Valley's News Observer 1.12.23

Golden Globes are Back on TV, But are Reform Efforts Enough?

The

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By Philtrina Farquharson Contributing Writer

In the early 1900s, Willa and Charles Bruce purchased two parcels of land along Manhattan Beach. In hopes of building wealth and genuinely living the American dream, they turned the land into a seaside resort that welcomed Black beachgoers from Los Angeles and beyond.

During this time, there was a lot of injustice and racism geared towards Blacks that would lead to a petition from local white real estate agents and residents to take away Bruce’s Beach wrongfully. Although this land was taken through eminent domain, history displays that this act was racially motivated and went on to prevent Bruce and other black families from building wealth throughout Manhattan Beach.

More than 100 years later, Willa and Charles’ descendants came together to endure a year-long process to fight for their family legacy and birthright. In June 2022, Bruce’s Beach was returned by the Board of Supervisors. The living legal heirs of Charles and Willa Bruce were able to claim what was rightfully theirs, in which the Black community felt this was a great example of how reparations should work.

Most recently, George Fatheree III, the lawyer representing the Bruce family, spoke in an exclusive interview with KBLA Talk 1580. The family recently decided to sell the land to Los Angeles County.

“They should have grown up as part of a hospitality dynasty rivaling Marriott and Hilton, but because of history, we all know that did not happen. Although the Black community may feel like this is a setback, Fatheree III says, “The ability to sell the property and invest the funds in a way that is important to their lives represents an essential opportunity for the family to have a piece of that legacy that was theirs.

In negotiations to return the land to the descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce, Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) authored the legislation (SB 796), which cleared the way for the beachfront land to be returned to the Bruce family. In June of last year, the County of Los Angeles Transfer Documents detailed a 24-month lease agreement with the Bruce family and rented the property from them. The Lease Agreement also included Bruce’s family’s right to sell the property to the County for a

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Historic Bruce’s Beach to be Sold Back to Los Angeles County for $20 Million

White Sheriff Who Disparaged Black Employees ResignsAgain

WHITEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – A North Carolina sheriff resigned a second time Wednesday in the aftermath of a leaked audio recording in which he called Black employees by derogatory names and said they should be fired, his attorney announced.

Jody Greene was reelected to a second term as Columbus County’s sheriff last fall, despite the fact that weeks earlier he had resigned after a recording of his racist comments was leaked.

Greene was sworn back into office last week, prompting District Attorney Jon David to relaunch his effort to get Greene removed from office and permanently disqualified. The announcement of Greene’s latest resignation came during a hearing on David’s petition, according to news outlets.

A superior court judge said the resignation announcement effectively ended David’s effort to remove Greene from office. David said the judge hadn’t yet made a decision on barring Greene from office.

“This office has been very consistent with where we stand on this issue. We simply do not feel as though Jody Greene should be someone who ever carries a badge again,” David said.

David began his quest to have Greene removed from office last year, alleging that the white sheriff had engaged in racial profiling of employees both personally and through those under his command. David abandoned the effort after Greene resigned at an October hearing on his removal, but resumed after Greene was sworn in again.

The recording of the phone call was given to WECT-TV by a former sheriff’s captain who was Greene’s opponent in last year’s race for sheriff. Located about 120 miles (193 km) southeast of Raleigh, Columbus County has about 50,000 people and is approximately 63% white and 30% Black.

purchase price not to exceed $20 million, its fair market value.

As news broke with the family’s decision to sell the land back to Los Angeles County, Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) shared his thoughts, “I fully support the decision made by the Bruce family to sell the property to the County of LA. They are exercising a right that should have never been taken away from them. The current

Shirley Weber is Sworn In as California’s First Elected Black Secretary of State

Senate

Gakunga.

“I want to thank all of those who work so hard to make this position, the Secretary of State -- and all of those wonderful things that come with it -- possible, and for being in my life,” Weber said. “I have been blessed beyond imagination with all of the good things California has to give.”

The daughter of a sharecropper from Hope, Ark., Weber said she is “not supposed to be here” as the state’s chief clerk, overseeing a department of 500-plus employees.

Weber grew up in a two-room, “clapboard house” in Arkansas with her parents and five other siblings before the family relocated to Los Angeles where they lived in Pueblo Del Rio, a housing project known as the “pueblos.”

Weber said the “data” projected that she would not have a bright future. Still, she went on to graduate from UCLA with a PHD, serve on the San Diego Board of Education, teach African American studies at San Diego State University, and successfully ran for California State Assembly in November 2012.

‘My father came from Hope, Arkansas, because there was no hope in Hope,” Weber said. “He came to California because he wanted his children to have a better chance and a better life.”

When Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla the state’s junior U.S. Senator in Jan. 2021, he nominated Weber as SOS. Padilla filled in for Sen. Kamala Harris, who was elected U.S Vice President. Weber was officially

installed as SOS in April 2021.

Weber’s plan after serving in the Legislature was to move to Ghana, Africa, and “build a house up in the hills.” That all changed when Newsom called.

“It was hard for me to think about becoming Secretary of State because I was so content in the Assembly,” Weber said. “When I was asked to be Secretary of State, I thought hard and long about it. I realized that everything about the Secretary of State was central to my life. I thought to myself that I am always the one taking the hard challenges. I said who better than a kid of sharecropper, who never had a chance to vote, who could fight for the rights of voters.”

The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the State, responsible for overseeing and certifying elections, as well as testing and certifying voting equipment for use in California. Weber’s duties also include overseeing the state’s archives division and registry of businesses.

In her remarks, Atkins praised Weber’s “leadership”

In the 2019 call to then-Capt. Jason Soles, who was temporarily serving as sheriff, Greene said he believed someone in the sheriff’s office was leaking information to former Sheriff Lewis Hatcher, who is Black, the station reported.

“I’m sick of it. I’m sick of these Black (expletives),” Greene is recorded saying. “I’m going to clean house and be done with it. And we’ll start from there.”

In a statement, Greene said the recording had been edited or altered, but he didn’t deny that he was on the call or that he made the statements.

Greene won November’s race with 54% of the vote, despite the recording, Greene’s initial resignation as well as David’s warning that he would again seek to remove Greene from office should he be reelected. Attorney Michael Mills said Greene continued his campaign to make sure that voters, not the district attorney, decided who served as the next sheriff.

Chief Deputy Kevin Norris will serve as interim sheriff until the county Board of Commissioners appoints a permanent replacement.

Family Says Missing Rapper Theophilus London Found Safe

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Rapper Theophilus London has been found safe after disappearing for months, a relative announced Wednesday night.

“We have found Theo. He is safe and well,” the rapper’s cousin, Mikhail Noel, posted on Instagram.

“At this time the family would love prayers and privacy. Thank you all!!!”

The post didn’t provide details of where London had been found, where he had been or why he hadn’t contacted his family, which filed a missing persons report with Los Angeles police last week and asked for the public’s help in finding him.

London’s family and friends had said they believed someone last spoke to the musician in July in Los Angeles.

London, 35, posted prolifically on Instagram, but his last posts also came in July.

An LAPD news release on Dec. 28 said London was last seen in the Skid Row area in October and his family had completely lost contact with him.

The rapper was born in Trinidad and Tobago and later raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York. He was nominated for a 2016 Grammy for best rap performance for a featured spot alongside Paul McCartney on Kanye West’s “All Day.”

