Hate Crime Victims; Prosecutions Climb
| California Black Media
Edward
California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report on June 29, providing data and resources to support ongoing efforts across the state to combat violence motivated by racial or other biases.
Overall, reported hate crime events in California decreased by 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.
Despite that general downward trend, anti-Black bias incidents in the state remained the most prevalent. Year after year, this disturbing statistic holds true despite a 20.6% decrease from 652 in 2022 to 518 in 2023. The next highest reporting of bias events was 199 Anti-Hispanic or Latino instances.
“The California Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hate, and will continue working with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to keep our communities safe through education, prevention, and enforcement,” said Attorney General Robert Bonta in a statement after releasing the report. “We won’t let bigots and bad actors win. We will not let hate prevail,” said Bonta
The report also found that prosecutions inched up by 5% (about 32 percentage points).
According to the Attorney General’s report, from 2022 to 2023, the number of hate crimes referred for prosecution
increased from 647 in 2022 to 679 in 2023. Of the 679 hate crimes that were referred for prosecution, 463 cases were filed by district attorneys and elected city attorneys for prosecution. Of the 463 cases that were filed for
Three-day Program Promises Only Good News!
One of the largest organizers of global conventions will once again draw thousands to Ontario
Witnesses will present their 2024 “Declare the Good News!” convention series beginning the weekend of July 12. The free, three-day live event is expected to draw more than 28,000 attendees to the city over the course of four weekends – fueling the city’s economy with local spending at stores, hotels and restaurants.
“Spending three days with my family among a loving community, all focused on the good news that the Bible offers is an oasis,” said Hannah of Ontario, who has attended conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 31 years. “I’ve often heard attendees express that the convention is exactly what they need, right when they need it.” One of the largest convention organizations in the world returns to the Toyota Arena in Ontario a much-anticipated motivational program to comfort and encourage the public.
In a world where bad news endlessly streams on social media, TV and radio, Jehovah’s
“The Toyota Arena is a wellkept, beautiful facility in an ideal location, where people can enjoy three days of instruction and comfort,” said Derek Adams, local spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “This year’s program is geared to help everyone face the growing amount of bad news in the world but not be overwhelmed by it. All who attend will learn how to be better people in all aspects of life and how to share positivity with everyone in the community.”
The “Declare the Good News!” convention will present Biblebased videos, discourses and interviews on topics such as…
•Why We Don’t Fear Bad News
•Feature Bible Drama: The Good News According to Jesus
•Messianic Prophecy Fulfilled
Saturday spotlights a baptism of candidates from surrounding communities, while a two part video feature will captivate the audience on Friday and Saturday mornings. Prior to each convention, local congregations will engage in a campaign to invite community members to this free event.
Last year, nearly 13 million people attended more than 6,000 three-day conventions worldwide.
To learn more about this free convention and to find a location near you, please visit jw.org > About Us > Conventions.
Calendar or event listing submission
What: “Declare the Good News!” 2024 convention series presented by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
When:
Start Date
End Date
Language
7/12/2024
7/14/2024
English
7/26/2024
7/28/2024
English
8/16/2024
8/18/2024
English
8/23/2024
8/25/2024
English
Where: Toyota Arena, 4000 E. Ontario Center Parkway Ontario, CA 91764
Who: All in the community are invited to attend.
Details: The event is free to attend. Friday from 9:20 a.m. to 4:55 p.m.; Saturday from 9:20 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday from 9:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Each day has a one-hour and 20-minute lunch break. Bible based talks, interviews and video presentations will be featured. Topics include:
•Why Do We Need Good News?
prosecution, 322 were filed as hate crimes and 141 were filed as non-bias motivated crimes.
Under California law, a hate crime is a criminal act committed in whole or in part because of a victim’s actual or perceived
disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with someone with one or more of these characteristics.
Aside from the information related to Anti-Black hate crimes, other key findings in the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report include:
· Hate crimes fell by 7.1% to 1,970 events.
· Hate crime offenses dropped by 8.9% to 2,359.
· Victims of hate crimes decreased by 6.9% to 2,303.
· Hate crimes due to racial bias went down by 21.6% to 1,017.
· Hate crimes due to religious bias rose by 30% to 394.
· Anti-Islamic bias events increased from 25 to 40.
Government excludes and discriminates against Black-owned media despite federal advertising spending reaching $15B
The Government Accountability Office, known as the investigative arm of Congress, is an independent, nonpartisan agency that examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions.
(Photo courtesy GAO)
The report found that contracts with those businesses represented about 14 percent of total federal advertising spending, amounting to $2.1 billion from fiscal years 2014 to 2023. Additionally, federal agencies allocated about $1.1 billion for COVID-related advertising contracts, with only 3.5 percent, or about $37 million, awarded to these disadvantaged businesses.
Additionally, the report does not specify the amount allocated to Black-owned media. Several previous reports suggest that Black-owned media received no more than $10 million of the total $14.9 billion spent.
“Of the $14.9 billion spent, a disproportionately small fraction has gone to Black-owned media,” National Newspaper Publishers Association Chair Chairman Biden Henry stated. The NNPA is the trade association representing the Black Press of America. “This underrepresentation, neglect, and disrespect not only undermines the economic stability of Blackowned businesses, but also
Government
Congress, is an independent,
agency that examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions.(Photo
limits the diversity of voices and perspectives essential to a vibrant democracy. The NNPA calls for immediate and substantial reforms to ensure fair and equitable distribution of federal advertising dollars.”
In 2023, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced a bill called the Federal Government Advertising Equity Accountability Act requiring federal agencies to detail their advertising spending with small, disadvantaged businesses and businesses owned by women and minorities in their annual budget justifications. Norton, along with Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Val Demings (D-Fla.), coauthored a letter to President Biden seeking answers about the inequity in federal advertising contracts awarded to minorityand women-owned media and advertising agencies compared
By Stacy M. Brown,
Ontario Convention News
Henderson
The
Accountability Office, known as the investigative arm of
nonpartisan
courtesy GAO)
One
Year After Affirmative Action is Overturned, What’s Next for Higher Ed?
By Selen Ozturk
The June 2023 decision, which prohibits public and private institutions from including race in considering applicants to admit, shook up the world of higher education.
A year after the Supreme Court overruled 45 years of precedent with Affirmative Action, how are colleges and universities adapting?
The June 2023 decision, which prohibits public and private institutions from including race in considering applicants to admit, shook up the world of higher education.
While schools saw more applications by nonwhite students than ever, per midyear reports, unprecedented federal student aid delays are expected to drop enrollments — particularly for nonwhite students.
At a Friday, June 28 Ethnic Media Services briefing, education policy, law and civil rights experts discussed new trends among schools since the court prohibition of public and private institutions from including race in considering which applicants to admit.
Delays with federal aid — and thus with enrollment commitments — made it hard to see the road ahead for students of color, speakers agreed. However, after June 2023, many institutions after the decision cut Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and stopped tracking admissions data by race entirely, although neither DEI nor tracking are prohibited by the court decision.
Speakers said the future of equal opportunity for students of color may hinge on whether schools nationwide continue to overextend the court decision beyond the admissions process, and whether students are allowed the consideration of race and background through alternative routes like admission essays and scholarships.
Financial aid and DEI
Vikash Reddy, Vice President
of Research at The Campaign for College Opportunity, discusses the “chilling” or ripple effect of the affirmative action ban and how it is impacting efforts to address racial and other inequities.
Delays and mistakes with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) — first when the application deadline was moved from October 1 to December 31, 2023 — were worsened by a new application form involving miscalculations to formulas used to determine aid.
This tumult has significantly “impacted our ability to see what’s happening with college enrollment for the coming year,” said Dr. Vikash Reddy, senior director of policy research at The Campaign for College Opportunity.
Due to continued FAFSA rollout disruptions, many schools have delayed enrollment commitment deadlines, “so we don’t yet know what the new year’s classes will be,” he explained. Many schools, including Yale, “cannot even tell us how FAFSA issues have impacted their admissions for minority applicants, because they separated their race and ethnicity data from the admissions data.”
Broader impacts on funding for DEI programs have been “chilling,” Reddy said. “Officials in Missouri, Kentucky and Wisconsin in particular are interpreting the Supreme Court ruling to mean that raceconscious scholarships should also be discontinued.”
In 2023 alone, over 45 state bills targeting DEI funding were introduced nationwide, particularly in Texas and Florida. Meanwhile, the University of Missouri recently tried to reclassify donor-created
scholarships intended for minority students, while the University of Utah shuttered centers for black, LGBTQ and woman students, per HB 261, a new Utah law that prohibits student services for individual students based on “personal identity characteristics.”
However, “there are institutions trying to find equitable ways forward for higher education” through measures like holistic review,” Reddy said. For instance, California has outlawed the consideration of race in public education since 1996 under Proposition 209, “but under the leadership of UCLA and UC Berkeley, we’ve seen some of the most diverse classes in 25 years come in recent years.”
