SB American News Week Ending 6/7

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)

Inside look: how racism can make reaching your fitness goals harder

By Alexa Spencer Word in Black

We all know working up a sweat is a must for keeping our bodies and minds in top form.

From fending off illnesses to supercharging our brain power, exercise does it all. But here’s the tricky part: when it comes to hitting those health goals, Black folks are facing more hurdles and consistently coming up short compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

According to the national guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults should complete 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity weekly — or 30 minutes a day for five days.

Data released by the CDC revealed that from 2017 to 2022, 30 percent of Black adults completed no physical activity or exercise outside of work over the span of a month, compared to 25.3 percent of adults overall.

The lack of movement can’t be attributed to a motivation shortfall alone, a challenge many people face when fulfilling an exercise regimen. A number of unique challenges rooted in systemic racism are partly to blame.

Violence creates a fear of going outside

Sometimes, Black and lowincome neighborhoods aren’t safe enough for a jog or a day at the park.

Christopher Ross, a 53-yearold husband and father, was fatally shot in the head by a stray bullet while playing handball. His death on Aug. 9, 2020, occurred one month after another man was killed on the same court.

Tiffany Fletcher, a 41-yearold woman, was caught in the crossfire while sitting outside of a recreation center on Sept. 10, 2022. The mother of three was rushed to the hospital and died there hours later.

Both of these incidents occurred in predominatelyBlack neighborhoods: Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York, and Mill Creek in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

People impacted directly or indirectly by gun violence may develop anxiety, depression, or

As a health coach, Dr. Kamilah Stevenson says incorporating regular movement into daily life is key to great health. (Photo Courtesy of Otter PR)

PTSD — mental illnesses that can keep a person indoors and away from others.

However, exercising while Black is no easier for folks who live in predominantly-white neighborhoods.

That was the case for Ahmaud Aburey, a 25-year-old who was murdered by three white men while running near his Brunswick, Georgia, home in 2020.

The secret to upping physical activity indoors

On top of the threat of neighborhood violence, paying for exclusive fitness memberships can be expensive. The average monthly gym membership runs anywhere from $38 to $75 depending on the state, according to Statista.

Research has found gym and recreation fees to be an added barrier for Black folks who simply can’t afford them. For the community, who is over two times more likely to live in poverty than white Americans, there is hope.

Dr. Kamilah Stevenson, a health coach, counselor, and pastor, has two words for people who want better overall health on a budget: just move.

“People will get greater results if they never exercised, but they were in constant movement throughout the day,” she says. Living a sedentary lifestyle — sitting or lying down for six or more hours a day — can lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

“We’re in a convenience age where people are delivering our groceries to us while we’re sitting up watching Netflix. The real issue is that people are not moving as much as they used to,” Stevenson says. “Think about when the world got shut down. Everybody’s remote. Nobody’s going anywhere. Nobody’s active.”

But there are simple ways to be active indoors. She suggests going up and down the stairs (the same as you would on a stairmaster at the gym) or cleaning around the house. At minimum, she says “stand up every 20 to 30 minutes. Move around. Get some blood flowing.”

For folks who decide to take on an exercise regimen, she raves of the mental health benefits.

“Exercise is one of those things that can help you destress, and

Three Years After

#DefundThePolice, Schools Are Bringing Cops Back to Campus

By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black

it can help you manage stress.”

Jumping rope works for adults too Bernadette Henry, 44, can attest to the mental health benefits provided by physical activity. She was 19-years-old when she finally decided to take jump roping seriously. Under the instruction of world class boxers, Michael Olajide Jr. and the late Stephan Johnson, she learned to jump to music. That’s when her health started to shift.

“A year later, I noticed that I had lost so much weight. Like I said, that was not the goal,” the New Yorker says. But she thought the change was cool — cool enough to keep at the sport for decades and become a master jump rope instructor.

“I’ll jump rope anywhere, anytime,” she says just a week after jumping rope with a friend in Times Square.

Henry can be seen on social media jumping with a smile to all types of music: gospel, reggaeton, and more. While she’s lowered her blood pressure, she says the “mental and emotional benefits of jumping are amazing.”

“Where do I go to release my stress?…I’m going to turn on music. We’re going to get the jump rope. We’re going to forget everything that’s going on and focus on this,” she says.

Through her classes and recently released book, she encourages folks in any neighborhood to grab a rope and hop into an affordable, healthy lifestyle.

The one-time investment in a jump rope costs around $5-10 for a regular, adult-sized rope. Weighted ropes are available for a few extra bucks.

“That’s actually one of the greatest benefits of jumping rope,” Henry says about the sport’s affordability. “You have this little piece of material, this rope that you can take anywhere, anytime. Depending on where you live, you can do it inside the house or the apartment or your garage.”

This article was originally published by Word in Black.

Kaiser Permanente Partners with Think Together For Student Well-Being

environment, Think Together helps students and teachers overcome the stigma associated with mental health issues. This new-found awareness will improve student academic performance and prepare them for higher education.

Trauma-informed care in a school setting addresses the needs of students who may be at risk for experiencing traumatic stress symptoms and shifts the focus from “what’s wrong with you” to “what happened to you.” Training in traumainformed care enables staff to see a more complete picture of a student’s life situation, which leads to more effective, targeted

solutions.

Studies of U.S youths aged 6-17 reveal that one in six experience a mental health disorder each year, and half of all mental health conditions begin at age 14. The most common of these are ADHD, depression, anxiety, and behavior problems. Many conditions go undiagnosed, and only half of those experiencing them are seeking or receiving treatment.

This trauma-informed care training has already had positive effects on students across each region. Staff and students

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, calls to defund the police rang across the nation during the summer of 2020. While few cities took swift action, many school districts — integral community hubs where young minds are nurtured, and where kids spend the bulk of their time — began to reevaluate the presence of armed personnel patrolling the hallways.

In September 2019, eight months before Floyd’s murder, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported nearly 25,000 school resource officers were assigned to primarily K-12 schools.

Those numbers slowly started to change in districts around the country as a response to calls to defund the police.

In Washington, D.C., for example, the D.C. Council unanimously voted in 2021 to reduce the number of SROs in both public and charter schools beginning July 2022, with the plan to end the Metropolitan Police Department’s School Safety Division in 2025.

In September 2019, eight months before Floyd’s murder, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported nearly 25,000 school resource officers were assigned to primarily K-12 schools.

As of January 2023, there were about 60 SROs remaining in D.C. schools, down from its peak of more than 100, according to the Washington Post. However, the progress made toward reducing law enforcement presence in D.C. schools appears to be in jeopardy. In what seems like a backtrack from the progressive momentum generated during “America’s racial reckoning,” four D.C. council members now support a proposal to retain officers in schools, citing an uptick in violence and crime in school vicinities.

On the other side of the country, the Denver Public School District Board of Education unanimously voted to bring SROs back to schools through June 2023. Similar to D.C., the decision followed closely on the heels of a shooting at Denver’s East High School. And 18 SROs were brought back to 17 schools in the district.

Schools around the country are running into roadblocks trying to remove SROs.

The Roadblocks

The roadblocks don’t look the

same in every situation. In D.C., for example, ACLU DC policy associate Ahoefa Ananouko cites Mayor Muriel Bowser as the biggest barrier. Bowser has been vocal about keeping SROs in schools, going as far as to say that removing SROs is “the nuttiest thing.”

And, like in D.C. and Denver, politicians, policymakers, and some educators nationwide cite violence in the area as a reason for keeping SROs, but there is little evidence to support that SROs actually do make schools safer. In fact, in a 2020 report, the Justice Policy Institute said, “rates of youth violence were plummeting independent of law enforcement interventions, and the impact of SROs on school shootings has been dubious at best.”

Plus, it’s been proven that SROs exacerbate the school-toprison pipeline, especially for Black students.

The Center for Public Integrity analyzed U.S. Department of Education data from all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico in 2021. The investigation found that school policing disproportionately affects students with disabilities and Black students. Nationwide, these two groups were referred to law enforcement at “nearly twice their share of the overall student population.”

What we often have seen is that the teachers or classified staff who feel that it’s not within their ability to handle certain situations automatically defer to the SROs.

ADONAI MACK, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AT CHILDREN NOW

But it doesn’t stop many adults on the school campus from differing discipline to SROs, says Adonai Mack, the senior director of education at Children Now. This happens when there is either a fear around addressing disciplinary problems or concerns, or feeling they aren’t able to handle it.

