The California Black Media Political Playback: Black Advocates Celebrate Women’s History Month

Black Advocates Celebrate Women’s History Month

March is Women's History

Month, and several California organizations are celebrating trailblazing women making history in our state -- whether it’s recognizing the record-setting number of women who are state constitutional officers or lauding the unprecedented number of women serving in the Legislature ((50 out of 120).

Last week, the Black Women's Collective kicked off Women's History Month with an event organized to help build an Economic Action Plan for Black Women. It brought together experts in policymaking, labor, economic development, and entrepreneurship.

“Black women serve as breadwinners in 80% of Black households in California with over 70% headed by single mothers,” said Kellie Todd Griffin, President and CEO, California Black Women's Collective Empowerment Institute. Griffin was citing statistics from a report on the State of Black Women in California from 2018 and 2022.

“Typically, Black women have higher labor force participation rates than other women, meaning a higher share of Black women are either employed or unemployed and looking for work,” Griffin continued. “However, the economic safety net is not secure as Black Women makes less than most of their counterparts making .55 cents to White males, which is one of the lowest in the nation equally the wage gap in Mississippi. California falls short of the national rate at .63 cents.”

Panelists at the event included Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt (CD10); Yvonne Wheeler, President, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, President and CEO, Center by Lendistry; and Denise Pines, Co-Founder and CEO, Tea Botanics and Women in the Room Productions.

Moderators were Griffin and Regina Wilson, Executive Director, California Black Media.

In Historic Los Angeles Ceremony, Malia M. Cohen Sworn in as Top State Accountant

It was a history-making moment as Malia M. Cohen was inaugurated the 33rd California State Controller at Los Angeles City Hall on Feb. 23. During the swearing-in, she was flanked by her husband Warren Pulley while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass administered the oath.

As California’s chief fiscal officer and top accountant, the State Controller’s office is an independent watchdog overseeing the disbursement of state and local funds, including one of the nation's largest public pension funds.

Cohen, a San Francisco native will be the first Black person, and second woman Controller, as the state continues to make an intentional effort to break gender and racial barriers. Two of the top four largest cities, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are led by Black women Mayors, Karen Bass and London Breed respectively, and the state also elected its first Black in Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, who previously served under an appointment by Gov. Newsom.

"Mayor Bass and Congresswoman Lee: I know that you know all too well, that no matter the campaign budget difference, no matter how much they outspend you, leadership can't be bought,” Cohen said in her inaugural speech.

California Black Freedom Fund Hosts Panel Discussions in Oakland

On Feb. 28 in Oakland, the California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF) hosted an event titled “Strengthening Democracy and Building Black Futures” followed by a reception for guests who attended.

The event included two panel discussions centered around the need for philanthropy to commit resources to building and sustaining a just, racially diverse, equitable and inclusive civil society.

“Civil society is the basis upon which you have a democracy, and civil society needs to be informed. It needs to be about achieving something. It needs to reflect the broader society,” said Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, Policy Link, who presented during one of the panel discussions.

CBFF is a “five-year, $100 million initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism,” according to the organization’s website.

In April 2022, CBFF named Marc Philpart its Executive Director, a leader with broad experience in social advocacy working with grassroots and community organizations.

Panelists at the event included Blackwell; author Steve Phillips (Brown Is the New White); Lateefah Simon (president of the Meadow Fund); James Herard (Executive Director of Lift Up Contra Costa); Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker (District 1 Antioch City Council); Kavon Ward (CEO/Founder of Where Is My Land); and James Woodson (Executive Director of California Black Power Network.

Californians Impacted by Winter Storms Get Extended Tax Deadline

Both the state and federal governments are offering some relief to Californians impacted by winter storms in January and February. In addition to allowing qualifying state residents to make deductions for disaster losses, last week Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state tax deadline for those affected by the winter storms will be October 16, 2023.

“As communities across the state continue recovering from the damage caused by the winter storms, California is working swiftly to help recovering Californians get back on their feet,” said Newsom.

