Oakland Post, week of April 5 - 11, 2023

Trump’s Arrest... See Page 5

Oakland Post

“Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18 postnewsgroup.com

Year, No. 14 Weekly Edition. April 5 - 11, 2023

Easter Brings out Glorious Crowns at Church

Jack Chandra Naidu, 80

death

Barbara Lee’s Former Staffer Expelled from Tennessee Legislature

Vallejo’s 2nd Baptist Church’s First Lady, Lula Irving, has provided photos to the Post through the years. Please send us your photos of the Glorious Crowns worn at your church this Easter. Send you photos to us at: bhudson@postnewsgroup.com

their new book and

Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor: Closing the Equity Gap for Communities of Color

By Conway Jones

Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor are two pillars of the San Francisco Bay Area.

More than this, they are visionaries who are helping construct the pathway for our nation’s economic future.

The Kapors have spent the last decade developing a vision and practice to make the tech industry more diverse and inclusive.

Their new book, “Closing the Equity Gap: Creating Wealth and Fostering Justice in Startup Investing,” explains how their two institutions, Kapor Center and Kapor Capital, invest in seed-stage tech startups focused on closing gaps of access, opportunity and

outcome for low-income communities and communities of color.

Their core belief is that all companies must make a positive impact.

“Loyalty to values is more important than loyalty to investors.” said Freada Kapor in her address to the Commonwealth Club of California last Monday.

The Kapors’ belief is that entrepreneurs who overcome obstacles in life are a far better predictor of long-term success than the schools they attend or the investment dollars they raise from friends and family.

“Mitch and Freada were both authentic and engaging in their presentation.” said Linda Parker

Pennington, founder and CEO of Parker Pennington Enterprises, LLC. “They told us ‘how they’ve done well by doing good’ and how we can, too.” Parker Pennington continued.

“The investment work we do is what matters.” said Mitch Kapor.

“The Kapors’ investment formula is proven to help close these access, opportunity, and outcome gaps for low-income communities,” said Kenneth Johnson, videographer, community leader and Board Director of the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce. “We need to adopt their vision here in San Francisco.”

By Post Staff Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who’s also running for the United States Senate seat presently held by Dianne Feinstein, blasted the Tennessee House Republicans for voting to expel two of the three Democratic representatives (Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville; Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville; and Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis) late last Thursday

for joining with a peaceful student protest against gun violence.

Justin Jones, served as a former intern with congresswoman Barbara Lee, before being elected. Jones, who’s Black was the first to be ejected. Johnson, who is white, was not voted to be removed. However, Pearson, who is Black, was voted out.

Lee said she was proud of Jones for standing up for saving lives of children and protecting them from

Marcus Foster Education Institute Turns 50, Recognizes 100 Change Makers

By Ken Epstein

The Marcus Foster Education Institute (MFEI), a nonprofit that works for equity and enhanced education opportunities for Oakland students and families, is celebrat-

ing two important milestones: 50 years of service to the community and the 100th birthday of trailblazing educator Dr. Marcus A. Foster, Oakland’s first Black superintendent.

gun violence. “The majority of Americans support legislation to end the use of military-style weapons and gun violence. Republicans should be condemning this action by the Tennessee legislature. I am heartbroken, but we will rise.” She urged Americans to continue to support the three legislators and the student protesters through voting as a way to fight back to preserve democracy.

Dr. Foster and the organization that he founded and now carries his name were honored last Friday evening at the Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland at a celebration that recognized 100 community leaders for their dedication as community change makers.

Dr. Foster served as Oakland Unified School District superintendent from 1970-1973. A leading education reformer in Philadelphia, Pa., he would take the helm of OUSD after civil rights protesters, including future Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb, sat in and were arrested at a school board meeting to demand the hiring of a Black superintendent.

In 1973, he founded the Oakland Education Fund, the first nonprofit of its kind in the nation to support school innovation. The organization was renamed in his

sorrowfully

Chandra

Marcus Foster. Facebook photo.

At San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, Mitch Kapor, Freada Kapor, left, discussed

Linda Parker Pennington and Kenneth Johnson were among the attendees. Photo by Conway Jones

Pictured, left to right: Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis

After Judge’s Gig Worker Ruling, Advocates Want Protections for Contract Nurses, Too

Oakland Museum of California to Feature Works of NIAD Artists

Nicole Storm and Marilyn Wong.

By Kathy Chouteau

By Edward Henderson California Black Media

McKenzie Young is a traveling nurse from California who works in Hawaii. She gets placements through an agency that connects her to temporary jobs around the state and country. Her assignments can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months at a time.

When Young returns to the mainland, she plans to sign up on a nursing placement app for shorterterm freelance nurses who get paid by picking up shifts at nearby medical facilities.

Currently, her gig in Hawaii pays Young by the hour. She gets medical insurance through the hospital to which she is assigned, and she opts to pay out-of-pocket for her own individualized retirement plan.

“If you can do it smart that way and make sure you’re giving what you should and set up the accounts you need, I can put even more into my retirement because I’m making more,” Young said. “It’s hard going back to (being on) staff.”

Young says more nurses would opt for freelance work if they knew how flexible and lucrative it can be. And because there is a nursing shortage, she never has to worry about not finding temporary assignments.

As more nurses like Young enter the gig economy seeking higher pay rates and more control over their work schedules, some advocates assert that hospitals that contract nurses often misclassify them as independent contractors, a practice that comes with “tremendous legal and regulatory risks.”

“When workers are misclassified as independent contractors, there is a damaging domino effect that impacts all levels of our economy. In this case, caretakers were systematically denied minimum wage, overtime and other legally

required working conditions,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower.

Nurses have access to various apps that help them find work. Just like dating apps, many of these apps enable users to browse through job options by scrolling or swiping until they find a suitable job, facility and working hours.

Within the spectrum of these healthcare staffing apps, some provide 1099 workers who are farmed out as independent contractors.

Other companies like IntelyCare and ShiftMed hire healthcare staff as W-2 employees, who are eligible for benefits not accorded to 1099 workers.

On March 13, California Courts of Appeal Justices ruled that Proposition 22 (a 2020 ballot measure that allowed Lyft, Uber and other gig economy platforms to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees) is constitutional.

Executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, issued a press release speaking out against the court’s decision.

“Today the Appeals Court chose to stand with powerful corporations over working people, allowing companies to buy their way out of our state’s labor laws and undermine our state Constitution,” Gonzalez Fletcher said. “Our system is broken. It would be an understatement to say we are disappointed by this decision.”

Gonzalez Fletcher, who, as an Assemblymember authored Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), which established stricter criteria for classifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees, has been a vocal supporter of legislation prohibiting companies from hiring freelance workers to avoid paying them benefits they are entitled to under California’s labor laws.

The distinction between being an employee and independent contractor is very important, advocates like Gonzalez Fletcher point out.

Employees have the right to benefits including sick and family leave, unemployment benefits, minimum wage and more.