“It’s emblematic of the purpose of the attack on Affirmative Action,” said Jin Hee Lee, director for strategic initiatives at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund: “The falsehood that we already live in a world of equal opportunity … We’re now at a time when a university administrator is accused of discrimination, because they want to address long-standing barriers for marginalized people.”
“This is not new. These attacks on DEI programs follow attacks on so-called ‘Critical Race Theory’, in K-12 and higher education classrooms a few years ago, just after the summer of 2020,” she continued, “with the largest civil rights demonstration in our nation’s history, when people from all backgrounds came together to demonstrate their opposition to racial inequality.”
“At the very core of these issues is whether we live in a country that is going to address our inequalities,” she added, “or believe in this false notion that we live in a race-blind society.”
Asian American students
John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, AAJC, discusses the model minority myth and how it fails to acknowledge the struggles and racial inequities Asian Americans face in schools and the workplace.
“By using terms such as ‘zero-sum,’” the overturning of Affirmative Action “divided the Asian American community from other communities of color … and divided all of us,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing JusticeAAJC.
“In the trial itself, the district court judge found that after extensive evidence was presented, there was no data to support the notion that Asian Americans are being discriminated against,” he explained, “and prior to the decisions, the incoming class of Harvard University, for example, was approximately 26% to 28% Asian American.”
“But Asian Americans are harmed by these decisions … and benefit from diversity initiatives” well after higher education, he continued. “The Asian American community suffers from a ‘model minority’ myth suggesting that we are doing better than society as a whole, and so that efforts like Affirmative Action and DEI do not benefit them. That belies current demographics.”
For instance, Asian Americans represent only 3% of executives in corporate America, while representing about 7% of the total U.S. population.
There is also an 80% dropoff for Asian Americans when moving from entry-level ranks to the C-suite or board levels of corporations.
White individuals are twice as likely to be promoted as their Asian American counterparts; in fact, Asian American whitecollar workers are the least likely group among any race to be promoted into management.
“Equal access to education has never been zero-sum,” Yang added. “We have heard many stories from Asian American students deciding that they don’t want to apply to a particular college at all … because they’re not sure whether and how their application will be treated.”
The legal road ahead?
Statement from Movement Lawyers Group: In Defense of Evanston and the Movement for Reparations
The Dream of our ancestors to repair our communities and the nation is under siege–Let's pledge to continue the fight for justice and repair
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Recent attacks on efforts to obtain reparations for Black communities undermine the work done by our ancestors to repair the long lasting and devastating injuries of slavery and its living vestiges. These attacks obstruct justice and the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of repair and the creation of a true inclusive democracy.
The movement for reparations is a movement for healing and reparatory justice for crimes done against Black communities. The backlash against community-led efforts for true justice and repair has appeared in the past couple of months in two different ways. Both reflect the different ways in which Courts are used in an attempt to deny Black reparations.
First, in its June 2024 dismissal of Randle et. al. v. City of Tulsa,
et. al. the Oklahoma Supreme Court proclaims that judicial reparations are impossible, and relief can only come from local or state legislatures. The Court holds that Oklahoma Courts are the wrong forum to seek relief, even though the plaintiffs' claims—that the blight in the Greenwood District was caused by the City of Tulsa's actions during and after the 1921 Race Massacre—fall squarely within Oklahoma's nuisance statute. Second, Judicial Watch, a farright special interest group, filed a class action complaint, Flinn, et. al. v. City of Evanston in May 2024. That complaint seeks to undermine legislative reparations, arguing that a legislature cannot grant relief even if it recognizes that Black communities were specially victimized by historical discrimination. In this way,
the Flinn plaintiffs seek to reinstitute the injustices done to Black people in Evanston by challenging the City of Evanston's right to legislate a Reparations program.
The Evanston program and the Tulsa case are attempts to obtain reparations for the injuries caused by slavery and its vestiges, the remaining traces of a government system that, for almost 350 years, allowed and often required Black people to be denied equal treatment, for example Jim Crow. The filing of the legal challenge to Evanston's reparations program and the dismissal of the Tulsa case should come as no surprise. They are the most recent examples of the use of the U.S. legal system to deny reparations for the heinous crimes of slavery and its legacies that were designed to make Black people less than
Statement from Movement Lawyers Group: In Defense of Evanston and the Movement for Reparations...continued limiting and shutting down the legal avenues for reparations and racial justice, preventing justice and the development of an inclusive democracy.
The use of the United States' legal system to create and support a system based on white supremacy started when the courts in the United States upheld the institution of slavery. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) is a noted case where the United States Supreme Court, in supporting the institution of slavery, held that a Black man has no rights that a white man was bound to respect. Even after Emancipation and the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th 14th and 15th Amendments), the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896 in Plessy v. Ferguson denied equal treatment between the races by holding that separate accommodations were constitutional, despite being unequal. Thus, the Supreme Court legalized segregation in the United States where Black people were subjected to substandard, unequal accommodations and treatment in virtually every area of life. The United States
Supreme Court's legalization of segregation in the United States served as a model for the German Holocaust against Jewish people, the U.S. Imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII, and South Africa's system of Apartheid (1948-1994).
Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall designed a legal strategy, as a part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1940s and 1950s, that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court beginning to rectify its historic support of subordination of Black people (anti-Blackness) in 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education. Brown reversed Plessy, holding that separate accommodations cannot be equal.
After Brown, the federal, state and local governments began to design and implement programs to remedy the historic exclusion and inferior treatment of Black people in many fields including education and government contracting. Less than 25 years after Brown, the Court began to backtrack on the promise of addressing unequal treatment.
One Year After Affirmative Action is Overturned, What’s Next for Higher Ed?...continued
Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, MALDEF, notes public institutions that receive federal funding are required by law to collect data on race and ethnicity and that the failure to do so leaves them vulnerable to enacting or perpetuating discriminatory policies.
“Efforts of the Supreme Court decision’s proponents to extend this ruling beyond higher education, to challenge DEI initiatives across the board … diverts us from efforts to ensure that not considering race in admissions would still ensure equal opportunity for applicants of color,” said Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
When admissions data does emerge after the tumultuous FAFSA rollout cycle completes, the numbers “may not be an accurate reflection of the full impact of the decision,” he continued.
After Proposition 209 outlawing considerations of race in California public schools, for instance, “many said the drop in Latino students was overstated. That was false, and will be false nationwide,” Saenz explained, “because the Latino community is a younger, growing community. So, the number of college-eligible Latino students by age will dramatically increase
in years to come, cushioning the data against a drop in admissions … it does not, however, mean that the impact is any less severe.”
“Institutions receiving federal funding, like Harvard, and virtually every other private university in the country … that fail to collect data on race to ensure their admissions criteria doesn’t have an unjustified discriminatory effect, violate the very same law used in the decision,” continued Saenz: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which also “prohibits race discrimination for recipients of federal funding, including virtually every U.S. university, public or private.”
What can be done to facilitate equal opportunity, in response to the Affirmative Action decision?
“Alternative criteria for admissions that would eliminate or minimize the discriminatory effects of many current criteria,” said Saenz, including “not only standardized tests, which have long had such a demonstrated discriminatory effect, but also counselor recommendations, teacher recommendations, and even who gets assigned to highlevel AP and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses.
“This is the legal situation right now,” he added. “We don’t know yet where the new reality will end up.”
whites, and second-class citizens. These injustices in the past and in the present day have created enormous disparities between white communities and Black communities in every area of life. For example, homeownership and business ownership are the primary sources of generational wealth in the United States of America. Evanston and Tulsa both deal with housing and the devaluation and destruction of homes in the Black community. Despite the backlash from those who seek to maintain the benefits whites gained from slavery and its legacies, we must continue to advocate for the removal of the "badges and incidents of slavery" as promised by the 13th Amendment. We must push back on the United States' courts, state and federal,
Stop the lynching of President Joe Biden
By Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — There are moments in life when the convictions of the spirit and personal consciousness collide in opposition to the mainstream, popular outcries for the blood, life, and the end of the future existence of another human being. I refuse to be a silent witness to another lynching in America. Thus, the following is what I have observed and witnessed firsthand over the past days to the lynch mob-like escalation of calls for President Joe Biden to step down from campaigning for reelection in 2024. I am not representing any organization or political party. On July 4, 2024, while sitting quietly in Raleigh, North Carolina, I jotted down my personal views.
Although I am a proud Democrat, I am so saddened by the backstabbing cowardice of those who dare to publicly call for President Biden to step down while having an utter contradictory refusal to utter publicly any call for former President Donald Trump to step down and to end his fascist-engaging campaign to retake The White House. The question is why? The attempted political lynching of President Joe Biden has more to do with disingenuous political infighting than difficulties at a nationally televised political debate. What are the real motives from all of those who are calling for President Biden to step down?
Some will say that my words and expressions here are too strong and controversial. That may be true because there should be strong words and expressions that always should call out and condemn any form of lynching.
