California Black Media Political Briefs

By Tanu Henry and Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

By Tanu Henry and Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

Rep. Barbara Lee Holds First Campaign Rally in Oakland

Last Saturday, Rep. Barbara Lee held her first U.S. Senate campaign rally at Laney College in Oakland.

“We fight for freedom, for dignity, for justice, and, together, we win,” said Lee to a cheering crowd of supporters gathered at the Alameda County community college.

“That’s why I’m running for the United States Senate,” continued Lee, who is the highest-ranking African American woman in the U.S. Congress and the only African American so far in the 2024 California senatorial race.

Lee, 76, is serving her 12th term in the United States Congress. Known for her progressive politics, she joins the race to replace Feinstein against two other members of California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives: Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA-37), 49, and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-30), 62.

Several high-profile Bay Area politicians attended the rally, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the first HmongAmerican mayor of a major American city.

“Black women have been at the forefront of frontlines of the fight for freedom and dignity and justice and peace for centuries. Black women get the job done,” said Lee.

The Bontas Have (Clearly) Moved On

After weeks of facing a torrent of criticisms coming from several journalists across California — including an editorial in the L.A. Times — it seems Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and her husband, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, have moved on.

Mia Bonta showed her support for Rep. Barbara Lee after the Congresswoman held the first rally of her senatorial bid on Bonta’s Alameda County home turf.

“Barbara Lee speaks for me,” said Mia Bonta who has been keeping herself occupied tackling other issues in her district, including excessive use of force by law enforcement and the persistent digital divide affecting families of color.

Last week, Assembly Budget Committee chair Phil Ting (DSan Francisco) also released a statement assuring the public that Mia Bonta will not influence issues affecting her husband or the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Effective immediately in the Assembly Budget Committee, any state funding matters pertaining to the Department of Justice will be temporarily moved to and overseen by Budget Subcommittee 4,” said Ting. “DOJ’s proposed allocations will go through the same vetting process that all entities funded by California’s budget do, allowing for anyone to weigh in during public hearings.”

On Friday, Rob Bonta delivered remarks at California’s commemoration of the National Day of Racial Healing.

While pushing back on the

Anita Faith Williams, 77

media attacks, the Bontas enjoyed support from some commentators.

“The media focus should be on covering both (Rob and Mia Bonta’s) efforts to promote public safety and make California a better place for all citizens. I urge all reporters and editors to uphold the principles of responsible journalism and prioritize the truth and accuracy of their reporting over sensationalism and clickbait. The public deserves better than to be misled by unfounded innuendo,” said Paul Cobb, publisher of the Oakland Post. “The Black press has a responsibility to step up and do its part to foster a more informed and engaged public and not allow mainstream media and newspapers to marginalize Black leaders without pushing back especially when their reporting shows ignorance and fails to uphold the principles of responsible journalism.”

Assemblymembers Holden and Jones Sawyer Eye Futures in Local Government

As their time in the state Legislature gets closer to the end due to term limits, California Legislative Black Caucus members Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) and Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) have announced their future political plans.

Assemblymember Holden is entering the race for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (5th District). He’ll face Republican incumbent Kathryn Barger.

Assemblymember JonesSawyer is seeking to represent the 10th District on the Los Angeles City Council, hoping to replace

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Longtime Bay Area resident Anita Faith Williams passed away on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Zachary, La. She was 77. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on Dec. 5, 1945, and spent much of her adult life as a vibrant, engaged activist in the California Bay Area.

As Congresswoman Barbara Lee said, “Anita was a political force in the Bay Area and an unbelievable field and casework staffer. As a member of the California Democratic Party and the Niagara Movement Democratic Club, she was committed to progressive causes that improved the lives of the most vulnerable.”

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

The Bookworm Sez, LLC

A good building starts with a substantial foundation.

No matter where you go from there, that base is an opening action, an announcement, a public sign of things to come. Whether it’s a new home for humans, hoopties, heirlooms, or the future site of industry or ideas, the foundation is the start of something exciting. In a new business and as in the new book, “Black Founder” by Stacy Spikes, it needs to be solid.

With high school graduation on the horizon, Stacy Spikes was itching to move.

His hometown of Houston, Texas, had become “too small” to hold his dreams. Education was important in his family, but college held no interest to him either. Instead, he was going to Los Angeles to chase a career in music and movies.