With 36% of workers in the U.S. in the gig economy, the battle for these distinctions continues to rage on with both sides contesting court decisions made in the other’s favor.

This past year home healthcare placement agencies were fined $1.8 million by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office for misclassifying 66 workers.

Healthcare app-based staffing company CareRev was sued for misclassifying workers who signed up on the app as contractors.

Advocates point out that the healthcare industry is more regulated than the rideshare industry.

“Any nurse who walks into a long-term care or memory care facility will have a long list of rules and protocols that need to be followed. They are often given access badges, a work schedule, a patient list, and time slots for medication, food, or exercise rotation,” reads a press release that advocates published describing how companies are benefitting from hiring contract nurses and not paying them the benefits that full-time employees must receive by law.

So far, no bill has been introduced in the California Legislature to regulate health care industry staffing apps, but advocates say the problems they are posing will hurt health care workers and the industry writ large.

“Misclassification opens the door for joint employer liability and legal wage and hour disputes,” advocates added in the press release.

kindergarten.

Assembly Bill 1555, authored by Assemblymember Sharon QuirkSilva, would give transitional kindergarten teachers, hired after July 1, 2015, two more years to either take at least 24 units in early childhood education, earn a child development teacher permit or early childhood education specialist credential, or prove they have adequate experience teaching preschool-age children. The current deadline is Aug. 1 of this year.

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is partnering with Richmond’s NIAD Art Center and other Bay Area organizations serving artists with developmental disabilities to present “Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD,” a large-scale, multimedia exhibition Fri., May 19, 2023, through Jan. 21, 2024.

OMCA said it will be “a major exhibition celebrating the myriad works of world-renowned contemporary artists with developmental disabilities producing work of incredible power, exu-

berance, humor, complexity and joy across multiple mediums and styles.”

Artists from Creativity Explored in San Francisco and Creative Growth in Oakland will join NIAD in the exhibition, sharing their “powerful work across multiple artistic disciplines” including painting, sculpture, film, multimedia, textiles and more, per the museum.

It’s the largest museum exhibition to date featuring artists from the three Bay Area organizations, including: Saul Alegria, Peter Cordova, Tranesha Smith-Kilgore, Marlon Mullen, Dorian Reid, William Scott, Dinah Shapiro,

“Our organizations were founded under the premise that everyone has creative potential that deserves to be nurtured and celebrated,” said Creativity Explored, Creative Growth and NIAD Art Center in a collaborative statement.

The organizations added that the existing and emerging artists from their studios “are powerful members of the Bay Area art scene who provide an important lens into how art is a tool for communication, expression and connection.” They said they’re excited “to bring this show to life” with OMCA.

Sen. Padilla, Rep. Ruiz Push for National Park Named for César E. Chávez

ramento in 1966.

“On César Chávez Day we commemorate the work and legacy of an iconic Latino civil rights leader,” Sen. Alex Padilla said in a statement. “Establishing the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park will pay proper homage to Chávez’s tireless work for the dignity, respect and equal treatment of farmworkers.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared March 31, 2023, Cesar Chavez Day in California.

By Diana Lambert EdSource

last-minute reprieve from a law that requires them to take addi-

“Teachers are having a difficult time completing 24 credit units, while also teaching full time as

By Antonio Ray Harvey

California Black Media

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Congressman Raul Ruiz (DCA-25) last week introduced bicameral legislation to create the “César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park.”

The bill establishes the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park, which incorporates the headquarters of the United Farm Workers (UFW) at La Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz in Keene, California, and expands upon the existing César E. Chávez National

Monument.

Co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and U.S. Congressmembers Raul Grijalva (DAZ-7) and Rueben Gallego (DAZ-3), the bill calls for preserving nationally significant sites associated with labor and civil rights leader César E. Chávez and the farmworker movement in California and Arizona.

Further, the bill includes a provision to “Conduct a National Historic Trail Study” for the “Farmworker Peregrinación

National Historic Trail,” the 300mile march route taken by farmworkers between Delano and Sac-

Padilla continued, “Our national park system tells the story of our nation and preserves the people and movements that we value as Americans. Yet our park system does not yet adequately preserve the full culture and diverse legacy of all Americans. This legislation would bring us closer to the recognition farmworkers have earned and deserve.”

Chávez, who died in 1993, was a Latino icon and civil rights leader, labor leader and community organizer whose legacy is intricately connected to the story of California, the farmworker labor movement and the push for worker and civil rights.

California teachers could get a

tional courses to teach transitional

Luis Estrada at work at the NIAD Art Center. Photo courtesy of OMCA

Photo courtesy of the Oakland Museum of California.

César E. Chávez State Holiday Celebration in Northern California. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Some advocates say hospitals should classify nurses they hire through apps as employees, not as contractors.

Photo courtesy of CBM.

COMMENTARY: The Struggle Dr. King Gave His Life For

By Ben Jealous

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - This week in 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated leading a bold effort to teach America an urgent lesson: racism is not just the boot on the neck of people of color, it is also the great wedge that divides Americans. And everyone who gets divided loses.

On Dec. 4, 1967, King announced a multiracial “Poor People’s Campaign” that would march on Washington, DC, that summer.

The idea gained traction as groups of poor whites, Asian Americans, Latinos, and Indigenous People joined the campaign being organized by King and Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

In promoting it, King would decry the “idle industries of Appalachia” in the same breath as the

“empty stomachs of Mississippi.”

The reality, King made clear, is the economic value of poor whites’ labor had been depressed since the days of slavery by the forced labor and continuing oppression of Black people. The divided get conquered.

That idea that working people of all races had common interests to fight for threatened — as it still does today — the old colonial system of divide and conquer that allowed King George and every would-be American oligarch since to extract massive wealth by enforcing massive poverty.

Four months to the day after he announced his Poor People’s Campaign — 55 years ago this week — King was assassinated on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where he had traveled to stand with striking sanitation

workers fighting for decent working conditions.

It’s telling that after all he had been through fighting Jim Crow and segregation — the bus boycott, the first March on Washington, passage of the Civil Rights Act — King was murdered fighting to unite working people across racial lines.

He wasn’t alone. Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down not long after as he ran for president on a similar platform.

Even before King and Kennedy, Harry Moore and his wife were blown up in their home on Christmas 1951 by the Klan. The Florida NAACP leader was organizing the Progressive Voters League seeking to unite Floridians across racial lines and had just led an effort that registered 1 million new voters. Even Malcolm X was assassinated

after he returned from Mecca and said unity across racial lines was possible.

Killing those who would unite us is an American tradition older than our nation itself. The first revolt by American colonists was in Gloucester, Virginia, more than 100 years before the Declaration of Independence. Indentured Europeans and enslaved Africans organized to rise up against cruel Virginia plantation owners. The organizers were hanged.

Two years to the day after King announced the Poor People’s Campaign, Black Panther Fred Hampton was leading a “Rainbow Coalition” of Blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and poor whites in Chicago when he was murdered — premeditated and carried out with military precision — by local police.

