Los Angeles News Observer 12.8.22

Congressional Black Caucus Names

Nevada’s Steven Horsford as New Chair

Vice President Kamala Harris Plans to Swear-In New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

America’s history-making vice president plans to swear in Los Angeles’ history-making mayor during an inaugural ceremony scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 11. Kamala Harris, the United States’ first Black and first woman vice president, will do the honors for Karen Bass, the first woman to serve as mayor in the city of angels. Officials said holding the historic ceremony on Sunday makes it more convenient for the public to participate while allowing Bass to devote her first day in office to attending to city business. “Angelenos are so frustrated,” Bass said in a CBS Mornings interview this week. “There is so much pentup urgency to see something happen immediately. Part of my job is to communicate exactly what I’m doing with Angelenos and the timeline, so I manage expectations. But at the same time, I plan to deliver.” A spokesperson for Harris said Bass asked the vice president to administer the oath of office “as a nod to their status as two of California’s most powerful Black women.” Harris and President Biden endorsed Bass in August after she won the June primary by seven percentage points over her rival, billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, CBS News reported. Former President Obama also threw his support behind Bass shortly before the November election. Bass, 69, a six-term congresswoman and a finalist on President Joe Biden’s short list of potential running mates, drew more votes than any mayoral candidate in Los Angeles’ history. The former Congressional Black Caucus Chair has prioritized tackling the city’s homeless crisis. She said she wants to work to eradicate the problem immediately. “Los Angeles has become unaffordable. You have to have a comprehensive approach. There’s no magic bullet,” Bass declared in a nationally televised interview late last month. “So first and foremost, you have to prevent people from falling into homelessness. And clearly, affordability is key to that. But you know, people are on the streets for a variety of issues. And you have to address why they’re there.” She continued: “Is it substance abuse? Is it mental illness? Is it

just straight-up affordability? We have people who are in tents who actually work full-time. We have thousands of children who are in tents. “Some with mothers who fled domestic violence, some who are teenagers who aged out of foster care. Some people who were formerly incarcerated

because they were not able to find housing are in tents. “So we have to have a comprehensive approach and address why people were unhoused. But first and foremost, we have to get people off the streets. People are literally dying on the streets in Los Angeles, and this has got to stop.”

Study Reveals Barriers to Mental Health for Black and Latina Women

about the most important concerns that they face with their families, accessibility of mental health services, preferences for providers, and priorities for approaches to create greater equity in the provision of mental health care.

“We have known that racism and discrimination take a toll on the mental health of our communities, and now we must factor in the disproportionate and lingering effects of the pandemic on communities of color,” said LaNiece Jones, Executive Director of BWOPA.

“What matters now is that we don’t sweep these added challenges aside but treat these barriers in mental health care for what they are, a crisis in care that must be urgently addressed,” Jones added.

The historic poll was conducted by Los Angeles-based public opinion research firm EVITARUS.

Responses were recorded from 800 Black and Latina women across California and the finding give insights

Experts widely agree that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented global mental health crisis. People of color, young people, women, and those with low incomes are most at risk of mental health challenges before and after the pandemic, compounded by the added weight of a heightened economic crisis and instability, as well as more visible expressions of White Supremacy, anti-Blackness, anti-immigrant sentiment and hate crimes aimed at communities of color.

The current social and economic climate creates a distinctive set of pressures on Black women and Latinas. Thirty-four percent cite finances or issues related to inadequate income as the top concerns facing their households. Safety, health, and housing also rank as chief concerns.

More than 3 in 5 respondents reported having a mental health concern for which they did not seek care from a provider. They attributed this to various barriers, citing

travel expenses, length of travel time to appointments and inability to take time off work. Women without coverage for mental health services, those with mental health conditions, younger women, and those covered through Medi-Cal reported the highest rates of untreated needs.

The women that did seek help reported often having negative experiences. Seventy percent of Black women and 54 % of Latinas reported racial or ethnic discrimination. Another 59 % of Black women and 55 % of Latinas reported “assumptions people make about your income or level of education.” Forty percent of Latinas reported discrimination based on “assumptions about their ability to communicate in English” and 28 % reported “assumptions about your documentation of immigration status.” Several other types of discrimination were reported, particularly relating to class, faith, size, and accent.

“Our research draws a direct line between the challenges in accessing mental health care for Latinas and Black women to the shortage of mental health professionals that share our backgrounds,” said Helen Torres, CEO of HOPE. “The data is a call to action for healthcare providers and educational institutions to address the

State Task Force Identifying What Reparations Look Like

California

Americans will be conducting its last meeting of 2022 on Wednesday, Dec. 14, and Thursday, Dec. 15, at Oakland City Hall Chambers located at 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza adjacent to 14th Street. The start time is 9:00 a.m., for both days, beginning with one hour of public comment. The meetings will be live streamed via the official Task Force website or ETM Media on YouTube.

Task Force chairperson Kamilah Moore says that the next meeting is of high importance “for a few reasons,” and will include an in-depth conversation about redress and repair.

“No. 1, we will begin to refine community eligibility standards (including residency requirements); No. 2, we’re inviting leaders from local/municipal reparations efforts from across the state to share their incredible work (i.e., Oakland, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Russell City, Palms Springs etc.),” Moore said in a Dec. 1 written statement.

“No. 3,

The task force’s two-year charge is scheduled to end in June 2023.

California’s AB 3121, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom into law in 2020, created the nine-member task force to investigate the history and costs of slavery in California and around the United States.

The law charges the Reparations Task Force with studying the institution of slavery and its lingering negative effects on Black Californians who are descendants of persons enslaved in the United States.

From the information they collect the Task Force will develop reparation proposals for African Americans and recommend appropriate ways to educate Californians about the task force’s findings.

After the Task Force decided who would be eligible for compensation in March, the nine-member panel approved

Noose for Coworker

LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) – A former employee at the Oriental Trading Co. has been sentenced to prison for leaving a noose on a floor scrubber that a Black colleague was set to use.

The Nebraska U.S. Attorney’s office said Bruce Quinn, 66, was sentenced Friday to four months in prison and one year of supervised release for leaving the noose for his coworker to find. He pleaded guilty in September to a federal civil rights violation.

Prosecutors said a 63-year-old Black man who worked for Oriental Trading found the noose made out of orange twine sitting on the seat of the equipment in June 2020. He told investigators that he was scared by the noose and viewed it as a death threat.

“Federal courts have long recognized the noose as one of the most vile symbols in American history,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Individuals, like this defendant, who use a noose to convey a threat of violence at a workplace will be held accountable for their actions.”

Ye No Longer Buying Parler App, Twitter Account Suspended

Associated Press

Twitter has suspended rapper Ye after he tweeted a picture of a swastika merged with the Star of David.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk confirmed the suspension by replying to Ye’s post of an unflattering photo of Musk. Ye called it his “final tweet.”

“I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended,” Musk tweeted.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has made a series of antisemitic comments in recent weeks. On Thursday, Ye praised Hitler in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Ye’s remarks have led to his suspension from social media platforms, his talent agency dropping him and companies like Adidas cutting ties with him. The sportswear manufacturer has also launched an investigation into his conduct.

Musk, meanwhile, is under pressure to clean up Twitter after changes he made following his purchase of the platform resulted in what watchdog groups say is a rise in racist, antisemitic and other toxic speech. A top European Union official warned Musk this week that Twitter needs to do a lot more to protect users from hate speech, misinformation and other harmful content ahead of tough new rules requiring tech companies to better police their platforms, under threat of big fines or even a ban in the 27-nation bloc.

Ye had offered to buy rightwing-leaning social media site Parler in October, but the company said this week that the deal has fallen through. At the time, Ye and Parlement Technologies, which owns Parler, said the acquisition would be completed in the last three months of the year. The sale price and other details were not disclosed.

“This decision was made in the interest of both parties in mid-November,” Parlement Technologies said in a statement Thursday. “Parler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community.”

Parler is a small platform in the emerging space of right-leaning, far-right and libertarian social apps that promise little to no content moderation to weed out hate speech, racism and misinformation, among other objectionable content. None of the sites have come close to reaching mainstream status.

Parler launched in August 2018 but didn’t start picking up steam until 2020. It was kicked offline in January 2021 over its ties to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol earlier that month. A month after the attack, Parler announced a relaunch but didn’t return to Google Play until September of this year.

Actor in ‘Green Book’ Found Dead on New York City Street

NEW YORK (AP) – A man found dead on a New York City sidewalk this week was identified Thursday as Frank Vallelonga Jr., an actor who appeared in the Oscar-winning movie “Green Book.”