“What we often have seen is that the teachers or classified staff who feel that it’s not within their ability to handle certain situations automatically defer to the SROs,” Mack says.

We Stand With, students participating in National Walkout Day at the Capitol, Washington DC // Lorie Shaull from Washington, United States // Wikimedia Commons

San Bernardino City Unified Awarded $200,000 Antibias Education Grant

Educator Excellence and Equity Division. The funds will support the Antibias Education Grant Program, which aims to address the growing academic achievement gap between African-American students and their peers.

The grant proposes holistic, anti-bias training that focuses on instructional practices that close gaps for African-American students. When coupled with ongoing coaching, follow-up professional development, and support, these tools can empower educators to effectively address the needs of all students.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. – why aren’t both leaders celebrated at the same level?

the next five years, the Antibias Education Grant Program will train 3,000 certificated staff members to better serve AfricanAmerican students in the District. The comprehensive training aims to help educators deliver highquality education in a way that reduces bias and closes gaps for African-American students.

Dr. Wil Greer, Director of the District’s Equity and Targeted Student Achievement (ETSA) Department, will oversee the grant’s implementation. He believes the grant will make a significant impact on improving educational outcomes for all students.

by Ralph E. Moore Jr. Special to the AFRO

In case you missed it, May 19 of this year marked the day that Malcolm X would have celebrated turning 98 years old. Did you see a big parade downtown? Was that day a holiday anywhere? Was there at least a Malcolm X Day sale at your favorite store? No? Why not?

The answer is simple: in America, those types of things are routinely and annually done for another hero Martin Luther King Jr.

population,” according to the Nobel Committee.

A Muscoy Elementary School student at a 2020 Black History Month event. (Photo by Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD)

proud to announce that it has received a $200,000 grant from the California Department of Education's

The program's framework includes an update of the District's comprehensive student performance plan and targeted interventions for students of color, starting with elementary reading comprehension through high school A-G course completion. Professional development will be offered multiple times per year, resulting in high-quality, culturallyrelevant K-12 curricula. Over

“We're thrilled to receive this grant, which will enable us to better address the needs of our diverse student population,” said Dr. Greer. “By providing our educators with the tools, training, and support they need, we can create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for every student in San Bernardino and Highland.”

Both men, obviously, were civil rights leaders. Both had strong followings, and both made a difference in society. But somehow, Martin has been more revered than Malcolm in many circles around the globe. Back in the sixties and seventies, Martin was seen as the integrationist and hero while Malcolm was interpreted as the separatist and the hater– no matter how vocal he was about his evolution after making the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Martin advanced non-violence as the strategy for attaining racial justice. Malcolm believed strongly in self-defense against police brutality and lynchings. Martin preached love for all; Malcolm was falsely thought to teach hate (even if it were hate produced in reaction to White supremacy).

It is easy to see how Martin’s words and approach were more palatable to the public, more comfortable for fragile personalities. Malcolm was tough in his message and in his delivery; he scared people–especially White people. So it came to be that Martin, though he suffered a serious loss of popularity at the time of his death, was the more acceptable choice of the two Black leaders to mainstream America.

What is fascinating is the

Ralph E. Moore Jr.

reality that there were distinct similarities in the lives and work of the two men. What is obvious is that both men were assassinated at age 39. Both were sons of Baptist preachers who became ministers themselves: one a Baptist, the other a Muslim. But there are other features of the two lives which should bring us to see them as more unified than divided prophets.

Malcolm and Martin had followers in this country and around the world. Their respective faiths brought them love and support from masses of Muslims and Christians. 1964 was a substantial year in the lives of the two civil rights leaders: Malcolm left for Mecca, Saudi Arabia in April of 1964 to take the pilgrimage required of Muslims (the hajj). While there, he experienced metanoia (a conversion experience) wherein he renounced racial separatism and saw the brotherhood and sisterhood of all in practice for the first time in his adult life.

He returned to the United States a changed man– but would the country recognize his evolution?

Martin, also, traveled overseas but to Oslo, Norway. The Nobel Peace Prize on December 10,1964 was awarded to Martin Luther King Jr. “for his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American

Martin was informed of his award in a phone call from his wife, Coretta Scott King, early one morning of October 1964. His wife and chief co-worker in justice, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, accompanied him. The idea of brotherhood was raised as the chair of the Nobel Committee handed Martin the award, “He is the first to make the message of brotherly love a reality in the course of his struggle, and he has brought this message to all men, to all nations and races.”

Martin and Malcolm united by the theme of brotherhood in their journeys, again both in 1964.

Incidentally, both leaders had their names changed during their lives.

According to the Research and Education Institute at Stanford, Martin was named Michael King at birth, but his father (Michael Sr.) changed their names to Martin Luther after a 1934 pilgrimage the elder Martin took to Germany where the Protestant reformer’s name captured his attention. Young Michael became Martin Luther King Jr. at age five.

Malcolm was born Malcolm Little and upon becoming a Muslim, he took the last name X to represent his unknown African ancestry and surname. He changed his name again in 1964 to el-Hajj Malik el Shabazz during the aforementioned trip to Mecca, Both men married strong, professional women: Malcolm married Betty Dean Sanders in 1958. She was a college graduate who became a nurse and eventually an educator at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New

Three Years After #DefundThePolice, Schools Are Bringing Cops Back to Campus...continued

This is where the call for additional non-police safety officials comes in, like nurses, counselors, or psychologists, who “certainly do more help than harm,” Mack says. But, like teachers and other educators, there’s a shortage of these professionals. But Ananouko says this shouldn’t be a barrier if policymakers decided it was more important to have mental health professionals or restorative justice interventionalists — people who are trained to handle trauma, behavior, and underlying issues.

“I believe they could and should shift those resources to incentivize those professionals being hired instead of investing more in police,” Ananouko says, “which have been shown to be harmful to students in a school environment, generally.”

A Detriment to Mental Wellness

Though it’s too early to have concrete data on students’ mental health without SROs, there are, anecdotally, reasons to believe it’s a positive change.

Aside from students leading police-free school groups, there are other historic factors that lend insight. For one, whenever there are fears around deportation, not only Black students, but Latino and AAPI students experience negative mental health impacts, Mack says.

from page 1

The feelings, like with the Defund the Police movement, are split across racial lines. Black, Latino, and AAPI students don’t always feel safe with police around.

“With kids of color, what you often have is this alienation,” Mack says. “There are decreased feelings of safety. Now, I would say that’s different for white kids and white families. They often will feel that having police on campus makes the campus safer.”

Black and Brown students are more likely to attend a school patrolled by an SRO.

And, Black and Brown students are more likely to attend a school patrolled by an SRO. A 2023 Urban Institute study found that schools where the student population is at least 80% Black and Brown, students are more likely to have an SRO compared to schools with a high population of white students, regardless of income levels. And, 34%-37% of schools with high populations of Black and Brown students have an SRO, compared to 5%-11% of predominantly white schools.

But it’s clear that there’s “a detriment to kids of color” with police on campus, Mack says.

“From that perspective, with any decrease, what we see is that it automatically improves the mental wellness of students from those communities,” Mack says.

‘A Critical Point’

While the roadblocks might be tougher or the headlines have fizzled out, Ananouko says the police-free schools movement “isn’t slowing down at all.”

And now, D.C. is at a critical point. It’s budget oversight season, meaning it’s the time when funding for SROs could be restored. But, every year since the initial 2021 vote, students, school administrators, teachers, and advocates have continued to push for the phase-out, Ananouko says.

“Our messaging has not changed,” Ananouko says. “We’ve stayed consistent in saying that police don’t keep students safe. And none of that has changed in these past three years.”

The bottom line is that all kids deserve to feel safe and nurtured, Ananouko says.

“They should be able to feel like they can go to school with that fear,” she says, whether this fear comes from other students or armed officers in the building who can use their gun “at any point at the discretion of the law is on their side.”

“A lot of the issues that students are dealing with are not going to be addressed by somebody with a gun.”

This article originally appeared in San Diego Voice and Viewpoint.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Meets With Huron Community Leaders and Pledges Support for New High School

Thurmond promises to bring together resources from state, county, private, and philanthropic partners to help community realize vision for students

Governor and First Partner Visit VA Campus, Meet with California Veterans

HURON—State

Superintendent of Public

Instruction Tony Thurmond joined Senator Anna Caballero (SD 14) and civil rights icon and California Education Ambassador Dolores Huerta today at the Coalinga-Huron Unified School District (CHUSD), where he pledged his support to bring a new high school to the area. Thurmond promised to bring together resources from state, county, private, and philanthropic partners to help the community realize its vision for students.

