News Observer The Valley’s
Volume 35 Number 41
Serving the San Fernando Valley for Over 35 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Rams Donald is Making Himself Right at Home
Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald (99) made himself right at home in the new SoFi Stadium. (Photo- Ramswire)
By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Some years ago if you went to a Boston Celtics practice you would see the entire team practicing in the gym together with the exception of one. They would practice together on the court running offensive plays, working on defensive drills, and scrimmaging rehearsing game situations. On a side court by himself would be 13-time NBA Champion, Hall of Famer Bill Russell. There was a simple reason for this. If they let Russell play with the rest of the team he’d block all the shots, get all the rebounds and score all of the points. Thus the team could get nothing accomplished when he was on the floor. Last weekend when the Rams had their first inter-squad scrimmage at the spanking brand new SoFi Stadium Aaron Donald took over. Shortly after walking on to the field in the new Rams royal blue uniform he would bounce around the field doing knee lifts and sprints getting the feel of the turf. He then looked upward and admired the 70,000 seats, the Oculus videoboard, and the architect of the magnificent venue. He smiled absorbing the moment. When the scrimmage began Donald made his presence felt. On running plays he met the ball carrier whether it was veterans Malcom Brown or Darrell Henderson. He even caused the rookie Cam Akers to fumble early on. Donald tossed the o-lineman around like they were ragdolls. He had two sacks and who knows how many quarterback hurries. As a part of the HBO ‘Hard Knocks’ series you could see a shirtless Donald working out in the weightroom and it was confirmed he is the only person in sports with an eight-pack for abs. Depending how this year goes it could be a renaming of sorts. How about ‘DONALD FIELD” at SoFi Stadium. After the two-hour RAMS practice coach Sean McVay was asked, “Did anybody stand out to you today?” His reply, “Yes Aaron Donald, he’s the best there is and he keeps getting better.”
Choice of Harris Praised by Many By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior National Correspondent Amelia Ashley Ward, publisher of San Francisco’s Sun Reporter newspaper, could hardly contain her emotions when Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was announced as the running mate for Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden. “I cried,” said Ward, who has remained close friends with Sen. Harris for more than two decades. “I know that she is qualified, and she is for the people,” Ward proclaimed. “I’ve always felt that God had a little something special for her.” Marcela Howell, the president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Reproductive Justice Agenda, called Sen. Harris highly qualified with a proven record of fighting for human and civil rights. “As a Black woman born to immigrant parents, Sen. Harris understands, personally, how devastatingly unjust the Trump-Pence administration’s attacks on our most basic rights have been. She knows how it feels and what it means to be targeted because of race, gender, and national origin,” Howell stated. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called Biden’s selection of Sen. Harris a “defining moment.” “Sen. Kamala Harris, as the first vice-presidential candidate of a major political party, breaks down one of these barriers in historic proportions,” Johnson declared. “This announcement is even more powerful as it comes at a time when Black Americans face dueling threats – a global health crisis and ingrained racism. This moment is long overdue.” Back in the Bay area, Ashley Ward said most people are thrilled and proud that their native daughter can lead America’s future. “I believe many of us will work overtime to help elect President Biden and Vice President Harris,” Ashley Ward said. “I believe once elected November 3, Vice President Harris will work alongside President Biden to immediately put this country back on track. She is no stranger to controversy, and she certainly is not afraid of working to
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Police Shooting of Jacob Blake
DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement in response to yesterday’s horrific police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin: “A bullet in the back. A knee on the neck. When will it end? Yet again, our nation is hurting. Yet again, Black communities are hurting. Our hearts go out to Jacob Blake and his family as we pray for his recovery. Sadly, we know he is not the first to be viciously gunned down by law enforcement. He is one of countless Black Americans who have suffered at the hands of bigotry with a badge. When I was assistant attorney general for civil rights during the first term of the ObamaBiden administration, we worked tirelessly to change the culture of police departments from Seattle to New Orleans to Puerto Rico. This administration has refused to continue that work and has been downright hostile to progress. We need meaningful action and accountability to end police brutality and racial injustice – for Jacob Blake, for George Floyd, for Breonna Taylor, and for so many others. So long as Black men and women cannot breathe, we cannot rest.”
Kanye West Short on Signatures
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia’s secretary of state says rapper Kanye West’s bid to get on the ballot for president came up short on qualified signatures. Secretary of State Mac Warner’s office told media outlets Friday that West needed 7,144 signatures from registered voters in West Virginia. West submitted 15,000 signatures, but only 13,865 were legible, and only 6,383 were confirmed West Virginia registered voters, according to Secretary of State spokesperson Mike Queen. State law requires the secretary of state to certify the ballot by Tuesday. Elsewhere, Wisconsin election officials on Thursday decided to keep West off the ballot because his nomination papers were turned in moments after the deadline. He has qualified in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Utah. West announced a presidential bid in July, saying he’s seeking the nation’s highest office on a ticket he calls the “Birthday Party.” West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states. Democrats claim Republicans are pushing West’s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. West, who once backed Republican President Donald Trump, announced last month that he had broken with Trump and would launch his own presidential bid.
