SB American News Week Ending 1/4/23

Former Texas Cop Gets 11 Years in Atatiana Jefferson Killing

NNPA NEWSWIRE — After the sentence was pronounced, one of Jefferson’s sisters, Ashley Carr, read statements, including one from her sister, Amber Carr, Zion’s mother. Amber Carr said Jefferson, who planned to go to medical school, “had big dreams and goals” and that her son “feels he is responsible to fill the whole role of his aunt, and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

welfare check.

Aaron Dean, the white police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home in Texas, has received an 11year prison sentence following his conviction on manslaughter charges.

Dean,38, counted among the officers responding to an “open structure” call at Jefferson’s home in October 2019.

Jefferson, 28, left her door open while she and her 8-yearold nephew, Zion, were inside.

Noticing the open door, a neighbor called police for a

Jefferson and her nephew were playing video games that night and Jefferson opened the doors to allow smoke from hamburgers to dissipate after they burned.

Zion, now 11, testified that he was in the room when his aunt was shot.

After the sentence was pronounced, one of Jefferson’s sisters, Ashley Carr, read statements, including one from her sister, Amber Carr, Zion’s mother.

Amber Carr said Jefferson,

who planned to go to medical school, “had big dreams and goals” and that her son “feels he is responsible to fill the whole role of his aunt, and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

Ashley Carr called her sister “a beautiful ray of sunshine.”

“She was in her home, which should have been the safest place for her to be, and yet turned out to be the most dangerous,” she said.

The manslaughter conviction allowed the jury to sentence the disgraced former officer to 11

years rather than the 20 years he could have served on murder charges.

Body-camera footage revealed that Dean and his partner did not identify themselves as police officers.

Dean and Officer Carol Darch testified that they thought the house might have been burglarized and quietly moved into the fenced-off backyard, looking for signs of forced entry.

Dean drew his service weapon and fired through the window a split-second after shouting at Jefferson to show her hands.

Dean testified that he had no choice when he saw Jefferson pointing a gun at him. But under cross examination he admitted to several errors and conceded that actions before and after the shooting were “more bad police work.”

Zion testified that Jefferson took out her gun because she thought there was an intruder in the backyard.

Ashley Carr said the family wanted the officer sentenced to more time but was still pleased with the 11 years he received.

“Eleven years, that’s the same age as Zion,” Carr said. “Ten months, 12 days, that’s the day that it happened. It’s a message in this. It might not be the message that we wanted and the whole dream, but it’s some of it.”

This Holiday Season, Judges Give Us Something to Celebrate

By Ben Jealous

commitment to civil rights. Many of them have been civil rights lawyers or public defenders. This is a real change, even from past Democratic presidents. For decades, presidents most often nominated corporate lawyers or prosecutors to the bench. Those people were also overwhelmingly white and male. Not anymore.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - I’ve written about the importance of judges a few times over the last year. And every time I do, I realize that many people have never met a judge. Or they have, but it was at a time when they’d rather have been anywhere else. So the idea that judges are on my mind as something to celebrate this holiday season may strike you as strange. But bear with me.

Since President Biden came into office, he has made it a priority to nominate federal judges who are not only legal stars but are diverse, come from underrepresented professional backgrounds, and have a deep

At the federal circuit level, which is the level above the district or trial courts and just below the Supreme Court, 41 percent of Biden nominees have been Black. So far, more Black women have been confirmed to the circuit court bench than during all previous presidencies combined. At the district level, Biden has nominated people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and people of diverse faiths, who are historic “firsts” on their respective courts. Not only that, but we have our first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Her presence inspires me every day, even though there are many reasons to be dissatisfied with the Court’s far-right majority.

Thanks to President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin,

the pace of nominations and confirmations has been fast – very fast. This was critical, because during the Trump presidency, the Far Right raced to confirm as many ultraconservative judges as possible. President Biden is beating Trump’s pace with one of the fastest confirmation processes ever. As I write this, 97 lifetime federal judges have been confirmed in the first two years of Biden’s presidency. Trump had 85 in his first two years. Biden’s pace is the second fastest in a quarter century.

And when the Senate returns in January, there will be a spectacular roster of nominees just waiting for the final step in their confirmation process: people like Nancy Abudu, an advocate for voting rights and civil rights through her work at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU; Natasha Merle, an advocate for racial justice at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Tiffany Cartwright, a civil rights litigator whose cases include police misconduct; and Julie Rikelman, the longtime litigation director for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

So why does all this matter?

It’s not just because having people from underrepresented communities on our courts is inspiring to see and long overdue. Both of those things are true. It’s because the nominations and confirmations represent the administration’s commitment to building fairer courts overall. The Biden administration is actively seeking out judicial nominees who will improve the quality of decision-making on our courts because of the lived experience they bring. It’s seeking people who have seen the justice system from all sides, in their work or in life. People who are committed to upholding rights for everyone, not just the wealthy or privileged. And already, decisions by fair-minded Biden nominees have improved justice for many Americans in areas like workers’ rights and the environment.

When we have fair judges and fair courts, our lives are dramatically better. Fair courts hold police officers accountable for brutality. Fair courts protect our right to vote and strike down laws aimed at voter suppression.

This Holiday Season, Judges Give Us Something to Celebrate...continued

Fair courts protect our jobs, our air and water, and our right to health care, including abortion care. The list goes on and on.

So in addition to celebrating all the great new judges the Biden administration and Senate leadership have given us, there’s one more thing we can do. All of us can call our senators’ offices in January and encourage them to keep up to the momentum by confirming all the rest of the president’s judicial nominees. It’s an easy way to make a difference.

As I’m thinking of things to be thankful for this holiday

season, I’m thankful that many of our federal courts really are changing for the better. So many of the rights and freedoms we’ve worked for in the past and will work for in the future depend on this progress. We need to keep it going.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. A New York Times best-selling author, his next book "Never Forget Our People Were Always Free" will be published by Harper Collins in January 2023.

Both Campaigns are Part of On-Going Outreach to the Black and African American Community

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The state of California has launched two campaigns designed to engage the Black and African American community by providing information about COVID-19 vaccines and boosters and opportunities to get boosted through January 2023.

Shot of Faith returns with the Boost Up/Stay Well campaign in partnership with churches throughout Los Angeles and Inland Empire hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics for their congregants and communities to get their updated (bivalent) booster shots. The Beauty & Barbershop initiative returns with the Boost Our Health campaign to continue to raise awareness of the importance of getting boosted to fight COVID-19.

“Shot of Faith and the Beauty & Barbershop Health Initiative have played an integral part in the state’s COVID-19 awareness campaign,” said Ashley Clark, Press Secretary at the California Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communication, which manages the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. She continued, “We recognize the influence and impact churches, beauty and barber shops have within the Black and African American community and with their support, we have been able to provide significant opportunities for access to information and vaccine clinics.”

Shot of Faith was launched

in May 2021 and is a statewidemultifaceted campaign including church town halls with COVID-19 updates and Q&A sessions with medical experts and vaccine clinics throughout the pandemic. The Beauty & Barbershop program launched in June 2021 provides information and tools for stylists and barbers to have candid conversations with clients and customers about COVID-19.

December marks the two-year anniversary of the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in California. Since then, California has administered over 85 million doses of the vaccine. At the heart of both campaigns is continuing to reduce the spread of the virus and increase immunity with boosters to protect our communities.

“The pandemic highlighted the integral role these entities play as trusted authorities in the Black and African American community, and their partnerships have provided a pipeline for important conversations,” Clark explained. “Through these initiatives, we have been able to meet people where they are and have reached 88 church congregations and 110 beauty and barbershops across California, which has played a major role in getting people vaccinated and boosted,” stated Clark.

Californians can visit MyTurn.ca.gov to schedule an appointment for a vaccination or a booster.

Community News

A jury on Tuesday sentenced former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean to 11 years, 10 months and 12 days in prison for the 2019 killing of Atatiana Jefferson. A jury found Dean, who was initially indicted on a murder charge, guilty of manslaughter last week for fatally shooting Jefferson, a Black woman, through the rear window of her Texas home. The sentence did not make Dean eligible for parole, and he will need to serve at least half of his prison sentence to be eligible. Watch CBS DFW's coverage.

