Valley's News Observer 9.16.21

Remembering Tupac: Las Vegas Killing Unsolved After 25 years

Rockin’ the Blues at the 8th Annual Lawndale Blues Festival

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News Observer Page A8

The Valley’s

Volume 36 Number 44

Serving the San Fernando Valley for Over 36 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

After Winning Recall Election, Newsom Says “ ’

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Lets Get Back to Work

”

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media It looks like Gov. Gavin Newsom will remain in the office he won in 2018 after he secured an insurmountable lead in votes counted so far in Tuesday’s gubernatorial recall election.

Several media outlets projected shortly before midnight Tuesday that the attempt to remove Newsom from office failed.

About an hour after thanking Californians for keeping him in office, Newsom tweeted, “Now, let’s get back to work.”

Larry Elder, a conservative Republican Los Angelesbased talk show host, who was the leading candidate vying to remove Newsom from office conceded the race. A total of 46 candidates were on the ballot to replace Newsom.

“Let’s be gracious in defeat,” Elder said after the results started pouring in and it was obvious he had no chance of winning. “We may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war.”

According to preliminary results, just under 65% of the voters have said “no” to recalling Newsom in the special election that is estimated to have cost California taxpayers $276 million. With about 67 % of all votes counted so far, only a little over 35% voted yes on the recall.

Reactions on social media included the following: Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo), Assembly Speaker pro Tem tweeted, “A $276 million waste just to reaffirm 2018’s results with an election coming in 2022. The CA recall process must be reformed including elevating the Lt. Guv in the event of a recall. But to avoid partisan Continued on page A6

(Shutterstock Photo)

Jobs, Mental Health, Gun Violence:

Leaders Discuss Helping Black Men and Boys Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media The California Assembly’s Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color held a meeting last month that brought legislators face-to-face with community organizers to discuss investing in African American and other youth of color in a “post-pandemic California.”

Introducing the various panelists, Committee Chair Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), who is a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, spoke about the bipartisan nature of the committee’s goals.

He said people from different backgrounds and political perspectives reach agreement when talking about the plight of youth of color because their conversations are based on hard numbers.

In California, per capita, Black men and boys are incarcerated more than any other group; are unhoused more than any other group; are affected by gun violence more than any other group; and in public schools, Black children’s standardized test scores fall only above children with disabilities.

“One of the things that brings both sides of the aisle together is data. What we would like to see is either internal audits or accountability measures to show that your numbers are not only successful but you’re keeping data over a period of time showing your success rate,”

(Shutterstock Photo)

Jones-Sawyer said.

Committee vice-chair Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), a Republican, agreed with this assertion.

“I am looking forward to the instruction that we’re

going to get today,” Lackey said. “This is a part of our population that deserves the attention and a much stronger effort than has been displayed in the past.”

The first topic discussed during this meeting was gun violence, as panelists towed the line between cracking down on gun violence and preventing the over-policing of communities of color.

“How can we do this without returning to a punitive approach that grows the prisons, the jails and the criminalization of our community without achieving the public safety we so desire,” asked the Rev. Michael McBride who is known in the Bay Area as “Pastor Mike.” McBride is a social justice advocate and the National Director for Urban Strategies/LIVE FREE Campaign with the Faith in Action Network.

The meeting was an opportunity for participants representing community-based organizations to share ideas with legislators with the hope of influencing their decisionmaking.

As of 2019, California had the 7th lowest firearm mortality rate in the country. But with the state’s large population of almost 40 million people – the largest in the country -- that still equated to 2,945 deaths that year.

“As everyone knows, there are probably too many guns in too many people’s hands who should never probably

Continued on page A2

Congresswoman Lauds Black Press Ahead of Receiving Prestigious Award

“From the incredible writers in St. Louis to the journalists pushing for equality abroad, I am deeply honored to be in the company of such dedicated individuals who lead our campaign for a better future for every human being, starting with those who have the least,” said Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO).

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent As the clock ticked down on the federal eviction moratorium and jeopardized the shelter and well-being of so many Americans, Congresswoman Cori Bush boldly acted.

The Missouri Democrat, who had once experienced homelessness herself, camped out on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

On full display with a bright sleeping bag and nothing else to protect her from the elements, Congresswoman Bush made her point: she closely identified with those experiencing homelessness and those who were about to because of the moratorium expiration.

Her act of self-sacrifice isn’t the only thing that defines the Congresswoman, who sits as the first woman to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District and the first activist from the Black Lives Matter Movement elected to the U.S. Congress.

The Congresswoman sits as vice-chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Additionally, Congresswoman Bush is a member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy and the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment.

The 2020 “Black Rep’s Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Award” winner, Congresswoman Bush, will receive the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) 2021 National Leadership Award.

Each year, the NNPA recognizes courageous Americans that have impacted the nation and world in positive ways.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of

Free!

the NNPA, said the Black Press “is saluting excellence and innovative leadership in Black America.”

Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Drs. James E.K. Hildreth and Ebony Hilton, and record-setting Olympic Champion Allyson Felix also will receive awards.

The NNPA celebrates 81 years as the trusted voice of Black America and 194 years of the Black Press of America.

The National Leadership Awards are virtual this year and scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 16.

Registration is free at www.virtualnnpa2021.com.

Before the awards, the NNPA will host a special interview with actress Gabrielle Union.

According to NNPA Board members, while the recipients’ career paths may vary, one cannot underestimate the impact of their shared commitment to creating meaningful and beneficial change in the lives of African Americans.

A St. Louis native, Bush also counts as the recipient of the 2015 “Woman of Courage Award” from the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.

“I am humbled to receive a National Leadership Award from the NNPA and the Black Press of America,” stated Congresswoman Bush, who earned a nursing degree from the Lutheran School of Nursing in St. Louis.

“As we know, Black journalists have been denied a platform in this country for far too long. The excellence of Black journalism should never be taken for granted,” the Congresswoman added.

“From the incredible writers in St. Louis to the journalists pushing for equality abroad, I am deeply honored to be in the company of such dedicated individuals who lead our campaign for a better future for every human being, starting with those who have the least.”

Man Freed After 21 Years Behind Bars

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – A man who spent 21 years in prison over the killings of two people in a Bakersfield gang shooting that he denied committing was freed Thursday, his lawyers announced.

Dwight Jones, 41, was released from the Lerdo Pretrial Facility in the California central valley community, according to the Project for the Innocent at Loyola Marymount University.

Jones was convicted of a gang-related drive-by shooting at Casa Loma Park on Aug. 6, 1999, where a wake and barbecue were being held following a funeral for a slain associate of a local gang, authorities said.

Jones and several other people were arrested in the shooting. Two men were acquitted at trial.

“When Jones was arrested, he told police that he had been on the street in front of his house at the time of the shooting,” said the Loyola statement. “But the most critical witnesses who could have attested to Jones’s alibi were not called to testify at trial, and he was convicted of two counts of murder, and four counts of attempted murder, along with multiple gun and gang enhancements.”

Jones, 20, was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

The Loyola Project for the Innocent said it obtained new statements from witnesses who said they saw Jones outside his home and that DNA testing showed he hadn’t left a palm print on the car used in the shooting.

Faced with possibly retrying the case or requesting resentencing, the Kern County district attorney’s office offered Jones the option of pleading to reduced charges without formally acknowledging guilt.

Jones accepted and on Sept. 2, he was resentenced to time served in prison after pleading no contest to two counts of voluntary manslaughter.

Jones wasn’t found “factually innocent’’ and the district attorney’s office still has confidence in the conviction but “doing a trial 22 years after the fact was going to be problematic,’’ Assistant District Attorney Joseph Kinzel told KGET-TV.

Confederate Statue in Black Tuskegee Lawsuit

TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) – A lawsuit has been filed that could decide the fate of a Confederate monument that has stood in a square at the center of nearly allBlack Tuskegee for 115 years.

WSFA-TV reported that the Macon County Commission has filed suit against both the local and state chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy arguing that the county owns the property where the statue is located and wants title to the plot.

While records show the county gave the land to the Confederate heritage group for use as a park for white people in 1906, the suit contends the property belongs to the county because the county’s action was illegal.

The county, which was joined in the suit by three Black residents, said it is willing to negotiate with the Daughters of the Confederacy. If someone comes forward, they could settle and give the statue to the group.

The statue has been the subject of periodic demonstrations for decades in Tuskegee, which is almost all Black and the home of Tuskegee University.

The nation’s first Black military pilots trained in the city during World War II. Protesters tried and failed to pull down the monument in the 1960s, and it has been the target of vandals and community opposition for years. In July, City Council member Johnny Ford and another man used an electric saw to cut into the statue, but the damage was later repaired by a crew hired by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The group hasn’t commented publicly on the lawsuit, filed Sept. 1, and court records do not show an attorney representing either the local or the state chapter of the heritage group.

Fred Gray, a longtime civil rights lawyer who filed the complaint, said officials have been trying to find members of the Tuskegee chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Only one member, who resides in the Alabama town of Elba, has been located, he said.

Court Revives CA Death Row Inmate Challenge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A California death row inmate who was convicted of a 1986 killing by a jury with only one Black member can challenge his conviction and sentence, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Curtis Lee Ervin, who is Black, was tried by a mostly white panel after the prosecutor used peremptory challenges to dismiss nine of 11 Black prospective jurors, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted in reviving Ervin’s discrimination challenge, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ervin, 68, of Richmond, was convicted of kidnapping and fatally stabbing Carlene McDonald of El Sobrante after accepting $2,500 from her exhusband, Robert McDonald of Pinole, to kill her.

Ervin and and McDonald were sentenced to death and another man, Orestes Robinson, was given a life sentence.

McDonald and Robinson both died in prison.

The California Supreme Court upheld Ervin’s death sentence in 2000 and he appealed in federal court, where a judge in 2018 found there hadn’t been any discrimination in jury selection.

However, the appeals court panel ruled 3-0 that the federal judge must reconsider the case using stricter standards for racial bias in jury selection that the U.S. Supreme Court declared in a 2019 ruling, the Chronicle reported.

The retired prosecutor in the case, James Anderson, told the Chronicle on Friday that race didn’t play a role in his questioning of prospective jurors.

“I don’t care if they were Black, or white, or whatever ... if they weren’t able to give me a definite answer about how strongly they felt on the death penalty, they were gone,’’ he said.

Defense lawyers Pamala Sayasane and Robert Bryan said Ervin is innocent.

“A black man is in prison because of the misconduct and racial bias of the prosecutor,’’ Sayasane said.

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The Valley’s News Observer

Thursday, September 16, 2021

World & Nation

Firefighter Roderick Lewis Was There, and in Ways, He Still is Remembering 9/11

By Ahnayah Hughes Howard University News Service Even now, the pain of that day lays just below the surface for retired New York City firefighter Rodney Lewis.