The visit was part of Thurmond’s school tour series to showcase programs around the state.

“We are here to find a way for students to attend high school in Huron. I believe that after our visit, there is hope, and there will be a plan to raise public and private funds to build a school for the community,” Thurmond said.

“I am committed to collaborating with these parties to work through the issues and build a plan and a process— and to carry it out to make this happen.

Superintendent Thurmond with people

“We are extremely honored to have Dolores Huerta here with us. She is a civil rights icon and a California Education Ambassador, and she has held up a torch to tirelessly lead the way to

better educational opportunities for all of California’s students,” Thurmond added. “I thank Dolores for her extraordinary efforts and leadership for social justice and for inspiring us to do better and be better.”

Thurmond also highlighted the excellent work of CHUSD in the area of electric transportation— CHUSD has secured $12 million in grant funding for electric vehicles and infrastructure, which makes the district a leader in California. Thurmond announced that the California Department of Education (CDE) will be granting the district $630,000 next month to help offset the cost of student transportation. This is in addition to current Local Control Funding Formula contributions of $400,000 for a total of more than $1 million in funding for home-to-school transportation. Following the announcement, Thurmond, Caballero, and Huerta visited the future site of the proposed Huron high school and visited Huron Middle School, where they met with students.

Superintendent Thurmond at podium CHUSD is approximately 60 miles from the city of Fresno in Fresno County. The district is home to 4,434 students. Of that number, 1,867 students are English Learners, and 3,808 students are eligible for free and

The War in Ukraine Rages As American Allies Continue to Add Money to Russian Coffers

By Hamil R. Harris

reduced-priced meals. Superintendent Thurmond has made it a priority to visit students and educators in all parts of the state in an effort to listen and learn about challenges and opportunities, to highlight efforts underway to address learning recovery, and to provide equitable opportunities for all students. He has been a champion of high-quality early learning opportunities, including universal access to Transitional Kindergarten for all four-yearold children by the 2025–26 school year, as a key component of his Transforming California Schools Initiatives.

California is home to a culturally and linguistically diverse population of six million students and one million early learners. The ability to read

allowed them to continue to profit from Russian oil while sidestepping the sanctions.

It has been widely reported that other Swiss-based companies continue to support Russia because, according to the country's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, "legally independent subsidiaries" of Swiss companies are not bound by Swiss sanctions. The European Union, more strident in its sanctions, does not allow subsidiaries to circumvent the sanctions with creative business structuring.

necessary is the behavior of commodities traders like Niels

by third grade remains a key benchmark in measuring and predicting student success, and Superintendent Thurmond is committed to supporting all students as they develop reading skills in English and languages in addition to English.

As part of his visit to CHUSD, Thurmond also discussed the importance of teacher recruitment to build up staff now and to have teachers available to serve when the new school is built. He reminded those in attendance that there is a $20,000 scholarship from the state available for anyone who wants to be an educator in California along with a $20,000 scholarship for anyone who wants to be a mental health clinician. Interested candidates can email TeachinCA@cde. ca.gov.

The behavior of companies that flaunt the sanctions highlights the need for stronger measures against those who continue to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine. America can not be left holding the bag and the responsibility of policing the bad guys of the world. For those not paying attention, the Russians are, without question, the bad actors. America's allies, particularly the Swiss, must take a tougher stance against companies that violate the spirit of the sanctions and continue to prop up Russia.

LOS ANGELES – Highlighting the historic investments made in behavioral health and housing resources for veterans, Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom toured a new supportive housing site at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus and met with California veterans who are receiving services. These services, such as housing, have led to unhoused California veterans experiencing behavioral health challenges successfully moving into stable, permanent housing with accessible and affordable services and care for them.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line to serve our country, now we need to serve them in return. Too many veterans can’t escape the battlefront, even here on the home front – and because of that, we have lost too many of these heroes to suicide, while many more struggle with other behavioral and physical health concerns,” said Governor Newsom. “California is building an accessible network of resources for veterans and their families, while we tackle the deadly stigma around mental health that isolates and endangers so many of our heroes. We are home to the nation’s largest

being of our veterans and their families.”

California is home to 1.6 million veterans, the most in the nation. Governor Newsom’s investments led to CalVet expanding programs focused on veterans, particularly comprehensive behavioral and mental health services like those offered at the West Los Angeles VA campus.

Key Behavioral Health Programs for California Veterans California Veterans Health Initiative (CVHI): $50 million investment to coordinate state, local, and community resources to amplify education and outreach efforts, while working to increase capacity so we can serve all our veterans in need.

Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP): Projects are required to provide onsite supportive services which include intensive case management, mental and physical health care, benefits counseling and advocacy, education and employment services, life-skills training, and peer support - an additional investment of $100 million.

Veterans Support to SelfReliance Pilot Program: $25 million to help California’s most

When Russia invaded Ukraine, President Biden said that the impact of such aggression would be met with international sanctions so severe that it would cripple Vladimir Putin and his generals.

But 18 months later, Russia continues to get millions from multinational corporations, an example of moral hypocrisy that renews an old debate about how effective economic sanctions have been and what can be done to punish or shame companies that refuse to say no to Russia's trading partners.

As the war in Ukraine rages, most Americans believe more than mere reputational damage should come to those who continue to do business with Russia. America, as usual, is doing more than its part in supplying aid to Ukraine, even as American citizens languish in food lines. Many are growing weary and believe America must take a stand when requiring that allies bear their fair share of the responsibility and not violate the spirit of the sanctions. One example of why this is

Troost, a Dutch oil trader and founder and owner at Paramount Energy & Commodities SA, a Switzerland-based commodities trading firm. Even though the US and other Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia's oil and gas sector, Troost's company continued to trade with Russian companies. As a result, observers are keen to examine the possible engagement with or around US sanctions.

As reported by The Financial Times, Troost has spoken publicly about the importance of global food security. Yet, his company's actions show they are willing to put profit above everything else, including the suffering of people in Ukraine, by buying oil from Russia above the sanctioned price.

To continue trade with Russia despite the sanctions, Paramount Energy & Commodities SA established a new company in Dubai called Paramount Energy & Commodities DMCC. With practically the same name as the original company, global observers are interested in understanding if this move

4-0 Vote on Eight Affordable

Units For Sale in Bloomington area

181 Multi-Family Condominium Complex Project Approved

Bloomington, CA.- During May 23rd, 2023’s Board of Supervisors Meeting, a vote on eight affordable condominium units for sale in Bloomington area on a 181 multi-Family condominium complex project was approved. As a public benefit of the project to the County, the Developer, All-Era Properties, LLC has offered to commit eight units of the 181-unit Project as affordable housing to the public to purchase. The units will enter a recordable restrictive covenant that ensures the enforceability of the affordable housing restriction, for a period of 55 years from the date of the initial sale of each of the eight units.

Diane Mendez, a member of the Bloomington Municipal Advisory Council said, “I am happy to hear that the Board of Supervisors approved

the affordable housing units associated with the new Linden Street development in Bloomington. A new housing development is needed in our area, and by setting aside units specifically for affordable housing is a community benefit that is both necessary and appreciated.”

population of veterans, who all deserve to be connected, respected, and protected.”

“Veterans and their families make tremendous sacrifices, both physically and mentally in heroic service to our country,” said First Partner Siebel Newsom. “It is essential that we honor and support them by ensuring their needs, especially related to mental health, are met when they come home. As we remember and pay tribute to servicemembers we’ve lost, I’m proud that California has remained steadfast, through policies and investments, in our commitment to the veterans who call this state home.”

vulnerable veterans with the opportunity to age in place, by establishing a baseline of service that will enable them in stable, independent housing.

Behavioral Health Services Program: $1.27 million in ongoing funding to assist County Veterans Service Offices (CVSOs) in enhancing and expanding mental health services through projects that collaborate with the existing communitybased system of care.

California Transition Assistance Program (CALTAP): Provides in-person and virtual trainings to service members, veterans and their families throughout the state.

-Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

“When housing becomes affordable, possibilities multiply and we as an entire community grow together. To have a project like this in our County is rare and proves we are moving in the right direction. We want to thank the developers on this project for offering to make 8 of the units affordable housing for the public to purchase, as this will assist those who have dreamt of owning a home come true. This is truly a victory for our County as a whole.”