London has frequently collaborated with the artist now known as Ye, who produced and guested on 2014’s “Vibes.” London would often post updates on Ye’s “Donda” and “Donda 2” on Instagram, even saying he was “promoted to tackle media duties” on Ye’s behalf for the month of February.

London has released three studio albums: 2011’s “Timez Are Weird These Days,” “Vibes” and 2020’s “Bebey.” He recently was a featured artist on Young Franco’s “Get Your Money,” released in September, the month before he was last seen.

Members of the Bruce family, elected officials and community activists at a ceremony in Manhattan Beach, Calif., last year to return property that was seized from the family’s ancestors in 1924. ( Photo Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

zoning regulations would prevent the Bruce family from developing the property in any economically beneficial manner. Based on that fact, it leaves LA County as the only logical purchaser of the property.” Overall the story of Bruce’s beach is a win for the community and will pave the way for how Black wealth is generated and reparations that are much needed for all of the setbacks our ancestors dealt with.

Tecoy Porter and the Genesis Choir perform at the swearing in ceremony of Dr. Shirley Weber on January 9, 2023 in Sacramento, California. Weber is the California’s first Black Secretary of State. (Robert Maryland | California Black Media)

Dr Shirley Weber poses at the podium after she is sworn in as California Secretary of State on January 9, 2023 in Sacramento, California. Weber is the California’s first Black Secretary of State. (Robert Maryland | California Black Media)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

On Jan 9, with the sound of African drumming in the background, Shirley Weber was sworn-in as the first-elected Black Secretary of State (SOS) of California and the 32nd person to hold the position.

The ceremony was conducted at the SOS’ auditorium in downtown Sacramento, one block south of the State Capitol.

President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) administered the oath of office in front of Weber’s grandsons Kadir and Jalil

Report Reveals California Cops Explicit Bias Against African Americans

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

A new report has revealed that California law enforcement officers searched, detained on the curb or in a patrol car, handcuffed, and removed from vehicles more individuals perceived as Black than individuals perceived as white, even though they stopped more than double the number of individuals perceived as white than individuals perceived as Black.

California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board’s report gathered information from 18 law enforcement agencies.

The data revealed that officers stopped 2.9 million individuals in 2020. Most were African Americans and members of the LGBTQ community.

The agency said that the data included what officers “perceived” to be the race, ethnicity, gender, and disability status of people they stopped, even if the perception was different from how the person identified.

According to the data, authorities search African Americans 2.4 times more than whites and disproportionately more than other racial and ethnic groups.

It also found that individual officers perceived as transgender women were 2.5 times more likely to be searched than women who appeared cisgender.

Data for the report came from the state’s most important law enforcement agencies, like the California Highway Patrol.

However, the highway patrol didn’t include data analyzing stops based on gender identity.

All agencies must report the data in 2023.

“The data in this report will be used by our profession to evaluate our practices as we continue to strive for police services that are aligned with our communities’ expectations of service,” Chief David Swing, co-chair of the Board and past president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said in a statement.

The report further showed that Black and Hispanic individuals were more likely to have force used against them compared to white individuals, while Asian and other individuals were less likely.

Specifically, the odds of having force used during a stop were 1.32 times and 1.16 times as high for Black and Hispanic individuals, respectively.

Asian and other individuals whom officers stopped had lower odds of having force used against them (0.80 and 0.82, respectively) relative to the odds for those perceived as white.

Search discovery rate analyses showed that, when officers searched individuals, all races, or ethnic groups of color, except for Asian and Middle Eastern/South Asian individuals, had higher search rates despite having lower rates of discovering contraband than individuals perceived as white.

Furthermore, a search and discovery rate analysis show that officers searched people perceived to have a mental health disability 4.8 times more often and people perceived to have other types of disabilities 2.7 times more often than people perceived to have no disability.

Still, they discovered contraband or evidence at a lower rate during stops and searches of people with disabilities.

Officers used force against individuals perceived to have mental health disabilities at 5.2 times the rate at which they used force against individuals they perceived to have no disabilities.

The data show that Black and Hispanic/Latinx individuals are asked for consent to search at higher rates than white individuals.

Officers searched Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and multiracial individuals at higher rates for consent-only searches than all other racial/ethnic groups.

These consent-only searches resulted in lower rates of discovery of contraband (8.5%, 11.3%, and 13.0%, respectively) than searches of all other racial and ethnic groups.The reason for the stop was a traffic violation in more than half of the stops where officers conducted a consentonly search (consent being the only reason for the search) of black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Middle Eastern/South Asian individuals.

On the other hand, less than 30% of the consent-only searches of white people happened during traffic stops.

The people who wrote the report said that searches based on consent alone lead to fewer discoveries than searches based on reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

With consent-only searches, the rate of finding something was 9.2 percentage points lower for Black people than for white people.

“Given the disparities in the data on consent searches, the board questions whether consent searches are truly voluntary,” the authors wrote.

While the data show that most people consent to a search when asked by an officer, research from the report reflects that this “consent” is not necessarily voluntary because of the inherent power inequality between a law enforcement officer and a member of the public.

The research shows that this natural power imbalance is evident in vulnerable groups, such as people with mental health problems or young people, who may be more likely

to give in to authority.

“Indeed,” the authors wrote, “RIPA data reflects that for both people with mental health disabilities and youth, a larger proportion of their stops that began as consensual encounters resulted in searches, as compared to people without mental health disabilities or adults.”

Board members said they carefully looked at the data about people who were stopped and searched because of their status as people under supervision.

The Board’s analyses reveal significant disparities that warrant further examination of law enforcement practices.

For example, officers performed supervision-only searches – where supervision status is the only basis for the search – of individuals perceived as Black at 2.8 times the rate at which they performed supervision-only searches of individuals they perceived as white.

Similarly, officers also performed supervision plus searches – where the officer had some other basis to search the person – of Black individuals at 3.3 times the rate they performed supervision plus searches of white individuals.

The rates of discovering contraband for supervisiononly searches were lower for all racial/ethnic groups than white individuals; Black individuals had the most considerable difference in their discovery rate (-11.4 percentage points) compared to whites.

Officers also reported a higher proportion of supervision-only searches during stops for traffic violations (46.9%) than during reasonable suspicion stops (24.6%).

“These were just a few of the many disparities discussed in the report,” board members noted.

“Given the large disparities observed, the Board reviewed efforts by various law enforcement agencies to limit inquiries into supervision status as well as stops and searches on the basis of supervision status.

“The RIPA data further indicates that the practice of conducting supervision-only searches shows racial disparities that result in low yield rates of contraband or evidence.”

Department of Justice Begins Supreme Court Defense of Student Loan Forgiveness

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

In a filing sent to the U.S. Supreme Court this week, the Department of Justice agreed with President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive student loans.

In 2022, the president promised to forgive all outstanding student loan debt for millions of borrowers, up to a maximum of $20,000 each.

Republicans are leading the way in suing the federal government to stop the plan.

The Department of Justice, however, said last week in a court filing that Biden’s actions are perfectly legal.

Lawyers from the Department of Justice said that Congress gave the president “clear permission” to go ahead with his plan.

A federal judge in Texas invalidated a program in October that would have helped 40 million people with their student loan debt.

Two people who didn’t qualify for aid under Biden’s scheme sued the initiative on behalf of the conservative Job

Creators Network Foundation.

At the time, White House Press Secretary Karine JeanPierre said the government strongly disagreed.

“The President and this Administration are determined to help working and middle-class Americans get back on their feet, while our opponents, backed by extremist Republican special interests, have sued to prohibit millions of Americans from getting much-needed relief,” Jean- Pierre remarked.

