Lecrae, Rapper with San Diego Ties, Shares Wealth Building Ideas
2022
From the Staff of The Valley’s News Observer
News Observer Page A3
The Valley’s
Volume 37 Number 7
Serving the San Fernando Valley for Over 37 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Leaders Demand Biden and Senate Pass Voting Rights Bill By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
“We cannot be clearer: you must act now to protect every American’s freedom to vote without interference and with confidence that their ballot will be counted and honored,” the faith leaders wrote in the letter released on Thursday, December 30, 2021. (Courtesy Photo)
Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, and more than 800 faith leaders from various religions are demanding that President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats immediately push through voting rights legislation. “We cannot be clearer: you must act now to protect every American’s freedom to vote without interference and with confidence that their ballot will be counted and honored,” the faith leaders wrote in the letter released on Thursday, December 30, 2021. “Passing comprehensive voting rights legislation must be the number-one priority of the administration and Congress,” they wrote. In addition to Sharpton and King, those signing the letter included a mix of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faith leaders. Rev. Aaron Frank of Horseheads, New York, Rabbi Abby Cohen of Portland, Oregon, Rabbi Abby Michaleski of the Beth Israel Congregation, Rev. Abhi Janamanchi of Bethesda, Maryland, Rabbi Abram Goodstein of the Congregation Beth Sholom, and Rev. Adam Russell Taylor. King and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, organized the leaders and wrote the letter. The African American Christian Clergy Coalition joined them, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action and Faith in Public Life, and others joined. The Congressional Black Caucus has pushed legislation, including two voting rights bills blocked by the GOP. “This year, American democracy faced extraordinary challenges, from the violent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol to over 30 anti-voting bills pushed through state legislatures, intentionally designed to silence Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, low-income, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, Continued on page A2
Despite Recent Storms, Expect Warmer, Drier Winter Weather Edward Henderson California Black Media In 1990, Tony! Toni! Toné!, the R&B trio from Oakland, released their hit song ‘It Never Rains in Southern California.” For decades now, the words in the hook of that timeless R&B song has become a sort of a go-to jingle (or photo caption) for some proud Southern Californians. They use it to hype up their typically mild winter climate, playfully taunting East Coast or Midwestern family and friends -- whether they are grilling outdoors for Thanksgiving or taking a selfie on a beach in the fall. The “never rains” thing is an exaggeration for sure. On average, Southern California gets about 16 inches of rainfall each year. It is much less than the national annual average (about 38 inches), of course. And if you were to look at the recent rain and snowstorms across the state over the last month, you would probably bet on wet, cold weather for the rest of winter. But from now through March, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning that a warmer and drier winter is ahead, not just for Southern California but for the greater part of the state – from the Mexican border all the way up to just above the Bay Area. That region includes the top 10 counties, by population, where Black Americans live. Less rain will worsen the already-serious drought conditions in California, especially near the southern border where it has been driest. About 85 % of the state was facing drought in June, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to NOAA, La Nina, an oceanic atmospheric pattern, is the cause of the anticipated dry and warm winter
(Shutterstock Photo)
conditions. The sparsely populated stretch of California that reaches up to the Oregon border up North is expected to get wetter and colder weather winter weather. “The Southwest will certainly remain a region of concern as we anticipate below-normal precipitation where drought conditions continue in most areas,” said Jon Gottschalk, chief, Operational Prediction Branch at the NOAA. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are not predictable more than a week in advance.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center updates the threemonth outlook each month. Their latest seasonal precipitation outlook for the first three months of 2022 predict that Southern California will see a 40-50% chance that precipitation will be below normal. The seasonal temperature outlook remains the same. Seasonal outlooks help communities prepare for what is likely to come in the months ahead and minimize weather’s impacts on lives and livelihoods. Their goal is to empower people with actionable forecasts and winter weather tips to build a nation that is ‘weather-ready.’ “Using the most up-to-date observing technologies and computer models, our dedicated forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center produce timely and accurate seasonal outlooks to help communities prepare for the months ahead,” said Michael Farrar, Ph.D., director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The last water year, which stretched from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021, was among the driest ever recorded in California, according to the state’s Department of Water Resources. A year ago, just 12% of California was mired in extreme drought and 15% was drought free, according to data from the federal drought monitor. But as of Oct. 19, about 87% was experiencing at least extreme drought, with over 45% of the state in the most severe “exceptional” category. And no part of the Golden State is without drought. The Center for Disease Control has outlined resources for communities preparing for potential droughts. Visit here for more information.