“As Memorial Day approaches, we honor our fallen – those who gave their lives in service to our nation,” said Undersecretary Russell Atterberry. “We also remember their sacrifices by caring for the veterans who are still with us. California is creating more housing for veterans and investing in behavioral health services to ensure the well-

Behavioral Health at the Veterans Homes of California: The eight Veterans Homes of California have hired more clinical social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists to ensure behavioral health staffing is commensurate with the needs of current and future residents.

The War in Ukraine Rages As American Allies Continue to Add Money to Russian Coffers...continued

Government News

Governor Newsom and First Partner Siebel Newsom meet with veteran at West LA VA campus

Governor Newsom meets with veterans at West LA VA campus

Governor Newsom meets with West LA VA leadership

‘We Are Hitting a Crescendo’ — California Commission Holds First Public Forum on Hate Crimes

By Peter Schurmann

With hate crimes on the rise, speakers at the California Commission on the State of Hate forum stressed the need to bolster civil rights law and community engagement.

President Biden Calls Racism a ‘Terrorist Threat’ at Howard Commencement

By BlackPressUSA

Hate crimes and haterelated incidents are on the rise nationwide and they are growing more violent, though prosecutions remain stubbornly low. That was one of the messages delivered during a public forum Wednesday hosted by the California Commission on the State of Hate. California is no outlier, with data from the Department of Justice showing a near doubling of hate crimes across the state over the last decade.

“Behind each data point is a person who has been targeted for hate and chosen to share their story,” said Candice Cho, Managing Director of Policy and Counsel with the AAPI Equity Alliance, and co-founder of the group Stop AAPI Hate.

Cho noted that many of the more than 11,000 reports collected by Stop AAPI Hate since its launch in 2020 happened in public to people “just going about their daily lives” walking the streets, on public transit or at work.

“He spat on my face as he got off the bus, but I was scared and couldn’t do anything,” read one report submitted to Stop AAPI Hate and shared by Cho. “On the packed bus, no one helped me.”

According to Cho, many of the cases her organization has tracked involve non-criminal acts, like verbal abuse, bullying at school or micro-aggressions in the workplace. But Cho stressed that violent or otherwise, “discrimination is hate,” and that such acts can have severe negative side effects for both the victims and the wider community.

Victims often report feeling depression, fear, and losing a sense of belonging in society, at times shifting work, school, or neighborhoods in response.

“Even if they did nothing wrong, they had to make adjustments in their life,” noted Annie Lee, Managing Director of Policy at Chinese for Affirmative Action, adding that more than

a quarter of respondents said these encounters had negatively impacted their personal relationships, suggesting wider societal impacts of hate and discrimination.

Some of the more than 11,000 testimonials shared with the group Stop AAPI Hate.

Toughening civil rights laws

Lee, Managing Director of Policy with Chinese for Affirmative Action, shared results from a 2022 survey that found half of all Asian American and Pacific Islanders nationwide have experienced discrimination in one form or another but that just 15% reported their encounters.

A majority (52%) said they felt it would make no difference, while 4 in 10 said they did not know where to go to file a report.

More than a third reported fearing unwanted attention, while a quarter said they feared reprisals from their attackers.

Of note, 60% of respondents said they wanted to learn more about what their civil rights are and about available resources, many pointing to social media and the ethnic press as their preferred channels. Two thirds also favored new civil rights legislation.

In 2021 California passed the API Equity Budget, funneling $166.5 million into community and frontline groups working to stem the rise in ant-Asian hate.

Last year the state passed two bills – AB 1664 and AB 2282 – which aim to better protect religious minorities while toughening penalties for cross burnings or the use of swastikas or nooses as overt hate symbols.

This year Stop AAPI Hate is co-sponsoring the “Public Transit for All” bill (SB 434), which would require public transit agencies across the state to collect survey data as a first step toward ensuring ridership safety.

Together, says Lee, these laws “shift the burden of being safe away from individuals and onto

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. – why aren’t both leaders celebrated at the same level?...continued from page 2

York. Malcolm was a high school dropout.

Coretta Scott and Martin met through a mutual friend in Boston where both were studying for their selected professions.

On their first date, in 1952, they decided they had a lot in common. He brought up marriage on their second date. On June 18, 1953, Coretta and Martin were married by his father, and she became known to the world as Coretta Scott King.

Finally, the best symbol of the relationship of Martin Luther King between Malcolm X was when they met for the first and only time on March 26,1964 on Capitol Hill. Both were in Washington in support of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 before Congress. Martin was there to testify before the Senate and Malcolm surprisingly was there to show support for the bill.

“I’m throwing myself into the heart of the Civil Rights struggle,” Malcolm declared at the time.

So, the final thought goes to the recent birthday celebrant

who was the least understood and celebrated–Malcolm X.

Martin’s place of honor is more vaulted, but fans of Malcolm are deeply devoted to him.

Imam Earl El Amin, of the Muslim Community Center of Baltimore, recently reflected on Malcolm X.

“In their tradition, Muslims recognize Muhammad to whom the Quran was revealed over 1,400 years ago as the last Prophet. We also accept Abraham, Moses, Jesus and many others named in the Quran. As Muslims, we continually applaud the work that Malcom was blessed to do–not just raising consciousness throughout the world, but promoting freedom, justice and equality for all. His teachings and vision for humanity are still relevant today.”

I dare say Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. were both true prophets of our time. They continue to inspire so many people, so they both deserve to be celebrated equally in the spotlight.

public agencies.”

The Commission on the State of Hate, part of California’s Civil Rights Department, was created to strengthen the state’s efforts to combat the surge in hate crimes and hate incidents and to foster improved relations across its diverse communities.

Wednesday’s public forum was the commission’s first, the intent being to solicit input on recommendations for how to achieve its aims. “The goal of the forum today is to listen,” said Commissioner Cece Feiler, who noted that she is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and immigrants to the US.

Tracking the numbers

Brian Levin directs the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State-San Bernadino and is a veteran when it comes to tracking hate, with close to four decades including playing a key role in the first Supreme Court case to affirm the constitutionality of hate crimes laws in 1993.

“We are hitting this crescendo,” said Levin, as data show the number of hate crimes reaching new records even as they grow more violent.

Pointing to FBI data, which Levin stressed is inherently flawed given the lack of reporting across law enforcement agencies, he noted in 2020 there were 8,263 reported hate crimes – defined as crimes motivated by prejudice on the basis of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or

similar grounds – with cases of aggravated assault trending upward. There was a 12% increase in reported hate crimes in 2021, according to FBI numbers. Data for 2022 is currently unavailable.

States, meanwhile, continue to prosecute barely a fraction of reported hate crimes cases, with Texas prosecuting just five of the “hundreds and hundreds” brought before courts there. California, Levin added, is “pretty decent… and even we’re low.”

Anti-Black, anti-gay and antiJewish attacks were among the highest recorded, though Levin says targeted groups vary by city, with Los Angeles seeing more anti-Black attacks and San Francisco, with a larger Asian population, seeing more attacks targeting the API community.

And while Levin notes there have been more attacks between and among minority groups the overwhelming majority are fueled by right-wing extremists and white supremacists.

With PRIDE month here, Levin called the “demonization and genocidal language” now being aimed at the LGBTQ+ community a “warning sign” and he urged greater vigilance and reporting in the runup to PRIDE related events.

“When we see residents of our state being maligned,” he said, “I don’t care what their faith or identity is. The laws of California mandate that we have to protect our civil rights.”

Los Angeles Gears Up for Extreme Heat

By Mark Hedin

Los Angeles’ Climate Emergency Mobilization Office is spearheading a series of efforts aimed at mitigating extreme heat, a key health risk for the city's most vulnerable communities.

During his address at Howard University’s commencement on Saturday (May 13), President Biden used the podium to assert that white supremacy is “the most dangerous terrorist threat” to America. Biden also recalled the story of how he decided to run for president in 2017 after seeing white supremacists march in Charlottesville.