The extension aligns with Biden administration adjustments to the IRS tax deadline for people affected by winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in the following counties: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba.

For filing instructions and more details on eligibility, visit the California Franchise Tax Board.

Mayor Karen Bass Endorses “Friend for Decades” Rep. Barbara Lee

Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass endorsed her former colleague and “friend for decades,” Rep. Barbara Lee (DCA-12), in her bid to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein who is not seeking another term.

“I’ve seen her leadership firsthand. Her work in a divided government to secure billions of dollars in COVID relief for underserved communities is just one example of the type of principled and tenacious leadership she will bring,” Bass tweeted.

Both alums of the California Assembly, Bass and Lee served together for nearly 11 years as two of three Black women members of California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. The other Black woman is Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43).

Emerge California Announce Black Woman as New Board

Chair Emerge California, an Oakland-based organization that recruits and trains women in the Democratic Party to run for political office, announced it has appointed Rhodesia Ransom to chair its Board of Directors.

“I’m excited to step into this role to lead our Board of Directors as we welcome Emerge California’s Class of 2023 – the most diverse class in organization’s history,” said Ransom, who joins four other board members, including Julie Waters, Board Treasurer, and Jacqueline Piccini, Board Secretary.

Founded in 2002, Emerge California has trained over 800 women political candidates. The organization prides itself on a win rate of nearly 70 % and, last year, there were 125 alumnae of its training program on the November ballot, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, State Controller Malia Cohen, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and seven state legislators.

SoCalGas Customers Can Apply for Hardship Assistance Responding to spiraling inflation and a winter hike in gas prices, SoGalGas is offering hardship assistance to its customers that have been hit hardest.

“SoCalGas is stepping up to help customers in need with charitable donations of $10 million in shareholder funding to help customers with bill assistance and to bolster community resources for those who may be struggling financially,” the company said in a press release last week.

The assistance will be distributed through three channels: $5 million through the Gas Assistance Fund administered by United Way for “Income Qualified Customers”; $4 million through the company’s Fueling our Communities program, a community feeding program organized by local food banks and nonprofits; and $1 million to restaurant owners through its Restaurant Cares Resilience Fund.

International Award-Winning Maryland Based Choir, Takoma Academy Joins National Nonprofit U.S. Dream Academy for a Special Concert in San Bernardino, CA

Community /Education News

Dear Editor,

There is a powerful engine that drives American society today. Long ago it was God, family, and country; today it is salary, self, and secession.

Today money drives not only business and banks, but politics, government, media, education, sports, and even religion. God himself has been bankrupted by commercialization.

Children see their happiness shredded by their parents’ passion for accumulation of money.

Our nation long ago replaced its spare linen flag with a molten idol, well out of reach of a hundred million grabbing hands, but firmly in the grasp of the 1% class.

Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. Allocated 2.1 Million Dollars to Make the Blake Ballfield Project Come to Life

thoroughly debauched by our love of money and the pursuit of all its attendant evils.

Once willing to work for money, we now insist that our money work for us. Once willing to ask what we can do for our country, we now only ask what our country can do for us.

Once willing to lend money at little or no interest to demonstrate our disdain for treading down the poor, today we charge triple digit interest rates and bask in the glory of exploitation.

The Empowering Students

Through Song – U.S. Dream Academy and Takoma Academy

Partner to Host Special Concert in San Bernardino, CA

The event will take place Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. at the San Bernardino Seven Day Adventist Church, 1696 North G Street, San Bernardino CA, 92405

Event Background:

International award-winning choir, Takoma Academy joins national nonprofit the U.S. Dream Academy for a special Camerata concert on Saturday, March 11 in San Bernardino, CA.