As in 1968, it’s true today that there are almost twice as many whites trapped in poverty as Blacks. The fact that the nation’s news media render the White poor invisible doesn’t change the facts.

That so many of us still tolerate millions of Americans of every color being trapped in poverty is a factor in the toxic tensions that threaten our domestic tranquility.

It is also proof we never actually learned the lesson Dr. King gave his life trying to teach us.

If you ever forget the logic of King’s final strategy, just pull out a $1 bill and turn it over. It’s right there in the Great Seal of the United States, albeit in Latin. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.

Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.

Reparations: Experts Compute Hundreds of Billions Owed to Black Californians

Choreographer, Poet, Playwright Robert Henry Johnson, 54

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

Economists advising The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans have developed economic formulas that project the reparations owed to Black Californians who are descendants of people enslaved in the United States are likely to exceed $800 billion.

Three of five harms were used in the calculations conducted by a five-member panel of economic experts: health, disproportionate housing discrimination, Black mass incarceration and over-policing are “from a long list of harms” the state “is a least partially responsible for,” said Dr. Thomas Crae-

mer, a professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut and one of the experts involved in the assessment.

Craemer spoke last week at the task force’s 14th meeting held in Sacramento on March 29 and 30.

The figures also applies to forebears who survived legal segregation, Jim Crow discrimination and other social and economic injustices.

“These are harms for which we thought that we’d have data, that’s one criterion,” said Craemer. “The other is that they are closely related to the actions of the state of California to make our estimates more defensible in the face of challenges that will undoubtedly arrive once the proposal is made public.”

The economic experts’ analy-

sis and final recommendations for the Task Force regarding calculations of reparations and forms of compensation and restitution were presented by Craemer and Dr. William Spriggs.

Spriggs appeared remotely in front of the task force. He is the former chair of the Department of Economics at Howard University. He now serves as chief economist to the AFL-CIO.

The health harm calculations were determined by the annual loss to “Black, non-Hispanic Californians” from health disparities by computing the 7.6 year-life expectancy gap based on the Value of Statistical Life in the United States.

“That is what statisticians use to evaluate how much each indi-

vidual places value on their life,” Craemer said. “We then divide the value associated with the gap by the average Black, non-Hispanic Californian expectancy of 71 years to obtain an annual estimate of the loss to Black, non-Hispanic Californians from health disparities.”

The experts use the Black nonHispanic Californian category because they didn’t have a U.S. Census count available for Black Californians who can trace their ancestors back to slavery in the United States.

Black mass incarceration and over-policing calculations were derived from how many Black, non-Hispanic Californians were arrested for drug felonies above the population percentage during

By Zoe Jung

Robert Henry Johnson, a Bay Area dancer, choreographer, and playwright, passed away on Dec. 16, 2022. His body was identified in March.

Johnson will be missed deeply. He worked in the Bay Area for decades, teaching a generation of Black artists.

He was born Jan. 30, 1968, to Robert Gonzales, a guitarist, and jazz singer Lady Mem’fis. He grew up in the Western Addition neighborhood showing early talent in theatre and dance.

One of the first students to graduate from the San Francisco School of Performing Arts, Johnson went on to receive a full scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet School in 1985, where he studied for four years. After graduating, he moved further into the world of writing and choreography.

He applied for a playwrights’ residency at Sugar Shack Performance Gallery in 1992 where he staged, directed and developed several of his plays. For his poetic and lively writing style, he was honored with the Levi’s & Strauss Certificate of Literary Appreciation that same year.

In 1993, he founded the Robert Henry Johnson Dance Company the same year his first play, “Poison Ground,” was featured in the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and was produced by the Hartford Stage Company two years later.

Over time he created works for the Bavarian State Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, Oakland Ballet, and others.

Although his troupe performed for several years, earning local and national acclaim, he disbanded it to focus on solo efforts.

Among those efforts were writing plays and poetry. In the months before his passing, he had taken up a challenge to create poems just for his Facebook audience.

At the turn of the year, Facebook posts from friends showed they were concerned that they

couldn’t get in touch with him, especially around his birthday.

When his death was announced, there was an outpouring of grief on social media.

On March 27, Wanda Sabir of Wanda’s Picks radio held an online memorial for Johnson. Each person attending was given a five-minute window to remember Johnson, tell stories about him, speak to his passing, and celebrate his life.

More than 80 people came to watch the memorial on YouTube, which ran for about two hours.

Dancer, teacher, and author Halifu Osumare began the memorial with a libation, invoking the spirits of the ancestors to help mourners through their grief and help Johnson’s spirit find its way.

Raissa Simpson, the founder of PUSH Dance Company, said, “He was young, gifted, and Black, the epitome of it. And he also mentored so many of us, so many of us young Black choreographers. He stood up for us, he protected us . . . he did a lot for us.”

Sherrie Taylor, Johnson’s cousin, said, “He was such an inspiration to everyone here. He will always be a bright light in my life because that’s what he did. He shined like a bright light. He was a wonderful person, and I just wish I could have spent some more time with him.”

Antoine Hunter said it was “a time to celebrate that light that was lit from the day I met him.” At the end of his speaking window, Hunter shared that the last words he said to Johnson were “I love you.”

Another celebration of Johnson’s memory will be held April 8 at the Zaccho Dance Theatre at 1777 Yosemite Ave., San Francisco, and another on May 27 at the African American Art and Culture Complex at 762 Fulton St, San Francisco. Time to be announced

Robert Henry Johnson. Facebook profile photo.

Shown left to right, California Reparations Task Force members civil rights attorney Lisa Holder, Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, and Dr. Cheryl Grills at the 14th meeting in Sacramento, California, on March 29, 2023. The members of the task force were presented with an $800 billion amount from economic experts to cover harms in three categories. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

California Black Media Weekly News Roundup

By Tanu Henry California Black Media

Report: Black Students

Among Students with Highest Absenteeism Rates

The Public Policy Institute of California is reporting that absenteeism is on the rise among all students in California, and Black children are among the top subgroups of kids who miss school the most.

Absenteeism rose substantially for nearly all student groups. However, we do see variation across demographic dimensions. Among racial/ethnic groups, Black, Native American, and Pacific Islander students experienced the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, exceeding 40% in 2021-22,” the report reads.

Read the full report at: https:// www.ppic.org/blog/exploringthe-spike-in-chronic-absenteeism-among-k-12-students/

Gov. Newsom Announces

$736 Million in Funding for Local Communities

Keeping his promise to fast track solutions addressing California’s stubborn homelessness crisis, last week Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $736 million in grants to be channeled directly to local communities for building or acquiring shelter for unhoused people.

“At a time when more housing is desperately needed, Homekey is proving that we can build faster, and at a fraction of conventional construction costs,” Newsom said.

“My Administration has made available an unprecedented $3.4 billion to date for Homekey to use at the local level to address housing and homelessness. I look forward to seeing more communities use this latest round of funding to boost housing around the state,” the governor added.

Project Homekey is a state government initiative that aims to quickly provide shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness. To date, it has successfully provided shelter for nearly 12,800 formerly unhoused individuals across the state.