“I don’t have to tell you that progress towards justice often meets ferocious pushback from the oldest and most sinister of forces,” Biden stated. “That’s because hate never goes away.” The President also acknowledged the disturbing nature of American history and how even though the right is working hard to erase it,

its consequences are indelible. “Though white supremacy is deeply embedded in the idea of American society and state and federal policy, this is really new ground for a president to be vocal in condemning it and saying ‘that is not the path we’re on.’ It reflects a commitment that stretches back to the Civil Rights movement.” Biden isn’t simply reiterating a biased reality Black people are painfully familiar with—he is addressing racial injustice on a national stage. The post President Biden Calls Racism a ‘Terrorist Threat’ at Howard Commencement appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Los Angeles Gears Up for Extreme Heat... continued

spots, greenscaping and public awareness campaigns.

“We need to prepare and plan ahead for our families and neighborhoods,” Segura said, and warned that the season’s first extreme heat event is the most dangerous.

In Los Angeles, extreme heat is the climate’s leading cause of hospitalizations and fatalities, with 10% to 30% increased mortality recorded on days when temperatures run above 85 degrees. And because heat causes air pollution to stagnate, people in polluted areas already struggling with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable.

“Extreme heat is the primary climate hazard for L.A.,” CEMO’s Climate4LA program website says. “Hotter, longer heat waves caused by climate change, that now extend to mid-November, are one of the greatest threats to public health and habitability. Extreme heat is sending more people to the hospital, and causing more deaths, than any other climate hazard in Los Angeles.”

“While the hazards of heat waves affect everyone, extreme heat has a disproportionate impact on low-income residents and communities of color, who face the greatest vulnerability to extreme heat-related illness and death due to the cumulative burdens of pre-existing health conditions, excessive air pollution, and seasonal smoke.”

“These are preventable deaths and hospitalizations.”

“It’s clear that there’s a moral imperative,” for the city to help protect its people, Paul Krekorian, CIty Council president, said at the event.

“Marginalized and historically redlined communities are hotter than (those that are) more privileged,” concurred Susanma Reyes, of the Board of Public Works.

Already available is a growing online guide to where specific cooling centers, pools, splash pads, hydration stations and shade structures are located throughout Los Angeles, along with less traditional, more informal cooling centers such as libraries, senior centers and recreation centers.

Longer term, the city is also working on initiatives to counter “heat island” effects, for instance, by planting more shade trees and, so far, 5.6 miles of “cool pavement” and shade shelters at bus stops.

“Cool pavement” involves using alternative paints and surfacing materials that can reduce ground temperatures 10 degrees from asphalt surfaces. The city is utilizing heat index and heat island data to identify where its efforts are needed most.

Western San Fernando Valley’s Winnetka neighborhood was an early target, with 11 blocks of Guard Top Cool Seal applied and 60 shade trees planted in 2019.

Here and in establishing shade tree canopies, Reyes said, the effort is “very methodical” in identifying areas of greatest need, focusing on transit hubs, for instance, and prioritizing providing shelter at the bus routes that have the longest wait times. Other factors to be considered are proximity to schools and business districts, “to find where people would be walking most.”

A current goal for the bus shelter initiative is to provide shelter for at least 75% of all transit boardings in each council district, Segura said, adding that the city expects funding for some of these projects from the federal infrastructure legislation enacted last year.

The city of Los Angeles, mindful of the disproportionate toll extreme heat takes on its communities of color and lowincome residents, on May 24 kicked off its Heat Relief 4 LA campaign.

Heat season generally runs from June through October, so, anticipating that and getting a jump on National Heat Awareness Day two days later, a webinar hosted by Los Angeles’ Climate Emergency Mobilization Office

(CEMO) highlighted some of the ways the city is trying to mitigate heat’s impact and offered some resources for minimizing risks.

“We’re going to set an example,” CEMO director Marta Segura said following introductory welcoming remarks from Mayor Karen Bass, “by investing first and foremost in areas that have been left behind.” Programs in the works include adding cooling

Besides those battling chronic illnesses such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, people who work or are otherwise active outdoors are more vulnerable to extreme heat, along with infants, pregnant women, elders and children.

Besides forming CEMO itself, which Krekorian said is the first agency of its kind in the country, or one of them, the city has undertaken a variety of long-term projects to counter extreme heat.

The Extreme Heat campaign also wants people to take care to protect themselves against the expected heat, by staying hydrated, staying out of direct sunlight and wearing light clothing, and knowing the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, “so you can call for help if you need it,” Segura said.

Earlier this month the World Meteorological Association published a report warning the next five years would be the hottest on record.

“We are expecting some of the hottest heat extremes this year and in the next five years,” Segura noted.

IN MEMORIAM: Rock Legend

Tina Turner Dies at 83

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

With 340B ruling, corrupt hospitals get what they deserve...continued

off of 340B. BRG found that these "contract pharmacies" make an average profit of 72% on commonly dispensed drugs, compared to 22% for independent pharmacies.

The abuse doesn't stop with proliferating contract pharmacies. A number of new studies, including one from the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, the organization I lead, reveal just how deep the 340B grift goes. CMPI found that the discounts on 340B drugs actually grew by 144% from 2015 to 2021, amounting to $49.7 billion in 2021. Almost none of those savings went to patients.

25 Tips to Stay Married 25+ Years

this court ruling is an important step. Two other appeals courts have decisions pending in similar cases. On the merits, they should reach the same conclusion. If they diverge, the Supreme Court should step in to clarify that blatant bureaucratic rewriting of the law on such a major question is out of bounds.

Congress intended the 340B program to help those in need. The courts are acting to return it to that purpose.

Tina Turner, the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll’ whose legend grew after she overcame a bitter divorce to musician Ike Turner that was filled with violence, has died at the age of 83.

The superstar’s family confirmed her death in a statement on Wednesday, May 24, noting that Turner died “peacefully” at her home near Zurich, Switzerland.

“Starting with her performances with her exhusband Ike, Turner injected an uninhibited, volcanic stage presence into pop,” Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos declared in a tribute.

“Even with choreographed backup singers — both with Ike and during her own career — Turner never seemed to reign in,” Spanos, who co-authored the tribute with David Browne, asserted.

“Her influence on rock, R&B and soul singing and performance was also immeasurable.

“Her delivery influenced everyone from Mick Jagger to Mary J. Blige, and her highenergy stage presence (topped with an array of gravity-defying wigs) was passed down to Janet Jackson and Beyoncé.

“Turner’s message — one that resounded with generations of women — was that she could hold her own onstage against any man.”

Born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee in 1939, Turner started her career in 1958 as the lead singer for Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm band.

Later, the couple changed the name to the Ike & Tina Revue and spun out hit after hit with songs like “Nutbush City Limits,” “River Deep,” and the seminal “Proud Mary.”

Following a tumultuous and abusive relationship, Tina escaped from Ike’s clutches in 1976 with no money and

just the clothes on her back that reportedly were bloodied following Ike’s latest assault.

During divorce proceedings, Tina simply demanded that she keep her stage name which the judge granted.

With assistance from rock stars like Mick Jagger and David Bowie, Turner rebounded several years later and topped the pop music charts with her 1984 solo album, Private Dancer.

The album included a bevy of hit singles, including a remake of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” which became the title of her successful 1993 biopic starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.

She then enjoyed the starring role alongside Mel Gibson in the 1995 movie, “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” In 1986, Tina wrote her memoir, “I, Tina,” which writers used to create the film, What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

Over her career, Turner earned 11 Grammy Awards, and sold an estimated 180 million records globally.

In 2001, Turner earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, in 2008, after having taken a hiatus from performing, toured the world for her 50th anniversary in show business.

“Heaven has gained an angel,” singer Ciara tweeted.

“Thank you for the inspiration you gave us all.”

The Defender Network’s Twitter account praised Turner as “an unstoppable musical force who exuded grace and resilience. “

And hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash said Turner would be missed.

“My condolences to the Turner family,” Flash said. “Rest in peace Tina Turner you will be missed.”

With 340B ruling, corrupt hospitals get what they deserve

By Peter Pitts

A federal appeals court just dealt a huge blow to hospitals that pad their bottom line with cash intended for needy patients.

Federal law requires drug makers to sell their medications at steep discounts to hospitals and clinics that serve poor communities. The court threw out regulations requiring drug makers to sell drugs at a discount to each and every pharmacy an eligible hospital contracts with, regardless of whether the drugs are for poor patients.

The ruling is great news for Americans who need care but have a hard time affording it. It's also a cautionary tale about how legislation intended to help the poor got twisted bureaucratically into a way for hospital administrators to get rich.