Vallelonga, 60, is the son of one-time Copacabana bouncer Frank Vallelonga Sr., known as Tony Lip, who was portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in the 2018 film. Frank Vallelonga Jr. played a relative of Mortensen’s character in the movie, which won the Oscar for best picture.

His unidentified body was discovered early Monday morning in the Bronx after a 911 caller reported seeing it near a factory. Police found no obvious signs of trauma, and the cause of death has not been determined.

Police identified Vallelonga on Thursday and his manager later confirmed he was the actor.

“It’s completely a tragedy and shocking,” said manager Melissa Prophet.

A 35-year-old man was charged with concealment of a human corpse a day after the body was found. The investigation was continuing.

Vallelonga has more than a half-dozen acting credits since 1994, including an appearance on “The Sopranos,” according to the IMDB web site.

“Green Book” was based on a 1962 tour of the South by Black pianist Don Shirley and the elder Vallelonga, who was Shirley’s driver and bodyguard.

The elder Vallelonga later in life became known as an actor and portrayed mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi on “The Sopranos.”

Kamala Harris, the United States’ first Black and first woman vice president, will do the honors for Karen Bass (photo), the first woman to serve as mayor in the city of angels.

Milagro Jones, a participant at the Reparation Task Force meeting in Los Angeles, holds up a 500-page interim report that was submitted to the California legislature in June 2022. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. Sept. 23, 2022)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

The

Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African

it will be the first-time task force members will collectively discuss and begin to determine what types of reparation proposals will be in the final report that will be released in June 2023.”

Maxim Elramsisy California Black Media

A poll of Black women and Latinas across California sponsored by Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) and Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE)® found that 77% are experiencing some form of discrimination due to “personal characteristics,” including race or ethnicity, assumptions about income or education, and/or physical appearance.

Homeland Security Extends REAL ID Enforcement Deadline for Two More Years

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday, Dec. 5, it would extend for two years the REAL ID full enforcement, from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025.

Officials deemed it important to allow states additional time to ensure residents have driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security standards established by the REAL ID Act.

As required by the law, following the enforcement deadline, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will be prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards that do not meet these federal standards.

“DHS continues to work closely with U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to meet REAL ID requirements,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, said in a news release.

“This extension will give states needed time to ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card,” Mayorkas, 63, continued.

“DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and accessible. We will continue to ensure that the American public can travel safely.”

According to DHS, the extension is necessary, in part, to address the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card.

REAL ID progress over the past two years has been “significantly hindered by state driver’s licensing agencies having to work through the backlogs created by the pandemic,” DHS officials wrote in the news release.

Many of these agencies took various steps in response to the pandemic including automatically extending the expiration dates of driver’s licenses and identification cards and shifting operations to appointment only.

Passed by Congress in 2005 following a 9/11 Commission recommendation, the REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.

Security standards include incorporating anticounterfeiting technology, preventing insider fraud, and using documentary evidence and record checks to ensure a person is who they claim to be.

Under the new regulations, beginning May 7, 2025, every traveler 18 years of age or older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, stateissued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport 1security checkpoints for domestic air travel.

Officials noted in the release that, since enactment of the REAL ID Act in 2005, advancements in technology have enabled TSA to make significant improvements in checkpoint screening, particularly in the areas of identity management, on-person screening, accessible property screening and alarm resolution.

Through the deployment of technologies such as Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), Advanced Technology (AT) X-ray, then Computed Tomography (CT), Bottled Liquids Scanners (BLS), and Credential Authentication Technology (CAT), as well as deployment of Passenger Screening Canines (PSC) and the rollout of TSA PreCheck, TSA has continually advanced its security capabilities, DHS officials wrote.

TSA also increased its vetting capability through Secure Flight, a risk-based passenger prescreening program that enhances security by identifying low and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport by matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watchlists.

“REAL ID requirements will strengthen these improvements further by providing an additional layer of confidence in the identity of the traveler,” DHS officials insisted.

All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four of five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act and related regulations are issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s

licenses and identification cards.

These standards have significantly improved the reliability and accuracy of state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.

For more information on REAL ID, visit www.dhs. gov/real-id.

State Task Force Identifying What Reparations Look Like

a framework for calculating how much should be paid — and for which offenses — to individuals who are Black descendants of enslaved people in the United States.

An expert panel reported to the panel in March that a “conservative estimate” of two million African Americans in California have ancestors who were enslaved in the United States. According to the US 2020 Census, there are about 2.6 million Black Californians out of a total state population of nearly 40 million residents.

The five-member expert panel, appointed by the task force, is quantifying past economic injustices African Americans faced in the state and elsewhere, and determining what or how much compensation should be for Black people living in California.

The expert panel includes Williams Spriggs (Chief Economist for the AFL-CIO and former Chair of the Department of Economics at Howard University), Thomas Craemer (Public Policy Professor at the University of Connecticut), and Dr. Kaycea Campbell (Chief Executive Officer for Ventana Capital Advisors and Associate Professor

All five experts participated on the first day of the two-

held at the

in

two months ago. Spriggs and Campbell attended the event in person, while the other three experts appeared virtually.

Campbell and her colleagues discussed with the task force the “models” to provide a “road map” that would determine how reparations would be “paid and measured.”

The experts presented “five harms or atrocities” down from 13 they originally proposed, that could be used to determine compensations.

Campbell said the five categories under review will not be “exhausted” until they have received enough data to complete the process.

“This is not to say that other harms and atrocities are not important. As soon as, or if we get better data or more recent data, then we can in fact go through the process of what these look like,” Campbell said.

The experts made “rough estimates,” of unjust property taken by eminent domain, devaluation of Black businesses, housing discrimination, the disproportion of mass incarceration and over-policing, and health inequities as the major harms.

Task Force

Bradford (D-Inglewood) released the following statement as clarification to the public that the Task Force has not proposed that the State compensate descendants of slaves with direct compensation for historical housing discrimination.

Bradford said, “Since its formation a lot of misinformation and willful misrepresentation of the work from the Task Force has been released. The fact is that the Task Force has not completed its work and has made no formal recommendations to the legislature. It’s important that we be deliberative and get this right because the nation is watching and it’s more than likely ours will be the model for all to follow.”

Members of the community and media are encouraged to visit the Reparations Task Force website and subscribe to the task force’s mailing list for updates at: https://oag. ca.gov/subscribe or call or call (213) 519-0504.

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Study Reveals Barriers to Mental Health for Black and Latina Women

negative impacts of a healthcare workforce that does not represent the communities it serves. We must take steps to close the representation gap and provide better care to all.”

Nearly half of respondents reported difficulty finding access to a mental health provider.

Fifty-seven percent of Black or African American women and 38 % of Latina women said that it was extremely important or very important to have providers of the same background, but more than half said it is difficult to find a provider who shares their values or comes from a similar background. According to the Medical Board of California, only four percent of active psychiatrists practicing in California are Latino and only two percent are Black.

The ability to find a therapist with shared values

and offering low-cost services were the most commonly reported barriers, though many also reported difficulty finding providers and services covered by their insurance. Insurance acceptance was the most documented problem across all age groups, underscoring the widespread unaffordability of mental health care.

Disparities in women’s health are well documented at almost every level of health care. Mental health is no different.

The mental health crisis is not specific to adults. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15-19, according to a 2019 study on mortality. Suicide rates among Black youth have been rising for more than a decade, most sharply among Black girls. According to a 2021 report, approximately one third of young Latinas seriously contemplate suicide.

Long-existing disparities in maternal health are also present with relation to mental health. Women of color suffer from higher rates of postpartum depression compared to White women. They also have a lower rate of screening and treatment for post-partum mood disorders. The study recommended increased funding to address the barriers to getting adequate care, development of programs, scholarships and financial aid to increase the pipeline of Black women and Latinas in mental health related fields, which, experts say, will increase the number of mental health advocates and promotors who can work to help women navigate the system, and expand awareness among communities of color about the benefits of seeking help or support when facing mental health challenges.

Congressional Black Caucus Names Nevada’s Steven Horsford as New Chair

Known for successfully working across party lines and being calm under the everyday pressures of Congress, has continued his work to ensure veterans and seniors citizens, receive needed benefits.

Horsford, who won reelection to Nevada’s fourth congressional district in November, was announced on Thursday as the CBC’s choice as its 28th chair.

“Over the last 50 years, the CBC has served as the ‘conscience of the Congress,’ helping guide the legislative priorities that have shaped our nation and helped improve the lives of African Americans and all our constituents,” Horsford, 49, said in a statement.

“As Chair, I will provide the leadership, strategic vision and execute on our plans to guide us on a path that will deliver positive socioeconomic outcomes for the communities and constituencies we serve.”

Horsford’s selection as chair comes as the Democrats fall into the minority in the House.

