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Los Angeles

Volume 36 Number 7

Serving Los Angeles County for Over 36 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Daughter Is Running for Mom’s San Diego District Assembly Seat

Dr. Akilah Weber Courtesy Photo)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Dr. Akilah Weber, the daughter of Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), has announced that she is running for the 79th Assembly District seat that her mom will soon vacate. If she wins, the younger Dr. Weber would have the opportunity to carry on a family legacy in California politics known for strategic consensus building at the state level that’s rooted in – and deeply connected to -- local grassroots organizing at home.

Dr. Weber, a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist, is a current member of the La Mesa City Council. La Mesa, a San Diego County city with about 57,000 residents located about 9 miles east of downtown San Diego, is known in that area as the “Jewel of the Hills.”

Last week, Gov. Newsom nominated Assemblymember Weber for California Secretary of State. A few days later, the younger Weber made an announcement of her own: that she is running to replace her mom “After much consideration, I have decided to run for the 79th Assembly seat when it becomes vacant. It would be an honor to represent and serve the residents of this district and continue to ensure that we build a better tomorrow that improves the future for ALL Californians,” she tweeted.

Dr. Akilah Weber earned her medical degree at the University of Rochester Medical and Dental School in New York, completing her residency at John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago.

After that, she completed a pediatric and adolescent

gynecology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She was elected to the La Mesa City Council in 2018.

If the California State Legislature confirms the nomination of Dr. Shirley Weber for Secretary of State, she will replace Alex Padilla, who the governor appointed last week to fill the California U.S. Senate seat U.S. Vice President-elect Sen. Kamala Harris holds. As California Secretary of State, Dr. Weber would become the first-ever African American to serve in that role.

Should Dr. Akilah Weber join the race to replace her mother and win, the Weber’s would join several African American political dynasties that have existed in California legislative politics over the last 50 years. Los Angeles City Council member Mark RidleyThomas and his son Sebastian Ridley-Thomas both served in the state Assembly. Willard H. Murray and his son Kevin Murray are another example. And both Yvonne Braithwaite-Burke and her daughter, current Assemblymember Autumn Burke (D-Inglewood), also did the same.

Other names being mentioned as candidates for Weber’s Assembly seat are: LaShae Collins, the elder Dr. Weber’s mentee and a staffer in her San Diego Assembly office; Ammar CampaNajar, a conservative-leaning Hispanic American Democrat and former Obama administration White House staffer; Colin Parent, a LaMesa city councilmember; Genevieve Jones-Wright, a local public interest lawyer; Georgette Gómez, President, San Diego City Council; Monica Montgomery, San Diego city councilmember; Racquel Vasquez, mayor of Lemon Grove; Steve Padilla, Chula Vista city councilman; and Dwayne Crenshaw, a community activist.

Black Lawyers Submit Names for California Attorney General Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media The California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) submitted the names of three accomplished African American attorneys to the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) as possible candidates for the state’s soon-to-be open Attorney General position.

In a 46-page document that includes biographical data of the organization’s recommendations, CABL called on Black members of the state legislature to support attorneys Diane Becton, Paul Henderson or Terry Wiley to become the next AG. The group also forwarded the proposal listing the candidates they are supporting – all public servants with significant experience — to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“We are in a unique position to know, understand, and recommend one of our own members to serve as the next California Attorney General. We strongly urge the Legislative Black Caucus to consider the above three candidates and to interview them for recommendation to Governor Newsom,” Melinda Murray, president of CABL, stated in the letter dated Dec. 23.

Earlier this month, President-elect Joe Biden nominated current California AG Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of Health and Human Services in his administration. Since then, various candidates have emerged as possible replacements for the state’s top lawyer and law enforcement official.

CABL’s decision to focus on who replaces Becerra as AG rests not only on finding a candidate who can ably prioritize and address the broad and complex range of legal issues all Californians face. The group says it is also motivated by the need to address the persisting concerns of criminal justice reform and police use of force in Black communities.

Terry Wiley, Diane Becton and Paul David Henderson (Courtesy Photo)

In the wake of George Floyd’s violent death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer and the continued unlawful killings of unarmed Black men and women by law enforcement around the country, the AG’s office and the California Department of Justice

“need someone dedicated to criminal justice reform,” the Black lawyer organization stated.

“Californians need and deserve someone who can successfully implement the mandates of Assembly Bill 1506, which authorized the California Attorney General’s Office to investigate and prosecute cases of police use of force resulting in death and officer-involved shootings resulting in injury or death,” Murray stated.

The organization believes, Becton, Henderson and Wiley are all candidates with the experience and chops to carry out those tasks. Gov. Newsom signed AB 1506 into law in September.

Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) authored the legislation.

“Americans across the country took to the streets this summer rightfully demanding more and better of our criminal justice system – and of ourselves,” Newsom said. “We heard those calls for action loud and clear and today are advancing reforms to improve policing practices by ending the carotid hold and requiring independent investigations in officer-involved shootings.”

Becton has spent most of her professional career as a judge, lawyer, and manager. In 2017, she was sworn in as the 25th District Attorney for Contra Costa County. Following her appointment by the county’s Board of Supervisors, she was elected to the position in June 2018.

For 22 years, Becton served as a judge in Contra Costa County. She is a former president of the National Association of Women Judges, the nation’s leading organization for women in the judiciary, and past chair of the State Bar Council on Access and Fairness.

Becton leads a prosecutorial office of approximately 222 Continued on page A2

The Death of Black Doctor of COVID-19 Sets Off Alarms Dr. Moore knew what to ask for as she was being treated for coronavirus and strongly felt she was not receiving the best treatment.

Free!

IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Susan Moore —

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Correspondent “He made me feel like a drug addict,” Dr. Susan Moore, 52, said on a video days before her death on December 22 due to coronavirus. The Black Indiana doctor states on a Facebook video that she had received poor treatment from White caregivers because she was African American. Her message reached over a million people on social media as of December 24.

Dr. Moore died on December 20.

“This is how Black people get killed, when you send them home and they don’t know how to fight for themselves,” Dr. Moore said on the video. Moore asserted that her doctor attempted to discharge her at ten at night.

Moore’s Facebook live post received wide attention and a lengthy segment on Roland Martin Unfiltered on December 23. Dr. Moore knew what to ask for as she was being treated for coronavirus and strongly felt she was not receiving the best treatment.

Dr. Susan Moore said that despite telling her doctor that she was in pain she received medication after tests Moore said that despite telling her doctor that she was proved what she had been saying since she arrived at the hospital. in pain she received medication after tests proved what she had been saying since she arrived at the hospital.

“I put forth, and I maintain, if I was White, I wouldn’t University Health Hospital, “addressed claims of said, “We are very sad to hear about her passing,” adding, have to go through that,” Moore said in her social media mistreatment in how Dr. Susan Moore was treated in the “IU Health respects and upholds patient privacy and days before her death.” cannot comment on a specific patient, their medical video.

Indiana University Health Hospital, in a statement Continued on page A2 On December 24, The Grio reported that Indiana

Happy New Year

from the staff at the Los Angeles News Observer!

NFL Chats Racism with Students For several NFL stars, speaking out against social injustice meant speaking to youngsters about racism.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Titans running back Derrick Henry, Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett and Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell each spent time during the season chatting with students about a film that focuses on social and emotional effects of racism against Black men and boys.

The documentary titled “Black Boys” was executive produced by Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins. The players, through a partnership with Old Spice, joined students in virtual class discussions about the film’s exploration identity, opportunity and equity in America.

“It is just a beautiful way to get people to start to discuss the matters that are at hand socially in this world,” Kelce said. “I think it’s my job as a white man to be able to step up and say, `Listen, something is wrong here. How we are viewing the African-American people is wrong.