Rep. Lee Releases Statement on Trump Indictment

After a New York grand jury reportedly indicted former President Donald J. Trump on more than 30 counts of business fraud

nia Legislative Black Caucus in a statement.

“His relentless commitment to helping improve the lives of others through public service will always be worthy of our admiration and appreciation,” Bradford added.

I believe that this is a sad day for Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who worked with Thomas for more than 40 years. “And I feel that sadness personally,” she added. Bass described Ridley-Thomas as a “a policymaker who made a real impact.”

L.A. City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson took to Twitter to express his appreciation for Ridley-Thomas.

“When those in power chose to forget our community, Mark Ridley-Thomas centered and uplifted us,” he wrote.

“I certainly think people are shocked and saddened by what they’ve read. But I’ve also heard people share how much respect they have for the work that Mark Ridley-Thomas has done.”

California Black Media Hosts Dinner Honoring

last week, Rep. Barbara Lee (DCA-12) said she hopes the action was the “beginning of our justice system holding him and all involved in these crimes accountable.”

“This is the first time a former president has been indicted in American history, and this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Trump’s alleged crimes — before, during, and after his one term as president,” said Lee, an outspoken progressive known

Officials, Community Show Up to Celebrate Distinguished Honorees for the 14th Annual Powerful Women of the Bay Awards Luncheon

In Celebration of Women’s History Month

for her Left-leaning political stances and a candidate in the competitive race to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the November 2024 general election.

“No one is above the law,” emphasized Lee, the highest-ranking African-American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

California Black Elected Officials React to RidleyThomas Conviction

Last week after a jury found former Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas guilty on corruption charges, California’s Black elected officials issued statements acknowledging Ridley-Thomas’s political leadership, many contributions to his constituents and his track record of unapologetically advocating for policies that advanced racial equity and improved the lives of African Americans in the state.

“I am compelled to share my appreciation for the civic contributions of Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Mark Ridley-Thomas has devoted his professional life to serving the people of Los Angeles. He has invested his time and energy to empower and uplift his community and constituents for decades,” said Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Gardena), chair of the Califor-

Joe Stephenshaw

Last week, California Black Media hosted a reception honoring California’s Department of Finance (DOF) Director Joe Stephenshaw.

A number of state lawmakers, public officials, Black news publishers, journalists and others attended the event co-hosted by the California Black Freedom fund

The 14th Annual Powerful Women of the Bay Awards Luncheon in recognition of Women’s History Month was held on March 30 at Scott’s Pavillion in Jack London Square. Over 350 plus guests attended the event. Founder and event producer Cathy D. Adams started Powerful Women of the Bay 14 years ago. Over the years, she has highlighted bay area women in every industry. More can be found on the website for this year’s honorees and former honorees in addition to checking out highlights from previous events attached at http://powerfulebwomen. com.

Photo left to right:

• Cathy D. Adams, Founder and Creator, PWOTB, President and CEO, The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce

• Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State of California

• Malia Cohen, Controller, State of California

• Mayor Sheng Thao, Mayor, City of Oakland

• Assemblymember Mia Bonta, 2023 Honoree PWOTB

• Attorney General Rob Bonta, State of California

• LaNiece Jones, Community Partner, Executive Director BWOPA/TILE

and held at the Prelude Kitchen & Bar in downtown Sacramento.

“For us, this is one of those moments we deeply treasure when the leaders of the Black Press in California get to officially welcome, celebrate and interact with a top thought leader and decisionmaker in state government in an environment that is intimate and welcoming — no spotlights, no cameras, no fanfare,” said Regina Wilson, Executive Director, California Black Media.

“We exchanged ideas and talked freely about our challenges as we got a firsthand view into how our government is deploying our tax dollars in ways that directly impact the lives of the communities we serve,” Wilson added. “We look forward to working more closely with Joe and the Newsom administration on priorities that advance equity for Black Californians.”

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Stephenshaw to the DOF role. In January, he made his first annual budget presentation as the state’s chief fiscal officer alongside the governor.

Barbara Lee. Wikipedia photo.

The report includes both unexcused and excused absences. iStock Photo.

Bill Would Give TK Teachers 2 More Years...

Continued from page 2

well as all the other responsibilities they have in their life,” Quirk-Silva said in her author’s statement. California, already in the midst of a teacher shortage, will need 15,000 additional teachers to fill transitional kindergarten positions as the grade is expanded across the state to include all 4-year-old children by 2025.

The bill delaying the requirements will help to ensure there are enough teachers to fill the TK classrooms, Quirk-Silva said at an Assembly Education Committee meeting Wednesday.

“I’m very interested in making sure we have the teachers with the background they need for early childhood education, but that we don’t discourage them from moving down (to TK classes),” she said.

The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee Wednesday and was sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further review.

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Hundreds Still in Emergency Shelters as State Waits on Federal Storm Disaster Declaration Request

thresholds set forth in federal law and that that aid from our federal government will be forthcoming soon,” Ferguson said.

President Joe Biden has already approved two other emergency declarations for the storms that have battered the West Coast over the last three months, authorizing federal relief assistance as many California counties recover from floods, downed trees and landslides.

By Eli Walsh Bay City News

More than 300 residents in Santa Cruz County remained in emergency shelters on Monday due to recent storm damage as the state awaits approval of a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

While state-operated emergency shelters are also open in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties, Santa Cruz had the highest census count in their three shelters, with 325 of the 424 total residents in emergency storm shelters across the state.

While the state has invested more than $60 million in disaster response and relief across multiple counties, Gov. Gavin Newsom requested the presidential disaster declaration, the highest level of federal assistance the state can request, on March 28 in an effort to expand emergency housing

assistance, food aid and medical services.

If approved, the declaration would apply to Santa Cruz and Monterey counties along the Central Coast as well as Calavera, Kern, Los Angeles, Mariposa, San Benito, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.

State and U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are also assessing stormrelated damage in other counties to determine if other counties could be added to the disaster declaration request.

“We want to emphasize that California took the time to get this right to ensure that it was approved,” said Brian Ferguson with the California Office of Emergency Services during a media briefing on March 30.

“We remain confident that we have made a thorough case that we meet the requirements and the

The California Department of Social Services is also working with county officials and local community organizations to distribute essentials like food, water, diapers and formula to residents who have been affected by the recent storms.

“We are very, very grateful to all who have stepped up to provide support for those who need it most in many, many of the collaborations and partnerships that we’ve seen come into play,” said Kim Johnson, director of the Department of Social Services.

Residents who are seeking information about storm recovery and assistance are encouraged to visit https://news.caloes. ca.gov/2023-winter-stormsrecovery.

“Over these past months, state, local and federal partners have worked around the clock to protect our communities from devastating storms that have ravaged every part of our state,” Newsom said in a March 28 statement. “We will continue to deploy every tool we have to help Californians rebuild and recover from these storms.”

California High Schools are Adding Hundreds of Ethnic Studies Classes. Are Teachers Prepared?