A political lynching is also a crime against the oneness of our humanity. Such is the situation today in America. It is the politics
of division versus the politics of unifying all Americans for the best interests and future of the nation that is on the ballot. Democracy is on the ballot. Justice is on the ballot. Equality is on the ballot. Equity is on the ballot. Freedom is on the ballot. The antidote to the current resurgence of ignorance, racism, cowardice, fascism, and retrenchment from freedom, justice, equality, and equity is to work hard daily and diligently to ensure the largest voter turnout this year in American history. Why do I claim responsibility for urgently making this statement on July 4, 2024? African Americans, like others who fought and died in the fields and streets in the 13 American colonies during the Revolutionary War against the British Empire 248 years ago, have a birthright to the Declaration of Independence signed on July 4, 1776, and later to the Constitution of the United States of America. Although thousands of people of African descent, who were not enslaved, enlisted and fought for freedom and independence against the British, no people of African descent were invited or permitted to attend the formative meetings of the newly emerging nation’s democracy and Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Statement from Movement Lawyers Group: In Defense of Evanston and the Movement for Reparations... continued from page 2
The Supreme Court has denied States the right to generally remedy the past exclusion of Blacks in education and business.
In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court in Bakke v. California held that California's affirmative action program violated the 14th Amendment. In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court in Croson v. City of Richmond held that the City could not create a program that, as a general practice, required general contractors to subcontract with a certain proportion of "minority-owned" businesses as a way to address historic discrimination against minority-owned businesses. Any requirement for subcontracting with minority businesses had to be based on first satisfying an oppressively burdensome (onerous) level of judicial review known as strict scrutiny. Fast forward to 2023, when the U.S. Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College held that a program to diversify the student body to enhance learning violated the 14th Amendment. The strong dissents by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson address in depth the importance of ending the significant imbalances in United States systems, in this case educational systems, that act for the benefit of whites, to the detriment of Black people.
Importantly, Justice Jackson started her dissent by noting "Gulf-sized race-based gaps exist with respect to the health, wealth, and well-being of American citizens. They were created in the distant past, but have indisputably been passed down to the present day through the generations."
Justice Jackson's dissent provides a legal roadmap for why the Fair Admissions case was
wrongly decided. Her dissent also provides the legal roadmap for continuing and increasing the advocacy for reparatory justice for Black communities as a means of making the victims of enslavement and its legacy whole, as was the goal of Dr. King, repairing the nation.
While continuing to bring cases based on the 14th Amendment, we urge attorneys to be emboldened by the dissents in Fair Admission to file cases based on a violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as well. And we urge reparations activists to support these filings in defense of the Reparations Movement. In The Civil Rights Cases (1883), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the amendment makes it a duty to "eradicate the badges and incidents of slavery." We should also be emboldened by the dissents to push Congress, pursuant to Section 2 of the 13th Amendment, to perform its duty to "eradicate the badges and incidents of slavery." Indeed, the lawmakers in Evanston are executing Congress's mandate to prohibit the continuation of the badges and incidents of slavery.
The state and local governmental interference with the provision of housing to Black residents addressed by Evanston and Tulsa, are badges and incidents of slavery. We call on reparations activists and movement lawyers across the country to support the people's right to effect reparations to repair Black communities as well as the country as a whole. In the past, our ancestors faced unjust systems and ultimately prevailed. Thus, we are confident that we too will prevail.
MOVEMENT LAWYERS IN SUPPORT OF EVANSTON
in 1787. My great, great, great, great-grandfather, the Rev. John Chavis (1763-1838), fought as a young, enlisted soldier in the Revolutionary War against the British in our home state of North Carolina and in the state of Virginia. The Chavis family has lived in Granville County, North Carolina, for over 285 years. My father, Benjamin F. Chavis Sr. (1898-1965) enlisted and fought as a young sergeant major soldier in the United States Army in World War I.
The point here is that generations of African and African-American soldiers have enlisted and fought and died to defend and protect the nation and democracy for the past 248 years. And we are not going to permit anyone or anything to deny our birthright to freedom and democracy. For us, the right to vote in America is bloodstained and sacred. We know from our lived experience the horror, pain and suffering from centuries of physical lynchings in America to satisfy the sheer fear, hatred, White supremacy and ignorance of racism. Today, we also know when mobs cry out for the downfall and political lynching of those who have been our allies in our long struggle for freedom, justice, voting rights and equity, we cannot be silent.
It is ironic that also here in Raleigh, fewer than 24 hours
after the questionable so-called debate in Atlanta, Georgia, President Biden spoke eloquently and forcibly at the NC State Fairgrounds about a couple of miles away from the John Chavis Memorial Park in downtown Raleigh. President Biden said, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious. I don’t walk as easy (sic) as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know — I know how to tell the truth.”
The truth is therapeutic. Our nation needs more truth over the lies and prevalent fake news.
At the same time, as the calls for President Biden to step down, the United States Supreme Court has now ruled that future and past presidential “official acts” of violence, crime, repression, voter suppression, and insurrection are all immune from prosecution as long those acts are official acts within the core responsibilities of a President of the United States. This is dangerous and fundamentally against the meaning and principles of democracy. That is why now, more than ever before, we must raise our voices and mobilize our families and communities to go out and vote in record numbers in the swing states and in every other state across the nation. We all have work to do. We said back in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, “When things get tough in our struggle for freedom, we have to become tougher.”
Join me and raise your voice with me. Let’s vote in record numbers throughout America. Stop the lynching of President Joe Biden.
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
Statement from Movement Lawyers Group: In Defense of Evanston and the Movement for Reparations... continued
AND THE MOVEMENT FOR REPARATIONS:
Shirley Traylor
Reparations Committee
National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL)
Nkechi Taifa, Esq.
The Taifa Group LLC
Eric Miller
Professor and Leo J. O'Brien
Fellow
Co-Director, Loyola AntiRacism Center
Areva Martin, Esq. Civil Rights Attorney
Deborah A. Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.
National Conference of Black Lawyers – Reparations Committee
Kamm Howard, Director Reparations United Lisa Holder, President Equal Justice Society
Maynard M. Henry, Sr., Esquire
National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America
Justin Hansford Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law Director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center
Adjoa A. Aiyetoro
National Conference of Black Lawyers
Co-facilitator, Reparations Committee
Supervising Attorney, Reparations Research Project
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, Executive Director National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc.
The National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides news, information, and resources that uplifts the collective freedom of Black communities.
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) Celebrates 40th Anniversary with National Tour and Upcoming Events
Bill
across the nation,
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) Celebrates 40th Anniversary with National Tour and Upcoming Events....continued
collaboration was in partnership with Visit Fort Worth.
In addition to the thrilling performances, BPIR released its Swag Merchandise, unveiled NextGen, and teamed up with Wade & Associates Group, LLC to search for the next Soul Country Music™ Star across four cities: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, and DC/ Maryland, offering a $10,000 award. Media features included Ebony, CBS The Today Show, and recognition in the USA Today 10Best People’s Choice Award.
The celebration continues in Los Angeles with three days of events.
Thursday, July 18, 2024: Festivities begin with the first Soul Country Music Star (SCMS) competition, brought to you by Wade & Associates Group, LLC in association with the Bill Pickett Invitational
Rodeo at The Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA. The competition, which began online on June 4, 2024, spans four cities: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas/ Fort Worth, and DC/Maryland. It provides diverse country music artists from these regions with opportunities to showcase their skills and a chance to win $10,000. This initiative aligns with BPIR’s mission to keep the Black Cowboy Experience alive and expand its boundaries through country soul music. The Los Angeles SCMS schedule begins with a redcarpet reception at 6:30 pm, followed by the competition at 8:30 pm. SCMS is hosted by Emmy Award-Winning Actor Obba Babatundé Artists can compete by uploading their links on SoulCountryMusic.com. Tickets for attendees are available online.
New California Laws Require High School Classes on Drug Education, Financial Literacy and Ethnic Studies
Bo Tefu | California Black Media
Last week, California became the 26th state to require high school seniors to pass courses focused on finance literacy, adding to a recently added ethnic studies prerequisite and a health class requirement focused on the dangers of fentanyl use.
The senior class of 2031 will be the first group of students to take the mandatory financial literacy course. California school districts are required to implement Assembly Bill 2927, authored by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), at the beginning of the 20272028 academic year.
The bill works hand-inhand with newly approved
Assembly Bill 2429, authored by Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego). That law requires students to take health classes that discuss the dangers of fentanyl use and illegal drugs commencing in the 2026-2027 school year.
Both bills require high school seniors to complete the designated coursework during any semester between the ninth and twelfth grades. High school students in charter schools are also required to complete the state-mandated coursework. Under this law, local educational agencies will impose the required courses using state-mandated
continued on page 6
Report: Black Californians Remain Top Hate Crime Victims; Prosecutions Climb...continued from page 1
· Hate crimes due to sexual orientation bias went up by 4.1% to 405.
· Anti-transgender bias events rose by 10.2% to 65.
· Anti-LGBTQ+ bias events surged by 86.4%.
The disproportionate number of hate incidents recorded in the Attorney General’s report lines up with data released by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD).