Takoma Academy is a Maryland-based college preparatory, co-educational secondary day school operated by a Seventh-day Adventist Church. The U.S. Dream Academy is helping our nation's children reach for their dreams. The nonprofit provides a transformative mentoring experience for youth to build character, skills, and dreams in a safe out of school time environment. With this musical collaboration, the U.S. Dream Academy’s DreamKids, who will accompany the choir, will exercise its mission in helping the youth build character, build skillsets, and actualize their full potential. The San Bernardino Community Church is a partner of the U.S. Dream Academy where the Dream Academy San Bernardino is co-located. The community church is led by Pastor Jerrold Thompson. Founder and CEO of U.S Dream Academy, Wintley Phipps created the organization to engage the youth in productive programs to prepare them for the future, helping over 11,000 DreamKids across ten cities nationwide. Thirty-four technically- trained students, under the leadership of Mrs. Lulu Mwangi Mupfumbu, the Director of Music at Takoma Academy, learn how to increase their performance and understanding of music history literacy and technical skills, as well as acquire background experience in multicultural music, general musicianship, and music for worship and ministry. Their mission is to inspire and invest in the lives of children of incarcerated parents and families in communities harmed by systemic inequities. This year the U.S. Dream Academy is celebrating its 25th Anniversary.

Every school year, the Takoma Academy choir performs up to thirty concerts and competitions either nationally or internationally. Thus far, the choir’s active involvement has earned them one gold medal and two silver medals in their first appearance at the 10th World Choir Games in Tshwane, South Africa, two Gold Diplomas at the American International Choral Festival in February of 2019 and several other awards and achievements to commemorate their talent in performance arts.

As both organizations are aimed to inspire the youth and make the world a better place, this will collaboration through music showcases their ministry, and will spread the messaging of love and unity.

For further information regarding the organizations: visit www.usdreamacademy.org or check out Takoma Academy YouTube channel.

Submission Deadline is MONDAYS by 5pm

Email Press Releases to: mary@sb-american

Submit legals to website: sb-american.com

Greyhound Announces New Stop

At San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot

The partnership between Greyhound Lines, Inc. and San Bernardino Transportation Authority (SBCTA) brings local and intercity bus transportation together

Community/Education News

DALLAS (March 1, 2023) –Greyhound, the largest provider of intercity bus transportation in North America, today announced its new stop at San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot. The new stop, which began service on February 15, 2023, is located at 1170 West 3rd Street San Bernardino, California, 92410.

The Greyhound transit center relocated 1.3 miles away from its previous location on North G Street. The new location is more convenient for passengers with the option to now connect with Amtrak, Metrolink, and local bus system.

“Greyhound has operated in San Bernardino for decades and is proud to now operate from the San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot,” said Juan Castro, Manager

There is not a single beloved tradition that has not been

Kimball Shinkoskey 1306 S. 1100 W. Woods Cross, Utah 84087 kshinkos@gmail.com 801-637-6352

Are We Done With Masks? Three Experts Review the Latest Findings

By Peter White

A new study finds masks do little to prevent the spread of viruses like the flu and Covid, and that hand washing and vaccines offer more protection.

San Bernardino, Ca.-

Western Region, Greyhound.

“The new location provides seamless connectivity to local transit options which adds convenience for our travelers in San Bernardino and Riverside.”

The new center operates every day from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with 20 schedules offered a day.

Customers interested in boarding from the transit center will be able to purchase bus tickets on location. Las Vegas, San Diego, Calexico, Phoenix, and California are among the most popular destinations for this transit center.

For fare and schedule information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-231-2222, visit Greyhound.com or use Greyhound’s mobile app.

An international network of health researchers reviewed 78 randomized controlled studies and concluded that wearing masks has little or no effect on spreading the flu, COVID, or other respiratory diseases.

The Cochrane collaborative published their findings in a January 2023 report which found frequent hand washing did more than masks to prevent viral infections.

At a March 3 EMS news briefing, three medical experts shared their views about the efficacy of wearing masks in light of the study. Except for vulnerable patients where masks offer an added layer of protection, their consensus was to forget about wearing masks and get vaccinated.