As Lewis recalled the sights, smells, sounds and horror of Sept. 11, 2001, tears accompanied those memories even as he sat in the comfortable Queens, N.Y., home he shares with his wife.

“I had quite a few friends that were at the scene,” Lewis, 66, said through his tears. “People I had just spoken to the week before. People I directly worked with. People whose homes I went to on New Year’s Eve. Just like that, so many lives were just gone.”

Twenty years after the attack, after leaving the department and busying himself with new hobbies, after his oldest child, a son, had struck out on his own and his daughter had graduated high school, after buying a sailboat and exploring deeper his love of sailing, after he and his wife purchased another home in Chesapeake, Virginia, after counseling and consultation, it even surprises Lewis how quickly the feelings can come bursting to the surface.

“I can talk about it now, but it’s still very emotional,” he said. “I remember what I went through, and what so many others went through.”

Three hundred and forty-three. It is a number nearly all New York firefighters have seared into their consciousness.

That’s how many firefighters died combatting the devastating fire that took down the World Trade Center and claimed more than 2,000 lives. Lewis knew well over 30 of those firefighters.

Lewis, then a lieutenant with Engine Company 330, was there too.

Lewis, a native of New York, was studying for his captain’s exam in Staten Island that day, when a firefighter announced that a plane had crashed into a tower at the World Trade Center.

It wasn’t until another firefighter arrived shortly after and explained that both towers had been hit, that the room of firefighters fell silent as their new reality began to take shape.

“We were off duty, but we were under attack,” he said.

“We knew what we had to do.”

After Lewis arrived in Brooklyn, he and the other firefighters around the station geared up to face the unknown. With no trucks or buses to take them to the site, Lewis ordered another firefighter to commandeer a city bus. As the passengers filed off, the firefighters piled on, preparing themselves for what lay ahead.

“We were all going to Manhattan to fight a fire we had never fought before,” he said. “But we all knew someone was going to die.”

Lewis describes Manhattan upon his arrival in two

“Those people died, and the rest of us are going to die from the complications, whether it be lung disease, cancer, whatever it may be. We knew the risks, but we went in anyway. We knew we may not make it home, and so many didn’t,” said retired New York City firefighter Rodney Lewis. (Pictured left)

words: pure chaos. All the experience he had gathered in his then 22 years on the job, he said, could not have prepared him for the catastrophe that lay beyond the smoke.

“It was like walking in a cloud: you couldn’t see beyond three or four feet in front of you,” he said. “I thought it was the end of the world. That’s just how it felt — ‘This is the end.’

Lewis and his colleagues were in the third wave of firefighters to respond to the burning buildings. There was

no organized effort as the firefighters aided civilians and attempted to calm the raging flames. Spending hours on the scene without adequate protection, the first responders were exposed to a toxic mix of asbestos, ash, and smoke, he said.

“I was concerned because we were just breathing all of that stuff in,” he said. “I remembered the telephone company fire in 1978 released asbestos into the air, and many of the firefighters working died from lung cancer. I

always thought about that and had that on my mind at the Towers, but we had to do what we had to do.”

Lewis spent 24 hours on the scene before being relieved of duty on Sept. 12. The days that followed were bleak.

“For a long time, we [firefighters] were unable to talk about it because it was so traumatic,” Lewis said. “We could talk about it amongst each other, but if a supervisor came around, we wouldn’t say anything”.

This is partially due to the standards of excellence and bravery firefighters feel they must hold themselves to, he said. But beneath the masks, badges and gear, he said, were hurt people trying to make sense of the losses and the trauma they had experienced.

“We’re firefighters,” he said. “Firefighters were supposed to do this. Firefighters were supposed to be strong. We’re not supposed to be afraid or show weakness. But you can’t have people walking around with such a traumatic event bottled up inside and not be able to release it.”

A special counseling unit was assigned to visit different firehouses and helped those involved to open up about their experiences. Although it was a challenge, it was a first step in the healing process, Lewis said.

“It took a long time, years,” he said, “but time itself is very healing,” As the years go by, documentaries are made, memorials are constructed and articles like this one are written every year, but Lewis is unsure how to feel.

“I have mixed emotions,” he said, “A part of me wants me to support the anniversary of what happened for those who died, but another part of me doesn’t want to go out or celebrate.”

In previous years, Lewis would participate in a firehouse ceremony to commemorate the firefighters who died and those who survived.

“It’s just not enough,” Lewis said as he fought back tears.

“Those people died, and the rest of us are going to die from the complications, whether it be lung disease, cancer, whatever it may be. We knew the risks, but we went in anyway. We knew we may not make it home, and so many didn’t. To stand up there in my uniform just can’t be enough. So, I don’t do that anymore”.

Instead, Lewis honors those who died in his own ways. A “343” tattoo rests upon his arm to honor the first responders who he believes made the ultimate sacrifice.

“They were human beings,” he said. “They were people with lives. They came in knowing the likelihood that they might not make it out and continued anyway. Every so often, I go through this book of victims and look through their names and remember their faces, because I don’t ever want to forget.”

Senate Democrats Reportedly Near Deal on Voting Rights Legislation Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Senate Democrats reportedly are expected to agree as early as Tuesday on an updated version of voting rights legislation the party believes will have the full support of all Democratic senators.

“The member-level discussions are complete,” a source told NBC News, adding that staff members “are going through the text to fix technical issues.”

Democrats have continued to seek avenues to blunt the myriad of voter oppression laws introduced or passed in many Republican-led states like Georgia, Texas, and Florida.

The For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act were introduced in Congress in 2019 and 2021, respectively, but Republicans have united against both measures.

The White House on Monday declined to give

credence to a report in Rolling Stone that said President Joe Biden told Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that he stands ready to push for filibuster reform.

“We keep those personal conversations with congressional leaders private,” White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre responded.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) has remained opposed to revamping the filibuster, which most point out is a racist tool to help maintain crippling laws that harm

African Americans and other minorities.

He stubbornly asserts that he’s still speaking with “quite a few different Republicans who are very interested in doing something that makes sense.”

The Senate is evenly divided, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding a potential tie-breaking vote.

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Senate Democrats reportedly are nearing a deal on voting rights legislation. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

Leaders Discuss Helping Black Men and Boys Continued from page A1

ever have guns,” Jones-Sawyer said.

Jones-Sawyer addressed the racial element of victims of gun violence in America.

“Many of those individuals were Latino and African American so it behooves us that post-pandemic, we need to figure out what we’re doing, what we need to do if we want to protect our boys and men of color,” Jones-Sawyer said.

He also offered up part of a solution.

“This year we need to infuse the California Violence Intervention and Prevention grant program (CalVIP) with a large sum, we did put in money for a large sum to fund the work that we so desperately need to get not only guns off the street but out of the hands of people who should not have them.”

The second topic on the agenda was post-pandemic mental health care.

Le Ondra Clark Harvey, chief executive officer of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, spoke on the intersectional nature of mental health issues in communities of color.

“Historically, Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) communities’ mental health and substance abuse disorder services have been impacted by several factors including access to treatment, cultural beliefs and stigma,” she said.

Largely, Clark Harvey said mental health treatment for BIPOC people has not been preventative.

“When BIPOC individuals do seek help, it tends to be at a time of crisis; at an emergency room, a psychiatric hospital or due to some type of interaction with law enforcement,” Harvey said.

She also spoke about the increase in opioid use, suicide and calls to crisis hotlines for boys and men of color.

Two of the programs in California mentioned during the meeting that are making headway on mental health problems facing Black men and boys are COVID-19 Black, an organization dedicated to lessening the effects the pandemic has had on the Black community, and Strong Family Home Visiting Program, a Los Angeles Countybased program that provides in-home family support services.

Wraparound service approaches to care were also discussed as a way to shift “focus away from a traditional service-driven, problem-based approach to care and instead follows a strengths-based, needs-driven approach,” according to the California Department of Social Services.

The last topic of discussion was on career pathways and building generational wealth for communities of color.

Tara Lynn Gray, director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, highlighted that most of the disparities in communities of color can be traced to economics.

“Some of the challenges facing boys and men of color stem from economic challenges in their communities and lack of investment for years prior to this administration,” Gray said.

“The pandemic induced economic hardships that we’ve experienced have exacerbated those issues with many businesses closing their doors and roughly 40% of Black and Latinx businesses closed,” Gray continued.

Gray claimed that it is not all doom and gloom, however, as she mentioned what the state has done to assuage these disparities.

“The good news about the challenges we have seen is that our leadership, both in the administration and in the legislature, have created access to programs, resources

and financial assistance for small businesses to help with economic recovery and make an impact on some of the challenges facing boys and men of color,” Gray said.

Gray also spoke about investing in business opportunities for the formerly incarcerated.

Through the California Reinvestment Grant Program CalCRG, for example, the state has been directly funding community-based organizations across California to expand job and re-entry programs for Black and other men of color who were impacted by the “War on Drugs.”

Services include criminal record expungement for some marijuana-related crimes; job training and placement help; mental health treatment; addiction services; housing placement and more.

(Shutterstock Photo)

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Entertainment

The Valley’s News Observer A3

Remembering Tupac: Las Vegas Killing Unsolved After 25 years

By JASON BRACELIN Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS (AP) – The last scene of his life unfolds in 12 grainy seconds.

Tupac Shakur's swinging hard in the final footage captured of him alive.

It's 8:49 p.m. on Sept. 7, 1996.

Heavyweight champ Mike Tyson has just broken down Bruce Seldon without breaking a sweat at the MGM Grand hotel, dispatching his foe in 109 seconds, ending things with a left hook unleashed like a tiger from a cage.

Shakur's hyped after the bout.

“Twenty blows! Twenty blows!” associates recall him exclaiming upon Tyson's destruction of Seldon in under two dozen punches.

As he's walking back through the hotel, Shakur spots Orlando Anderson, a known gang member who got into it with a member of Shakur's Death Row Records crew, Travon “Tray” Lane, that year at a mall in Anderson's native Los Angeles.

Shakur pounces.

He instigates a brief but brutal brawl in the hotel lobby that leaves Anderson flat on his back, absorbing kicks and the casino carpet at once.

Security cameras capture the scene, following Shakur departing the property in an adrenalized, get-the-hell-outmy-way strut.

And that's the last we ever see of him alive.

Two hours later, Shakur is gunned down in his black BMW as it idles at a red light on Flamingo Road and Koval Lane.

Four .40 caliber bullets: two in the chest, one in the thigh, one in the arm.

They'd end the life of a legend.

Six days after the shooting, Tupac Shakur died.

He was 25.

Two and a half decades later, no one has ever been arrested for his killing.

Why? “It depends on who you talk to,” says Stephanie Frederic, a journalist and film producer who's worked on the Shakur biopic “All Eyez on Me” and the A&E documentary series “Who Killed Tupac?”

“If you ask the Las Vegas police department, they'll tell you it's because, `Well, the people who know aren't talking.' When you talk to the people who do know, they're like, `Oh, that situation is handled.'