How we’re treating African-American people is wrong.’

And, there needs to be something that’s done about that.”

Kelce, the only white player among the group, encouraged more people to talk openly about stopping racism.

“It’s important for me because of my upbringing, the people around me that I love, that I cherish as friends, as family, people of color,” he said. “And it’s been something that I’ve seen as a kid. And it’s very upsetting.”

Jenkins, who has been on the front lines fighting for social justice and racial equality for years, focused part of his discussion with students at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans around the importance of mental health.

“We’re using the film ‘Black Boys’ to really create some more dialogue among Black boys and be able to create spaces where they can feel comfortable in their own skin,” Jenkins said. “We had some conversation around what they took out of it, what are some things that resonated.

And to hear these young men talk about the importance of mental health and talk about the psychological kind of effects that it has on them or how it makes them feel when they walk into a space and can tell that people are afraid of them without even knowing who they are, what they’re about.

“The biggest thing is we need to be able to encourage Black boys to see themselves as more than just athletes and entertainers, see themselves more than what they can do with their bodies but what can they do with their minds.

What can they do with their creativity and showing them that it is OK to be emotional, it is OK to laugh, to cry, to feel just as much as human as anybody else, and to encourage them to boldly walk in that regardless of what the world or society might tell them.”

Students said they appreciated Jenkins’ willingness to discuss difficult topics and his transparency regarding issues that have impacted him.

“Often, no one ever wants to speak about unpleasant truths knowing many of us have had similar experiences,” sophomore Malcolm Ferrouillet said. “It was great to see him open up to us about it.”

Campbell spoke to students at Coppin Academy High School in Baltimore.

“I’m a strong advocate of educating our youth and making sure that we invest into our future,” Campbell said. “It’s very important to me just being able to build confidence in the Black community among our young boys or who are struggling, fighting and dealing with all the oppression and different things. `Black Boys’ is an incredible film that just gives you authentic realization of how things are in America for young Black boys. And just what we what they need to be able to flourish in and be able to reach their goals.”

That message resonated with senior Antonio Jenkins.

“We need to come together as one and let no one fear our opportunities,” he said.

Renaming Civil War Monuments

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Two promoters of AfricanAmerican history want to rename two of Savannah’s historic squares, saying they’re currently named for people who promoted slavery.

Patt Gunn and Rosalyn Rouse tell the Savannah Morning News they will seek historic markers in Calhoun and Whitefield squares, noting slaves were buried in each.

They hope to rename Calhoun Square to Sankofa Square. The Sankofa bird is a Ghanaian symbol expressing the importance of knowing one’s history, the word itself translating to “go back and fetch it.”

They seek to change the name of Whitefield Square to Jubilee Square, after Jubilee Freedom Day. That’s the day that Union troops arrived in Savannah in 1864 to announce freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation. Gunn and Rouse recently led the seventh annual commemoration of Jubilee Freedom Day. “Let the record show that we are looking for some good trouble, and we’re looking for some community change agents as we begin to request the city of Savannah for this name change. We know this is a beloved city, but we want no more redacted history,” Gunn said.

“According to the city of Savannah Archives Department, they have confirmed what all of us already know as Gullah Geechee people: that this here be a sacred ground. This here be where our ancestors lay,” Gunn said.

Gunn said urban slaves who died in Savannah were either buried in the backyard of the homes of their owners, or in the burial grounds where these two squares now stand.

In 1851, the city elected to turn the burial grounds into squares.

She made note of George Whitefield’s historical marker in his namesake square.

“George Whitefield was a Methodist minister, and they’ve got a marker down there that tells all about him.

But they don’t say he was also an owner of slaves at Bethesda Orphanage,” Gunn said.

John C. Calhoun, for whom Calhoun Square was named, wrote that slavery was not a “necessary evil,” but a “positive good.”

“I would not want a pro-slavery advocate’s square built on top of me if I were a slave. It’s our job in the 21st century to ask for a replacement,” Gunn said. “We’re taking that cause on.”

Gunn said the center will work with the city to “put the history back.” She hopes to begin working collaboratively on the renaming, noting that in Charleston, a statue of Calhoun was taken down back in June.

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LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, December 31, 2020

World & Nation More Than 2,900 Health Care Workers Died This Year –And the GovernmentBarely Kept Track

By Christina Jewett, Robert Lewis and Melissa Bailey California Healthline More than 2,900 U.S. health care workers have died in the COVID-19 pandemic since March, a far higher number than that reported by the government, according to a new analysis by KHN and The Guardian.

Fatalities from the coronavirus have skewed young, with the majority of victims under age 60 in the cases for which there is age data. People of color have been disproportionately affected, accounting for about 65% of deaths in cases in which there is race and ethnicity data.

After conducting interviews with relatives and friends of around 300 victims, KHN and The Guardian learned that one-third of the fatalities involved concerns over inadequate personal protective equipment.

Many of the deaths — about 680 — occurred in New

York and New Jersey, which were hit hard early in the pandemic. Significant numbers also died in Southern and Western states in the ensuing months.

The findings are part of “Lost on the Frontline,” a nine-month data and investigative project by KHN and The Guardian to track every health care worker who dies of COVID-19.

One of those lost, Vincent DeJesus, 39, told his brother Neil that he’d be in deep trouble if he spent much time with a COVID-positive patient while wearing the surgical mask provided to him by the Las Vegas hospital where he worked. DeJesus died on Aug. 15.

Another fatality was Sue Williams-Ward, a 68-year-old home health aide who earned $13 an hour in Indianapolis, and bathed, dressed and fed clients without wearing any PPE, her husband said. She was intubated for six weeks

before she died May 2.

“Lost on the Frontline” is prompting new government action to explore the root cause of health care worker deaths and take steps to track them better. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services recently asked the National Academy of Sciences for a “rapid expert consultation” on why so many health care workers are dying in the U.S., citing the count of fallen workers by The Guardian and KHN. “The question is, where are they becoming infected?” asked Michael Osterholm, a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory team and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “That is clearly a critical issue we need to answer and we don’t have that.”

The Dec. 10 report by the national academies suggests a new federal tracking system and specially trained contact tracers who would take PPE policies and availability into consideration.

Doing so would add critical knowledge that could inform generations to come and give meaning to the lives lost.

“Those [health care workers] are people who walked into places of work every day because they cared about patients, putting food on the table for families, and every single one of those lives matter,” said Sue Anne Bell, a University of Michigan assistant professor of nursing and co-author of the national academies report.

The recommendations come at a fraught moment for health care workers, as some are getting the COVID-19 vaccine while others are fighting for their lives amid the highest levels of infection the nation has seen.

The toll continues to mount. In Indianapolis, for example, 41-year-old nurse practitioner Kindra Irons died Dec. 1. She saw seven or eight home health patients per week while wearing full PPE, including an N95 mask and a face shield, according to her husband, Marcus Irons.

The virus destroyed her lungs so badly that six weeks on the most aggressive life support equipment, ECMO, couldn’t save her, he said.

Marcus Irons said he is now struggling financially to support their two youngest children, ages 12 and 15.

“Nobody should have to go through what we’re going

through,” he said.

In Massachusetts, 43-year-old Mike “Flynnie” Flynn oversaw transportation and laundry services at North Shore Medical Center, a hospital in Salem, Massachusetts.

He and his wife were also raising young children, ages 8, 10 and 11.

Flynn, who shone at father-daughter dances, fell ill in late November and died Dec. 8. He had a heart attack at home on the couch, according to his father, Paul Flynn. A hospital spokesperson said he had full access to PPE and free testing on-site.Since the first months of the pandemic, more than 70 reporters at The Guardian and KHN have scrutinized numerous governmental and public data sources, interviewed the bereaved and spoken with health care experts to build a count.