They also stressed the importance of not losing trust in public health officials for changing their advice over time as they work to keep up with the latest scientific research.

Masks are ‘not magic’

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, led off the session by describing the challenges of conducting mask studies in the first place, whether in a health environment or in the community. “You can’t monitor people about their maskwearing behavior all the time. That’s certainly something you can’t do, and of course (masks) have to be worn correctly,” he said.

While many researchers have looked at multiple physical measures to prevent people from catching a virus, the Cochrane reviewers evaluated studies that compared just three interventions: surgical masks, N95/P2 respirators, and hand hygiene.

Based on the results they were uncertain whether masks help to slow the spread of viruses but decided hand hygiene “may help to slow the spread of respiratory viruses,” Schaffner said.

Yet he also pointed out that in most cases, mask wearing was accompanied by social distancing, and… “in certain communities, we were in a lockdown. we stayed home. So, we did all those things more or less simultaneously. And it’s hard – impossible really – to determine what proportion of the reduction we saw on Covid was due to the mask itself.

As for his own advice, Schaffner emphasized that “masks are not magic.” But he said that people in high-risk groups may start wearing them again next flu season. “They will offer another layer of protection to protect me, a highly vulnerable person, from acquiring an infection from others.”

No more mask mandates

“I don’t think we can impose mask mandates on the public anymore,” said Dr. Monica Ghandi, Professor of Medicine and Associate Division Chief of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at UCSF in San Francisco.

Gandhi noted a Danish mask study where no mandate was in effect at the time, and two others in Bangladesh and Guinea-Bissau where entire villagers wore masks. The study found “there was very little effectiveness” in wearing masks.

During the Delta surge, Orange County, California did not impose a mask mandate but nearby LA County did. “And there was no difference in transmission or death rates. Very importantly, the vaccination rates made all the difference,” Gandhi said.

The most important thing people could do during the pandemic is to get vaccinated, Gandhi advised. “I think we have to keep it a choice for the masking.”

Gandhi’s recently published book, Endemic, is about the politicization of public health policy. She said that closing schools during COVID was a politically driven decision and “not good for children in the Blue States, because the Red States kept their schools open.”

Dr. Mina Hakim, a pediatric specialist at South Central Family Health Center in Los Angeles, offered a similar view about masks from “down in the trenches.”

Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. allocated for the approval of a funding contract with Provisional Educational Services Inc., to the PAL Ballfield at Blake Park to begin improvements on the park. The project has now been approved and plans to begin the rehabilitation project have begun. PAL Center Chief Executive Officer Dwaine Radden Sr. said, “restoring these fields has been a long time coming. But we are grateful that Joe Baca Jr. embraced the vision to refurbish this community baseball field. He allocated 2.1 million dollars to make this project happen for the PAL students, local baseball youth programs, and the community. Our children need safe fields to play on, or they will be playing in the streets.”

“Allocating these funds for an underserved and disadvantaged community such as Muscoy was just a small step in the right direction. Blake Park Ballfield project approval has allowed our County to keep pushing to provide recreational, health, social services, and better quality of life to our county residents. Creating safe fields, especially for our youth is pivotal in keeping them safe and keeping them from playing on the streets. We are so excited to see this project soon come to life and see our residents enjoy it together.” -Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

Reparations: California Legislative Analyst’s Office Proposes "Paths" For Payments

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

This past weekend, the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations oversee compensation the state authorizes to Black California residents who are descendants of enslaved people in the United States.

Proposals for African Americans received insight on how the state government might implement recommendations the panel submits in its final proposal due before July 1.

Chas Alamo, the principal fiscal and policy analyst at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), appeared remotely in front of the panel as an expert witness during the twoday meeting held March 3 in Sacramento.

The LAO is a non-partisan office overseen by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), a 16-member bipartisan team. It is the “eyes and ears” of the State Legislature ensuring that the executive branch is implementing legislative policy in a cost-efficient and effective manner. Its biggest responsibility is analyzing the Governor’s annual budget.