“There's too many dirty details,” Frederic tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “too many people who will come under fire, too many secrets that will probably get out, that shouldn't be out. There's so many entanglements.”

Tupac's murder has spawned a smorgasbord of conspiracy theories, his death catalyzing a cottage industry of books, documentaries, even a big-time Hollywood film starring Johnny Depp, “City of Lies,” released in April.

The Mob Museum in Las Vegas weighed in this week with a panel discussion titled, “One Night in Las Vegas: The 25th Anniversary of the Tupac Shakur Murder.”

The event featured panelists Frederic, Public Enemy frontman Chuck D, Frederick Reynolds, a former police officer who assisted in investigating the many gang-related shootings and murders in Compton in the aftermath of Shakur's death, and rapper E.D.I. Mean, a childhood friend of Tupac who was in the Shakur-formed hip-hop group the Outlawz and who was traveling in the car behind Shakur's on the night of the shooting.

“Sometimes when you do something in hindsight,

like 25 years or 50 years later, the people who were involved can be much more open about what they have to say,” says Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs at what is officially called the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement.

“If you're the reporter on the scene, the police are going to give you only the minimal amount of information about what occurred,” he said. “What we're hoping is that with this 25-year anniversary program that we can shed some light on what happened.” `WHAT? HE'S GONE?' A voice conveys the same urgency as the sirens blaring in the background.

“I got a couple guys shot!” a Las Vegas police officer shouts, speaking over the sound of a helicopter whirring nearby.

In audio recordings of police radio traffic on the night of the shooting obtained by the Review-Journal, you can hear the chaos unfold as various officers arrive on the scene.

Gold chains around his neck slathered in blood, Shakur is rushed to University Medical Center.

Suddenly, Las Vegas becomes the center of national and international news cycles.

“Even though this incident occurred before social media and really before the internet became a thing, the news still spread incredibly fast,” recalls Schumacher, a longtime journalist who was the city editor at the Las Vegas Sun when Shakur was shot. “People were flocking to Las Vegas to somehow be a part of this.”

Frederic was among them.

A former West Coast correspondent for BET, she'd chronicled Shakur's rise to stardom and had recently been on the set with him during the filming of his video for “I Ain't Mad at Ya,” in which Shakur is forebodingly shot and killed.

When she got the call at her L.A. home that Shakur had been attacked, she immediately got on a plane to Vegas.

Frederic basically camped out at the hospital, watching as celebrities and community figures from Jesse Jackson to MC Hammer came to visit Shakur.

“It was chaotic. It was emotional. People kept saying to me, `He's been shot before; he'll be OK.' But there was something about it that just seemed different,” she recalls.

“People would drive by and blow their horns or drive by with one of Tupac's songs blasting from their car radio.

It was intense,” she continues. “And you knew that this time was different because of the looks on the faces of the people when they would walk out of the hospital. I watched them come and go, and you saw the worried looks on their faces. You just knew that this time was different.”

Still, there was hope.

On the Thursday after the shooting, talk began to circulate that, although Shakur had allegedly lost a lung, he was recovering from multiple surgeries.

“We all sort of got word that everything was going to be OK,” Frederic recalls, “that he just may pull through this _ another one _ but life was going to be different for him.”

The very next day, Tupac Shakur was removed from life support by his mother, Afeni Shakur.

“We were like, `What?”' Frederic remembers. “I think we were all just shocked. `What? He's gone?”'

A DEAFENING CODE OF SILENCE It wasn't for a lack of witnesses.

Fourteen shots were fired _ and at least that many eyeballs saw it all go down.

The Death Row Records crew rolled deep, including the night of Tupac's shooting, when the BMW he was traveling in with Death Row Records founder Suge Knight was part of a group of vehicles full of his posse _ save for the right-hand lane, where a white Cadillac would pull up and open fire.

“Remember, there was a caravan of cars at Koval and Flamingo,” Frederic says. “There was Suge and Tupac in that BMW, there was a Death Row guy in front, to the left _ immediate left, upper left _ and there were cars behind him _ all that Death Row entourage. So you better believe they saw that car come up and the gun come out.”

And yet, no one talked then.

And no one's talking now.

“To this day, none of those guys will tell you what happened,” Frederic says. “I've talked to all of them that are still living. They will not tell you.”

A number of people _ including Las Vegas police _ have pointed to this code of silence as a prime reason why Shakur's murder hasn't been solved.

“No witnesses would cooperate,” says Wayne Peterson, the retired head of the Las Vegas police homicide division when Tupac was shot, explaining the challenges the investigation faced in the A&E documentary series “Who Killed Tupac?”

According to Peterson, Suge Knight showed up for police questioning three days after the shooting _ with three lawyers in tow.

“The police would say to Suge Knight, `Who shot Tupac?' and he would not answer, even though, certainly, he looked the guy right in the eye when the shooting was occurring,” Schumacher says. “There's other people who certainly know who did it as well, and nobody said anything. This ultimately led to nobody being arrested for the crime.”

But if no one in the Death Row crew was talking, everyone else was, as theories about who was behind the shooting proliferated in the weeks and months that followed.

There were arguments made that the killing was a result of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud between Sean “Puffy” Combs' Bad Boy Records label and Death Row Records, that Knight himself ordered the hit because he owed Shakur a large royalty payment and feared that the rapper was going to leave his label, even whispers that governmental entities wanted Shakur silenced for his ability to speak to and lead the African American community.

Nevertheless, the evidence continually points back to Anderson, his desire for revenge after getting assaulted

by Tupac in public, and the rivalry between L.A.'s Bloods and Crips gangs (Anderson was a member of the Southside Compton Crips; Trayvon Lane and other figures in the Death Row crew were affiliated with the Mob Piru gang, a set of the Bloods).

The same type of gun used in the killing was found in a duffle bag with a Las Vegas mailing address inside it in the backyard of the home of the girlfriend of one of Anderson's close friends. Perhaps most damning, Anderson's own uncle, Southside Compton Crips member Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis, implicates his nephew in a recording made by former Los Angeles Police Department detective Greg Kading as Davis was being investigated on drug charges in 2009.

Davis, who lives in Las Vegas and claims to have been in the white Cadillac with the gunman, later confessed to his role in the killing in 2018 after being diagnosed with cancer.

But what did Anderson have to say in his defense when all this was going down?

Frederic was determined to find out.

WAS THE KILLER KILLED? He smiles when there's nothing to smile about.

He squirms in his seat like a kid sitting outside the principal's office, awaiting an inevitable tongue-lashing.

Anderson looks anything but comfortable.

Flanked by his lawyer, he's just been asked a pointblank question about a point-blank shooting: Did you kill Tupac?

He denies it, but his answer only raises more questions.

“When you analyze his answer, it doesn't come back good for him,” explains Frederic, who conducted the exclusive interview just six weeks after Tupac's death. “He stutters. His eyes shift.”

The interview is featured in “Who Killed Tupac?”

Landing it wasn't easy.

“At the time, it was probably one of the most dangerous things to do, to try to secure an interview with the Southside Crips,” Frederic recalls. “I went down to Compton and started asking around, and they basically told me, `Get out of here.' Not everyone had a cellphone back then, so I was handing out cards and, eventually, I got a callback.”

Anderson was getting death threats at the time. Word of his alleged involvement in the shooting had gotten out.

He was feeling the heat; he wanted to tell his side of the story.

But his response probably did little to dissuade anyone who believed him to be the shooter.

So why was he never apprehended?

Even with the MGM Grand security footage, police initially failed to make the connection between Anderson's beatdown and Shakur's shooting.

“We don't think this guy even knew who Tupac was or who he was even dealing with,” Las Vegas police Sgt. Kevin Manning told the Review-Journal in a story that ran the day before Shakur's death.

Anderson was interviewed after the altercation, but no charges were filed at his request nor did police obtain his name.

In the initial aftermath of the incident, with Anderson speaking to the police as Shakur fled the scene, local authorities didn't think that Anderson had the time to organize the hit.

“Because of the timing, we don't believe there is any significance in regards to the shooting,” Manning said. “He (Shakur) had already left. I suppose it is possible, but it's also possible that pigs might be able to fly someday.”

Metro failed to talk with Anderson after the shooting, though Compton police later identified him and his gang affiliation, believing him to be the triggerman.

Less than two years later, on May 29, 1998, Anderson was killed in a gang-related shootout at age 23.

To some, this means that Tupac's murder will never officially be solved.

To others, it means that it already has been.

“When the 'hood doesn't believe that the police will solve it, they take matters in their own hands,” Frederic explains. “Has the case been solved? Not to public satisfaction,” she acknowledges, “but to the satisfaction of many others.”

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Thursday, September 16, 2021

Achieving Financial Goals in Diverse Communities I’ve always thought that if you don’t understand money, you are chained to a system that does not care about you. That is why our focus has always been and always will be financial dignity and inclusion at Operation HOPE. We equip young people and adults with the financial tools and education to secure a better future—coaching them through their personal aspirations and life’s challenges, and facilitating their journey to financial independence.

By: Wil Lewis, Chief, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Experian and John Hope Bryant, CEO of Operation HOPE

When it comes to achieving financial goals, there shouldn’t be any unknowns. However, the world of credit can be a tricky one to navigate if you don’t have a lot of experience with credit.

At Experian, we are committed to helping individuals live their best financial lives and reach their fullest potential by providing tools, education and resources. Credit education is an essential component in driving financial inclusion and a key reason we release our annual State of Credit report each year. We want people to understand the information included in their credit report and how it impacts credit scores.

As we end the second summer since the arrival of COVID-19, our report is more important than ever to gain perspective on the financial health of the nation. And, despite a challenging year and a half, new data shows consumers are managing credit well with the average credit score climbing seven points to 695 – the highest it has been in more than 13 years.

Though these figures are positive, as Chief, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Experian, I know there is not a single report that accurately reflects the reality of everyone’s unique financial situation.

Financial literacy and health begins with resources. It is difficult to understand what your credit score means and how it will affect your future when you were never given the resources to learn about money management. This is especially prevalent in underserved, racially diverse communities where there has historically been a lack of financial education and resources.

According to Consumer News and Business Channel, about 54 percent of African Americans and 41 percent of Hispanics report having no credit score or a poor to fair score. Our goal is to change these percentages by providing the tools necessary to achieve financial freedom and success.

In an effort to focus our effort on communities impacted the

African American and Hispanic consumers make up such an important part of our national economy and tips like the four below can assist you with achieving your financial goals that may seem out of reach:

Wil Lewis, Chief, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Experian

most, we have partnered with Operation HOPE because we share a common goal: financial empowerment for African American and Hispanic consumers. Operation HOPE is the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to improving financial literacy. They are committed to educating our communities about how creating a strong credit history and responsible credit management can help protect and improve your financial health.

