancy laws restricted freedom for members of her family and bound them to serve as cheap labor.

Her family witnessed intimidations, beating, hangings of free Black people who “continued to work for their enslavers, lived in the same shacks, and experienced the same cruelty and control,” she said, drawing parallels

After arriving to their destinations, they struggled with housing, employment, and educational discrimination, the author said.

“I am testifying because not enough Americans know the truth and full history of our country or the origins of the division we now face and thus of the karmic, social, economic, and indebtedness to African Americans that the country has inherited,” Wilkerson said.

Members of the task force are: Kamilah V. Moore, a Los Angeles-based attorney, reparations scholar and activist; vice-chair Dr. Amos Brown, a civil rights leader and respected Bay Area pastor whose journey to leadership started under the tutelage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s; Cheryl Grills, a professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; Lisa Holder, a nationally recognized trial attorney; Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena); Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles); San Diego Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe; Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, chair of the Department of Geography at the University of California Berkeley; and Attorney Don Tamaki, Esq. is an attorney best known for his role in the Supreme Court case of Korematsu v. the United States. Tamaki overturned the conviction of Fred Korematsu who refused to be taken into custody during the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in World War II.

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By 2026, Cal Education Chief Wants Every Third Grader to Know How to Read

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond held a press conference via zoom and on Facebook last week to unveil an ambitious new education achievement plan for California. It is a campaign that has been designed to ensure, by 2026, every California third grader will know how to read.

The effort will also include a biliteracy milestone for duallanguage learners.

Thurmond announced that he will be forming a task force of practitioners, advocates, researchers, foundation partners, thought leaders, students, parents, and other experts to identify key strategies that school districts and charter schools can employ to help their students achieve this bold goal.

Education researchers point out that children are expected to be able to learn about the world through reading by third and fourth grade. This is when their math lessons are taught using word problems and reasoning skills are developed through discussing text they’ve been assigned to read. Children who fall behind developing reading skills quickly find themselves struggling to keep up with their coursework.

A study by researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Education reached the conclusion that during the pandemic inadequate reading instruction has contributed to students’ reading fluency in second and third grade to be approximately 30 % behind what would be expected in a typical year.

Thurmond said during his opening remarks, “We already know that when students learn to read, they can read to learn anything. This is a gateway skill that can carry them to any point in their life, in their career, and in their journey. We also know that when students don’t learn to read by third grade, they’re at greater risk to drop out of school, and they are greater risk to end up in the criminal justice system” On the state’s Smarter Balanced tests during the 2018-19 school year only 33% of Black students in grades three through 11 tested at grade level or above in English language; only 31% of third graders tested at grade level or above in English language arts.

In addition to announcing the task force formation, Thurmond revealed that Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) has agreed to sponsor legislation that will formally be introduced in 2022 to support the task force’s recommendations.

“We will bring forward legislation in the next legislative cycle that will help us to have the resources for professional learning, and the other things that we’ll need to support our students,” he

said.

Thurmond expects the legislation to consider issues of readiness, chronic absenteeism, needs of students with disabilities and multilingual learners, early education, and socio-economic factors that impact a student’s ability to learn to read.

“I look forward to working closely with you all in the coming weeks and months on improving childhood literacy and biliteracy,” said Assemblymember Bonta speaking at the press conference. “I applaud Superintendent Thurmond for this targeted campaign.

It is a bold, aggressive agenda. I’m on board and willing to make sure that we have the ability to provide legislation that is going to be meaningful and focus on implementation and making this a reality for every single child in this state. Literacy is the key to equity.”

Also present at the press conference were: E. Toby Boyd, California Teachers Association; Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works; Dr. Francisco Escobedo, Executive Director, National Center for Urban School Transformation; Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Fairfield), Liaison to Advisory Commission on Special Education; Jan Gustafson-Corea, Chief Executive Officer, California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE); Matt Navo, Executive Director, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE); Dr. Christopher J. Nellum, Executive Director, The Education Trust—West; and Jackie Thu-Huong Wong, Chief Deputy Director, First 5 California.

Keith Pace, Executive Director, California School Employees Association was invited but did not participate.

Each participant shared personal stories and encouraged statewide support for literacy and biliteracy for all of California’s students.

“This has been an incredibly challenging year for our students, our educators, and their families,” E. Toby Boyd, President of the California Teachers Association, said. “The pandemic has shined a light on the challenges that our schools and communities face in serving the six million students in our system. I, along with my 310,000 educators, are ready to work with Superintendent Thurmond, Assemblymembers Bonta and Frazier, and the members of the task force to develop thoughtful strategies and policies for our youngest learners, and also for the future of California public education.”

“We’re extremely excited about this campaign for a number of reasons, but for me and for us this campaign launches at a time when we’ve all seen how drastically our education systems can change during a crisis,” said Christopher Nellum, executive

(Shutterstock Photo)

director of Education Trust-West. “And in our opinion now is the time to act with the same sort of urgency with regard to our literacy crisis in California.”

In his closing remarks Thurmond said, “I thought I’d have eight years to work on this in some way. The pandemic has upended, some of those efforts. But, I just have to say, as I feel about to borrow from the wonderful Congresswoman Maxine Waters, ‘I’m reclaiming my time’ to work on an initiative that I

know is so important.”

An archived broadcast of the press conference with American Sign Language interpretation service can be viewed on the CDE Facebook page.

California Could Decriminalize Drug “Magic Mushrooms” as Early as Next Year

By Edward Henderson California Black Media The seeds have been planted for another California law that could loosen restrictions on the use of recreational drugs in the United States.

Last week, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber announced that a new initiative to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, -- also known by its street name “shrooms” -- has been cleared by her office. Proponents of the legislation can begin collecting signatures to qualify it as a statewide ballot measure in 2022.

The initiative calls for the decriminalization of psilocybin mushrooms under California’s penal code. It also calls for the legalization of cultivation, manufacture, processing, distribution, transportation, possession, storage, consumption, and retail sale of the hallucinogenic fungi and chemical compounds it contains – as well as products and extracts derived from it.

Currently, under federal law, mushrooms are classified as a Schedule 1 drug. That designation indicates that a drug has a high potential for abuse, and it has no clear medical benefits.

If the initiative is qualified and approved by California voters, it would also authorize the research and use of psilocybin mushrooms for treatment by qualified healthcare practitioners.

The requirement for an “independent professional certifying body” would exist to establish qualifications for healthcare practitioners who provide psilocybin mushroom-assisted therapy and to create protocols for such therapy.

“As Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee and as a Black man in America, I have come to know what justice is or is not for people that look like me,” Sen. Steven Bradford

(D-Gardena) told California Black Media.

“The War on Drugs had drastic consequences and a disproportionate impact on people of color, urban communities, and poor people despite studies showing drug usage being equal across various landscapes. That is one of the reasons why I support the decriminalization of certain drugs, including psilocybin. The effects of the war on drugs, however, is not the only reason for my position. Data and science have proven psilocybin’s potential to help people in a myriad of therapeutic applications. We gain nothing by continuing to live in the wreckage of the war on drugs, it is time to move on.”

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials.

California was a trailblazer in the national movement to legalize marijuana when it first overturned prohibitions against medical uses of cannabis 25 years ago. Marijuana for recreational use is now legal in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

The proponent of the measure, Ryan Munevar, must collect signatures of 623,212 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2018 general election) for the measure to become eligible for the November 2022 ballot.