By Megan Tagami CalMatters

But Silvestri has never received a teaching credential in ethnic studies. Whether that’s important or not is a question California officials are weighing now that the state has become the first in the nation to require that high school students take at least one semester of ethnic studies before graduation.

is combined with other subjects, such as reading or art, teachers from other subject areas are also eligible.

advocates say allowing any social science teacher to instruct the subject will lead to watered down and ineffective courses, while school districts argue that flexibility is important if they’re going to fill the roles.

On a rainy Friday afternoon at Santa Monica High School, ethnic studies teacher Marisa Silvestri introduced her class to the rap song “Kenji.” As singer Mike Shinoda narrated his family’s experiences in the Japanese American incarceration camps of World War II, Silvestri’s class fell silent. After the last bars of music filled the room, the class set to work analyzing the song’s lyrics, agreeing that Shinoda humanized a historical event some students previously knew little about.

Now in her second year of teaching ethnic studies, Silvestri said she has gone through several iterations of her curriculum - and she expects more changes to come in the future. She has studied California’s ethnic studies model curriculum, attended workshops at local universities and sought the advice of ethnic studies teachers from other school districts.

California needs more ethnic studies teachers, quickly. Under the new law, passed in 2021, high schools must begin offering ethnic studies courses in the 2025-26 school year, and students in the class of 2030 will be the first ones subject to the graduation requirement. As many high schools expand their course offerings ahead of schedule, universities are grappling with how to best prepare the next generation of teachers.

Some advocates and educators have called for the creation of a specific ethnic studies credential authorizing educators to teach the relatively new and politically fraught subject in middle and high schools. They say that without such a credential, the state risks having low-quality classes that can do more harm than good. But others worry that an additional requirement may make it even harder for the schools to find teachers for the subject.

State regulations allow teachers with a social science credential to teach ethnic studies, said Jonathon Howard, government relations manager for California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing. However, when ethnic studies

“We have all these teachers who have great hearts, who are really social justice minded, who really want to do ethnic studies because they’re thinking about themselves as, ‘I’m a culturally responsive teacher,’” said Theresa Montano, a professor of Chicana and Chicano studies at Cal State Northridge. “But that isn’t enough to give you the knowledge you need.”

Ideally, Montano said, teachers should have an undergraduate degree in ethnic studies, plus an ethnic studies credential that would show them how to translate their expertise into classroom curriculum.

Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo agrees. In February, she introduced legislation requiring the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to begin creating an ethnic studies credential by 2025.

“The social science credential program does not cover ethnic studies sufficiently,” Carrillo, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said by email. “We maintain that at the present time there is no existing credential that sufficiently covers the depth and breadth of the multidisciplinary nature of Ethnic Studies.” The commission would need authorization from the Legislature to begin developing a new credential, Howard said.

Billions Owed to Black Californians...

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the “War on Drugs” from 1970 to 2020.

It was multiplied by the average prison term for drug offenses and by the average annual California State employee wages to arrive at the estimated total owed to Black Californians who qualify for reparation payments.

Housing discrimination was determined by calculating the average of the Black non-Hispanic Californian wage gap for 1930, 1980, 2019. The amount gave the experts the wealth disparity from all forms of housing discrimination, Craemer said.

“I should mention that what

we are estimating is not reparations. What we are estimating are losses to the African American descendants of slaves in the United States,” Craemer said. “Our calculations could be used to come up with determinations of reparations but it’s not necessarily identical. The task force can go above and beyond because how some losses are framed (is) difficult to estimate. (Such as) pain and suffering.”

The last two atrocities – unjust property taken by eminent domain and devaluation of Black businesses — are not readily available in the calculation model because of lack of data, Craemer said. The 1980 amount minus the 1930 amount provides an estimate of the effect of redlining only.

Task Force chairperson and Los Angeles attorney Kamilah V. Moore said some published news

headlines have put out misinformed information about the experts’ final calculations.

“The task force has yet to determine a final amount,” Moore said.

The numbers are not concrete, leaving room for the members of the task force to evaluate, modify, or eliminate any of the experts’ findings. Spriggs said the experts are still in “deliberations.”

“I think it’s improper to prejudge what precise number we may recommend, but we’re only giving you expert advice on these specific harms. The task force has full latitude to ignore it, to add it, or take into consideration addressing tangible harms,” Spriggs added.

National Park for César E. Chávez...

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Chávez empowered Latinos and farmworkers to fight for fair wages, health care coverage, pension benefits, housing improvements, and countless other protections for their well-being.

His commitment to social justice has inspired many, and advocates and activists point to him as a role model for their ongoing efforts to improve the lives of all people, regardless of their ethnicity or the color of their skin.

As a farmworker, César Chávez maintained a strong connection to the environment; and the bill by the lawmakers intends to uplift Chavez’s story, and those of others whose contributions helped build the farmworker and civil rights movements that are pillars of American history.

“Growing up the son of farm-

COMMENTARY: NYC DA Alvin Bragg’s Unsealed Jabs No Knockout Punch, but Just the Beginning of Trump’s Woes

of the free world, who still has an illogical hold on the Republican Party, was welcomed into the criminal justice system just like any run-of-the mill Oakland gang member.

And as he sat in court with his attorneys, a tough looking, COVID-mask wearing African American woman police officer, with gloves and handcuffs at the ready, made sure the disgraced president made nary a false move.

dicament if there was no reason to believe he broke real laws in the state of New York. District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the evidence was voluminous.

workers in the Coachella Valley, I remember seeing César Chávez and the sense of hope he gave to our communities and farmworkers across the United States. His story still inspires and motivates me even today,” said Ruiz.

“My legislation with Sen. Padilla, the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park Act, will help the National Park Service (NPS) embrace their role as storytellers of our nation and reflect the diversity and richness of our people.”

There are hundreds of sites that are part of the national park system that preserve natural, historical, and cultural heritage while offering vital spaces for teaching, learning, and outdoor recreation.

If the legislation passes, the Department of Interior will be required to complete a general management plan for the historical park within three years.

In 2012, President Barack Obama’s established the César

E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, which recognizes the achievements and contributions to the history of our nation by Chávez and the farmworker movement.

Obama traveled to Keene to announce the establishment of the monument. From the early 1970s until his death, the site functioned as the residence and workplace of Chávez and his family, and now is home to Chávez’s grave.

“César Chávez gave a voice to poor and disenfranchised workers everywhere,” Obama stated in October 2012. “La Paz was at the center of some of the most significant civil rights moments in our nation’s history, and by designating it a national monument, Chávez’ legacy will be preserved and shared to inspire generations to come.”

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

By Emil Guillermo

Don’t be fooled by the Republican spin. The historic indictment, arrest and arraignment in New York City of the twice-impeached former President Donald J. Trump was not, as one might say, “weak sauce.”

You try defending yourself from 34 felony charges and see how weak the rule of law is.

Trump, the one-time leader

All he had to do was scowl and enter his “not guilty” plea.