(Photo: CBS News / YouTube)

The State Of California Launches Boost Up/Stay Well And Boost Our Health Covid-19 Campaigns

Gov. Newsom’s Broadband Initiative Is Bringing Internet Access Statewide to the Digitally Disadvantaged

Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference in San Diego County to announce that the construction of the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative had commenced.

A collaboration between California’s Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Department of Technology, the initiative's purpose is to construct a 10,000-mile-long broadband network to provide open internet access statewide by the end of 2026.

The Middle-Mile project was authorized by Senate Bill (SB) 156, announced by Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) in July of last year.

"California is now one step closer to making the digital divide a thing of the past," said Newsom. "This is about ensuring that all Californians, no matter the zip code they call home, can be part of the Golden State’s

thriving and diverse economy."

Once the network has been constructed, the state will provide funding for "last mile" efforts which refers to infrastructure that connects the network to "enduse" entities such as homes and businesses.

The Middle-Mile Initiative boasts a $6.5 billion budget to extend and improve internet access for "unserved and underserved communities" such as Indigenous American reservations, some low-income neighborhoods, and rural areas.

"So, I really want to underscore that our stance on digital equity is that it's a 21st century civil right," Sunne Wright McPeak, President and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), told California Black Media (CBM).

CETF is a non-profit committed to closing the digital divide. It is the only non-state agency serving on the California Broadband Council which

The Right Way to Treat RSV— Respiratory Syncytial Virus

identifies and deploys resources for internet access.

"We live in this whole space around the most digitally disadvantaged, which are often the most economically disadvantaged," said McPeak.

"That persistent concentrated poverty is all rooted in systemic racism."

Communities of color have slightly less broadband access than White communities. While 17% of Black households are without access to internet, 13% of White households lack access, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey (ACS).

"Beginning construction on the Middle-Mile network is a significant step toward broadband equity and providing all Californians the opportunity to access critical information," Secretary of the California Transportation Agency Toks Omishakin said in a press release.

"High-speed internet is much

more than a connection – it’s a lifeline that families need to work, learn, and access critical services," Omishakin continued.

McPeak asserts that high poverty urban areas are hard to reach and suggests that broadband infrastructure often neglects these neighborhoods.

Another piece of the puzzle is the private sector, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond told CBM.

"And because of the way internet service providers and other companies have tried to capitalize on the internet, that means that the U.S. has communities that have been without access to the internet for a long time, even though there's so much resourcing available," Thurmond said.

McPeak echoed the assessment and suggested how state officials can convince private companies to aid in providing open access for Californians by providing incentives to do so.

"One thing the state could do to get much more cooperation is what I call ‘step up or step aside,'" said McPeak. "And that would be powerful if there was that kind of bold leadership that's on the deployment side."

Thurmond called these companies to action to bolster state efforts.

"I think that the state is doing everything that it can, and our office is certainly taking the lead as it relates to our students, but we need everyone to help," Thurmond said. "And that means internet companies have to find ways to help build out pieces of the infrastructure that will reach the homes of Californians."

The Right Way to Treat RSV—Respiratory Syncytial Virus...continued

Three, and this is especially advisable, talk to your doctor before giving your child nonprescription cold remedies. Some over-the-counter medicines that are fine for adults may contain ingredients that should not be given to children.

“Parents of infants and seniors should see their doctor right away if symptoms are not responding to treatment, to make sure that the illness does not get worse and turn into a case of bronchitis or pneumonia,” said Dr. Arteaga.

For more information about LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc. call (855) 349-6019 or go online to LaSalleMedical.com.

LaSalle is also an Independent Practice Association (IPA) of independently contracted doctors, hospitals, and clinics, delivering high quality patient care to more than 1,100,000 patients in Fresno, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, and Tulare counties.

Affirmative Action — Does it Have a Future?

Supreme Court weighs a potential ban on Affirmative Action

campus diversity,” CNN reported in the article.

Admissions practices that consider a student’s race were first upheld in a 1978 Supreme Court decision and reaffirmed in 2003, according to the article.

For nearly 60 years, federal government-enacted policies

Affirmative action, initiated under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration in the 1960s, granted these rights to people under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and an executive order in 1965.

Under his issuance of Executive Order 11246, employment discrimination was prohibited.

Swiftly following in the 1960s and 1970s, colleges began to follow suit in the education realm allowing greater access to minorities, which has led to the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, those who are differently-abled and beyond.

Yet a potential ruling from the Supreme Court could undo years of progress under a ban that many are not sitting by idly and allowing.

The Supreme Court will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admission practices, a New York Times article reported earlier this year, which would heavily impact African American and Hispanic students as the policy counts a student’s race among other factors when considering who can be admitted.

The Department of Justice urged the Supreme Court justices to reject a case against Harvard on the affirmative action matter.

“The filing from the office of U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar emphasized that lower U.S. courts had extensively reviewed Harvard’s racial admissions practices and found them sufficiently limited to meet Supreme Court precedent as they furthered the school’s interest in

A move to ban the use of race in college admissions might drop minority enrollment in higher education, though colleges will adapt, a CNN article added, along with the bulk of America because “concepts such as diversity and inclusion are too widely accepted now to be erased, some scholars and diversity consultants say” in the article.

“Society is moving in the direction of diversity and inclusion, and there is no turning back,” said Barry Friedman, author of “The Will of the People: How Public Opinion Has Influenced the Supreme Court and Shaped the Meaning of the Constitution.”

Dr. Doris Fields, chief diversity officer of Eastern Michigan University, echoed similar sentiments in a statement to the Michigan Chronicle.

“Collectively, both domestic students of color and international students represent nearly 40 percent of Eastern Michigan University’s student population,” Fields said. “We are one of the most diverse public universities in Michigan — diversity is ingrained in our culture and mission. Therefore, any Supreme Court action on Affirmative Action would not affect Eastern, unlike other universities that have admissions policies in place to boost the enrollment of minority students.”

A recent Gallup Poll found that statistically 62 percent of Americans “generally” support affirmative action. However, nearly three-quarters of Americans in a 2019 Pew Research Center survey said colleges and universities should not consider race or ethnicity in student admissions, according to the CNN article.

Howard Ross, a diversity consultant and social justice advocate, said in the article that corporate America and institutions won’t put diversity

Nation's Largest Green Hydrogen Pipeline Advances California Efforts to Reach “Net-Zero Goals”

Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF.

Respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, has been spreading rapidly this fall. Both children and adults can easily contract this common illness and since there is no vaccine or drug that combats this infection, it's important to treat it properly. Also, like the flu or the common cold, you can catch it more than once.

A virus is syncytial when its cells have more than one nucleus, a result of multiple cells fusing together. RSV, per the Centers for Disease Control, is a common respiratory virus and most often causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two. As the CDC has noted, almost all children will have contracted the illness one or more times by the time they are two years old.

That said, as Dr. Albert Arteaga, CEO of LaSalle Medical Associates, said, "Sometimes RSV can have serious outcomes, especially in children less than one year old, senior citizens and immuno-compromised people."

Serious consequences may include the onset of bronchitis or even pneumonia.

RSV's symptoms include runny nose, loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and wheezing. In most cases, these symptoms show up in stages, rather than all at once. In very young infants, "the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties," per the CDC.

No vaccine currently exists for RSV, although research to develop one is ongoing. Since there's no readily available cure, there are three steps to take to treat the infection.

One, use over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Never give aspirin to children, as it could result in the child developing Reye's syndrome, a disease that may cause seizures, coma and even death.

Two, make sure the patient drinks plenty of fluids and stays properly hydrated.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Dec. 16 marked a milestone for the state's 100% clean energy goals when it approved Southern California Gas Co.’s (SoCalGas) request to track costs for the first phase of the Angeles Link project.

Angeles Link is a green hydrogen pipeline system that offers an energy alternative to the Los Angeles region.

SoCalGas proposed the project last February.

Neil Navin, vice president of Clean Energy Innovations for SoCalGas, summarized how the project could help with the state's goals.

