Black history has taught us that Big Tobacco is not an ally

By: Phillip Gardiner, Co-Chair, African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council

Black Americans die of smokingrelated illness every year.

This Black History Month, I have a simple message for nonprofit organizations in the United States: If you have accepted money from the tobacco industry, send it back. For hundreds of years, from enslaved people working on tobacco plantations to today’s menthol smokers, Black people have died for the tobacco industry’s profit. Today, the makers of Marlboro, Camel and Newport are using cash donations to polish their images and influence policy while approximately 45,000

It struck a chord when the Kennedy Center was criticized in The Post for accepting donations from cigarette giants Altria and Philip Morris International. I and many others cannot reconcile any organization saying that it works to support Black communities while simultaneously taking substantial donations from an industry that predatorily targets the same people.

Subsequently, I was horrified to learn the National Museum of African American History and Culture takes donations from Marlboro-maker Altria.

As co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, I wrote to the museum’s leadership to reject tobacco money. Vital Strategies, a global public health organization that helped with this essay, had approached the Kennedy Center with a similar message before Rebecca Perl’s piece ran in The Post and received no response. I did hear from the museum, nearly two months after contacting it. Officials said they appreciated my concern, but it doesn’t appear the museum has any intention to change its existing practices. I don’t think that’s good enough.

Standing tall on our capital’s National Mall alongside the Washington Monument, the museum says its purpose is to “tell the American story through the lens of African American history and culture.” Tobacco’s shameful chapter in that story is forever connected to the slave trade and tobacco plantations, where forced labor formed part of the foundations of the United States — and what is now a global tobacco industry.

Vestiges of that exploitation continue to this day, principally through the predatory marketing of menthol cigarettes and flavored little cigars in the Black community. There are more advertisements, more promotions in Black communities, where menthol cigarettes are cheaper.

Menthol is an anesthetic that masks the harsh taste of tobacco and allows for deeper inhalation of greater amounts of nicotine and tar. Studies show that menthol cigarettes are more addictive and, unsurprisingly, users find it harder to quit than non-menthol cigarette users. These products fuel a cycle of addiction to harmful products that hurt the pocketbooks in Black communities and fuels

There was no “protect and serve.” Just an out of control and outside-the-bounds-of-theirauthority attack on an unarmed Black man, said Sen. Seven Bradford (D-Gardena).

Bradford was referring to the beating death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

The Memphis Police Department has terminated the five officers involved in Nichol’s death: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith. Each one was indicted on a second-degree murder charge and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.

Since the incident, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has deactivated the city's SCORPION (Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods) unit. The 50-person unit of crime suppression officers was launched in 2021 to patrol hot spot crime areas.

“The beating and murder of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis Police Officers is brutal and heart-breaking,” said Bradford. “This is yet another example of the need to hold police officers accountable regardless of the color of their skin.”

In 2021, Bradford authored Senate Bill (SB) 2. The law creates a process to make sure police officers who break the law can never wear a badge again in California. “This legislation will save lives,” he said.

Bradford is currently working on SB 50, which would prohibit police in California from making traffic stops for low-level violations. This will reduce the potential for more harm to innocent citizens, said the lawmaker.

“We tend to pass a lot of legislation that doesn’t really have a lot of binding power,” said Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson. His nephew, Oscar Grant, III was shot in the back while subdued on a Bay Area Rapid Transit District station platform on New Year Day in 2009.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act does not adequately address some of the most critical issues that we’re dealing with, said Johnson, referring to the bill named for the 46-year-old Minneapolis Black man who was murdered by White cop Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. The officer was convicted of 2nd and 3rd degree murder and manslaughter.

The bill would end police restraint techniques, including chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level, as well as improve police training.

More money for training has been part of the problem, according to Johnson, who supported Assembly Bill (AB) 392, the California Act to Save Lives, which mandates that police officers should only use deadly force when necessary.

It was introduced by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber when she was a San Diego Assemblymember. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that bill in 2019.

“What happened to Tyre impacted so many in California. It re-traumatized many of the families,” said Johnson. “Many families’ wounds have been reopened. Many families’ hopes that there has been some progress have been totally erased,” continued Johnson.