And that is the point of the entire exercise. He was treated as no different from you or me. His executive privilege, his white privilege, offered him no comfort. No one held the door open as he passed during his “mini-perp” walk into the court.

Before the law he was just a guy with a funny hairdo.

Trump would not be in this pre-

“It is 34 business records, 344 statements … that were concealing criminal conduct,” Bragg said at a news conference. “Why did Donald Trump repeatedly make these false statements?” Bragg asked rhetorically. “The evidence will show that he did so to cover up crimes relating to the 2016 election.”

Bragg said the felonies center on Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels that kept “damaging information from the voting public.”

He said it was part of an illegal scheme that exceeded the federal campaign contribution cap, and then were mis-characterized as income to Cohen rather than as hush money to Daniels.

After the hearing, Trump said on social media that “nothing was done illegally.”

But did it interfere with the 2016 election?

When it comes to the BIPOC community, AAPIs are among the Trumpiest of them all.

Let’s look back at 2016.

Trump got 34% of the Vietnamese vote; 35% of the Chinese vote and 28% of the Filipino vote, according to the Asian American Voter Survey.

The hush money payments to the porn star came days after that damning Access Hollywood tape was released in October. Would another sex scandal have ended Trump’s campaign against Hillary Clinton?

Trump and his backers hold their nose and insist no crime was committed. But even if he survives the New York indictment, there are at least two or three more indict-

ments to come out of the Georgia voting irregularities case, the Florida documents case, and his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. All are independent of one another and promise a walloping combination that could catch Trump off guard.

Frankly, I would have indicted Trump for his use of the ‘China virus’ and ‘Kung Flu’ slurs that resulted in nearly 12,000 instances of hate transgressions from major to minor against AAPI during the pandemic.

But those aren’t indictable crimes. Just his unindictable crimes against humanity. Still, as an overall BIPOC community, it’s safe to say we have seen enough of his recklessness firsthand.

As the former president makes history today, the larger question is why would any of his supporters continue to back him? Time to move on for the good of the country.

Even Trump at his height of powers would say, “I prefer my political leaders not to be indicted.”

What about those who say

Trump’s “innocent until proven guilty?”

Merely a legal standard that applies to those who may serve on one of the specific juries. But it doesn’t necessarily apply to you, the average citizen, says MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.

I tend to agree. We’ve seen with our own eyes Trump in action. We didn’t need this week’s throwback to the OJ/White Bronco caravan on Monday. Nor did we need to follow the minute-by-minute of Trump’s nascent perp-dom.

Americans should blow out the Trump gaslight now. We can still be fair-minded when the trial or trials actually begin and we can watch the rule of law in action in our democracy.

Then we’ll see if Trump is innocent without his spin, lies or bluster.

His new role? The disgraced former president, the forever defendant.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. See him at www. amok.com.

S.F. NAACP Clarifies Statement on $5 Million Payouts: Reparations Should Be Cash Payments, Plus ‘Investments’

McDonnell made the statements in an interview with San Francisco’s KRON 4 News on March 24. AARAC presented recommendations on March 14 to address the harms and struggles Black Americans have endured since they began migrating west after the Civil War.

By Antonio Ray Harvey and Manny Otiko California Black Media

Note: This article has been updated and republished for clarity.

A view about the inability of the City of San Francisco to afford paying reparations payments to its Black residents who qualify was expressed by several San Francisco Board of Supervisors members. That perspective was accurately captured in the story. However, that point of view was attributed to one member, Dean E. Preston, in a direct quote that did not reflect his words verbatim.

The San Francisco Branch of the NAACP is engaged in a public information blitz to clarify a press release it sent out urging the San Francisco city government to reject a proposal to pay each qualifying Black city resident a one-time lump sum reparation payment of $5 million.

The Rev. Amos Brown, a member of the San Francisco reparations board, pastor of Third Baptist Church, and the president of the San Francisco NAACP, released a March 14 statement before the

recommendations were presented to the supervisors rejecting the $5 million payout.

“Reparations should focus on investments and opportunities in five areas: education, employment, housing, healthcare, and a culture center for San Francisco’s Black residents,” the prepared statement reads.

“We strongly believe that creating and funding programs that can improve the lives of those who have been impacted by racism and discrimination is the best path forward toward equality and justice,” Brown stated. Brown is the vice-chairperson of the California Reparation Task Force, which is proposing recommendations for two million Black residents in California.

The NAACP’s press release was met with immediate backlash by supporters in the movement for reparations across the country who have, for decades now, invested time, energy and money in bringing the issue to national attention.

In 2020, California became the first state to set up a task force to investigate the state’s involvement in slavery, state-sanctioned atroci-

ties against African Americans and all other forms of discrimination and discriminatory policy that excluded Black Californians from state benefits or protections or that prevented them from gaining social or economic power.

In several public appearances, Brown clarified that he is not against the idea of a cash payout but only wants the recommendation to be a reasonable compromise — one, he says, that does not give the city’s Black residents “false hope.”

“We don’t want to get set up for another study or for them to put this up on a shelf to collect dust,” said Brown in an interview with Roland Martin. “We must have action. We believe in cash-plus — not either or.”

Eric McDonnell, chairperson of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC) — a task force set up by San Francisco city government — said that recommendations presented to the Board of Supervisors is an “appraisal” and he is “hopeful” that the city will deliver muchneeded compensation for Black community.

“What the city will decide to do is fully in the hands of the supervisors, mayor’s office, and full leadership of the city,” McDonnell said in the six-minute segment. “We’re hopeful as a committee that they will take up the charge and do what they believe both is right to do and have the capacity to do.”

The recommendations, McDonnell said, are only in “draft” form at this stage. They cover economic empowerment, education, generational wealth building, and public policies for the benefit of Black San Franciscans. McDonnell referred to the recommendation as an estimation of value.

“Our task (AARAC) was to do the appraisal and it’s the city’s task to determine, based upon recommendations, what they decide to adopt,” McDonnell said.

“Once again, that conversation is yet to come: the determination of how it will get financed and made possible,” McDonnell continued, talking about reparations payments to San Franciscans who are Black American descendants of enslaved people.

The 14-person reparations committee advises the Board of Supervisors, Mayor London Breed, the Human Rights Commission, and the public on the development of a San Francisco Reparations Plan. The plan features ways that San Francisco’s policies have harmed Black lives.

Paying qualifying Black residents individual payments of $5 million, the elimination of personal debt and tax liabilities of African American households and securing annual incomes at a minimum $97,000 for 250 years are part of the package the committee is proposing.

San Francisco’s Black population is 6% of the city’s total number of residents and they make up 38% of the city’s homeless population.

The AARAC has documented decades of policies and laws that systematically affected Black Americans in San Francisco, limiting their access to productive employment property, education and the ability to build generational wealth.

A decision by the Board of Supervisors on the amount of compensation owed to Black residents or the form it will take is not expected until June.

Meanwhile, the city is mulling over the fact that providing financial compensation will push it deeper into the red, a point that has been made by some city officials that many who oppose reparations for Black Americans have latched onto and referenced in their arguments.