The total number includes fatalities identified by labor unions, obituaries and news outlets and in online postings by the bereaved, as well as by relatives of the deceased. The previous total announced by The Guardian and KHN was approximately 1,450 health care worker deaths. The new number reflects the inclusion of data reported by nursing homes and health facilities to the federal and state governments. These deaths include the facility names but not worker names. Reporters cross-checked each record to ensure fatalities did not appear in the database twice.

The tally has been widely cited by other media as well as by members of Congress.

Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) referenced the data citing the need for a pending bill that would provide compensation to the families of health care workers who died or sustained long-term disabilities from COVID-19.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) mentioned the tally in a Senate Finance Committee hearing about the medical supply chain. “The fact is,” he said, “the shortages of PPE have put our doctors and nurses and caregivers in grave danger.”

This story is part of “Lost on the Frontline,” an ongoing project from The Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of health care workers in the U.S. who die from COVID-19, and to investigate why so many are victims of the disease. If you have a colleague or loved one we should include, please share their story.

President-Elect Biden Selects Fmr. Ambassador Susan Rice for Top White House Post

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent President-Elect Joe Biden has continued to maintain a campaign promise, even exceeding his pledge for a diverse staff and cabinet. Shortly after naming a Black man to lead the Department of Defense and a Black woman to serve as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Biden said he’s appointing former U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, a Black woman, to serve as Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

“With years of experience working at senior levels in the executive branch, Ambassador Rice knows government inside and out and will carry through the President-elect’s vision of a newly empowered Domestic Policy Council and turbocharge the effort to build back better,’ the Biden transition team wrote in a news release.

The team noted that Rice is among the nation’s most senior and experienced government leaders with the skills to harness the power of the federal government to serve the American people.

As a former member of the Cabinet, they said she also understands the challenges and opportunities of running an agency and has extensive experience working with other key members of the Biden-Harris White House team,

The team noted that Rice is among the nation’s most senior and experienced government leaders with the skills to harness the power of the federal government to serve the American people.

including the heads of NSC and NEC. Ambassador Rice’s appointment comes as Biden announced key members of his administration, including Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture; Congresswoman Marcia Fudge for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Denis McDonough as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Katherine Tai, as United States Trade Representative.

The diverse and accomplished team will work around the clock to deliver immediate relief to the American people — including working families, veterans, farmers and producers, and everyone fighting for their place in the middle class, the transition team promised in the release.

As the nation emerges from the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris expressed that the team will “bring the highest level of expertise and the bold vision necessary to help all Americans seize new opportunities and build back better.”

“This dedicated and distinguished group of public servants will bring the highest level of experience, compassion, and integrity to bear, solving problems and expanding possibilities for the American people in the face of steep challenges,” Biden stated.

“The roles they will take on are where the rubber

With years of experience working at senior levels in the executive branch, Ambassador Susan Rice knows government inside and out and will carry through the President-elect’s vision of a newly empowered Domestic Policy Council and turbocharge the effort to build back better, the Biden transition team wrote in a news release.

meets the road — where competent and crisis-tested governance can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, enhancing the dignity, equity, security, and prosperity of the day-to-day lives of Americans.

“This is the right team for this moment in history, and I know that each of these leaders will hit the ground running on day one to take on the interconnected crises families are facing today.”

Added Harris: “Over the past few weeks, Presidentelect Biden and I have announced members of our administration who will help contain this pandemic, responsibly open our economy, and keep our nation safe and secure.

“The administration members we are announcing today will help us meet a range of other challenges — from helping make sure no American goes hungry to putting affordable housing within reach for all to caring for veterans and their families and advancing our ideals of opportunity and equality. These deeply experienced public servants reflect the best of our nation and will be ready to hit the ground running on day one to rebuild our country in a way that lifts up all Americans.”

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The Death of Black Doctor of COVID-19 Sets Off Alarms Continued from page A2

history or conditions. As an organization committed to equity and reducing racial disparities in healthcare. We take accusations of discrimination very seriously and investigate every allegation.”

Black people have died at 3.6 times the rate of White people, and Latinos at 2.5 times the rate of white people,

according to an analysis by the Brookings Institution.

Moore cared for her mother, who has dementia, and her 19-year old son. A GoFundMe page is hoping to raise $100,000 to assist the Moore family. It has raised over $109,000 so far. https://www.gofundme.com/f/dr-susanmoores-family-assistance?qid=0b67322adabedeba722b9f6

d0429414b The coronavirus pandemic has hit the U.S. hard and has now become the most deadly event in U.S. history since the Civil War. Over 327,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 in 2020. An average of 2,000 people are dying a day in the U.S. due to coronavirus.

Black Lawyers Submit Names for California Attorney General Continued from page A2

lawyers, investigators, and staff. She is the first woman, the first African American, and the first person of color to serve as Contra Costa District Attorney since the office was established in 1850.

Henderson has spent his entire professional career working in public service for the city of San Francisco. He was recently appointed director of the Department of Police Accountability, where he and his legal team are tasked with investigating all complaints regarding police use of force and misconduct.

Prior to this appointment, Henderson, openly Gay, spent seven years as the deputy chief of staff and public safety director to the former Mayor of the City of San Francisco, Edwin M. Lee. He served as Chief of Administration and prosecutor for former District Attorney of San Francisco Kamala Harris from 1995-2010. Handling all types of cases, ranging from nonviolent misdemeanors to serious felonies, Henderson became known as an expert in interpreting complex criminal justice public policy issues.

Henderson, who served under four elected district attorneys, was both the highest-ranking Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT) attorney and African American male attorney in the history of the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.

Terry Wiley is an Assistant II District Attorney and the third ranking prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, located in Oakland. Wiley joined Oakland’s DA Office in 1990. He has supervised the felony trial team, the Juvenile Division and the Oakland Branch Courthouse.

Wiley has served in most assignments on the criminal side of the office and has prosecuted difficult and challenging felony cases, including the case against three Oakland police officers who called themselves “the Riders.”

In that case, the officers were accused of kidnapping,

planting false evidence and assaulting citizens. Three of the four officers, eventually fired, were acquitted for criminal charges while the fourth cop fled the country. Civil lawsuits settled in the case totaled $10.9 million and led to police reform within the Oakland police department.

Wiley is currently a member of the American Bar Association Criminal Standards Committee, a past vice president of the National Bar Association, and a past member of the State Bar of California Board of Trustees.

CABL represents approximately 6000 Black attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. According to its website, the organization was founded in 1977 to eradicate the root causes of racism and to defend the legal and human rights of African Americans.

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Thursday, December 31, 2020

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER A3

Features

Black Woman Developed the Scientific Approach to the Coronavirus Vaccine

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease doctor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, addressed the African American community’s fears of accepting the new coronavirus vaccine.

“To my African American brothers and sisters ... this vaccine that you’re gonna be taking was developed by an African American woman. And that is just a fact,” Dr. Fauci proclaimed during a recent National Urban League event.

Dr. Fauci noted that Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a Black woman, has been at the forefront of the vaccine process.

He added that it is vital to recognize the U.S.’s history of racism that’s led to great mistrust from the Black community.

Dr. Fauci exclaimed that the vaccine is safe.

“The very vaccine that’s one of the two that has absolutely exquisite levels – 94 to 95 percent efficacy against clinical disease and almost 100 percent efficacy against serious disease that are shown to be clearly safe – that vaccine was actually developed in my institute’s vaccine research center by a team of scientists led by Dr. Barney Graham and his close colleague, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, or Kizzy Corbett,” Dr. Fauci stated.

Dr. Corbett, 34, is an accomplished research fellow

and the scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccines & Immunopathogenesis Team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center (VRC).