He authored and passed the Nevada Lands Bill to create jobs across the state and fought to protect a woman’s right to make healthcare decisions.

In addition to Horsford’s chairmanship, the CBC announced Rep. Yvette Clarke, 58, of New York as first vice chair; Rep. Troy Carter, 59, of Louisiana as second vice chair; Rep. Lucy McBath, 62, of Georgia as secretary; and Rep. Marilyn Strickland, 60, as whip.

“I am so honored to have been elected as the CBC Secretary for the 118th Congress. It is always necessary we continue to forge a path toward getting into Good Trouble and do the work to make life better for American families,”

“Together, we must build a brighter, more just future for our communities, our caucus, and our country.”

As required by the law, following the enforcement deadline, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will be prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards that do not meet these federal standards.

Horsford, who won reelection to Nevada’s fourth congressional district in November, was announced on Thursday as the CBC’s choice as its 28th chair.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, who earned the distinction of Nevada’s first African American State Senate Majority Leader, will lead the Congressional Black Caucus during the 118th Congress in January.

McBath asserted.

Economic experts for the California Reparations Task Force Dr. Kaycea Campbell, right, and Williams Spriggs, left, explain to the 9-member panel in Los Angeles that the group has “rough estimations” for five harms that could be used to determine compensation. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. Sept. 23, 2022)

of Economics, Los Angeles Pierce College),  Dr. William A. “Sandy” Darity Jr., (the director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University), and Kirsten Mullen, (a writer, and lecturer whose work focuses on race, art, history, and politics).

day meeting

California Science Center

Los Angeles

member Sen. Steven

Entertainment

New Version of ‘The Wiz’ to Tour and End Up on Broadway

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – A new production of “The Wiz” is heading out on a national tour next year before following the yellow brick road to Broadway, with its director hoping the show becomes a “touchstone for a new generation.”

Director Schele Williams tells The Associated Press that it's a very personal musical for her, creating possibilities in her mind as a girl when she saw it.

“It was the first time I was able to ever imagine myself on Broadway. It was because of `The Wiz.”' she said. “I'm really excited to awaken those dreams in other little Black girls like me.”

The tour launches in the fall in Baltimore, home of

“My goal with this show is for it to be an extraordinary celebration of Black culture, for it to be a touchstone for a new generation in the way that it was for my generation,” said Williams.

The new show will be choreographed by JaQuel Knight and music supervision, orchestrations and music arrangements are by Joseph Joubert.

The show was adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls.

“I don't want `The Wiz' to become anything that it's not. But I am excited for it to become a more timeless score. So we're going to look at how do we do that while also honoring where it came from and the sound that it originally had,” said Williams.

She will be making her Broadway directorial debut with “The Wiz.” Previously, she was the associate director of “Motown: The Musical,” and re-conceived and directed the recent national tour of the show. She is currently in London directing “Mandela,” a new musical inspired by

The original Broadway production featured Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, Dee Dee Bridgewater as good witch Glinda and Andre De Shields as the Wiz. Mills returned as Dorothy in a 1984 revival.

“I'm mostly excited more than anything that this is going to be a show that my kids are going to enjoy. My daughters are 11 and 12, and this is now going to be their show, and I'm really excited about that,” said Williams.

Amazon CEO Says Company Won’t Take Down Antisemitic Film

NEW YORK (AP) _

Jassy said Wednesday the company does not have plans to stop selling the antisemitic film that gained notoriety recently after Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving tweeted out an Amazon link to it.

Pressure has been mounting on Amazon to discontinue sale of the film, called “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” since Irving shared the link to the documentary with his millions of Twitter followers in October. The synopsis on Amazon says the film “uncovers the true identity of the Children of Israel.”

At The New York Times' DealBook Summit in New

York City, Jassy said it is difficult for the company to determine what content crosses the line to where Amazon doesn't make it available to customers.

“As a retailer of content to hundreds of millions of customers with a lot of different viewpoints, we have to allow access to those viewpoints, even if they are objectionable _ objectionable and they differ from our particular viewpoints,” the Times quoted Jassy as saying.

He said making decisions about what content to take down is “more straight forward” in some cases, such as when it “actively incites or promotes violence, or teaches people to do things like pedophilia.”

Dozens of celebrities, public figures as well as Jewish organizations and the Nets have called on the company to take down the film or add a disclaimer offering an explanation as to why the documentary and related book are problematic.

Amazon told the newspaper earlier this month that it would look into adding a disclaimer on the documentary's main page. But that hasn't happened.

The Seattle-based company did not reply to request for comment sent by The Associated Press earlier this month on whether it would add a disclaimer or not. Jassy, who is Jewish, said Wednesday that Amazon has employees

that flag content, but scaling that more broadly could be challenging.

“The reality is that we have very expansive customer reviews,” he said. “For books with a lot of attention _ especially public attention _ customers do a good job monitoring other people.”

Irving was suspended by the Nets on Nov. 3 after he refused to issue the apology that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sought for posting the link the the film. He returned after issuing an apology more than two weeks later. He missed eight games.

Racism Backlash Erupts as William and Kate Visit Boston

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON (AP) – Prince William’s office said “racism has no place in our society” as he sought to prevent the backlash over his godmother’s treatment of a Black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse from overshadowing his trip to the United States.

Lady Susan Hussey, 83, resigned Wednesday as an honorary member of the royal household after the chief executive of an east London women’s refuge said Hussey repeatedly asked her where she “really came from” after she told the older woman that she was British. The exchange took place at a Buckingham Palace reception for those working to end domestic violence.

“Racism has no place in our society,” his Kensington Palace office said. “These comments were unacceptable, and it’s right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”

The incident reignited allegations of “institutional

racism” at the palace on the first day of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ visit to Boston. While the trip is focused on the Earthshot Prize, William’s initiative to support entrepreneurs working on solutions to climate change and other environmental problems, the royal couple are also trying to show that the monarchy remains relevant in a multicultural world.

The episode is a reminder of last year’s comments by Meghan, the duchess of Sussex, in an interview with American TV host Oprah Winfrey. Meghan, a biracial American married to William’s brother, alleged that a member of the royal family inquired about the color of her baby’s skin when she was pregnant with her first child.

The latest incident took place at a reception on Tuesday hosted by Camilla, the queen consort, for women working to fight domestic violence.

Ngozi Fulani, chief executive of Sistah Space, an east London refuge that provides specialist support for women of African and Caribbean heritage, detailed her exchange

with a member of the royal household in lengthy Twitter post.

Fulani said that when she told the woman she was from east London, she responded, “No, what part of Africa are YOU from?”

The questioner has since been identified as Hussey, who served as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s lady in waiting for more than 60 years and is one of William’s godmothers. She has apologized for “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

But the incident comes at a big moment for the royal couple – their first overseas trip in eight years and their first since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of the queen.

The highlight of the three-day visit to Boston will come on Friday, when William hosts the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony headlined by entertainers including Billie Eilish.

But the trip will also include visits to an anti-poverty

program, child development researchers and local flood defenses, demonstrating the couple’s commitment to important issues facing the modern world.

The visit comes less than three months after the death of Elizabeth, whose personal popularity dampened criticism of the crown during her 70-year reign. King Charles III, William’s father, has made clear that his will be a slimmed-down monarchy, with less pomp and ceremony than its predecessors.

William and Kate arrived Wednesday at Boston Logan International Airport, where they were greeted by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. The couple later attend a Boston Celtics basketball game.

Upon landing, William thanked local residents “for their many tributes paid to the late queen,” noting that his grandmother recalled her 1976 bicentennial visit to Boston “with great fondness.”

Amazon CEO Andy

the 1974 world premiere of the musical. Following its run at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, the tour will cross the country before it starts its limited engagement on Broadway in spring 2024.

“The Wiz” opened on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tonys, including best musical. It has such classic songs as “What Would I Do If I Could Feel” and “Ease On Down the Road.”

the life of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. A 1978 movie version of “The Wiz” starred Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. Michael Jackson costarred as the Scarecrow, with Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man and Ted Ross as the Lion. NBC televised a live version in 2015 with Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo and David Alan Grier.

Following its sold-out, critically acclaimed production of Rent, Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre in association with Ameena Hamid Productions share images and a video for a radical new version of the 70s musical The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz”.