Congress created the system in question by enacting Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act of 1992. Under 340B, hospitals that serve needy patients, including the uninsured and underserved, can buy drugs from manufacturers at highly

In fact, 72% of nonprofit hospitals, many of which take 340B discounts, take $17 billion more in government tax breaks than they provide in charity care.

The runaway bureaucratic expansion of 340B must stop, and

Peter J. Pitts, a former FDA Associate Commissioner, is President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, a Visiting Scholar at the New York University School of Medicine (Division of Medical Ethics), and a Visiting Professor at the University of Paris School of Medicine. This piece originally ran in Townhall.

AARP Sounding Alarm on Fraud, Offering Helpful Resources to Victims

By Stacy M. Brown

Can we agree that all advice isn’t good advice? Sometimes your friends want to tell you how to do something even if they haven’t been through it (*shaking my head*). So, instead of boring you with tips that are just theories, here is some dating, marriage and relationship advice from couples who have been married for at least 25 years or more.

1. Don’t Go to Bed Angry

Even if you can’t resolve a disagreement before you hit the sheets, you can agree to let the anger go for the night. Remind each other how lucky you are — even as you disagree — to have each other to disagree with.

2. Give Compliments

To give a compliment, you’ve got to pay attention — really notice something about someone. If it’s been a while since you’ve doled out flattering praise, try it. It costs nothing to say, “You look good,” “You did a great job,” or “I like your shirt.” Compliments can really reassure and pump up your spouse.

3. Hold Hands

constant soundtrack of discord. Current generations think that closeness comes from sharing everything, and letting each other know how miserable you are. But it doesn’t motivate me to treat you better. Relaying every annoyance is a bad idea. Instead, pick your battles. “Not everything needs to be addressed.”

8. Try Thoughtful Little Acts

Back in the day, with fewer stresses, limited technology and less multitasking, couples were more “present” in their relationships. The presence of little, daily thoughtful acts showed caring and appreciation for one another. This includes things like making breakfast for your spouse or packing their lunch, bringing them coffee in the morning or a drink or glass of wine at the end of the day, warming up their car or putting their keys and other personal effects on the hall table, ready to go. Sustaining a happy relationship requires careful thought, a generous spirit and hard work.

discounted rates. On average, 340B participants receive 59% off list prices.

Unfortunately, 340B doesn't explicitly require hospitals to pass on discounts to needy patients or otherwise use the savings to provide free or discounted care. Instead, hospitals and pharmacies use 340B to buy cheap drugs for which they often charge full freight.

Even worse, a bureaucratic rule change in 2010 vastly expanded the scope for abuse. Until then, a hospital or clinic qualifying for 340B could contract with no more than one outside pharmacy to dispense 340B drugs.

The rule change, with no direct basis in the law, removed this limit, allowing hospitals to contract with as many outside pharmacies as they wish. The number of pharmacies exploded by 4,228% from 2010 to 2020, according to the Berkeley Research Group.

These pharmacies, and the hospitals they serve, get rich

apps like Venmo, Zelle and CashApp are also used in scams.

Scams and fraud are significant problems in America, and AARP, in partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), has continued to sound the alarm.

Recent statistics in an AARP/ NNPA roundtable revealed that seven in 10 Black adults think scams and fraud have hit a crisis level, and 85% of Black adults agreed that victims should report the crime to law enforcement.

This crisis is especially fraught within the Black community, and AARP officials said it emphasizes the need for all to work together to reframe the discussion around fraud victimization.

“This is an issue that we highlighted last year as well,” said Kathy Stokes, AARP’s director of fraud prevention programs, who offered new insights into the impact of fraud and scams in the Black community and tips for protecting consumers.

One essential tool Stokes highlighted is the AARP Fraud Watch Network, a free resource where individuals could learn how to proactively spot scams, get guidance from our fraud specialists if targeted, and feel more secure knowing that we advocate at the federal, state, and local levels to protect consumers and enforce the law.

“Protecting consumers goes back to AARP’s founding,” Stokes said.

“There is a need to rethink fraud in America.”

AARP, an interest group focusing on issues affecting America’s over-50 population, noted that all should stay informed, find support, and have a voice in the fight against fraud.

The organization hopes to

avoid the plight of victims like one woman who said fraud committed against her caused her to “see disappointment in my children’s eyes.”

“They see me as the person who gave away our family money,” said the unwitting victim, who has remained anonymous.

“I seriously contemplated suicide during this mess. I was devastated,” added the victim, who described herself as a happy but not rich wife, mother, and daughter.

She pleaded, “Please remember I am a person who failed her children, and that is what hurts me the most.”

But Stokes said it’s important that victims understand that it’s not their fault — unfortunately, many prey on the elderly, the poor, and the unsuspecting.

Among the keys to combating fraud and ensuring family relationships remain intact are more reporting, police officers viewing the crime more seriously, prosecutors taking on more fraud cases, and policymakers acting to protect the vulnerable.

If those steps are taken, billions of dollars will remain in America’s economy, Stokes said.

Additionally, an AARP Victim Support Program is available to those of all ages and provides 1-hour free virtual sessions.

It also supports and empowers victims, lowers stress, and allows for a safe space to discuss fraud.

“This gives me a much deeper understanding of the mental health impact of fraud,” added an AARP volunteer.

“Of course, I knew it was devastating – but nothing substitutes for hearing directly from victims.”

Back in our parents’ time, hand-holding and discreet pecks on the cheek were tasteful, chaste displays of affection. Although anything goes these days, it’s encouraged that couples simply hold hands in public. It somehow affirms to everyone your undying affection and love for each other, and it shows everyone that you are proud to be with each other and you want everyone to know it.

There’s an actual electrical connection that passes between us when we touch. You can use that electrical connection to provide juice in your marriage. Give each other little pats and gentle touches and hold hands frequently when you’re walking or driving and you’ll keep the energy — and the sweetness — flowing between you.

4. Be a Little Old-Fashioned

Once you are in love, ask questions like: Is this person likely to be a good provider? Can they manage money? Are they likely to be a good parent? Marriage is a financial arrangement in addition to a love one and one in which your economic future is entwined with somebody else’s. And as one husband eloquently said, “Making love is so much better when the bills are paid!”

5. Watch Your Partner While They Play

Watching someone play a game is “extremely diagnostic.” You get a chance to observe how someone behaves under stress, whether they’re honest and how they handle defeat. Small things can tell you very big things about a couple’s suitability.

6. Do a Sense of Humor Check

Observe what makes your partner laugh. If he thinks a whoopee cushion is funny and you don’t, it certainly won’t get funnier for you 30 years from now. It’s a simple test of whether your worldviews align.

7. Cut Back on Complaints

Yesteryear’s couples had a comic reputation for nagging — yet, in truth, many partners often held their tongues. A stumbling block in modern marriages is a

There’s a lot of wisdom to be gained from our parents or grandparents. They had companionship marriage, but we’ve raised the bar — we want romance, great sex, and more intimacy. We can reconcile these two approaches. With some of the gentleness and graciousness of previous generations with the technology and savvy of today’s marriages.

9. Maintain Same-Sex Friends — and Interests Women, don’t try to regulate your husband’s pleasures and don’t be jealous if they don’t include you. It’s only been during the past couple of decades that couples became expected to share the bulk of their free time together.

Retro couples didn’t necessarily want to participate in each others hobbies. Couples should keep close ties with their same-sex friends throughout marriage. This will give you both time to cultivate your own interests, and not be totally reliant on each other for their entertainment.

10. Still Dress to Impress You can inspire romance by dressing up for the occasion. With our hectic schedules, it’s tempting to resort to sweatpants all weekend or immediately change into a ratty T-shirt after work. Instead, dress up the next time you and your spouse have dinner or plan a night out. Wearing a beautiful dress or a button-down shirt and slacks will be unexpected and make your partner feel special that you took the extra time to look nice. Taking time with your appearance inspires romance and shows your partner you care. Never let yourself go. Look your best as often as possible — it will make your partner feel loved and proud.

11. Put Pen to Paper Back before cell phones and instant messaging, people wrote letters of affection to each other, often waiting weeks to receive them. Love letters exchanged between a couple can strengthen their relationship by helping

Peer-to-peer

Tina Turner, St David's Hall, Cardiff, 1984. Pre-Private Dancer tour. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (Justice) jointly released a Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline. The Departments recognize and appreciate school administrators, teachers, and educational staff across the nation who work to administer student discipline fairly, and to provide a safe, positive, and nondiscriminatory educational environment for all students, teachers, and other educators.