“I’m not an optimistic person at all, I’m more of a mathematician when it comes to these things, we have this down to a science” said Munevar. “But the reception has been phenomenal.”

Legal Notices PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER 21CHCP00356 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 9425 Penfield Ave. Chatsworth, Ca. 91311 Branch Name: Chatsworth Courthouse PETITION OF: SAKURA KOMURO and VINCENT SONG LU TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: SAKURA KOMURO and VINCENT SONG LU for a decree changing names as follows:

Present name ESMEE MINORI LU Filed a petition with this court Proposed name ESMEE MINORI KOMURO-LU THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at

the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: Nov 29, 2021 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept: F47 The address of the court is: Same as noted above.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this

county: LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER Date: September 23, 2021 DAVID GELFOUND JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT NATASHA CHAMBERS DEPUTY Petitioner: Sakura Komuro 12182 Canyon Hill Ave. Sylmar, Ca. 91342 Phone: (818) 272-3963 E-Mail address: sakurakomuro58@ gmail.com LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Sept 30, Oct 7, 14, 21, 2021

Kevin Sabet, drug policy adviser to President Obama and author of the book, “Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know,” has been an outspoken critic of legalization of marijuana, mushrooms and other drugs.

Sabet warns that profit motives, not public health imperatives, drive political legalization efforts.

“I worry that given the precedent we have set with tobacco, alcohol and now marijuana, we are setting up a new addictive industry that wants to deal with all kinds of drugs that have never been commercialized before, like mushrooms,” he said before Oregon decriminalized “shrooms” in 2019.

In August, Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) requested the cancelation of a hearing for a similar bill he authored SB 519.

That legislation proposes removing criminal penalties for the using and sharing of psilocybin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine, mescaline, LSD, ketamine and MDMA for people over age 21.

Munevar has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than March 15, 2022.

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Aunt Kelly’s Cookies Providing the Fresh, Old-School Flavor to Delighted Customers

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Many people fondly remember, adore, and revere the oldschool packaged cookies that were cravings before and after the lunch bell rang.

The taste of chocolate chip or even butter crunch cookies was something most couldn’t resist.

And while some still long for the authentic taste that’s so hard to find, Kelly Simmons has baked up the perfect recipe.

After owning a beauty salon for 13 years and then working as an educator in Jessup, Maryland, Simmons founded and opened Aunt Kelly’s Cookies, a bakery where customers brag that “you can taste the homemade goodness in every bite.”

“I only use the freshest, highest quality ingredients, and we bake on site every day to ensure that the cookies taste as fresh as they look,” Simmons remarked on the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Live Morning Breaking News Program, “Let It Be Known.”

Located at 857 N. Howard Street in Baltimore, Aunt Kelly’s Cookies has earned acclaim for its butter crunch, chocolate chip, and butter pecan cookies.

One of the more popular is the butter crunch and chocolate chip combination.

“That’s my favorite,” Simmons exclaimed. “I thought, ‘why hasn’t anyone put those two together?’ I wondered why they were never married.”

The combination proved so popular, Simmons included it in her “Cookie of the Month” selections.

That wasn’t the only flavor customers – both in Baltimore and those ordering online – craved.

“I did another one called butter pecan, and I brought it out as a Cookie of the Month,” Simmons recalled. “When I took it away, my customers hounded me for almost eight months to bring them back.”

Simmons’ journey into the bakery business began in the 1980s as a young girl living in Baltimore, she said.

“I was in grade school, and like many of my peers, I would make sure I had change for buying butter crunch cookies. As the years passed, I searched for but could never find that same butter crunch taste I remembered,” she explained.

“That is until I started baking my own cookies in 1999. I had finally discovered the key ingredients that make this memorable

cookie. I couldn’t wait to share my discovery with my family, and now I want to share that experience with everyone.”

While working as an educator, she noted that she’d sometimes bake cookies for her students, and they fell in love with the taste.

“I have had people from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia tasting the cookies,” Simmons stated. “Where I am, the cookies follow me, and I share them with everyone. People say they remind me of the cookies they used to get in elementary school.”

So, what’s the secret?

“First of all, I hate tasting chemicals,” Simmons reflected.

“I’m trying to taste the same cookies that we tasted going back to my grandmother’s days. So, I stick to the basics like my grandmother showed me, and that’s why I make the cookies fresh every day. We mix and bake onsite each day so that our customers are getting the freshest and purest cookies.”

Simmons opened Aunt Kelly’s Cookies in 2018, and she said she “mixes every batch with love” using locally sourced ingredients, including Domino Sugar.

Cookies are made daily from scratch to ensure they taste as fresh as they look. “We bake our last daily batch two hours before closing,” Simmons continued.

“Because of this, our customers say they taste like their grandmother’s kitchen and bring back feelings of nostalgia and happiness.”

Simmons has quickly established herself as a successful Black woman-owned business in the Baltimore area, and she said she could not wait to make Aunt Kelly’s Cookies a household name.

Aunt Kelly’s Cookies have already been voted a 5-star bakery in over 100 local reviews. She has expanded upon her famous butter crunch cookies and offers a variety of options.

While folks can order online, she still hopes to expand to other areas.

“I’d love to open up in D.C.,” Simmons said. “I sold some cookies there before, and people loved it. So, it’s my goal to open Aunt Kelly’s Cookies in D.C.” To learn more about Aunt Kelly’s Cookies or to place an order, visit https://www.auntkellyscookies.com/.

And while some still long for the authentic taste that’s so hard to find, Kelly Simmons has baked up the perfect recipe.

It’s Time to Rethink U.S. Haiti Policy:

Shocking Treatment of Migrants Should Prompt Discussion

By Bocchit Edmond Haitian Ambassador to U.S. Special to California Black Media Partners The pictures carry the weight of history. They are shocking in their own right, of course – desperate human beings, like most immigrants of old time to the United States of America from the old continent, carrying their worldly possessions, but attempting a dangerous border crossing on foot, for thousands of miles, instead of crossing the ocean, only to beaten and chased by men on horseback once they’ve arrived at their destination – but the not-sosubtle symbolism of a darker era of American history, from slavery through to Jim Crow, is clear for all to see.

These images of Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande River have caused a stir because they appear so antithetical to the oft-repeated values of the Biden administration, and to the America that shaped the world over the past 200 years.

We came to expect tougher rhetoric and even more ghastly actions regarding the border and America’s stance on immigration during the preceding administration, but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came into office promising to “ensure the dignity of migrants and uphold their legal right to seek asylum” and to reverse an era of border policy that famously saw children locked in cages.

Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande, however,

have been denied their basic dignity by border enforcement authorities. Those who committed these violations must be held accountable, and compassion must be afforded to the people of our nation.

Haiti finds itself at an hour of need. In previous crises, the U.S. stood shoulder to shoulder with Haiti, most recently after the terrible earthquake in 2010. Today, the nation is grieving after the heinous assassination of our President, Jovenel Moïse, on July 7. We are now recovering from a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the Tiburon Peninsula on August 14. For many, that earthquake was more disastrous than the 2010 catastrophe.

Thousands lost their lives, important buildings and infrastructure were destroyed, and again, Haiti is having to pick up the pieces.

Vice President Harris has expressed concern and promised an investigation into the incident at the US border, and it is right that we get to the bottom of what happened.

I am working with US Government officials on this, and I appreciate the support we have received from politicians here on both sides of the aisle who have spoken out about the severity of what occurred. But I also hope that this can spur a deeper re-imagining of the relationship between our two nations and people.