NOTICE

you may want to call an attor ney referral service. If you cannot af ford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprof it legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the Cal ifornia Courts Online Self-Help Cen ter (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin es cuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para pre sentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo prote gen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un for mulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más infor mación en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pa gar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá

quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abo gado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requi sitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servi cios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, www.lawhelpcalifor nia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte. ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de aboga dos locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recu peración de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, California 90012 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandan te, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Law Offices of Jay W. Smith: Jay W. Smith, Esq. Sbn: 150113 and Nancy A. Young, Esq. Sbn: 183328 6644 Valjean Avenue #200 Van Nuys, CA 91406 Telephone: (818) 709-2556

(818) 709-2513

Legal Notices

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF STANISLAUS CASE NUMBER: FL-22-001877 CITATION TO PARENT(S) IN RE THE MATTER OF THE PETI TIONER OF PAUL AND AUTUMN GOSE TO DECLARE BENJAMIN ELIJAH ERWIN, A MINOR TO BE FREE FROM THE CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF ABIGAIL ERWIN AND CARLISLE HAMMOND THE PEO PLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFOR NIA TO: Abigail Erwin (biological moth er) and Carlisle Hammond Jr. (al leged father)

By order of this court, you are hereby advised that you may appear before the Judge presiding in Department 14 of this court on Janu ary 3, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. and January 17, 2023 at 8:31 a.m. then and there to show cause, if any you have, why BENJAMIN ELIJAH ERWIN should not be declared free from your cus tody and control for the purpose of freeing BENJAMIN ELIJAH ERWIN for placement for adoption. The fol lowing information concerns rights and procedures that relate to this proceeding for the termination of custody and control of said minor as set forth in Family Code Section 7860 et seq.:

1.

At the beginning of the proceeding the court will consider whether of not the interests of the minor child require the appointment of counsel. If the court finds that the interests of the minor do require such protection, the court will ap pointment counsel to represent him, whether or not he is able to afford counsel. The minor will not be pres ent in the court unless he requests or the court so orders.

2. If a parent of the mi nor appears without counsel and is unable to afford counsel, the court must appoint counsel for the parent, unless the parent knowingly and in telligently waives the right to be rep resented by counsel. The court will not appoint the same counsel to rep resent both the minor and his parent.

3. The court may appoint either the public defender or private counsel. If private counsel is ap pointed, he will receive a reasonable sum for compensation and expens es, the amount of which will be de termined by the court. That amount must be paid by the real parties in interest, but not by the minor, in such proportions as the court believes to be just. If, however, the court finds that any of the real parties’ interest cannot afford counsel, the amount will be paid by the county.

4. The court may continue the proceeding for not more than thirty (30) days as necessary to ap point counsel to become acquainted with the case.

County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: Nov 14, 2022 DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: C. MAFFITT Deputy NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATE MENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATE MENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BE FORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Nov 14, 2027 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Nov 24, Dec 1, 8, 15, 2022

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL)

NUMBER (Número del Caso):

(AVISO

JORGE BRYAN MO

GARCIA AKA JORGE BRY

MORALES; JUAN CHAIDEZ AKA JUAN F. CHAIDEZ; DOES 1 through 10, inclusive

ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO

DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, an Ohio corporation dba SCOTTSDALE INSURANCE COM PANY NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you with out your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written re sponse at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in prop er legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/self help), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you can not pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an at torney, you may want to call an attor ney referral service. If you cannot af ford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprof it legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the Cal ifornia Courts Online Self-Help Cen ter (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin es cuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para pre sentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo prote gen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un for

mulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más infor mación en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pa gar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abo gado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requi sitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servi cios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifor nia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte. ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de aboga dos locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recu peración de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, California 90012

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandan te, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Law Offices of Jay W. Smith: Jay W. Smith, Esq. Sbn: 150113 and Nancy A. Young, Esq. Sbn: 183328 6644 Valjean Avenue #200 Van Nuys, CA 91406 Telephone: (818) 709-2556 Fax: (818) 709-2513

DATE (Fecha): March 28, 2022 Clerk (Secretario), by R. Perez, Deputy (Adjunto) Sherri R. Carter, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court (SEAL)

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (LOJS) PUB: Dec 8, 15, 22, 29, 2022 STATEMENT OF DAMAGES

8, 15, 22, 29, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2022 249766 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: TATUM AND CHARLIE at 27046 Evening Sky Pl, Valencia, Ca. 91381 County: Los Angeles Mailing Same REGISTERED OWNERS(S): JOYCE ILAR-GAMBOA, 27046 Evening Sky Pl, Valencia, Ca. 91381 The business is conducted by: an Individual SIGNED: JOYCE ILAR-GAMBOA, Owner The date registrant started to trans act business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 9/2019 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: Nov 16, 2022 DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: T. QUEVEDO Deputy NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATE MENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATE MENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BE FORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Nov 16, 2027 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Dec 8, 15, 22, 29, 2022

Features

IN MEMORIAM: Virginia Congressman

Donald McEachin Dies at 61

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Just weeks after winning re-election to Congress, Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) died Monday, Nov. 28.

The 61-year-old, who represented Virginia’s 4th District, reportedly battled colorectal cancer.

Prior to the U.S. Congress, McEachin had served nine years as a state senator and eight as a Virginia delegate.

“We are all devastated at the passing of our boss and friend, Congressman Donald McEachin,” McEachin’s chief of staff, Tara Rountree, said in a statement late Monday night.

“Valiantly, for years now, we have watched him fight and triumph over the secondary effects of his colorectal cancer from 2013. Tonight, he lost that battle, and the people of Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District lost a hero who always, always fought for them and put them first.”

The son of a public-school teacher and military veteran, McEachin graduated from American University with a political science degree.

He also matriculated from the University of Virginia Law School and received a Master of Divinity from The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.

The Virginia native dedicated most of his adult life fighting to protect the environment. He also championed affordable health care.

“Hearing the news of his death sent a shock of pain through me tonight,” Virginia Democratic State Sen. L. Louise Lucas stated.

“I remember watching him make history as the first ever African American nominee for state attorney general in 2001,” Lucas stated.

During a recent screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda

Forever,” McEachin spoke openly about colorectal cancer, urging people to get checked.

“Don’t fool around. Don’t go through my journey. Go to the doctor,” McEachin urged the crowd.

McEachin was “a gentle giant,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) wrote in a statement.

“He was a compassionate champion for underdogs, a climate warrior, a Christian example, an understanding dad, a proud husband, a loyal brother,” Kaine asserted.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called McEachin “a tireless champion for Virginia families and a force for economic opportunity and environmental justice.”

“[He was] a respected voice on the Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources Committees, he advocated to lower costs, expand broadband access and protect families from gun violence,” Pelosi insisted.

“His many contributions to our Select Committee on the Climate Crisis helped lay the essential groundwork for our climate action over the last two years, especially the important progress toward environmental justice.”

President Joe Biden issued the following statement on the passing of the congressman: “Jill and I are saddened by the death of Congressman Don McEachin of Virginia, following a battle with cancer. We send our deepest condolences to Don’s wife, Colette, and their three children.

“I got to know Don after he was elected to Congress in 2016. I will always be grateful for his friendship, and his early and fierce support when I ran for President. Don was a fighter. He fought for justice, for civil rights, and for communities that are often left behind. Thanks to Don’s leadership and tireless advocacy, we passed historic legislation to combat the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.”

PGA of America Offers Short-Term Employment Opportunities in Support of 2023 Major Championships through PGA JobMatch

Special to NNPA Newswire

FRISCO, Texas – The PGA of America is inviting talent from diverse backgrounds who are interested in careers in golf and sports to apply for short-term employment as operations assistants in support of the PGA’s high-profile 2023 major spectator championships. • Individuals can register at PGAImpact.org through Dec.16 to potentially interview with the PGA’s operations teams, for short-term employment opportunities at the following events: 2023 PGA Championship – Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y. (May 15–21, 2023) • 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas (May 24–28, 2023) • 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J. (June 21–25, 2023) Positions in New York, Texas and New Jersey include pre-, during and post-Championship opportunities from April to July 2023. “We are committed to creating a golf industry workforce that reflects the

demographics of America,” said PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross. “PGA JobMatch provides unique and valuable experiences working at some of golf’s most high-profile championships for individuals who are interested in exploring a career in golf. “These high-energy team environments provide hands-on learning experiences and networking opportunities, which can be the launch point to a career in golf.” The PGA is primarily conducting recruitment through colleges and universities, including minority-serving institutions, which offer sports and golf management programs. Introductions will be made between qualified candidates and the respective PGA of America departments’ hiring leaders. Qualified candidates will be invited to participate in the next phase of the hiring process. A list of opportunities is featured on the PGA JobMatch website. All applicants’ registrations must be received by Dec.16, 2022 to be considered.

Inspired by Dick Gregory, This D.C.

