SB American News Week Ending 1/18

US police killings hit record high in 2022

By AFRO Staff

Last year was the deadliest year on record for police brutality in the U.S. and the victims were disproportionately Black, according to new data analysis.

Law enforcement officers killed at least 1,183 persons in 2022—or more than three per day, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence, which maintains a database of reported cases of police brutality, including people fatally shot,

Tasered, beaten or restrained. It was the highest number of fatal incidents since experts began tracking the killings in 2013, and the numbers could climb as the group continues to plug more data into its catalogue, which was last updated on Dec. 31.

The number of cop killings in 2022 exceeded that of the previous year by 31. In 2021, law enforcement police killed 1,145

people; 1,152 in 2020; 1,097 in 2019; 1,140 in 2018; and 1,089 in 2017.

Even as the numbers changed, the lopsided rate of police killings with Black victims did not.

Despite widespread uprisings and calls for police accountability, criminal justice reforms and the valuing of Black lives sparked by the killing of George Floyd in 2020, police violence against

Blacks continued unabated.

Of the 1,183 persons slain by police last year, 25% were Black although African Americans account for only 13% of the population. Blacks were three times as likely to be killed as Whites and were more likely to be unarmed, the nonprofit found.

“It just never stops,” Bianca Austin, aunt of Breonna Taylor, whose March 2020 killing in Kentucky sparked mass protests, was quoted as saying by The Guardian newspaper. “There was a movement and uproar across the globe, and we’re still having more killings? What are we doing wrong? It’s so disheartening.”

The circumstances surrounding these fatal incidents also stayed true to pattern in 2022: just below one-third of the killings, 370 (31%), were cases involving an alleged violent crime and in another 128 (11%) officers alleged that the target was seen with a weapon. However, 132 killings (11%) were cases in which no offense was alleged; 104 cases (9%) were mental health or welfare checks; 98 (8%) involved traffic violations; and 207 (18%) involved other allegations of nonviolent offenses. There were also 93 cases (8%) involving claims of a domestic disturbance.

California Black Owned Businesses Set to Access More State Gov’t Contracts

Dr. King’s Quest for Economic Justice Continues

By Charlene Crowell

Black and other minorityowned small businesses in California have actively fought for decades for more inclusion in California state government contracting opportunities.

Their hard work and patience paid off in September last year, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2019 into law.

Authored by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), the law took effect on Jan. 1. It mandates that state departments and agencies commit to providing at least 25% of all procurement opportunities to small businesses.

Additionally, the bill requires state departments and agencies ensure that minority-owned and womenowned businesses are included in the procurement process, when contracting opportunities are available.

“California has invested billions of dollars to help small businesses and entrepreneurs

achieve their California Dream,” said Newsom when signing the bill September 2022. “These new laws build on our efforts to create a more inclusive economy with renewed opportunity for innovation and growth for the country’s largest small business community. I’m thankful for the Legislature’s leadership and support to help the backbone of our economy thrive.”

Newsom signed AB 2019 after it passed in the Assembly unanimously with a 74-0 vote and it passed in the Senate 34-0.

Small businesses employ nearly 7.2 million workers (or 48.8% of all employees in California).

According to AB 2019, more than 39% of California’s 4.1 million small businesses (1.6 million) are minority owned.

The bill is projected to have a significant positive impact on the overall economic stability of the state by enhancing state

agencies’ ability to support underserved businesses in state contracting and encouraging entrepreneurship.

“Billions of dollars are at stake in our state contracting process and when we make it fair for diverse entrepreneurs, the success of these small businessowners lift up communities all across our state,” said Petrie-Norris, who is Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “This bill will not only keep the state accountable, but it would give businesses that face systemic barriers an opportunity to succeed, keep families fed, create jobs and vitalize their communities.”

A coalition of minority-owned business advocacy organizations recently produced and released a video emphasizing some of the benefits of working with the state government.

“There are a lot of times

where you’re questioning ‘am I going to have enough work for my small company,’” minority business owner Gary Efhan, CEO of Qualis Telecom stated in the video. “Without support, it’s pretty hard, and I’ve seen a lot of people go out of business.”

“Supporting us -- and being in our communities --that will make a huge difference for sure,” Efhan added.

In the same video, CalAsian Chamber of Commerce President Pat Fong expressed that are many barriers to full participation for small businesses in California.

“Part of our goal with AB 2019 is to come up with an infrastructure that makes sense for small businesses,” Fong said. “There’s an understanding about what types of opportunities are available that are easy to access. How do we better connect California’s diverse businesses to those opportunities? I think that’s the challenge but also the opportunity.”

The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce represents more than 815,000 Latino-owned business in California -- organizations that, in aggregate, contribute more than 7% to the United States’ GDP, the organization says.

“As proud co-sponsors of AB 2019, we are thankful that the bill is now signed by the Governor,” said Julian Canete, President

On January 16, the nation will mark its 37th national holiday honoring the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (19291968). Across the country observances will chronicle how one man’s efforts pricked the moral conscience of the nation in a lifespan of only 39 years.

When he was just 26 and a new pastor at Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Dr, King was chosen by community leaders to lead the effort to desegregate the city’s buses following the arrest of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man.

From December 1955 and continuing for 13 months, an estimated 50,000 Black residents of Montgomery chose to walk, carpool, or patronize Black cab drivers. In the end, the boycott brought economic devastation and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the city’s segregation policies violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment that guaranteed equal protection under the law.

The 2023 observance is also a time to recall how it took 32-years to create the first national holiday to honor a Black person. Although the federal holiday was enacted in 1983, its first observance came three years later in 1986, and at the time only 17 states observed its commemoration. It wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 states observed the King holiday.

Dr. King’s lifelong quest for economic justice is consistent throughout his sermons, speeches, and other writings.

On March 14, 1968, weeks before his assassination, Dr. King gave a speech entitled The Other America. In it, he describes how our nation actually reflected two vastly different experiences. In one, “millions of people have the milk of prosperity and the honey of equality flowing before them… In this America children grow up in the sunlight of opportunity,” noted Dr. King.

“But there is another America,” continued Dr. King. “This other America has a daily ugliness about it that transforms the buoyancy of hope into the

fatigue of despair…Probably the most critical problem in the other America is the economic problem. There are so many other people in the other America who can never make ends meet because their incomes are far too low if they have incomes, and their jobs are so devoid of quality.”

Today the unfortunate reality for much of Black America is that we continue to toil and suffer from that same economic “fatigue of despair”.

As a people, we fervently believe in the value of higher education; but meager financial resources force our students to incur six and sometimes seven figures of debt. Despite laws that call for equal credit, our access to affordable credit is often limited and instead Black Americans are plagued by predatory lending that leaves us with high-cost debts. In the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis that disproportionately harmed Blacks and other people of color, Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to be a financial copon-the-beat.

Since opening its doors in 2011, the CFPB has received more than 3.3 million consumer complaints, and delivered over $14.9 billion in monetary compensation, principal reductions, cancelled debts, and other consumer relief through its enforcement and supervisory work. Nearly three in four complaints filed – 73 percent – were about credit or consumer reporting. The remainder of the complaints reported issues with debt collection, credit cards and checking/savings accounts and mortgages.

Even so, the quest for financial justice continues. Laws and regulations must be vigorously enforced. But just as with civil rights legislation, the naysayers remain aggressive.

Over the past year, CFPB’s research and surveys have documented how consumers remain at risk via emerging consumer issues such as the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) industry,

Jaivon Grant | California Black Media

L to R: Pat Fong Kushida, president and CEO Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon Esq. Chairman of the Californa African American Chamber of Commerce and Julian Cañete serves as the President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.

Dr. King Annual Gala to Honor Award Recipients January 14th

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF.