Responding to a surge in hate crimes and hate incidents, in 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration launched the “California vs. Hate” initiative, which includes a hotline and online reporting platform for victims.
“CA vs Hate is about recognizing and protecting the incredible diversity of our state and sending a clear message that hate will never be tolerated,” said Newsom.
“When California was confronted by an alarming increase in hate, we didn’t just sit back and hope it got better,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the initiative in May.
of "Be
and the
its
in Denver, CO; Fort Worth, TX; Memphis, TN; and Oakland, CA from January to July 2024. Highlights of this milestone year included the announcement of BPIRs 2024 Buckle Series at
and her celebrated barrel horse, Player. This exciting
“We came together and launched an array of nationleading programs to ensure all our communities feel welcome and protected. I’m incredibly proud of our state’s resilience and commitment to a California for all,” added Kish. “This work is only just beginning, but it would not be possible without the advocacy of our community partners and the foresight of our state’s Administration and Legislature.” To combat hate crime offenses
and events, Bonta urges local partners and law enforcement to review the resources highlighted in the report and to recommit themselves to leveraging them.
“Everyone has a part to play as we continue to fight prejudice and create safer communities in California,” said Bonta.
“I urge everyone to review the data and resources available and recommit to standing united against hate,” he continued. “The California Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hate, and will continue working with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to keep our communities safe through education, prevention, and enforcement.”
If you believe you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, notify local law enforcement and consider taking the following steps:
* How To Report A Hate Crime:
CA vs Hate is a nonemergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time. Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline. For individuals who want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or who are in imminent danger, please call 911.
For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate. org.
The
Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) has celebrated
40th Anniversary with sold-out shows
making stops
The BPIR Texas Connection Series
debut
The Unexpected," featuring legendary actress Pam Grier alongside 14-year-old BPIR Champion Barrel Racer Kortnee Solomon
Black women call attention to poor medical outcomes, persistent mistreatment in American healthcare system
Studies show that Black women are disproportionately impacted by health disparities, for a variety of reasons including a lack of access to care and health insurance.
By Reginald Williams Special to the AFRO
The marginalization of Black women in health care continues to be plagued by dismissive medical professionals and practices.
Historically, Black women experience disproportionately poor health outcomes. Stress, pervasive racism, gender discrimination and exclusion from clinical research have farreaching effects on their overall health. Black women have a more significant chance of dying in childbirth than White women— approximately four times the rate of White women. Approximately 60 percent of those deaths, according to medical experts, are preventable.
Studies show that Black women are disproportionately impacted by health disparities, for a variety of reasons including a lack of access to care and health insurance.
In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000, a significant jump from the average of 26.6 deaths per 100,000 for White women.
The American Cancer Society reports that about onethird of African-American
women experienced racial discrimination from healthcare providers. According to Health Equity Among Black Women in the United States, a Journal of Women’s Health article authored by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the health disparities experienced by Black women are the “reflection of the inequalities experienced by Black women on a host of social and economic measures.”
The lack of quality care provided to Black women extends beyond America’s borders.
Research by the NIH reveals the social determinants of treatment for Black women in Canada, fueled by race evasiveness, are equally concerning. Canada’s healthcare system operates with a colorblind model, behaving as if race is a non-determining factor. The report maintains that Canada’s ideology “denies, minimizes, and ignores how race impacts healthcare for Black women.”
Erin Baker believes she’s been victimized by America’s broken healthcare system. “Black women are mistreated in healthcare due to systemic
Nearly $2 billion going to California public transit
What you need to know: Close to $2 billion is going to support public transportation in California communities as part of the first wave of funding from the $5.1 billion transit recovery package in last year’s state budget.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the approval of over $1.9 billion to support public transportation throughout the state. The funding was approved by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and is the first wave of funding from the transit recovery package in the 2023-24 state budget.
As part of Senate Bill 125 (2023), a total of $5.1 billion will be distributed among regional transportation planning agencies over the course of multiple years. This funding comes with the flexibility to pay for transit operations or capital improvements. The money announced today will go to 22 agencies, with amounts varying based on regional population.
“This vital funding serves as a lifeline for transit agencies all over the state and helps to advance California’s ambitious, world-leading climate goals. At the same time, we’re adding accountability measures that help put our state’s transit agencies on a path toward long-term stability.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
CalSTA anticipates approving additional allocation packages for remaining planning agencies throughout the summer, totaling nearly $500 million. The remaining SB 125 funds will be approved annually through fiscal year 2027-28.
“California’s commitment to
racism,” explained Baker, whose medical mishaps included two miscarriages.
After suffering an ectopic pregnancy in 2018, Baker’s obstetrician cautioned her that all future pregnancies would be treated as high risk. However, when Baker became pregnant four years later, she maintained that doctors failed to treat her pregnancy with the medical attention it required.
“My bloodwork wasn’t monitored as it should have been. They weren’t monitoring my HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) levels as they stated they would. The doctor rushed and did not follow up with care when she couldn’t hear my baby’s heartbeat,” Baker said.
Several weeks later, she miscarried.
“The entire practice let me down,” said Baker. “I was treated as if I hadn’t done what I was supposed to do–when I did everything right.”
Black women are often unheard and made to feel like they’ve done something wrong. They are often victims of medical gaslighting. The ”strong Black woman” narrative is believed to bleed into the psyche of how they are treated. Black women think doctors treat them as if they have a pain tolerance greater than other ethnic groups, resulting in receiving subpar medical care. AfricanAmericans “are systemically undertreated for pain relative to White Americans,” maintains an NIH report.
“When we bring attention to the medical professional about our health issues, it’s seen as complaining or overreacting,” said Baker, CEO and cocktail
curator for Pretty Little Bar DMV.
The health disparity faced by Black women in healthcare isn’t exclusive to the care given but also the attached cost. Studies show that nationally, almost one in eight Black women between the ages of 19 and 64 are uninsured. The financial inequities Black women face have radical control over their overall health.
Stephanie Wynn suffers from inflammatory bowel disease. Having to pay almost one thousand dollars for her infusion, Wynn, founder of the Stephanie Wynn Foundation, was asked by the receptionist, a White woman, to step outside the office for a private conversation. Wynn was informed that she was the only patient paying such an exorbitant co-pay.
“For two years, I was paying out of pocket,” said Wynn, whose foundation now works to eliminate healthcare and financial disparities for people with inflammatory bowel diseases in underserved AfricanAmerican and other marginalized communities.
“I had insurance, but I was underinsured. When someone of another culture or race can see that you are being mistreated, that’s a health disparity,” said Wynn.
If health outcomes for Black women are to grow more favorable, experts suggest they have better access to healthcare and insurance and more representation by Black physicians.
Currently, less than six percent of the doctors are Black, with about 2.8 percent being women.
Weather Experts: Heat Waves Can Cause Wildfires, Health Problems and Death
McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media
public transit is unwavering, and with billions more in funding in the pipeline – including for zero-emission equipment and operations – we are just getting started in delivering a more sustainable and equitable transit system for the people of California,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “I thank Governor Newsom and our legislative leaders for continuing to prioritize public transit.”
The transit recovery package also includes accountability measures to help stabilize transit systems and retool their longterm operations to better align with the needs of the public.
As part of that effort, CalSTA has convened the Transit Transformation Task Force to develop policy recommendations to grow transit ridership, improve the transit experience and address long-term operational needs.
More transit dollars on the way
In addition to the transit funding announced today, in April CalSTA put out a call for projects for more than $900 million in funding through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). Project applications are due July 23, with an award announcement in October. This follows nearly $3.5 billion in state funding just last year to expand transit and passenger rail service throughout the state.
It was more than a simple walk in the park for exercisers pacing and jogging around Warner Center Park in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles around midday on July 4.
The weather was “sweltering,” according to one of the parkgoers, an African American man in his 40s who asked to remain anonymous.
“Working out around this time is a way hotter experience than a few weeks ago,” the man continued, adding that this summer continues to get progressively hotter.
According to weather experts, Californians should not expect a break in the extreme heat any time soon, which will force people in most areas of the state to find ways to cope and manage it.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist David Lawrence said most of the Golden State is experiencing a heat wave, which began at the beginning of the month, and could get worse in
Weather Experts: Heat Waves Can Cause Wildfires, Health Problems and Death ...continued
Wilson said heat waves can create dangerous fire conditions and catapult temperatures in inland areas of the state into the triple digits.
“This level of heat could pose a danger to the entire population if proper heat safety is not followed,” she said. “As we move into the summer season, hotter and drier conditions mean California will likely face higher risk of wildfires -- wildfire smoke, heat, power outages and dangerous water conditions.”
The same day as the press conference, the Thompson Fire began blazing in Northern California’s Butte County. At press time, the wildfire had destroyed 25 structures and injured two firefighters. It has been 55% contained.
The French Fire, which sparked up on July 4 in the town of Mariposa in the Sierra Nevada foothills, covered over 1.3 square miles before firefighters tamed the blaze. That same day, yet another fire, the Sharp fire in Los Angeles’s Simi Valley, broke out. It has been 60% contained.