Vegan is Still Teaching a Healthy Diet by Any Greens Necessary

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

When Dick Gregory died in 2017 at the age of 84, many chose to remember his comedic genius. Most properly credited him with inspiring greats like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock. Others recalled how the multi-talented entertainer became a prolific freedom fighter in the civil rights movement. But Washington, D.C., resident Tracye McQuirter will never forget how Gregory inspired her to change her eating habits and, ultimately, her life. “When I was a sophomore at Amherst College in the 1980s, our Black Student Union brought Dick Gregory to campus to talk about the political, economic, and social state of Black America,” McQuirter reflected on the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s live daily morning program, Let It Be Known. “Instead, he decided to talk about the plate of Black America and how unhealthfully most folks eat. This was in 1986, and we didn’t know that Dick Gregory had become a nutrition guru.” McQuirter said she only knew Gregory as a comedic legend and civil rights icon. She also recalled that at the time of Gregory’s visit, she “was completely uninterested in healthy food.” “But what grabbed me was when he started to trace – graphically – the path of a hamburger from a cow on a factory farm, through the slaughterhouse process, to a fast-food restaurant, to a clogged artery, to a heart attack. I had never heard anything like that before,” McQuirter stated. While she and her two siblings grew

But Washington, D.C., resident

McQuirter will never forget how Gregory inspired her to change her eating habits and, ultimately, her life.

candy-eating cousins only heightened her interest in sugary products. “At that time, I was going through a paradigm shift. I was taking a lot of political science and African American studies classes and learning about imperialism, racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism for the first time or in new ways. It was changing my awareness and sense of self,” McQuirter remarked. “I had also decided to stop relaxing my hair and wear it naturally. And it was with this new consciousness that I listened to Dick Gregory’s lecture.” The lecture opened McQuirter’s eyes, and she could quickly survey the landscape, where the District of Columbia proved a bastion of Black vegetarians and vegans long before today’s popularity. “I immersed myself in this community taking cooking classes, attending lectures, going grocery shopping, asking hundreds of questions, and getting mentored,” McQuirter noted. “So, I learned how to be vegan from this community after I learned why to be vegan from Dick Gregory.” Since then, McQuirter has earned her stripes as a transformative leader in plant-based nutrition and Black women’s health. Dubbed a “Food Hero” by Vegetarian Times magazine, McQuirter has helped thousands of people turn to veganism. In addition, she created the 10 Million Black Vegan Women Movement to change the paradigm of Black women’s health. She also authored “Ageless Vegan” and “By Any Greens Necessary.” McQuirter also created the first free African American Vegan Starter Guide. The New York Times cited

her work as a critical factor driving the rise in veganism

all

years,”

“Dick

my world

now it’s been

McQuirter,

Columbia Center for Nutrition, Diet, and Health. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Black Studies from Amherst College. “Animals get their proteins from plants,” McQuirter explained. “You get your proteins second-hand – from muscle tissues built from plants feeding animals. It’s normal and natural to get protein from plants, and to eat plants directly instead of going through the slaughterhouse process is best.” She concluded: “You get the bad with animals – the saturated fat and cholesterol that leads to diabetes, cancers, stroke, and hypertension. All of these we know affect African Americans the most.” McQuirter said she understands there are too many food deserts and food insecurity in communities of color. However, she believes the resources are there to overcome those challenges. “If you’re able to grow your food, that’s the best,” she said. “If you go to a Farmer’s market, they will have organic fruits and vegetables, and that’s great; if organic foods aren’t available, then get non-organic and wash the food well. So, it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition.”

up in a home where her mother made food from scratch each day, and vegetables were aplenty, her sugar-drinking,

among African Americans.

Gregory rocked

when he made

these connections, and

35

said McQuirter, an advisor for the Black Women’s Health Imperative and Spelman College.

who also studied at Howard University, works as an adjunct professor at the University of the District of

Congressman Donald McEachin joins the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, along with local stakeholders, environmental activists, climate leaders, Councilor Katherine Jordan, and Senator Ghazala Hashmi to discuss environmental provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, August 2022. (Photo: Facebook).

Tracye

Features

50 Years Ago, Patsy Mink, a Congresswoman Who Experienced Discrimination, Spearheaded Title IX

McKenzie Jackson California Black Media

Steve

The younger Prudholme’s squad won three matches before being defeated, but her dad returned to the Golden State a happy father because his 19-year-old daughter is playing the sport she loves and getting a great college education.

“It makes me feel good to see her in that environment

Hawaii.

Mink co-authored and spearheaded the Education Amendments of 1972, more commonly known as Title IX. The law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives monies from the federal government.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972, and renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in 2002, after Mink’s death on Sept. 28, that year.

This week Mink would have turned 95. The tireless fighter for women’s rights and equity for everyone was born Patsy Matsu Takemoto in Paia, Hawaii Territory, on December 6, 1927.

Title IX ensures that young women are entitled to the same athletic chances as young men. It has been responsible for increasing the number of girls and women playing organized sports nationally.

Girl high school sports participation increased from 294,015 in the 1971-72 school year to 3.4 million in 2018-19 according to a study by the Women’s Sports Federation. Participation has risen at the collegiate level — from 29,977 athletes at NCAA schools 50 years ago to 215,486 a in 2020-21.

The educational law has helped increase female enrollment in college. Women accounted for nearly 60% of all college students by the end of the 2020-21 academic year, and women were awarded 57% of the bachelor’s degrees conferred. Additionally, women earn nearly half of all law and medical degrees. Title IX is also a framework for handling sexual misconduct complaints on campuses.

Mink, known as an educational trailblazer, who changed the politics of gender, called Title IX her one of her most significant accomplishments as a member of Congress.

“I take special pride in honoring its contributions to changing our view about women’s role in America,” she said.

Mink served in Congress in two stints beginning in 1965. A Japanese American, Mink was the first woman of color to be elected to Congress, four years ahead of Shirley Chisholm, the first African American women elected to Congress.

unveiled at the U.S. Capitol on the anniversary of Title IX’s signing by Nixon.

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi called Mink an American hero during the spectacle.

“With this portrait, the extraordinary courage of Patsy Mink will be known to all who come to the Capitol,” Pelosi said. “Women and girls — and that’s what I love about it — will know about her and that — her relentless fighting spirit. Patsy Mink made an enormous difference for women and girls in our nation.”

Many Americans don’t know about Mink’s championing of Title IX. “Women’s history is now more inclusive but there is still a tendency to celebrate the great white foremothers,” Wu said. “Sometimes Asian Americans are left out.”

Mink attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln before graduating with a BA in zoology and chemistry from the University of Hawai’i in 1948.

While attending Nebraska, she was forced to live in a segregated dorm. She formed the Unaffiliated Students of the University of Nebraska for students of color who were prohibited from joining fraternities and sororities and the group succeeded in changing the university’s housing policies.

Mink’s ambition was to become a doctor, but being a woman of color, she was denied entry to 20 medical schools. She turned her focus onto earning a law degree and graduated from the University of Chicago Law School. In 1951 she married John Francis Mink, a graduate student in geology at the university.

She started her own law practice and became a lecturer at the University of Hawai’i after facing discrimination in her attempts to join a law firm.

Mink won seats in the territorial senate before Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959. In 1964, she became the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress. She won reelection five consecutive times.

Mink fought for equal rights and was against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. Her political leanings were steered by her background, Wu said.

would be drastically different. But again, it’s not complete.”

Shortly after Mink’s death, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), paying tribute to her friend at a Congressional memorial,

and also learning the trials and tribulations that sports teach you — especially from a female’s perspective,” Steve said.

The elder Prudholme said participating in sports allows Sophia to showcase her independence and strength of personality.

All of that is possible because of legislation championed by Democratic Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink of

University of California-Irvine professor of Asian American Studies Judy Tzu-Chun Wu said Mink’s bouts with discrimination fueled her advocacy for Title IX against educational bodies that tried to exempt themselves from the civil rights law.

“A lot of people associate Title IX with sports, but it’s really about all aspects of education,” Wu said. “It’s about admissions; It’s about scholarships; It’s about having a positive environment for women to be in school.”

Title IX turned 50 this year, so it and Mink have been the focus of celebrations nationally. A portrait of Mink was

“The society Mink grew up in was hierarchical in terms of class and race,” Wu said. “She experienced it in terms of gender. Those marginalizations shaped her desire to achieve equality.”

In 1976 Mink lost a bid for U.S. Senate. After serving as a member of the Honolulu City Council, she was reelected to Congress in 1990 and served until her passing. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2014 by President Barack Obama. Wu said Title IX increased gender equality, but it is not completely implemented the way Mink envisioned.

“There are still ongoing battles,” Mink said. “There has been gender revolution, but it’s not complete. If we compared women’s lives from the 60s and 70s to now it

two women had attended.