Mural Highlights Dolly’s BLM Quote
make the country better.” In recent weeks, supporters of the president and many in the GOP have ramped up attacks against Sen. Harris and the other Black women considered by Biden. In an open letter by nearly 700 Black women leaders, the attacks were roundly denounced. “Black women are many things. We are business
executives, political strategists, and elected officials, philanthropists, and activists,” the letter, circulated throughout the media and posted to various social media accounts, read. Continued on page A2
Bill Wants to Force Food Delivery Apps to Get
Restaurants’ Approval First
Tanu Henry California Black Media Jonathan Burgess co-owns Burgess Brothers with his twin brother Matthew. It is a popular American bistroslash-barbecue restaurant and food supply company based in Sacramento. Locals treasure them for their delicious waffles; handcrafted gourmet barbecue sauce; sweet and spicy smoked sausages; among other
Free!
specialties. The African American entrepreneur says small familyowned businesses like his are tempted by what digital food delivery services might offer them: A broader customer base and online advertising on highly trafficked apps. But that exposure comes with a crippling cost. “There’s only like a very thin 5% profit margin for most small restaurants. It’s simple math. If you give Uber, Doordash or one of the others a nice chunk of that, it just doesn’t work out for you.” Burgess says food delivery services should offer special rates for mom and pop shops that are lower than what they charge chain restaurants. Those corporationowned eateries typically buy their ingredients wholesale at much lower costs and they can make up for losses on delivery fees by what they make in volume. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) has written a bill to address the challenges food delivery apps have posed for small restaurants like Burgess’s across California. When the chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and Latino Caucus introduced Assembly Bill 2149, the Fair Food Delivery Act in February, she did not know the COVID-19 pandemic would shutter restaurants across California, and around the world, about a month later. Now, more than five months since the World Health Organization declared the international health crisis a
global pandemic, more Americans than ever, faced with limited dining-out options, are relying on food delivery apps to purchase meals from restaurants. Grubhub, one app-based food delivery service, reports that it has more than 27 million active users and its orders have increased by over 32% over the last year. But Gonzales says those large tech companies like Grubhub and its competitors Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates and others -- all of them earn billions of dollars each year -- take advantage of small struggling restaurants when they deliver those eateries’ food without their consent or an agreement. “When food delivery companies take advantage of small mom and pop restaurants by delivering their food without permission, it can damage the customer’s experience and the restaurant’s reputation,” Gonzalez said, adding that food delivery companies have created “significant disruption” in the food service business. If passed, AB 2149 would require all food delivery companies in California to get the “express written consent of a food facility before delivering the business’ food,” according to a statement Gonzalez’s office released. “This bill will put the power back in the hands of small restaurant owners by ensuring they have agreed to the delivery arrangement beforehand,” Gonzalez continued. Continued on page A2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tourists are flocking to Nashville to see a new mural of Dolly Parton that celebrates her position on Black Lives Matter. Mural artist Kim Radford had already decided to paint the mural of the country music icon on the side of a local music club called The 5 Spot, which was made famous for being one of the many filming locations for the TV show “Nashville.” But as she was finishing the mural, Radford saw an article from Billboard in which Parton said she supported the Black Lives Matter movement, saying “Of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white (expletive) are the only ones that matter?” So Radford quickly added the quote to the top of the mural, replacing part of the curse word with butterflies and soon enough, pictures started spreading on social media. The mural features cascading waves of Parton’s signature high-volume blond hair surrounded by butterflies and wildflowers. “I looked at her quote in particular and it was so sassy and a sensitive comment about something’s that got a lot of friction in the air right now,” said Radford. “And she just treated it just like Dolly does: lovingly. And it was just perfect.” The mural features cascading waves of Parton’s signature high-volume blond hair surrounded by butterflies and wildflowers. “I wanted it to be a real display of an icon, fun, bright, artistic way,” said Radford. “It’s a representation of an icon that Americans and really people across the globe are really proud to know and love her music.” Now less than a week old, the mural has become a hot spot for tourists visiting Music City to get a selfie. Radford herself got stopped by Dolly fans in front of the mural to pose for pictures. “I’ve had fans reach out from as far as Dubai,” said Radford. “A lot of women. And I have to say, 95% super positive.”
Black Joy Project Adapted into Book
NEW YORK (AP) – The author and educator Kleaver Cruz has traveled the world asking the same question: “What does Black joy mean to you?’’ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media announced Monday that Cruz has adapted his “Black Joy Project” into a book of the same name. “Black Joy Project,’’ which does not yet have a release date, will combine images and essays into what Cruz has called the vital use of joy as a path to resistance. “There is a necessity in expressing and naming Black joy as a practice towards liberation and I want it for all Black people around the world,’’ Cruz said in a statement. The Black Joy Project dates back to 2015 when Cruz felt overwhelmed by “Black death and pain,’’ as he writes on his website kleavercruz.com. He made a vow that for 30 days he would use social media to post images of Black joy. He now has thousands of Facebook and Instagram followers, and his work has been highlighted in Vibe and Huffington Post among other publications. Houghton senior editor Rakia Clark said in a statement that she was excited to “focus on joy as an ever-present but under-acknowledged force in the struggle for social justice and to help shepherd a necessary addition into the current canon of books on race.’’ “What I love about The Black Joy Project is that it doesn’t shy away from any activist movements or from difficult conversations; it offers another way to access them. It shows activism as more than suffering,’’ she said.