The HEROES Act of 2003, according to the White House, gives the Secretary of Education the authority to forgive student debt.

“The program is consequently an illegal exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated,” wrote Judge Mark Pittman, a Donald Trump nominee.

“In this country, we are not dominated by an allpowerful executive with a pen and a phone,” he continued.

Federal student loan debt of up to $10,000 will be forgiven for borrowers with yearly incomes of less than $125,000 in 2020 or 2021, and up to $200,000 for married couples or heads of households.

Borrowers who also got a federal Pell grant might have up to $20,000 in their loans discharged.

One plaintiff in Texas lost her right to have her federal student loans forgiven because the federal government did not service her loans.

Since the other plaintiff did not obtain a Pell award, the amount of debt relief to which he is entitled is just $10,000.

They said they had no way of voicing their disapproval of the program’s regulations because the administration had not followed the Administrative Procedure Act’s notice and comment rule-making procedure.

Elaine Parker, president of the Job Creators Network Foundation, stated in a statement, “This verdict supports the rule of law which requires all Americans to have their voices heard by their federal government.”

According to CNN’s reporting, Bernie Marcus, the former CEO of Home Depot, and a key Trump donor, established the Job Creators Network Foundation.

Two challenges challenging Biden’s debt relief plan will be argued before the Supreme Court in February. In February, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases.

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Six states with Republican governors sued to stop Biden’s plan to forgive debts. This made the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put a hold on the plan.

In its petition, the Justice Department said, “The lower courts’ decisions have wrongly taken away the Secretary’s legislative authority to give targeted student loan debt relief to borrowers affected by national emergencies.”

President Biden Praises Jobs Report,

‘We are Moving in the Right Direction’

In December, the United States added 223,000 jobs, exceeding expectations by more than 21,000, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%.

The unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in 54 years.

Last year, 4.5 million new jobs were created. President Joe Biden stated that his first two years in office saw the highest levels of job growth in history.

“We are witnessing the transition to steady and stable growth that I have been predicting for months,” Biden said.

“We still have work to do to bring down inflation and help American families feeling the cost-of-living squeeze. However, we are on the right track.”

According to the White House, the unemployment rate for Black and Hispanic Americans has dropped to

near-record lows.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for disabled people hit a new low, while hourly wages for all workers rose slightly in December after five months of increases in real wages.

Manufacturing employment increased by 8,000 jobs last month, bringing the total number of manufacturing jobs created since Biden’s election to 750,000.

In addition, administration officials say that people in their prime working years have continued to join the workforce faster than in previous recoveries.

“These historic job and unemployment gains are giving workers more power and breathing room for American families,” Biden said.

“Real wages are up in recent months, gas prices are down, and we are seeing welcome signs that inflation is coming down as well. It’s a good time to be an American

worker.”

“We have more work to do, and we may face setbacks along the way,” the president said, “but it is clear that my economic strategy of growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out is working.”

“We are just getting started,” he said.

“This month, we are capping the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 per month. We are lowering energy and utility bills for Americans,” Biden said.

“And shovels are hitting the ground all around the country to rebuild our infrastructure, supply chains, and manufacturing here at home.

“That is how we will build an America in which we can all be proud, where working families have good jobs and more breathing room, and the economy grows from the bottom up and middle out over time.”

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Lawyers from the Department of Justice said that Congress gave the president “clear permission” to go ahead with his plan. (Courtesy Photo)

Golden Globes are Back on TV, But are Reform Efforts Enough?

By LEANNE ITALIE AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – Without a TV show, starry red carpet, host, press or even a livestream, the Golden Globe Awards were in chaos last year after scandal broke over lack of diversity, accusations of sexism, and ethical and financial lapses among members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Once known as Hollywood's biggest, booziest party that regularly drew 18 million television viewers, the doling out of statues was reduced to a 90-minute private event with no celebrities present at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Winners were announced on Twitter, often without specifying what project a person had actually won for.

What a difference a year can make.

After dumping the telecast in the aftermath of a damaging expose by the Los Angeles Times, NBC will put the battered 80-year-old Globes back on the air Tuesday under a one-year deal, as opposed to multi-year contracts of the past worth tens of millions of dollars.

A wave of celebrities plan to attend, along with star presenters and funnyman host Jerrod Carmichael after the embattled controllers of the Globes dug deep into the work of implementing top-down reforms.

There's now a strict code of conduct, refreshed bylaws, a ban on gifts and new rules on accepting travel and other perks from the industry. Contentious news conferences were dumped, and the pool of awards voters was expanded beyond the 87 Los Angeles-based foreign journalists who once ruled the organization.

But are the powerful publicists, studios and other stakeholders who boycotted in protest satisfied with the changes? And are those changes the beginning _ or closer to the end?

“It's, by far, not over,” said German journalist Helen Hoehne, who took over as president of the HFPA a year and a half ago. “We always said when we started this journey that it would be ongoing and that it would take some time.”

Kelly Bush Novak, CEO and founder of the A-list

public relations firm ID, said more must be done, but she supports steps taken so far.

“We came together ... to ensure the future of the Globes, in step with our culture and our shared values as an industry, and we see commendable and seismic progress,” she said. “I'm optimistic that the work will continue.”

Still, Novak acknowledged not all stakeholders are on board ahead of Tuesday's broadcast, despite sweeping changes aimed at restoring the luster of the Globes.

Last year, publicists like Novak banded together to battle the HFPA, and studios that included Netflix and WarnerMedia cut ties with the organization after the LA Times raised questions about corruption and a range of bias issues over race and sexual orientation.

None of the 87 Hollywood Foreign Press Association members was Black and the group had not had a Black member since at least 2002.

Now, after an effort to increase and diversify its ranks, 199 people decide who gets a Globe, a mix of 96 HFPA members and outsiders from other countries brought in to dilute the power of the old guard. Membership eligibility was expanded from Los Angeles to anywhere in the United States.

Heading into the telecast, Globes voters stand at 52% female, and 51.8% racially and ethnically diverse, including 19.6% Latino, 12.1% Asian, 10.1% Black and 10.1% Middle Eastern. Voters also include those who are LGBTQIA+. In all, 62 countries are represented.

The governing board was expanded from nine to 15 and includes three Black members, two of whom vote on rules and other matters but not awards. Overall, the organization now has six Black HFPA members and 14 Black international Globes voters who aren't members.

Perhaps the most significant change: The Globes were purchased by billionaire Todd Boehly, who also owns the Beverly Hilton, Globes producer dick clark productions and the Chelsea soccer team. He's shifting the voting body from its founding nonprofit status to a for-profit model, pending approval by the California attorney general.

He plans to preserve the HFPA's charitable work with a separate nonprofit entity.

A hotline managed by two independent law firms was opened, with complaints investigated by outsiders. A chief diversity officer was hired, and mandatory racial, sexual harassment and sexual orientation sensitivity training was put in place, required for any HFPA member casting Globe votes.

Michelle Williams, nominated for her turn in “The Fabelmans,” is among dozens of stars panning to attend Tuesday.

“It feels to me like the community as a whole has decided that this organization has really done a lot of work to reform themselves and that we can support change, like we can hold people accountable and then we can support them as they continue to journey in their path towards being a better organization,” she said.

Added Judd Hirsch, nominated for the same film: “We'll be there. We'll give them another chance.”

Dumping news conferences at the center of insensitive questions posed to talent who felt obligated to show up helped cool off some critics, but not all.