“It was just a few months ago that I sat at the WNBA All Star Game where Patsy was honored for her 30 years of work,” Waters said. “As I looked at all of those strong, tall women out there playing and my dear child, Lisa Leslie, who won the All-Star honor that evening, I thought it was a short, little woman that caused this tall, big woman to be able to realize her dreams, to be able to hone her talents. What a wonderful moment that was.”

This Article was supported by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

Diversity in

By

Several months ago, I co-wrote an op-ed with my longterm friend and national media colleague, Jim Winston. Our commentary emphasized why “Diversifying American Media Ownership Must Become a National Priority.”

Now after the results of the high turnout of communities of color and young voters in the recent MidTerm Elections across the United States, it is time once again to reiterate the relevance and importance of ensuring an increase in the multiracial diversification of ownership of radio and TV broadcast stations as well as all other media platforms including print and social media.

The multimedia publishing and communications industry is a trillion-dollar business sector in America.  Yet the disparities and inequities of ownership of media industry businesses by persons of color remain glaring.

I know some of you would ask me why I am speaking up and out about other persons of color to own media businesses in America in addition to African American ownership of media businesses. There is, I assert, only one clear answer.  If you are, as I am, for equality, equity, and believe in the oneness of all humanity, then we must practice what we preach.

This is why I am publicly and forthrightly supporting the efforts and leadership of Soo Kim, founder and managing partner of Standard General.  Kim is an effective and outstanding Korean American business leader, and he is on record supporting greater Diversity, Equity and

Inclusion (DEI) in our nation’s media ownership landscape.

As the racial demographics of our nation continue to diversity, American media must intentionally become more representative of that growth. One reason is because diversity is simply good for business. Another reason is because it is right, and it is just to include the very people on which one’s business success depends.

But perhaps the ultimate reason is because the greatest issues of our day - economic inequity, health disparities and systemic racism - pure and simple - will be best impacted when addressed by a multiplicity of people of all races.

Kim has announced an application for a $8.6 billion major media merger by acquiring TEGNA, a company owning 64 television stations coast to coast.  Kim turned many heads with his description of a vision of “new partnership models to get diverse viewpoints and perspectives on the air and to make sure people have the resources to do it.”

One need only to review the leadership of major media networks in America to see that there are far too few that are owned or led by people of color. This makes Soo Kim’s vision and leadership timely, inclusive, and progressive.  This is the kind of media ownership that is exactly what our nation needs at this “transformational” moment.

Current TV broadcast industry ownership stats reveal a pattern that favors incumbent owners who are primarily White males –less than 2% of U.S. TV stations are owned by minorities – if the FCC and the DOJ block this deal,

it would signal that the broadcast industry continues to be exclusively reserved for White male incumbent players.

I support and join with Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) in her letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that commends and endorses the proposed merger between Standard General and TEGNA.  Strickland stated to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, “I share your longstanding goal of expanding voices and minority ownership in this sector, and the merger would be a critical step in that direction.”

We also note with appreciation that FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, a strong advocate for equity in the communications industry, observed last year, “Majority ownership of full power TV stations significantly worsened for Asian American owners (from 9 full power TV stations in 2017 to four stations in 2019). The numbers don’t lie – we must ensure that ownership at broadcast stations better reflects the rich diversity of the communities that they serve. We still have work to do, and we have to do better.”

Congresswoman Strickland concluded, “This is why the Standard General-TEGNA acquisition is especially important. If the transaction goes through, Soo Kim, a Korean American naturalized citizen, would be the first Asian American to own and operate a major broadcast station group. Additionally, it is my understanding that if this deal is approved, the new entity would be the largest minority-owned broadcast station group in America today.

It would also be managed by a leading female broadcast executive with a history of investing in local news and in her employee base. I understand further that…at least half of the proposed board of directors will be of minority composition and a majority will be women.”

Lastly, as has been widely publicized, access to capital also continues to be a big barrier for minority broadcast owners – from getting a mortgage to being able to obtain financing to conduct business deals, like the one with TEGNA.  Again, that is why the proposed Soo Kim deal will be a real game-changing move, if approved, that will overcome some of the past significant barriers that minorities have faced to get access to financing in general, but especially for the FCC-regulated broadcast and media space.The U.S. Justice Department and the FCC should therefore move forward expeditiously to approve the merger, and to reaffirm the importance of serving the greater public good and the issue of equity for all minority- owned media businesses in America. Now is the time.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America, and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles (TCC) weekly on PBS TV Stations across the nation. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

Patsy Mink, U.S. House of Representatives (Public Domain photo)

Steve Prudholme of Malibu, visits daughter Sophia who is a soccer player Notre Dame (Courtesy Photo)

Prudholme traveled from Malibu to South Bend, Ind. for ten days last month to cheer on his daughter, Sophia, and her Notre Dame Fighting Irish women’s soccer teammates in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.

reflected on a WNBA game the

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

Features

Truth Is: No Rodeo Animals are Being Tortured in Los Angeles

Valeria Howard-Cunningham Special to California Black Media Partners

Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield claims that I torture animals.

Blumenfield, the author of a motion that will ban rodeo and equestrian events in Los Angeles, says in plain English in a new ordinance in front of the City Council that I and people like me who participate in rodeo events practice “inhumane” treatment of animals.

He says in plain English that I and people like me “encourage aggressive behavior in animals and inflict injury, pain and suffering on animals.”

As a rodeo lover, I take these false allegations personally.

I do not participate in any of the activities harming animals that Blumenfield alleges.

Neither does Kanesha Jackson, a proud Black young woman who is a 5-time Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) All Around Cowgirl Champion, an 8-time BPIR Event Champion, and mother of an upcoming rodeo champion named Kortney Solomon. She is also a farm owner who breeds championship horses.

Neither does Tory Johnson, a proud Black man, ranch owner, and one of our champion winners for many years. Or Krishan Adair, another proud Black woman and rodeo champion.

And neither did the cowhands in the Old West, where one in four were Black men. Nor Bill Pickett, the legendary Black cowboy, and namesake of my organization.

They, along with four generations of Black cowboys and cowgirls, inspire me and our audience to be part of the rodeo world. We have created a Black rodeo culture contributing to the history of the American West by practicing the sport of rodeo with affection towards the animals. For the cowboy and cowgirl, the animals are their best friends.

The BPIR has created a culture our community is proud of, one which keeps kids off the street, inspires hard work and goal setting, and helps people to connect with themselves and their emotions through animals.

Blumenfield’s proposed ordinance, rooted in lies and misinformation about rodeo, threatens to take all these positive activities away from the community in Los Angeles.

Excuse my directness, but I would ask: Is this what the Los Angeles City Council wants to do or intend to do, especially in the world we live in today?

The proposed ordinance is written so poorly that it would only allow some equipment to be used where the State of California specifically bans it to ensure animal safety. Although the confusion caused by this may help high-priced lawyers, it doesn’t help animals one bit.

In addition, the ordinance would ban the very equipment we use to train and assist our animals in the safest way possible, including lassos and flank straps –neither of which hurt animals in any way.

When you understand what the ordinance really does, you must ask why Blumenfield is pursuing it, after not bothering to obtain the facts and truth -- or to understand how we care for our animals or how our equipment is used.

He did not ask the most diverse coalition ever created in Western Sports, formed to help educate lawmakers on a sport they’re not familiar with, about how we care for our animals daily. He didn’t ask our veterinarians, who are professionally dedicated to animal health and safety, about how all our rodeo equipment is used humanely all the time.

Blumenfeld’s actions of not educating himself to know the difference between truth and fiction lead me to ask, what the purpose of his agenda is, which is not the agenda of the majority.

The truth is often hard to find these days, and very few have regard for it. We implore the LA City Council to stand up for the truth and do what is right in recognizing they’re processing a harmful and unnecessary ordinance.

It is imperative that the City Council vote this ordinance down, or to make the changes outlined by the coalition for our elected officials, so that our community may continue to enjoy the culture and unifying sport of rodeo practiced humanely and aligned with California State law already on the books.

The City Council cannot ignore the will of the voters. Or the truth. Thank you for letting me speak it.

About the Author

Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Start With Research

make recommendations about services such as screenings, behavioral counseling, and preventive medications. Its recommendations play a major role in determining which tests and procedures health insurance companies will agree to pay for.

“We know that Black people get diagnosed with and tend to die more from colon cancer, for example,” Mangione said. “But we don’t have sufficient evidence to say that there should be a different recommendation for Black people, because Black people have not historically been well represented in the clinical trials.”

When Buff was diagnosed with lung cancer, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening for people who were 55 and older and had a smoking history of 30 “pack years,” which means the person smoked an average of one pack of cigarettes a day for three decades. Buff made the cut.