"We were really excited to hear that the project is significant in that it aligns with the state," said Navin. "We believe that the project could be the nation's largest green hydrogen pipeline system. Once it's built, delivering significant benefits to decarbonize the hard-to-electrify sectors of the economy."

Green hydrogen involves converting hydrogen gas into electricity or fuel to provide renewable energy as an alternative to finite fossil fuels.

“Green hydrogen looks promising as a form of long-

duration energy storage that could enhance electric system reliability and as a fuel that can help California reach its net zero-carbon goals for industrial end uses that currently have no practical alternatives to the use of natural gas," said Jan Smutny Jones of Independent Energy Producers. “Establishing the memorandum account is a critical first step toward determining whether green hydrogen can supplement or replace natural gas and reduce carbon emissions from end users that are hard to electrify."

The Angeles Link project aims to enable up to four natural gas power plants to run on hydrogen, remove over 3 million cars' worth

of nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide from the air, bolster the economy and create union jobs, according to the SoCal Gas website.

"Green hydrogen is an important pathway to reach our goal of zero-emissions cargo operations at the Port," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. "The Port and our terminal partners have five active hydrogen demonstration projects and, ultimately, Angeles Link can play a key role in providing green hydrogen at the scale needed to achieve our zero-emissions and decarbonization goals by 2030."

The plan for the project is structured into three phases.

Phase one would look at early engineering scoping and would establish a public engagement process. It will take about 12 to 18 months, according to Navin.

Phase two will "expand on the engineering and look at narrowing down the possible locations for the infrastructure," Navin said.

Phase three will involve more detailed engineering planning before applying for a Certificate for Public Convenience and Necessity. This certificate will allow for the construction of the infrastructure.

Describing the state's assistance on this project, Navin said, "Certainly, the governor's budget has dollars specifically directed towards hydrogen technology. We also see in the California Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board a real emphasis on the potential for green and clean hydrogen to have a significant impact. So, we see the state moving toward – and really emphasizing – the need to develop hydrogen infrastructure for the hard-to-electrify sectors of our economy."

Community/ Education News

Community /Education News

"Parents of infants and seniors should see their doctor right away if symptoms are not responding to treatment, to make sure that the illness does not get worse and turn into a case of bronchitis or pneumonia,” said Dr. Albert Arteaga, CEO of LaSalle Medical Associates.

have granted sweeping changes to the workforce and education system as people of all races, colors, creeds, religions and disenfranchised groups advance their pathways in America.

White House Responds to Migrant Buses Sent to VP Harris’ D.C. Home

By

The White House has condemned the latest tactic employed by Republican governors, including Texas’ Greg Abbott, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who have bused migrants across the country to push President Joe Biden toward stricter border policies.

The latest incident occurred on Christmas Eve amid sub-freezing temperatures. Three buses carrying 139 migrants from Texas arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence at the Naval Observatory.

Wind chill factor 0°

Temperatures in the District of Columbia reached as low as single digits, with wind chill factors driving the real feel to minus zero.

Biden has called the moves “un-American” and “reckless.”

“This was a cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt,” said White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan.

“As we have repeatedly said, we are willing to work with anyone – Republican or Democrat alike – on real solutions, like the comprehensive immigration reform and border security measures President Biden sent to Congress on his first day in office, but these political games accomplish nothing and only put lives in danger,” Hasan asserted.

Amy Fischer, a core organizer with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network, told ABC News that she was outside the Naval Observatory on Saturday night as buses began arriving after about 7:45 p.m.

Fischer said the migrants included “a bunch of families,” maybe around 30, as well as adults in groups like spouses and cousins and people traveling alone.

None of them wore cold weather gear, Fischer told the news outlet, though many had

blankets to wrap up. Fischer said that the “vast majority” were asylum-seekers, and all spoke Spanish, with people from Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

Buses departed from Texas She added that Texas Gov. Abbott’s administration sent the migrants.

In August, the Texas Division of Emergency Management said that the state had spent more than $12 million busing migrants to Washington and New York crossed from Mexico.

A state government spreadsheet that CNN obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that, as of August 9, Texas had paid $12,707,720.92 to Wynne Transportation, the charter service that is taking migrants to the two cities.

Additionally, the 43 buses that departed Arizona for the District of Columbia between May and August, carrying over 1,500 migrants, have cost that state more than $3 million.

Reportedly, the cost of each bus was approximately $83,000, bringing the total to date to around $3.5 million, according to the governor’s office, which said about two to three buses depart Arizona per week, based on demand.

In the two days since Fischer told ABC News, her group had helped people make further travel plans to their final destinations while a “handful of folks” who are planning to stay in D.C. have been relocated to a hotel as they prepare to put down roots.

She said the groups left on the buses from Texas, knowing they were headed to Washington.

“I think people are always a little bit confused. People are always a little bit scared,” Fischer said.

CapCon Media Event

by Tashi McQueen

Nation's Largest Green Hydrogen Pipeline Advances California Efforts to Reach “Net-Zero Goals”...continued from page 2

Navin claimed that Angeles Link will have a positive effect on the state's economy.

"And we really believe that Angeles Link could be an economic boom," said Navin. "That extends California's position as a leader in clean energy well into the future, that takes advantage of the thousands of skilled workers that we have in our company, and the more than 32,000 workers that already exist in the gas distribution industry, and it allows them to participate meaningfully in the transition."

SoCalGas Chief Executive Officer Scott Drury echoed the sentiment that California is a

leader in renewable energy. “California has some of the boldest climate and clean air goals in the nation. The proposed Angeles Link aligns SoCalGas' scale, 150 years of expertise in service, and our highly skilled workforce with the clean energy and environmental policies that will shape this century," said Drury. "As the CPUC's decision highlights, Angeles Link has the potential to support decarbonization for hard-toelectrify sectors of our economy, improve our air quality, bring new economic opportunities as well as sustain and grow skilled jobs to our region."

Give Yourself a Gift by Cutting Down on Unused Subscriptions

Give Yourself a Gift by Cutting Down on Unused Subscriptions...continued

comfortable.

Smartphone App Review

On your smartphone, you can see a list of your subscriptions in the store where you buy apps. If you can’t find it, do a quick online search to see where subscriptions are listed on your particular phone. From there, you should be able to view all active subscriptions and how much they cost.

Then, you can check for lowercost plan options or consider canceling. Make a habit of checking your app subscriptions monthly and changing to a cheaper subscription plan when possible.

Free Streaming

Free ad-supported TV, called FAST for short, is a content delivery model provided at no cost to you. Much like traditional television, advertisers pay to stream ads before, during, or after your video. FAST also uses scheduled programming. The FAST streaming option is growing in popularity as companies look for ways to retain and attract new customers. This works to your advantage by giving you access to many platforms without paying for them.

One of the most popular features of FAST streaming is the various available options and

access to the best new products or services, according to a Harris Poll survey.

Auto-Renew Features

Perhaps you subscribe to a service to watch the newest hit show or get a must-have item, only to forget to cancel later. Fortunately, many subscription services offer the option to turn off auto-renew. This will end your subscription after the current billing cycle or send you a reminder to renew or cancel. You can also schedule a notification in your calendar when you sign up, reminding you to cancel before a free or reduced-cost billing period ends.

Previous Year Analysis

The end of the year is a great time to do a financial analysis and plan for the upcoming year. Part of that analysis can be to look at your bank statements to identify all your subscriptions. Sort the subscriptions based on whether you actively use them and cancel any you no longer want.

With the new year approaching, now is the perfect time to take an inventory of your subscriptions to decide what to keep and what needs to be left in 2022.

The post Give Yourself a Gift by Cutting Down on Unused Subscriptions appeared first in AFRO American Newspapers.

RETIRED COUPLE

Senior citizens are one of society’s most valuable resources. Though their contributions are often overlooked or taken for granted, older adults are community harmonizers.

As keepers of institutional knowledge, cultural historians and family cornerstones, uplifting the voice of senior citizens and encouraging them

to become civically engaged are key to moving any city forward.