The Resource demonstrates the Departments’ ongoing commitment to the vigorous enforcement of laws that protect students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in student discipline. The Resource provides examples of the Departments’ investigations of such discrimination over the last 10 years, reflecting the long-standing approach and continuity in the Departments’ enforcement practices over time

and the continuing urgency of assuring nondiscrimination in student discipline in our nation’s schools.

“OCR remains committed to ensuring nondiscrimination in disciplinary practices,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “I look forward to ongoing work in, and with, schools to ensure that no student experiences unlawful discrimination, including with respect to discipline.”

“Discrimination in school discipline can have devastating long-term consequences on students and their future opportunities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division uses our federal civil rights laws to protect students from discriminatory discipline, including discrimination in suspensions and expulsions, law enforcement referrals and schoolbased arrests. The investigations

continued on page 8

25 Tips to Stay Married 25+ Years...continued

from page 6

them connect to one another on a deeper level.

These letters may also become treasured keepsakes that can be revisited and experienced anew each time they are read. You’ll reap bonus points if you handwrite it on beautiful paper and enclose a cherished memento such as a photograph or ticket stub from a movie you saw together.

12. Make Manners Cool Again

“Please,” “thank you,” “pardon me” and “may I” are phrases that seemed to have all but disappeared from present-day vocabularies, especially with our loved ones. You should extend your partner the same courtesy you would a stranger. When speaking to your spouse, don’t be rude, be respectful. Use a combination of old-school civility and modern frankness. Additionally, try more sweetness and tenderness by saying things more lovingly. Politeness is like a lubricant for your daily interactions; it makes everything go more smoothly.

Husbands, show her that chivalry is not dead: Pull out her chair, open the door for her, help her over a puddle, give her your coat when it is cold outside, help her put on her coat. This act of affection shows that she is important and there is a level of respect for her.

13. Have Couples Fun Cocktail hour and formal anniversary celebrations with like-minded couples were common activities shared by our parents and their friends. It’s fun and a great way to be social with others and playful with one another.

It is important to identify friends who are healthy additions to your social circle. Your goal is to become close with other couples with similar standards and interests who have positive attitudes about marriage and family life. Gravitate toward fun couples who make you feel supported and enhance your active, healthy lifestyle. Friends like these are good for your marriage and overall well-being.

“I Know You Don’t Want to Hear It But I’m Going to Tell You Anyway!”...continued

Two shocking facts about Hell.

(1) You will remember your life on earth. [Luke 16:19-31]. (2) There will be NO SECOND CHANCE to go to Heaven. [2 Thessalonians 1:9].

Awake Oh Sleeper! Awake!

For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away. [James 4:14]. Don’t waste your one chance at Heaven. When a person wakes up in Hell, it is too late to accept Jesus and reverse things at that point. It will be too late!

Learn the lesson from the parable of the rich man. The rich man knew who he was. He knew where he was. He looked from a bottomless pit of eternal darkness where he couldn't see his hand in front of his face and looked into a city of perfect light where the Lamb is the light. He looked from a city where people were weeping and crying, to a city that was flooded with joy unspeakable, where people were singing around the throne of God. He looked from a waterless inferno called Hell, toward the sparkling river of life that flowed beneath the Throne of God. He

Treating ADHD is harder than it should be

heard the sobs and the screams. And he listened to the saints on the other side, singing on the hills of Glory. He looked from a city where the wicked can never be at rest, to a city where everyone was at perfect rest.

He heard Satan laugh in his face, "You fool, you fool! You sat in that church every Sunday. You sang the songs. But you never, ever confessed your sins and received the Blood Atonement for your life. One, 60-second prayer could have done that! But because you didn't do that, you've lost your soul. Then, Satan laughs! Hell, a place of unquenchable fire [Mark 9:48]. A place of darkness [Revelation 9:2]. A place of eternal damnation [Mark 3:29]. A place of everlasting destruction [2 Thessalonians 1:9]. A place where God's wrath is poured out [Revelation 14:10]. Each is a reality, and each is ultimate finality. The application of this message is very clear. Without Jesus, you go to Hell! [Revelation 20:15]. You’ve Been Warned! Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand!

WITNESS FOR JUSTICE #1153

We Need Each Other

I’ve spent my life learning from people who challenged me to listen intently and perfect my critical thinking skills, read books, and study documentaries about my people—African Americans and the history of Africans prior to their enslavement. My mentors pushed me to read, interrogate, and then write about what I was learning. I studied events that were impacting Black communities in the 1960s such as uprisings in the North and South, protest marches in Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, worker strikes in Memphis, Tennessee and Mississippi, civil rights speeches from Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Angela Davis, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening sermons infused with passion began my interrogation of scriptures about liberation and the right of women to read, study, and use their voices, which connected to what I experienced when viewing and learning about courageous women and men during sit-ins, and the Freedom Riders putting their lives on the line to secure equal access to public spaces, public education, and voting rights.

A Documentary History, 19661979. And in my thirties, Womanist scholarship and theology resonated with my soul, which led me to Old and New Testament scholars like Renita Weems, Clarice Thomas, Delores Williams, Katie Geneva Canon, and Kelly Brown Douglass.

All of this and more has been my passionate pursuit and love for teaching, facilitating, and training clergy and lay leaders to dismantle racial injustice within themselves and then share their learnings with others. I believe the Christian Church can protect the Right to Read advocacy and stop legislation from banning books. Banning books and removing them from libraries and bookshelves in schools is an attempt to silence voices, history, and experiences of people of African, Asian, Latin, and Native descents.

The Christian Church must advocate and stop politicians and individuals from seeking to limit education to European-AngloAmerican only narratives.

By Dr. Ann Childress, M.D.

Approximately 6 million children in the United States have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD. As many as 5% of adults also live with the condition.

The good news is that ADHD is highly treatable. Medication and behavior therapy -- or some combination of the two -- can help people with ADHD manage their condition and lead healthy lives.

The bad news is that many ADHD patients are struggling to access these treatments. That is largely due to the actions of little-known middlemen in the drug supply chain: pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Insurers hire PBMs to manage the prescription drug components of their health plans. PBMs negotiate with drug companies to decide which medicines to include on a plan's "formulary" -- the list of medicines an insurer will cover -- and at what prices.

PBMs use their control over formularies to play drug manufacturers against each other and secure the largest discounts possible. For a given class of similar medications, PBMs will often favor a small number, say one or two, out of a dozen potential treatments.

Drug makers are willing to offer substantial discounts for preferred treatment on insurer formularies. In 2021, discounts to payers -- private insurers as well as other entities, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs -- lopped more than $118 billion off the list price of brand-name medicines.

The variable results of formulary negotiations, however, often end up leaving patients in the lurch. That's especially true with regard to the medications used to treat ADHD and other mental health conditions.

Most people think a generic medication is exactly the same as the brand-name drug on which it is based. But that's not true. For approval as an equivalent, the FDA allows generics to fall within the range of 80%-125%

of the "bioavailability" of the reference drug -- essentially, the amount of the drug that is actually absorbed by the body.

This allowable variability can make the difference between relief from ADHD, the return of symptoms due to lesser bioavailability, or the onset of side effects due to greater bioavailability.

From a clinician and patient perspective, this can become a nightmare -- a scramble to help patients find suitable relief at an affordable price.

For example, one of the largest PBMs, OptumRx, announced that it is removing several popular ADHD-treating drugs from its coverage and replacing them with generic versions that might not offer the same bioavailability as their brand-name counterparts.

CVS's company-owned PBM plans to limit its coverage of Adderall XR -- the drug's extended-release formulation -- and another popular ADHD treatment, Concerta, likewise limiting treatment options for patients.

All this churning activity is highly lucrative for PBMs. Their gross profits totaled more than $28 billion in 2019. But patients are getting a raw deal. The three largest PBMs together control 80% of the market. The list of their "excluded" drugs grew from 850 in 2020 to more than 1,150 in 2022.

Fortunately, lawmakers in Washington are beginning to show interest in standing up for patients. A new bipartisan "Patient Advocacy Caucus" promises to investigate the drug supply chain middlemen keeping prices high for patients. They've pledged to begin with PBMs. There's a lot more to be done, but that's a good place to start.

Dr. Ann Childress, M.D. is a physician and internationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. She also serves as president of the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders.

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Visit our website: www.sb-american.com

to intervene in earthly affairs to destroy everything and everyone that opposes Him and to bring in a new realm for His true followers, a Kingdom of God, a paradise on earth.