On January 14th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm, the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gala Awards is hosting a Red-Carpet Event at the San Bernardino International Airport. This year's honorees are Wallace Allen, Wilmer Amina Carter, Danny Tillman, Hardy and Cheryl Brown, Jimmy Jews, Damon and Felicia Alexander and Darren Goodman.

"We are so happy to be honoring this year's awardees," said LuCretia Dowdy, president of LUE productions, the event's organizer. "These people all have demonstrated diligent service to the communities they serve, helping to fulfill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of equality for all."

The black-tie event will open at 5:00 pm with a cocktail hour and live entertainment that will regale attendees during the dinner, followed by the awards presentation. The airport is located at 275 North Leland Way, San Bernardino.

(NENA). His wife, Felicia, serves as Member at Large on the San Bernardino County Human Resources Equal Opportunity Commission.

\Wilmer Amina Carter served as California Assemblymember for the 62nd District and today is Director of Rialto-based Creative Business Services, Inc., She was the first Black elected to the Rialto Unified School District and served as district Director for the late Congressman George Brown for 21 years. Carter is the only living African American woman to have had a high school named after her, in her hometown of Rialto, Wilmer Amina Carter High School.

broke color barriers by becoming the first Blacks to be hired by their respective agencies. On June 16, 2022, Darren Goodman became the first Black chief of police in San Bernardino. He also served as the City of Upland's first Black chief of police. His 31 years of law enforcement experience included 27 with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Dept.

Alpha Phi Alpha/Alpha Kappa Alpha Host 35th Oratorical Contest...continued

Application submission deadline is January 20, 2023. The contest is open to all students in grades 1st through 12th. Participants compete according to three grade groups: 1st through 5th; 6th through 8th; and 9th through 12th.

For more information, contact Dar’rell Jones at darrelljones1908@gmail.com or Twillea Evans-Carthen at tevanscarthen@icloud.com

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,

Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are community service organizations that service the Inland Empire, providing mentoring programs for adolescents, and participate in social activities and causes through the Inland Empire.

For information on Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, visit www.apa1906.net. For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., visit: www. aka1908.com

Beautillion Participants Learn About 35th Annual Oratorical Program

Community/Education News

Wallace Allen hosts a radio talk interview show, Empire Talks Back, on NBC affiliate KCAA and is the publisher of the West Side Story online newspaper that covers news and events happening in the west end of San Bernardino county.

Gen. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, with Hardy Brown and Cheryl Brown at reception in Palm Springs, Calif.

Cheryl Brown is also a former California Assemblymember and current San Bernardino City Library Foundation Board member and Founder of the Black Voice News and the Black Voice Foundation. Hardy Brown College Prep, a tuitionfree public charter K-12 school in San Bernardino, is named after her husband Hardy.

Damon Alexander serves on the San Bernardino City Council, representing the 7th Ward since November 2020. He has also been the Chairman of the City of San Bernardino’s Public Safety and Human Relations Commission, the Citizens Advisory Committee on Marijuana, as well as the President of the North End Neighborhood Association

Declutter Your Home And Donate Your Items To Support A Good Cause

Fontana, CA, January 10, 2023- The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. upcoming Clothing Donation Drive-Thru Event that was scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 14th, 2023 9:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. at the New Hope Family Life Center located at 1505 W. Highland Ave. San Bernardino, Ca 92411 will be postponed due to the upcoming winter storm. HOWEVER, if you have items that you would still like to donate between now and January 27th, 2023, call or text the office at (951)374-0933 or send an email to admin@ legacybridgesfoundation.org to coordinate a pick-up/drop-off.

There's no time like the present to clean out your closets and cupboards and donate your old gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, books, blankets, toys, small appliances and other home goods to the Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. The last Clothing Donation DriveThru Event held on Saturday, January 7th, 2023 from 9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. at Entrepreneur High School in Fontana was a huge success.

"Although our next scheduled drive-thru event will be postponed due to the upcoming storm, we still want to give community members an opportunity to participate,” said Executive Director Melanee Stovall. "Many of us have an abundance of clothing that we no longer wear or an overflow of shoes, accessories and other items that we just don't know what to do with. Here's an opportunity to give those unwanted items a new home. If you haven't already done so, sort through your closets and cupboards and set aside these items, then call, text, or email us to coordinate drop-off/pick-up,"

she said.

The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. (LBF) is a California 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit corporation founded to support individuals and families who suffer from epilepsy and other seizure related disorders. LBF's mission is to raise awareness of the disease of epilepsy and other seizure related disorders, shine a light for those individuals and families affected, and partner with other organizations to find a cure.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, "epilepsy affects 1 out of every 26 individuals; 3.4 million people nationwide, more than 65 million people globally, and 150,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year."

“This is a unique two-fold opportunity that we strongly encourage you to participate in, as it will free up space in your homes and allow you to support a local nonprofit organization doing tremendous work,” said Volunteer Director Melody Solomon. "Items we accept include: gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, books, blankets, small appliances and other home goods. We cannot accept the following: encyclopedias, hazardous or construction materials, or weapons. Please use bags for clothes and textiles and tightly packed boxes for small household goods. All items must be in clean condition," she added.

For more information or to volunteer, call (951)3740933 or email us at admin@ legacybridgesfoundation.org.

To make a monetary contribution today, visit

Danny Tillman

Danny Tillman is an information systems administrator for the County of San Bernardino Human Services Dept. and sits on the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education, where he serves as the longest serving member and Board Vice President. He advocates for the success of district students.

Jimmy Jews broke the color barrier as San Bernardino's first Black firefighter in 1971 and retired 25 years later, having risen through the ranks to hold the positions of fire investigator and then as spokesperson, achieving the rank of Captain in 1989. Jimmy passed away on November 17, 2022, at the age of 79. He will be honored posthumously.

Event sponsors include the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce and Youthbuild Inland Empire Charter School.

"This is a diverse event that celebrates Black, Latino, Asian, white and all ethnicities," said Ms. Dowdy, "All races and creeds are welcome to this celebration of unity."

Chief Darren Goodman

The last two honorees both

For tickets and to RSVP for the event, call 888-466-7408 or go to the Black Chamber of Commerce website, info@ blackchamberofcommerce.org.

Declutter Your Home And Donate Your Items To Support A Good Cause...continued

www.givebutter.com/ LegacyBridgesFoundationDonations. Support the foundation's mission to raise awareness, shine a light and partner to find a cure. All contributions are fully taxdeductible to the extent of the law.

The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. has been recognized by San Bernardino County 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., Riverside County

5th District Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, Mayor of Fontana Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Rialto Deborah Robertson, 64th District Assemblymember Mike Gipson, 47th District Assemblymember and Majority Leader Eloise Reyes Gomez, and 36th District Congressman Raul Ruiz; for the work they are doing to raise awareness of epilepsy and other seizure related disorders and for supporting those suffering.

Alpha Phi Alpha/Alpha Kappa Alpha

35th Oratorical Contest

On Sunday, January 8, 2023, at the Community Youth Center in San Bernardino at the Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion meeting, former Sir Knight of Beautillion, Dr. Charles Brown of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Inc., Mu Xi Lambda Chapter along with member Dar’rell Jones and Twillea Evans-Carthen of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter, and member of Social Lites, Inc. presented information on the upcoming 35th Annual Oratorical Contest to participants of the Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion Program.

to help young men who are seniors in high school prepare for college through the solicitation of ads, leadership development, accountability, responsibility, etiquette, attire for all occasions, spiritual growth, public speaking, and community service. At the conclusion of the program one young man will be recognized “Sir Knight.”

Host

The Beautillion Program, now in its 56th year, is designed

The Beautillion program will conclude on April 1, 2023, at California State University, San Bernardino. For additional information, please contact Sheri Lewis (909) 320 – 0799, Elsie Paulino (951) 205-8823, or Marlene Davis (909) 709-5502.

elder financial exploitation, nursing home debt collection, college banking, student loans, and medical debt on credit reports and payments.

Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) on December 14, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra warned lawmakers of the growing dangers of BNPL.

“The CFPB’s recent study on Buy Now, Pay Later noted a significant increase in use of these products to fund essential goods and services,” said Chopra. “The CFPB is working to ensure that Buy Now, Pay Later lenders adhere to the same protocols and protections as other similar financial products to avoid regulatory arbitrage and to ensure a consistent level of consumer protection.”

that lacks sufficient funds for payment, the BNPL lender’s payment attempts will typically trigger highly punitive nonsufficient funds (NSF) and/ or overdraft fees…These fees in turn are highly associated with closed bank accounts and exclusion from the financial system. Or, the borrower may have sufficient funds for the BNPL payment but then be left without sufficient funds for other essential living expenses or debts. And many BNPL providers charge their own late or returned payment fees on top of the fees charged by banks.”

For these economic and equality issues, Dr. King’s own words continue to challenge America to live up to its creed:

Mu Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., in collaboration with Eta Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., will host the 35th Annual Oratorical Contest at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Riverside Office of Education, 4th Floor, Citrus

Room, 4280 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92591.

The aim of the contest is to give area students an opportunity to highlight their speech writing, and oral delivery talents for distinguished guests, family, friends, and community leaders.

Weeks earlier on November 2, the potential harms of BNPL were the topic on the HFSC’s Task Force Financial Technology. Marisabel Torres, speaking on behalf of the Center for Responsible Lending said, “When the borrower’s BNPL loan is linked to a bank account

“Expediency asks the question is it politics? Vanity asks the question is it popular? The conscience asks the question is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politics nor popular but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”

Amen, Dr. King.

Front Row (L/R): K-Miles Davis, Shannon Williams, Dr. Charles Brown, Twillea Evans-Carthen, Dar’rell Jones, Jordan Evans, Jermaine Moreno. Second Row (L/R: David Boyd-Knight, Layla Mathews, Stephanie Johnson, James Kennedy, Kyndall ReddixBrown, Leilani Woods, Eric Smith, and Eli Smith

L/R: Dar’rell Jones, Charles Brown, and Twillea Evans-Carthen

Dr. King’s Quest for Economic Justice Continues... continued

"This is a diverse event that honors Black, Latino, Asian, white and all ethnicities," said LuCretia Dowdy, president of LUE productions, the event's organizer. "All races and creeds are welcome to this celebration of unity."

Damon Alexander Felicia Alexander

Wallace Allen, Publisher of WestSide Story newspaper

Wilmer Amina Carter

Jimmy Jews

Shirley Weber Is Sworn in as California’s First Elected Black Secretary of State

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

has

On Jan 9, with the sound of African drumming in the background, Shirley Weber was sworn-in as the first-elected Black Secretary of State (SOS) of California and the 32nd person to hold the position.

The ceremony was conducted at the SOS’ auditorium in downtown Sacramento, one block south of the State Capitol.

Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) administered the oath of office in front of Weber’s grandsons Kadir and Jalil Gakunga.

“I want to thank all of those who work so hard to make this position, the Secretary of State -and all of those wonderful things that come with it -- possible, and for being in my life,” Weber said. “I have been blessed beyond imagination with all of the good things California has to give.”

The daughter of a sharecropper from Hope, Ark., Weber said she is “not supposed to be here” as the state’s chief clerk, overseeing a department of 500plus employees.

Weber grew up in a two-room, “clapboard house” in Arkansas with her parents and five other siblings before the family relocated to Los Angeles where they lived in Pueblo Del Rio, a housing project known as the “pueblos.”

Weber said the “data” projected that she would not have a bright future. Still, she went on to graduate from UCLA with a PHD, serve on the San Diego Board of Education, teach African American studies at San Diego State University, and successfully ran for California State Assembly in November 2012.

‘My father came from Hope, Arkansas, because there was no hope in Hope,” Weber said. “He came to California because he wanted his children to have a better chance and a better life.”

When Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla the state’s junior U.S. Senator in Jan. 2021, he nominated Weber as SOS.

Padilla filled in for Sen. Kamala Harris, who was elected U.S Vice President. Weber was officially installed as SOS in April 2021.

Weber’s plan after serving in the Legislature was to move to Ghana, Africa, and “build a house up in the hills.” That all changed when Newsom called.

“It was hard for me to think about becoming Secretary of State because I was so content in the Assembly,” Weber said. “When I was asked to be

Secretary of State, I thought hard and long about it. I realized that everything about the Secretary of State was central to my life.

I thought to myself that I am always the one taking the hard challenges. I said who better than a kid of sharecropper, who never had a chance to vote, who could fight for the rights of voters.”

The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the State, responsible for overseeing and certifying elections, as well as testing and certifying voting equipment for use in California. Weber’s duties also include overseeing the state’s archives division and registry of businesses.

In her remarks, Atkins praised Weber’s “leadership” and “morality” and called her “a tireless champion of democracy,” adding that those characteristics are integral to performing the duties of Secretary of State.

Atkins told guests that she first met Weber when she was 24 years old and that Weber helped her run for state Assembly.

For the first time in its history, California has three Black constitutional officers. The others are Controller Malia M. Cohen and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“You know, our constitutional officers are unique, and I give credit to our Governor (Gavin Newsom) and the people of California. “There is no other list of constitutional officers like this. Where do you have a list of constitutional officers where it only has one White male in it? That is unheard of. The diversity (and) the fact that women are constitutional officers in California is historic.”

Weber’s daughter, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) was the ceremony’s emcee while Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) provided the invocation. David Bauman’s African drumming and musical selections by Dr. Tecoy Porter, pastor of Genesis Church Sacramento and President of the National Action Network Sacramento Chapter and his Genesis Church choir were the entertainment. Weber’s son Akil Weber provided the closing statements.

“Words cannot express how truly proud I am of what my mother has done, what she will continue to do, the door she has opened, the legacy she is creating,” Assemblymember Akilah Weber said of her mother.

San Bernardino, CA.Congress has recently passed a bill which has given our San Bernardino County more funding to complete local projects and improve our cities.

$2,560,00.00 has been secured for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development: Highway Infrastructure Programs that will go directly to our Fifth District. U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar has listed Fifth Districts Little Third, street gutters and sidewalk project as one of the projects to be funded.

“I am proud to have secured over $2 million for the Little 3rd Street Project,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This investment will expand access to public transit and create safer roads for San

“With the help of U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, we are going to be able to expand our infrastructure developments in our unincorporated and disadvantaged, Little Third community. These funds will go towards making routes to school safer for our children and paving roads to assure safety for our pedestrians and motorists. We look forward to the start of this project and cannot wait to update the public on the results.”

-Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

California’s First African American Controller Malia M. Cohen Takes Office

She and her husband reside in San Francisco along with their daughter.

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The controller also has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.

Cohen’s duties include being a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds.

At the St. Paul Baptist Missionary Baptist Church swearing-in, Kenneth Reece, the Senior Pastor, gave the opening prayer.

Held at the church six miles from the State Capitol, Cohen’s swearing-in ceremony included prayers offered by Imam Yasir Kahn, the Chaplain of the California State Assembly, and Rabbi Mona Alfi, the Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’Nai Israel.

Among guests were Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Director of Bay Area Rapid Transit Bevan Duffy, California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez, the singer Aloe Blacc and Jaqueline Thompson, Pastor at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland.

Cohen’s swearing-in was held on the second anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The day was packed with political activities in Sacramento and shadowed by references to the infamous Capitol insurrection in Washington that shocked people across the country and around the world.

That day, Gov. Newsom was sworn in to a second term. Rob Bonta was also sworn-in for the first time as the state’s Attorney General. He was appointed to the position by Newsom in March 2021.