Marvin ”Doc” Cheatham, president of the Matthew Henson Community Development Corporation (MHCDC) in West Baltimore, invites seniors and other community members to join the United Golden Ages Greater

Subscription services are a billion-dollar-per-month industry, according to a survey by West Monroe, which found that the average person spends almost $240 each month on subscriptions. These subscription services include streaming, shopping, music, beauty products, fitness, and subscription boxes.

Now is a great time to take an inventory of all your subscriptions and cancel the ones you haven’t used enough in 2022. Give yourself the gift of cutting down on unused subscriptions with the following tools.

Subscription Management Apps

New technology can scan your bank statements and notify you of recurring charges. Most of these types of apps provide basic monitoring services for free. Some also have a premium paid option that will cancel the

subscriptions for you. Other premium features include negotiating better deals, setting up savings accounts for you, negotiating parking tickets, and more.

Some services filter through your bank statements to identify any monthly recurring charges. Sometimes, the software cannot catch subscriptions that have billing periods that aren’t monthly. If you use one of these apps, following up on subscriptions with abnormal billing cycles is a good idea.

These apps have received some negative reviews because they need access to your private financial data. By connecting these apps to your financial accounts, you depend on them to handle your data securely. Check the app’s privacy policy before signing up to ensure you’re

SACRAMENTO – California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and CalABLE, California’s savings and investment program for people with disabilities, applauded the passage of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act included in the Congressional Omnibus Spending Bill.

CalABLE advocates have urged Congress to act on expanding access to ABLE accounts by raising the age of disability onset limits for ABLE eligibility.

First introduced by Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), H.R. 1219 will amend the Internal Revenue Code to raise the age threshold from 26 to 46 for tax-favored ABLE accounts beginning January 1, 2026. Previously, only individuals with a qualifying disability prior to age 26 were eligible to open an ABLE account.

"The federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 was the most significant legislation for people with disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, nearly 30 years ago," said Treasurer Ma, who also chairs the CalABLE board of directors. "Through savings in ABLE accounts, Californians with disabilities have purchased homes, paid for educational expenses, covered out-of-pocket medical costs, and so much more.

CalABLE's impact will be even greater with the passage of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act,

giving millions of veterans and others who became disabled later in life the opportunity to achieve financial equity."

"The passage of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act is a big win on behalf of people with disabilities across the country and right here in California," said Dante Allen, executive director of CalABLE.

"Since 2018, Californians have saved and invested more than $80 million in CalABLE accounts. These funds are being used to raise the quality of life of account owners, and increase their independence, while often helping to reduce the cycle of poverty among one of our most vulnerable populations."

CalABLE accounts are a relatively new financial tool for people with disabilities.

CalABLE allows people with disabilities to have money that is not counted towards asset limitations set by means-tested benefit programs like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. These asset limits prevent people with disabilities from saving money beyond $2,000 and planning for their future.

For more information about CalABLE or how to open an account, visit www.calable. ca.gov. To stay in touch, please follow CalABLE on Facebook at California ABLE Act Board, Instagram at @wearecalable, Twitter at @wearecalable, and LinkedIn at CalABLE.

Photo credit: Shtterstock

State Treasurer Fiona Ma and CalABLE Celebrate the Passage of the Age Adjustment Act as a Victory for Economic Empowerment for People with Disabilities

The end of the year is a great time to do a financial analysis and plan for the upcoming year.

The Afro | Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase

Senior Guide: Senior connection: how to make an impact in your golden years

Marvin ”Doc” Cheatham, president of the Matthew Henson Community Development Corporation (MHCDC), suggests that senior citizens join the United Golden Ages Greater Baltimore, a national council that can help older adults boost their civic engagement.

(AFRO File Photo)

Domestic violence increases over the holidays

By Dawn Suggs, Special to the AFRO

The holidays offer joyful festivities and carefree abandonment for many. However, this time of year can also be a time of isolation and a pressure cooker of emotions and expectations for those who face a great deal of stress and duress already.

Studies show that domestic abuse and violence increase during such major holidays as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year for the following reasons:

Stress from holiday shopping, finances and planning can aggravate volatile personalities. Abusers are more likely to consume alcohol or drugs when they don’t have to work.

Simple opportunity: abusers are more likely to be home alone with their victims than at other times of the year.

On average about 1,300 deaths and two million injuries annually occur due to intimate partner violence. Three women die at the hands of a partner each day, according to data compiled by Emory University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science.

Among the red flags that Women Against Crime describes as behavioral indicators that a friend or family member might be experiencing intimate partner

violence: Excusing abusive behavior as “moody” or “needy” or as being due to drugs or alcohol; Needing to “ask permission” to go out or see or communicate with friends; Jealousy or accusations of infidelity from the partner; Criticism from the partner; Constant “checking in” via texts or phone calls from the partner; or Partner accompanying survivor to events unnecessarily

According to Cynthia Bennet of the non-profit JADASA (Journey Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse), when speaking with someone subjected to violence at home, “Don’t discriminate, don’t judge, don’t give your opinion.”

She warns. “All it takes is an inch of doubt in their voice that’ll cause them to go back in their shell.”

Instead of being critical or accusatory, emphasize your support and unconditional love for them and offer resources when possible.

For more information on domestic violence and support resources, please call 800-7997233.

This post was originally published in the St. Louis American.

Black women in tech might be the key to climate justice

By Nadira Jamerson, Word in Black

Toxic air. Dirty water. It seems we find out every day about another Black neighborhood being damaged by environmental pollution. The Justice Department recently filed a complaint against the city of Jackson, Miss. — which has been without clean water since August — over its alleged violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. And now Houston had to release a “boil water” notice to warn millions of residents against using

contaminated water supplies.

On top of that, Black folks are more likely to live in communities impacted by climate change, and they are more likely to experience adverse health effects as a result. People of color in the United States are 61 percent more likely than white people to live in a county with a failing grade for at least one pollutant, and 13.4 percent of

Black women in tech might be the key to climate justice...continued

Black children have asthma — a disease exacerbated by dirty air — compared to 7.3 percent of White children.

But all hope is not lost. Bay Area, California-based activist Dr. Jackie “Bouvier” Copeland says there is more we can all do to combat climate change and inequity. She’s the founder of the Women Invested to Save Earth (WISE) Fund, which she said “It’s a solution that addresses the multiple challenges of racism, sexism, climate change, and funding in equity that exists not just in the U.S. but all across the world.”

Copeland previously worked as the chief operating officer for the Anita B.Org Institute for Women in Technology, the world’s largest impact-focused women’s technology enterprise. However, her over 40-year career was propelled to new heights in 2020.

That year, COVID-19 deaths swept the Black community, protests emerged for racial injustice, and out-of-control wildfires decimated California, burning an area roughly the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined and killing 33 people.

“California burned almost every single day for seven months in 2020,” she said. “I could see fires out my living room window.”

As a result, Copeland was forced to relocate with her elderly mother — the air pollution caused by the ongoing fires was giving them both respiratory issues. With smoke literally filling her living room, Copeland felt confronted by the state of the world and asked herself what she

could do to create meaningful change.

“For a person like me who’s always tried to walk the talk of impact, here all of the issues are in mine and others’ living rooms,” Copeland said. “I asked myself — as many people did — are you doing all you can do to be the change?”

Through the WISE Fund, Copeland raises funds to support affordable and innovative technological advancements by Black women and people of color who are creating climate justice technology that can also serve as economic engines in the communities hit hardest by climate change. In her former position, Copeland noticed that Black women and women of color were often overqualified, yet they still received fewer opportunities to fund their ideas. With women accounting for more than half of the global population, Copeland said an unwillingness to invest in this group is hurting the world at large.

“They can have all the ivy league degrees in the world, and be fine, often overqualified technologists, but we only get 2 to 3 percent of the funding,” she said. “The decision is often based on the package we come in and not necessarily the qualifications, the benefit of the doubt, and the potential we hold.”

“We are not getting our fair share of innovation capital based on our capacity and potential. We are more than half of the planet, so how can our country and the world address all of these issues if more than half of the

continued on page 7

Affirmative Action — Does it Have a Future?... continued from page 2

efforts on the shelf because they realize it’s good for their bottom dollar.