While fair treatment under the law for the “huddled

masses” seeking to migrate to the US is very important and in line with the Biden Administration’s bedrock principles, there are clear root causes to the flight of our people, and we urge more collaboration as we work hard to address

them.

The support of our most important ally will be crucial in getting us back on our feet. As a priority, we need urgent support through direct aid to rebuild parts of the country devastated by the recent earthquake. That includes greater disaster relief to victims, and capacity building and support for our underfunded institutions, particularly the National Police.

Haiti, the first Black republic and today a strong geopolitical partner of the United States, has much to offer in this partnership. The Haitian diaspora in the U.S. is over 2 million strong, and Haiti has had a lasting impact on the culture and economy of our much bigger neighbor, along with which we share the pride of being the first two independent Republics of the Western Hemisphere.

Every human being deserves dignity and the chance for a good life. We must work to ensure the hateful acts and summary expulsion are never repeated. And we must work to rebuild Haiti from the rubble, so our people no longer feel so desperate, and without options at home, even as we Haitians recognize our sole responsibility for solving Haiti’s myriad problems.

Perhaps, from this terrible moment, we can find our way to a better place.

I Hope Gov. Newsom Woke Up Thanking Black Women for Recall Results Dr. Julianne Malveaux Special to California Black Media Partners When California Gov. Gavin Newsom woke up on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, I hope he fell to his knees and said, “Thank you, God, thank you, Black women.”

To be sure, there are many others to thank, from the energized Chicanx/Latinx community to the Democrats who surged to the polls at the last minute. Some of the more prominent who thronged to his side were Black women, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Karen Bass, L.A. County Board of Supervisors member Holly Mitchell, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and California Board of Equalization member Malia Cohen. Others included grassroots women whose names you’ll never know but whose work was invaluable. They organized the get-outthe-vote drives. Street fairs. Voter awareness events in parks and playgrounds. They were determined that the recall effort would fail and even more determined when talk show host Larry Elder jumped into the race as the conservative favorite.

Those who worked for Gov. Newsom weren’t necessarily his biggest fans, but they appreciated all the work he has done to develop a progressive agenda. They applauded his appointment of Dr. Shirley Weber as Secretary of State. They appreciated his support of Vice

Dr. Julianne Malveaux (Photo by Jessica Koscielniak for Cal State LA)

President Harris and President Biden. Despite his flaws and unforced errors, they appreciated his leadership on COVID matters (like the French Laundry debacle). And they turned up and turned out, although with laggardness that put the outcome of the recall in doubt, especially in mid-August when Elder was polling very close to Newsom.

Democrats ought to be ashamed that things got that close. In a state that has twice as many Democrats

as Republicans, there should never have been a question about the outcome of the vote. Frankly, there never should have been a recall election. But if Republicans can’t get their way the old-fashioned way (by winning), they’ll try the renegade way: by stealing. So, we were treated to allegation after allegation of voter fraud before a single ballot had been counted. We heard reports that some partisan poll-watchers were aggressively challenging voter signatures in the name of preventing fraud.

Republicans have been able to gain all these advantages because Democrats, in a phrase, have been sleeping.

President Joe Biden would be the first to assert that Black women made a difference in the 2020 election.

Women like LaTasha Brown, Melanie Campbell, Barbara Arnwine, and so many others crisscrossed the country, urging people to get out and vote. Sometimes it wasn’t an easy case to make. President Biden has been in public office long enough to have a record that energizes some and causes others to cringe. Too many Black men (around one in six) believed the hype and voted for Trump. As hard as that is to understand, it is reasonable to note that Black people are not a monolith, and we don’t vote in lockstep.

That makes the Republican embrace of arch-conservative Larry Elder (he would have given reparations to slave owners) all the more cynical.

Some Republicans see Elder as the new face of

conservatism. Others see him as a Black man who can hoodwink Black people into voting against their interests.

One critic described him as “white supremacy in Blackface”.

She was kind.

Elder is coyly considering a gubernatorial run against Newsom in 2022. He may have some momentum, having garnered 46% of the votes to replace Newsom, but given that Californians soundly rejected the recall effort, will he have the numbers? His 46 % of the 37% who voted in favor of the recall amounts to a paltry 14 % or just one in seven votes. The California recall process distorts both the voting outcome and Elder’s relative unimportance.

Still, Elder isn’t going anywhere. The popular talkradio host is likely to use his electoral experience to expand his audience and ratings. And with the help of Fox News, he may multiply his base. There is little or nothing that Democrats can do about Larry Elder, but there is plenty that we can do about pushing a Democratic agenda.

Democrats, just do your work. Organize, strategize, keep the momentum going. Stop thinking that you have to “play nice” with Republicans because they sure ain’t playing nice with you. If you care about health care, education, clean air and water, economic justice, call it out.

And if you care about the political space in which we live, say thank you to the Black women who helped make it happen.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Los Angeles News Observer A7

Sports

Larry Rountree III celebrates a big play against the Washington Football Team on 9.12.21 (Chargers.com)

Chargers Weekly-

Larry Rountree III hits the hole against the Washington Football Team on 9.12.21 (Chargers.com)

Sixth Round Draft Pick Larry Rountree Had His Future Planned Out

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com With this article, I wanted to take the helmet off of Larry Rountree III to reveal the personality of this North Carolina native. It’s not likely Rountree will become this season’s rookie of the year, as did his fellow backfield mate Justin Herbert. Though I believe he will have the opportunity to make a difference in this team rushing attack this season. I wanted to help Bolts fans learn more about who Larry is as a person and a teammate. Rountree also revealed to me the plan that he had should he somehow didn’t make it in the NFL. His plan would expose the person he has been born to be, and I will share that plan with you after I walk you through his journey, which has momentarily derailed those plans.

As a 2-star athlete coming out of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, Larry Rountree III said he didn’t get his third recruiting star until he received an offer from the University of Missouri. Who made him an offer on the strength of the due diligence of former recruiting assistant and now Tight End coach A.J. Ofodile, who found Roundtree’s highlight tape and shared it with the head coac. After consistent communication with Ofodile, the unheralded Roundtree would graciously accept an offer from the University of Missouri.

With a strong desire to stay near his hometown and play for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Rountree received limited college scholarship offers before he leaned on his belief that “God has a path for everybody.” Not only did he take this belief and his confidence with him to the “show me state” when it was all said and done, but Rountree ended up being named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team in his first season with Mizzou.

After deciding to take his game west to Missouri, Rountree would pile up the accolades. He gained over 3,700 yards rushing in his four years there, on his way to becoming the all-time rushing leader in the school’s history. Additionally, he finished his SEC career as the 16th all-time rusher in conference history.

Pretty good for an “overlooked running back,” I’d say.

Rountree played with added inspiration during his home games, as his mom made the 14-hour, 950-mile trek from Raleigh to Columbia, Missouri to see him play. He was able to count on her most home games during his four-year career. During our conversation, Roundtree said with a passion, “That’s why I ran so hard!” With his distinct southern accent, Larry further explained, “My momma driving 14 hours, there and back, I ain’t fixin’ to have my jersey over here clean; we fixin’ to get right!

Despite the scoreboard, I’m running hard the whole game.”

Now that he made the Los Chargers squad, I was curious to hear if he replaced her car yet. He told me, “It’s in the making; it’s going to happen soon because that car has almost 300,000

(miles).” In his four years at Mizzou, he could recall her only missing one game as she was committed to seeing her only son play college football. That’s one huge sign of love and support.