Before Newsom’s outdoor ceremony, the Governor, his wife, and four children led a march from West Sacramento, across the Tower Bridge, to the Capitol. During the Governor’s address on the steps of the Capitol, he shared his feelings about the attack on the U.S. Capitol two years ago while addressing some of the state’s most pressing issues.

“Our politics doesn’t always reward taking on the hardest problems. The results of our work may not be evident for a long time. But that cannot be our concern,” Newsom said.

“We will prepare for uncertain times ahead. We will be prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars, pay down debt, and meet our future obligations. And we will build and safeguard the largest fiscal reserve of any state in American history.”

California Black Owned Businesses Set to Access More State Gov’t Contracts...continued from page 1

of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. “There are numerous and diverse small businesses who can provide services and products to the State and this bill ensures they at least have a fighting chance to be awarded a contract. Thank you to Assemblymember PetrieNorris for her work on this bill.”

The bill has garnered strong support from the California Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Majority, the California

African American Chamber of Commerce, the California State Controller, California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Women Business Owners.

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.

Last week Malia M. Cohen was sworn-in as the first Black woman – and first African American -- to serve as California’s State Controller.

On Monday, Jan. 2, the oath of office was administered by Gov. Gavin Newsom. “I am proud and honored to serve as California’s state controller,” said Cohen. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”

On Friday Jan. 6, Cohen was given the oath of office by San Francisco Mayor London Breed with her husband Warren Pulley by her side.

The community event was held at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento.

“I am proud and honored to serve as California’s State Controller,” Cohen said. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”

California now has three Black politicians holding Constitutional offices including Cohen. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are the others.

“Congratulations @ MaliaCohen. As California’s first Black state controller, Malia has made history and continues to break barriers while

helping build long-term equity throughout our communities. I’m confident she will continue fighting for the rights of all Californians,” Breed stated in a Jan. 6 post on her Twitter page

“I am excited to get to work on creating a more equitable California as your next Controller,” Cohen tweeted Jan. 6.

Cohen was elected to the California Board of Equalization (BOE) in November 2018 and was named chairperson in 2019 and 2022. As Controller, Cohen continues to serve the Board as the BOE’s fifth voting member.

Prior to being elected to the BOE, Cohen was President of the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. As a Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, she also served as the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and President of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS).

Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco. Her political journey, she says lightheartedly, began when she was elected class president of San Francisco’s Lowell High School, the oldest public high school on the West Coast. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Fisk University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Congress

Passed Omnibus Appropriations Bill that will Fund the Fifth Districts Little Third Community Gutters and Sidewalks Project

Bernardino residents. In order to reduce commute times and alleviate traffic, I will continue to prioritize local infrastructure projects and work hard to keep delivering for our region.”

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

California’s First African American Controller Malia M. Cohen Takes Office...continued

In California, A Long and Pivotal History of Interracial Marriage

By Julia Tong

As interracial marriage becomes more accepted and common nationally, California stands out. According to PEW, the state exceeds the national average of 17% of newlyweds being interracial couples, while the number of cross-cultural couples is also steadily growing, especially among Hispanics and Asians.

What explains these trends?

California is notably diverse: It’s no coincidence that two of the largest populations in the majority-nonwhite state are Hispanic (39.4%) and Asian (15.1%). But demographics alone do not fully reflect the complexity of interracial marriage in the US, which is closely tied to immigration policy, racial classification, and a centuries-long history of antimiscegenation laws that were only fully overturned in 1967.

Historically, California has played a particularly consequential role in the legalization—and restriction— of interracial marriage in the US. Understanding these historical dynamics provides crucial context behind today’s data on interracial marriage in the state.

Immigration and interracial marriage

Anti-miscegenation laws have existed in California since statehood in 1850. Though the state’s Civil Code initially only restricted whites from marrying “negroes or mulattoes,” the wave of Chinese immigration

during the Gold Rush prompted expansions of anti-miscegenation laws that affected other racialized groups.

Following German race theorist Johann Frederich Blumenbach’s widely accepted racial classification scheme, Chinese immigrants were classified as “Mongolians.”

They were explicitly treated as a threat which demanded policy intervention. Delegates to California’s 1878 Constitutional Convention, for instance, pushed for restrictions on Chinese people’s rights over fears that they would “overrun us” or “Mongolize this land.”

“All marriages of white persons with negroes, Mongolians, members of the Malay race, or mulattoes are illegal and void.”

California Civil Code Section 60 was amended in 1880 to restrict “Mongolians” from marrying whites.

Since most Chinese immigrants were men, interracial marriage was viewed as especially threatening to the white population. During the Convention, the chair of the Committee on Chinese explicitly contrasted the “Chinaman” with the “prudent, intelligent, sympathetic white man” who would “not marry unless he can see a reasonable chance of maintaining wife as well as children.”

The chairman’s words reveal how interracial marriage was intertwined with immigration. A crucial portion of antimiscegenation laws, he stated, was restricting immigration to “the Anglo-Saxon race,

or kindred varieties of men” worthy of the “great privilege of American citizenship.”

Such rhetoric also shows how racial classifications were neither scientific nor consistent. The convention was marked by confusion over what “Mongolian” exactly meant: Though the chairman explicitly identified “Chinaman,” other delegates included Native Americans, Black people, even Caucasians under the label.

Instead, “Mongolian” explicitly became a shorthand for people of color perceived as criminals, foreign invaders, or other threats to white society. (Said one delegate: “If you expect to wipe out crime, you must wipe out the presence of the Mongolian in our midst.”)

Accordingly, in 1880, Civil Code Section 60 was amended to restrict “Mongolians” from marrying whites. However, the lived realities of people of color in the state continued to defy classification. Section 60 only restricted marriage with whites, allowing other people of color to marry: Sikh farm workers, for instance, circumvented antimiscegenation laws to marry Mexican women, since both were considered “brown.”

Legal challenges to antimiscegenation laws

Other racialized groups continued to challenge those laws in court by exposing inconsistencies in racial categorization. In 1933, Salvador Roldan, a Filipino man, was denied a marriage license to his white wife. He appealed, arguing that Filipinos should qualify as “Malayan”—and thus allowed to intermarry with whites—instead of “Mongolian.” In Roldan vs. Los Angeles the court agreed, settling contemporary debates over how to classify the Filipino population.

Marjorie Rogers and Salvador Roldan, 1931. (Credit EastWind)

The case had the potential to set an important precedent against anti-miscegenation

laws. Instead, it sparked instant backlash from white politicians. In the week after the decision, the California State Legislature promptly amended Section 60 to include “Malayans” in the list of races prevented from marrying whites, further entrenching interracial marriage restrictions in state laws.

Section 60 did not face another challenge until the 1940s, when the conscription of white men during World War II allowed women and other people of color to formally enter the workplace. This created opportunities for interracial relationships that did not exist before.

One such couple was Andrea Perez (whose race was listed as white, despite being Mexican American), and Sylvester Davis, a Black man. The couple was barred from marrying by Section 60 and appealed by arguing that anti-miscegenation laws violated their religious freedom.

In Perez vs. Sharp, the court agreed—but not solely on the basis of first amendment rights. Importantly, the case finally affirmed marriage as a “fundamental right of free men.” The majority opinion also explicitly refuted many racist arguments against interracial marriage and questioned the validity of previously accepted racial classification schemes.

Perez created a domino effect against anti-miscegenation laws: 14 states subsequently struck down their interracial marriage bans. The rest were eliminated by the landmark Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia (1967), which cited Perez as a precedent. The case was also referenced in In re marriage cases, the California case which affirmed gay marriage rights in 2008.

Though California played a pivotal role in officially legalizing interracial marriage, it would be decades until taboos surrounding cross-cultural couples began to fade across the state the nation.