“People are realizing that there is an enormous amount of talent out there that’s being underutilized and that companies and leadership that reflect their customer base perform better in the stock market,” Ross said in the article, adding that more diversity is better for business overall.

“When you go into a store and you see people like yourself you feel more comfortable, and a greater sense of belonging, and you feel they may understand your needs,” Ross, author of “Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgements in Our Daily Lives,” said. “That’s something that may be the difference between you buying a product at that store versus another one.”

Sacha Thompson, an inclusive culture coach and curator, told the Michigan Chronicle that the Supreme Court’s potential ban on affirmative action could have a long-lasting impact.

“If that decision is overturned, not only will colleges and universities that value diversity on their campuses need to be creative in their outreach efforts, but the outcome will also impact the outreach efforts so many companies have put in place over

the last few years,” Thompson said. “One way to do this would be to increase the outreach to the typically underrepresented communities. For example, there has been a considerable call for outreach to HBCUs. However, only a handful have seen an uptick in those efforts on campus.”

Thompson added that however the wind blows, companies, colleges and universities and other institutions have to be ready to pick up the pieces.

“Ultimately, whichever way the court decides, colleges, universities and corporations need to be prepared to review their outreach and recruiting efforts,” she said.

CNN reported that even if the Court makes the change, it’s up to the people to be the change.

“The Court can try to remake society, but it can’t enforce its own rulings,” the article noted.

“The Supreme Court hands down decisions, but when they say everybody has to change their behavior, it’s almost impossible for them to get compliance,” Friedman said.

The Supreme Court plans to make its final verdict on affirmative action in higher education by June 2023.

The post Affirmative Action — Does it Have a Future? appeared first on Chicago Defender.

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Part 2- Hidden Toll: Thousands of Schools Fail to Count Homeless StudentsPart 1...continued from 12/22/22

Across Minnesota, districts generally reported homeless rates that loosely mirrored trends in free- or reduced-price lunch eligibility, suggesting some consistency in identification.

“It’s not a matter of getting the right count or getting the numbers,” said Melissa Winship, a Minneapolis schools counselor who works with students experiencing homelessness. “It’s a matter of those students and families having those supports and resources that they deserve.”

One of every 20 students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunches experience homelessness under the federal definition.

Data on student homelessness is collected by districts and funneled to the federal government by states, which can choose to leave out any districts that did not report having any homeless students. Our data adds those excluded districts back. We assume they identified no homeless students, since they’re not in federal data.

Our analysis focused on noncharter districts in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. In addition to comparing poverty and reported homelessness, we applied a common benchmark used by education researchers and some public education officials — that one of every 20 students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunches experience homelessness under the federal definition.

In each school year we analyzed, more than 8,000 districts did not meet the onein-20 guideline.

DeSoto County, Mississippi, for instance, identified fewer than 300 homeless students, according to state records Public Integrity reviewed. Its share of students eligible for free- or reducedprice lunches suggests the district has three times the number it reported.

That’s not the only reason to suspect an undercount. In 2018, local landlords filed more than

4,000 eviction cases, according to an estimate from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab.

By comparison, Mississippi’s Vicksburg Warren School District identified about as many homeless students as DeSoto despite having less than half as many children eligible for freeor reduced-price lunches.

The DeSoto County schools did not respond to requests for comment.

It’s possible that some school districts genuinely have fewer homeless students than this benchmark predicts. But multiple researchers told us that they see the one-in-20 threshold as a conservative estimate.

J.J. Cutuli, a senior research scientist at Nemours Children’s Health System, said the analysis bolsters the anecdotal experiences of school district staff, shelter personnel and people who’ve lived through periods of homelessness.

“You’re giving us a clue as to the magnitude of this problem. And that’s really the important part here,” he said.

The University of Michigan’s Erb-Downward said the reason numbers are critical is because “we, somehow, as a society, have agreed that it is OK for the level of poverty and instability that children experience, from a housing perspective, to exist.”

“If we don’t actively track that, and have a conversation about what the level [of homelessness] really is, I don’t think we’re being forced to actually look at that decision that we’ve made societally,” she said. “And we’re not really being forced to say, ‘Is this actually what makes sense? Is this actually what we want?’”

‘Uphill Battle’

The federal government, state education departments and families have few options to hold districts accountable if they fail to properly identify or provide assistance for students experiencing homelessness.

The U.S. Department of

Education delegates enforcement to states. States where school districts fail to follow the law are subject to increased monitoring, but the federal agency would not say how often that happens. A spokesman said only that the agency “engages in monitoring and compliance activities that can include investigating alleged non-compliance.”

Public Integrity reviewed dozens of lawsuits in which families and advocacy groups alleged that school districts denied students rights that are guaranteed under the federal McKinney-Vento law.

Families experiencing homelessness have sometimes prevailed in their standoffs with education agencies, winning reforms like agreements to train school personnel in the law and, in one case, a toll-free number for parents and children to contact with questions about their rights.

“There’s not really a ton of capacity for actually investigating and dealing with these complaints,” said Katie Meyer Scott, senior youth attorney at the National Homelessness Law Center. “We have a problem where there’s not necessarily an investment in enforcement at either the federal or state level.”

As an extreme last resort, the U.S. Department of Education can cut funding — a step officials are loath to take because that would ultimately harm the very students the agency wanted to help. The agency said it has never penalized a state in this manner.

A 2014 investigation by the Government Accountability Office found that eight of the 20 school districts its staff interviewed acknowledged they had problems identifying homeless students. The watchdog agency found that the U.S. Department of Education had “no plan to ensure adequate oversight of all states,” with similar gaps in state monitoring of school districts.

State audits in California, Washington and New York have also made the case that many school districts fail to identify a significant number of students who qualify for the rights guaranteed under federal law. Advocacy groups and researchers, too, have surfaced examples.

Homeless student numbers have tripled in the past several years.

In Michigan, state Department of Education guidelines call for an investigation if school districts identify fewer than 10% of lowincome students as homeless.

Erb-Downward found that all but a handful of Detroit schools fell below this threshold in the 2017-18 school year.

Public Integrity’s analysis points to similar problems.

Detroit’s public school district, the largest district in the state, identified 255 fewer homeless students than the Kalamazoo Public Schools in 2018-19, despite having four times as many students and a much higher poverty rate.

Detroit school superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in a statement that the district’s efforts to improve in recent years include adding full-time staff to its homeless student office, a residency questionnaire with its student enrollment form, referral systems and public information about available services.

Homeless student numbers have tripled in the past several years, Vitti said. But, he added, “We are aware there is still an undercount.”

A statewide review this year identified 120 Michigan school districts, roughly 20%, in need of additional monitoring, department spokesman Martin Ackley said. The state is asking those districts to provide evidence that they are in compliance with federal law.

The state expects to finish the reviews this winter and

Emory University behavioral scientists have found that three women die at the hands of a partner every day. (Photo by Nappy.co/@alyssasieb)

Jackie “Bouvier” Copeland is a change artist, equity finance innovator, and the founder of the WISE Fund. (Photo courtesy of Word in Black)

Tory Lanez Found Guilty in Meg Thee Stallion Shooting

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

because he shot her.

Canadian rapper Tory Lanez faces more than 20 years in prison and deportation after a jury in Los Angeles found him guilty in the 2020 shooting of hip hop star Megan Thee Stallion.

Lane, 30, was found guilty of three felony counts, including assault with an unregistered semiautomatic weapon, carrying a loaded gun, and discharging a firearm in a vehicle with gross negligence.

The case fired up social media and highlighted the misogyny that still reigns in hip hop. Many on Twitter routinely attacked Megan, accusing her of lying among other vicious vitriolic comments.

The 27-year-old Megan, whose real name is Megan Pete, testified that Lanez offered her hush money and didn’t care about her injuries and pain suffered

Lanez, who declined to testify, claimed there was another shooter, Pete’s friend who was also arguing with the hit maker as they drove home from a party.

“[Lanez] told me to dance,” Pete told the jury, adding that he also cursed at her following the shooting.

Sentencing for Lanez is scheduled for Jan. 27.