Listos California, the state office in charge of emergency preparedness, has partnered with community groups and offers a resource hub built around an educational campaign to help Californians get ready for disasters related to extreme heat.
Dr. Rita Nguyen, assistant health officer for California and director of population health at the California Department of Public Health, said people underestimate how dangerous heat waves can be.
“Heat waves kills more people directly than any other weatherrelated hazard,” she said. A 69-year-old homeless man in San Jose died on July 3 due the extreme heat.
Nguyen added that the state doesn’t have precise data on the number of health emergencies or deaths caused by heatwaves.
She said the people at most risk of experiencing heat-caused health issues include children and infants, senior citizens, pregnant people, people working outdoors or indoors without air conditioning, disabled individuals, unhoused persons, and lower-income people.
“Anyone can be a victim of life-threatening heatstroke
because a lot of it doesn’t have to do with absolute temperature,” she explained. “Sometimes, it can be if folks are not acclimated to hot temperatures and there is a fast rise. When the temperature doesn’t cool at night and when it is hot for a long period of time, all these things increase the risk of folks having health-related injuries and potentially death from heat.”
The warning signs of heat illness include confusion, vomiting, passing out, heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, paleness, tiredness, irritability, and dizziness.
Staying hydrated, cool, and informed about the weather forecasts are ways to prevent heat health problems. Nguyen recommended to not drink sugary, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks, which can dehydrate a person.
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Program Senior Safety Engineer Charlene Gloriani said, under state law, businesses with employees who work outdoors -- such as agricultural workers -- are required to give plenty of access to free and clean water and shade to prevent heat-related illnesses.
“Shaded areas must not cause exposure to another health or safety hazard,” she explained. “When temperatures exceed 95 degrees a buddy system should be in place and employees must be monitored for signs of heat illness. They must also be encouraged to drink water. Cool down rest periods are required every two hours.”
Sacramento Fire Department Captain Andrew Ramos noted that people must remember to stay safe while doing activities in waterways such as rivers and lakes when cooling off on hot days.
“We need each and every one of you to be your own safety monitor,” Ramos said while suggesting people wear life jackets. “Look and make sure your family members are wearing their life jackets even if they’re able to swim.” To get more information on extreme heat and to access resources to help you stay healthy and cool.
Self-care is Healthcare (Black Women)
Black women are at an increased risk for hypertension. Less stress means a healthier heart. Remember, your self-care is your health care.
mid-July.
“The longevity of this particular event is what I’m most concerned with,” he explained. “We will see daytime high temperatures for many interior areas reaching to 100 to 115 degrees each afternoon. Overnight low temperatures won’t provide much relief -only dipping into the 70s and holding into the lower 80s for some locations.”
Lawrence was speaking during a July 2 news briefing focused on the current weather conditions, their dangers, and what Californians need to know to stay safe in the blistering weather this summer.
The online briefing was organized by Listos California, the state’s disaster readiness program, and hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media. State emergency preparedness officials and a frontline responder spoke during the news conference.
California Black Media Executive Director Regina
Self-care is Healthcare (Black Men)
People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol, which are major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. A healthy diet, exercise, and reducing stress where possible are steps that can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Your self-care is health care.
NOTICE INVITING BIDS
COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED DISTRICT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Coachella Valley Unified District, acting by and through its Governing Board, hereinafter referred to as “District”, will receive prior to 2:00 pm on July 29, 2024, sealed bids for the award of a Contract for the following:
BID NO. 171-2024FB
PLAYFIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND OUTDOOR LEARNING AT CESAR CHAVEZ
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CORAL MOUNTAIN
ACADEMY ELEMENTARY, VALLE DEL SOL
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, VALLEY VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
All bids shall be made and presented only on the forms presented by the District. Bids shall be received in the Office of the Superintendent, Coachella Valley Unified District located at 87-225 Church Street, Thermal, CA 92274, and shall be opened and publicly read aloud at the above state time and place. Any bids received after the time specified above or after any extensions due to material changes shall be returned unopened.
Miscellaneous Information
Bids shall be received in the place identified above, and shall be opened and publicly read aloud at the abovestated time in the CVUSD Facilities Conference Room.
The bid documents are available for free download at the District Bid Manager Portal: https://cloud.astihosted. com/CVUSD/dbm/Vendor/Ven_Default.asp. All vendors interested in the project must be registered users and download/print their own set of bidding documents.
There will be a mandatory Pre-Bid Conference 7:00 am July 22, 2024 at CVUSD District Office, 87225 Church Street, Thermal, CA 92274. Report to Admin Building. Any Contractor bidding on the Project who fails to attend the entire mandatory job walk and conference will be deemed a non-responsive bidder and will have its bid returned unopened.
Scope of work to include but not limited to, fence removal and installation of new fence, installation of new concrete track pathway and natural grass field, irrigation improvements, new athletic site furnishing, etc.
Project time of completion: 60 days
**Note: Pursuant to Public Contract Code section 20103.8, the selection process selected does not preclude the District from using any of the additive or deductive alternates from the Contract after the lowest responsible responsive bidder has been determined.
Miscellaneous Information
Bids shall be received in the place identified above, and shall be opened and publicly read aloud at
Each bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the California Business and Professions Code, and be licensed to perform the work called for in the Contract Documents. The successful bidder must possess all valid and active Class “A, B, 27, 16” Licenses at the time of bid and throughout the duration of this Contract. The Contractor’s California State License number shall be clearly stated on the bidder’s proposal.
Subcontractors shall be licensed pursuant to California law for the trades necessary to perform the Work called for in the Contract Documents.
Each bid must strictly conform with and be responsive to the Contract Documents as defined in the General Conditions.
The District reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any irregularities or informalities in any bids or in the bidding.
Each bidder shall submit with its bid — on the form furnished with the Contract Documents — a list of the designated subcontractors on this Project as required by the Subletting and Subcontracting Fair Practices Act, California Public Contract Code section 4100 et seq.
In accordance with California Public Contract Code section 22300, the District will permit the substitution of securities for any moneys withheld by the District to ensure performance under the Contract. At the request and expense of the Contractor, securities equivalent to the amount withheld shall be deposited with the District, or with a state or federally chartered bank as the escrow agent, who shall then pay such moneys to the Contractor. Upon satisfactory completion of the Contract, the securities shall be returned to the Contractor.
Each bidder’s bid must be accompanied by one of the following forms of bidder’s security: (1) cash; (2) a cashier’s check made payable to the District; (3) a certified check made payable to the District; or (4) a bidder’s bond executed by a California admitted surety as defined in Code of Civil Procedure section 995.120, made payable to the District in the form set forth in the Contract Documents. Such bidder’s security must be in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the maximum amount of bid as a guarantee that the bidder will enter into the proposed Contract, if the same is awarded to such bidder, and will provide the required Performance and Payment Bonds, insurance certificates and any other required documents. In the event of failure to enter into said Contract or provide the necessary documents, said security will be forfeited.
The Contractor and all Subcontractors shall comply with the requirements set forth in Division 2, Part 7,
Chapter 1 of the Labor Code. The District has obtained from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations the general prevailing rate of per diem wages and the general prevailing rate for holiday and overtime work in the locality in which this work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to execute the Contract. These per diem rates, including holiday and overtime work, as well as employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, and similar purposes, are on file at the District, and are also available from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations. Pursuant to California Labor Code section 1720 et seq., it shall be mandatory upon the Contractor to whom the Contract is awarded, and upon any subcontractor under such Contractor, to pay not less than the said specified rates to all workers employed by them in the execution of the Contract.
A Contractor or Subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in the Labor Code, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or by Section 10164 or 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.
The Contractor and all subcontractors shall furnish certified payroll records as required pursuant Labor Code section 1776 directly to the Labor Commissioner in accordance with Labor Code section 1771.4 on at least on a monthly basis (or more frequently if required by the District or the Labor Commissioner) and in a format prescribed by the Labor Commissioner. Monitoring and enforcement of the prevailing wage laws and related requirements will be performed by the Labor Commissioner/ Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).
No bidder may withdraw any bid for a period of ninety (90) calendar days after the date set for the opening of bids.
Separate payment and performance bonds, each in an amount equal to 100% of the total Contract amount, are required, and shall be provided to the District prior to execution of the Contract and shall be in the form set forth in the Contract Documents.
All bonds (Bid, Performance, and Payment) must be issued by a California admitted surety as defined in California Code of Civil Procedure section 995.120.
Where applicable, bidders must meet the requirements set forth in Public Contract Code section 10115 et seq., Military and Veterans Code section 999 et seq. and California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 1896.60 et seq. regarding Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (“DVBE”) Programs. Forms are included in this Bid Package.
Any request for substitutions pursuant to Public Contract Code section 3400 must be made at the time of Bid on the Substitution Request Form set forth in the Contract Documents and included with the bid.
No telephone or facsimile machine will be available to bidders on the District premises at any time.