“I can't speak for everyone. There may be some reluctance to participate,” Novak said. “We must acknowledge the past and will never forget the damage done. Manifesting a new future requires it.”

Brendan Fraser, nominated for his performance in “The Whale,” will not be there Tuesday. In 2018, Fraser said he was groped by Philip Berk, a former HFPA president who is from South Africa.

Berk was expelled in 2021 after calling Black Lives Matter “a racist hate movement.”

“I just hope that we can regain his trust over time,” Hoehne said of Fraser.

The same, Hoehne said, goes for Tom Cruise. Last year, he returned his three Golden Globes in protest. With a best picture nod for his long-awaited sequel “Top Gun: Maverick,” he was snubbed for best actor this year.

Under Boehly's leadership, HFPA members will earn

$75,000 a year as his employees, as opposed to current stipends closer to $5,000. They'll vote on nominations and winners among films and television series submitted for awards consideration. They'll write for the organization's website, and organize other projects, the LA Times said, citing a confidential employee memo it reviewed.

The 103 new voting non-members recruited with the help of the National Association of Black Journalists, Asian-American Journalists Association and LGBTQIA+ organizations will not be paid, setting up a two-tier structure aimed at eliminating the taint of financial compensation as more new recruits come on board.

Outraged industry stakeholders had called for the overall Globes voting body to be closer to 300. Other reforms are aimed at battling the perception of influence peddling.

As eventual paid employees, members will be subject to firing without cause. They're now required to sign a code of conduct every year covering job performance, decorum and ethical behavior.

The 80-year-old group had been stuck in its ways, Hoehne acknowledged.

“We needed to question a lot of things. We needed to look at these bylaws and say, OK, how can we make them better? How can we modernize the association? We had never really done it and not addressed it,” she said.

Although the new pay structure has not yet been implemented, over the past year the HFPA has pushed out several members it accused of violating its standards.

One was accused of forging signatures on Internal Revenue Service documents, another case related to sexual harassment and a third involved fabricating interviews that never occurred, according to an HFPA spokesperson.

Boehly himself acknowledged the future is uncertain.

“I have nightmares where it doesn't work too, you know? I get it, you can't convince all of the people all of the time of anything,” he told the LA Times. “We know we have to add value and we know that we have to be part of the solution.”

‘Romeo & Juliet’ Stars Sue Over 1968 Film’s Teen Nude Scene

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The two stars of 1968's “Romeo and Juliet” sued Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million on Tuesday over a nude scene in the film shot when they were teens.

Olivia Hussey, then 15 and now 71, and Leonard Whiting, then 16 now 72, filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud.

Director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially told the two that they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in the bedroom scene that comes late in the movie and was shot on the final days of filming, the suit alleges.

But on the morning of the shoot, Zeffirelli told Whiting, who played Romeo, and Hussey, who played Juliet, that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them the camera would be positioned in a way

that would not show nudity, according to the suit.

Yet they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of California and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children, the suit says.

Zeffirelli told them they must act in the nude “or the Picture would fail” and their careers would be hurt, the suit said. The actors “believed they had no choice but to act in the nude in body makeup as demanded.”

Whiting's bare buttocks and Hussey's bare breasts are briefly shown during the scene.

The film, and its theme song, were major hits at the time, and has been shown to generations of high school students studying the Shakespeare play since.

The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades, and that each had careers that did not reflect the success of the movie.

It says given that suffering and the revenue brought in by the film since its release, the actors are entitled to damages of more than $500 million.

An email seeking comment from representatives of Paramount was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit was filed under a California law temporarily suspending the statute of limitations for child sex abuse, which has led to a host of new lawsuits and the revival of many others that were previously dismissed.

Hussey defended the scene in a 2018 interview with Variety, which first reported the lawsuit, for the film's 50th anniversary.

“Nobody my age had done that before,” she said, adding that Zeffirelli shot it tastefully. “It was needed for the film.”

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Hussey and Whiting have.

Features

California’s First Black Controller Malia M. Cohen Takes Office

Last week Malia M. Cohen was sworn-in as the first Black woman – and first African American -- to serve as California’s State Controller.

On Monday, Jan. 2, the oath of office was administered by Gov. Gavin Newsom. “I am proud and honored to serve as California’s state controller,” said Cohen. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”

On Friday Jan. 6, Cohen was given the oath of office by San Francisco Mayor London Breed with her husband Warren Pulley by her side.

The community event was held at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento.

“I am proud and honored to serve as California’s State Controller,” Cohen said. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”

California now has three Black politicians holding Constitutional offices including Cohen. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are the others.

“Congratulations @MaliaCohen. As California’s first Black state controller, Malia has made history and continues to break barriers while helping build long-term equity throughout our communities. I’m confident she will

continue fighting for the rights of all Californians,” Breed stated in a Jan. 6 post on her Twitter page

“I am excited to get to work on creating a more equitable California as your next Controller,” Cohen tweeted Jan. 6.

Cohen was elected to the California Board of Equalization (BOE) in November 2018 and was named chairperson in 2019 and 2022. As Controller, Cohen continues to serve the Board as the BOE’s fifth voting member.

Prior to being elected to the BOE, Cohen was President of the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. As a Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, she also served as the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and President of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS).

Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco. Her political journey, she says lightheartedly, began when she was elected class president of San Francisco’s Lowell High School, the oldest public high school on the West Coast.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Fisk University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

She and her husband reside in San Francisco along with their daughter.

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The controller also has

independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.

Cohen’s duties include being a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds.

At the St. Paul Baptist Missionary Baptist Church swearing-in, Kenneth Reece, the Senior Pastor, gave the opening prayer.

Held at the church six miles from the State Capitol, Cohen’s swearing-in ceremony included prayers offered by Imam Yasir Kahn, the Chaplain of the California State Assembly, and Rabbi Mona Alfi, the Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’Nai Israel.

Among guests were Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Director of Bay Area Rapid Transit Bevan Duffy, California Labor Federation Executive SecretaryTreasurer Lorena Gonzalez, the singer Aloe Blacc and Jaqueline Thompson, Pastor at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland.

Cohen’s swearing-in was held on the second anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The day was packed

with political activities in Sacramento and shadowed by references to the infamous Capitol insurrection in Washington that shocked people across the country and around the world.

That day, Gov. Newsom was sworn in to a second term. Rob Bonta was also sworn-in for the first time as the state’s Attorney General. He was appointed to the position by Newsom in March 2021.

Before Newsom’s outdoor ceremony, the Governor, his wife, and four children led a march from West Sacramento, across the Tower Bridge, to the Capitol. During the Governor’s address on the steps of the Capitol, he shared his feelings about the attack on the U.S. Capitol two years ago while addressing some of the state’s most pressing issues.

“Our politics doesn’t always reward taking on the hardest problems. The results of our work may not be evident for a long time. But that cannot be our concern,” Newsom said. “We will prepare for uncertain times ahead. We will be prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars, pay down debt, and meet our future obligations. And we will build and safeguard the largest fiscal reserve of any state in American history.”

Shirley Weber

First Elected Black Secretary of State

and “morality” and called her “a tireless champion of democracy,” adding that those characteristics are integral to performing the duties of Secretary of State.

Atkins told guests that she first met Weber when she was 24 years old and that Weber helped her run for state Assembly.

