Vol. 48 No. 41
February 1, 2018 - February 7, 2018
This publication is a Certified DBE/ SBE / MBE in the State of California CUCP #43264 Metro File #7074 & State of Texas File #802505971 “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you -President Lyndon B. Johnson
The Black Press and the NAACP Join Forces to Address Issues Affecting the Black Community By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor)
Dorothy Leavell (2nd from right), the chairman of the NNPA, signs the strategic partnership agreement between the NNPA and the NAACP designed to jointly focus on key issues that affect the Black community, as (from left-right) Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP; Leon Russell, the chairman of the NAACP; and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, look on during the 2018 NNPA Mid-Winter Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA) The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade group representing more than 200 Black-owned media companies, signed a historic, strategic partnership with the NAACP, one of the most influential civil rights group in the world, during the NNPA’s Mid-Winter Conference in Las Vegas. “Sometimes you have to take a step back and reconnect in order to move forward,” said NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell. “Signing this agreement is taking that step back and it says it’s time for us to recommit to each other and work together to move our people forward.” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., who once
served as president of the NAACP, called the partnership historic. “This [signing] consummates a working relationship of two of the world’s largest organizations focused on the empowerment of Black people,” said Chavis. NNPA National Chairman Dorothy Leavell added that she’s very pleased with the new partnership. “I attempted to do something similar in the nineties and I’m very determined now,” said Leavell. “We are going to set a precedent and I hope we will be able to repeat this with many other national organizations, because if we solidify our strength, things will be different for all of us in the United
Nichole Williams Recognized as Assemblyman Jay Obernolte’s Outstanding Teacher of the Month SB County News
States of America.” Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP, said one of the things he and Russell share in common is the rich tradition of the NAACP. “Anytime we move away from that [tradition], we lose our way,” he said. “The NAACP would not be here, if not for William Monroe Trotter, a civil rights activist, newspaper editor and real estate businessman based in Boston, Massachusetts; the NAACP would not be here today, if not for Ida B. Wells, a newspaper writer…the NAACP would not be here today, if not for W.E.B. DuBois and his “Crisis’ magazine. I commit today, that we will be joining the NNPA.”
Johnson added that the NAACP is as strong as its volunteers and the Black Press is as strong as its readers, many of whom are NAACP members. The signing, which took place on Friday, January 26 was attended by a number of NNPA members, staffers from both organizations and Gary, Indiana Mayor Karen Freeman Wilson, the first African American woman to hold the office of mayor in the state of Indiana. “We have to take the resources that we have in our collective communities and we have to use these resources in a way that educates our children and benefits (continued on page 7 )
Join Assemblymember Reyes to Unveil the Rosa Parks Statue in Downtown San Bernardino State/Government News
of the civil rights movement and we are confident her statue will be a beacon of hope for those yearning for change.” Join us as we unveil the bronze Rosa Parks Statue and recommit ourselves to justice.
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte represents the 33rd Assembly District, which includes the San Bernardino County communities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Big River, Crestline, Fort Irwin, Hesperia, Johnson Valley, Lake Arrowhead, Lenwood, Lucerne Valley, Needles, Oak Hills, Phelan, Running Springs, Silver Lakes, Trona, Twentynine Palms Base, Twin Peaks and Victorville.
HESPERIA – Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) has honored Nichole Williams from Barstow Unified School District as the Outstanding Teacher of the Month for the 33rd Assembly District. Nichole has taught in the Barstow Unified School District for the past 20 years. She is currently a first grade teacher but has had the opportunity to teach first through eighth grade over the span of her career. Ms. Williams has spent a great deal of time working with children who perform below grade level expectations. She is very goaloriented and constantly strives to ensure that her students who struggle academically don’t get left behind – and
she’s had a lot of success in this endeavor. She also volunteers at community events to bring awareness to poverty, homelessness, and literacy. “Nichole is passionate about educating our youth and helping the community,” Assemblyman Obernolte said. “She has not only dedicated the last 20 years teaching our future generations but also spends her free time volunteering outside of the classroom. She has raised funds to provide schools supplies to homeless shelters and has been involved in promoting teen literacy programs. It is my honor to recognize Nichole Williams as the outstanding teacher for the month of January.”