As the CEO of Operation HOPE, I know there are many communities in critical need of more financial education and resources, and by helping people raise their credit scores, we can shift their mindset from one of survival to thriving. And this is why we are excited to launch the HOPE Financial Wellness Index to highlight the average credit score in every state. The index will be a key asset in identifying communities in most need of financial education as well as developing programming that will give people from those communities the tools they need to build the future they want.

1. Take advantage of free resources and education. If you have limited or no experience with credit, it can be hard to know where to start. There are resources available to help. You can learn about ways to build and manage credit from Experian online, their free mobile app, or through Operation HOPE’s free workshops and one-on-one counselling services.

1. Check your credit reports and scores often. You can check your credit report with each of the three credit bureaus for free once by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also get a copy of your Experian credit report and FICO score for free on Experian’s website or mobile app.

2. Keep your utilization rate low. Nothing will damage your credit scores faster or more than missed payments and high balances. Your total credit card balances should not be more than 30 percent of your total credit card limits, and you don’t want any one card to have a balance of more than 30 percent of the limit on that one card. Keep in mind 30 percent is not a goal or a target. If possible, paying your balances off in full and on time each month is the best way to protect your credit scores.

3. Use free tools like Experian Boost. You can potentially increase your credit score instantly by getting credit for paying your telecom, utility and streaming service bills on time with Experian Boost.

Visit www.experian.com to learn more about the State of Credit report, your credit score and how Experian can help, and www.operationhope.org. for more information on the free workshops and to review the HOPE Financial Wellness Index.

John Hope Bryant, CEO of Operation HOPE (Courtesy Photo)

Lawmakers Approve Upward Mobility Bill

Proposing More Slots for Blacks on State Boards, Commissions Edward Henderson California Black Media On Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, Assemblymember Chris Holden’s (D-Pasadena) ‘Upward Mobility Bill’ (AB 105) passed the California State Senate with a 29-to-8 vote.

The legislation promotes more opportunities for people of color in California’s civil services system and requires diversity on state boards and commissions. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk to either be signed into law or to be vetoed.

“Upward mobility is integral to achieving racial justice, and we should be setting the example,” said Holden. “The existing systems in place at our own state agencies fail to create inclusive workplace environments and hinder qualified individuals to move up within their department simply based on the color of their skin. Today,

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the Legislature took a bold step to fix the problem.”

Specifically, AB 105 would require the California State Personnel Board (SPB) to establish a process that includes best practices and emphasizes diversity in the announcement, design, and administration of exams for potential state employees.

The bill also directs the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to develop model upward mobility goals to include race, gender, and LGBTQ identity as factors to the extent permissible under state and federal equal protection laws.

Additionally, AB 105 calls for state agencies to collect and report demographic data using more nuanced categories of Californians of African descent, similar to the data collected for Californians of Asian descent. This data will be critical in accurately reporting who among

Californians of African descent is experiencing barriers to upward mobility. Last year, Gov. Newsom signed AB 3121 into law, which was authored by former Assemblymember, Dr. Shirley Weber, who is now Secretary of State. That bill established a task force to study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans. AB 105 would give the task force more accurate data to utilize in its deliberations.

CALHR data shows that the majority of non-white civil service personnel are paid a salary in the “$40,000 and below” range. When the salary range increases, the percentage of non-White civil servants working in upperlevel or management positions decreases. The opposite is true for White civil servants who predominate in management and upper-level civil service positions.

The Sacramento Bee has published a series of letters

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written on behalf of Black employees working at state agencies such as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation with detailed accounts of how Black employees are passed up for promotions over White employees. The problem, however, is not limited to upward mobility. In early November, three Black employees at the California Office of Publishing found racial slurs written on cards at their desk.

“We already mandated the private sector to do their part. It’s time for the state to step up and do theirs,” said Holden.

Newsom has until Oct. 10, 2021 to sign the legislation.

California Moves to Extend Assisted Death Law SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ California lawmakers moved Friday to extend and streamline an assisted death law, reducing the time until terminal patients can acquire the fatal drugs.

The current minimum 15-day waiting period required between the time patients make separate oral requests for medication would be reduced to 48 hours.

The bill would also eliminate a requirement that a patient make a final written attestation within 48 hours of taking the medication.

“It became clear that some well-intentioned aspects of the law serve as barriers for terminally ill patients who seek aid in dying,’’ Democratic Assemblyman Jim Wood said.

Plenty of safeguards remain in the bill, he and other proponents said.

The law that took effect in June 2016 had been set to expire in another five years, but the bill would keep it in place until 2031.

More than 2,800 people have received a prescription since the law took effect, Wood said, of which more than 1,800 died from the drugs.

“There have been no reported cases or instances of abuse or coercion,’’ he said.

The state Assembly advanced the bill Friday on a 4714 vote, and the Senate agreed on a 26-8 roll call. That sent it to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration. No lawmakers spoke in opposition.

However, Disability Rights California and the California Catholic Conference opposed the bill, citing inequities in the health care system that harm people with disabilities, the aging, and Black and Latino residents.

The measure can subtly pressure people who fear “becoming a financial or emotional burden to their families,’’ the Catholic Conference said.

“A bad day should not result in a death sentence,’’ said the disabilities group.

“This bill is not about helping people die. It is about allowing people dignity and reducing suffering at the end of an unwinnable fight,’’ Democratic Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said.

Earlier this year, New Mexico reduced its waiting period to 48 hours, she said.

Thursday, September 16, 2021

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Ben’s Original Launches “My Original Recipe” Chef Stories with Chef Marcus Samuelsson ™

Series Continues this Fall with Acclaimed Mississippi Chef Nick Wallace

CHICAGO – BEN’S ORIGINAL™ and award-winning Chef Marcus Samuelsson have teamed up to launch the brand’s “My Original Recipe” chef stories debuting September 10, 2021.

Complementing the brand’s just-launched global marketing campaign – “Everyone’s Original” – these personal narratives highlight paths to possibility through food and bring to life the brand’s ambition to create a more inclusive and equitable future.

The series is available on the BEN’S ORIGINAL USA YouTube channel and across social and media platforms.

Marcus Samuelsson is the acclaimed chef behind many restaurants worldwide including Red Rooster Harlem, MARCUS Montreal, Marcus B&P, Red Rooster Overtown and Marcus Fish + Chop House in the Bahamas. He has won multiple James Beard Foundation awards for his work as a chef and host of No Passport Required, his public television series with Vox/Eater.

Samuelsson was crowned champion of Top Chef Masters and Chopped All-Stars and was the guest chef for President Obama’s first state dinner. A committed philanthropist, Samuelsson is cochair of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which focuses on underserved youth. Author of several cookbooks, in addition to The New York Times bestselling memoir Yes, Chef, Samuelsson also co-produces the annual Harlem EatUp! Festival, which celebrates the food, art, and culture of Harlem. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Samuelsson converted his restaurants Red Rooster Harlem, Marcus B&P in Newark, and Red Rooster Overtown in Miami into community kitchens in partnership with World Central Kitchen, serving over 230,000 meals to those in need. His podcast titled This Moment with Swedish rapper Timbuktu is available on ACAST. His newest cookbook The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food is out now.

In his “My Original Recipe”, Samuelsson discusses the challenges he faced early in his career, the inspiration and support he received from family and the value of championing the next generation of Black chefs. Along with his interview, Samuelsson prepares his recipe for Crab Fried Rice featuring BEN’S ORIGINAL™ READY RICE™ Jasmine, which can be found here on BensOriginal.com.

“The Black experience around food and American food is one. You can’t talk about American food without the Black experience. There are cultures in America where a meal is not complete without rice at the table,” said Samuelsson. “My goal in partnering with BEN’S ORIGINAL is to authentically tell my story in the hopes of empowering others to pursue their dreams.”

This fall will continue the “My Original Recipe” series

In his “My Original Recipe”, Marcus Samuelsson discusses the challenges he faced early in his career, the inspiration and support he received from family and the value of championing the next generation of Black chefs.

with Chef Nick Wallace. The Mississippi chef will also support the brand’s community efforts in Greenville, Mississippi where BEN’S ORIGINAL rice has been produced for more than 43 years. Wallace recently opened Nissan Café by Nick Wallace at Two Museums Mississippi, and he has been recognized as the best chef in Jackson (his hometown) for the past four years and as the best chef of Mississippi in 2020.

“No family, individual or meal is the same. Everyone has their own unique story to tell and recipe to share,” said Ashley

Findlay, Marketing Director, BEN’S ORIGINAL. “BEN’S ORIGINAL is proud to share chefs Marcus Samuelsson’s and Nick Wallace’s stories of achievement, how they discovered their passion, the importance of a diverse food culture and industry and their strong connection to the purpose work of our brand.”

The content series is the latest effort from UniWorld Group (UWG), the longest-standing multicultural advertising and marketing agency in the United States.

BEN’S ORIGINAL brand has committed a total of $4.5 million over the next five years in support of inclusion and equity and to create opportunities that offer everyone a seat at the table.

This spring, in partnership with National Urban League and UNCF (United Negro College Fund), BEN’S ORIGINAL brand launched its SEAT AT THE TABLE™ Fund Scholarship for Black students who want to pursue food industry careers; this year’s recipients will be announced this fall. In Greenville, the company recently announced a new partnership with MolinaCares and Kroger Delta Division to bolster its $2.5 million investment focused on improving food access and education throughout the Mississippi Delta.

In July 2021, Mars Food announced a $3.1 million product donation to long-standing national partners including Feeding America® and CARE, as well as a variety of local partners in communities where Mars operates, including in Greenville, Miss.

(Hearty Helpings Food Pantry), Chicago (Greater Chicago Food Depository) and Newark (Community FoodBank of New Jersey), to name a few.

The recently announced BEN’S ORIGINAL global marketing campaign – “Everyone’s Original” – is linked with the brand’s ongoing commitment to enhance inclusion and equity in service of its purpose to offer everyone a seat at the table.

The first commercials from the new campaign, called “We’re all original recipes™,” are designed to showcase the ‘ingredients’ that make us who we truly are. The commercials feature a collection of six real families who gather round the table for their favorite meals and show the unique recipes, traditions and interactions that make each family original. The families include a Black nuclear family, a pair of friends, three roommates, a single-parent family, a family who uses sign-language and a multigenerational Pakistani family.

About Mars Food Mars Food is a fast-growing dinnertime food business, making tastier, healthier, easier meals that bring the world to the dinner table. With North American headquarters in Chicago, Ill. and global headquarters in London, Mars Food US’s portfolio of leading brands includes BEN’S ORIGINAL™, SEEDS OF CHANGE™, and TASTY BITE™. Our purpose –Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow. –drives our business to be a leader in health & wellbeing and sustainability. Mars Food is a segment of Mars, Incorporated. For more information about the BEN’S ORIGINAL Brand and its purpose initiatives, visit https://www.bensoriginal.com/ or https://www.mars.com/.