The Pandemic’s Heavy Toll on Our Children’s Mental Health Charlene Muhammad California Black Media The Covid-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the health, finances, and mobility of people around the world, affecting almost everyone on the planet. Youth, in particular, have been experiencing an uptick in mental health cases, including depression, in a trend U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is calling an emerging crisis. On Dec. 7, Murthy released a 42-page health advisory drawing the country’s attention to the “urgent” need to help youth facing mental health problems. He said one in three students in the U.S. say they experience sustained periods of sadness and hopelessness. That number represents a 40 % increase from 2009 to 2019. The pandemic has made those conditions worse. “The future wellbeing of our country depends on how we support and invest in the next generation,” said Murthy. “Especially in this moment, as we work to protect the health of Americans in the face of a new variant, we also need to focus on how we can emerge stronger on the other side. This advisory shows us how we can all work together to step up for our children during this dual crisis.” Recently, a panel of experts tackled the issue during a news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services titled “The Pandemic’s Heavy Toll on Teen Mental Health.” Michelle Cabrera, Executive Director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA), spotlighted the health needs of minority youth. She explained that all over the nation -- and in California -- youth are suffering from a mental health crisis, leading to increasing numbers of suicide and high levels of anxiety in schools. “The numbers of children and youth in acute mental Continued on page A2
Take One!
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Santa Monica Offers Housing to Families Displaced by Highway
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) – The city of Santa Monica will offer affordable housing to Black families forced out during freeway construction and other urban renewal projects of the 1950s, according to a newspaper report Sunday. Some 600 families lost their homes when Interstate 10 was built through the Pico neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Times. Starting in January, those former residents and their descendants will be offered priority access to apartments with below-market rents in the hopes that they’ll come back to the coastal city in Los Angeles County. Affordable housing will also be available for families removed when they city bulldozed another Black area, Belmar Triangle, to build the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Children and grandchildren of those who were displaced will be eligible. “We will be able to right a historic wrong,” Santa Monica City Councilwoman Kristin McCowan told the Times. “Eventually, we’re going to do that for more and more people. And if other communities start to do their share, you can see a real tidal wave potentially across the country.” The city program initially will be open to 100 displaced families or their descendants who earn limited incomes, but city leaders hope their efforts will grow into a national model to address past racist policies. Santa Monica’s act of civic penance is an attempt to recognize the harm done to largely Black communities during the post-World War II era of freeway building and urban renewal, the Times said. The program is part of a nationwide movement to compensate residents for racist harms related to housing and property. In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that authorized the return of shorefront land known as Bruce’s Beach to the descendants of a Black couple who were run out of Manhattan Beach nearly a century ago. Nichelle Monroe, whose grandparents were forced out of the Pico neighborhood, told the Times that she has mixed feelings about the new housing program and the city’s other recent efforts to recognize Black history. Monroe believes the city should be making it easier for her family to actually buy a home in the community. “But what else is there?” Monroe said. “The theft is still there. The generational wealth is still gone.” Nationwide, more than 1 million people lost their homes in just the first two decades of interstate construction alone, according to the Times. Early on, highway planners targeted many Black neighborhoods for destruction, and displaced families often received little compensation.
Black Youths More Likely to End Up in Justice System RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A new report says ‘Black youths in Virginia were more than twice as likely to be referred to the state’s juvenile justice system compared to their white peers. The Washington Post reported Friday that the statesponsored report offers a far-reaching examination into how the state handles young offenders. It was conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and sent to the state legislature and governor. The analysis also found that many teens in the state fail to get quality legal representation. Recidivism is high because rehabilitation programs are ineffective. And officials are paying for facilities where 70 percent of beds are unoccupied. The findings come at a time when the number of teens in statewide programs and detention centers has fallen more than 70 percent over the past 10 years. The report recommends closing Virginia’s last juvenile prison and replacing it with smaller facilities across the state. The change would allow teens to be closer to their parents and provide more space for treatment. The report did offer some good news. It found that a plan put in place by state lawmakers in 2016 had reduced the number of teens in the system and cut recidivism rates for low-risk offenders.
Court Edging Closer to Dividing Prince Estate MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Court officials are edging closer to dividing up pop superstar Prince’s estate. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday that November tax filings show the Internal Revenue Service and Comerica Bank & Trust, the estate administrator, have reached an agreement in November on how the total value of Prince’s assets. The specific number hasn’t been disclosed but it could be more than $100 million. The IRS last year determined Prince’s assets were worth $163.2 million. Comerica put the number at $82.3 million. IRS officials felt Comerica’s total was so low they imposed a $6.4 million accuracy penalty on the estate. The Carver County probate court still must approve the agreement. The court is set to begin discussions in February on how to divide up the assets. The estate likely will be divided between New York music company Primary Wave and Prince’s three oldest heirs or their families. Primary Wave bought out all or most of the interests of Prince’s three youngest siblings. Prince died of a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park home in Carver County in April 2016. He didn’t have a will.
(Shutterstock Photo)