Alamo explained to the task force how the recommendations they make will likely become state policy.

“The creation of a new agency would be initiated through the governor's executive branch and reorganization process, but continued on page 7

Alamo offered “several paths that could be possible for ultimate recommendations” by the task force to “flow through the Legislature and become state law” and how they can “apply” to the creation of the proposed California American Freedman Affairs Agency (CAFAA). The agency, if approved, would

OP-ED: Addressing the Issues Around Public Safety and Policing

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

Senator (Ret.) Vanessa Delgado is First Latina to Chair South Coast AQMD Governing Board in 47-Year History

Councilmember Michael Cacciotti Appointed as New Vice Chair, Three New Board Members Appointed

DIAMOND BAR – 3/03/23

Vanessa Delgado, former California State Senator and South Pasadena Councilmember

Local Business Owner, Kisha Collier, Named to NSBA Leadership Council

Board Chair. “I am proud of our accomplishments during my three years with the Board and look forward to continuing our fight for clean air.”

Congressman James E. Clyburn

Following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020 at the hands of law enforcement—two in a long line of avoidable tragedies—

Democrats reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that law enforcement truly protect the communities they serve. House Democrats passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to prevent police misconduct by improving law enforcement practices and enhancing accountability. Regrettably, the bill stalled in the Senate due to Republican opposition. Since taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden has restricted the transfer of military equipment to police departments and directed federal law enforcement agencies to end the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants.

Now a renewed call for action has emerged as the country mourns the violent death of Tyre Nichols, yet another unarmed Black citizen murdered by police. It has become undeniable that the culture of policing must improve. To reform this violent culture, we must enact public safety reforms that address the lack of accountability and transparency in policing while increasing the standards for those who wear the badge.

Our communities deserve meaningful change in how they are policed, and increased accountability will further that goal. It is unconscionable that a police officer can be fired from their local department for misconduct only to find employment in another department without consequence. Lawyers, doctors, public school teachers, and nearly all other professionals face accountability. Police officers have a sacred responsibility to protect the public—they should certainly not be immune from it.

Increased accountability goes hand in hand with increased transparency. Police department data, information, and policies should be made available to the communities they serve. There are more than 18,000 local police departments in the United States. However, there is no national requirement for collecting and sharing use-of-force data. Nor is there a nationwide database or registry that tracks problematic officers, preventing those who have been fired from moving on to another jurisdiction without accountability. The lack of transparency erodes public trust and allows dangerous actors to patrol our streets.

Increasing the professional standards for those who serve involves setting national practices and instituting mandatory trainings to ensure officers have the communication and de-escalation skills they need to better connect with their communities and prevent the deadly escalation of force.

Training officers in these areas would improve police conduct and help officers better serve their communities.

In his January 7, 2023, State of the Union Address, President Biden urged us to “rise to this moment. We can’t turn away. Let’s do what we know in our hearts we need to do. Let’s come together to finish the job on police reform.” It is time for us to enact the reforms necessary to save lives. I call on our colleagues across the aisle to join in this critical effort.

To those who have lost loved ones to police violence, know this: just because you’re not in the headlines doesn’t mean you’re absent from our hearts and minds. South Carolina remembers Walter Scott, who was shot in the back and killed by a North Charleston police officer the morning of April 4, 2015. His brother, Anthony Scott, was my guest for this year’s State of the Union Address. Together, we heard President Biden’s call for action, and I can assure you that I will do all within my power to answer that call.

2nd Chronicles 15:7 urges, “be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” The road to achieving police reform may be long, but we must not tire. Instead, we must press on in honor of those we have lost and to prevent more Black men and women from falling victim to the same fate.

After Royal Palms Shooting, Hahn and McOsker Restrict Beach Hours

San Pedro, CA-- Following a shooting that injured five on Saturday night at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker are announcing restricted beach hours.