But a 2019 study published in JAMA Oncology found that under those parameters, 68% of Black smokers would have been ineligible for screening at the time of their lung cancer diagnosis, compared with 44 percent of white smokers. In 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended screening age for lung cancer to 50 and reduced the number of pack years to 20.

By Melba Newsome Kaiser Health News

During a routine visit to the Good Samaritan Clinic in Morganton, North Carolina, in 2018, Herbert Buff casually mentioned that he sometimes had trouble breathing.

He was 55 years old and a decades-long smoker. So the doctor recommended that Buff schedule time on a 35-foot-long bus operated by the Levine Cancer Institute that would roll through town later that week offering free lung-cancer screenings.

Buff found the “lung bus” concept odd, but he’s glad he hopped on.

“I learned that you can have lung cancer and not even know it,” said Buff, who was diagnosed at stage 1 by doctors in the rolling clinic. “The early screening might have saved my life. It might’ve given me quite a few more years.”

The lung bus is a big draw in this rural area of western North Carolina because some people aren’t comfortable going — and in many cases have no access — to a hospital or doctor’s office, said Darcy Doege, coordinator for the screening program.

“Our team makes people feel welcome,” she said. “We can see up to 30 patients a day who get referred by their primary care doctor or their pulmonologist, but we also accommodate walk-ups.”

Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers. It grows quietly and is usually not detected until it has spread to other parts of the body. Early detection is key to survival, especially for someone at high risk like Buff, who is African American and has a history of smoking.

Although it is well documented that Black smokers develop lung cancer at younger ages than white smokers even when they smoke fewer cigarettes, the guidelines that doctors use to recommend patients for screening have been slow to reflect the disparity. If Buff had the same conversation with his doctor one year earlier, he would not have qualified for the CT scan that detected a nickel-sized growth on his left lung.

But screening is only part of the issue, said experts who evaluate what happens both before and after a person is checked for signs of cancer.

Researchers are concerned about the lack of diverse representation in the clinical studies on which the screening recommendations are based. For example, about 13% of the U.S population is Black, but Black people made up just 4.4% of participants in the National Lung Screening Trial, a large, multiyear study in the early 2000s that looked at whether screening with low-dose CT scans could reduce mortality from lung cancer.

Basing guidelines on trials with so little diversity can lead to delayed disease detection and higher mortality rates, said Dr. Carol Mangione, chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of national experts who

The new guidelines make 8 million more Americans eligible to be screened. But that’s not the only problem that needs to be addressed, said Dr. Gerard Silvestri, a lung cancer pulmonologist at the Medical University of South Carolina.

“It doesn’t matter if a bunch more African Americans are eligible if they have no coverage, distrust the medical system, and have no access,” Silvestri said.

“You might exacerbate this disparity,” he said, “because more whites will also become eligible and are likely to have more access.”

Silvestri co-leads the Medical University of South Carolina’s portion of a $3 million, four-year Stand Up to Cancer grant-funded project focused on addressing lung cancer disparities. Researchers in the multicenter collaboration — which also includes the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University — said better screening rates will improve outcomes in underserved communities.

“Patients of color, particularly Black patients, tend to have less access to care, less timely follow-up when there’s an abnormal finding, and later stages of diagnosis,” said epidemiologist Louise Henderson, principal investigator for the study at the Lineberger center.

It takes concerted community efforts to contend with the suite of health disparities that result in poor outcomes for communities of color, experts said. The lung bus that Buff visited is just one example of how cancer researchers are rolling out programs in rural communities.

The Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, launched the effort in March 2017 to make screening more accessible to underserved people in vulnerable communities who are either uninsured or underinsured.

The bus operates in 19 counties in North and South Carolina. In an analysis published in the journal The Oncologist in 2020, the Levine Cancer Institute said the project had identified 12 cancers in 550 patients and called the results “policy changing.”

By September 2021, the researchers said, the bus had identified 30 cancers in 1,200 screened patients. “Of which 21 were at the potentially curable stage,” said Dr. Derek Raghavan, president of the Levine Cancer Institute and lead author of the analysis. About 78% of the people screened were poor and from rural areas, he said, and 20% were Black Americans.

“You can overcome disparities of care if you really want to,” Raghavan said.

The Lineberger center also partnered with federally qualified health centers in the Raleigh-Durham area and recruited community health advisers to educate patients about the risks of lung cancer and the ease of being screened. It also trained patient and financial navigators to assist with

the often-overwhelming aftermath of a diagnosis.

Recent studies in JAMA Oncology and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute have found that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act improves overall cancer survival among all racial and ethnic groups and reduces racial disparities in cancer survival. Among the three research sites participating in the lung cancer disparities project, the Massey Cancer Center in Virginia is the only one in a state that expanded Medicaid.

Vanessa Sheppard, associate director of community outreach engagement and health disparities at the center, said she has seen anecdotal evidence that expanding health care coverage improves cancer screening rates.

Nonetheless, awareness about screening remains low in the Black community. Sheppard believes that may be because general health care providers are not educating patients on the available screening tools.

A low-dose CT scan, for example, is one of the most powerful tools available for detecting lung cancer early and reducing deaths. But according to the 2022 Lung Health Barometer from the American Lung Association, nearly 70% of people don’t even know that type of screening is available. And according to Silvestri, only a small

percentage of those who are eligible actually get screened.

Perhaps the final hurdle is erasing disparities in who gets follow-up care after screening. A study published in 2020 in the journal BMC Cancer found that Black patients who had been referred to a lung cancer screening program were still less likely than white patients to get screened and that they had longer delays in seeking follow-up care when they did get screened.

Henderson said some patients may mistakenly believe lung cancer is untreatable and simply don’t want to hear bad news.

Sheppard said screening can be used to educate and build trust with patients.

“Once we get people in the system, it’s up to us to make sure they know what’s expected, that it’s not a onetime thing, and that we are embedding them within the system of care,” she said. “I think that’s going to help a lot.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

A bus operated by Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute offers free lung-cancer screenings to people in 19 counties in North and South Carolina. The effort launched in 2017 to make screening more accessible to underserved communities and vulnerable populations.(MELBA NEWSOME FOR KHN)

Stephanie Deputy (left) and Holly Croom sit in the “lung bus,” a mobile clinic operated by Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute that offers free lung-cancer screenings in 19 rural counties in the Carolinas. On Aug. 10, the bus screened patients at the Gaston County Health Department in North Carolina.(MELBA NEWSOME FOR KHN)

Valeria Howard-Cunningham (Facebook Photo)

Valeria Howard-Cunningham is President of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.

Rams Anchbrum Nominated for Payton Award

By Earl Heath  Contributing Sports Writer

The Los Angeles Rams announced this week Tremayne Anchrum Jr. as their nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. Consid ered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nation wide recognizes an NFL player for outstanding commu nity service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Each of the league’s 32 nominees were was an nounced this week.

The Rams and the NFL’s 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Andrew Whitworth, surprised Anchrum Jr. with the news earlier this week while he was volunteering at the Hollywood Food Coalition, a local non-profit whose mis sion is to feed and serve the immediate needs of the hungry every day of the year so they can build better lives. An chrum Jr. began volunteering with Hollywood Food Coa lition regularly during the pandemic several times a week and has continued as a weekly volunteer.

In December of 2020, Anchrum also began volunteer ing at the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club in East Los Angeles. During the offseason, Anchrum Jr. was driving nearly 50 miles (4-5 days a week) to the Boys and Girls Club and spending 4-5 hours per day volunteering and working with youth. Tremayne continues to volunteer with them and recently took a group of 15 youth from Boys and

Girls Club Los Angeles to the LA Holocaust Museum after demonstrators on a major highway in Los Angeles exer cised antisemitic messages.

“There are so many different ways that you can affect your community. You can do it through donating your money, your time, your service, your advocacy and your voice, but when you think about Tremayne, it’s all the above,” said 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Andrew Whitworth. “He doesn’t care who knows that he’s doing it. Most of the time no one know he’s doing it, and that’s the most impressive part. It’s just who he is on a daily basis and wanting to make his community better, wanting people to know that they aren’t living life without him and that he thinks about them each and every day. He shows up and I think sometimes in life that’s the best thing we can do, just show up. Tremayne Anchrum Jr. does that.”

All 32 nominees will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Na tionwide.  The player whose unique mention is used the most between Dec. 6 and Jan. 8 will receive a $25,000 contribution to his charity of choice, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 dona tions, all courtesy of Nationwide.

