THE SAN BERNARDINO
AMERICAN
“A Man In Debt is So Far A Slave” -R.W. Emerson
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NEWSPAPER A Community Newspaper Serving San Bernardino, Riverside & Los Angeles Counties
January 18, 2024 Thursday Edition
Volume 54 No. 40
Mailing: P.O. Box 837, Victorville, CA 92393 Office: (909) 889-7677 Email: Mary @Sb-American.com Clifton@Sb-American.com
Website: www.SB-American.com
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance those of whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
55 Quotes of Inspiration Today, we at the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) honor the significant impact and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His teachings from Dr. Martin Luther on economic empowerment and social justice continue to influence our efforts in supporting the Black community. Dr. King, a civil rights leader and visionary, recognized the importance of economic equality for achieving racial equality. His push for King Jr. economic empowerment and financial literacy has been instrumental in paving the way for the prosperity of Black businesses and their U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Legacy of Inspiration and a Call to Action A Message from Our President
substantial contribution to our national economy. Dr. King's dedication to nonviolence and social change profoundly inspires our commitment to Black economic freedom. Advocating for policies that bolster Black entrepreneurship, we strive to realize Dr. King's vision of a society where economic success is accessible to all. At USBC we are driven by Dr. King’s resilience and his proactive leadership. We are devoted to promoting initiatives that support Black entrepreneurial growth, ensuring equal opportunities, and nurturing an inclusive economic environment. Today's economic landscape, with its unique challenges for Black businesses, echoes Dr. King's teachings. These challenges call for collective action, strategic planning, and continuous advocacy. The development of Black businesses is vital, not only for the African American community but for the diversity and robustness of the entire U.S. economy. In commemorating Dr. King, we reaffirm our commitment to his ideals of equality, justice, and opportunity. USBC remains dedicated to empowering Black entrepreneurs and fostering a more equitable and prosperous future. We work tirelessly toward the day when economic equality, as envisioned by Dr. King, is a reality for every Black business owner and every American. As I always say, "For there to be a great America there must be a great Black America and in order for there to be a great Black America there must be great Black businesses and in order for there to be great Black businesses there must be great Black Chambers". Let us all embody Dr. King's spirit, contributing positively to our communities and upholding values of equity and justice. Together, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with our actions and commitments. With hope and determination,
Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama, possibly on Turnaround Tuesday in March 1965. (Spider Martin, Birmingham News/ Alabama Department of Archives & History)
Ron Busby Sr. President & CEO U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
Annual Black Caucus MLK Jr Breakfast Uplifts King’s Legacy; Need to Generate Wealth Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media On Jan. 11, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, at a breakfast celebration held at the Grand Ballroom of the Town and Country Event Center in downtown Sacramento. The annual CLBC event was attended by about 200 people, including members of the Legislature from diverse backgrounds, community leaders, staffers from the State Capitol, among other attendees. “It was an honor to host this year's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day breakfast. The California Legislative Black Caucus put on another lively event with great discussion on ways we can honor Dr. King's legacy and uplift all Californians,” CLBC Chair, Assemblymember Lori A. Wilson (D-Suisun City), posted Jan. 11 on the social media platform X. At the breakfast, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), a member of the CLBC, served as the master of ceremonies at the breakfast held four days prior to the date that would have marked King’s 95th birthday on Jan. 15. CLBC members Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) provided the invocation and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) led the Pledge of Allegiance. Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), Vice Chair of the CLBC, shared a message from members of the Black Caucus. Bradford revealed a little unknown fact about Dr. King’s name. He was born Michael King, Jr., on Jan. 15, 1929. In 1934, his father, a pastor, traveled to Germany where he was inspired by Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther, Bradford said. “As a result, King, Sr. changed his own name as well as that of his 5-year-old son,” Bradford shared. To the delight of the audience at the event, sponsored by Vertex
The Birmingham Times
Kwame Anku, right, the founding managing partner and chief investment officer of Black Star Fund, participates in a fireside chat with California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) chair Asm. Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), left, at the CLBC's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast in Sacramento on Jan. 11, 2024. CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Sen. Steven Bradford shared with attendees at CLBC's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast, revealing a captivating historical tidbit: the civil rights icon was originally born Michael King, Jr. His father made the decision to change both their names in 1934 after a visit to Germany. (Jan. 11, 2024; Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey, CBM) Pharmaceuticals, vocalist Nia Moore-Weathers performed a powerful rendition of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn written as poem by National Association for the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. Wilson held a 30-minute fireside chat with guest speaker Kwame Anku about Dr. King’s life, achievements, and vision, and the importance of building wealth in Black families and
communities. Anku is the founding managing partner and chief investment officer of Black Star Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund. He got the idea to start the fund on the urging of Roger “Prince” Nelson, the singer, songwriter, multi-music instrumentalist who passed away in 2016. Anku was named the 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year by Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and was also among 21 distinguished
recipients of the prestigious Aspen Ascent Fellowship awarded by the Aspen Institute. He said King’s famous 1963 address at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the “I Have a Dream speech,” could have been more aptly titled “America, It’s Time to Look in the Mirror” reflecting its core messages of accountability and denied justice. “We’re telling ourselves how great we are but we’re not living up to the promise that we've made to ourselves because that’s the bedrock of what we do when he said we have come here today to cash the check,” Anku told Wilson. “So, we’ve come to cash the check because this check guarantees us the riches of freedom and the security of justice. So now we’re not just cashing that check. Now, we are writing those checks.” This year marks the 57th Anniversary of the CLBC. For nearly six decades, the CLBC has been a key advocate for issues such as fair housing and the prevention of homelessness. Historically, the coalition of Black lawmakers has actively resisted redlining in banking and insurance in California, and fought against apartheid in South Africa, among other issues. The CLBC plans to continue the legacy of Dr. King by developing legislation around its current priorities, which include pursuing reparations for eligible Black Californians, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, and helping to ensure greater access to education and enterprise for African Americans. During the 2024 legislative session, the CLBC aspires to secure funding for critical programs and organizations working to enhance the lives of Black Californians. Today, there are 12 members of the CLBC serving in the California Assembly and Senate.
As we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day on Monday January 15 here’s a look at some of his stirring and inspiring words which remain as relevant and inspiring today as when he lived. 1.“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” 2.“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” 3.“Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.” 4.“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” 5.“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” 6.“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” 7.“Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.” 8.“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” 9.“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” 10.“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” 11.“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.” 12.“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” 13.“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” 14.“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” 15.“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” 16.“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” 17.“Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” 18.“The time is always right to do what is right.” 19.“Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a
sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” 20.“We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop… I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.” 21.“For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.” 22.“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” 23.“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” 24.“There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.” 25.“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.” 26.“A lie cannot live.” 27.“There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.” 28.“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” 29.“There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life’s July and left standing amid the piercing chill of an alpine November.” 30.“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” 31.“Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.” 32.“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” 33.“Rarely do we find men continued on page 3