The 14th Annual Closing the Gap Scholarship Tournament Event Held at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Casino in Henderson, Nevada

Community/ Education News

Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. The event was titled Closing the Gap Scholarship Tournament combined with Mr. Shacks 80th birthday. Sponsors include Charles Barkley $1000,000, Toyota-Alva Mason $30,000, MBZ of Buckhead $30,000, NAMAD-Damon Lester

$10,000, Bill & Jin Jin Shack year, this year’s event was held at the Green

$5,000, Waverer Inc. (David Rosen) $5,000, New Faze Realty (Allen Warren) $5000, Luxvoni (Dakoda Buford) $5000, Morgan Stanley (Ralph Jackson) $5000, Beverly & Leon Davis $2500, Al Reid 2500, Elzye Epps $2,500, Jim Colon $2,500.

What to do if your child runs away or is missing?...continued

All proceeds directly benefit the Closing the Gap Scholarship Fund established to provide scholarships to hundreds of young men and women who are struggling to complete their college education.

What to do if your child runs away or is missing?

Saved In America Advisory Board Member and Parent Advocate Paul Foley, explains what every parent needs to know if a child is missing, runs away or has been trafficked.

Community News

(February 13, 2023) – On Feb 17, 2018, we received a call from the Foster Home that our daughter was living in Bakersfield CA, stating that Emmeline had climbed out of a window at 5AM that morning.

It was 25 degrees and she left without a T shirt, backpack, clothes, or the medicine that she needed. This was not the first time Emme had run away. In continued in next 2 columns fact, it was the eighth time. She was upset that they would not let her call me that evening and the way she was being treated. Our experience with her running away told us that we would have to try to find her on our own. When in the foster system, these children run away, and there is very little to no effort put in to finding them. Of course, a police report was filed so that she would be put into the system to “Be On The Look Out” OR BOLO. We pushed law enforcement for their help and quickly recognized that without us proving her life was in immediate danger, they would not help by getting warrants to search her intranet history, Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform that children normally use to communicate with friends, family, or other people she was talking to online that we didn’t know, (which included things like the dark web).

We did all the things we could think of that would help locate our daughter. We printed flyers and drove endless hours through the streets of the cities that we thought she might have gone to. By chance I had a friend who lived in San Diego County who saw my daily posts and the desperation we were feeling about our missing daughter. She contacted me and told me I should get a hold of Saved In America. That day I contacted Joseph Travers of Saved In America. Joseph listened to our story and immediately said he would do everything possible to help us find our child. That same day Joseph put me in contact with one of the investigators who would be our lifeline to help us find our child. Little did I know at the time that not only would Saved In America be the key to finding Emme, but they would

Black History Month: The Black Caucus’ Itinerary

This week, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) is celebrating Black History Month in Sacramento with its Annual Legislative Business Brunch, an event organized to honor Black-owned businesses across the state. The brunch is the first in a series of commemorative events -- including a cultural showcase, film screening and awards show -- the CLBC is putting on to mark the monthlong national observation of Black accomplishment.

“It is with great honor to serve as the Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and to collaborate with my 11 colleagues to carry out the vision set forth more than five decades ago to stand for equality, justice and opportunity for all Black Californians,” said Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), who serves as chair of the CLBC.

“For us, Black History is every day. Annually, during the month of February, we are privileged to educate, celebrate, and honor our past struggles and accomplishments, and our future aspirations. Please join us in doing this good work together,” Wilson added.

Black History Month began as Negro History Week in 1926 with the vision of historian Carter G. Woodson.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Black newspapers played a critical role in promoting the establishment of the celebration, particularly among Black Americans at a time when racist Jim Crow laws existed on the books and discrimination was customary across the United States, particularly in the South.

Black History Month has been recognized by every American president since 1976 when

President Gerald Ford first celebrated it. Today, Americans of all races participate in Black History Month celebrations, which educate people from all backgrounds about the history of Black Americans and their contributions to the United States.

President Joe Biden, in his 2023 Black History Month proclamation, encouraged, all “public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States” to mark the occasion of Black History month with relevant programs.

“Black Americans’ struggles for freedom, equal treatment, and the right to vote; for equal opportunities in education, housing, and the workplace; for economic opportunity, equal justice, and political representation; and so much more have reformed our democracy far beyond its founding,” Biden said.