Newly Sworn in Asm. Mia Bonta to Caucus With Three Legislative Groups Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Soon after Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) was sworn in last week to represent California’s 18th Assembly District -- which covers parts of East Bay -- she signed on as a member of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus (CLWC), the California Latino Legislative Caucus (CLLC), and the California Black Legislative Caucus (CLBC).

Bonta is the 11th member of the Black Caucus and the only lawmaker representing a district in the Bay Area.

In the Latino Caucus, she is the 30th member, and out of 120 lawmakers in both houses of the state legislature, she is the 39th woman.

“Special congratulations to our newest member @ MiaBonta, who was sworn into the Assembly this morning! #AD18 has chosen a fantastically fearless representative, and I look forward to working with you Assemblymember Bonta! #CALeg,” Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D- San Diego) wrote.

Mialisa “Mia” Tania Bonta, who is Puerto Rican of African descent, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1993 and a Master of Education (Ed.M.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1996.

Bonta also received a J.D. from Yale University Law School in 1999.

Her work experience includes over 20 years working with nonprofits, including serving as CEO of Oakland Promise, a college and career prep program for Alameda County high school students. She was also president of the Alameda Unified School District Board from 2018 to 2021.

“Congratulations to @MiaBonta on her election to the Assembly, which not only made her the first Afro Latina in the Legislature, but also raised the number of women in the Legislature to an all-time high,” California

Assemblymember Mia Bonta ( D-Oakland)

Lt. Gov., Eleni Kounalakis state on Twitter.

The 18th Assembly District includes a large portion of the city of Oakland and the cities of Alameda and San Leandro. Bonta was elected in a special election on Aug. 31, defeating fellow Democrat Janani Ramachandra.

“I am deeply honored to represent the 18th Assembly District. Our district has a long history of bold, progressive, leadership and I plan to continue this work in our diverse district,” Bonta tweeted Sept. 7. “I’m ready to fight for bold solutions to issues like homelessness, housing affordability, climate change, and criminal justice reform for AD-18 and all Californians. I am ready to get to work.”

Bonta steps in to replace her husband, Rob Bonta, who vacated the AD 18th seat in April after Gov. Newsom appointed him California Attorney General, replacing Xavier Becerra, who is now United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Senator Steve Bradford ( D- Los Angeles), Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurman, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, Congresswoman Barbra Lee ( D-Oakland), Assemblymember Isaac Bryan ( D-Los Angeles) Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, and Kevin McCarty ( D-Sacramento).

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Thursday, September 16, 2021

Maxine Waters on 20th Anniversary of September 11 Attacks

“Twenty years ago today, our nation suffered devastating terrorist attacks on our soil and against our people that wholly and completely changed the world as we knew it.

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, thousands more were injured, and our entire nation continues to grieve the losses we’ve endured. There is no question that the events of September 11 had a profound impact on so many that still reverberates around the world.

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement on the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

“Twenty years ago today, our nation suffered devastating terrorist attacks on our soil and against our people that wholly and completely changed the world as we knew it. On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, thousands more were injured, and our entire nation continues to grieve the losses we’ve endured. There is no question that the events of September 11 had a profound impact on so many that still reverberates around the world. Among those we honor and grieve today are our selfless servicemembers who lost their lives fighting for freedom and peace following the September 11 terror attacks.

“With every passing year, it is important to come together “It is my greatest hope that every American will continue to honor our collective responsibility to our and reflect. On September 11, 2001, we experienced pain and communities and our country.

loss, but we also witnessed the very best of our country. We saw brave first responders who, without a second thought, put themselves in harm’s way, some making the ultimate sacrifice, to save as many people as possible. We learned of the bravery of those on United Flight 93, who went face-to-face with their attackers in order to regain control of the plane and prevent it from being used as a weapon against their fellow citizens. We saw everyday people help bring each other to safety and we learn of more heroes with every passing day. In true American spirit, our people came together and exemplified the very best of who we are through collaboration, inclusivity, and unity.

“It is my greatest hope that every American will continue to honor our collective responsibility to our communities and our country. On this September 11, my eternal condolences remain with the families and loved ones of every victim.”

American Business Leaders Step Up to Fight Inequities in the South

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association Even as the pandemic has laid bare societal inequities that have been eroding the foundation of our democracy, political leaders in Washington and in state capitols are mired in a level of rancor and partisanship not seen since the ideological struggles over the Vietnam War. This toxic atmosphere has left them incapable of addressing pressing, yet ingrained issues like the racial wealth gap, the digital divide, and vast inequalities in everything from health care to home ownership.

With COVID-19 still an omnipresent concern and the country’s recovery still very much in jeopardy, individuals, families, and communities – particularly communities of color throughout the South – are struggling to deal with issues that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

From impediments to wealth creation opportunities and a dearth of education and workforce development to a lack of access to reliable broadband, substandard housing, and inadequate political representation, communities of color have suffered an outsized toll during the ongoing public health crisis.

Yet political leaders can’t even agree on basic facts that would allow the nation to implement a coherent national strategy for combatting a pandemic that appears to be entering a new wave amid the rise of the highly contagious Delta variant that is currently ravaging parts of the South.

Against that disillusioning backdrop, there is at least some reason for hope. Moving to fill the vacuum created by the inaction of our political class, a group of business leaders in the technology and investment sectors have embarked on a farreaching – and perhaps unprecedented – campaign to address the social inequities and systemic racism that has historically plagued

our country’s southern communities.

Known as the Southern Communities Initiative (SCI), the campaign was founded by financial technology company PayPal, the investment firm Vista Equity Partners (Vista), and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

SCI was formed to work with local elected officials and advocacy groups to tackle the ubiquitous problems of structural racism and inequalities facing communities of color in six communities throughout the South. SCI notes that these areas – Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Houston, Memphis, and New Orleans – were chosen in part because they are home to around 50 percent of the country’s Black population and are where some of the greatest disparities exist.

SCI is aiming to drive long-term change, as outlined by PayPal CEO Dan Schulman, Vista CEO Robert F. Smith and BCG CEO Rich Lesser. In Atlanta, for example, SCI is working to bridge the wealth gap that exists among the region’s African American residents. While there is a strong Black business community in the city, and high levels of Black educational achievement thanks to the regional presence of several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and the voice of the Black Press, there is still an extremely low level of Black entrepreneurship and business ownership with only six percent of employer firms being Blackowned.

To remedy this disparity, SCI is working with the Southern Economic Advancement Project to create entrepreneurship hubs and accelerator programs to increase the number of minorityowned businesses. The corporations behind SCI are also using their networks to help other companies work with minorityowned supply companies.

In Alabama, SCI is seeking to bridge the massive digital

divide in an urban area where 450,000 households are without connection to the internet. In order to tackle the crisis, SCI is leveraging relationships with local schools and libraries to distribute laptops and service vouchers. Another tact SCI is taking is to partner with the owners of multi-unit buildings in lowincome neighborhoods to install free public Wi-Fi for residents.

The lack of access to capital is another reason Black communities throughout the South have been traditionally underbanked. In Memphis, where 47 percent of Black households are underbanked, SCI is partnering with Grameen America to cover the $2 million per year per branch start-up cost to build brick-and-mortar banks in minority communities. This alone will provide 20,000 women access to more than $250 million per year in financing.

Beyond these initiatives, SCI is partnering with groups like the Greater Houston Partnership and the Urban League of Louisiana to provide inkind support to improve job outcomes for minority college students, expand access to home financing through partnerships with community development financial institutions, and harness the power of technology to expand health care access in underserved urban and rural neighborhoods.

The issues facing these communities throughout the South are not new nor will they be fixed overnight. Fortunately, SCI is taking a long-term approach that is focused on getting to the root of structural racism in the United States and creating a more just and equitable country for every American.

A once-in-a-century pandemic and a social justice movement not seen since the 1960s were not enough

to break the malaise and rancorous partisanship in Washington.

Fortunately, corporate leaders are stepping up and partnering with local advocates and non-profit groups to fix the problem of systemic injustice in the U.S. We, therefore, salute and welcome the transformative commitments of the Southern Communities Initiative (SCI).

There is no time to delay, because as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so accurately said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer and host of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV stations throughout the United States. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.

Get Vaccinated Love Your Against Neighbor: After Winning Recall Election, COVID-19 Newsom Says

By Kelvin Simmons Bishop I’ll be honest. As co-pastor at Immanuel Praise Fellowship in Rancho Cucamonga, I had decided I wasn’t going to encourage my parishioners to get the COVID-19 vaccine until I was sure the vaccine was safe.

And I was not alone among my peers in the Southern California faith community. Dr. Andrea King, pastor at 16th St. Seventh Day Adventist Church in San Bernardino and a fellow member of Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches, felt the same way. We know all too well that Black people have been mistreated by doctors, scientists and others for generations. So, it’s no surprise that many of our brothers and sisters believe the stories circulating on social media making false claims about the vaccine.

However, the truth is that we have a life-saving vaccine that protects us against a virus that has hospitalized and killed far too many of us.

While hospitals are struggling to keep up with the number of unvaccinated people with severe COVID-19 illness, the FDA granted full approval last month of Pfizer’s vaccine for those ages 16 and up. It’s worth noting that emergency-use authorization also remains in place for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots, as well as Pfizer’s for 12- to 15-year-olds.

Dr. King and I believe in being informed, so despite our reservations, we prayed about it and then we got educated.

We connected with a group of Black and brown health care providers from nearby Loma Linda University School of Medicine. We fired question after question at them and talked about our suspicions and fears. We delved into how the vaccines were developed, how they work in our bodies, and the possible risks and benefits of getting vaccinated.

We recognized that these people, who look like us, are the real experts. We trusted them to tell us the truth.

When I learned that people with immune system disorders can be fatally impacted by the virus, I thought of my only child, who has lupus. I asked myself, “How can I be out engaging with people and getting exposed to the virus unintentionally and then endanger my daughter?” For me, it was a real ‘Come to Jesus’ moment.

Soon, we were hosting town hall meetings and vaccination

clinics for our congregations and surrounding Inland Empire communities. We have educated hundreds of people through our town hall meetings, webinars, and a Black church summit on COVID-19 with Loma Linda University and county health experts. We have vaccinated thousands at more than 20 pop-up clinics.

When people ask me if I took the vaccine, I tell them, “Yes.” If they ask me how I feel, I say “good.”

We cannot argue with the numbers. As an African American, we can’t argue that we are 12 percent of the U.S. population but 34 percent of those who have died of COVID-19, according to CDC data Think about it for yourself and the people around you.

Of course, there are those among us who still don’t trust the vaccine and still don’t want to take it. I pray about it. I tell them that I can’t make them get vaccinated, but I also try to help them understand that we must do better, especially when we have deathly ill children in hospital ICUs with the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.

I urge my congregation and anyone who follows Biblical teachings to love their neighbor as they love themselves.