According to her biography, Dr. Corbett received a B.S. in Biological Sciences, with a secondary major in Sociology, in 2008 from the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, where she was a Meyerhoff Scholar and an NIH undergraduate scholar.

She then enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she obtained her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology in 2014.

A viral immunologist by training, Dr. Corbett is known for using her expertise to propel novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness.

Appointed to the VRC in 2014, her work focuses on developing novel coronavirus vaccines.

Dr. Corbett has 15 years of expertise studying dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, and coronaviruses.

Along with her research activities, Dr. Corbett is an active member of the NIH Fellows Committee and an avid advocator of STEM education and vaccine awareness in the community.

“History books will celebrate the name and achievements of Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, the Black Woman

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) – The swanky, billion-dollar casinos of Las Vegas are bedecked with shining towers, neon signs and eye-popping extravagance. But directly beneath the glitter, hundreds of homeless people live out of sight, in the dark, in a network of stormwater tunnels running below the city.

When census takers tried in September to count the nation's homeless for the 2020 census, safety concerns prevented them from venturing into the Las Vegas tunnels.

The tunnels offer just one example of the difficulty in counting the portion of the homeless population that does not stay in shelters. A half dozen census takers around the U.S. told The Associated Press that they experienced problems that could cause the homeless to be undercounted _ a situation that may cost some communities political representation and federal money.

America DePasquale, who lived in the tunnels from May 2018 until she moved into a detox facility last month, said she never saw census takers visit the area underneath the Las Vegas Strip.

DePasquale said she does not blame census takers for not attempting to enter the tunnels, but she said it might have helped if they had tried to go with community advocates who make frequent visits below.

“It takes somebody of a certain strength to go down there just regularly, “ she said. “But I also find it kind of appalling that they wouldn't go deeper and at least even try.”

The count of the unsheltered homeless was originally scheduled for last spring, but the Census Bureau delayed it until late September because of concerns about the coronavirus. The bureau identified 33,000 homeless camps for census takers to visit.

The Government Accountability Office warned earlier this month that the delay in the homeless count could

affect the quality of the census data given the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. People who may have answered the census questionnaire last spring but later became homeless may not be recorded as homeless and may be living in a different place, the watchdog agency said in a report.

“Because people who experience homelessness are more likely than people who are housed to be members of minority groups, especially African Americans and Native Americans, the undercount contributes, modestly, to the serious undercount of minorities and poor people,” said Beth Shinn, a professor at Vanderbilt University who researches homelessness.

In San Francisco, a census taker said supervisors were confused about what to do and where to go. In Oklahoma City, many census takers did only a headcount without interviewing homeless people, so they missed gathering demographic information.

A census taker in Bakersfield, California, said a list of homeless sites they were given was outdated, and they were not allowed to interview people who appeared to be homeless if their locations were not on the list. Census takers were prevented from doing any counts in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, because of racial injustice protests that were happening on the same night.

Deanna Helm, a census taker who participated in the homeless count in Northern California, characterized it as “a farce.”

“We were just chasing our tails that night,” she said.

Rainy weather in Spokane, Washington, kept enumerators like Joanne McCoy from doing their jobs.

“We didn't get a good count at all. It should have been much better,” said McCoy, a census supervisor.

The Census Bureau said in a statement that the unsheltered homeless count is designed with the safety of census takers and those being counted in mind.

“As in previous censuses, the primary goal, and noted

who was the leader in developing the COVID-19 Vaccine,” Barbara Arnwine, president and founder of Transformative Justice Coalition, wrote on Twitter.

“She developed the specific scientific approach to mitigating the coronavirus.”

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected African Americans, who make up a large percentage of the more than 290,000 U.S. residents to die from the virus.

One study released by the COVID Collaborative, the NAACP and UnidosUS revealed that 14 percent of Black Americans trust a vaccine will be safe, and 18 percent trust it will be effective.

Much of the concern stems from pervasive racism in medical research and healthcare, notably the 1932 Tuskegee experiment.

“I would say to people who are vaccine-hesitant that you’ve earned the right to ask the questions that you have around these vaccines and this vaccine development process,” Dr. Corbett told CNN. “Trust, especially when it has been stripped from people, has to be rebuilt in a brick-by-brick fashion. And so, what I say to people first is that I empathize, and then secondly is that I’m going to do my part in laying those bricks. And I think that if everyone on our side, as physicians and scientists, went about it that way, then the trust would start to be rebuilt.”

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett

Virus and Other Problems Threaten to Throw Off Homeless Census

In this Dec. 5, 2020 photo a man who identified himself as Wheeler, left, speaks with Dave Marlon of CrossRoads of Southern Nevada, during an outreach in the underground tunnels to offer counseling, food and water to the homeless living beneath the city in Las Vegas. When census takers tried to count the nation’s homeless population, they ran into many problems that could threaten the accuracy of the effort.

That’s what a half dozen census takers around the U.S. tell The Associated Press. (AP Photo/David Becker) Less

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2020202441 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: LOLA TAROT at 11856 Balboa Boulevard #496, Granada Hills, Ca. 91344 Mailing Address: Same County: LA County REGISTERED OWNERS(S): BIBI VENTURES LLC, CA, 11856 Balboa Boulevard #496, Granada Hills, Ca. 91344 The business is conducted by: a Limited Liability Company SIGNED: MINDY ILLUMINATE, Member The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 08/2020 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: Dec 1, 2020 DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: (No Name), Deputy NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES ST THE END IOF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF 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 STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Dec 1, 2025 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Dec 24, 31, 2020, Jan 7, 14, 2021

Branch Name: Stanley Mosk Courthouse THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that SIRAK MOGES be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: Feb 1, 2021 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: 11 Room: 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, Ca. 90012 IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written

objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the deceased, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issuance of letters as provided on Probate Code section 9100. The time for filing claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (for DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate code section 1250.

A request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Petitioner: Sirak Moges 19227 Broadacres Ave. Carson, Ca. 90746 Telephone: (424) 312-2370 E-Mail Address: smoges@yahoo. com

�������������������������������

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF GEMJA TEFERA CASE NUMBER: 20STPB06309 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of GEMJA TEFERA A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by SIRAK MOGES in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, Ca. 90012

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Dec 31, 2020, Jan 7, 14, 2021

in census taker instructions, is to first get a headcount of people experiencing homelessness,” the statement said.

“We do not want to create an unsafe environment for those living at the location or our census takers, so we may not conduct a full interview if it is unsafe to do so.”

The agency's once-a-decade count helps determine $1.5 trillion in federal spending annually and how many congressional seats each state gets.

In Las Vegas, concerns about the homeless count were raised last October at a city council meeting. Las Vegas, along with surrounding Clark County, has an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 people living on the streets. The homeless population could be larger, since shelters are operating at reduced capacity because of pandemic restrictions, said then-City Manager Scott Adams.

“The bottom line is ... we could be undercounted by several thousand people in the city population,” Adams said. “Why is that important? It deals with apportionment for legislative seats, formula shares for federal funding, a whole range of issues.”

Census takers would face a lot of challenges if they tried to enter the tunnels on their own to interview residents, said Paul Vautrinot, who leads Shine a Light, a nonprofit that provides housing, counseling and other services to several hundred people living in the tunnels.

Drug use is common and conspicuous, according

to community advocates who make regular trips into the dank passages to donate food and supplies. Hypodermic needles, rats and human waste are common sights, as is the low, steady flow of water through the tunnels. Some tunnels have mini-communities where a dozen or two dozen people set up tents or beds and share communal meals. Those who prefer solitude find their own section in the labyrinth.

Some people have few belongings. Others have relatively elaborate setups, with furniture or generators.