“You showed incredible courage and vulnerability with your testimony despite repeated and grotesque attacks that you did not deserve,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said, referring to Pete.

“You faced unjust and despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face, and you have been an inspiration to others across LA County and the nation.”

By: Lou K. Coleman-Yeboah Lou K. Coleman-Yeboah

Understand that God’s warnings are meant for our good. In our lives, warnings are often given to us by God in order to save us from an impending disaster. These warnings are not meant for our destruction, but they are meant as a way to give us an opportunity before destruction comes. Just like in the dashboard of every vehicle, there are indicators that are illuminated when a specific issue with the vehicle is found. Each indicator that illuminates within the dashboard is specifically designed to get the attention of the driver. Such signals serve as a warning to suggest to the driver that the vehicle and or driver may experience an adverse reaction if the highlighted warning is not addressed. Just like any indicator within a vehicle signifies a potential problem before it happens, God’s warnings serve the same purpose.

I tell you, God’s love for you and I is so great that He warns us before disaster strikes. It is important to understand that

God’s purpose for giving each of us a warning is so that we can be spared from negative repercussions. How great is it to know that God would take the time to warn us before we suffer the consequences?

Listen, by faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. Noah was “warned about things not yet seen.” The flood was not yet seen because it was still in the future. But just because it was still in the future did not make it any less real.

I tell you; the stage is being set. All is about to come forth, as it is laid out in Scriptures. The events happening in our world today are setting the stage for the man of sin to be revealed. It won’t be long now before this evil and ruthless man will be ruling this world. And this ruthless man, this Antichrist, this Christ-hater, will unite his diabolical forces in opposing the plans and people of God like no person has ever done before. I tell you; you gonna wish you would have listened and taken heed to God’s warnings!

“Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction”

[Jeremiah 17:23].

For “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.”— [2 Corinthians 4].

When God Has Our Face!

Rhina Ramos

Every December 12th, Mexico and Latin America celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe. The brown Madonna is said to have appeared to Juan Diego, an Indigenous man who, like many others, had been forced into Catholicism. The conquest robbed Indigenous people of their spirituality, language, and culture. A new religion was imposed on them by the Spanish colonizers. The Virgin of Guadalupe bears witness to colonialism’s assault on the roots

of Indigenous people.

The story tells us that la Morenita (the brown one as she is called lovingly by her people) appeared to Juan Diego in the Tepeyac with “Music and Flowers.” During this appearance, she asked Juan Diego to deliver a message to the bishop to have a shrine built for her at this site. Juan Diego goes to the religious authorities to deliver the message, but he

When God Has Our Face!...continued

is dismissed by the priests. His word had no validity to the colonizers. Juan Diego was just a poor, “uncivilized” Indigenous man: Why would God choose him to reveal their divinity? Why would the image of Virgin Mary in the form of Guadalupe use him as messenger? Who was he to have seen God’s manifestation?

The first narrative that we have about the encounter of the Virgin of Guadalupe with Juan Diego is in Nahuatl (Mayan indigenous language). This document says it took a miracle for the religious authorities to believe Juan Diego.

The second time the Guadalupe appeared to him, she ordered him to put the roses that were around her on his cloak. The Guadalupe tells him to bring them to the bishop. When Juan Diego arrives to see the bishop and the priests again, he opens his cloak and the splendorous image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is painted there.

The religious authorities have no other choice but to kneel, adore, and believe Juan Diego. They realized that yes, a humble person can be a vessel of hope.

Nowadays, five million people make a pilgrimage to Mexico City every year to visit and pray at the feet of this inexplicable painting on Juan Diego’s cloak where the Virgin of Guadalupe is looking compassionately to the world. Some of the followers make promises and petitions to the image crawling on their knees from outside the Cathedral to reach the front of the altar where the painting hangs. The veneration of millions has not faded after five centuries. The people continue to see themselves in the brown one and continue to believe she will intercede for

them with God. On Univision, there is even a TV series titled La Rosa de Guadalupe (Guadalupe’s Rose) where every episode displays a miracle that happens to those who fervently believe in her power. There are over 1,000 episodes, and it is one of the most watched telenovelas in this TV network. I may have watched a few hundreds of these shows because it warms my heart and connects me to my culture.

When I turned forty years old, I visited Mexico City. One of my bucket list items was to visit the Cathedral to see the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I achieved my wish and was able to see her from afar and pray for many of my sick loved ones. I knew in my heart that she was listening as she has listened to millions of others who see her face and see themselves.

Maybe the Guadalupe was the Spaniards’ strategy to continue converting native Indians to Catholicism. But maybe it was just God reaching out to those in chains to let them know that they had a mother and they hadn’t been forgotten. Sometimes we need to see that God also has our face, and that white supremacy hasn’t taken all there is.

Dear God, allow us to see our divinity. Allow us to see that you too are on our side. Let those who want to oppress us know you haven’t forgotten us and that you will reveal yourself to us because we too are your children.

Reverend Rhina Ramos is the National Coordinator for Encuentros Latinx for the United Church of Christ and also serves as the pastor of Ministerio Latino in Oakland, CA.

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Senior Guide: Senior connection: how to make an impact in your golden years...continued from page 3

Baltimore, a group focused on promoting self-advocacy among older adults. Members aim to raise their voices in community conversations and help shape policies that impact their quality of life.

“I recommend getting actively involved in the community and in the issue areas you want to see fixed,” said Cheatham, a longtime civil rights leader and former president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Older adults care about issues like adequate, affordable housing, food insecurity, quality healthcare, and public safety, just as much as any other aged adult. According to a survey conducted by AARP, a nonprofit organization that assists senior citizens, older voters have a major influence on the sway of elections. Voters 50 years old and over comprised 61 percent of the electorate in districts they surveyed across America.

This month the Golden Agers are meeting to create a civic Black history education initiative targeting youth in the summer of 2023.

Senior citizens are encouraged to connect with each other and use their years of experience to improve the community for generations to come.

Community activist Linda Batts said she advocates leveraging community and city government, connecting youth and the middle class to create solutions for their neighborhoods.

Senior citizens have a strong collective voice that can be used to make change for younger generations. (Courtesy Photo)

Batts pays homage to those who equipped her along the way. “We cannot forget the impact our trailblazers have had,” said Batts. “Victorine Q. Adams, a champion of democracy, left a legacy that serves as a model. Helena Hicks, who is instrumental in many environmental and social justice movements, believed that people are true change agents.”

Batts said both of these ladies believed in the power of participation, grassroots meetings, and community strength to turn their voices into dynamic tools for change.

Cheatham’s voice is heard weekly on his radio show, “Soup and Salad,” hosted by WOLB 1010 every Thursday. The veteran civil rights leader addresses everything from medicare loss to a lack of representation.

Cheatham highlighted issues facing seniors in Baltimore City, such as non-responsive building managers and homeless older adults having to live on the streets.

Local elected officials have highlighted the importance of open lines of communication with residents– especially senior citizens with questions or concerns.

Sharon Green Middleton, Baltimore City Councilwoman of District 6, said residents can call her office to better advocate for their needs.

“When residents call my office, we put them in touch with the proper resources they need,” said Councilwoman Middleton. “The staff can help seniors with issues such as water bills and caregivers.”

Part 2- Hidden Toll: Thousands of Schools Fail to Count Homeless Students-Part 1...continued from page 4

will provide technical support to districts struggling to meet federal requirements.

Districts in other parts of the country willing to explain likely undercounts offer a variety of reasons.

In the Chester-Upland School District outside of Philadelphia, interim homeless liaison Dana Bowser said many families consult district staff as a last resort when they can’t find a solution to their housing troubles on their own. Language barriers make some parents reluctant to come forward, she added.

Florida’s Broward County Public Schools described struggles to overcome limited funding, stigma and fear of immigration services as “skyrocketing home prices and lack of regulation around rental fees have created an unfortunate climate in which more individuals and families are facing homelessness, including middle-class income families.”

And in the Yuma Union High School District along Arizona’s borders with both California and Mexico, where our benchmark predicted more than five times the number of homeless students than was reported in the 201920 school year, school officials said they do not report a child as homeless if they do not apply for and receive services under McKinney-Vento. The National Center for Homeless Education advises officials to count enrolled homeless children and youth even if they decline services available to them.