The virus itself is what it is. What is keeping COVID-19 around is the hardness of the heart of humanity. If everybody looked out for everybody else, and got vaccinated, we would be talking about something different. The virus can only do what we allow it to do. It’s not about the virus now, it’s about humanity.

Bishop Kelvin Simmons is co-pastor of Immanuel Praise Fellowship in Rancho Cucamonga, president of the Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches, and a member of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE).

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power grabs the Governor/LG should be a ticket of the same party (like NY).”

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis wrote, “Thank you California for recognizing that @GavinNewsom is exactly where he needs to be, in the Governor’s office! His commitment to the people of California is unwavering and I look forward to his continued leadership of our great state!”

Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA 37) tweeted, “Proud of our governor. Proud of our people. Proud of California.”

Newsom told supporters, although Californians voted “no” to the recall, he wants to focus on all the things they were saying yes to by their votes. “‘No’ is not the only thing that was expressed tonight,” Newsom said. “I want to focus on what we said ‘yes’ to as a state. We said yes to science. We said yes to vaccines.

We said yes to ending this pandemic. We said yes to people’s right to vote without fear of fake fraud or voter suppression.”

The gubernatorial recall was the fifth statewide vote Dr. Shirley Weber has overseen since she was appointed

Secretary of State on Jan. 19. Throughout the process, Weber, a former Assemblymember who represented the 79th District in San Diego County, says she worked hard to make sure that voter fraud or the talk of fraud of would not interfere in the results of this election.

“We worked hard to secure our elections. There’s no evidence of fraud or miscounting,” Weber said on CNN. “As Secretary of State, we’ve been even-handed in how we’ve handled every issue. I was sued by the governor as well as by others because of some of the decisions we made that were fair and just.”

Weber’s office has 30 days to certify the recall election once all of the votes have been counted. If there are any discrepancies, Weber said those issues will be addressed.

“I like to say to those that continue to challenge this issue of fairness and so forth, I always say, ‘where’s the evidence?’” Weber said. “We are willing to accept the evidence as it is not just to simply open-ended allegations of fraud and deceptions. Those things are easy to say. But we have yet to get evidence of fraud and deception.”

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Sports

The Valley’s News Observer A7

Head Coach Brandon Staley Fulfills a Dream

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com On the backdrop of the country remembering tragic terrorist attacks that scared us Americans twenty years ago, this was one of the most significantly impacted cities. The Los Angeles Chargers would kick off their season in Washington D.C. against the Washington Football Team. For the second time in as many seasons, the NFL’s reigning Rookie of the Year, Justin Herbert, would have to learn a new offense just as he did multiple times in college. While the Chargers’ new head coach Brandon Staley would be beginning his tenure as head coach, seeking to redirect the franchise trajectory. All while our country mourns the loss of the lives of those who passed in those attacks and celebrates the first responders who assisted so many by sacrificing their lives this past weekend All through training camp, Coach Brandon Staley has brought young, fresh energy to the organization. His youthful energy has been infectious, and his youth has enabled him to be more relatable to the players on this team, who have been very responsive to his new strategies and teachings. Coach Staley brought in a mixture of experienced coaches with those who have recently played in the league, which has infused the team with a sense of confidence and understanding. His strategy of explaining why they are making their strategic decisions have also created buy-in among one of the most talented teams in the league.

When describing how coach Brandon Staley’s, coaching philosophy, was communicated to the team Super Bowl Champion and two-time Pro Bowler defensive tackle Linval Joseph would say. “This is the best it’s been explained (to me).

It keeps you more involved, and it makes you love what you’re doing versus just doing it. It’s bringing the team together, by the way, he’s doing it.”

All-Pro Safety Derwin James would add, “Coach Staley, very open. He brings us his plan; he listens to us. He asks how we see it too, and we are constantly communicating. That’s what makes him so great as a coach.” James would also say about this philosophy, “it makes me that much more confident! We’re comfortable doing, and he’s comfortable doing it if everybody is comfortable it makes for a better outcome.”

Before the season would get underway, I wanted to know how Coach Staley would classify as a successful season; Coach Staley would define it this way, “Us establishing a competitive standard of performance. Where we go out, and we will compete, the way we’re capable of competing in all three phases of the game; I think that’s big when you’re starting a program: establish your way of playing. You have to start there before you get into winning and losing; We have a good team, and we have the type of team that can compete against anybody that we play against and beat anybody that we play. For me, I want to be a deep team.

That’s important to me this season, to be a deep team, where all three phases of the game can go into any environment and play the game nose-to-nose.”

When asked about how aggressive he would likely be in the

Chargers Weekly-

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley walking on the field during pregame warmups prior to the start of the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

coming season, Coach Staley would confidently state, “I’m a big fan of trusting our quarterback, of putting the ball in his hands and putting pressure on the defense. I believe in that. From a strategic standpoint, there are a lot of reasons why. Fear is not going to be a motivator for us, one that we make decisions by. I like where we’re at right now. I trust our players a lot. When you have a quarterback like ours, and you have skill players like ours, you have a line like ours, you’re going to err on putting pressure on the other team.”

All of their work from Mini-Camp and through Training Camp would be tested when they travel to Washington D.C. to play last season’s NFC East Division Champion on their home field. During the off-season, the Chargers focused on improving

the offensive line. These new changes would be under scrutiny right away in their match-up against the Washington Football Team, which had one of the most formidable defensive lines in the National Football League last season. Not only did they find themselves in a tight game against the Football Team, but they would also have a chance to test their new additions.

When asked about how Herbert responded to his tutelage of his background as a defensive coach this off-season, Coach Staley mentioned. “He has learned so much about his game, fundamentally, and then learning a new offense. Then defensively, I think that he is just more aware of what is out there. I think so much, as a young quarterback, is being able to identify what is on the other side of the football.” Coach Staley would add about

Herbert, “he’s a perfectionist. He knows that he has to learn more.

He doesn’t ever feel like he has it all figured out. That’s why he’s going to be successful.”

For the first time since 2000, the Chargers scored on their first drive of the season, as Austin Ekeler finished off their initial 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown. Herbert’s growth manifested itself in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field as the Chargers went to close out the game. In those critical moments, the strong-armed quarterback would convert four consecutive 3rd downs to seal the win with the confidence and trust that Coach Staley spoke of previously. In total, the Chargers would convert 14 third downs in the game, the most by any team in a game since 2011.

Herbert ended the game passing for over 300 yards for the ninth time of his short. He now is one 300-yard passing game shy of tying Patrick Mahomes for the most by any player in their first two seasons in the NFL. All-Pro Wide Receiver Keenan Allen topped 100 receiving yards for the 28th time in his career.

Marking, his fourth 100-yard performance in a season opener.

This ties Allen for the second-most 100-yard receiving games in season openers since 2013 when he entered the NFL. James would also suit up and play a regular-season game for the first time since 2019, and having him back on that Chargers defense was an emotional lift for them and the team as a whole.

Coach Staley would mention in the locker room post-game that it was a dream of his to pass out game balls, as he did to Herbert, Allen, and James. However, in a sentimental moment, Justin Herbert gave Coach Staley a game ball. When asked if he dreamt of that moment, Staley humbly replied, “No, I don’t think that my dreams are really about me. It was more just about our players, an amazing moment. I think that it’s special when your players give you one. That means that the most to me when our starting quarterback was able to give me one. That means a lot, coming from him. A dream come true that way. Being a coach, it’s never about yourself; it’s about your guys. I was proud to give those three game balls because those guys were certainly deserving.”

Kindly share your thoughts on what impact coach Staley will have on these Chargers and what you think their ceiling might be for this upcoming season. You can reach out to me on Twitter @whatsgoodnsport or shoot me an email at info@ whatsgoodinsports.com. I encourage you to forward any suggestions on what topics or angles about this new version of the Los Angeles Chargers you would like to see discussed this season.

Lastly, be sure to subscribe to our weekly “Voice of the Fans Podcast,” which is available for you on most podcasting platforms; Apple and Google Podcasts, including Spotify, TuneIn, and iHeart Radio. On our Podcast, we have passionate banter about everything NFL while addressing current NBA topics, in addition to discussing multiple issues in and around the world of sports. Thank you, as always, for spending time with me and Making Our Voice, Your Choice!

USC Trojans Fire Head Coach After Embarrassing Loss to Stanford Cardinals

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com After an emotional ceremony remembering the first responders, survivors, and victims of September 11, 2001, tragic terrorist attacks on this country as the University of Southern California Trojans kicked off the Stanford Cardinals. It was a comfortable 73 degrees at the time of kickoff as the Trojans dawned their traditional USC Cardinal and USC Gold as the Stanford Cardinals sported their road-white uniforms.

On the initial kickoff of the game, the Trojans were penalized for targeting by their outside linebacker. As a result, he would get ejected from the game for a head-to-head hit on the ball carrier.

Even with good field position, the Cardinals could not get a much-needed first down. They were forced to punt the ball. The Trojans did not get a first down on their initial drive either, yet pinned the Cardinals deep inside their 20-yard line on their punt.

This appeared to be exactly what the Cardinals wanted to be, as they drew first blood in this game by ripping off a 87-yard TD run by Nathaniel Peat. This would be the 5th longest run in Cardinal’s history. Both teams would once again exchange punts on the next couple of possession. Though the Cardinals Head Coach David Shaw was being extra conservative by punting for a second time on the Trojans side of the field.

The Trojans then drove the ball down the field behind a

couple big plays catches by Junior Receiver Drake London, who caught a pass on the boundary to get them to 3rd and 1. Then London caught a 25-yard pass and ran for another 27 yards to move the Trojans deep inside Cardinal’s territory. They would capitalize on their 15 plays 95 yards drive on a 2-yard td run

by Keaontay Ingram, who needed some extra assistance by his lineman to get him over the goal line.

The Cardinals responded by driving the ball down the Trojans throat for a go-ahead field goal. However, the Trojans were flagged for an offsides penalty which caused Stanford head coach to rethink the field goal and go for the touchdown. Cardinals Tanner Mckee would throw a 3-yard TD pass, to complete their 9 play 73 yard scoring drive.

After forcing the Trojans to kick field goal on their next drive, the Cardinals then closed out the first half with another TD pass from Tanner McKee. This would give the Cardinals an 11-point lead as they went into the locker room.

On the first drive of the third quarter, the Trojans kicked a 33yard field goal to complete a 12 play 59-yard drive, which would narrow the Cardinals’ leads to 8 points. However, this would not be their night, as the Cardinals responded with 21 unanswered points. The Cardinals, Kyu Blu Kelly returned an interception for a touchdown; then Tanner McKee scored a touchdown on a oneyard run, which Isaiah Sanders then followed up with a 2-yard touchdown run that put this game out of reach for the Cardinals.

Although the Trojans would respond with a couple of late touchdowns late in the 4th quarter to narrow the lead to 14 points, this was a far cry from their expectations on the season.