When Clark County runs an annual count of the homeless population required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, staff and volunteer counters have a police escort. That effort is less intensive than the once-a-decade census and requires only a headcount, not a questionnaire.

Most people living in the subterranean channels would not be interested in speaking to strangers asking questions about their backgrounds, even though it might help bring resources to people living there, Vautrinot said.

“It's a very daunting task to go walking down there, even after having done this for as long as I have and having lived there,” said Vautrinot, who lived in the tunnels from 2011 to 2014. “There are moments that you go down there and the hair on your arm raises up.”

A4

Entertainment LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, December 31, 2020

“Soul” Movie Review

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic Passing the love of jazz on to a younger generation, cloaked in the sweetness of an animated movie, is a genius move.

It’s a bit jarring. A New York City middle school band is murdering the Disney song “When You Wish Upon a Star.” By the time they’re through, you’d wish a dreamfulfilling star had given you earplugs.

Still, they continue, inspired by their very patient music teacher Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx). Jazz is the reason their instructor loves music not matter how screechy the band gets. When Joe sits down to play the piano, he improvises like Keith Jarrett, playing with abandonment and using the melody as a starting point, which takes him to his nirvana: “The tune is just a tool to bring out the ‘you’.”

Though he dreams of a professional career, reality outweighs his ambition. He’s a grown man still living with his mom (Phylicia Rashad), barely eking out a living.

Then one day he gets a tip that saxophone great Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett, Black Panther) is looking for someone to tickle the ivories in her jazz quartet and he scores an audition.

Could things be going Joe’s way? They are until the day he walks across the street and falls down a manhole.

He doesn’t exactly die and go to “The Great Beyond.”

Instead, he is marooned in “The Great Before,” a place where personalities/souls are assembled and dispersed to those who will be born.

This way station realm is run by ghostly creatures, many of whom are called “Jerry.” Joe wants out. His ticket back to real life may be a disgruntled and pessimistic infant soul named, No. 22 (Tina Fey, 30 Rock). Partnership made in heaven? Not exactly.

The scenes that take place on earth in New York capture the city’s essence. Noise, subways, cramped streets, neighborhood barbershops (Black men socializing in the most warmhearted ways)... The Half Note Club, where Williams’ quartet plays, may be the peak of NYC imagery.

It mirrors Greenwich Village’s legendary Village Vanguard nightclub, where jazz legends like Betty Carter, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Miles Davis and Anita O’Day performed.

The red awning, steep stairs that lead from the street to the floor below and the tight club room. It’s all the same—and so NY. The music that enhances the visuals is impeccable.

Credit Jon Batiste (bandleader The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), a Grammy-nominated musical pianist, for anything that sounds like jazz or looks like it too (his fingers playing the piano were the prototype for Joe’s).

The other musical aspects, particularly the delightful and often electronic score in The Great Before, are courtesy of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Oscar winners The Social Network) from the band Nine Inch Nails. Combined,

the musical threads are a knockout. Either dreamy and melodious, frisky like jazz or quirky.

Heaven on earth: The colors, shapes and scenery in the real world are magnetic. Those used in the New York City sequences are filled with warm earth tones that make you feel more grounded. Also, the richly textured tan, brown and black skin tones of people in the Big Apple glisten (cinematographers Matt Aspbury and Ian Megibben; art director Bryn Imagire).

A cold netherworld: The images in the other world are a bit too sci-fi, techie and not nearly as inviting. The pastel colors tend to be pale with lots of white lines, almost icy looking and very abstract. That’s the film’s glitch. The longer the camera lingers in The Great Before the more likely it is that adults will lose interest and only kids will stay tuned—or they may flake off too. Thus, there are several reasons or wanting Joe to find his way back to his earth. A.) He deserves it. B.) It has the more fascinating turf.

Engaging animation is very familiar territory for writer/director Pete Docter (Inside Out and Up). He gets a great assist from playwright Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami) who takes on co-screenwriter and co-director duties. Mike Jones (Evenhand) as the third writer adds in his two cents and the result is a very energetic story about a young man following his dream, aided by an annoying, candidly dour imp and surrounded by either grounded characters or sci-fi ones. It’s the right kind of fusion especially as Pixar welcomes the African American experience into their mix for the very first time.

After Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for Ray, the roles he picked never truly exploited his talent. Oddly, with just his voice and personality, Foxx shines a lot brighter, like a kid in a candy store, as he gives Joe verve. Ambitious, optimistic, vulnerable—his energy is infectious. Also, Tina Fey is on fire as the little wisp struggling to find her humanity and needing Joe as her guide. Foxx and Fey are symbiotic, especially as their personae crosspollinate. It’s a bond that is surprisingly heartwarming.

For added attraction, viewers will have fun figuring out which cast members supplied the voices of the various characters. They can pick from: Graham Norton, Donnell Rawlings, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Daveed Diggs, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Wes Studi...

Sit down. Grab a glass of wine—if you’re old enough.

Pop some popcorn. Make this an intergenerational event for grandparents, adults and kids and no one will be disappointed. Though parents beware, you may need to explain the meaning of birth, life and death to your offspring. It won’t be as tough as the birds and the bees conversation, but… After 100 minutes roll by fairly quickly (editor Kevin Nolting), most viewers will leave the room humming. Humming jazz. That simple act will help preserve a music form that dates back to the 1920s. That’s a blessing.

IN MEMORIAM: Rap Legend, Whodini’s John “Ecstasy” Fletcher Dies at 56

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. The Burton Wire THE BURTON WIRE — Known for wearing shorts, cowboy boots and a Zorro hat, Fletcher’s swagger, good looks, soulful voice and smooth delivery made him a sex symbol among early Hip-Hop fans. Their live shows were legendary, holding their own with superstar groups like Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys and a young Todd “L.L. Cool J” Smith,.as evidenced by being included on the legendary 1986 Raising Hell Tour.

The blogosphere is weeping over the loss of John “Ecstasy” Fletcher of the legendary rap group Whodini! Fletcher, known as “Ecstasy” was found dead in his Atlanta-area home Wednesday. Ecstasy was part of the Brooklyn rap trio Whodini! who had hits throughout the 1980s including Friends, The Freaks Come Out at Night, One Love, Five Minutes of Funk, Big Mouth and Funky Beat. Fletcher and his fellow MC Jalil Hutchings and Drew “Grandmaster Dee” Carter rocked the mic with electrifying iconic performances at Fresh Fest 1984, which featured Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC,The Fat Boys, Newcleus & the Dynamic Breakers, New York City Breakers and Turbo and Ozone from Breakin’ fame.

Known for wearing shorts, cowboy boots and a Zorro hat, Fletcher’s swagger, good looks, soulful voice and smooth delivery made him a sex symbol among early HipHop fans. Their live shows were legendary, holding their own with superstar groups like Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys and a young Todd “L.L. Cool J” Smith,.as evidenced by being included on the legendary 1986 Raising Hell Tour.

Managed by Russell Simmons and a part of the Jive Records family, Whodini! made history and made stars in the process. They were one of the first rap groups to successfully blend rap with R&B/Soul, churning out hit after hit. While many rap artists of that time were braggadocious, Whodini promoted partying, having a good time and weaved tales of complicated friendships and relationships making brilliant use of iambic pentameter, rhythmic rhymes and visual storytelling. Whodini’s “Magic’s Wand” is the first rap song with a music video that was not performance based but actually visualized a story.

Produced by producing legends Larry Smith and Thomas Dolby (yes, the iconic artist), “Magic’s Wand” is one

of the most sampled songs in Hip-Hop history. The song highlighted their relationship with rap pioneer Mr. Magic’s iconic radio show “Rap Attack” on WBLS that featured fellow rap trailblazers DJ Marley Marl and Tyrone “Fly Ty” Williams. Whodini made six studio albums, four of which were certified platinum. Whodini’s self-titled debut was recorded in Europe, produced by German uber-producer Conny Plank, demonstrating their ability to successfully blend Europop, Synthpop, R&B, Soul, West African oral traditions and Caribbean beats and rhythms like their industry counterparts Afrika Bambaataa and Newcleus to create rap hits.