During his time and the University of Missouri, Rountree majored in Pre-Communications and became a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. I wanted to hear from him how playing football may have made him a better fraternity brother.

Or was he a better teammate on the football team because of him being in a fraternity. Rountree would explain to me, “It made him a better football player; because it helped him run with more tenacity.” When I followed up with him, for a deep understanding, he proudly recited the four founding principles of the fraternity “manhood, scholarship, persevere and uplift.” This foundation helped support his belief, “nobody on the other side of the ball is more sound-based and will play with more tenacity than me. When I get on the field now, nobody is better than me!” This attitude will serve him well in the NFL. There were many topics I was eager to cover with the Charger’s sixth-round draft pick, one of them being about his draft day process and when he received the call from the GM Tom Telesco. He and his parents spent the day watching the draft at a modest hotel on a beach in North Carolina and not at home in Raleigh because he “wanted it to be a day for his mom and dad” to enjoy. As anyone would have guessed, he admitted “it was a very stressful” process.

Larry received a call from Chargers GM Tom Telesco, who told him they would draft him in the third round. After they drafted Josh Palmer in the third round, hope appeared to be gone.

But once his phone rang in the sixth round, he went outside to take the call; when he came back into the room, his parents were eager to hear what happened on the call. Larry played it off as nothing happened on the call and would then tell them, “Let’s just see what happens.” Shortly thereafter the Los Angeles Chargers submitted their draft card announcing they would be drafting Larry Rountree III. Just as you might have imagined, his parents exploded with excitement once they heard their son was being drafted into the National Football League.

I thought it would be a fun idea to hear what he thought of his new All-Pro teammates, so I proposed playing a name association game with him. I would mention a player’s name, and I would ask him to tell me the first thing that came to mind about his teammates: Keenan Allen- “Sporadic!” (Meaning irregular) He would also point out that, “it’s no coincidence he’s from Greensboro, North Carolina! From the crib, just an hour away.”

Justin Herbert- “Bionic Arm! The dude is a great dude; loves the game of football and he’s a great guy to be around.”

Joey Bosa- After laughing he says, “Sun Tan lotion. Joey’s a

I asked what kind of family Amina wanted. She said, ‘A family like yours.’

That’s when I knew I had to adopt her.

great dude too; I did not expect that!”

Derwin James- After he sighs and gasps for air he replies…

“DJ; What I think about when it comes to DJ… that dude in an alien, he’s not from here. That dude is a play-er,” Rountree would emphatically express. “I’d say mentor, because he helped me a lot, getting adjusted to the game. I was over there on the defense side of the locker room so he really helped me to get my mind right.

He helped me to calm down.”

Corey Linsley- Larry he laughs, “Big vet! He’s a funny dude.”

Linval Joseph- “I’d say mentor. He’s been a mentor too!”

Earlier this season, I wrote about Head Coach Brandon Staley’s unique approach to coaching. From being a people person and a relationship builder first, then a teacher and a coach. I’ve also written about how veterans appreciated his approach, though I was curious on how this coaching style was received by a rookie.

So, I asked Rountree about his thoughts on coach Staley, and he would tell me, “Coach Staley is cool. He wants to know what the players want? He wants to know, ’Hey what do you guys think about this, or what do you guys think about this?’ He’s a great coach! He loves the game of football. I love the energy he brings every day when he comes to work.”

As his numbers have shown, Roundtree was very productive while playing for the University of Missouri. His foresight off the field has been just as impressive. He shared some of this with me when I asked what he would be doing if he wasn’t playing football.

Had he not been drafted by the Chargers’; Larry shared his plans to go back to Missouri to become a Police Officer. This initial idea came from his experience playing Pop Warner football for Mr. Green. Coach Green doubled as a coach for the Wildersgrove Wolfpack back in Raleigh and a Police Officer.

In his own words, his plan was, if he didn’t make it in the NFL, “I would’ve gone straight to Columbia, Missouri and been a Police Officer. I would’ve been a police officer there for like three years, and then I was going to come back home to Raleigh, North Carolina, and then become a Deputy Sheriff.”

When asked about his reasoning for wanting to become a police officer, Roundtree passionately stated, “It’s the fact that I am doing something that’s helping! Some people want to be an officer to have a gun on their hip. That’s not what my objective was! My objective was to do what Police are supposed to do, which is protect and serve! To uplift the youth and let them know

Leary & Williams Earn Walter Camp Honors

Denise, adopted 17-year-old Amina

Bennett Williams of Campbell, California had two interceptions and 8 tackles in a 41-19 Ducks win over Arizona. (Photo: U of O Athletics)

LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN YO U C A N ’ T I M AG I N E T H E R E WA R D

A D O P T U S K I D S . O R G

there’s a lot more to life than what you think you can do!”

As a member of the Wolfpack, coach Green provided Larry an example of what this path of becoming a Police could look like while simultaneously mentoring the kids on the Wolfpack. Coach Green/ Officer Green then became Deputy Sheriff then shortly thereafter worked his way to becoming Chief. That memory stuck with Rountree for years and was supported by a conversation he had with one of the Police Officers, who doubled as a Security Officer for his head coach at the University of Missouri. The particular officer mentioned, “you’d be a great Police Officer.

You know people, and you know how to talk to people.” These conversations revived his memories of the impact coach Green had on him and his former teammates; as he pondered life after football.

Chargers’ fans should be happy they made the call in the sixth round and forced him to put his service career on hold.

After Larry’s first game in the NFL, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley says about him, “This guy brought real physicality. Larry’s a bigger guy, but he’s really strong. He’s a heavier back. Your third back has to be a factor in the kicking game. I feel like Larry is coming on. He’s still at the beginning. We’re trying, the best we can, for this guy to become a complete back, and not just as running back but as a football player.”

After his second game in the league, coach Brandon Staley told us, “I think Larry has proven himself in a short amount of time. We’re excited to have him in that running back rotation. I think he’s proven to be trustworthy. From a physical standpoint, he gives you another dimension as a bigger back, one who packs a punch. Then, he’s done a nice job in the passing game, too, both in pass protection and then hands out of the backfield. He’s been a pleasant surprise that way for us. I like coaching the guy; Larry has played well in the kicking game for us. I’m excited about where Larry can go with his game.”

By being drafted by a team that has a very versatile backfield, Rountree will have a chance to be the hammer when they need that guy. Austin Ekeler will likely lead all backs in yards from scrimmage. Justin Jackson is a shifty runner; with a plethora of moves and will break some defender’s ankles in the open field. Yet, when they need it, on third and three, or third and one, I think this is when Rountree will get his opportunity to shine.

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It was a big weekend for NC State’s Devin Leary as his play helped him the earn National Walter Camp Offensive Player of The Week honors.

Leary led his team to an upset win over ACC conference power No.9 Clemson. The Redshirt sophomore from Sicklerville, New Jersey completed 32-of-44 passes for 238 yards with no interceptions. He tied his career-high with four touchdown passes (Pitt in 2020), and all four of the Pack’s scores came via Leary’s arm.

In the two overtime periods Leary completed 3-of-4 passes for 27 yards and two TD passes. He found Thayer Thomas from two yards out on third down to answer Clemson’s score in the first OT, and his 22-yard corner strike to Devin Carter in the second overtime proved to be the game-winner.

The Tigers (2-2) dropped out of the Top Ten for the first time in 92 weeks.

Leary is the fifth NC State player to earn the award since it started in 2004 and the first since linebacker Nate Irving did it in 2010.