What: Rosa Parks Statue Unveiling
Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes San Bernardino – On Friday, February 2nd Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes and community partners; San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation and California Department of Transportation District 8 will be unveiling the Rosa Parks Statue at the Rosa Parks Memorial Building. The Rosa Parks Statue was made possible by funding contained in the 2017 state budget. “Working together with community partners and the Governor, I was able to secure the final funding needed for this iconic statue,” said Assemblymember Reyes. “The 47th Assembly District is honored to recognize the first lady
Who: Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes When: Friday, February 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. Where: Rosa Parks Memorial Building 464 W. 4th Street, San Bernardino For more information or to RSVP contact District Representative Daniel Peeden or call the District Office at (909)381-3238. Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes represents Assembly District 47 which includes the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, San Bernardino and the unincorporated areas of Muscoy and Bloomington.
Editor in Chief’s Corner Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com Clifton Harris Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
(Parents Just In Case You Missed It)
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Community/Education News
A New Education Law The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, and represents good news for our nation’s schools. This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. The new law builds on key areas of progress in recent years, made possible by the efforts of educators, communities, parents, and students across the country. For example, today, high school graduation rates are at all-time highs. Dropout rates are at historic lows. And more students are going to college than ever before. These achievements provide a firm foundation for further work to expand educational opportunity and improve student outcomes under ESSA. The previous version of the law, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, was enacted in 2002. NCLB represented a significant step forward for our nation’s children in many respects, particularly as it shined a light on where students were making progress and where they needed additional support, regardless of race, income, zip code, disability, home language, or background. The law was scheduled for revision in 2007, and, over time, NCLB’s prescriptive requirements became increasingly unworkable for schools and educators. Recognizing this fact, in 2010, the Obama administration joined a call from educators and families to create a better law that focused on the clear goal of fully preparing all students for success in college and careers. Congress has now responded to that call. The Every Student Succeeds Act reflects many of the priorities of this administration. ESSA Highlights President Obama signs the Every Student Succeeds Act into law on December 10, 2015. ESSA includes provisions that will help to ensure success for students and schools. Below are just a few. The law: · Advances equity by upholding critical protections for America’s disadvantaged and high-need students. · Requires—for the first time—that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers. · Ensures that vital information is provided to educators,
families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students’ progress toward those high standards. ·Helps to support and grow local innovations—including evidence-based and place-based interventions developed by local leaders and educators—consistent with our Investing in Innovation and Promise Neighborhoods ·Sustains and expands this administration’s historic investments in increasing access to high-quality preschool. ·Maintains an expectation that there will be accountability and action to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools, where groups of students are not making progress, and where graduation rates are low over extended periods of time. History of ESEA The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who believed that “full educational opportunity” should be “our first national goal.” From its inception, ESEA was a civil rights law. ESEA offered new grants to districts serving low-income students, federal grants for textbooks and library books, funding for special education centers, and scholarships for low-income college students. Additionally, the law provided federal grants to state educational agencies to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education. NCLB and Accountability NCLB put in place measures that exposed achievement gaps among traditionally underserved students and their peers and spurred an important national dialogue on education improvement. This focus on accountability has been critical in ensuring a quality education for all children, yet also revealed challenges in the effective implementation of this goal. Parents, educators, and elected officials across the country recognized that a strong, updated law was necessary to expand opportunity to all students; support schools, teachers, and principals; and to strengthen our education system and economy. In 2012, the Obama administration began granting flexibility to states regarding specific requirements of NCLB in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state- developed plans designed to close achievement gaps, increase equity, improve the quality of instruction, and increase outcomes for all students.
Our Values, Mission, & Vision Statement Our Values: Treat all people with care, respect, honor, and dignity. Tell it as it is with love, truth and integrity. Promote the interests of advertisers and sponsors along their strategic interest for the betterment of the community and beyond. Speak truth to power. Our Mission: To continuously improve communication between all people of the world. Our Vision: To be the best community newspaper in our region and the nation. Provider of: A voice for the poor, the underserved, those that are marginalized, Positive and edifying news about people, places and businesses. Keep San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties informed about global trends while retaining the consciousness of local events and processes. Memberships and Associations: The San Bernardino American Newspaper is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, National Newspaper Association and addociated with California Black Media.