In Oklahoma, hundreds of districts report that no students experience homelessness. Tammy Smith, who oversees the state’s homeless student programs, hears a common refrain from school leaders when she asks why.

“They tell me, ‘We’re going to take care of all of our students, whether we identify them as homeless or not,’’’ Smith said. “I remind them it’s federal law, but it’s kind of [an] uphill battle.”

Leaving homeless children out of official records is a problem even if a district does manage to support them without properly counting them, said Amanda Peterson, the director of educational improvement and support at the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

“If we are not able to tell the story, we’re not able to show that there’s discrepancies in the graduation rate, then what ends up happening is that it’s easy for legislators, community members, others to just close their eyes to the issue and just say, ‘Well, if it’s not reported, it doesn’t exist, and therefore we don’t need to worry about it,’” she said. “There’s harm if we just sort of push it under the rug.”

‘Not Enough Money’

Federal programs provide school districts little financial incentive to survey students’ housing situations more

thoroughly. Money to serve these vulnerable children is limited and does not increase automatically as districts identify more of them, Public Integrity found.

Instead, the U.S. Department of Education awards funds to states using a formula that factors in poverty rates. States use their share to award competitive grants to districts. Calling them pay is an understatement.

The funding amounted to about $60 per identified homeless student nationwide before the pandemic. One state received less than $30 per student.

That’s a fraction of what school districts actually spend to support homeless students, according to a recent study by the Learning Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group. The four districts profiled by LPI spent between $128 and $556 per homeless student identified. In two of those districts, McKinneyVento subgrants accounted for less than 14 cents on every dollar the district spent on homeless education programs.

And that’s the districts awarded federal grants. Most get nothing.

Until a temporary funding influx during the pandemic, only one in four districts nationwide received dedicated funding.

Washington state, which got the lowest amount in the 2018 fiscal year at $29 per identified student, passed a law in 2016 to provide additional support and resources.

“I would argue that a state like Washington has better identification, but it’s not reflected in how the feds dole out the money from McKinneyVento,” said Duffield of SchoolHouse Connection.

Even in states that receive hundreds of dollars per student, the money does not stretch far, experts said. And it’s definitely not enough to provide long-term assistance for students without stable housing.

Money to serve these vulnerable children is limited and does not increase automatically as districts identify more of them.

One sign of its inadequacy: Many districts don’t even bother applying for the federal money.

In Oklahoma, just 25 of the state’s 509 districts requested funds.

Smith, who oversees the state’s homeless student programs, urges districts to apply. She said superintendents tell her, “There’s not a monetary benefit for us to identify them. So that’s not where we’re spending our time.”

In 2021, the American Rescue Plan made $800 million available to states and districts to identify and support homeless students, some of whom became disconnected from schools after the COVID-19 closures of 2020.

The historic funding influx was seven times the annual budget awarded to schools to support their homeless students in 2022, making federal funds available to

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“I Tell You, You Gonna Wish You Would Have Listened and Taken Heed to God’s Warnings!”

Tory Lanez, Taken by Anton Mak during Osheaga 2017.

COMMENTARY: Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin: Avoid Burnout with These Simple Tips

times, it’s about their career, so it’s really about making space for all of your goals and all of your dreams.”

When someone experiences burnout, Charles said they could be actively doing their job while simultaneously worrying about their other responsibilities and priorities, whether personal or work-related. She also stressed that burnout can be experienced no matter what profession you are in and what you are being paid.

burnout is educating yourself about the syndrome, so you can be aware of the warning signs, according to Charles. She also said it was crucial for employers to talk to their employees about it.

Awareness can help prevent the shame and guilt that comes with burnout and allow people to give themselves grace.

Part 2- Hidden Toll: Thousands of Schools Fail to Count Homeless Students-Part 1...continued from page 6

districts that had not previously received money.

In Wayne County, Michigan, where Detroit is located, the additional funding was sorely needed, said Steven Ezikian, the deputy superintendent of the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, which helps train local districts to identify and support students experiencing homelessness.

Temecula Valley Unified, the district Beth Petersen’s son attends, received $56,000 to serve homeless students through the American Rescue Plan — about $470 per homeless student identified. District staff did not respond to questions regarding funding for homeless education programs. State financial records for the several years before the American Rescue Plan show the district received nothing.

By Megan Sayles | AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com

We’ve all heard the age-old saying that “hard work pays off.” But, sometimes, working too hard can do more harm than good.

“Burnout” is a form of workrelated stress in which an individual experiences physical, emotional or mental exhaustion caused by their job’s demands. It can also make workers feel distanced from their jobs and engender negative feelings about them, according to the World Health Organization.

Although it cannot be medically diagnosed, burnout can lead people to lose their sense of self and feel as if they are not accomplishing enough. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Psychological Association found that the risk of burnout has increased for workers due to extra stress, increased household demands and longer working

hours.

This makes it even more important for people to know the signs of burnout and the strategies to combat it.

Natasha Charles is the founder and CEO of Intuitive Coaching with Natasha Charles, a comprehensive life coaching and consulting firm. She created the business after gaining 20 years in senior administration roles.

Charles was motivated to open the firm in 2018 out of a desire to create a business focused on inspiring continuous improvement. There, she works with individuals and executives to create lives that they love and offers them personalized solutions to address critical work and business challenges.

“It’s really about thinking about you, the person, and all that you are,” Charles said. “People tend to be very focused on one aspect of their life, and a lot of

2022 Movers and Shakers Year in Review - Chet Hewitt

Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Aside from the physical and mental impacts of stress, burnout can impact finances if it causes an employee to take extended periods of time off or miss work, according to Charles. It can also reduce their productivity.

In the beginning of 2022, the term “quiet quitting” emerged, and for some, it’s being used as a method to avoid burnout. It involves individuals meeting the minimum requirements of their job descriptions, investing no extra time or effort than what is mandatory.

For Charles, quiet quitting is a signal that a person is not fulfilled by their job and may need to think about changing workplaces or careers.

“I get that people are not always able to up and quit, and it can take time to find what that next role is,” Charles said. “I would come from a space of encouraging the person to start thinking about what that is. What is it that you ultimately desire to be doing in your life and seeing your work?”

One of the most important steps in reducing and preventing

After a person has weighed whether they are experiencing burnout or not, they should think about how they want to confront it. This could include engaging in self-care, asking for extra support at work or home, and creating stronger boundaries between their personal and professional lives.

When burnout is impacting your performance, it’s time to consider making a career change, Charles said.

To ensure your work life does not invade your personal life, Charles said people need to assess the goals they have for all areas of their life. Once you’ve set goals, it’s easier to devise a plan and set the necessary boundaries to achieve them.

Charles also said it’s important to carve out time for yourself where you’re not constantly checking your phone or email for work reasons.

“There is life beyond your work. There is an entire world out there to be discovered,” Charles said. “There’s a world within us to be discovered as well, and I encourage everyone to invest in discovering those pieces.”

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

2022 Movers and Shakers Year in Review - Chet Hewitt...continued

What’s the biggest challenge Black Californians will face next year?

It’s a watershed moment for Black Californians and their communities across our state.

The federal and state governments are investing billions into pandemic recovery and growing the Green economy.

For our community’s longterm health and prosperity, we need to work hard to ensure our children, youth and young

adults have equitable access to the education, training and employment opportunities these historic investments in infrastructure and climate resilient industry will generate.

What’s your wish for this holiday season?

During this season and beyond, I wish everyone joy, loving relationships and a sustaining community. We all deserve to be well.

from page 4

Since beginning his tenure in 2007, Hewitt has focused foundation investments on health disparities, health equity, and the healthy development and wellbeing of vulnerable youth and underserved communities.

California Black Media asked Hewitt to reflect on the past year and share his plans for 2023.

With the work you do advocating for African Americans in California, what was your biggest accomplishment in 2022?

The Center has long been dedicated to connecting our social determinants of health orientation to our social justice and equity goals.

I’m exceptionally proud of our efforts to increase access to high quality and culturally appropriate mental and behavioral health services in African American communities locally and statewide.