They were the ranked team entering the game and were the team favored by 14.5 points. In reality, this was yet another lackluster performance by this Clay Helton-coached team and a loss that has cost him his job, as he was let go by the University on Monday after his unimpressive 46-24 record. Helton’s coaching has cost the university to be consistently overlooked by young recruits and the national football pollsters.

Kindly share your thoughts on if Donte Williams longterm, after being named interim head coach, or who they should be looking for someone else to be their permanent head coach.

You can reach out to me on Twitter @whatsgoodnsport or shoot me an email at info@whatsgoodinsports.com. I encourage you to forward any suggestions on what topics or angles about this edition of the University of Southern California Trojans you would like to see discussed this season.

Lastly, be sure to subscribe to our weekly “Voice of the

Fans Podcast,” which is available for you on most podcasting platforms; Apple and Google Podcasts, including Spotify, TuneIn, and iHeart Radio. On our Podcast, we have passionate banter about everything NFL while addressing current NBA topics, in addition to discussing multiple issues in and around the world of sports. Thank you, as always, for spending time with me and Making Our Voice, Your Choice!

Now Former Southern California head coach Clay Helton watches warm ups on the field before an NCAA college football game against Stanford Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Fans react in SoFi stadium before an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

California Roll Call in Rams Come Out Hot Opening So-Fi College Football

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer The Rams were anxious and all business for their home opener with fans in the stands for an NFL game that counts.

There was high level of excitement in So-Fi Stadium. On the third play from scrimmage Matthew Stafford rolled left with plenty of time the veteran planted his feet and threw back across field then hit Van Jefferson. After making the catch he went to the ground untouched by Bears defensive backs Eddie Jackson and Tashuan Gibson. Once he realized that he popped up and headed to endzone finalizing a 67 yard pass-play for his first touchdown of the season.

They were on their way to a 34-14 win. Stafford looked right at home as he completed his first five passes and went on to complete 20 of 26 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers.

“That’s exactly what we wanted,” said Head coach said head coach Sean McVay. “It was from a bunch of different guys, get off to a fast start and have everybody involved.”

He finished the night with a 156.5 passer rating. According to the Elias Sports bureau is that’s the highest for any player starting with a new team. Stafford also was the lone captain to go out for the coin toss.

Cooper Kupp led the team in catches with seven for 108 yards including a 57-yard scoring pass from Stafford.

Jefferson finished the day with two catches for 80 yards.

Tyler Higbee had five for 27 yards as the Rams had four scoring drives of seventy yards or more. The Rams are 5-0 in openers under McVay. Justin Hollins who recently solidified himself as a starter had a big game as well. On a fourth and five Hollins came off the edge and beat Bears left tackle Jason Peters knocking the ball away from Dalton the ball was recovered by Rams.

The four-year man had a career day with eight tackles, six solo two sacks and a QB hit. He has truly stepped up his game early in the season.

Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams played their part in not allowing the Bears the big play. There was never a reception longer than 10 yards on the night.

Jordan Fuller led all tacklers with 11 while Taylor Rapp and Kenny Young had 10 a piece.

Kenny Young had a tipped pass that led to a David Long interception that completely stopped a Bear drive. It was longs first career interception.

“He (Young) did a great job and that’s going back to last year” added McVay. “I thought he picked off where he left off, he’s had a great training camp.”

RAM NOTES: For his efforts Stafford was named NFC Player of the Week. Its the second time in his career he’s won the award... The Rams are on the road this week at Indy.

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer This was the first full week of college football. There are several players from the Golden State who shined bright on the stage.

CJ Verdell (Chula Vista-Mater Dei High) ran for 165 yards on 20 carries including a 77-yard touchdown jaunt as Oregon defeated #3 Ohio State in Columbus 35-28. The junior also had 3 catches for 35 yards. It was the first ever win for the Ducks (2-0) over the Buckeyes (1-1).

On the opposite sideline CJ Stroud (Rancho Cucamonga High) completed 35 of 54 passes for 484 yards and 3 touchdowns as Ohio State (1-1) fell short at home against the Ducks.

Stephen Carr (Fontana-Summit High and USC) rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown in helping Indiana to a 54-6. The former Trojan has rushed for 184 yards in the first two games for the Hoosiers (1-1).

Matt Carral (Long Beach Poly High) hit for 21 of 33 passes for 281 yards and five touchdowns to help Ole Miss (2-0) defeat Austin Peay 54-17. The former Jackrabbit also earned Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award for the second time in his career.

Bryce Young (Mater Dei High) threw for 344 yards while connecting on 27 of 38 passes for three TD’s leading #1 ranked Alabama to a 44-13 win over Miami… DJ Uiagalelei got his team back in the winner column after a tough loss opening week loss to Georgia. The former St John Bosco High stand-out went 14 of 24 for 175 yards and a TD. Healso has five carries for 35 yards

Former Fontana Summit High and USC running back now starts for the BIG-10 Hoosiers. (Photo: IU Athletics)

and two scores, that helped lead Clemson to a 49-3 victory over South Carolina State.

“I felt good back in the stadium (Clemson) I just wanted to come back with fire,” said Uiagalelei. “I feel like I left a lot of stuff back the table vs Georgia. I just wanted to come out there and prove myself play a great game and be focused.”

Local

A8

The Valley’s News Observer

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Rockin’ the Blues at the 8th Annual Lawndale Blues Festival

By Ricky Richardson Contributing Writer (Lawndale, CA.)- Jane Addams Park on Firmona and Marine Avenue were packed with blues lovers for the highly anticipated return of a live in-person music festival. It’s a Blues Thang!

The Lawndale Blues Festival gets bigger and better each year. This is an awesome event that brings together the community- family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and others from the greater blues community to enjoy some good food, great music in a relaxing environment.

The weather Gods with a penchant for the blues, looked favorably upon the festival. The day consisted of a lot of sun and a nice coastal breeze.

This year’s festival was held on September 11, 2021.

The 20th Anniversary of 9/11 featured solemn and somber remembrances that took place all over the United States.

City of Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles served as Master of Ceremonies, introducing each of the amazing bands on the lineup and acknowledging and recognizing the elected officials in attendance.

The show got off to a rousing start with a return engagement of SmackDaddy Blues Band. They know how to jump start a party. SmackDaddy Blues Band is a high octane rockin’ blues band. The band members are Rodney Milon, aka-BR on guitar, Michael G on the Mississippi Saxophone (harmonica), John Albert- bass and Jeff Stern on drums. It didn’t take long for the band to engage the crowd with some blues with a dose of funk and soul. Their entertaining set featured the tunes “Walking Blues,” “Rock Me Baby,” “Watch Out Baby,” “Honky Tonk Woman,” a tribute to the late great drummer Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones. Their set continued with “Leave My Little Girl Along,” “Checking Out My Baby,” “Out of Sight,” “Drive in

Life,” tribute to the great James Harman (Ice Pick) and concluded their set with “Shape I’m In.” Singer, songwriter and guitarist, Marian Tomas Griffin performed a heartfelt, touching original tune “Tallon of the Ten House,” dedicated to the memory of Firefighter Sean P. Tallon, Ladder Co. 10.

Up next was Guitar Shorty. The legendary guitarist has influenced countless guitarists past and present. Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy are two names that come to mind. There were a couple of young fans in the audience checking out his style. This is Guitar Shorty’s festival debut. It didn’t take long to put the crowd into a frenzy with his distinct high energy set of blues, raw, soulful vocals coupled with a flurry of fiery guitar riffs throughout his set. The band performed “The Blues Done Got Me,” “It’s Too Late,” “Hard Life,” and “I’m Gonna Leave You.” Guitar Shorty on guitar, backed by Wadada on bass, Moog Star Clemon on Vocoder keyboards, Danny Dangerous-drums, Crazy Tomes on guitar and Malcolm Lukens on keyboards.

Gregg Wright returned to the festival fronting his own band. Long time festival goers remember Gregg Wright from his breakout performance as a member of the wonderful band Rosie Lee Brooks and Brooks Project Band. Gregg Wright immediately tapped into the local power grid to deliver an electrifying performance to the delight of the crowd. “Come Together,” “Don’t Talk to My Women,” “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Gone, With Your Bad Self,” Cry Myself A River,” and “Hoochie Coochie Man,” were the tunes performed during their set. Gregg Wright on guitar was accompanied with Ron Battle-bass, Moe Beeks on keyboards and Danny Ritter on drums.

Shari Puorto is an American award-winning roots/rock/ blues singer,songwriter and performer with a powerful, soulful voice. Shari Puorto Band took it up a notch as they returned to close out the 8th annual Lawndale Blues Festival. The band opened their set with “Home of the Blues,” “Don’t Mess With

SmackDaddy Blues Band (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Gregg Wright Blues Band (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Me,” “It’s a Damn Shame,” and “Sugar Daddy,” to name a few.

The Classic Car Show presented by Astro Motive Auto Service was on site with a showcase of Hot Rods, Custom and Low Riders.

The City of Lawndale in partnership with Los Angeles County Supervisor, Second District, Holly Mitchell’s Office and St. John’s Well Child & Family Center hosted a double dose vaccination clinic on site.

Everyone is in agreement that the blues festival was a

way to make things feel like a sense of normalcy again, to shake off pandemic fatigue, at least for a while. The late great Willie Dixon stated “The Blues is a fact of life.”

Guitar Shorty (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Shari Puorto (Photo Credit: Ricky Richardson)

Losing Federal Unemployment Benefits or COBRA Health Plan Aid in September?

Covered California Can Help This month millions of Californians are losing federal unemployment benefits made available to them because of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thousands of others will lose federal aid that helped absorb the high costs of their COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) health coverage after getting laid off or having their hours reduced by their employers.

But Covered California -- which administers the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare” -- may help take some of the sting out of these lost benefits by offering consumers quality, low-cost health plans from name-brand insurers across the state. Most consumers can now qualify for comprehensive health coverage for just $1 per month.

Here is a quick guide to help those losing benefits. Q. What specific federal unemployment benefits are ending and how can Covered California help?

A. Four pandemic-related unemployment programs expired earlier in September, which impacted more than 2.2 million Californians. according to the California Employment Development Department (EDD). In addition, another 500,000 Californians will no longer be receiving the weekly $300 federal supplement with their unemployment benefits. Those losing federal unemployment benefits can enroll in low-cost Covered California plans right now, where more financial help is available than ever before thanks to the American Rescue Plan.

Over 1 million Covered California enrollees have already benefitted from the increased financial help, which is dramatically lowering monthly health care costs and has enabled more than 738,000 people to date to get health coverage for as little as $1 per month.