Their albums included Whodini (1983), Escape (1984), Back in Black (1986), Open Sesame (1987), Baga-Trix (1991) and their comeback album Six on Jermaine DuPri’s So-So-Def label producing the hit single “Keep Running Back.” DuPri got his start in the industry as a backup dancer for Whodini! in the early 1980s.

Whodini’s energetic performances were buoyed by outstanding back up dancers like DuPri and Shiller Shaun “Kangol Kid” Fequiere and Fred “Doctor Ice” Reeve (Jalil’s younger brother). The two were originally known as the dancing duo The Keystone Dancers. They went on to perform for Whodini, eventually forming one half of the popular rap group UTFO., whose Hip-Hop classic “Roxanne, Roxanne” is a Hip-Hop banger and classic.

In 2007, Whodini! was honored at the Vh-1 Hip-Hop Honors. In 2012, the rap legends were featured on TV One‘s “UnSung” series, presented with the Icon award at the Underground Music Awards and inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. In 2018, the epochal group received the Hip-Hop Icon Award at the Black Music Awards ceremony held in Nashville. Despite their legendary albums, performances and influence on the rap musical genre, Whodini never won a Grammy.

John “Ecstasy” Fletcher was 56. A cause of death has not been released at this time.

Rest in power.

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.

Follow The Burton Wire on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

“Ecstasy” was part of the Brooklyn rap trio Whodini! who had hits throughout the 1980s including Friends, The Freaks Come Out at Night, One Love, Five Minutes of Funk, Big Mouth and Funky Beat.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Sports

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER A5

Chargers Weekly- Chapter 20

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. celebrates an interception vs the Denver Broncos this past Sunday. (Photo Credit: Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers)Rams fall with little offense

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com As the Broncos come to town with a similar 5-9 record, the Chargers have an opportunity on Sunday to avenge their narrow loss 8 weeks ago in Denver. The hometown Bolts will be going for a third consecutive win in their final game of the season at Sofi stadium. In this final home game, they will be looking to put up 20 points as they have in three of the past four matchups.

Although Joey Bosa and Keenan Allen, who was recently named to the third and fourth consecutive Pro Bowls respectively, would not be present for this contest vs the Broncos, a revenge win versus this division rival Broncos would be no less sweet for the Chargers. Justin Herbert is having an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign. In his initial season, Herbert has set the all-time rookie mark for 300-yard performances and tied for the record for the most touchdown passes in a season.

Whether he returns or not, Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn does have them ranked 8th in NFL, with a 22-3 record when they win the turnover battle as they did on Sunday, which equates to a .875 winning percentage. He talked about his team’s mentality to “Focus, finish and fight to get this win along with the resolve they have shown in recent weeks” during his post-game press conference.

Justin Herbert, who all but etched his name in the Rookie of the year trophy, has been nothing less than spectacular this season.

He hit Austin Ekeler for a 9-yard Touchdown pass for his recordsetting 28th Touchdown record of the season. I wanted to know

if Justin acknowledges these records that he’s set this season and which point of the process is the most fun for him or will he wait until the end of the season to acknowledge this, he responded to me by saying, “During the game and right after. I think it’s being able to celebrate with those guys right after is the best part.”

Subsequently, that catch a run by Austin Ekeler allowed him to tie LaDainian Tomlinson (15) for the most receiving TD by an RB in Chargers history. That Touchdown catch also put him in a class with exclusive Running Backs Christian McCaffrey, Chuck Foreman, and Joe Cribbs who all amassed 15 touchdown receptions, though Ekeler is the youngest to achieve this feat.

After the Chargers jumped out to a 13-0 lead going into halftime. The Broncos would mount a comeback, once Brandon McManus’ kicked his 10th 50 plus yard field goal, which tied the game up at 16 apiece with under 3:00 minutes remaining. This set the table for Anthony Lynn, Justin Herbert, and the Chargers to mount their third consecutive Game Winning Drive. As Michael Badgley came on to kick the go-ahead score which would also complete their third comeback win in as many weeks.

Among many of the impressive stats that Justin Herbert achieved this season, is becoming the 4th rookie in NFL history with 4,000+ pass yards (Luck, Newton, Winston). Herbert also surpassed Baker Mayfield for the most pass TD by a rookie in NFL history (28). Broncos quarterback Drew Lock’s much more ominous streak by tallying 1+ giveaways in 11 straight games (longest active streak in NFL).

I asked veteran Linebacker Denzel Perryman if he recognized

how good Justin Herbert could be when he saw them initially saw him in pre-season he responded to me by saying, “J Herb (Justin Herbert) was my workout partner. So, I knew then; when you have a quarterback that workout with linebackers and stuff like that, that stood out to me!” I’d say the off-season commitment and work ethic of Justin Herbert went a long way to gain the respect of his teammate and is a large part of the reason many teammates have been willing to follow him and support him.

As Coach Anthony Lynn mentioned, this was a total team win for the Chargers. Although this win streak comes late in the season, it’s evidence that they are growing and coming together as a squad. Are these three consecutive wins in December enough for Anthony Lynn to remain as Head Coach of these Los Angeles Chargers? Kindly share your thoughts on the Chargers Head Coaching situation, by reaching out to me on Twitter @ whatsgoodnsport or forward any suggestions on what topics or angles you’d like to see discussed to info@whatsgoodinsports. com.

Lastly, be sure to subscribe to our weekly “Voice of the Fans Podcast” which is available for you on most podcasting platforms; Apple and Google Podcasts including Spotify, TuneIn, and, iHeart Radio. On our Podcast, we have passionate banter about all NFL games while addressing current NBA topics, in addition to discussing multiple issues in and around the world of sports.

Thank you, as always, for reading this article and making our voice your choice!

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It back-to-back weeks the Rams came up short in games needed to secure a play-off spot. Just a week ago they fell to the hapless New York Jets by three points at So-Fi Stadium.

This week they had a chance to clinch the division and a playoff spot but fell 20-9 to the Seattle Seahawks on the road. It was a game where no offense failed to score a touchdown.

They ran more plays 75 to 61, ran for more yards 118 to 95 had more first downs 20-15 and won the time of possession 32:50 to 27:10 and still came up short.

Jarred Goff completed 24 of 43 passes 216 yards and one costly interception. On first and ten from the Seahawks 29 yardline the QB rolled out and instead of running he threw the ball in to no mans land and it was picked off by picked of by probowler Quandre Diggs. He later stated, “It was a dumb play, it was stupid.”

Daryl Henderson ran for 62 yards on 12 carries filling in for Cam Akers who was out due to a leg injury near the goal-line.

Henderson would leave the game after an ankle injury.

“It has been a humbling tough up and down year” said Rams coach Sean McVay. “My job is to put these guys in a better spot and I don’t think I have consistently done a good enough job,” McVay added.

The defense did its job for most of the game sacking Russell squad. He has always been confident he can run the offense.

Wilson five times while holding the Seahawks to just six points “Its something I have prepared for my whole life, I’ve played the first half. Russell Wilson completed a modest 20 of 34 for 225 a lot of football between college and the AAF,” said Wolford. “This yards and a touchdown to Justin Hollister with just under three is the kind of step I’m ready to go whenever that shot comes.” minutes left in the game. He also ran for a score.

They only allowed 95 yards rushing. that marks the seventh game this season they have held a team under 100 yards on the ground.