For the first time in its history, California has three Black constitutional officers. The others are Controller Malia M. Cohen and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“You know, our constitutional officers are unique, and I give credit to our Governor (Gavin Newsom) and the people of California. “There is no other list of constitutional officers like this. Where do you have a list of constitutional officers where it only has one White male in it? That

is unheard of. The diversity (and) the fact that women are constitutional officers in California is historic.”

Weber’s daughter, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) was the ceremony’s emcee while Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) provided the invocation. David Bauman’s African drumming and musical selections by Dr. Tecoy Porter, pastor of Genesis Church Sacramento and President of the National Action Network Sacramento Chapter and his Genesis Church choir were the entertainment. Weber’s son Akil Weber provided the closing statements.

“Words cannot express how truly proud I am of what my mother has done, what she will continue to do, the door she has opened, the legacy she is creating,” Assemblymember Akilah Weber said of her mother.

By Jaivon Grant California Black Media

Black and other minority-owned small businesses in California have actively fought for decades for more inclusion in California state government contracting opportunities.

Their hard work and patience paid off in September last year, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2019 into law.

Authored by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), the law took effect on Jan. 1. It mandates that state departments and agencies commit to providing at least 25% of all procurement opportunities to small businesses. Additionally, the bill requires state departments and agencies ensure that minority-owned and womenowned businesses are included in the procurement process, when contracting opportunities are available.

“California has invested billions of dollars to help small businesses and entrepreneurs achieve their California Dream,” said Newsom when signing the bill September 2022. “These new laws build on our efforts to create a more inclusive economy with renewed opportunity for innovation and growth for the country’s largest small business community. I’m thankful for the Legislature’s leadership and support to help the backbone of our economy thrive.”

Newsom signed AB 2019 after it passed in the Assembly unanimously with a 74-0 vote and it passed in the Senate 34-0.

Small businesses employ nearly 7.2 million workers (or 48.8% of all employees in California).

According to AB 2019, more than 39% of California’s 4.1 million small businesses (1.6 million) are minority owned. The bill is projected to have a significant positive impact on the overall economic stability of the state by enhancing state agencies’ ability to support underserved businesses in state contracting and encouraging entrepreneurship.

“Billions of dollars are at stake in our state contracting process and when we make it fair for diverse entrepreneurs, the success of these small businessowners lift up communities all across our state,” said Petrie-Norris, who is Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “This bill will not only keep the state accountable, but it would give businesses that face systemic barriers an opportunity to succeed, keep families

fed, create jobs and vitalize their communities.”

A coalition of minority-owned business advocacy organizations recently produced and released a video emphasizing some of the benefits of working with the state government.

“There are a lot of times where you’re questioning ‘am I going to have enough work for my small company,’” minority business owner Gary Efhan, CEO of Qualis Telecom stated in the video. “Without support, it’s pretty hard, and I’ve seen a lot of people go out of business.”

“Supporting us -- and being in our communities --that will make a huge difference for sure,” Efhan added.

In the same video, CalAsian Chamber of Commerce President Pat Fong expressed that are many barriers to full participation for small businesses in California.

“Part of our goal with AB 2019 is to come up with an infrastructure that makes sense for small businesses,” Fong said. “There’s an understanding about what types of opportunities are available that are easy to access. How do we better connect California’s diverse businesses to those opportunities? I think that’s the challenge but also the opportunity.”

The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce represents more than 815,000 Latino-owned business in California -- organizations that, in aggregate, contribute more than 7% to the United States’ GDP, the organization says.

“As proud co-sponsors of AB 2019, we are thankful that the bill is now signed by the Governor,” said Julian Canete, President of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. “There are numerous and diverse small businesses who can provide services and products to the State and this bill ensures they at least have a fighting chance to be awarded a contract. Thank you to Assemblymember Petrie-Norris for her work on this bill.”

The bill has garnered strong support from the California Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Majority, the California African American Chamber of Commerce, the California State Controller, California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Women Business Owners.

This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

(Malia Cohen Courtesy Photo)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

(Gov. Newsom Courtesy Photo)

Dr. Shirley Weber PhD.(left) is sworn in by California

State Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins(right), with Dr. Webbers grandchildren Kadir Gakunga(middle left) and Jalil Gakunga(middle right) on January 9, 2023 in Sacramento, California. Webber is the California’s first Black Secretary of State. (Robert Maryland | California Black Media)

L to R: Pat Fong Kushida, president and CEO Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon Esq. Chairman of the Californa African American Chamber of Commerce and Julian Cañete serves as the President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.

Features

Lack of Access to COVID-19 Treatments Plagues Black Patients

By Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media

With the celebrations of the holidays behind us – and as we enter the coldest months of the year -- Medical experts are warning of a winter surge of COVID-19 cases. They expect the spike in infections to be accompanied by waves of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the common flu. Access to care and treatment are crucial in the battle to minimize the damage this triple threat could cause, they say.

After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment options available to the public have expanded significantly.

However, consistent with trends associated with this pandemic, access to these treatments have been harder to come by for communities of color.

According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), 37% of White people with COVID-19 symptoms received treatment compared to 20% of Black people who received care.

Part of this issue is associated with the increase in virtual assistance in medical matters following the need for

social distancing.

The disparity in access to telehealth services correlates with the disparity in internet access – a phenomenon referred to as the digital divide.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey data shows that 17% of Black households are without access to the Internet.

During a video press conference on COVID treatments, Dr. Rita Nguyen, California Assistant Health Officer and Director of Population Health at CDPH, said, “The CDC demonstrated what we expected would happen. Anytime something new comes on the market, communities of color have disproportionately low access.”

Also participating in the video press conference, Dr. Oliver Brooks, chief medical officer of the Watts Healthcare Corporation in Los Angeles suggested the access problem might be due to inadequate outreach to the community.

“Treatment doesn’t work if you don’t take it or get offered it,” said Brooks. “So, as a person you need to advocate, you need to know about treatments and then say, ‘If I tested positive, do I take this pill or do I take something?’”

There are compounding factors that contribute to dis-

parities, such as personal finances and education.

But Brooks made the point that these disparities persist for African Americans regardless of such factors.

“Studies show that when you factor out income, education, where someone lives and employment, African Americans still have higher rates of everything bad and lower rates of everything good,” said Brooks. “It is not just social determinants of health that lead to adverse outcomes for African Americans, it is institutional racism.”

According to Brooks, this is not unique to COVID-19 treatment. It is indicative of a larger issue Black people have to overcome in dealing with the healthcare system.

“It has also been shown that African American patients are less likely to be given pain medicine when they go to the ER,” said Brooks, offering an example of a disparity apparent in another type of case.

Californians in rural areas are also less likely to have access to the proper treatments.

As is the case with other groups, people in rural areas struggle with access to telehealth services. Some of the new treatments available are the antivirals

Paxlovid, Molnupiravir and Remdesivir.

Paxlovid, offered for free, must be started within the first five days after symptoms begin.

Molnupiravir, Paxlovid’s alternative, is also free and must be started within the first five days after symptoms start.

Both of these antivirals are available to those who are undocumented or without health insurance.

Remdesivir, however, is not free.

It is administered via infusions and must be started within seven days of when symptoms begin.

Anyone 12 and over with symptoms are eligible for COVID-19 treatments and are encouraged to speak with their doctors.

Experts advise people to test as soon as they have symptoms.

“Don’t wait till the illness gets worse,” said Nguyen.

“If you start feeling a runny nose, cough, or generally not like yourself, act fast and take a COVID test. If you test positive, seek treatment right away.”