Interracial marriage today

Lack of Access to COVID-19 Treatments Plagues Black Patients

Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

With the celebrations of the holidays behind us – and as we enter the coldest months of the year -- Medical experts are warning of a winter surge of COVID-19 cases. They expect the spike in infections to be accompanied by waves of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the common flu. Access to care and treatment are crucial in the battle to minimize the damage this triple threat could cause, they say.

After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment options available to the public have expanded significantly.

However, consistent with trends associated with this pandemic, access to these treatments have been harder to come by for communities of color.

According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), 37% of White people with COVID-19 symptoms received treatment compared to 20% of Black people who received care.

Part of this issue is associated with the increase in virtual assistance in medical matters following the need for social distancing.

The disparity in access to telehealth services correlates with the disparity in internet access – a phenomenon referred to as the digital divide.

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey data shows that 17% of

Black households are without access to the Internet.

During a video press conference on COVID treatments, Dr. Rita Nguyen, California Assistant Health Officer and Director of Population Health at CDPH, said, “The CDC demonstrated what we expected would happen.

Anytime something new comes on the market, communities of color have disproportionately low access.”

Also participating in the video press conference, Dr. Oliver Brooks, chief medical officer of the Watts Healthcare Corporation in Los Angeles suggested the access problem might be due to inadequate outreach to the community.

“Treatment doesn't work if you don’t take it or get offered it,” said Brooks. “So, as a person you need to advocate, you need to know about treatments and then say, 'If I tested positive, do I take this pill or do I take something?’”

There are compounding factors that contribute to disparities,

such as personal finances and education.

But Brooks made the point that these disparities persist for African Americans regardless of such factors.

"Studies show that when you factor out income, education, where someone lives and employment, African Americans still have higher rates of everything bad and lower rates of everything good," said Brooks.

"It is not just social determinants of health that lead to adverse outcomes for African Americans, it is institutional racism."

According to Brooks, this is not unique to COVID-19 treatment. It is indicative of a larger issue Black people have to overcome in dealing with the healthcare system.

"It has also been shown that African American patients are less likely to be given pain medicine when they go to the ER," said Brooks, offering an example of a disparity apparent in another type of case.

Californians in rural areas are also less likely to have access to the proper treatments.

As is the case with other groups, people in rural areas struggle with access to telehealth services.

Some of the new treatments available are the antivirals Paxlovid, Molnupiravir and Remdesivir.

Paxlovid, offered for free, must be started within the first five days after symptoms begin.

Molnupiravir, Paxlovid's alternative, is also free and must be started within the first five days after symptoms start.

Both of these antivirals are available to those who are undocumented or without health insurance.

Remdesivir, however, is not free.

It is administered via infusions and must be started within seven days of when symptoms begin.

Anyone 12 and over with symptoms are eligible for COVID-19 treatments and are encouraged to speak with their doctors.

Experts advise people to test as soon as they have symptoms.

"Don’t wait till the illness gets worse," said Nguyen. "If you start feeling a runny nose, cough, or generally not like yourself, act fast and take a COVID test. If you test positive, seek treatment right away."

To combat healthcare disparities on an individual basis, Brooks urges patients to advocate for themselves.

Senator

Bradford

Issues Statement on Governor Newsom’s 2023-2024 Budget Proposal

SACRAMENTO – Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) released the following statement on the Governor Newsom’s proposed 2023-2024 budget: “As many Californians are struggling to pay for groceries, housing, and gas, the state faces its own money concerns. A projected budget shortfall of about $24 billion will challenge the Legislature and the Governor to ensure our investments will provide services to those Californians who need them the most. The Governor’s proposed budget is a step in the right direction. I look forward to the budget process and will work to make sure any adjustments to

investments in jobs, healthcare, education and public safety are viewed under a lens of equity. Those communities who have been marginalized and are the most vulnerable must be the key focus of our efforts and the recipients of our results.”

Senator Bradford is Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications and represents the Los Angeles County communities of Carson, Compton, Gardena, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, San Pedro, Torrance, Watts, Willowbrook, and Wilmington.

McCarthy Malarkey and the Hollow Gavel

By Larry S. Buford

*On the second anniversary of the January 6th insurrection on Capitol Hill – on the very day that President Biden awarded the prized Presidential Citizens Medal to some election officials who were seriously threatened for taking a stance against overturning election results, and to those who risked their lives holding the front line to protect [the then] vice president Mike Pence and other representatives during the certification process –Congressman Kevin McCarthy won the majority House of Representatives leadership role after 15 rounds of contentious voting within the GOP.

According to reports, not one Republican whose very lives hung in the balance, including McCarthy, as the rioters roamed the Capitol halls shouting, “hang Mike Pence” and “where’s Nancy [Pelosi]?” attended the honorable ceremony.

The irony is that McCarthy, realizing the danger posed by the rioters who stormed the Capitol, called [the then] president Trump and pleaded with him to call them off stating “they’re your people.” Reportedly Trump responded, “Well, Kevin, I guess they are just more upset about the election theft than you are.” A week later, McCarthy stated on the floor of the House that Trump was responsible for the attack and failed to immediately denounce the “undemocratic, un-American and criminal” actions of the mob.

In private conversations, he was telling fellow republicans that he would urge Trump to resign before his term expired stating

“I’ve had it with this guy.” Shortly afterward, McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago (Spanish meaning: “sea to lake” like big to small; befitting the plight of Trump) to meet with the former president in a show of support that contradicted his previous public and private statements. Well, so much for honorable and respectable leadership.

It reminds me that after all the complaints of widespread fraud filed in courts (up to 60) by Trump’s attorneys, the claims were denied for lack of evidence, but many extreme right-wing televangelists continued to promote “The Big Lie” and the “stolen election” theories. I posed the question that if they continue to use their pulpits and other platforms to promote unfounded lies, why should anyone believe them for anything else? I don’t think God is pleased with what they did.

Likewise with McCarthy –why should we believe anything he says about democracy, keeping the oath to the Constitution, and fighting for the American people when he’s clearly taking his marching orders from a proven liar who instigated an insurrection and refused to transfer power because he would not accept defeat? And could it be (as many suspect) that he has compromised so much in his power-grab to become majority speaker of the House, that his gavel will ring hollow? The word “malarkey” that President Biden has often used, rhymes perfectly with McCarthy.

Trump and McCarthy at Mar-a-Lago (Photo courtesy Save America PAC/Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s Office)

National/Political News

30th Annual Black Rose Awards Set for Saturday, February 4, at Cal State San Bernardino Santos Manuel Student Union

“I Warned You!”

By: Lou K. Coleman-Yeboah Lou K. Coleman-Yeboah

I’ve tried to get you to listen. I sent many people to you, just like I sent prophets to the people of Israel and Judah to warn them of their apostasy and impending judgment, and just like them, you too wouldn’t listen. 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ [Isaiah 6:9]. This is the broken heart of God. This is love disappointed and wounded. This is God experiencing a deep, piercing sorrow over His loved and lost creation.

Listen, things are not what they seem. The world is headed towards the “Abomination that causes Desolation.” The current crisis that is going on right now in the world is developing a scenario that is going to bring into FULL FORCE, SOON AND VERY SOON, the One World Government, One World Religion, and One-World Economic System, the Mark of the Beast, which is already in effect and which when in full force will be a time of incredible darkness that will descend on the world. [Revelation 13: 1-18]. I tell you; it is imperative that you understand the prophecies and remain aware of future events.

As Pope Francis said in a wide-ranging conversation with the editors of European

Jesuit publications on May 19, referring to Russia’s attack against Ukraine, “World War III” has been declared. “The world is at war,” he said. This is something that should give us PAUSE FOR THOUGHT. The danger is that we only see this, which is monstrous, and WE DO NOT SEE THE WHOLE DRAMA UNFOLDING behind this war.

Not only that Pope Francis, who stated World War III has already begun, made another chilling comment when in early December he stated: “While the world starves, burns, and descends further into chaos, we should realize that this year’s Christmas celebrations, for those who choose to celebrate, IT MAY BE THEIR LAST. By this time next year, the world will likely be UNRECOGNIZABLE.”