Troy Reeder lead the tacklers with 11. Lennard Floyd had seven tackles including two sacks and has five sacks has five on Wilson this season.

Goff would dislocate his thumb in the third period, he continued to play. He has since undergone surgery on the thumb.

It looks like he will miss at least this weeks game against Arizona at SoFi Stadium. To make the play-offs the Rams need a win over the Cardinals Sunday.

John Wolford will get the start. The Rookie from Wake has never taken an NFL snap. He was the leading passer in the now folded AAF. The 6-1, 200 pounder is energetic and is known to be a stickler for detail.

“Johns done a great job preparing himself all year,” said McVay. ‘If you watch the way he’s worked at it I know there’s confidence from the coaches and teammates and guys who need to rally around him. He’s got some Doug Flutie type stuff in him.”

The 25-year-old Wolford spent the 2019 year on the practice

Rams Fall with Little Offense Los Angeles Rams wide receiver runs a reverse looking to gain cars Sunday in Seattle vs the Seahawks. (Photo Credit: therams.com)

Lakers Off To A Good Start

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It’s a night all pro sports teams love to have- the night when the team receives a World Championship ring. That happened last week as the Los Angeles Lakers accepted their seventeenth in franchise history at a fan-less Staples Center.

After one of the shortest off seasons (71 days) in the history of any sport. They then took on the cross the hall rival Los Angeles Clippers. On this night after all the pregame accolades it was not a good start on the floor.

The new look Clippers came out with a new head coach Ty Lue and rolled the World Champs 116-109. It was a game that the victors lead wire to wire. They played after having a tough play-off loss losing in the Conference semi-finals after leading 3-1.

On this night Kawhi Lennard and Paul George combined for 59 points. Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for 41 points in just 31 minutes for “The Lake Show.” With the short off-season it puts the plan of fewer minutes per game for starters. The loss put the Lakers with a 11-6 on Ring night record.

They took on the Dallas in their annual Christmas Day game and ran away with it 138-115. Lebron flirted with a triple-double having 22 points,10 assist and 7 boards.

The chosen one tied Oscar Robertson with having the most games scoring 20 point and 10 assists on December 25th. They both have done the fete four times. How ever James did pass the Big-O (377) the second leading scorer on the day. James now has 380 and needs just 16 to pass the late Laker great Kobe Bryant who has 395.

Anthony Davis added 28 points and 8 rebounds in the holiday special as 12 Lakers scored at least a basket in the rout of the Mavs.

Team newcomers Montrezl Harrell added 22 and 7 boards and Dennis Schroder dropped in 18 to go with six assists. Kyle Kuzma had 13 to go with 6 rebounds.

It was an all-out rout in game three at Staples as The Lakers jumped on the T-Wolves. A red-hot Kyle Kuzma got things going by hitting his first four three-point attempts.

Helping the Lakers runover the visitors by a 127-91 final.

“It was a fun brand of basketball,” said Kuzma. “”For awile we all just pushed and my shots were falling” The 25-year-old finished the night as leading scorer with 20 points. He was followed by James with 18 as six Lakers hit double figures. Harrell, Gasol, Schroder and Talen Horton -Tucker all had 12 each.

Kuzma stepped up with the absents of Anthony Davis who sat out due strained calf muscle that was first occurred in the opener against the Clippers. Then it was re- aggravated while playing the Mavs…

Portland followed the T-Wolves at Staples and got hot late. They outscored the Purple and Gold31-22 in the fourth as Damian Lillard knocked down 31 points and had five assists to lead the Blazers to a 115-107 win. Gary Trent had 28 off the bench.

The Lakers (2-2) after the first week were led by James 29 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Dennis Schroder who played in his 500th career game followed with 24 while going 7 for 7 from the stripe.

Anthony Davis return to the lineup scoring 13 and lead the team with 10 assist and the Lakers had 41 for the game it was his 300th double-double of his career. It also marks the third consecutive game the team had 30 or more assist.

LAKER NOTES: Guard Alex Caruso sat out the game due to COVID protocol he could miss three more games. ”All the things we do are to keep us safe,” said Laker coach Frank Vogel . “If any of us have a family member test positive or some thing like that we could all be close to that kind of close contact quarantine.” Caruso has been averaging 5.3 ppg and 1.7 rebound per game coming off the bench…James extended his double-digit scoring streak to 999 games landing him in 4th place all time (1,261) is first.

Rose Bowl Game New Look

Davonta Smith WR has 98 catches to go with 17 TD’s. (Courtesy Photo)

Lakers star LeBron James makes a move past Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic on Christmas night in the first win of the season. (Photo Credit: Andrew D. Bernstein/Adam Pantozzi/John McCoy/NBA E/Josh Williams)

Basketball Great KC Jones Passes

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer K.C. Jones was best known for his success with the Boston Celtics, with whom he won eight NBA championships as a player in the 1950s and 1960s, then two more titles coaching Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale in the 1980s. He passed away last week at the age of 88. He was undergoing treatment for Alzheimer’s.

Jones was a teammate of the legendary Bill Russell they both attended the university of San Francisco where they won 55 straight games and two NCAA championships playing for the University of San Francisco. He also won a gold medal playing with Russell for the United States in the 1956 Olympics. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Jones is one of only seven players to have won an NCAA title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Drafted in the second round in 1956, Jones played behind Bob Cousy before becoming a starter. In his nine years with the Celtics, Jones won eight NBA championships.

“People thought we were brothers,” Sam Jones, K.C.’s backcourt teammate with the Celtics, told the Washington Post.

“But there was no relation, except a true friendship and the fact the newspapers would call us the ‘Jones Brothers.’

Jones coached the Celtics but first he coached the then known Washington Bullets from 1973 to 1976.

He had a regular season record of 155-91. It was a struggling franchise that had big name players that included Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Phil Chenier, Kevin Porter, Mike Riordan, Archie Clark and Nick Weatherspoon, among others.

Jones’s first Washington team — called the Capital Bullets in 1973-74 after it moved from Baltimore — won the Central Division with a 47-35 record before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks in seven games. His 1974-75 team, renamed the Washington Bullets, went 60-22 and beat the Celtics in a wild six-game series to win the Eastern Conference but was swept by the Golden State Warriors in the finals.

Hayes averaged 23 points, Chenier 21.8 and Riordan 15.4, with Unseld dominating the boards and Porter dishing the ball, in front of pulsating home crowds.

After Jones spent several years as an assistant, Red Auerbach hired him to be Boston’s head coach in 1983. The Celtics legend explained his reason simply: “He’s a winner.” Jones coached the Celtics for five years, winning NBA championships in 1984 and 1986 and falling in the Finals twice.

“The nicest human being I ever met,” said HOF Larry Bird after learning of Jones’s death. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, a player under Jones, “He was a class act, and yet he had this competitive edge that was fierce.”

Sam Jones released some thoughts : “He was so quick, a great defensive player who could score. What a great team we had. Russell, K.C., me, Willie Naulls and Satch Sanders, with [John] Havlicek coming off the bench. The starting five was the first all-Black starting five in NBA history. Red drafted guys who could get along and take criticism.

“Oscar [Robertson] called me today to talk about K.C. So did Jerry West. It was a time. We talked and remembered.” (Washington Post contribute)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer In the year of COVID changes in sports have occurred with regularity, that includes this year’s Rose Bowl Game. The game is heading to Arlington stadium to “Jerry’s World” (AT&T Stadium) home of the Dallas Cowboys who have been averaging just over 27,000 fans per contest this year.

Texas has less COVID restrictions than California and will allow more fans including parents of players from both teams to attend the game. It will mark the first time since 1944 the game will be played out of California.

This year’s game is one semi-final of the college play-off featuring #1 ranked Alabama and 4th ranked Notre Dame. The winner will face the victor of #2 Clemson and #3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl Janurary 11th.