San Francisco is currently facing a deficit of more than $720 million over the next 24 months and several members of the Board of Supervisors acknowledge that reparations are warranted but not financially feasible for the city.

“I wish we had this kind of money in San Francisco’s general fund, but if we want to maintain the services that exist today, we do not,” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen in a San Francisco Chronicle interview.

NCBW Holds 25th Annual Madam CJ Walker Recognition Luncheon

By Carla Thomas

The atmosphere was fully charged at the 25th annual Madam C.J. Walker Business and Community Recognition Luncheon and Empowerment Forum held by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) on Friday, March 24 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

Kicking off the luncheon to the sounds of Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I’m Every Woman,” each NCBW Oakland chapter member strutted to the center of the event space sporting solid black dresses accented by their NCBW 100 pin.

Within minutes the crowd applauded the chapter joined by the girls’ empowerment members of

face discrimination for wearing their natural hair at work.

Positive Steps essay contest winner Adeyemisi Rucker, a senior at Bishop O’Dowd, read of her commitment to excellence and making a difference before the audience. “As young women who will eventually become leaders in our community, it is important that we work together to make a positive impact and create change in the society we live in,” said Rucker. “Through Positive Steps, I have learned that if we stand together and make a commitment to excellence, we will see a notable difference in the world around us.” Awards were presented to Ernestine Nettles, Compliance Officer of the City of Oakland for Advocacy and Yvonne Hines of Yvonne’s Southern Sweets for entrepreneurship.

Hines, whose company has grown from a shop in San Francisco’s Bay View Hunters Point to having space as a vendor at the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center, acknowledged her mother in the audience. “Mom, I want to thank you for all of your support.”

Rev. Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson of Allen Temple Baptist Church received the Pioneer Award as her congregation members in attendance cheered.

the organization’s Positive Steps program dressed in black and white apparel, representing the next generation of leaders in training.

The luncheon, named in honor of the first African American millionairess in the country, Madam C. J. Walker, is always graced by the presence of Walker’s greatgreat granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles. “I am filled with joy as I see what has blossomed through the NCBW’s work with women and girls and creating the largest annual event celebrating Madam Walker’s legacy.”

NCBW Oakland President Frances Cohen said, “It’s an honor to celebrate the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker and recognize the accomplishments of our honorees while showing our young girls what excellence looks like.”

Keynote speaker Orlena Nwokah Blanchard, president of the Joy Collective and chief architect of the Crown Act, a movement to end race-based hair discrimination gave a heartfelt speech.

Blanchard shared her personal story of rediscovering her resilience after mourning the death of her father and after shouldering the burdens of racism as she fought for social justice. Blanchard was influential in reintroducing the Crown Act in March of 2021 in the U.S. Senate, passed by the House of Representatives in 2022. The Crown Act provides protections for women who might otherwise

LaSandra Hunt of JPMorgan Chase received the Corporate Award and thanked the NCBW for the mentoring she received as a teen in the Positive Steps program. “I would not be where I am today without the Positive Steps program,” said Hunt.

Darlene Goins of Wells Fargo was presented the Legacy Award. Goins served on the philanthropic side of Wells Fargo for five years prior. Her thought leadership contributed to the creation and launching of the new trailblazing department she leads. “We are expanding our services to reach the unbanked and underbanked community members,” she said.

Before the luncheon, the NCBW hosted an empowerment forum moderated by Verlena D. Green-Telusca, a senior partner at the V.D.G. Law Group. The forum featured Small Business Banker Hayet Akuaku of Wells Fargo Bank, Cassandra Lewis Cummings, associate director of Marketing for Clorox, and Certified Small Business Consultant and Vice President of the Minority Entrepreneurs Initiative, Nykole Prevost of JPMorgan Chase.

“Financial literacy and economic empowerment with the right partnerships will help our communities move forward and create legacies of generational wealth,” said Cohen, who, along with NCBW Event Chair Shari P. Wooldridge, was given special recognition for their service to the NCBW.

Jacqueline A. Thompson: Allen Temple Baptist Church Senior Pastor, Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson, center, receives the NCBW Oakland Pioneer Award from NCBW Oakland President Frances Cohen, left, and NCBW Oakland Luncheon Chair Shari Woolridge. Photo by Carla Thomas.

Yvonne Hines: Yvonne’s Southern Sweets owner, Yvonne Hines, center, receives the NCBW Oakland Entrepreneur Award from NCBW Oakland President Frances Cohen, left, and NCBW Oakland Luncheon Chair Shari Woolridge right. Photo by Carla Thomas

VP Harris Unveils $1 Billion African Investment During Historic Visit to the Continent

Marcus Foster Education Institute...

Continued from page 1

honor after he was assassinated by terrorists in 1973 as he was leaving a school board meeting.

Among those who were honored at the celebration were current OUSD Supt. Kyla JohnsonTrammell, Fremont High School Principal Nidya Baez, former school superintendents Joe Coto and Ruth Love, Dr. Noha Aboelata, film director Ryan Coogler, Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale, and Japanese American civil rights activist Fred Korematsu.

Frederick Douglas Reese, Civil Rights Icon

By Stacy M. Brown

Newswire

NNPA

Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic trip to Africa continued with the launch of global initiatives on the economic empowerment of women, totaling more than $1 Billion.

America’s first Black and female vice president spoke fervently during the trip about how “immensely powerful and moving,” the visit to the Motherland was.

She further was moved while visiting Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle, where the vice president reflected on the painful horrors of where heartless slave owners captured their prey.

“The horror of what happened here must always be remembered,” Harris stated. “It cannot be denied. It must be taught. History must be learned.”

Harris and President Joe Biden have made outreach to Africa an important initiative of the administration.

In addition to Ghana, the vice president visited Tanzania and Zambia.

In each country, Harris touted investments that would bring economic and gender equity to Africa.

The vice president convened a roundtable with several African women business owners where the discussion centered on how America and private-sector businesses could form a partnership with African nations that would advance gender equality.

“Promoting gender equity and equality is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy in Africa and around the world,” administration officials said in a Fact Sheet.

“Advancing the economic status of women and girls is not only a matter of human rights, justice, and fairness—it is also a strategic imperative that reduces poverty and promotes sustainable economic growth, increases access to education, improves health outcomes, advances political stability, and fosters democracy.”

The digital gender gap undermines women’s full participation in the 21st century economy, officials asserted.

Globally, approximately 260 million more men than women were using the internet in 2022— and this gap has increased by 20 million in the last three years.

The gap is especially acute across Africa, where International Telecommunication Union data

show that sixty-six percent of women do not use the internet.

To address this disparity, Harris pledged that the administration would continue to work with other governments, private sector, foundations, and multilateral organizations to help close the digital divide, improve meaningful access to equitable digital finance and other online services, and address social norms that prevent women from participating fully in the digital economy.

More broadly, the Biden-Harris administration would continue to promote the economic empowerment of women, the vice president stated.