Q. How can Covered California help me, if my federal COBRA health plan subsidies expire at the end of September?

A. Covered California recently announced it opened a special enrollment period for an estimated 138,000 Californians whose federal subsidies for COBRA health coverage will be ending this month and who face significantly higher monthly health care premiums in October. The subsidies were also part of the American Rescue Plan, and helped many employees and their families continue to receive their group health coverage during the pandemic by covering the full cost of their monthly premiums, Eligible Californians can qualify for financial help that can save them hundreds of dollars on their monthly health care costs.

In addition, many of these consumers will be able to stay with their same brand-name health insurance company when they switch to Covered California.

Q. How long does Covered California’s COBRA special enrollment period last?

A. Covered California’s enrollment period for COBRA recipients runs through Nov. 29, 2021. Those who sign up with Covered California before the end of September will have their new coverage begin on Oct. 1. For COBRA recipients who want to keep their existing coverage for the balance of 2021, they can switch during Covered California’s open enrollment period starting in November and potentially get significant financial help starting in January 2022.

Q. How do I sign up for these ultra, low-cost Covered

California health plans?

A. Consumers can check their eligibility now for big savings on their monthly health care costs through Covered California by using this quick calculator. They will need to input their household income, ZIP code, household size and the age of each family member and note whether they received unemployment benefits at any time in 2021. Once completed, they will see how affordable a health plan can be in their local area and the cost of their monthly premium.

Those interested in learning more about their health coverage options through Covered California and Medi-Cal can also:

• Visit www.CoveredCA.com.

• Get local help and free and confidential assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.

• Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.

• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

Q. Is there other help available for those losing federal assistance in September?

A. For those whose federal unemployment benefits are ending, California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) is encouraging them to apply for other programs expanded by the American Rescue Plan. They include up to $234 per person per month in food assistance via CalFresh, and rental and utility assistance from the Housing is Key program.

Many losing federal unemployment assistance may also qualify for state unemployment benefits. EDD has an online calculator for Californians to estimate any potential benefit amount they can get, which can range from $40 to $450 a week.

Local

Thursday, September 16, 2021

The Valley’s News Observer A9

Five Key Reminders As California Schools Reopen By, Dr. Naomi Bardach Safe Schools for All team lead California school districts are close to fully reopening for the 2021-22 school year. Seventeen of the 20 largest districts have reopened with the other three on schedule to reopen soon. By implementing the right precautions, such as wearing masks indoors, parents can feel confident about their children being back in school for full, in-person learning.

With the help of scientists and medical professionals, we have gathered a lot more information about the coronavirus since it first hit America more than a year ago and those learnings are being applied to the new school year. It is imperative that we work together to support learning and growth for all students by fully reopening schools, which play a vital role in our communities.

Living with the virus has become our reality and we are learning to adapt. There will continue to be challenges this school year but with a multi-layered strategy in place — testing, vaccinations, masking, improved ventilation — we are confident this is the best path to safely returning to in-person learning.

As we dig into the school year, there are several things that parents should keep top of mind that will directly impact their children’s safety and well-being. Here are five key areas that I recommend paying close attention to.

Vaccinations remain key to COVID-19 prevention in kids.

Medical research has shown that children are less likely to catch the coronavirus than older students and adults.

Most children contract the virus from a close relative in their home, not from other students or school personnel.

Vaccines substantially reduce the need for quarantines, especially in middle and high schools.

Remember all teachers and staff in K-12 public and private schools are required to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

The requirement to get vaccinated or weekly COVID-19 testing applies to the state’s 320,000 public school teachers and more than 250,000 support staff — from cafeteria employees to campus custodians — and at least 80,000 private school employees, according to the California Department of Education and labor unions.

It will also pertain to school volunteers. These individuals will set the tone on our campuses and ensuring their safety allows for more focus on the students.

School-associated cases are evidence that schools are screening out COVID-19.

Schools are creating safe spaces through layered approaches including testing and contract tracing which supports identifying cases, in addition to sending ongoing notifications to keep parents updated. Vaccinations

for anyone 12 years of age and older and masks for all students supports schools in being safe spaces for students.

Schools reopening promotes mental and socialemotional health.

The last year and half has been a long and hard challenge for many of our students. The absence of school structure has led to social isolation and anxiety which severely impacts student’s social and emotional development. Research supports the reopening of schools to promote the mental, social-emotional and academic well-being of students. We must do all we can to mitigate the substantial effects of students remaining out of inperson learning. We want them back doing the things they love – socializing, spending time with their friends and playing sports.

The Delta variant remains a concern.

The presence of the Delta variant has created a need to increase testing capacity in many schools, although children are not the principal drivers of virus transmission.

Vaccination is the best way to protect against the Delta variant. Unvaccinated children may safely return to school, but that makes other protective measures such as masking more important for them.

For more information and ongoing updates, parents can visit https://schools.covid19.ca.gov/pages/parent-page.

Make Ethnic Studies a High School Graduation Prerequisite Legislature to Gov. Newsom:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom responds to a question while meeting with reporters after casting his recall ballot at a voting center in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. The last day to vote in the recall election is Tuesday Sept. 14. A majority of voters must mark “no” on the recall to keep Newsom in office. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Reports suggest that concerns continue to grow for the 31-year-old star of “Doctor Who.”

Actress Tanya Fear Reported Missing in Los Angeles Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent In one of her last social media postings, actress Tanya Fear retweeted a tribute by Courtney B. Vance to the late Michael K. Williams.

“Michael has found peace,” Fear tweeted. “He was a giant of a man. Only my faith sustains me in times like these.”

The September 6 social media post was among the last anyone has heard from Fear. The actress has been reported missing in Los Angeles.

Reports suggest that concerns continue to grow for the 31-year-old star of “Doctor Who.” Fear’s family reportedly hasn’t heard from her since

Thursday, September 9.

The hashtag #FindTanyaFear continues to trend while family and loved ones pray for the best.

“Please, please, please share if you have mutually in the LA/Hollywood bowl area,” a Twitter user describing themselves as Fear’s cousin wrote.

“My cousin is missing, she has no family in the US, and we’re all really worried.”

A poster circulating on social media says she went missing in the “LA/Hollywood Bowl area.”

Fear played the role of Dr. Jade McIntyre in a 2018 episode of Doctor Who. She also appeared in the films “A Moving Image,” “Kick-ass 2,” and “Spotless.”

Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media For the second time since he became governor, Gavin Newsom is being asked by the California Legislature to sign a bill that would make ethnic studies a California high school graduation requirement.

Days before the end of the 2021 Legislative session, by overwhelming margins, the State Assembly and Senate approved Assembly Bill (AB) 101. It would require high schools to offer ethnic studies courses beginning academic year 2025-26 and make completing a one-semester course a graduation requirement starting in the 2029-30 school year.

Sponsored by Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside), AB 101 requires all public school districts and charter schools serving students in grades 9 through 12 to offer culturally responsive curricula reflective of California’s diverse population.

The state has more than 1,000 public school districts enrolling 6.2 million students speaking more than 90 languages. More than three-quarters of California’s K-12 students are non-white: 55% Latino, 22% white, 12% Asian or Pacific Islander and 5% African American.

According to Medina, a former ethnic studies teacher, “California is one of the most diverse states in the country and we should celebrate that diversity by teaching a curriculum that is inclusive of all of our cultures and backgrounds. Ethnic Studies provide students an opportunity to learn about histories outside of the Eurocentric teachings most prominent in our schools. At a time when the national climate drives divisiveness and fear of otherness, Ethnic Studies can play a critical role in increasing awareness and understanding.”

Last year, Newsom, who has expressed support of ethnic studies, vetoed a similar bill, AB 331.

He expressed concerns about the content of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum that was being developed as a template to guide school districts as they created their own versions of the course. Newsom called the draft model curriculum “insufficiently balanced and inclusive and needed to be substantially amended.”

Initial reaction to the Department of Education (CDE) Instructional Quality Commission’s (IQC) Ethic Studies Model Curriculum was strongly negative. During two years of heated debates, it produced several versions of the curriculum and attracted nearly 100,000 public comments.

The drafts drew complaints from Jewish Americans and other ethnic and religious groups who said their American experiences were being ignored. Jewish Americans expressed concerns that the curriculum evoked antiSemitic stereotypes and dwelled on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Others criticized the curriculum for taking a left leaning and politically biased view of history. For example, it defined capitalism as a system of oppression.

Revisions to the model curriculum were made and it was adopted by the State Board of Education this past March. The 894-page curriculum with more than two dozen lesson plans is designed to teach students about the history, culture and struggles of four historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and Native Americans. The guidelines also include supplemental lessons on Jews, Armenians and Sikhs in response to public comments received.

School districts and charter schools are not required to adopt CDE’s model curriculum. AB 101 lets them pick the elements they like from the model curriculum— or choose

none of them. They can develop ethnic studies courses on their own. The course must be approved by the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school and the courses must be approved as meeting the A–G requirements of the University of California and the California State University.

AB 101 is supported by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and a coalition of educators, students, and advocates across the state. Supporters include the California Teachers Association, the California State PTA, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, California Association for Bilingual Education, and The Education Trust-West.

Over the weekend, at the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) 2021 Annual Round-Up, Thurmond was applauded by the group when he said, “I hope you’ve heard the good news. AB 101, the bill to require ethnic studies as a graduation requirement has been passed, and is on its way to the governor’s desk for signature. Our babies deserve to learn about the contributions of their ancestors.

Our African American children, our Latino children, our Native American, Pacific Islander children, deserve to hear the positive contributions of their ancestors, who helped to make this a great state, and a great nation.”

Also unanimously supporting AB 101 are the five diversity caucuses of the California State Legislature: the Latino caucus, the Asian Pacific Islander caucus, the Black caucus, the Jewish caucus and the Native American caucus.

The statement from the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) leaders chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and vice-chair Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles) reads, “As chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, I am proud to stand with Assembly member Medina in support of the amendments to AB 101, … it is critical that ethnic studies be immediately included as a graduation requirement to help reduce further racial bias and create understanding. History is often taught with oppression and racism in the periphery or sometimes erased altogether. It is imperative that all students leave our education system with a deeper understanding of the communities that make California and America culturally diverse and strong.”

As Newsom decides whether or not to sign AB 101, criticism of the bill persists.

The anti-Semitism watchdog AMCHA Initiative writes, “My organization is deeply concerned that classes taught using [the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum] will become vehicles for highly controversial, one-sided and extremely coercive political advocacy and activism that will both subvert the educational mission of our schools and incite bigotry and harm against many students…, we believe it is irresponsible and unethical to pass a bill requiring students to take a course that has not been shown to improve students’ academic achievement, and is quite likely to incite strife and hatred.”

Republican legislator opposition can be summed up in a comment Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) made recently. Debating AB 101, Melendez said that ethnic studies is rooted in “critical race theory,” a view that racism is ingrained in laws and government institutions.

With the recall election scheduled for Sept. 14, Newsom will likely avoid signing any bills until after the election, fearing he could motivate critics to vote in favor of the recall.

He has until Oct. 10 to sign the bill.

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Thursday, September 16, 2021