I’ve warned you. The New World Order is about to launch into full swing and the world is going to be turned UPSIDE DOWN as the result! Prepare yourself and loved ones for what is coming. Know and understand the prophecies, so that you will not be deceived!

For, then I heard another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” [Revelation 14:9].

They were warned, they did not listen and then it happened.

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SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF. The 30th Black Rose Award Winners are Dr. Juanita H. Scott, San Bernardino Valley College Foundation, Humanitarian of the Year; Linda Wright, Moreno Valley Black Chamber of Commerce; Gloria Macias Harrison, President Emeritus, Crafton Hills College, San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees; Deborah Robertson, Mayor of Rialto, Founder of The Women’s Conference; and three honorees for the Black Rose Founder's Award from San Bernardino Community Hospital: June Collison President, Roz Nolan, Chief Nurse Executive Officer, and Dr. Ruby Skinner.

The awards ceremony will also make three posthumous tributes to Black Rose Senior Kings Don Griggs, Jimmy Jews, and Jesse Nichols.

The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation’s 30th Black Rose Award Winners will be recognized at the annual banquet on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the California State University, San Bernardino, Santos Manuel Student Union 5500 University Parkway.

In remembrance of Dr. Margaret Hill, the Black Culture Foundation has renamed its Margaret Hill Community Support Award to the Dr. Margaret Hill Black Rose Young Adults Inspiration Award. This award will present scholarships to two inspirational and outstanding San Bernardino Black young adults graduating grade 12 or in college, said Black Rose Committee CoChair Kristine Scott.

“This year’s Award Gala is held to commemorate Rosa Parks’ birthday,” said Black Rose Committee Co-Chair Jim King.

Black Culture Foundation President Arlington Rodgers said the foundation's mission is to bridge cultural differences across generations through nurturing, educating, and building lasting, respectable, and encouraging communities.

"The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation is a 501(c)3

nonprofit organization, founded in 1986 to honor and share the richness of our Black heritage, to recognize world diversity and inspire our youth/adults toward leadership, providing scholarships and career opportunities," said Rodgers.

“The Foundation has prided itself on giving more than 125 scholarships to community students over the years. This is our first event since Covid, and our coffers are bare and in need of replenishment to continue providing scholarships," said Committee Co-Chair Kristine Scott.

Bios: Dr. Juanita H. Scott Humanitarian of the Year Award:

Rose Mayes-Executive Director of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc. since 1993. Under Rose's leadership, the Fair Housing Council created Mission Heritage Plaza, a mixed-used project that includes the Fair Housing office, the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, and 72 units of affordable housing.

Black Rose Awards:

Linda Wright-As an organization design specialist, Wright has successfully helped over 70 nonprofit organizations to attain their 501(c) 3 or (c) 6 nonprofit status, 80 for-profit corporations, 15 LLCs, and 10 partnerships.

The Moreno Valley Black Chamber of Commerce that Wright directed received several awards, including Chamber of the Year three times. Wright also wrote and created several community educational programs for the Foundation that including prisoner and group home re-entry training.

Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson-On November 3, 2020, the voters of the City of Rialto reaffirmed their

WITNESS FOR JUSTICE #1133

Forgive Us Our Debts

Trayce Potter

For thousands of young people, their senior year of high school is a season filled with hope and excitement. A culmination of studying, dreaming, growing, and developing close friendships have led to the final nine or ten months of traditional schooling and living at home.

Plans are being made for final dances, prom attire is carefully coordinated, senior and graduation pictures are purchased, usually at the expense of parents. College entrance essays are being written and stress levels rise in preparation for SAT and ACT scores being released. These are wonderful times, but there is another side of the story that all too often can darken these happy moments and bring anxiety and disappointment.

Approximately 18 million students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application each year in an attempt to make their college education more affordable. Through a series of questions, a formula determines your Expected Family Contribution, which is the amount of money you or your family will have to come up with for that academic year. With the average cost of tuition ranging from $9,000 for in-state tuition to more than double that for many private institutions, college can seem like an unrealistic dream for many, despite all the hard work they have done up until this point. Many students then turn to federal and private loans to make up the difference for what is not covered by scholarships and grants without really understanding the long-lasting impact of signing their name on the borrower line. A quick snapshot of the student loan crisis reveals these shocking statistics.

According to Forbes, there is:

$1.75 trillion in total student loan debt (including federal and private loans) $28,950 owed per borrower on average

About 92% of all student debt are federal student loans; the remaining amount is private student loans

55% of students from public four-year institutions had student loans

57% of students from private nonprofit four-year institutions took on education debt.

Programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (with newly expanded eligibility for clergy) are a help, but come with many stipulations that can be overlooked. Additionally, frustration is mounting for many borrowers over various groups now contesting the legality of new debt relief options that would have eliminated a portion of their debt.

As one who lived in this cycle of working towards forgiveness while repaying both private and federal loans, the cycle can feel hopeless as you navigate a world that feels foreign with very little support and guidance. Meaningful work needs to be done to make college affordable for everyone, while honest conversations need to be had with our children around finances and money so smart decisions can be made. For anyone looking for more information on student loan forgiveness, I want to lift up this webinar from my colleagues: How to Get Your Student Loans Forgiven.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trayce Potter is Minister for Youth and Young Adult Engagement for the United Church of Christ.

Mayor Robertson’s visionary leadership has thrust the City of Rialto into the national spotlight as a recognized leader in the areas of public-private partnerships, industrial environmental sustainability endeavors, firstin-the-nation grant-supported partnerships of environmental efficiency projects, as well as a partnership with alternative fuel generation return to the natural gas grid, generating local revenue outcomes, more significant business development, and a skilled job creation platform.

Gloria Macias Harrison has balanced two careers plus family and community activism since the early sixties. She is one of the founders of El Chicano (1969), a community weekly that provides a Chicano voice in the Inland Empire.

Her activist history includes work with the San Bernardino City Unified School District, the War on Poverty, United Farm Workers, Operation Second Chance, and Planned Parenthood.

Harrison served as President of Crafton Hills College from 2000 until her retirement in 2012. Before that, she was Vice President of Instruction at Crafton Hills College for six years and Dean of Humanities at San Bernardino Valley College for three years and taught community college students for over 20 years.

Since 2012 she has served on the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees, currently as Chair of the Board and sits on the Budget and Legislative Committees. She serves on the Crafton Hills College Foundation and the California Housing Foundation.

Jim King Corporate (Founders) Award:

Donn Griggs-Griggs, who passed away in July 2020, pioneered the first Boy Scouts Camporee program for over 100 Black and Latino boys who experienced outdoor camping, learned first aid, and mastered scouting skills. The BSA awarded him its Whitney Young Award in 2015. As a Nordstrom manager, he ensured that people of color were hired and employees of all races were treated equitably and was a volunteer at Priscilla's Helping Hands HUGS (Home Unity Growth Groups) program.

Jimmy Jews-Jews broke the color barrier as San Bernardino's first Black firefighter in 1971 and retired 25 years later, having risen through the ranks to hold the positions of a fire investigator, spokesperson, and finally, Captain in 1989. Jimmy passed away in November 2022, at the age of 79.

Jesse and his wife VickyJesse Nichols-Nichols was a business owner who founded Nichols Private Security and was a community activist who made time to help with Home and Neighborly Services' weekly food distributions and serve as volunteer coordinator for the San Bernardino City Unified School District's foster and homeless

MISSION STATEMENT

30th Annual Black Rose Awards Set for Saturday, February 4, at Cal State San Bernardino Santos Manuel Student Union...continued

Rose Mayes

Linda Wright

Mayor Deborah Robertson

Gloria Macias Harrison

Donn Griggs

Jimmy Jews

Jesse and his wife Vicky Jesse Nichols

June Collison

Back to the Future with Covid-19

By Peter White

Covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments will no longer be free once the Public Health Emergency (PHE) expires on Jan. 11, even as the U.S. faces down a more infectious new subvariant XBB 1.5.