Oregon safety Bennett Williams earned the honor on the defensive side of the ball. Williams had eight tackles and snagged a pair of interceptions in No. 3 Oregon’s 4119 win over Arizona on Saturday, returning his second interception 68 yards for a touchdown to help put the game away for the Ducks (3-0).

That was the longest pick-six by a Duck since 2017.

(Tyree Robinson- 100 yards) He’s had an interception in back to back games and now has six in his career. Williams is the second Duck this season to earn Walter Camp National player of the week honors.

A native of Campbell, California Williams is the 10th player in program history to receive Walter Camp National Player of the week honors, and the third to earn the defensive award. The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a New Haven, Connecticut based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Founded in 1891 it is America’s oldest All-American team.

A8

Sports

Los Angeles News Observer

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Bruins Get Back On Winning Track

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It was like day and night as UCLA traveled to Stanford and bounced back from a tough loss at the hands of Fresno State.

This week the Bruins grinded and bolded their way to a tough 35-24 win over Stanford in front of 47,236. The team was in big time recovery mode after a draining last second loss at the Rose Bowl last week.

Dorian Thomson-Robinson showed his toughness in the fourth quarter after he was tackled near the sideline suffering a shoulder injury causing him to leave the game for a few plays.

But it was the perseverance that enabled him to return just moments later and hit Kyle Phillips with a TD pass that iced the game for the Bruins with 2:35 remaining in the contest.

After scoring the while on the sideline Phillips tried to comfort his hurting teammate. “I just told him I loved him,” said Phillips, I was just so proud of him to fight through that injury he really put the team first even though he was going through a whole lot.”

The Bruins (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) built up a 21-7 halftime lead as DTR had a solid day rushing for 30 yards while completing 18 of 28 passes for 252 yards and two TD’s in the air and two on the ground. The last time the Redshirt senior did that was in 2019 against Washington State in a 67-63 comeback thriller win.

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) runs for a touchdown against the Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Southern California running back Keaontay Ingram (28) celebrates with wide receiver Drake London (15) after Ingram’s rushing touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Phillips finished the day with 5 catches and led all everyone in receiving yards with 120 and 2 TD’s including a 75-yard catch and run. Zach Charbonnet also hauled in 5 for 57 yards a 11.4 average.

During the first period it was Charbonnet who helped lead the team on an 18-play, 88-yard drive that took eight minutes.

The transfer from Michigan had nine carries for 49 yards on the drive that put the BRUINS up14-0.

Charbonnet led all rushers or 118 yards on 23 carries it was the third 100-yard game this season. Brittain Brown added 66 yards on the ground.

Tanner McKee (Corona Centennial High) connected on 19 of 32 passes for 293 yards including a 52-yarder to Bryce Ferrell that tied the game at 21. Ferrell had 2 catches for 80 yards while teammate Elijah Higgins had 5 for 103 yards a 20-yard average.

Defense was tough not allow the Cardinal (2-2, 1-1 PAC-12) a first down until the teams sixth possession that occurred with 7:32 left in the 2nd period.

“It took guts to win this game you know what I mean,” said DB Qwuantrezz Knight who led the team in tackles with seven. Carlin and Junior OLB Carl Jones chipped in with five each.

The UCLA Defense ranks 6th in the nation against the run giving up an average 64 yards a game on the ground- They gave up 67 to Stanford.

Knight summed up the difference between Fresno State and this weeks game:” Last week we weren’t able to go in and absolutely finish the game the way we’ve been coached. This week during practice that’s the main thing coach Kelly talked about we have to finish. We have to finish. We have to Bruin finish.”

BRUIN NOTES: DTR returned to practice this week after suffering a shoulder injury and he’s expected to go at the ROSE BOWL Saturday vs. Arizona State. All fans should bring a covid vaccination card or a test results done in the last 72 hours before the games…the PAC-12 is morning the loss of UTAH’s Aaron Love who was shot during an incident last week.

Women’s 2021 NCAA Outdoor track & field champions: Angie Annelus, Kyra Constantine, Tee Tee Terry.

(Photo Earl Heath)

Trojans Have a Tough Time at Home

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Home is where you feel warm and comfortable along with usually being able to control things to your liking. That’s not how it turned out for Kedon Slovis and USC. Coming off a lopsided win at Washington State you think that all the momentum would be in favor of the home team.

Returning after a neck injury Slovis had some bright spots like connecting on 31 of 45 passes for 355 yards and a touchdown.

The problem came with his three interceptions that helped lead to a 45-27 loss to Oregon State at the Coliseum.

It was a tough outing for USC, as the win was the first for the visitors at the Coliseum since 1960.

Keaontay Ingram rushed for 79 yards on 14 carries and

scored two touchdowns for the Trojans.

“In the second half we started pressing,“ said Trojan interim coach Donte Williams. “I think he (Slovis) started making some errant throws that he wish he could have back.”

Beavers(3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) were led by QB Chance Noland who finished the night hitting 15 of 19 passes for 213 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 2 interceptions and finished with a rating

of 98.5 BJ Baylor rushed for 158 yards on 23 carries to lead all rushers as they rolled up 322 yards on the ground.

Iaaish Pola Moa led the defense with 11 tackles and Ralen Goforth added 10.The Trojans Isaac Taylor-Stuart had a spectacular interception in the endzone to stall a Beaver drive.

USC plays at Colorado this weekend.

Rams Look Great Against Super Bowl Champs

Frank Corral was honored by the Rams. He hit three field goals to send the Rams to Super Bowl XIV. (Photo: Earl Heath)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer To open the season the Rams were off to a 2-0 start with a twenty-point win over a bad Bears team and a three-point win over an unknown Colts team. It seems the biggest test to the young season would come against the current a World Championship Tampa Bay team that had all 22 starters return and the greatest quarterback that’s ever set foot on an NFL field.

The Rams ran and passed their way pass the Bucs with a 3424 win in front of 73,205 screaming fans during Spanish Heritage Month.

After a scoreless first quarter Mathew Stafford engineered a 14-play, 95-yard drive that took 8:05 as they converted three third down plays on the drive that was capped by a Stafford to Tyler Higbee six yard TD. Later in the same quarter Stafford hit a wide-open Cooper Kupp on a short two yarder that finished an 11 play, 75-yard drive and put the Rams up 14 -7 at the break. Under McVay they are 38-0 when leading at the half.

Stafford went 27 of 38 for 343 yards and no interceptions-I doing so he connected with big windows and little windows to six different Rams receivers.

“We have so, many different talented guys ,“ said Stafford.

I think Sean (McVay) does a great job of just calling plays and just letting us go out there and let us play and let me get through progressions.”

DeShaun Jackson had a big moment hauling in a 75- yard pass, then racing his way to the endzone then pulling a Cadillac move (running along the goal line) before crossing it.

“I’ve done some bone-head move earlier in my career,” said Jackson the former Long Beach Poly star. “You have to know you can out run that guy behind you before you do something like that.”

That was the 9th TD reception of 75 yards or more made

by Jackson’s career. It also was Matt Stafford longest since 2013 in Detroit (Calvin Johnson 79 yards) That score put the Rams up 21 -7 early in the third.

Jackson finished the day with 3 catches for 128 yards.

The catch also made McVay race down the side lines and chasing Jackson off the field and all the way into the tunnel.

“I think my hamstrings are really sore,” said McVay. ”I probably pulled both of them, it’s just pure excitement. I’m not really thinking about those things in the moment. Just enjoying it with these guys.”