To combat healthcare disparities on an individual basis, Brooks urges patients to advocate for themselves.

Tony Thurmond Starts Second Term as State Addresses Educational Inequity

By Max Elramsisy

Thurmond oversees the education of 6 million PreK12 students in over one thousand public school districts across California.

Although SPI is a non-partisan office, Thurmond drew support from many of the state’s top Democrats in his bid for re-election, including from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and several members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. He was also endorsed by unions across the state, including the California Federation of Teachers and California Teachers Association.

United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona performed the ceremonial swearing in of Thurmond, who then reflected on his path to the office. The son of a Panamanian immigrant mother and Vietnam veteran father, who did not return to his family after the war – Thurmond and his brother were raised by their cousin and relied on public assistance programs and public schools to make it out of poverty.

“I am standing on the shoulders of those relatives who struggle and sacrifice so that we could have a better life,” Thurmond said after he was sworn in. “It was the sacrifices of teachers and classified staff and childcare workers and school administrators who make it possible for me to stand here today as your public servant fighting for 6 million students in the great state of California.”

Thurmond’s first term coincided with one of the most tumultuous periods in California’s history -- a time, he says, that brought with it many unforeseen challenges.

“We all watched it together. The lives lost and impacted and disrupted by the pandemic,” Thurmond said before pointing out other cultural, social and political de-

velopments the country endured as the COVID-19 crisis intensified.

“The killing of George Floyd, fighting hate against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, racism targeted directly to African American families, anti-Semitism, the mistreatment of Latino families, immigrant families, we have seen so much hate all in such a short period of time that we would move into a pandemic and find out that, in a state with all the wealth that we have in California, that a million students could be without a computer,” Thurmond added. “That is the most important thing that they needed to be connected in those early days through remote learning.”

Thurmond says his administration stepped up to address challenges presented by the pandemic.

“We know that the impact this has had clearly affected student proficiency levels where they are now compared to where they were a few years before the pandemic and of course, a deep, deep impact on the mental health of our students and our families,” he said.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in depression and anxiety and hospitalizations for children and it has been difficult for them,” Thurmond continued. “But our children are more than the sum of their circumstances. They’ve demonstrated their resiliency, and they’re on the path to recovery, and we’re going to help them with that because we just secured enough money to recruit 10,000 counselors for our schools in the state of California.”

The addition of counselors is good news for teachers across the state seeking resources to help their students recover and develop in areas outside of academics where school also plays a crucial role for many students. “I was very excited when superintendent Thurman said that there would be 10,000 counselors coming to the school sites because we need that. The emotional health of our students, that is important, that is very important,” said elementary school math teacher and Cali-

fornia Teacher of the Year award recipient Bridgette Don- ald-Blue to California Black Media.

The SPI does not have any legislative role. But Thurmond, who served in the California State Assembly for two terms, sponsored or endorsed several legislative initiatives that may have a profound effect on the future of education in California and the role that schools play to meet the social and emotional needs of students to provide a positive learning environment.

Thurmond says, beginning in the 2022–23 school year, the California Universal School Meal Program will help all students to reach their full academic potential by providing a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch at no charge for all children each school day regardless of individual eligibility.

Thurmond also has initiatives to combat inequities in the school system including universal preschool for 4-yearolds regardless of background, race, zip code, immigration status, or income level. He also launched the Black Student Achievement Taskforce to help quantify the impacts systemic and institutional racism have had on Black students in California.

Thurmond points out that he sponsored legislation to increase funding to the lowest performing students, ban suspension and expulsions in preschools, and secured $90 million for suspensions and chronic absenteeism programming.

“I know the impacts of what happens when our students don’t learn to read by third grade. Sadly, they end up dropping out in many cases and in the criminal justice system, and we’re going to change the narrative and flip the script. We’re going to educate, not incarcerate our kids.” Thurmond repeated a pledge for today’s kindergarteners to be able to read by third grade,” he said.

Recently, some education advocates pointed out that there has been a reported wave of retirements and disincentives that have led to an unprecedented teacher shortage

across the nation. In response, Thurmond says he is creating new incentives to draw qualified people into the school system to help students, especially those who are of color. “We’re offering scholarships for anyone who wants to become a teacher. $20,000,” Thurmond told California Black Media. “I sponsored a bill, HB 520, that was focused on how we get more male educators of color. And that bill turned into funding in the state budget. That now means our residency programs can be used to help have male educators of color as part of the beneficiaries of that program.”

Pan African Film & Arts Fest Seeks Volunteers

By Ricky Richardson Contributing Writer

(Los Angeles, CA)- Volunteers for the 31st Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), are sought for February 2023. The festival is returning with in-person films and events from February 9-20, 2023, in Los Angeles at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills and XD Theatre and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

Volunteers enjoy the benefits of free unlimited access to all of the films, panels, and events, based on availability. Oftentimes, volunteers have the opportunity to network and meet amazing people in the filmmaking industry---including celebrities!

Applications are being accepted now at https:// www.paff.org and potential volunteers are encouraged to get their application in quickly.

PAFF requests volunteers to assists with in-person roles at the largest Black film festival in the country. These roles include ticketing, ushers, the red carpet, and more!

Volunteer orientation will take place 10:00am in the Community Room at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Saturday, January 21st, Saturday, January 28th, and Saturday, February 4, 2023. To learn more about PAFF, please visit https://www.paff.org.

Hold onto your seats and your popcorn! The reels are ready to roll. Festival organizers are excited to once again bring Black creatives, executives, and Black culture enthusiasts together in the heart of Black Los Angeles for 12 days for what is the largest Black History Month celebration in America. You are cordially invited to come and

PAFF screenings will take place at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills XD Theatre, while PAFF’s unparalleled Black fine arts festival will return to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

Each year, thousands of film and art enthusiasts attend PAFF including some of today’s top actors, directors, producers, and executives, many who have gone on to win our industry’s top honors including the Golden Globes, Emmys and Oscars. PAFF is a designated Academy Awards Short Film Qualifier.

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival was established in 1992 by Hollywood veterans Danny glover (the Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), the late Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”), and Ayuko Babu (Executive Director). Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the United States and attracts locals, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

You can check off items on your bucket list or fulfill one of your new year’s resolutions, please visit and bookmark https://www.paff.org to find out more about the film and arts festival as well as to purchase tickets.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond with Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019. That Thurmond appears to face a runoff in November indicates a deep level of dissatisfaction with the state of California’s schools.(Rich Pedroncelli/ Associated Press)

California Black Media

State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office to begin his second term on Jan. 7 at a ceremony conducted at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles.

enjoy nearly 200 films and beautiful artwork created by over 70 artists, craftsmen, and unique vendors which tell

narratives of Africa, Black America, Black Latin America, blacks in Europe and Asia and throughout the diaspora.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis Defeats Hector Garcia in Washington D.C.

By Damarus Stephens Voice of the Fans

(Washington, D.C.)- Gervonta “Tank” Davis performing in his first fight since leaving Mayweather and TMT, was nothing different than before. Davis delivered yet another power message to the rest of his current division. Some were labeling this fight a tune up to the real Garcia a.k.a Ryan Garcia. Still Hector Garcia proved to be a worthy tune-up if you want to label him as such. Garcia came into this fight undefeated as well and looking to make a name for himself. However Davis proved his power will carry him through many fighters. Davis is also great at adjusting over the course of a fight to set up his knockouts. Many wondered if Garcia would be able to shock the world as he did earlier this year over previously unbeaten Chris Colbert. Early on Garcia “the Android” attempted to keep distance and try to catch Davis with counter shots. For most of the early rounds Davis implemented a peek-aboo style as he tried to press into Garcia. Things began to get interesting in the 6th and 7th rounds as both fighters began to land shots. Towards the end of the 8th round Davis landed a beautiful thunderous combination doing some serious damage to his opponent. Garcia did not answer the bell at the request of his corner due to missing vision in his right eye. 19,731 piled into Washington DC’s Capital One Arena to see a “Tank” knockout but will have to settle for

the T.K.O. instead. As for Davis’s next fight he is very confident that it will be Ryan Garcia and says “no more talking it’s time to fight now”.