The new subvariant accounts for 75% of new infections on the East Coast and 40% of new cases in the country overall. Moreover, the XBB 1.5 subvariant contains five new mutations not found on Omicron, on which the current vaccine boosters are based. “It can evade antibodies better and infect human lung tissue easier than earlier strains,” said Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist of the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M, at an Ethnic Media Services news briefing Jan. 6.

Also speaking at the briefing were Dr. Oliver Brooks, Chief Medical Officer at Watts Healthcare, who stressed the importance of continuing to get vaccinated, boosted, and tested, as XBB 1.5 emerges; Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, who predicted a significant drop in people seeking treatment, testing, and vaccines as PHE ends; and Sophia Tan, a research data scientist at UC San Francisco, who discussed a novel new study published in Nature which studied the impact of Covid-19 in the prison population.

Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist of the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M, on new mutations in the latest

Covid variants.

“Anyone who’s telling you that COVID is over is misinformed,” said Dr. Neuman, noting that in each of the last three years COVID was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer.

Neuman said Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) peaked in November and the flu season peaked in December. But COVID-19 is not slowing down. So far it has not overwhelmed hospitals and some experts say it might not become as bad as the Omicron surge last year.

Neuman noted that the Omicron virus has seven or eight mutations compared to the original Alpha strain and the XBB has 12. “Based on the rapid rise, it would appear that it is living up to its genetic destiny. It appears that it is very infectious and is overcoming at least some components of immunity,” he said.

Americans have returned to work and resumed their lives as if the pandemic is over, noted Dr. Brooks. Many people have refused vaccines and stopped wearing masks.

Brooks treats COVID patients and talks to them about vaccine confidence, vaccine convenience, and vaccine complacency. He says public health messaging has failed to address these “three Cs.”

He noted that only 15% of the U.S. population has received the updated, bivalent booster.

Only one-third of older adults, who are most at risk of dying from Covid, have taken the

updated booster. And there is a very low percentage of fully vaccinated children, as parents hold off because of fears based on misinformation.

“It’s our job to get the community vaccinated. So when I hear we’re not getting vaccinated anymore, to me that’s just a challenge. I can’t stop,” said Brooks. “If you get vaccinated you are not only protecting yourself but also your community. “

When the pandemic began three years ago, supplies of tests and masks could not keep up with COVID’s advance. The country could be caught flat-footed again.

Last March, the White House asked Congress for $22.5 billion in emergency spending that would replenish funds for testing, treatments, vaccines and other COVID-related infrastructure.

But Congress rejected the request in the 2023 budget bill.

Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, on

what funding shortfalls mean for future pandemic preparedness.

“That short-sighted failure to invest in the response leaves us without the tests, treatments and vaccines we need going forward and leaves us unable to continue to track the disease and unprepared for future surges,” said Jill Rosenthal of CAP.

Without the money to pay for it, the White House abandoned its National Preparedness Plan. Unlike the past two years, people without health insurance will have to pay $120 for vaccines which now cost the government $30.

The U.S. government bought 20 million doses of Paxlovid at $530 each but supplies are expected to run out by 2024. The price for Paxlovid on the private market is expected to skyrocket by then.

Once PHE ends, people enrolled in private insurance and the Affordable Care Act will once again have to pay co-pays for testing, vaccines, and treatments

in the same manner they did before PHE. An estimated 27.5 million people in the U.S. are uninsured: they will have to pay for the full price for testing, vaccines, and treatments.

“In the new budget that just passed, the federal budget allows states to disenroll people from Medicaid at the end of the first quarter of 2023. When that happens, people can lose their Medicaid coverage which provides access to vaccines and treatments,” said Rosenthal. Medicaid covers low-income people and older adults, who are most at risk for getting infected and sick from Covid.

For example, Latino and Black adults who have had higher rates of workplace exposure to COVID have had higher rates of COVID and then eventually long COVID.

Dr. Oliver Brooks, Chief Medical Officer at Watts Healthcare, on racial disparities in Covid treatment.

“So once again, there is disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. It’s very concerning not to have federal commitment to continue to respond to the pandemic because we don’t know where it’s going,” she stated.

Some states, including California and Rhode Island, are looking at ways that they can automatically enroll people who are going to lose Medicaid coverage into lowcost marketplace plans. Oregon has developed a bridge health

program which will allow existing Medicaid members who earn a certain percent of the federal poverty level to stay enrolled in Medicaid, said Rosenthal.

Researchers from University of California San Francisco and UC Berkeley had some good news. They looked at breakthrough infections, reinfections, and people who had both in California prisons and published their findings last week.

“The question that we were really wondering is what are the benefits from vaccination in terms of preventing the future transmission of COVID,” said Tan of UC San Francisco.

They couldn’t find better test subjects than inmates living in close quarters whose movements are highly regulated. Researchers tested, traced infections and secondary cases, tracking the virus as it spread through the prison population.

Results showed that any type of vaccine had a 22% reduction in infectiousness; one or two prior infections reduced it by 23%; inmates with both prior vaccination and prior infection had 40% reductions in their infectiousness.

“So, not only do vaccines ideally protect you from getting infected, but if you do get infected, we see that there’s this hidden benefit that they are preventing and reducing the risk of you transmitting disease to other people,” Tan said.

Tony Thurmond Starts Second Term as State Addresses Educational Inequity

Max Elramsisy | California Black Media

Thurmond Starts Second Term as State Addresses Educational Inequity...continued

by third grade,” he said.

Recently, some education advocates pointed out that there has been a reported wave of retirements and disincentives that have led to an unprecedented teacher shortage across the nation. In response, Thurmond says he is creating new incentives to draw qualified people into the school system to help students, especially those who are of color.

“We're offering scholarships

for anyone who wants to become a teacher. $20,000,” Thurmond told California Black Media. “I sponsored a bill, HB 520, that was focused on how we get more male educators of color. And that bill turned into funding in the state budget. That now means our residency programs can be used to help have male educators of color as part of the beneficiaries of that program.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office to begin his second term on Jan. 7 at a ceremony conducted at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles.

Thurmond oversees the education of 6 million PreK-12 students in over one thousand public school districts across California.

Although SPI is a non-partisan office, Thurmond drew support from many of the state’s top Democrats in his bid for reelection, including from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and several members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. He was also endorsed by unions across the state, including the California Federation of Teachers and California Teachers Association.

United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona performed the ceremonial swearing in of Thurmond, who then reflected on his path to the office. The son of a Panamanian immigrant mother and Vietnam veteran father, who did not return to his family after the war –Thurmond and his brother were raised by their cousin and relied on public assistance programs

and public schools to make it out of poverty.

“I am standing on the shoulders of those relatives who struggle and sacrifice so that we could have a better life,” Thurmond said after he was sworn in. “It was the sacrifices of teachers and classified staff and childcare workers and school administrators who make it possible for me to stand here today as your public servant fighting for 6 million students in the great state of California.”

Thurmond’s first term coincided with one of the most tumultuous periods in California’s history -- a time, he says, that brought with it many unforeseen challenges.

“We all watched it together. The lives lost and impacted and disrupted by the pandemic,” Thurmond said before pointing out other cultural, social and political developments the country endured as the COVID-19 crisis intensified.

“The killing of George Floyd, fighting hate against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, racism targeted directly to African American families, anti-Semitism, the mistreatment of Latino families, immigrant families, we have seen so much hate all in such

a short period of time that we would move into a pandemic and find out that, in a state with all the wealth that we have in California, that a million students could be without a computer,” Thurmond added. “That is the most important thing that they needed to be connected in those early days through remote learning.”