The defense did a lot of bending and made some clutch plays as Tom Brady was 41 of 55 for 432 yards but they were 6 of 13 on third down. ”It’s a loud stadium very loud, its one of the louder ones we’ve been in “said Brady who on this trip has play in Los Angeles for the first time in his career.

One thing on Brady 44 years or not, he still has a very live arm. The G.O.A.T will be headed to Foxborough, Mass next week to take on his old team the Patriots.

He was sacked three times once by Donald and twice by LB Kenny Young. “Honestly I just sacked probably one of the greatest players of all-time, “said Young who had 8 tackles on the day. “That’s pretty dope, but I tried not to get a flag for over celebrating.”

Aaron Donald and the defense hustle off the field after stopping Bucs and Tom Brady. (Photo: Earl Heath)

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Local

Los Angeles News Observer A9

ABWA Launches its Second Scholarship Fund Honoring the Legacy of Rosemarie Pamela Brown,

By Marla A. Matime When you think of accounting and finance, you think of a predominately white male dominated industry. This is primarily because of how we, as a society, have been conditioned to think in terms of men being either the breadwinner of their households or one to lead Fortune 500 companies and leading in many industries that are cutting edge and innovative. A group of women in the Inland Empire decided that they wanted to change the narrative and invest and develop young Black women that were interested in the field of accounting and finance.

Leading the way, Rosemarie Brown, gathered five likeminded women and they formed the organization, the Alliance of Black Women Accountants [ABWA] in May of 2016, to mentor and coach young Black women, so that they can grow and lead in this arena. They officially launched the organization in September 2016.

The birthing of ABWA stemmed from many years of Rosemarie witnessing the disparities that she and other minorities faced in the workplace in larger CPA companies. She believed that connecting mentors with incoming professionals in the field, was significant to the growth and promotion of these young Black women. Having someone that looked like them, understanding their experience, was significant for these young women succeeding in this chosen career path.

To address the disparities that many young Black women face as they entered college, particularly as it pertains to funding; the organization started their general scholarship award, which initially granted $500 that their chosen recipient could allocate towards books, lodging, or whatever they needed during their time in school, in the first few years of its conception.

I spoke with two bright young ladies who are members of ABWA and also work in the field of accounting and finance.

Briana Reed expressed “I was introduced to ABWA by one of my friends in my accounting program at UCR. The first ABWA meeting I attended was held on campus. I really enjoyed the meeting and saw another friend there.”

Briana is a past recipient of the general scholarship that ABWA has granted since its inception. She received her ABWA scholarship in December 2019 during the ABWA Annual Holiday Party.

Pelumi Akiwowo learned about ABWA at an accounting and finance conference in 2016, that she attended to receive extra credit for her finance class at Chaffey Community College.

She met board member Marjorie McPike, and the rest is history.

Pelumi explains that she had applied for the scholarship when she heard about it at an ABWA meeting. She says, “Receiving the award was really really exciting, because at the time I was a community college student, who had no money and I needed funds to get a laptop to help me with school studies. I applied for the scholarship on ABWA’s website, I ultimately learned about it during one of the meetings and it was so exciting getting that scholarship because it helped me towards my education.”

Both young ladies work for Ernest & Young, a public accounting firm and have been diligent to get other young Black women interested in entering the field of accounting and finance.

When I asked them about Rosemarie and the influence that she had, they both looked up to her with so much respect. Their shared experience to have someone in their lives, who understood what it was like to navigate their chosen field, gives them the confidence to excel in their work and help spark interest in others coming up behind them.

Pelumi had been so impacted and inspired by her affiliation with ABWA that she started her own non-profit organization, the Nibi Foundation, which means “here,” to support other women in Nigeria, to help them with financial literacy, start businesses, and get their education.

Sadly, Rosemarie passed away, November 16, 2020, in the middle of the pandemic from a medical emergency that was

ABWA Launch Event Original Board with Cheryl Brown former Assemblywoman (Courtesy Photo)

unrelated to COVID. Because of this unfortunate and untimely event, ABWA has launched its second scholarship fund to honor the founding member and previous president, the Rosemarie Pamela Brown.

I had an opportunity to speak with Rosemarie’s husband, Howard Brown. He shared with me when they met in high school and how they both migrated to the United States from Jamaica.

Rosemarie moved to New York, and Howard moved to California.

They maintained a long-distance relationship until Rosemarie decided to transfer to Cal State LA. He also described how caring and resilient she was, and that she demanded excellence in both her professional life and in the home as they raised their two sons together. He recalled how both of her grandparents were business owner and that she was an integral part of maintaining the businesses financial accounts. She was great at numbers and maintaining books at a very young age, which transpired into her going into the field of accounting and finance.

ABWA was born out of “Her personal experiences entering the profession, realizing that there were not that many people of color in the profession, but the few that were there were at a big disadvantage not having a mentorship program to help navigate the ins and outs of getting ahead and being successful within the profession,” explained Howard. He also described that she saw the need to have more people color within the field of accounting and finance that looked like her.

He also expressed gratitude for ABWA starting the

Rosemarie Pamela Brown scholarship fund and describes it as being “special” and “an excellent way to honor her memory and to have something in place that will continue to impact young girls.”

Reflecting on the founding member, current President, Nefertiti Long; Vice President Kathy Johnson; and Corresponding Secretary, Marjorie McPike, provided insight on the character and heart of Rosemarie. Nefertiti said, “Rosemarie was truly a virtuous woman. She gave her all to everyone in her life. Her family, her friends, her community as well as her profession. Her passion for the community and ensuring young ladies entering the profession receive support and guidance was at the top of her mind when she started our organization. She also wanted to make sure women of color would gravitate to our group. This was evident in her insistence when we were discussing what our name would be, that it had to have “black women” in the name.”

Marjorie expresses that, “Rosemarie was Angela Davis in Accounting. She was professional but she was true to her culture and community. She had a way of telling you exactly what you needed to hear but doing so in a way that made you think. Although she was intentional about helping women/ people of color in the profession, she did not reserve that passion for only her community. She was willing to help and speak up for anyone that deserved it. She wanted everyone to be successful in their careers and would do whatever she could to help.” Kathy recounts, “Rosemarie Brown helped to inspire in us the ability

of Women of Color working together to help other women of color achieve their dreams. Because we have been able to become valued resources in the accounting and finance industry, she believed that if other women of color learned or our journeys and successes, our stories would help to they would be inspired also.”

When asked about their roles and passion for ABWA, the ladies all share the common thread of being a founding member yet seeing slightly different experiences through their individual lenses.

Nefertiti explained, that “As a founding member of ABWA I am proud to see how we have grown from five ladies sitting at Rosemarie’s kitchen table to a membership of up to forty and counting. When I go back in my mind to when I had the ah ha moment to major in accounting in school to starting and growing in my career, I reflect on a profession in which I have been challenged as well as experienced a great amount of success.

It brings me joy to mentor and lead others to a path in which they can experience the same. Also, ABWA is a sisterhood, it is a safe place where we can let our hair down and talk honest and candid about some of the challenges we have encountered in the workplace where you are often the only one who looks like you at work.”