“A little surprised he didn’t come out. But I knew he was hurt bad but he’s a fighter and he didn’t want to show it,” said the undefeated Davis. “I knew he was hurt though.”

“When I got the shot to my head in the (eighth) final round, that’s when I couldn’t see from my eye. I didn’t know where I was when he hit me with that shot,” Garcia said.

“My vision is back but my head still hurts. I couldn’t see from my right eye,” Garcia added.

“His southpaw style bothered me a little bit because I don’t fight a lot of southpaws but it’s okay; it’s a part of the game,” Davis added.

“God willing I’m ready for the fight (with Ryan Garcia). It’s scheduled for April,” said Davis about his immediate future. “I’m here. He’s been training. He’s been talking. And let’s see who’s really about that.”

Tonight’s fight card was loaded with young talent. In the co main event I did not get the show I expected from Jeron “Boots” Ennis. Prior to tonight’s fight the Ennis team submitted a request to the IBF to order a mandatory match against current undefeated champ Errol Spence. I’m not so sure this win will help his case as a worthy contender

to Spence. However it might also encourage opponents to stop avoiding Jeron according to his trainer after the fight.

Karen Chukhadzhan representing the Ukraine proved to be a pesky opponent and was not gonna let this be an easy outing for Ennis. “Boots” looked to establish his jab and close the distance as his opponent tried to stay away from the puncher through most of the fight. Chukhadzhan was even able to catch Ennis at times, something you don’t normally see. Ennis was able to get the unanimous decision though thru his constant pressure and landing more clean shots. In the post fight presser I was able to as Jeron how it felt to have his first piece of hardware. “It feels great, you know it’s something to look forward to in the future getting the real thing” Ennis said, “its a great experience to have a belt and I appreciate the IBF and Showtime and everyone else to allow me to fight for the belt”.

The PPV broadcast kicked off in the super middleweight division. First bout featured Demetrius “BooBoo” Andrade, making his debut at this weight and Demond Nicholson. Andrade scored a knock down in the 2nd round but then went down himself in the 5th but was not ruled a knockdown by the ref as it appeared to be a tangling of feet. Andrade appeared to score another knockdown to end the 7th but the ref  ruled another slip.”BooBoo” got another knockdown in the 10th and final round on his way to a unanimous decision.

In a welterweight eliminator, undefeated Rashidi Ellis took on once beaten Roiman Villa. Ellis played the retreat role as Villa continuously stalked him thru the first half of the fight. Ellis was still first to throw forcing Villa to be a pressing counter puncher. Villa’s strategy started to work for him in the latter rounds as he began to land uppercuts and looping hooks. Villa scored two knockdowns in the 12th and final round, shocking the sellout crowd in Capital One Arena. Ellis built a comfortable lead in the earlier rounds but it was not enough to overcome the late knockdowns and he lost a controversial unanimous 12 round decision.

Kicking off the action tonight on the under-card was female lightweight Mia “Killer Bee” Ellis scored a first round TKO after Karen Dulin got up from 1st  knockdown. Jalil “Major” Hackett got a 1st round KO as well finishing off Joel Guevara after 1st knockdown. Third fight goes the distance with Kyrone Davis getting the unanimous decision win over Christian Fabian Rios. Two time champ Lamont Peterson suffered a 4th round TKO at the hands of Mike “Hurricane” Ogundo. Keshawn Williams scored a unanimous decision over Gustavo David Vittori. Super welterweight Treyvon “Sniper” Marshall scored a 1st rd TKO over Shawn West. Brandun Lee stops Deigo Luquae in the 4th rd. Vito Mielnicki; Jr got a 4th round TKO over Omar Rosales.

College Football Playoff Assist Morningside High

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and the 2023 College Football Playoff (CFP) Los Angeles Host Committee will unveil a new eSports Lab at Morningside High School in Inglewood. The new learning lab, designed by School Specialty, features new technology and resources, including new gaming stations, a judges’ station, viewing areas for spectators, and a teaching area.

Research shows students participating in eSports programs learn teamwork and collaboration, while building STEM, technical and business skills.

Morningside High School’s new eSports lab is one of many Los Angeles area Extra Yard Makeovers in the works through November 2023.

The CFP Foundation is the community-engagement arm of the College Football Playoff, supporting education across the country. The CFP Foundation’s primary

cause platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment, and professional development. The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard)

Georgia Proves They are “Top Dawgs”

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer

There was a lot of hype as it should be and a lot of hope for both Georgia and TCU in the College Football Playoff. There were Ads and billboards all around So Cal, an influx of fans from Georgia and TCU and many who were just fans.

What they saw was a Georgia team as Dominate as any National Champion come away with a 65-7 win.    Heisman finalist Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the first half as to become the first team to win consecutive College Football Playoff national championships.

The Bulldogs (15-0) became the first repeat champs since Alabama went back-to-back a decade ago and left no doubt that they have replaced the Crimson Tide as the new big timers on the block.

The Horned frogs (13-2), the first Cinderella team of

the playoff era, only had a few moments of hope against the Bulldogs. Trailing 10-0 Max Duggan hit Derius Davis for a with a sixty-yard pass and three plays later Duggan took it in from the two-yard line for the only score of the night. DAVIS had 5 catches on the night for 100 yards. Unlike Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal, the Bulldogs would have it “going on” throughout the night.

The Georgia rout brought back memories one sided title games that decided a National Champion such as: Nebraska running over Florida by 38 in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, USC’s 36-point rout of Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl and Alabama’s 28-point BCS championship blowout over Notre Dame in 2013.

The ultimate tight end Brock Bowers had seven catches for 152 yards. Receiver Ladd McConkey caught two TDs and the Bulldogs ran for 254 yards with seven players gaining at least 10.

Emari Demercado rushed for 62 yards on14 carries. The former Downey high and Saddleback College stand-

out had the best game of his career by  rushing for 150 yards including a 69 yarder and TD in the Fiesta Bowl against Michigan. The Senior talked about how he made it to the title game.

“I think it’s a credit to the work ethic that my high school coach put in me just to be able to make it to this point,” Demercado said. “There’s a lot of moments where I could have given up, but knowing what I’m capable of, knowing what I could do, that’s what’s taken me here.”  Right after the game everything is about next year already.

According to Doug Kezirian ESPN Sports Betting Insider-”We still think they’re going to be the best team in the

best conference. They’re going to lose [Stetson] Bennett, but Bama is going to lose [Bryce] Young,” generated 16.7 million viewers. The ultimate college football contest didn’t fare a whole lot better.

According to  Sports Business Journal, Monday night’s game between Georgia and TCU, a 65-7 blowout in which the Bulldogs could have scored 100 if they wanted, drew only 17.2 million viewers across the various ESPN platforms that televised the game. That’s down from 22.5 million for last year’s Georgia-Alabama title game. It’s dramatically lower than the Ohio State and Oregon game that capped the 2014 season. That one racked up 33.9 million viewers.

(Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/ Showtime)

(Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/ Showtime)

Watts Area Ministers Celebrated the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Ricky Richardson

honoring

The

Several leaders in the faith community and the political arena participated in the program. Rev. Dennis More-

True

Councilmanic District, and Assemblyman Mike Gipson, 64th Assembly District.

A moment of Silence and Commemoration was held to honor the life and labor of founders of Watts Area Ministers, Rev. Dr. Reginald A. Pope and others.

Entertainment

Pastor

LOS ANGELES — The

January 16, 2023. This year’s theme is: “America, the Best Hope of the World.” As America’s largest Martin Luther King celebration, the parade, featuring floats, a queen and royal court, elected officials, local high school and college marching bands, will march along a three-mile route, starting at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Western Avenue and ending near the new Leimert Park subway station. Local residents will be able to watch all the festivities either in person along the parade route or live on ABC7, beginning at 11 a.m. PDT. The parade will also be live-streamed world-wide on KingdomDayParade.org. BlueShield is the presenting sponsor of the Kingdom Day Parade.

“With messages of equality for all amplified during Dr. King’s birthday, George Fatheree is a natural pick as the grand marshal for the parade, given not only his recent historic victory in the  Bruce’s Beach case and a host of other similar cases,” said Dr. Adrian Dove, chairman of COREC.A. Kingdom Day Parade.

Fatheree was a former partner with Munger, Tolles & Olson when he decided to launch the pro bono case of Bruce’s Beach. Now a partner at the Sidley Austin LLP — one of the country’s leading strategic legal advisers representing investors, developers and lenders in a wide array of large and complex commercial real estate transactions — he brought the case of Bruce’s Beach into the national spotlight,  intensifying the conversation of trans-generational

Pastor Taylor introduced the Keynote Speaker, Assemblyman Mike Gipson, 64th Assembly District, who delivered a powerful and uplifting speech. Pastor Archie Arline, Greater Antioch BC gave the Closing Prayer.

This wonderful Martin Luther King Jr., Celebration, presented by Watts Area Ministers concluded with a reception of light refreshments.

Watts Area Ministers is a group of ministers who serve in the Watts area. Our motto is “Committed to Christ and to the concerns of the community. We are a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status.

city of Manhattan

Calif. and created their own hospitality business called Bruce’s Beach. The venue drew a successful clientele of Black vacationers from across the United States. When attempts by neighbors to force them out of business failed, the City of Manhattan Beach resorted to taking the property from them. In 1924, officials did so under the false pretenses of building a park, claiming eminent domain, which is frequently invoked for public infrastructure changes that disproportionately impacts minority land owners.

Fatheree’s team at his prior firm first helped review Senate Bill 796 — authored by Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Gardena) — new state legislation that was passed in California during the summer of 2021, specifically written to pave the way for Los Angeles County to return this land to the Bruce family. In signing the bill into law on September 30, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom stated that he hoped the bill would inspire similar legislation to help other Black families like the Bruces, who are still struggling to recover, financially and emotionally, from the devastating impact of racially-motivated displacement. Last July, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at the behest of Supervisor Janice Hahn officially turned the deed for the land over to the Bruce family.

California is leading the national conversation on righting the systemic wrongs done to Blacks since slavery, which set in motion the American apartheid policies of

today.  From the historic return of Bruce’s Beach to the descendants of Charles and Willa Bruce -- valued at $20 million -- to the reparations case of Palm Spring’s Section 14 to the state’s first-of-its kind Reparations Task Force, strides are being made in the national conversation of returning stolen land back to its rightful owners of  African Americans and their descendants. And thanks to Fatheree, Bruce’s Beach became a touchstone case for the state, country and world, shining a global spotlight on the case for reparations.

IN THE SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR In the season of recognizing social justice and the spirit of Dr. King, Dr. Dove hopes the celebration of Dr. King’s birthday and the Kingdom Day Parade can serve as a reset button for the city to heal from the embarrassing and racist remarks revealed in an audio leak from Los Angeles city Council members and a labor leader. “We have to get pass this,” said Dr. Dove. “In this racial environment, more than ever, Black and Brown people must work together on racial and social inequality, affecting both our underserved communities.”

ABOUT CORE-COHORT ALLIANCE The CORE-C.A. Kingdom Day Parade is the signature event for the Congress of Racial Equality CORE-Cohort Alliance (CORE-C.A.). CORE-C.A. is a successor to the original Chicago-based civil rights organization, CORE, founded in 1942 by the late James Farmer and a group of Quaker pacifists to launch an aggressive assault on nationwide racial inequality during World War II. Its mission is “to bring about equality for all people regardless of so-called

race, creed, sexual

The organization had a pivotal role in the non- violence campaign of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Dove is a graduate of Compton High School and Harvard University, and worked directly for Dr. King in Southern voter registration for Black citizens in Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina.  For nearly a decade, he served as a career professional in the White House Office of Management and Budget as a management analyst and senior budget examiner. During his White House OMB tenure, Dr. Dove served under four Presidents — that is, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter. Throughout his career, he’s also had a chance to work with such iconic figures as civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and five-term Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. Dr. Dove is also a Korean War-Era Army veteran and former parole officer in Watts and East Los Angeles. While serving as a state employment service officer after the 1965 uprising in Watts, he authored the first reverse culturally-bias IQ Test that was passed by Blacks, and failed by whites. For the past 10 years he has been the executive producer of the televised Kingdom Day Parade.

Watts Area Ministers, Pastor Robert Taylor, (4th from right), Assemblyman Mike Gipson, (2nd from right), and Councilman Tim McOsker, (2nd from left) (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Pastor Robert Taylor, President, Watts Area Ministers, (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Assemblyman Mike Gipson, 64th District (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Contributing Writer (Watts, CA)- Clouds gave way for another beautiful, sunny day in the greater Los Angeles region. An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr., Shopping Center, 103rd Street and Compton Avenue. The Watts Area Ministers presented the annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration, Saturday, January 7, 2023.

The celebration in Watts was the first of many events

and celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the upcoming days throughout Los Angeles and across the nation.

program was held near the monument dedicated to Dr. King, erected by artist Charles Dickson. This year’s theme “Holding Up The Holiness of The Dream” Judges 7:15.

Everfaithful MBC served as Master of Ceremony. Invocation by Pastor Marvis Davis, New Saint Rest BC. Min. Tyree LaRue on keyboards led the crowd in performing Negro National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Pastor W. Charles Harris., Village BC welcome the crowd to the commemorative celebration.

was provided by Pastor Robert Arline, thrilling the crowd with an original tune “Lord, You Have Been Good to Me,” and “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine” later in the program.

Robert Taylor, President, Watts Area Ministers acknowledged and recognized civic officials in attendance, Tim McOsker, Los Angeles City Councilmember, 15th

Kingdom Day Parade is back on its regular schedule after the COVID interruptions with distinguished Attorney George C. Fatheree III as grand marshal. It will kick off this year on Monday,

wealth in Black families.

ABOUT BRUCE’S BEACH Charles and Willa Bruce were a young Black couple who, in 1912, bought land in the

Beach,

orientation.” Along with the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), CORE immediately became one of the big three organizations in the Civil Rights Movement that changed America in the 20th Century, and pioneered the non-violence revolutionary movement. CORE also initiated the Freedom Rides and the sit ins of the 1940s and 1950s.