The Crimson Tide is led QB Mac Jones and WR Davonte smith both are Heisman candidates helping the offense average 49 point a game.

A year ago Jones replaced Tua Tagovailoa after a hip injury sidelined him for several games.

In his first full season he has led the Tide (11-0) while completing throwing for 37 touchdowns and 3,790 yards.

Smith had 98 receptions for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Jones and Smith were both named first team AP AllAmericans with teammate RB Najee Harris (Antioch High) who has rushed 1,262 and scored 27 touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkasian has won the Frank Broyals award as the best assistant coach in the country.

Notre Dame (10-1) is led by QB Ian Book (Oakridge High) Eldorado Hills who has thrown for 15 touchdowns and 2,600 yards is the winningest QB in school history (30-3). He will be trying to get the Irish in the title game.

“We have to establish the rush and be physical,” say RB Kyren Williams. “They a have good defense so we have to be aggressive.”

This will be the 118th edition but it won’t take place in Pasadena.

KC Jones (R) shares a moment with Hall of Famer John Cheney (R) at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

(PhotoCredit: Earl Heath)

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LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, December 31, 2020

2020 Kwanzaa Celebration in Leimert Park Village

By Ricky Richardson Contributing Writer Los Angeles- Angelenos came together Saturday, December 26, and Sunday, December 27, 2020, in Leimert Park Village, the vibrant heart of Black culture in Los Angeles.

The occasion was the seven-day African American celebration of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a Celebration of Family, Community and Culture celebrated December 26, 2020- January 1, 2021. The annual KwanZaa Gwaride and Parade, founded forty plus years ago by Akile, was held this past weekend.

This year’s celebrations were different due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Most events were either cancelled, moved online for a virtual event, or scaled down and modified for safety reasons.

The annual KwanZaa Gwaride and Parade rolled out with a Motorcade, from the intersection of Adams and Crenshaw.

The Motorcade made its way down “The Shaw” to Leimert Village for a safe, socially distance community celebration, festival, and rally. The celebration featured music, vendors, and a candle lighting ceremony.

Kwanzaa, created in 1966, following the Watts Rebellion to unite the Black community. One can find Kwanzaa celebrated all over the world.

A beautiful weekend in Southern California consisted of bright, sunny, and breezy days. This was welcomed weather as Angelenos strolled around Leimert Park Village for the Kwanzaa community celebration, festival, and rally. A variety of food vendors serviced up a delicious cuisine of African, Caribbean, Vegetarian and Soul food. Various crafts booths featured unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothing, wearable arts, headwraps, masks, and African instruments. A Touch of Class T-Shirt vendor owned and operated by Larry Weathers, Byoodefel Jewelry Boutique,

Kinara (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Dedi’ the Creator, CEO and Digital International Roots & Cultural Gifts, Natty Bob were amongst the vendors on site. The Kwanzaa T-shirt in the enclosed photo was designed by Natty Bob and Lane Lopez. An eclectic soundtrack of music played throughout the weekend complimented the festivities.

“The conception and practice of Kwanzaa is rooted in both ancient African harvest celebration and the Black Freedom Movement and this calls for and urges an active and ongoing commitment to African and human good and the well-being of the world.”

This year’s Kwanzaa theme is “Kwanzaa and the Wellbeing of the World: Living and Uplifting the Seven Principles.”

The theme seeks to call rightful attentiveness to the immediate and urgent need to be actively concerned and caring about the well-being of the world,” stated Dr. Maulana Karenga, written in his 2020 Founders message. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Karenga, Chair of the African Studies Department at Cal State Long Beach.

In what he called “an audacious act of self-determination,” Dr. Karenga described Kwanzaa as “a special and celebration of our sacred and expansive selves as African people” and “a unique Pan-African time of remembrance, reflections, reaffirmation, and recommitment.”

“It is a special and unique time to remember and honor our ancestors and reflect on what it means to be African and human in the most expansive and meaningful sense, and to reaffirm the sacred beauty and goodliness of ourselves and free ourselves and contribute to our ever-expanding realm of freedom, justice, and caring in the world.”

Kwanzaa is based on the theory of Kawaida, which espouses that social revolutionary change for Black America can be achieved by exposing Blacks to their cultural heritage.

Kwanzaa’s focus is the “Nguzo Saba,” the seven PrinciplesUmoja (Unity); Kujichagulia (Self-Determination); Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility); Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics); Nia (Purpose); Kuumba (Creativity); and Imani (Faith).

Visit https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org for more information.

Dedi’ the Creator (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Kwanzaa T-Shirts (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

African American Health Leaders Urge Californians to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

By Brittany Wallace Contributing Writer African American health leaders joined Covered California on December 22, 2020, for a roundtable discussion on COVID-19 vaccinations in the black community, and the importance of health coverage. The discussion was part of a coordinated effort to increase the Black community’s confidence in the safety of taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

Executive director of Covered California, Peter V. Lee, explained that “The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our lives, particularly among communities of color.” This is likely due to Black and Brown communities having limited access to healthcare and health insurance.

Blacks are also getting sicker due to underlying health issues that are common in the Black community, such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD and asthma.

One of the hardest hit regions in the state is Los Angeles, where officials at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital say the COVID-19 infection rate of 25 percent is more than double the county rate. “We have more COVID-19 patients in our hospital than facilities that are three to four times our size do, and while we exceeded our surge-plan capacity a few days ago, the patients continue to come,” said Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of the hospital. “More than 80 percent of our staff are people of color, and we have vaccinated hundreds of our front-line workers. We need to show the Black community that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and encourage them to get it when they can.”

The California Department of Public Health reports that the rate of death associated with COVID-19 among Black Californians (7.1 percent) is nearly double the infection rate (4 percent). In contrast, however, a Pew Research Center Survey shows that only 42 percent of African Americans reported that they would “definitely” take the COVID-19 vaccine, while 83 percent of Asians and 63 percent of Hispanics reported the same. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey also found that willingness of Black adults (62 percent) to get vaccinated was lower than White (73 percent) and Hispanic (71 percent) groups.

This data is in alignment with historical skepticism

Akile, Founder, KwanZaa Gwaride and Parade (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

(Photo credit: Covered California)

from the Black community toward health experts, as the medical needs of the Black community have largely been ignored or not prioritized at all.

“This distrust is deeply rooted and based on injustices and unethical treatment that many Black Americans have experienced in our medical institutions,” said Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California surgeon general. “It is imperative that we engage with communities to address their concerns so that all of our communities can feel confident that these vaccines are safe and that they are our key to defeating this virus.”

Black doctors and nurses across the nation have come together to create the Black Coalition of Against Covid-19, to increase awareness in the black community about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

President and CEO of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, a historically Black school in Los Angeles, and member of, Dr. David Carlisle explained that “While it is understandable to question things, the science is clear: We are dealing with a deadly pandemic,” said Carlisle. “COVID-19 kills, and the only solution is a vaccination.”

Dr. James West of Oakland Health Community Center shared that there are approximately 14,563 positive COVID-19 cases in the city of Oakland alone. Dr. West emphasized the importance of thorough hand washing, social distancing, eliminating social gathering, and getting vaccinated. He also advised that the COVID-19 vaccine was created in record time due to the imperative need; and that the science behind it has proven the vaccine to be safe and effective.

Covered California is encouraging Blacks to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it has been made available.

Peter V. Lee emphasizes that if Californians do not have insurance, now is the time to get it. A Special Enrollment Period was opened in March of this year, and continued enrollment is anticipated, as Covered California wants to make healthcare coverage available to all Californians that are in need.

Information on health insurance coverage through Covered California can be found at www.Getcovered2021. org.