It is each bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure its bid is timely delivered and received at the location designated as specified above. Any bid received at the designated location after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids shall be returned to the bidder unopened.
COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED DISTRICT
Leticia C. Torres, Interim Director of Facilities, Planning and Development
Publication Dates: July 11, 2024 July 18, 2024
Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference: July 22, 2024
Bid Submittal/Opening: July 29, 2024
Published in The San Bernardino American Newspaper July 11, 18, 2024.
L E G A L S C L A S S I F I E D S G O H E R E
The United States of America. Reference: https://www.commonlawcourt.com/list/deeds/ OTH/22/857259 ~2 Legal Description: Lot 3 Amended Tract 16100 Recorded Book of Maps 308 Pages 58-59 Rancho Cucamonga San Bernardino County California APN 0225 071 80 0000 Now 1087 231 03 0000; being a portion of LAND PATENT Accession # CACAAA 073444 / Certificate # 4624, Dated, 31st day of May 1892; Township 1N Range 6W part &
Sing Sing
By Dwight
Colman Domingo stars in Sing Sing (photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival)
It’s refreshing when a film poses answers to the most confounding social issues.
Countless feature films and documentaries exam the plight of systems and institutions that treat Black folks unfairly. Too few offer solutions. That’s the reason this drama, which is based-on-fact and real people, is so illuminating. It offers results.
Prison reform is a hot topic, and this production depicts it in a way that makes the rehabilitation of the incarcerated an inspiring journey. An allegory worth retelling and spreading. The setting is Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Ossining, New York.
Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) is a small group of convicts who’ve become actors, and its members put on shows every six months.
One of the founders, John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo, Rustin), writes many of their plays. He recruits a temperamental prison yard bully, Divine Eye (Clarence Maclin), into the group. Then the troupe, their director (Paul Raci, Sound of Metal) and key players
(Sean San Jose, John Divine G. Whitfield) prepare to stage a time travel theater piece.
Writer/director Greg Kwedar, with co-writers Clint Bentley (Jockey) and Brent Buell, weaves reality, a play-withina-play scenario, rivalries, jealousies, failures and hope into an extremely emotional and uplifting film. You have to love the characters; the ones society deems incorrigible. All the prisoners are interesting, but Divine Eye is intensely compelling because his character arc puts the ultimate dreams and goals of the theater group on display. Healing and redemption. Also, the real Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin plays himself!
The push and pull, between Divine G and Divine Eye, is so tense and real because Domingo and Maclin convey the rawest emotions. Arguments, accusations, fear, anxiety and finally love and understanding. It’s a process the actors go through with a keen sense of duty to their characters. A mentoring that brings the most unlikely prison actor to his zenith. They
continued on page 8
FDA Updates Guidance to Further Empower Companies to Address the Spread of Misinformation
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advancing its mission of ensuring the public has access to accurate, up-todate science-based information to inform decisions about FDAregulated medical products to maintain and improve their health. The agency is providing updated recommendations to empower industry seeking to voluntarily address misinformation about or related to their approved/cleared medical products.
“Regulated industry plays a critical role in ensuring consumers have accurate information about medical products. We’ve updated our draft guidance to help further ensure industry has clarity and additional flexibility to promptly and proactively issue responsive communications to address misinformation they are seeing,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “The growing spread of rumors about science and medicine continues to put patients and consumers at risk. We remain steadfast in our commitment to address this public health concern and continue to support and encourage all parties in the public health ecosystem to take an active role.”
In today’s health care system, health care providers and consumers often turn to the internet to obtain health and medical-related information. However, not all information found online about medical products is reliable. There are many false statements and conclusions shared online and the structure and popularity of social media platforms have meant that false, inaccurate and/ or misleading information about medical products can spread rapidly to a broad audience.
Basing medical decisions on inaccurate information can have adverse consequences as it can
FDA Updates Guidance to Further Empower Companies to Address the Spread of Misinformation...continued
also describes existing avenues (“general medical product communications”) that companies might also choose to use to address misinformation about their medical products wherever that misinformation may appear. This draft guidance revises and replaces the draft guidance for industry, Internet/ Social Media Platforms: Correcting Independent ThirdParty Misinformation About Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices, issued in June 2014. The revised draft guidance is open for public comment for 60 days.
In addition to providing these updated draft recommendations, the FDA has taken and will continue to take steps to communicate accurate, up-todate, science-based information to the public. Some examples of such efforts include:
Providing timely, digestible, factual information to news
media and other organizations; Creating resources on the FDA’s website and social media to address common questions about the products the agency regulates;
Participating in speaking engagements to draw attention to the dangers of misinformation and to provide factual information about FDA-regulated medical products and public health issues; Providing interested parties with toolkits of resources; and Posting memos and other regulatory documents that outline the agency’s decision-making, consistent with applicable law(s).
The FDA will continue to proactively offer resources about medical products to provide factual and scientifically sound information to the public. The agency remains committed to helping address misinformation and continues to support other interested parties that choose to engage on this critical issue.
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Receives $60,000 Grant From Albertsons Vons, Pavilions Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors and O Organics® to Tackle Summer Food Insecurity
Riverside County News
(Riverside, CA – July 9, 2024)
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) received a $60,000 grant from Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors Program to combat hunger during the summer months and after school hours when schoolaged children face higher rates of food insecurity. The grant is part of the “Fight Hunger, Serve Hope” initiative from the grocer’s private label brand O Organics and will be used towards FARSB’s Grab n’ Go program.
lead patients and health care providers to choose treatments that are not safe and effective, or to forgo treatments that are.
The FDA believes it is critically important to promptly address misinformation about medical products. The revised draft guidance issued today supports the efforts of medical product companies that share this interest in helping the public get factual, accurate and scientifically sound information about medical products.
Specifically, the revised draft guidance, Addressing Misinformation About Medical Devices and Prescription Drugs Questions and Answers, sets out a policy that supports companies that issue certain kinds of internet-based communications (“tailored responsive communications”) to address internet-based misinformation about or related to their approved/ cleared medical products when that misinformation is created or disseminated by an independent third party. For example, a company might choose to use this type of communication when a celebrity, healthcare provider or influencer, not acting on behalf of the company, posts false, inaccurate and/or misleading representations of fact about the company’s approved/ cleared medical product on social media. Additionally, this revised draft guidance provides companies with many examples that illustrate the types of misinformation found online that a company might choose to address with a tailored responsive communication, along with some considerations relevant to the current digital information environment.
The revised draft guidance
“We’re excited to partner with Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions Foundation to help improve nutrition among low-income children and families, especially during the summer and after school hours when they are most vulnerable,” said Carolyn Fajardo, CEO at FARSB.
“Together with the Foundation, we’ll continue to tackle the ongoing food insecurity issues in our community.”
This grant will help fund the Grab n’ Go program, which distributes monthly food boxes to school district sites throughout the Inland Empire to ensure all children have access to nutritious meals. During the summer, FARSB partners with four school districts in Hemet, Moreno Valley, Redlands, and Rialto. This will make a larger impact in the community during summer break as many children who would normally have access to free meals on weekdays, have a higher rate of food insecurity.
“At Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions, we are committed to making a difference in the lives of children facing food insecurity, and we’re pleased to partner with FARSB to fund grants dedicated to providing healthy meals for at-risk youth throughout the summer,” said Kevin Curry, Division President of Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions. “Nourishing Neighbors, together with partners like FARSB, is making our neighborhoods better for children in need.”
O Organics has donated a total of $7 million in 2024 to the Nourishing Neighbors Program to fund grants dedicated to enhancing school breakfasts, providing weekend breakfast food, backpack programs with food to take home, summer breakfast meals, and many other breakfast-related programs. This follows a 2023 donation of $7 million to fund similar grants for at-risk youth.
Nourishing Neighbors is a charitable program of the Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions Foundation. The program aims to eradicate hunger in America by keeping food banks stocked and supporting meal distribution programs at schools. In 2023, along with the national Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company contributed over $200 million in food and financial support, including over $40 million through the Nourishing Neighbors Program, to ensure at-risk children, adults, seniors, and families have access to the food they need to thrive.
Justice, Care and Opportunities Department Launches Incubation Academy Cohort 6
LOS ANGELES – The Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) launched the sixth cohort of its transformational Incubation Academy today.
The Incubation Academy focuses on organizational growth, management contracting, capacity mapping and mentorship for community-based organizations (CBO) that serve justice-involved individuals and communities.
JCOD partners with The Center for Non-Profit Management to provide one year of training for CBOs led by underrepresented groups, such as formerly incarcerated, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, targeting
Justice, Care and Opportunities Department Launches Incubation Academy Cohort 6...continued
JCOD accepts applications for future Cohorts of its Incubation Academy on a rolling basis. For more information about
the program or to apply, visit jcod.lacounty.gov/ incubationacademy.
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow But You Want to Procrastinate and Delay Repentance!”