Thurmond says his administration stepped up to address challenges presented by the pandemic.

“We know that the impact this has had clearly affected student proficiency levels where they are now compared to where they were a few years before the pandemic and of course, a deep, deep impact on the mental health of our students and our families,” he said.

“We've seen a dramatic increase in depression and anxiety and hospitalizations for children and it has been difficult for them,” Thurmond continued. “But our children are more than the sum of their circumstances. They've demonstrated their resiliency, and they're on the path to recovery, and we're going to help them with that because we just secured enough money to recruit 10,000 counselors for our schools in the state of California.”

The addition of counselors is good news for teachers across the state seeking resources to help their students recover and develop in areas outside of academics where school also plays a crucial role for many students. “I was very excited when superintendent Thurman said that there would be 10,000 counselors coming to the school sites because we need that. The emotional health of our students, that is important, that is very important,” said elementary school math teacher and California Teacher of the

Year award recipient Bridgette Donald-Blue to California Black Media.

The SPI does not have any legislative role. But Thurmond, who served in the California State Assembly for two terms, sponsored or endorsed several legislative initiatives that may have a profound effect on the future of education in California and the role that schools play to meet the social and emotional needs of students to provide a positive learning environment.

Thurmond says, beginning in the 2022–23 school year, the California Universal School Meal Program will help all students to reach their full academic potential by providing a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch at no charge for all children each school day regardless of individual eligibility.

Thurmond also has initiatives to combat inequities in the school system including universal preschool for 4-yearolds regardless of background, race, zip code, immigration status, or income level. He also launched the Black Student Achievement Taskforce to help quantify the impacts systemic and institutional racism have had on Black students in California.

Thurmond points out that he sponsored legislation to increase funding to the lowest performing students, ban suspension and expulsions in preschools, and secured $90 million for suspensions and chronic absenteeism programming.

“I know the impacts of what happens when our students don't learn to read by third grade. Sadly, they end up dropping out in many cases and in the criminal justice system, and we're going to change the narrative and flip the script. We're going to educate, not incarcerate our kids.” Thurmond repeated a pledge for today’s kindergarteners to be able to read

Initiative aims to reduce preeclampsia and eliminate health disparities experienced by Black women

Moreno Valley, CA— Riverside University Health System (RUHS) – Medical Center has joined a pilot program led by the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) to promote the use of low-dose aspirin as an effective means to prevent preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a serious condition that causes high blood pressure and organ injury in pregnant women, putting them and their babies at risk. It affects about 4% of pregnancies in the United States and accounts for 6% of preterm births. Risk factors for preeclampsia include women who:

Had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy; Are pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets or more);

Have high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease or an autoimmune disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.);

Never had a baby before, or it has been more than 10 years since their last baby;

racial/ethnic groups to develop preeclampsia; therefore, a special focus of this project will be eliminating health disparities experienced by Black women.

Miss Williams, who prefers to be identified by her last name, is a 33-year-old Creole and Black woman who is currently on a low-dose aspirin regimen as she approaches the birth of her fourth child. Originally a patient at a private clinic, Miss Williams was transferred to the care of RUHS when she developed high blood pressure early in her pregnancy.

“At one point, I didn’t think I would get as far as I am in my pregnancy. It was a very overwhelming situation. I was relieved when I was transferred to RUHS, because the doctors here seemed more knowledgeable and equipped to handle my pregnancy,” said Miss Williams.

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program and their Thanksgiving food distribution program. He passed in August 2021.

San Bernardino Community Hospital Administration and Staff

Community Hospital has been serving Inland Empire residents for more than 100 years. As a notfor-profit, non- denominational hospital, its mission is building a healthier community and serving the needs of a diverse population.

June Collison- has served as the President of Community Hospital of San Bernardino since 2012. As the leader of this 343bed acute care hospital, she is working to meet the demands

of health care reform and the challenges of the local economy.

Roz Nolan is the hospital's Chief Nursing Officer and Dr. Ruby Skinner is the Chief Medical Officer. With Ms. Collison, both serve on the hospital’s leadership team.

Individual tickets are $75 each. For more information or to purchase tickets go to: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/30thblack-rose-awards-banquettickets-491089169927.

For additional information please contact our Co-Chairs: Kristine Scott at (909) 8090317, kscott@socalgas.com, or Jim King at p:(760) 239-8200, / jimking5000@yahoo.com.

In

California, A Long and Pivotal History of Interracial Marriage...continued

Recent interracial marriage trends are heavily influenced by the Hart-Celler Act of 1965, which opened immigration to more Asian and Hispanic populations. Subsequently, as scholar Hsin-Yi Cindy Liu observed, interracial marriage became a sign of integration into mainstream US society. This trend is reflected in California’s increasing diversification, as well as the over 200% increase in the state’s mixed race population from 2010 to 2020 alone.

Priscilla and Jose Gamez with their two children. Priscilla is the daughter of Hmong immigrants, while Jose traces his roots to both Indigenous Mexican and German ancestry. Their story is among those told in the California Love Stories project.

Today, couples benefit from favorable public approval of interracial marriage—at a time where immigration and an

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increasingly diverse California creates more opportunities for it. Simultaneously, however, racism remains an ongoing issue in both the state and the nation. The racialization of the US border—a direct echo of past xenophobic rhetoric that restricted both immigration and interracial marriage—is a particularly relevant example.

This complex history creates different effects for couples of all different races and cultural backgrounds. California Love Stories, a collaboration across 20 ethnic media outlets statewide, shows the lived experiences of interracial couples in a society that is, though more accepting than in the past, still racialized.

Ultimately, their experiences reflect the often complex, sometimes difficult, but ultimately rewarding dynamics at the heart of interracial marriage in today’s world.

Have a mother or sister who had preeclampsia; Were low birthweight babies or had a previous pregnancy with a low birthweight baby;

Are obese; Are older than 35; and Have a low socioeconomic status.

In an effort to make positive and lasting change in Californian communities, CMQCC has chosen RUHS – Medical Center as one of five hospitals in which to pilot educational materials that promote the use of lowdose aspirin in high-risk pregnant women. Studies have shown that low-dose aspirin is the only known effective preeclampsia preventative.

The pilot project, which will run throughout 2023, will include workshops and trainings for providers and flyers and posters aimed at clients. Researchers will gather and analyze data produced by RUHS with the goal of showing that this initiative is effective at reducing rates of preeclampsia in Riverside County. Black women are more likely than women of other

Dr. Bryan Oshiro, chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and medical director of the HighRisk Care Access & Resources (HeRCARe) Program at RUHS –Medical Center, says he has seen the effectiveness of a low-dose aspirin regimen, which has been used at RUHS for several years.

“I have seen patients who were at high-risk of preeclampsia take low-dose aspirin and then go on to have safe and healthy pregnancies. We are thankful to work with our partners to promote this initiative with our patients and further our mission to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities,” said Dr. Oshiro.

“Clinical interventions alone are not enough to close gaps in maternal health disparities,” said Leslie Kowalewski, administrative director at CMQCC. “This project elevates community partners and patient experiences in the quality improvement process to establish connections between hospitals and the communities they serve. This collaboration will result in a long-term, sustainable and holistic approach to strengthening maternal healthcare in California and beyond.”

30th Annual Black Rose Awards Set for Saturday, February 4, at Cal State San Bernardino Santos Manuel Student Union...

California Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Tony Thurmond (middle) was sworn in by United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cordona (right)along side his fiance on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles, California.

Tony

California Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Tony Thurmond speaks with a student after he was sworn in on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles, California.

Photos by Maxim Elramsisy-California Black Media

California Teacher of the Year award recipient Bridgette Donald-Blue attends the inauguration of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles, California.

RUHS joins pilot program to promote lowdose aspirin as preeclampsia preventative