“I am a founding member and currently the recording secretary. Rosemarie and I spoke about forming an organization many years before ABWA came to be, we even considered an Inland Empire Chapter of NABA. I am passionate about helping people succeed and connecting them with other people and helping them navigate the challenges of public accounting. ABWA is a sisterhood, when we get together you can see and feel the love and support for each other. It’s a beautiful thing. I recall one time we were having a meeting and Rosemarie was running late because she was baking scones for us all. When I met her at the car, I told her she would be so happy to see all of the beautiful faces that were in the room. I am so happy and proud to be part of a wonderful organization!” said, Marjorie. Finally, Kathy describes, “ABWA for me is a place where I can network, give moral support and get moral support from others who have shared some of my struggles and share my dreams. It is a place where we believe we can make a difference in the lives of other women of color who desire to have a career in accounting and finance.”

When I asked about the importance of the scholarship funds, the three ladies exclaimed that, one of the criteria for being eligible to be considered for the scholarship is to join ABWA. This is so that the ladies within the organization have a support system that is already in place, that provides mentorship and guidance as they journey through their academic, and ultimately, field of accounting and finance. It also helps to cover some of the costs that many individuals of color incur on their academic path, so that financial support is given. Lastly, these scholarships help to motivate the students, inspire other students, and provides something for them to believe in, knowing that professionals in their chosen path, understands and relates to what they are about to embark upon. They have a unique opportunity to achieve “their own version of success,” states Kathy.

ABWA is currently accepting applications for both the General Scholarship Award and the newly initiated The Rosemarie Pamela Brown Scholarship until Thursday, September 30, 2021. Young Black women studying accounting and finance and entering into the profession, are encouraged to apply for the scholarships. To learn more you can visit https://allianceofbwa. org/scholarships/.

Interviews of Mr. Howard Brown, Pelumi Akiwowo, and Briana Reed will be on ABWA’s website.

Marla A. Matime is the Chief Operating Officer for Voice Media Ventures and occasional contributor of Black Voice News and the IE VOICE in Southern California.

Report Reveals that Los Angeles Sheriff Department Rife with Gangs and Cliques

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Approximately 16 percent of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies and supervisors continue to operate and recruit personnel to join in secret cliques or gangs like “Banditos” and the “Executioners,” according to an explosive new report authored by The Rand Corporation.

The report takes the department to task with authors noting that authorities “either can’t or won’t” stop the practice that has cost taxpayers more than $55 million in settlements in cases stemming from lawsuits alleging that the gangs inflicted violence and mayhem upon citizens.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who fought subpoenas to avoid testifying about cliques and gangs within his department, said on social media that he would review the report.

“This matter negatively impacts community trust, and community members wanted to see that LASD was taking the matter seriously,” researchers wrote in the report.

“Deputies expressed mixed opinions as to what actions they felt the department should take,” the authors added.

They said 37 percent of personnel who responded to the survey for which the authors based the report agreed that subgroups should be prohibited. However, the results suggest that “this subject is divisive within LASD and that efforts for such

The authors pointed out that deputies have glorified an aggressive style of policing and favor patrolling areas of higher levels of violent crime ostensibly to justify excessive use of force. (Photo: RAND)

change could be met with some resistance,” the researchers found.

Rand researchers reported that 1,608 deputies and supervisors who anonymously answered survey questions received invitations to join a clique, with some invitations arriving in the last five years.

All of the roughly 10,000 sworn personnel in the department received a survey, and participation was voluntary. Researchers also interviewed dozens of sheriff’s and county officials and 140 community leaders, and members of the public.

The study concluded that the groups have existed for decades in the department.

The authors pointed out that deputies have glorified an aggressive style of policing and favor patrolling areas of higher levels of violent crime ostensibly to justify excessive use of force.

Among the key findings: • Community member interviews indicated that subgroups and problematic behavior associated with them have negatively impacted perceptions of LASD. About 47 percent of LASD survey respondents agreed.

• Combined with the interview findings, the LASD survey findings suggest that, for some parts of LASD, subgroups exhibit features of being a normalized part of the organization.

• About 40 percent of LASD survey respondents agreed that subgroups are more common at high-crime stations (55 percent of those who had been invited to join a subgroup agreed).

• About 40 percent of respondents identified the following criteria for being invited to join a subgroup: being known as a hard worker (91 percent of those who had been invited to join a subgroup), working in challenging environments (86 percent of those invited), socializing with subgroup members (51 percent of those invited), and engaging in specific behaviors, such as being aggressive about making arrests (47 percent of those invited).

• According to 30 percent of respondents and 42 percent of those who were invited to join a subgroup, the groups have codes of conduct and expect members to perform to certain standards. Among these respondents, subgroups are perceived to be a motivational tool.

• Around 15 percent of those who had been invited to join a subgroup agreed that being invited to join a subgroup was associated with behavior that violates LASD policy, while 22 percent of invitees agreed that willingness to look the other way when others engage in improper or unethical behavior was a criterion for being invited.

“Leadership of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department can best discourage involvement in deputy subgroups by clarifying current policy language to prohibit subgroups, and by delivering strong and consistent messages to its staff opposing membership in the groups and related banned conduct, Samuel Peterson, a

Rand policy researcher wrote.

“While department leaders have taken initial steps to address problematic subgroups, there needs to be clear guidance for command staff – particularly captains – about expectations and appropriate responses for dealing with the secretive subgroups, Peterson wrote, quoting the report.

Peterson noted that for some community members, the subgroups are a stark representation of an us-versus-them mentality that is generalized to the entire Sheriff’s Department.

“Their existence signals that the department either can’t or won’t manage these groups, which affects legitimacy and public trust in the department, particularly in parts of the county where relationships are historically tense,” he concluded.

Peterson and his colleagues conceded that the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department is a large, complex, geographically dispersed organization.

Its 23 stations serve communities that range from fastpaced urban areas to slower-paced suburbs, covering a mixture of unincorporated county areas and 42 cities that contract with the organization for policing services.

For the past 30 years, the authors noted that the Sheriff’s Department has been subject to allegations about secret subgroups or “gangs” of deputies within its ranks.

Its members have allegedly mistreated both community members and department coworkers.

Various investigations and lawsuits have examined the claims, prompting the department to establish a current policy that prohibits group member behavior that violates the rights of others.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors commissioned RAND to conduct an independent research project to learn more about how these subgroups are formed, why they exist, what actions might be taken if it is determined that they have a significant impact on the Sheriff Department’s mission, and whether they have affected community perceptions and trust in the department.

“Producing long-lasting change in the Sheriff’s Department may require changing fundamental assumptions that exist within the organization,” Peterson said.

“Such change must begin with accounting for and managing organizational and subunit culture, while also committing to a holistic approach that builds up the workforce and emphasizes integrity.”

A10

Local

Los Angeles News Observer

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Truth about “Tuskegee Experiment” Revealed African American Educators Highlight Vaccine Hesitancy at Conference

By Vicki C. Phillips (Long Beach, CA) – “How fortunate and blessed we are to know about the types of COVID vaccines that are available today. Why then should we deny ourselves getting vaccinated? We all have the opportunity to be informed, receive advice from professionals we trust and understand how we can protect ourselves by getting vaccinated.”

Those were the words of Lillie Tyson Head, daughter of Freddie Lee Tyson, a United States Public Health Service Syphilis Study Victim at Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama and President, of the Virginia-based, Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation https://www.voicesforfathers.org/, speaking on a panel entitled “Vaccine Hesitancy: Understanding the Science and Getting people to Trust It.” The panel was part of the Annual RoundUp of Education Leaders, co-hosted by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators, https://www.caaasa.org/the Los Angeles County Alliance of Black School Educators and the National Coalition on Education Equity under the theme “Addressing Equity for African American and Other Students of Color.”