By Lou K. Coleman
Woe unto you! For the Bible makes a difference between our plans and God’s purposes. We are told not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. [Proverbs 27:1]. Besides, what is your life? But a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes [James 4:13-17]. Our days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children. [Psalm 103:15-17]. Besides what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? [Mark 8:36]. Here today, gone tomorrow, but you want to procrastinate and delay repentance. Woe unto you!
You know, someone has called the fifth chapter of Genesis ''A
desert of death.'' You can almost see the pine boxes and the graves. You can almost hear the weeping widows. You can almost smell the stench of death that arises from this chapter. Over and over, we read these words, ''and he died.'' The last words of verse 5 read, ''and he died.'' We read in verse 8 ''and he died.'' We read in verse 11 ''and he died.'' We read in verse 14 ''and he died.'' We read in verse17 ''and he died.'' We read in verse 20 ''and he died. Tell me what you are waiting for. Tomorrow is not promised. We are still at the mercy of God’s grace, and we must take grace seriously. Don’t be like deluded Lot, we do not deserve mercy. We must never take advantage of God’s grace and patience. We must never presume that we will get another chance or another day to make it right. Our personal day of Judgment could come at any moment. Let’s remember Lot and take God up on His offer to rescue us. And let’s remember Lot’s wife and never look back. Procrastination can cost us our souls in the end [2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2]. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Seizing the Kairos Moment
Susan Mueller
We find ourselves in a kairos moment, a time of crisis and opportunity. We are in a moment that is God-charged and is ready to bring forth a great movement. This is a moment of truth for the church. We find ourselves in a critical time to awaken from our spiritual amnesia, to stay involved, to acknowledge humanity’s action in having an impact on all of creation. The true nature of the church and of individual Christians will be revealed by our action or lack thereof in climate crisis.
the highest-need areas of LA County.
Cohort 6 of the Incubation Academy features 25 new organizations from each Supervisorial district. Most CBOs in Cohort 6 have fewer than five full-time employees and have never received funding from LA County.
To date, a total of 113 CBOs have completed JCOD’s Incubation Academy through the first five cohorts. These 113 organizations have collectively received more than $4 million in capacity-building grants and more than $28 million in Care First Community Investment Care Grants.
Alvin Pitcher, in his book Listen to Earth, explains that nurturing connectedness with one another is the major function of the church. We must be in communion with not only ourselves but with all of creation. Humanity is inseparable from nonhuman creation, the cradle of life. As individuals and as a church we are ethically obligated to understand our dependence upon nature. James Gustafson says, “As we live in an increasingly urban and artificial environment, we are losing touch with most of the biotic component’s nature.”
As I reflect upon social justice movements of the past that drove change, it is the kairos moment of local mobilization that awakens a global response. Like the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where
a small movement grew into a national movement, the climate crisis calls for a collective effort which matches mobilization and action. We must rethink our purpose as individuals and as a church to save not only humanity but all of God’s creation.
In a recent podcast I heard, the presenter told a story of his youth when his grandmother took him to the fishing pier. As they approached, he exclaimed, “Look! There’s a school of goldfish!” His grandmother, not believing him, shook her head and walked on. However, when they approached the fish, it was indeed a school of goldfish. An invasive fish, thrown into the lake by unwitting pet owners, turned into a lesson of creation and the component of nature. Stories such as this serve to remind us of the urgency of overcoming our spiritual amnesia, awakening to God’s call to care for Earth. Our spiritual amnesia must end. We must awake to God’s purpose for us, which is to care for God’s creation. It’s time to seize our kairos moment and lead creation care and environmental justice forward. We must embody the hope of the church and live into our calling as stewards of creation and agents of justice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Mueller is the Climate Hope Campaign Organizer for the United Church of Christ.
Lou K. Coleman
WITNESS FOR JUSTICE Issue #1211
LA County News
Brown Film Critic for DwightBrownInk.com and NNPA News Wire
Inland Empire News
By Ben Jealous
Dispatch from a World on Fire
The smoke pollution from Canadian wildfires last summer killed more than 100 people in Michigan – about two dozen in Detroit alone, according to a Cornell University study.
Other Detroiters, like June Mack, saw their medical conditions worsen dramatically. Mack, a retiree living in Northwest Detroit who has asthma, was confined to her home and still could not escape the smoke’s impact. She suffered vertigo and double vision that required her to wear an eyepatch and give up driving for months. And it left her worrying about the effectiveness and cost of her asthma inhaler.
Mack told Planet Detroit, “I’m concerned that if the air quality is still bad…will [it] work? Or do I have to go to something else more expensive?”
Wildfire smoke and its impacts have long been an issue for many in the western United States. But the fires there are getting worse there too. They are getting worse everywhere. It is climate change in action.
According to the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as of July 6, 150,082 acres had burned so far this year in wildland fires in the state. That is nearly four-and-a-half times the five-year average (34,257 acres) for the same time interval.
“The world is on fire” is no longer a metaphor. In the United States, that means almost 16,000 deaths per year from wildfire smoke. That number could nearly double by mid-century, according to an April analysis by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Another study this year out of Yale found that we could already be near 30,000 deaths per year, when factoring in all the additional harm to heart, lung, kidney, and mental health in the aftermath of smoke exposure.
The destruction does not end with the fires and smoke. There are the floods that follow the fires. And all the injuries and illness also carry both extreme human and financial costs. A study published last month found that in California, between 2008 and 2018, there were 52,480 premature deaths associated with exposure to the fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke. And the health care costs from that exposure exceeded $432 billion.
Climate change creates the conditions for these fires and ignites them. But, part of a vicious cycle, the fires themselves also help fuel climate change.
Our North American forests have an especially big role in cleansing our air. They are among the forests sometimes referred to as “the Earth’s lungs.”
These forests are particularly carbon-dense, because of all the carbon their trees pull out of the
City of Victorville Announces Promotions & Expansion to its Executive Structure
VICTORVILLE, Calif. —
(07/09/24)Today, the City of Victorville announced that it has expanded its Executive Leadership Team in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness. This month, City Planner Scott Webb and Assistant to the City Manager Tony Camargo were both promoted to Deputy City Manager positions, and Assistant City Planner Alex Jauregui has been promoted to City Planner.
Under the new organizational structure, Keith C. Metzler continues with oversight of the City’s dayto-day functions and will work directly with the Victorville Police Department, Victorville Municipal Utility, the Southern California Logistics Airport, the City Clerk Office, and Public Information Office.
Deputy City Manager Jenele Davidson now oversees Public Works, Finance, Human Resources, and Risk Management; Deputy City Manager Scott Webb is responsible for Planning, Building, Engineering, and Code Compliance; Deputy City Manager Tony Camargo oversees Community Services, Fire, Information Technology, and Economic Development; and Deputy City Manager Sophie Smith, who has worked for the City of Victorville for 24 years and supervised nearly every City department, will lead the transition to this new executive structure until her retirement on December 30.
“As a growing, full-service city with the added complexities of an electric and natural gas utility and a large public airport, the right leadership with the right span of control is critical to our future success,” said City Manager Metzler.
“Additionally, the new leadership structure gives us the ability to develop leaders for succession at the top levels of our organization.”
Jenele Davidson has worked for the City of Victorville for 20 years. During this time, she held various positions in Public Works and Victorville Municipal Utilties before becoming a Senior Management Analyst, Assistant to the City Manager, then Director of Community Serivces. She was promoted to the position of Deputy City Manager in 2020. She earned her associate’s degree from Victor Valley College, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge and Master of Public
atmosphere. Therefore when these forests burn, the fires release significant amounts of carbon dioxide, which in turn creates more warming. And that in turn creates more fires.
Moreover, while the underlying conditions for longer fire seasons and more intense blazes are supercharged by global warming, new research shows that hotter temperatures are themselves likely causing fires to start. We have known that fires continue to smolder under the snowpack in our Arctic forests as so-called “zombie fires.” Then, when the weather warms, if there is ample vegetation for those fires to consume, they can essentially rise from the ashes of last year’s fire with new life. But new research indicates it could be the heat itself that is lighting the new fires and increasing the prevalence of zombie fires.
The soils of North America’s Arctic and boreal forests are rich in peat. Rapid increases in temperature above ground can cause peat-rich soils to heat up to smoldering temperatures underground, without any other spark or ignition. Add forest fires started by spontaneous combustion to the list of the impacts of climate change.
So, what can we do? For one, we need to break our fossil fuel addiction immediately. The cycle of wildfires, carbon release, and atmospheric warming described above can only be broken if we stop pushing the problem along by continuing to burn fossil fuels. The other thing we can do is
protect our trees and plant more of them. Old growth forests are especially important because they are more fire resistant and absorb and store more carbon than their younger counterparts. And those forests have a welldeveloped understory – the layer of vegetation between the ground and the upper forest canopy. Many understory plants are perennials that come back after a fire.
That means the initiatives from the Biden-Harris administration to protect old growth forests and to plant trees in American cities are critical. The most obvious start is preserving mature and oldgrowth forests and trees on federal lands from being cut. And the $1.5 billion investment in urban forestry by this administration is another great step. Expanding urban tree canopies directly benefits communities with the addition of much-needed shade and green space. And with 84% of Americans living in or just outside cities, that is important. We should be planting trees in every community.