Royal Palms Beach continues to be closed today at the direction of Supervisor Hahn and will reopen tomorrow. Until further notice, Royal Palms Beach will close at 4:30 pm Friday through Sunday. The beach will continue to close at dusk Monday through Thursday. These operating hours will include the beach parking lot.

“We need to balance preserving access to this beach with the demands of public safety,” said Supervisor Hahn. “This shooting was an escalation of a series of problems we have had at Royal Palms. Closing the beach early on weekends is going to help us

Michael A. Cacciotti held their first meeting as the newly elected Chair and Vice Chair of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board. San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman, Lynwood Councilmember José Luis Solache and Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson were also appointed as the newest Governing Board members.

Senator (Ret.) Delgado is the first Latina to Chair the Board in the agency’s 47-year history. Delgado was appointed to South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board in May 2019 as the Senate Rules Committee’s representative. She has served as Vice Chair of the Governing Board since May 2021.

“I want to thank my fellow Board members for nominating me to lead our team in our critical mission of cleaning the air,” said Vanessa Delgado, South Coast AQMD’s Governing

Councilmember Cacciotti joined the Governing Board in 2008 as the appointee for the Cities of the Eastern Region for Los Angeles County. He serves on the South Pasadena City Council and was a Deputy Attorney General with the State of California Department of Justice for nearly 20 years.

“I am honored to be a part of the important work that we do to improve lives for our local residents through South Coast AQMD,” said Michael A. Cacciotti, South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board Vice Chair. “I am motivated to know I have your trust and confidence as we continue to work towards our goal to reduce air pollution over the course of the coming years.”

Supervisor Hagman was appointed as San Bernardino County’s representative to South Coast AQMD at the Board of Supervisors meeting on January regulatory restraint, health care costs, and how access to capital will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between smallbusiness advocates from across the country, while ensuring that small businesses have a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key smallbusiness proposals. prevent another tragedy while we work with law enforcement on a long-term strategy.”

California – Kisha Collier, Funded w/Lady K, Victorville was recently selected to serve on the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Collier, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

“The tragedy of this weekend highlights why it’s so important to keep our beaches and our parks safe,” said Councilmember McOsker. “Our community remains shaken by the shooting that occurred last Saturday and I hope the suspects are quickly apprehended and brought to justice. Royal Palms has previously been a place of dangerous behavior so it’s critical we make adjustments now for the safety of our neighbors and beach goers.”

Today, Supervisor Hahn and Councilman McOsker met with officials from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors to develop a public safety enhancement plan for Royal Palms.

Reparations: California Legislative Analyst’s Office Proposes "Paths" For Payments...continued from page 2 other options exist,” Alamo said. “Regardless of the path, to initiate a new agency or enact any other recommendation that makes changes to state law, fundamentally both houses from the state Legislature would have to approve the action and the governor will have to sign it.

During discussions at the Sacramento meeting, the task force began the process of clearly defining CAFAA’s role, focusing on adding clarity to the agency’s mission as overseer for other entities offering reparations in the form of assistance to Californians who qualify.

After a two-hour spirited debate at the meeting – the 13th convening of the task force so far -- all nine-members agreed that CAFAA that would have specified powers and its structure would include an administrative body that guides implementation.

“The proposed entity would be an agency, independent agency, that would provide services where they don’t presently exist (and) provide oversight to existing (state) agencies,” task force chair Kamilah V. Moore said.

CAFAA would facilitate claims for restitution and would set up a branch to process claims with the state and assist claimants in proving eligibility through a “genealogy” department, the task force members said. A commitment to assisting with the implementation and operation of policies and programs being considered for recommendation would also be in the purview of the agency.

The concept of CAFAA is based on the defunct federal Freedman’s Bureau. On March 3, 1865, Congress passed “An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees.” The bureau's main objective was to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to newly freed African Americans.

Ward Connerly, the African American political activist who led the ballot initiative that outlawed Affirmative Action in California in 1996, Proposition (Prop) 209, told FOX News one day after the task force’s Sacramento meeting that offering reparations was a “bad” and a “goofy idea.”