“Black Americans have made a way not only for themselves but also have helped build a highway for millions of women, immigrants, other historically marginalized communities, and all Americans to more fully experience the benefits of our society.”

The CLBC was founded in 1967 to represent the legislative concerns of Black Californians. The organization has been fundamental in providing political influence for the support of racial and gender equality and promoting justice for poor and disenfranchised communities across California. Here is the CLBC schedule of events celebrating Black History Month:

February 13, 10am also walk us through the darkest days that a parent could ever have to face.

Saved In America went to work right away. They gave us guidance on a day-to-day basis of what we should be doing and sometimes on the things that would be of more harm to our search than help. This was not an easy case by any means. Emme had been in the system as a runaway many times before and this time when she left, she took no phone and completely went dark on the intranet for weeks. Saved In America used all the tools that law enforcement either didn’t have or refused to use to help us find Emme. Along with Saved In America, we searched day and night for weeks to find Emme. On week three, I received a call from Joseph saying he would like to get national attention on our search. The NBC Nightly news was doing a story on their operation and asked if we would take our story nationally. We agreed and our story was featured on the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt within weeks.

We were fortunate enough to locate Emme on March 28, 2018, which also happened to be my birthday- what a present. Saved In America was not only the key to getting Emme home and into treatment, but the only thing that kept my family going. Every day we knew that we were making a difference in our search, and that gave us some hope during that very trying period in our life.

This was the first chapter in my relationship with Saved In America. Our daughter ran away two more times, and we were able to bring her home twice within five days. I truly believe that Saved In America saved continued on page 8

Black history has taught us that Big Tobacco is not an ally...continued from page 1 death, health problems and medical costs.

In 1953, 5 percent of African Americans smoked menthol cigarettes. Today, 85 percent of Black adults and 94 percent of Black youths who smoke use menthol products. Between 1980 and 2018, menthol cigarettes were responsible for 1.5 million new smokers, 157,000 smokingrelated premature deaths and 1.5 million life-years lost among African Americans, representing a staggering 41 percent of premature deaths and half of the total in life-years lost in America. In other words — menthol takes a much greater toll on African Americans. Black Americans die disproportionately of heart attacks, lung cancer, strokes and other tobacco-related diseases. Menthol cigarettes are a leading vector for death and disease in Black communities, worsening health and economic inequities.

Responsibility lies with the tobacco companies. It’s time they stopped producing menthol cigarettes and treating the health of Black communities as expendable. Congress should also act to pass the proposed ban on menthol tobacco products without further delay. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that a national menthol ban could save up to 6,000 Black lives each year. Prioritizing profit over Black lives, the industry is lobbying against the legislation.

Tobacco donations to institutions such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture are part of the playbook, giving cigarette companies a sheen of respectability that allows them to access the halls of power and helping them maintain the profitable status quo. Altria, a donor to the museum, owns Philip Morris USA, the largest tobacco company in the United States, with nearly half of the cigarette retail market, including 26 percent of the menthol market. In accepting Altria’s money rather than holding its donor and the industry to account, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is complicit in the industry’s ongoing exploitation of Black people.

Maybe cultural institutions will not break from tobacco companies unless they are forced to do so. Some countries ban tobacco sponsorships so cigarette makers can’t promote themselves under the guise of corporate social responsibility.

Lacking such legislation in the United States, we are reliant on the integrity of the institutions involved or the type of public outrage that led to Sackler donations being rejected when the family’s company, Purdue Pharma, was exposed as a key driver of the opioid epidemic. I’m disappointed but not surprised that we haven’t heard the same volume of voices demanding that the National Museum of African American History and Culture reject cigarette company donations, since many African American organizations take the money. The preservation and honoring of African American history shouldn’t be an economic and cultural opportunity for corporations whose activities perpetuate inequity and harm for Black Americans.

So, if the National Museum of African American History and Culture or any other cultural or charitable institution would like to demonstrate their support for Black Americans this Black History Month, return the money received from the tobacco industry.