The organizations, including educators from throughout California, met recently at the Reef Restaurant in Long Beach, to discuss a number of issues related to education equity. The Annual Round-Up of Education Leaders was co-hosted by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators, the Los Angeles County Alliance of Black School Educators and the National Coalition on Education Equity under the theme “Addressing Equity for African American and Other Students of Color.”

The presentation on vaccine hesitancy, also featured Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director, LA County Department of Public Health and Dr. Oliver T. Brooks, Chief Medical Officer, Watts HealthCare Corporation and Past President, National Medical Association and was one of four highlighted throughout the day.

During her speech, Tyson Head shared information about the history of Public Health Service’s Study

and corrected some of the misinformation that has been widely circulated for decades. For one, she requested that the monikers, “The Tuskegee Syphilis Study,” and “Tuskegee Experiment,” cease from being used. Tuskegee Institute (now University) was not the owner of the study, nor were they responsible for it, she said “The study began in 1932 and was initially funded by the Rosenwald Foundation for six months and then, for the next 39 years and 6 months, it was approved and funded by the US government,” she said. “This study is the longest lasting, nontherapeutic, biomedical study in US history.” The participants were African American men; struggling farmers or poor sharecroppers with little formal education. They were NOT injected with syphilis, as the myth has been circulated. The “recruits” included men with congenital syphilis, latent syphilis or no syphilis.

“The men were told that they had ‘bad blood’ and that they would receive treatment. They were never told they were in a study and the intent of the study.” To make matters worse, those with syphilis were denied Penicillin, when it became available in 1945, despite the drug’s proven results in treating the disease.

“The ramifications of this study are still haunting and fosters mistrust” she said. “Forty nine years after the study was exposed and 89 years after the study began, people, particularly in the African American communities, distrust certain medical treatment and medical research. And they are using this study as reasons for hesitating getting vaccinated or refusing to get vaccinated at all.

Other Round-Up highlights included virtual greetings by California Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond and Education Trust West Executive Director, Dr. Christopher Nellum.

Panel discussions included: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness; Families and Educational Stakeholders: Maintaining an Equity Focus, PostCOVID; and Supporting the Mental Health of Black Students and Educational Stakeholders.

Founded in 1993, CAAASA is an education equity and advocacy organization that works through collaboration, network-building and direct community engagement to promote the success of African American, Latinx and other underserved California K-12 public school students and families.

CAAASA’s members include school superintendents, administrators, teachers and other educational professionals from throughout California.

Although its primary focus is education, CAAASA has been at the forefront of numerous issues impacting the health of the African American

community. Once vaccines became available within LA County, CAAASA hosted a webinar with noted medical professionals, to address the concerns of African American students, families and education stakeholders. Additionally, CAAASA is currently engaged in campaigns, funded by the County COVID-19 Community Equity Fund (CCCEF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to provide individuals with valuable information about COVID-19, in the hope of increasing vaccine awareness among African Americans living in the Antelope Valley area.

Wildfire Smoke Is Here to Stay Here’s How to Clean the Air Inside Your Home

Continued from page A1

fresh air setting on heavy smoke days. If you don’t know how, seek professional advice.

And be sure to close all doors and windows; otherwise, your efforts will be in vain.

You can convert your HVAC unit or furnace into a better air-cleaning system by installing a higher-efficiency filter capable of catching a large proportion — though it won’t get 100% — of the tiny smoke particles.

To cope with wildfire smoke, many public health and air quality experts recommend what’s known as a MERV 13 filter. MERV, or “minimum efficiency reporting value,” is a scale from 1 to 20 that rates a filter’s ability to capture particles. MERV 1 is the lowest rating, indicating the least impact on air quality, while filters rated MERV 17 or higher are used in hospital operating rooms and clean rooms.

You can buy MERV 13 filters at large stores such as Costco, the Home Depot and Lowe’s or online from multiple vendors. A MERV 13 should cost around $20, or substantially less if you buy packages of them.

Before you install a new filter, check first with an HVAC professional to make sure your system can accommodate it. The more efficient the filter, the more it reduces airflow, diminishing the cooling capacity of an air conditioner and requiring more energy to run the heater.

If you don’t have central air, or you have it and want to augment your system’s ability to clear the air, consider buying a portable air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter, which can remove almost all particles of the tiny size found in smoke.

You can put it in the room you use most during the day, then move it to your bedroom at night. If the smoke gets really bad, put it in the room of your choice and stay there as much as possible.

“If you have an appropriately sized air cleaner with a true HEPA filter and you put it in a room and close the doors and windows, you have clean air really fast,” says

Sarah Coefield, an air quality specialist with the Missoula City-County Health Department in Montana, which has had its share of wildfire smoke in recent years.

If you have kids, or share the home with other people, you should ideally have one air cleaner for each bedroom.

Alternatively, you may need to put everyone in one room at night during a smoke emergency.

Portable HEPA air cleaners cost anywhere from under $100 to over $1,000, depending in part on the number of square feet they can clean effectively. To clean a room, you can get a perfectly good one for under $200.

All air cleaning devices sold in California must be certified by the California Air Resources Board, which posts a list of air cleaners it has certified. You might also want to look at Consumer Reports’ list of best and worst air cleaners and at a review of those selected by The New York Times’ product review website, Wirecutter.

Public health experts warn that you should avoid devices that are sold as air cleaners but actually emit ozone, the main component of smog. The air resources board also publishes a list of ozone-emitting devices.

Gina Spadafori, a resident of West Sacramento, has both a central HVAC system with an extra-thick filter and a portable HEPA air cleaner she keeps in her bedroom.

Spadafori, 63, has serious asthma and has long been concerned about the air quality in her house.

In recent years, she has endured numerous days of hazardous wildfire smoke and that has changed the way she uses her HVAC. “I probably use the fan-only setting more than I have in the past to just filter the air rather than heating or cooling it,” she says.

On bad air days, she turns the portable air cleaner on an hour before she goes to bed and closes the door so it will “super-clean that air” and she’ll get a good night’s sleep.

“It’s just sort of a second line of defense,” she says.

There is a lower-cost option: Make your own air purifier by attaching a high-efficiency filter to an electric

box fan. You can get a suitable fan for around $30 and the filters for around $20 — or cheaper in bulk.

The website montanawildfiresmoke.org publishes a how-to guide for building such a contraption. The Environmental Protection Agency has an FAQ on box fan air cleaners with instructions for building them.

The EPA recommends using only box fans built in 2012 or later, because earlier models could overheat and cause a fire.

Lab testing has clearly shown such do-it-yourself devices are safe, though they may heat up the room and produce more noise than a portable HEPA cleaner, according to the EPA. For those who can’t even afford to make an air cleaner from a house fan, nonprofits and local government agencies have provided help. People who don’t have a lot of money are likely to live in older, leakier housing that lets more smoke in. They are also more likely to have chronic illness

and thus be in greater need of clean air — yet less able to afford it.

Climate Smart Missoula, a Montana nonprofit, has distributed around 500 air cleaners to low-income and homebound people in recent years, said Amy Cilimburg, its executive director.

In California, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is providing 3,000 air filtration devices to lowincome people with respiratory conditions in nine counties. The American Lung Association has also donated air cleaners to people in need.

But these efforts are tiny compared with the gaping need, said Cilimburg, who thinks the federal and state governments, hospitals and insurers should step in. She envisions a day when medical staffers at a clinic will tell a patient, “‘Oh, look, given x, y or z, you should just take one of these HEPA filters home with you.’”