Connerly, former President of the California Civil Rights Initiative Campaign, has made objections to reparations for about a year now as California gets closer than any government in United States history to making amends for historical injustices committed against Black Americans.

“California is a progressive state but we’re not insane,” Connerly told FOX News on March 5. “So, I think that people of this state would rise up and say ‘no.’”

The two-day meeting in Sacramento was held at the Byron Sher Auditorium at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) in downtown Sacramento. Both days attracted crowds, mainly comprised of interested individuals and groups from Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg attended the second day of the meeting. Steinberg is one of 11 mayors who pledged to pay reparations for slavery to Black residents in their cities.

Similar to efforts in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and Richmond, Sacramento is focused on developing a municipal reparations initiative through the city’s ongoing Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) initiative.

“I wholeheartedly support reparations and think everyone should,” Steinberg told the task force panel on March 4. “If government should stand for anything, it should stand for investing in communities and people who have been the victims of discrimination and disenfranchisement for far too long.”

The task force also recommended “appropriate ways” to educate the public about the task force’s findings and future reparations actions by the state.

The charge calls for building a collective base of knowledge to inform racially diverse communities in California about reparations, appealing to different ways of learning, expanding task force discussions into mainstream conversations, and inspiring reflection and action among all residents of California.

Task force members Dr. Cheryl Grills and Don Tamaki presented the proposal.

The next two-day task force will return to Sacramento at the end of March. For more information on the next meeting, visit the California Department of Justice’s website. https://oag. ca.gov/ab3121

“As a small-business owner, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” stated Collier. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective small-business message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.”

As a Philanthropreneur, who has been an entrepreneur since the age of 19, it is important to Collier that her work builds a legacy that impacts the broader community. As the CEO/Founder of Funded w/Lady K, it is her mission to support nonprofits and small businesses to increase their impact to achieve social change that is both scalable and sustainable through service, support, and advocacy.

Collier joined the NSBA Leadership Council as part of her efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform,

“I am proud to have Kisha Collier as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “She came to us highly recommended, and I look forward to our coordinated efforts for years to come.”

Please click here to learn more about Funded w/Lady K.: https:// fundedwithladyk.com/

For more on the NSBA Leadership Council, please visit www.nsba.biz

Funded w/Lady K, “Bridging the Gap Between Wealth and Equity Through Entrepreneurship” is your one-stop concierge service to starting, managing, funding, and scaling your missiondriven organization. We provide sustainable solutions to running a high impact BIPOC & WomenOwned nonprofits and small businesses so the visionaries, founders, and entrepreneurs can go out there and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Senator (Ret.) Vanessa Delgado is First Latina to Chair South Coast AQMD Governing Board in 47Year History...continued

24th. As Supervisor, he represents San Bernardino County’s Fourth District, which includes the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Ontario and the southern portion of Upland. He succeeds Janice Rutherford, who has termed out of office.

Councilmember José Luis Solache was appointed to the Board on February 27th.

Councilmember Solache was elected to the Lynwood City Council in 2013. Prior to serving on the City Council, Solache was elected to the Lynwood Board of Education in November 2003, making him the youngest Latino board member of Lynwood Unified School District. He succeeds Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

Mayor Lock Dawson was appointed to the Board on February 28th. Dawson was elected Riverside’s 18th mayor in 2020 and is the first UC Riverside graduate and second woman to be elected to Riverside’s only citywide office in its 150-year history. She has an extensive record of service to Riverside, the Inland Southern California region and the state. She succeeds former City of Riverside County representative Ben J. Benoit. South Coast AQMD's Governing Board adopts policies and regulations that promote clean air within its four-county area and typically meets at South Coast AQMD's Diamond Bar headquarters on the first Friday of each month.

For more information, and to view the Governing Board’s annual meeting schedule, visit: http://www.aqmd.gov/nav/about/ governing-board