He broke the news to his parents and, with $300 in his pocket, he drove northwest.

Once in California, Spikes quickly understood that he didn’t need a job, he needed several of them. Before he could get settled, though, he fell in with a bad crowd and was hospitalized to help him kick drugs and alcohol abuse.

He returned to a job he had working with a two-in-one company in Encino, making and packaging videos. The men he worked with mentored him; it was there that he learned the need to “go to extra lengths to meet [someone] in their field.”

Spikes took acting classes and absorbed as much as he could about old-time Black comedians. He built a recording studio in his home and learned to make album covers, which led him to a job at Motown, where he went into sales and learned how to make an impression. The “Black Godfather”

Williams served on Board of Directors of the Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) for many years and was awarded for her community service endeavors.

A charter and lifetime member of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), she served as political action director on their state board for many years. BWOPA President Dezie WoodsJones stated that “Anita had a passion for serving and loved being engaged in politics as a change agent for the underserved.”

As a dedicated and active member of Oakland’s Wings of Love Maranatha Ministries, Wil-

By Ned MacKay

Whenever you visit an East Bay Regional Park or any other public open space, it’s really essential to bring a map with you.

taught him that it was possible to talk with anyone, Black or white, with honesty. And before he founded Urbanworld Film Festival and MoviePass, Motown helped him see that to succeed, “You didn’t need an army, just a small group of like-minded souls set on making a difference.” liams was a Bible Study teacher for many years. She also developed the Saturday morning Neighborhood Outreach Program establishing a premier standard of excellence for the ministry by greeting and praying with neighbors and residents in the community.

Readers looking for a good business biography are in for a nice surprise when they read “Black Founder.” They’ll also get some entrepreneurial advice. It’s not bold-face or bulleted; you’ll have to look for it, but it’s in there.

“Transparency” is what author Stacy Spikes learned early, and it’s what he applies inside this book, which is refreshing. This isn’t a book about a meteoric rise; Spikes instead writes about setbacks, both personal and professional, and times of struggle. Readers can imagine a Parkour-like hustle that Spikes describes as he overcame seemingly catastrophic events and still landed with both feet; such tales serve to instruct as much as does the actual instruction.

Though it may seem to lag a bit — especially for older readers, or those who are unfamiliar with the businesses Spikes founded — “Black Founder” is entertaining enough to read for fun, with a side dish of instruction. Whether you’re ready to act now or you’re just finding your inner entrepreneur, to launch your idea, it’s a good base.

Here’s a rags-to-riches story for you: “Never Far from Home” by Bruce Jackson (Atria, $28) is the story of Jackson’s life. He was born in Brooklyn and lived his early life in public housing. At age ten, he was arrested for robbery (which he didn’t do) and he caught the attention of drug dealers. Knowing then that that wasn’t the kind of life he wanted, Jackson worked hard to overcome his background. His story is inspiring and awe-striking.

Williams will be deeply missed by all who loved and knew her. She is survived by her sister Paula, brother-in-law James and other family members who were present at her passing.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 18, 3:30 p.m. at Wings of Love Maranatha Ministries, 7007 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, California 94605.

With map in hand or on smart phone, you can keep track of where you are, determine trail distances, and locate toilets, drinking water fountains, and other park features. Within the Regional Parks, there are trail markers at each trail junction. In many of the parks, numbers on the signposts correspond to numbers on the park brochure map for easy reference.

Apart from general convenience, a map can be really important if there’s an emergency, for directing assistance to your location.

Free Regional Park brochures, which include maps and other useful information, are generally available at trailhead information panels. Or you can find maps of the Regional Park you wish to visit on the Park District website, www.ebparks.org/maps.

The site includes information on how to download free Park District maps for use with the Avenza Maps app. Avenza has maps of 42 Regional Parks. Your device GPS will show your real-time location on the map, even while offline. Get the app on your mobile browser.

As it happens, there’s a “Marvelous Maps” map-reading program scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 4, at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch. If you can’t make it on March 4, Marvelous Maps repeats from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8.

Also at Black Diamond Mines, naturalist Katie Garchar will lead a two-hour guided hike from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on March 4 in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Along the way, the group will learn about the role of women during the park’s historic coal mining era. The activity is for ages 7 and older; parental participation is necessary. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water.

Both programs are free and registration is not required. For either

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