Williams Finalist for Walter Camp POY Award

By Earl Heath  Contributing Sports Writer

USC’s Caleb Williams in a finalist for another post season award. He’s one of five- finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year. has passed for 3,712 yards and 34 touch downs for the fourth-ranked Trojans (11-1), who earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane. The Junior from Washington D.C. has also scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

He’s joined by Max Duggan (TCU), Hendon Hooker (senior, Tennessee), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State. Also running back Blake Corum (Michigan)is a finalists. The junior, has rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns for the sec ond-ranked Wolverines (12-0), who will play in the Col lege Football play-off  Game He has eight 100-yard rush ing games this season.

He and the Wolverines will square off against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl Dec-31.

Duggan has led the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record

and berth in the Big 12 championship game where they came up short. The junior has thrown for 3,070 yards and 29 touchdowns, while adding 294 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Hooker had a hellacious is year before an inju ry   passed for 3,135 yards for 27 touchdowns for the sev enth-ranked Volunteers.  Hooker has also rushed for 430 yards and five touchdowns.

Stroud has passed for 3,340 yards and 37 touchdowns for the fourth -ranked Buckeyes (11-1) who will take on Top ranked Georgia in a Play-off semi-final  Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also cred ited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side.  The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group –

was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and continue the tradition of selecting an annual All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NC FAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of

the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages profession alism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit www.ncfaa.org.

Williams; Three Others Headed to New York

By Earl Heath  Contributing Sports Writer

It’s the award season and nothing gets things going like the Heisman Trophy. Caleb Williams was named a fi nalist for  the award this week. USC’s multi-talented quar terback  will be joining fellow quarterbacks Max Duggan of Texas Christian, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Stetson Bennett of Georgia, all of whom will be in New York for the award ceremony Saturday.

None has separated from the pack over the last month quite like Williams, who remains the overwhelming favor ite for the award among oddsmakers. The sophomore quar terback carried USC to the verge of the College Football Playoff by winning back-to-back weekends against rivals Notre Dame and UCLA with solid performances in the season’s final weeks, both in front of a national television audience.

Bennett, Duggan and Stroud all look to upset Wil liams.

Bennett led defending national champion Georgia to a second consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal bid and is 24-1 as the Bulldogs’ starter.

The sixth-year player from Blackshear, Ga., was most valuable player of the Southeastern Conference champion ship game after throwing for 274 yards and four touch

downs in a 50-30 win over Louisiana State that ran the Bulldogs’ record to 13-0.

Duggan, who grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and had heart surgery two years ago, willed TCU to its first playoff semifinal appearance.

He was at the center of one of the signature sequences of the season. It happened late in the fourth quarter during Saturday’s Big 12 title game against Kansas State when he broke loose for 40 yards and then, visibly out of breath, ran for an eight-yard touchdown and completed a two-point pass to bring the Horned Frogs back from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Duggan came up just short of the goal line on a run in overtime, and TCU lost for the first time this season, 31-28.

Stroud is a SoCal native from Rancho Cucamonga High he’s a Heisman finalist for the second year in a row. He was fourth in voting last year behind eventual winner Mater Dei’s Bryce Young. He came into this season regard ed as the front-runner and remained the favorite as Ohio State piled up impressive numbers through the first eight games.

But he struggled against Northwestern and had a tough time  Buckeyes in the second half of their most re cent game, a 45-23 home loss to Michigan.

The final four are headed to the BIG APPLE.

Baker Mayfield Now a Ram

By Earl Heath  Contributing Sports Writer

The Los Angeles Rams announced earlier this week they have claimed and been awarded quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers. “He’s got a lot of experience “Said tight end Tyler Higbee. Excited to see what he can do for us.”  Mayfield, 27, began the 2022 season with the Caro lina Panthers after they acquired him in a trade with the Cleveland Browns this summer. He completed 119 of 206

pass attempts for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns with six interceptions while starting in six of the seven games he played in.   With the addition of Mayfield, the Rams quarterback room now consists of him, John Wolford, Bryce Perkins and Case Cookus (practice squad). Starter Matthew Staf ford (neck) was placed on Injured Reserve last week and is currently dealing with a spinal cord contusion. Rams head coach Sean McVay on Monday said Wolford is dealing with neck soreness and considered day-to-day.

Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (Photo: therams.com)

USC QB Caleb Williams (Photo: Getty)

Improve Access to Care and Address Disparities in the Black Community

LOS ANGELES,

“A core part Covered California’s mission is to im prove health care quality and reduce the disparities that have plagued our communities of color for far too long,” said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered Califor nia. “One way to lower disparities, is to make sure that everyone has access to quality health care coverage, and those that need health insurance can do that now through Covered California’s open enrollment.”

What You Need to Know

The roundtable and wellness fair took place on Nov. 29 at the Center of Hope Church in Inglewood during Covered California’s 10th open-enrollment period. The guests included Sonya Young Aadam of the California Black Women’s Health Project, Dr. Sylvia Drew Ivie of Charles R. Drew University, Dr. Jerry Abraham of Kedren Health, Rhonda Smith of the California Black Health Net work, and Latricia Mitchell of the Los Angeles NAACP.

Open enrollment is the time of year when eligible Californians can sign up for health insurance and receive financial help to lower the cost of their coverage. Thanks to the increased and expanded financial help made available through the Inflation Reduction Act, two-thirds of Cov ered California’s consumers are eligible for comprehensive health coverage at a cost of $10 or less per month.

“Health care should be a right and not a privilege,” Smith said. “Being able to have low-cost but high-quality health care is an important first step in addressing health equity.”

Dramatic Gains in Coverage

The Black and African American community has

made dramatic gains in coverage since Covered California opened its doors. A record-high 1.7 million people are cur rently enrolled in Covered California, which has seen its overall enrollment grow by more than 40 percent since its inaugural year, including a 46 percent increase in the num ber of Black and African American consumers.

As a result, the latest data shows the uninsured rate has fallen dramatically since Covered California began offer ing coverage. According to the California Health Insurance Survey, the uninsured rate among Black and African Amer icans has fallen by two-thirds, from 12.4 percent in 2013 to 4 percent in 2021.

“We partnered with Covered California to make sure that everyone in our community has access to resources to keep them safe, especially throughout the pandemic,” said Dr. Abraham. “Meeting our Black community and our African American community where they are is going to make fundamental and seismic shifts toward achieving that health equity and racial justice that our communities here in California deserve.”

Signing Up for Coverage Is Easy Consumers can discover their options by visiting Cov eredCA.com, where they can easily find out if they quali fy for financial help and see the coverage options in their area. All they need to do is enter their household income, ZIP code, household size, the number of people who need coverage and their ages into the calculator on Covered Cal ifornia’s homepage.

In addition, those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also: Get free and confidential assistance over the phone, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller. Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.

Waters Announces Update to December Committee Schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Com mittee on Financial Services, announced the following up date to the schedule for the month of December:

RESCHEDULED - Thursday, December 8 at 9 a.m. ET: The Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepre neurship, and Captial Markets will convene for a hybrid hearing entitled, “E, S, G and W: Examining Private Sector Disclosure of Workforce Management, Investment, and Diversity Data.”

Wednesday, December 7 at 10 a.m. ET: The Subcom mittee on Oversight and Investigations will convene for a hybrid hearing entitled, “An Enduring Legacy: The Role of Financial Institutions in the Horrors of Slavery and the Need for Atonement, Part II.”

Tuesday, December 13 at 10 a.m. ET: The full Com mittee will convene for a hybrid hearing entitled, “Investi gating the Collapse of FTX, Part I.” Wednesday, December 14 at 10 a.m. ET: The full Committee will convene for a hybrid hearing entitled, “Consumers First: Semi-Annual Report of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.”

All hearings are livestreamed on https://financialser vices.house.gov/live/.

Due to the latest information available regarding COVID-19, hybrid hearings will take place in 2128 Ray burn House Office Building and will also have a virtual op tion for all Members and witnesses to participate remotely. For virtual hearings, all Members and witnesses participate remotely with no in-person participation in the hearing room.

Committee activities are finalized once an official notice is issued by the House Financial Services Com mittee. Visit https://financialservices.house.gov/calen dar/ for the most up-to-date Committee schedule.

The panel included key health advocates: Sonya Young Aadam, CEO, California Black Women’s Health Project (moderator), Jessica Altman, Executive Director, Covered California, Dr. Sylvia Drew Ivie, Senior Special Assistant to the President for Community Affairs, Charles R. Drew University, Latricia Mitchell, President, Los Angeles NAACP, Rhonda Smith, Executive Director, California Black Health Network and Dr. Jerry Abraham, Director of the KEDREN Vaccines Program, Kedren Community Health Center.

Calif. — Covered California joined leading Black and African American health leaders from across the state to encourage enrollment into a quality in surance plan, improve access to care and discuss the steps being taken to address disparities in this community.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (Courtesy Photo)