As we work to slow the warming and increase protections for trees and forests, if you live in a place with fires or fire smoke, take care, and stay inside when needed. If you live somewhere with an acute risk of fire or post-fire flooding, consider taking precautions like having an emergency plan and packing a go-bag.
This is our new normal, but we do not need to just accept it. The solutions are right in front of us. We just need to find the will to reach for them.
Government excludes and discriminates against Blackowned media despite federal advertising spending reaching $15B...continued from page 1
to the rest of the industry.
Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. She’s been a resident of the Victor Valley for nearly 40 years. Scott Webb started with the City of Victorville in 2005 and progressed through the ranks to oversee the City’s Planning Department as Victorville City Planner. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University of Pomona and is completing his Master of Business Administration in Organizational Management from Eastern University. Scott grew up in the Victor Valley and is a graduate of Apple Valley High School.
During his more than eight years with the City of Victorville, Tony Camargo has held a variety of positions ranging from Technology Coordinator and Administrative Analyst to Assistant to the City Manager. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Grand Canyon University and a Master of Business Administration from California Baptist University. Tony is a Victorville native and graduate of Victor Valley High School.
Alex Jauregui has worked for the City of Victorville for more than 19 years. He joined the City as a Planning Technician in 2005 and promoted through a variety of roles. Most recently, Alex served as Assistant City Planner for two years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University of Pomona. Alex is a long-time resident of the Victor Valley where his family has resided for over 30 years.
Located in Southern California at the high-point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Victorville is the leading city for both industry and retail in the High Desert region. Victorville is a growing, vibrant community that is home to more than 135,000 residents and some of the area’s largest employers. Clean air, abundant mountain vistas, familyfriendly recreational activities, spectacular sunsets, and breathtaking night skies entice locals and visitors alike to fall in love with this city that is within a few hours of SoCal beaches, National Parks, mountain retreats, and other major attractions. Ontario International Airport is less than an hour away. Learn more about the City of Victorville at VictorvilleCA.gov.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study revealed that the federal government spent more than $5 billion on advertising over five years, with Black-owned businesses receiving only $51 million, or 1.02 percent of those funds. Black-owned newspapers and media companies received a small portion of the $51 million.
Jessica Lucas-Judy, director of strategic issues for GAO, clarified in an email to the Black Press: “Black American-owned businesses were awarded $256 million (21 percent) of the $1.2 billion in federal advertising contracts obligated to minorityowned businesses from FYs 2014 through 2023. When looking at the number of businesses, 148 Black-owned businesses were awarded advertising contracts during that time period.”
Lucas-Judy added, “I doublechecked with my team; the data from FPDS identified Blackowned businesses generally, rather than Black-owned newspapers/media outlets specifically. I think the only way to find the information you’re looking for would be to review each individual contract.”
The trend of underrepresentation in federal advertising contracts has been around for a while. In March 2016, Holmes Norton joined with the NNPA to call for a report on federal advertising contracts with minority-owned newspapers and media companies. The NNPA is the trade association of more than 250 African Americanowned newspapers and media companies. The conglomerate comprises the 197-year-old Black Press of America.
Norton emphasized that the federal government, as the largest advertiser in the country, should ensure equal opportunities for news outlets and media companies owned by individuals of color, especially as African Americans and Hispanic Americans continue to grow in number in the United States.
“The federal government is the largest advertiser in the United States, and it has an obligation to ensure equitable access to its contracts for SDBs
How to take action and help protect older adults from scams
by Arizona Informant
Anyone can be a victim of scams. They happen when scammers go after individuals of all ages, using tactics like phone calls, emails and messages to reel in unsuspecting victims to get to their money and personal information.
Older adults are often key targets, and it is important to stay alert to common scams and financial abuse signs that can help protect older loved ones from becoming a victim.
Neil Hart, Executive Director and a Chase Market Director for Banking shares the following tips to avoid falling for a scam.
Know the signs of a scam
Scammers have grown very convincing. They often can impersonate companies or organizations and make you believe the urgency or need behind their attempts. If you encounter the following signs, you’re likely dealing with a scammer.
1. Urgent demands to take action, send money and personal information requests. An imposter may demand quick action, claim that you will lose money, and push for access to your personal account information, passwords or confirmation codes. Remember: neither banks nor the government will threaten you or demand money to protect your accounts. If you receive a call from your bank that you are unsure about, hang up and call the number on the back of your credit or debit card
2. New relationships that take an interest in their money. Financial abuse often happens from persons known to the victim, like a caretaker or a new acquaintance. Be wary of any new friends approaching you with investment “opportunities” or who take an interest in your financial information.
and businesses owned by minorities and women,” Norton stated. “The GAO’s findings demonstrate that there is still much progress to be made.”
In 2007, GAO had already investigated advertising spending by five agencies— the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Health and Human Services, the Interior and NASA—and found that only 5 percent of the $4.3 billion available for advertising campaigns went to minorityowned businesses. Thirty-one members of Congress joined the call for accountability in the federal government’s advertising practices.
The latest GAO report, released June 27, 2024, highlighted those three agencies—the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security—were responsible for more than half of advertising contract obligations to specified businesses from FYs 2014 through 2023, totaling about $1.3 billion. While these agencies obligated the most dollars to selected companies, other agencies had higher percentages of their obligations directed to these businesses. For instance, NASA allocated 99 percent of its advertising contract dollars to specified businesses, albeit a lower total dollar amount.
“The NNPA notes, as we have raised over the past decade, the issues of equity, inclusion, and accountability with respect to federal advertising dollars spending with Black-owned newspapers and other media companies,” NNPA President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. stated.
“The latest GAO report is very telling and documents decades of racial discrimination and inequality concerning the allocations of federal advertising dollars. We live in a data conscious society and marketplace,” Chavis added. “We appreciate the data transparency of the GAO report that raises the urgency for immediate systematic change in federal government advertising spending to be more equitable and inclusive of advertising with the Black Press of America in this fiscal year.”
changes to wills, power of attorneys or any other financial plans, it could be a sign of financial abuse.
Take action to avoid scams
You and your loved ones don’t have to be victims. These steps can help reduce the chance of falling for a scam:
Ignore and block calls and messages from numbers you don’t recognize and don’t trust caller ID alone. When in doubt, hang up and contact the company, bank or loved one directly to ask if there is a problem.
Throw away unsolicited mail and be careful with suspicious emails or messages on social media. Don’t answer questions about personal finances. Keep your personal information, account details and passwords safe so you don’t give scammers access to your money and identity. Be cautious when using checks. Digital payment methods or your bank’s online bill payment feature can help you get money to your intended recipient while eliminating paper checks that can be stolen and altered. Enable online alerts to be aware of large purchases. You can act quickly if you see fraudulent charges.
3. Unexpected contact from “loved ones.” Scammers can use artificial intelligence (AI) to replicate familiar voices, posing as friends or family. They’ll call you on the phone sounding like a loved one in danger and demanding that you send money. Hang up and contact your loved one directly to confirm it’s really them.
4. Unusual financial activity. Scammers could be accessing your account if you see withdrawals or changes to your accounts, such as new authorized users or missed bill payments. Also, be sure to keep your checkbook safe and keep an eye on check activity. Automate all the payments you can and discuss who are trusted contacts to support money decisions if you ever need help.
5. Changes in ownership and responsibility. If you notice
Remember that financial scams can happen to anyone. If you feel you’ve been scammed, contact your bank to verify recent transactions to ensure there is no unusual activity on your account. Don’t feel embarrassed if you become a victim, share your experience with friends and family and ask for help. You can learn more about ways to detect financial abuse and to protect loved ones at chase.com/ financialabuse. For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any individual. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/ or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy.
Sing Sing...continued from page 7 and others are given the words and feelings they need to show that growth and redemption is possible. Says one con: “We’re here to become human again. And enjoy the things that are not in our reality.” All the depictions and interpretations of prison life resonate. All.
Kwedar (Jockey) directs the ebbs and flows and ups and downs with a real focus on primal feelings, authentic performances and a rhythm that makes 105 minutes (editor Parker Laramie) of jail time a vibrant experience. It’s a vision to behold (Pat Scola, cinematographer; Ruta Kiskyte, production design; Desira Pesta, costumes; Jacob Harbeck, art direction). In between scenes, the camera focusses on exterior and interior shots that are perfectly lit and composed. Like those in an art film.
By film’s end, passion and optimism rush over you. And knowing that some of the formerly incarcerated men from the real RTA group are in the main cast brings the film’s theme full circle. The real-life director of RTA made an astonishing claim: “67% of inmates will return to prison after being released. The recidivism rate for RTA members is 3%.” That’s because their arts therapy group rebuilds prisoners from the inside out. Ever heard of an empowering jailhouse movie that posed even a tiny solution for breaking the cycle of mass incarceration? That’s the magic of the stirring film Sing Sing—it has answers.
Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=j3dXc6P3zH8
Ben Jealous