First, I want you to know that God has entrusted me with a ministry of Repentance and Judgment and when He entrusted it unto me, He said, “No Corners Cut, No Pacifying and No Round About Way. The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth.” I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’m going to tell you anyway!

If you don’t choose Whom this day you are going to serve, you will find yourself in Hell. No ifs, ands, buts about it. I want to understand, the forces of evil have little time left. God is soon

Listen, Jezebel was a woman who did many wicked things but what Scripture tells us is that it is not what Jezebel did that sent her to Hell. It is what she did not do, repent, and accept Christ. Don’t you be another Jezebel, Repent and Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior before it’s too late. If you don’t, you will find yourself in Hell. No ifs, ands, buts about it! The Bible says in [Proverbs 15:24], "The way of life above to the wise, that he might depart from the Hell beneath.” Give your life to Christ today. For Now, is the Acceptable Time! Now is the Day of Salvation! Do not Procrastinate! I know you don’t what to hear it, but I’m going to tell you anyway.

These lessons, observations, and experiences of immersing myself in the struggle for human and civil rights as a child and later as a teenager proved to be movements towards higher education even before I was admitted into college and seminary. Education that was not discussed nor taught in elementary classes. Education worth discussing and talking about that was relevant and important in shaping my heart and mind inside and outside the classroom. Education that allowed me to challenge socially constructed narratives that excluded me, my family, and those who were committed to the struggle for liberation, freedom, equality, equity, and justice.

It was in the Black church that I deepened my connection to the Spirit of the Living God. Sunday worship was a safe space to learn about Jesus, Black Jesus, liberator Jesus, and a God who created humanity equal and good. At fourteen I read For My People: Black Theology and the Black Church by James H. Cone.

In my twenties, I was introduced to Gayraud S. Wilmore, author of Black Religion and Black Radicalism. Cone and Wilmore co-authored Black Theology:

According to the American Library Association, book banning increased by 38 percent in 2022, and more than 1600 books were banned in 86 school districts and 26 states. However, this is not the first movement to ban books in our nation. Similar efforts have taken place in America’s past to limit and manipulate access to education and maintain the status quo. Notably, laws prohibited enslaved persons from learning how to read to limit their progress as well as to prevent them from knowing their history and contributions to society.

“Banning books is reminiscent of a past we should do everything in our power to safeguard against repeating,” said Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, National Council of Churches Governing Board chair. “It is born out of fear, an abuse of power, and a repugnant lack of tolerance that, unchecked, can lead to violence against those not like us and with whom we may disagree.”

Stand with me and be an advocate for the Right to Read! Educating ourselves and our children and future generations must be a justice priority alongside ending racist policies working to control our minds, bodies, and spirits.

Rev. Dr. Velda Love is the Minister for Racial Justice and Lead for Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice Campaign for the United Church of Christ.

Kaiser Permanente Partners with Think Together For Student Well-Being...continued from page 1 alike have learned the value of mindful moments and meditation activities, and staff members report that students are applying skills they learned in class to their daily lives, from identifying the signs that they may be struggling to the use of breathing exercises to re-center themselves.

Daniel Hernandez, a Bay Area staff member, shared, “After the classes, my team and I became more intentional with our daily check-ins. Before we would ask students how they were doing every morning and left it at that. Since the classes, we ask why they are feeling happy, sad, or excited. They have opened up more since then and they have become more comfortable sharing over the last few weeks.”

The program is especially helpful for students who are more energetic and those with special needs. The inclusion integrated into each program allows it to be universal and helpful to all. These students were encouraged to ask for breaks from activities or the classroom when the environment would be too much to handle.

Another Bay Area staff member, Brook, said, “We were able to get our students to be more in tune with learning how to communicate their feelings. They now feel more

comfortable approaching staff with questions or concerns. They also are learning how to better adjust to the learning curve that was brought with COVID.”

The program has been hit with the students as well. “I love the fidget toys! I sometimes don’t even realize I’m playing with it while doing my work and it helps me concentrate,” said JL, a student from the Bay Area program.

At the conclusion of the training, reports reveal that site leaders and staff being allowed to establish closer and deeper relationships with their students made it easier to connect with them.

Thank you to Kaiser Permanente Fontana, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park, Kaiser Permanente Riverside, Kaiser Permanente San Jose and Kaiser Permanente Alameda for helping us fund these vital programs!

To learn more about TraumaInformed care and mental health in schools visit:

https://www. traumainformedcare.chcs.org/ what-is-trauma-informed-care/ https://www.nami.org/ Advocacy/Policy-Priorities/ Improving-Health/MentalHealth-in-Schools

By Lou K. Coleman Lou K. Coleman

“I Know You Don’t Want to Hear It But I’m Going to Tell You Anyway!”

No Labels Endorses Bipartisan Deal to Resolve US Debt Ceiling Debate

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline...

continued from page 7

that we describe demonstrate how students may experience discrimination based on multiple facets of their identities and reflect our joint commitment to fully protect all students.”

and Academic Well-Being and Success” through:

No Labels, a growing national movement of what the organization calls “common sense Americans pushing leaders together to solve the country’s biggest problems,” announced its support of the bipartisan deal that President Joe Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have agreed upon in principle to avoid the United States defaulting on its national debt before the June 5 deadline.

“We have always emphasized that there should be common sense bipartisan solutions to our nation’s problems that are supported overwhelmingly by the majority of the American people,” No Labels National Co-Chairs Joe Lieberman,

Larry Hogan, and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., said in a joint statement issued on Sunday, May 28.

Chavis also serves as president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade association of the more than 230 African American owned newspapers and media companies in the United States.

After months of uncertainty and verbal sparring, an “agreement in principle” has been reached to spare the United States from its first-ever debt default.

But now comes the hard part: convincing both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to agree to pass the measure.

After President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that they’d reached an accord to raise the nation’s debt

ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default, Congress has just a few days to approve the deal.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said a deal needs ratification by June 5, or the United States would breach its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling.

If approved by Congress, the deal would raise the debt ceiling for two years, punting it to the next administration.

The GOP originally proposed a one-year deal but conceded to Democrats’ demand for two.

In the agreement, spending –except for the military – would remain at 2023 levels for next year, with funds being earmarked for other federal programs.

Biden also agreed to a $10 billion cut to the $80 billion he had earmarked for the IRS to crack down on individuals

cheating on their taxes.

Instead, the funds will go to other programs that Republicans sought to cut.

Additionally, with billions remaining from pandemic relief funds unspent, both parties agreed to claw back those funds to the federal government.

“Avoiding America’s default in paying our national debt is vital to the future of our nation.

We thank President Biden and Speaker McCarthy for their leadership to achieve the debt ceiling deal,” the No Labels leaders continued.

“We encourage Republican, Democratic and Independent members of both chambers of the US Congress to pass this agreement expeditiously because it is so important for every American.”

The Resource describes how the Departments resolved investigations of 14 school districts in 10 states nationwide – Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah. These investigations, conducted under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations, and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, involved concerns of discrimination in schools’ use of out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, school-based arrests, referrals to law enforcement, involuntary discipline transfers, informal removals, and other discipline against Black, Latino, and/or Native American students. The Resource demonstrates ways school districts can take steps to proactively improve their administration of student discipline.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Office of Safe & Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Centers released a series of fact sheets on how school leaders and members of school communities may support students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic wellbeing and success. The fact sheets are: “Supporting Students’ Social, Emotional, Behavioral,

Strategies for Student and Teacher Support Teams; Strategies for Educators and School-Based Staff; Strategies for Schools to Enhance Relationships with Families; Strategies for School and District Leaders.

You can find the fact sheets here. OESE Technical Assistance Centers will host webinars on each of the “Supporting Students’ Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Academic Well-Being and Success” fact sheets on the dates/ times noted below and you can find registration information below. More information is available here:

Introduction to the Department’s Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates (Guiding-principles. pdf)

August 9, 2023, 3:00 pm ET

Strategies for School and District Leaders

August 23, 2023, 3:00 pm ET

Strategies for Schools to Enhance Relationships with Families

September 20, 2023, 3:00 pm ET

Strategies for Educators and School-Based Staff

October 4, 2023, 3:00 pm ET

Strategies for Student and Teacher Support Teams

October 18, 2023, 3:00 pm ET

Schools

No Labels National Co-Chairs Joe Lieberman, Larry Hogan, and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.