SBCUSD Board Of Education Unanimously Appoints Mauricio Arellano As New Superintendent

Community /Education News

Honoring Black-owned businesses in partnership with the CA Black Chamber of Commerce

@ Citizen Hotel, 926 J St, Sacramento

February 15, 1pm – 5pm

Birthing Justice Screening & Conversation

In partnership with Blue Shield & Filmmaker Denise Pines @ 1600 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento // ADVANCE TICKETS

February 17

2023 African American Leaders for Tomorrow (AALT) Application Opens: https://bit. ly/CLBC2023AALT

February 27

12:30pm:

Unsung Heroes Awards Recognition & Author Bryant Terry

@ State Capitol Assembly and Senate Floors

2pm-4pm:

Black Food: Stories, Art & Recipes from Across the African Diaspora Book Signing with Author / Educator / Chef Bryant Terry

@ Ella Dining Room and Bar (1131 K St., Sacramento)

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

Mauricio Arellano will take over as Superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) on April 17, 2023, following a unanimous vote of the Board of Education in their meeting Tuesday. Arellano is the current Superintendent of the Redlands Unified School District. SBCUSD’s current rotation of Administrators in Charge will continue until Arellano arrives.

While a local resident, Arellano was chosen from dozens of qualified candidates who applied in a nationwide search led by McPherson and Jacobson on behalf of the Board of Education. District staff, parents, students and community members helped shape the search parameters as the Board sought to ensure an inclusive process that identified an ideal leader to carry SBCUSD forward.

“Your Board of Education sought to hire the best leader for SBCUSD, and we found him,” said Board President Dr. Scott Wyatt. “Mauricio Arellano embodies the essence of everything our community asked us to find in a Superintendent. Based on what he’s done, we believe SBCUSD can expect him to be inclusive, innovative and, most of all, effective. We are united and unwavering in our enthusiasm for what his leadership will mean for our students.”

His appointment as Superintendent will be a homecoming for Arellano, who grew up in San Bernardino attending SBCUSD schools as a child, graduating from San Bernardino High School and starting his career in education as a bilingual elementary school teacher in the District 32 years ago. He is the son of immigrant parents from Mexico who also worked in SBCUSD schools.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be appointed Superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District. I want to truly thank the members of the Board of Education who have put their trust and faith in me to lead this incredible organization.

I am sincerely inspired to return to the District where I attended kindergarten to high school and started the first thirteen years of my career serving as a teacher, Principal, and Director of Human Resources. Having the opportunity to return and give back to the District that gave me and my parents so much is a blessing,” said Arellano. Arellano was a first generation college student when he pursued his undergraduate degrees in sociology and Spanish at the University of California, Riverside. He later earned a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

Arellano has led the Redlands Unified School District for the past five years, during which time RUSD has been recognized with four California School Board Association Golden Bell Awards recognizing outstanding educational programs, four California Distinguished School Awards, the Golden Achievement Award from the National School Public Relations Association for the RUSD 2025 Excellence for All Students multi-year vision, and most recently the City of Redlands Beautification Award for the beautification projects completed at all schools and the District Office facility. Prior to serving in his current role, Arellano served for 14 years as the assistant superintendent of human resources in the Palm Springs Unified School District. Arellano has been personally recognized many times for his leadership, most recently being named as U.C. Davis C-STEM Superintendent of the Year in 2020. While in Palm Springs Unified, he was awarded the Riverside County Administrator of the Year in 2016, was the recipient of the 2015 Riverside County Office of Education Models of Excellence Award for his work with the Skillful Leader Program, and received the ACSA’s Ray Curry Award for excellence in school personnel in 2012 and ACSA’s Region XIX (Riverside County) Personnel/ Human Resources Administrator of the Year in 2008.

“I look forward to working alongside my colleagues across the District to build on the successful programs and innovative initiatives they have created that serve our students well and to work as a team to further develop creative and effective programs that meet the individual brilliance of each one of our students,” Arellano said. “It certainly takes a village to prepare our youth to be successful, therefore working in collaboration with our union leader partners, service-oriented community groups, elected officials, parents and all other educational partners who are committed to the success of our students will be a priority. San Bernardino City Unified School District has great leaders, great teachers, great support staff, great kids and great families. I am excited to be a part of that greatness.”