In support of those goals, Harris announced a series of investments and initiatives that total $1 billion.

She also made a series of announcements to foster women’s political, economic, and social inclusion in Africa, building upon initiatives launched at the U.S.Africa Leaders’ Summit in December 2022, including the Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) Initiative.

Harris made clear that education remains key.

She hammered home that point as a message to Republican governors who continue to ban history in school curriculums.

“All these stories must be told in a way that we take from this place — the pain we all feel, the anguish that reeks from this place,” Harris reflected as she traversed Cape Coast Castle.

“And we then carry the knowledge that we have may gained here toward the work that we do in lifting up all people, in recognizing the struggles of all people, of fighting for, as the walls of this place talk about, justice and freedom for all people, human rights for all people.”

She continued:

“So, that’s what I take from being here.

“The descendants of the people who walked through that door were strong people, proud people, people of deep faith; people who loved their families, their traditions, their culture, and carried that innate being with them through all of these periods; went on to fight for civil rights, fight for justice in the United States of America and around the world.

“And all of us, regardless of your background, have benefited from their struggle and their fight for freedom and for justice.”

Other honorees included local businessman and civic leader Geoffrey Pete, civil rights attorney Walter Riley, farmworker leader Dolores Huerta, arts activist and gallery owner Joyce Gordon, and Dr. Denise Saddler.

Saddler was recognized as a “longtime educator with a proven track record for raising graduation rates, advancing staff, and impacting marginal schools. (She) is a lecturer for the Graduate School of Education at Cal (and) has also worked at Holy Names University, OUSD, and the Berryessa Union School District.”

14th Annual Powerful Women of the Bay Luncheon

By Carla Thomas

The 14th Annual Powerful

Woman of the Bay Luncheon was held at Scott’s Pavilion in Jack London Square on March 30. The event celebrated women that are passionate about educating, empowering, and connecting with women in business and the community.

Honorees included Tali Bray, Wells Fargo Executive Vice President of Technology Diversity, Community & Sustainability. Bray leads a global team with focus on strategy, cultural transformation, and sustainability.

Dr. Chris Wachira, Founder & CEO of the Wachira Group received the C. Diane Howell Entrepreneur Award. C. Diane Howell was the publisher of Black Business Listings, a publication created to connect, promote and inform Black business owners. Wachira, a Kenyan born entrepreneur and her husband Chadwick Spells are the owners of Karibou Wine Lounge in Alameda.

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis was also recognized. Kounalakis is the first woman lieutenant governor of California and also serves as California’s representative for International Affairs and Trade.

California Assemblymember

Mia Bonta was also recognized. Bonta serves the 18th Assembly District of the East Bay, including Alameda, Emeryville, and Oakland. Bonta’s husband in attendance, California Attorney General Rob Bonta acknowledged his wife’s accomplishments.

Honoree Nola J. Turnage is the senior manager of Legal Operations of Contracts for Okta, Inc. Turnage and her team are responsible for managing Okta’s go-to market agreements worldwide.

The head of Uber’s Public Policy and Communications in the

Western U.S., Ramona Pierto, was recognized. Pierto leads the work spanning policy, stakeholder, community engagement, and corporate communications.

Artist Chrisel Ahime Martinez was honored. Martinez is an artistic director fusing her political ideologies and grassroots understanding with her love for public programming. The DWJ Public Policy Initiative develops leaders for public office. The seven-month fellowship is named in honor of Dezie Woods Jones by BWOPA, Business Women Organized for Political Action.

President and publisher of the San Francisco Business Times, Mary Huss was honored. Huss currently serves on the San Francisco State University Foundation Board and Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

The Innovator Award was presented to Ay’Anna Moody, Social Impact & Sports Senior Director for the Golden State Warriors. Moody launched Generation Thrive that has served over 6,000 educators with free professional development and learning opportunities.

State Controller Malia Cohen provided the keynote address. Elected in November 2022 as chief fiscal officer responsible for the world’s fifth-largest economy, Cohen is responsible for protecting and accounting for the state’s financial resources.

Cohen serves on 70 boards and commissions and chairs the Franchise Tax Board. The nation’s two largest public pension funds, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teacher’s Retirement System (CalSTRS), which have a combined portfolio of $750 billion, are also boards Cohen serves on.

Frederick Douglas Reese

By Tamara Shiloh

Throughout Selma, Ala., there are streets named Frederick D. Reese Parkway and F.D. Reese. In March of each year, the city hosts F.D. Reese Day. Yet the name Frederick Douglas Reese (1929 – 2018) is not widely known and doesn’t have its own chapter in history books.

Reese was born in Selma and rose to national prominence as a civil rights leader after the city’s Bloody Sunday, the 1965 march during which 600 people were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by club-wielding state troopers wearing gas masks.

Later that day, marchers gathered at Brown Chapel AME Church. Reese recalled: “I had prayer. I had scripture. While in the sanctuary, the telephone rang … it was Dr. King … he said that he would invite ministers to Selma who would come to lend their assistance to the people of Selma.”

While in the sanctuary, Reese continued, “a group had chartered a plane from New Jersey, had flown to Montgomery and got a bus, came to Selma, walked in that church that night, and said ‘we have seen on the television screen what happened across that bridge today, and we have come to lend our bodies and our assistance to the people of Selma.”

“That was one of the most exhilarating and inspiring moments of that day,” he said. And those moments would change Reese’s life.

On March 21 of that same year, Reese would embark on a 50-mile march, from Selma to Montgomery, hand in hand with King. His front-row presence made him a

symbol of the civil rights movement, and his impact reached beyond Selma.

Reese was determined to see that all people would have the right to vote. This led him to inspiring teachers from Selma’s Clark Elementary School to stand on the steps of the Dallas County Courthouse. No teachers were allowed to register to vote that day, but the involvement of more than 100 Black teachers “ignited a spark” in the movement.

“The teachers’ march really excited other people who had taken somewhat of a backseat so to speak,” Reese, in 2015, told The Selma Times-Journal.

Reese’s work throughout the movement was not without accomplishment. It led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and later catapulted his leadership role in Selma, where he served on the city council for a dozen years. He also ran for mayor.

Alabama State University President Quinton T. Ross Jr. described Reese as “a giant of a man” and a “man of great courage who dared to take a stand against institutionalized racism and segregation in Selma, and by so doing, helped win the right to vote for all of the nation’s African American citizens.”

Learn more about Reese’s front-row presence and how he became a symbol of and leader in the civil rights movement in Kathy M. Walters and Frederick D. Reese’s “Selma’s Self-Sacrifice.” This reading reaches beyond Selma, offering a true testimony of how the movement was affected by history, culture, and society.

The 14th Annual Powerful Woman of the Bay Luncheon was held at Scott’s Pavilion in Jack London Square on March 30.

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden have made outreach to Africa an important initiative of the administration.

Photo: White House/Instagram

Dr. Marsha Foster is Marcus Foster’s daughter and a member of MCEI’s board of directors. Photo courtesy of the MFEI.