Examples include the Community Responsive Wellness Program for Black Communities in Sacramento and the statewide Behavioral Health Recovery Services Project.

What did you find most challenging over the past year?

We’re all still healing from the social isolation and financial instability of the pandemic.

This is especially true of our young people. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 24.

There are incredible challenges to restoring our collective wellbeing. I’m grateful for programs like our Community Responsive Wellness Program that connects Black youth and families with community and mental health services in Sacramento.

Connection is a key component of mental health.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

The Center launched the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative this year that will invest $19 million into equipping our communities to drive economic development.

Equitable access to opportunity leads to greater health and wellbeing.

I’m looking forward to seeing more public funds in the hands of our communities.

innovators can’t get funding to be a part of the solution?”

So far the WISE Fund has raised over $1 million and supported various climate justice initiatives and climate activists in Africa, Australia, Brazil, India, the U.S., and the Caribbean.

WISE helped to fund We Solar, the first Black woman-owned solar farm in the U.S., which provides more affordable and cleaner energy to Washington, D.C. residents. In Nairobi, WISE worked with Majik Water — a company working to combat drought in Kenya through an atmospheric water system that extracts water from the air.

WISE also serves as the umbrella company for Black Philanthropy Month, an annual and year-round celebration in August facilitated by Copeland to raise awareness of Black giving and promote funding, equity, philanthropy, and business investment. Copeland said that Black Philanthropy Month has served 18 million people in 60 countries since its founding 20 years ago.

“We believe that by doing funding in such a way that supports home-grown grassroots technological innovations in the communities most underfunded

and impacted by these climate and social issues — in a way that builds economy — is a key to positive accelerated change to match the rapid destruction of our communities,” Copeland said.

Black women and other diverse voices looking to receive funding for accessible and affordable climate-justicefocused technologies are encouraged to check out Get WISE Support and fill out their pre-qualification link. Support is provided on a rolling basis as WISE continues to fundraise to be able to work with more forward-thinking projects. WISE is currently working to raise $50 million in funding so that they can continue to invest in climate justice actions around the world.

“If we get it right in the hardest hit areas, it’s probably easier to have an impact on all communities — because climate change is a global issue. Racism and sexism are global. We can’t just work in our own backyards and think we have addressed the root cause of the issues,” Copeland said. “These issues are local, regional, national, and global all at the same time. We are one humanity and we are sharing one planet.”

“McKinney-Vento does not provide nearly enough funding,” he said. “Frankly, there’s just not enough money for them to do all the work for the amount of kids that we have.”

The traditional level of funding to support homelessness has left many districts struggling to fulfill the law’s requirements.

“There [are] more and more students in crisis and the districts are not really getting more and more resources to help,” said Scott, the senior youth attorney with the National Homelessness Law Center. “It comes down to resources rather than any kind of bad intent. The lack of investment in our schools over time is obviously hitting homeless students even harder.”

In April, 92 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a “Dear Colleague” letter, urging the chairwoman and ranking member of the House Education Committee to renew the $800 million in funding, which represents 1% of the federal education budget, for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. It would be money well spent, they argued.

“Investing in a young person’s life will enable them to avoid chronic homelessness, intergenerational cycles of poverty, and pervasive instances of trauma,” the letter read.

Budget bills from both chambers of Congress requested boosts in the program budget that are far short of what the House members requested. Federal budget negotiations will likely resume in December.

Early on a Monday morning in October, Petersen sat at the kitchen table in her shared apartment, applying makeup under the glare of a bowl-shaped ceiling light. Her son emerged from the bathroom, barefoot but otherwise dressed for school.

Petersen peered around the corner. Did he want anything for breakfast? He shrugged. No, he was fine.

But then he remembered an assignment that was due: a photo with his mom clearing him to attend a sexual education course. He stooped beside her and angled his laptop for a selfie. Beth could hardly remember the last time she needed to review any of his assignments. He was always a diligent student, even these last few months.

“Do not miss the bus coming home or we will be up a creek,” she said as the pair walked outside, the air crisp as morning haze yielded to blue sky.

At 7:02 a.m., a yellow school bus turned the corner. It slowed to a stop before them, the fruits of Petersen’s long struggle to make the promise of the McKinneyVento law a reality.

The doors opened, and her son was on his way.

Chalkbeat journalist Lori Higgins contributed to this article.

Amy DiPierro and Corey Mitchell are journalists with the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates inequality.

This article originally appeared in The Atlanta Tribune

How To Detox Your Armpit To Prevent Breast Cancer

World/Health News

Cosmetic products like toxic deodorants, body washes, soaps, and other ‘beauty’ treatments are causing greater numbers of breast cancer (though mainstream breast cancer ‘awareness’ organizations won’t talk about it).

These products contain toxic ingredients like aluminum chlorohydrate, triclosan, parabens, glycol, TEA, FD&C, DEA, and various other toxins that no one should absorb through their skin.

Common deodorant ingredients

Aluminum: Some studies have shown a connection between aluminum to cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Parabens: Disrupts natural hormones and are frequently found in biopsied tissue with breast cancer.

Formaldehyde: Known carcinogen that kills germs, but also can kill healthy cells

Phthalates: Natural hormone disruptors that can create an imbalance in your system.

Propylene glycol: Otherwise known as antifreeze. Carries a slight risk of being toxic for your immune system.

Fortunately, women and men can do a simple, natural armpit cleanse to rid the body of toxic build-up that might cause breast cancer and other diseases.

Studies have shown that many women show to their doctor’s offices with cancer in the upper quadrant of their breasts, close to the lymph nodes that lay just under the armpit. Chemicals like aluminum (in deodorant) alter out hormones, primarily acting as phytoestrogens, and also congest the lymph system which is a big

part of our immunity. This phenomenon has been tested and proven. A study reportedly published in The Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry looked at breast samples of more than 17 patients, all of which had undergone mastectomies.

Those women using antiperspirants had more aluminum in their breast tissue. Our bodies can normally handle toxic chemicals like aluminum and parabens by ridding the chemicals through our sweat glands. Obviously, if the sweat glands are clogged with foreign chemicals, then this makes it much more difficult for the body to do its work.

A simple mixture utilizing just four ingredients applied to the armpits like a mask will unclog the pores, and when washed away will take with it the… toxic residue that have overburdened the sweat glands.

Follow this simple recipe, and be sure to drink plenty of clean water to flush out toxins even more as you clear one of the primary pathways of elimination:

Armpit Detox

Ingredients

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

– 1 Tablespoon

Rosemary Essential oil – 3 Drops

Cilantro Essential oil – 5 drops

1 tablespoon bentonite clay Directions

THE AFRO — Although it cannot be medically diagnosed, burnout can lead people to lose their sense of self and feel as if they are not accomplishing enough. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Psychological Association found that the risk of burnout has increased for workers due to extra stress, increased household demands and longer working hours.

Awareness can help prevent the shame and guilt that comes with burnout and allow people to give themselves grace.

Black women in tech might be the key to climate justice...continued

Chet Hewitt is the President and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation and its independent operating unit, the Center for Health Program Management.

2022 Movers and Shakers Year in Review - Sonya Aadam

Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Sonya

Founded in 1992, the organization says its mission is to improve the health of California's 1.2 million Black women and girls through advocacy, education, outreach and policy change.

A South Los Angeles native, Aadam’s work includes mentoring and preparing women to navigate a healthcare system that has notoriously underserved Black women.

California Black Media asked Aadam to reflect on the past year and share her plans for 2023.

With the work you do advocating for African Americans in California, what was your biggest accomplishment in 2022?

In 2022, we lift up the fouryear extension of our Sisters Mentally Mobilized Advocate Training Program among our biggest accomplishments.

The program has been successful in building a cadre of Black mental health advocates and activists in key regions of the state and we are so excited to continue the program through another four years of funding from the California Dept. of Public Health.

What did you find most challenging over the past year?

Persistent limitations in funding for our work remains our greatest challenge because it means lower wages for existing staff, difficulty attracting new staff, and constant pressure to do more with less.

Our dedicated team could make considerably more in salary elsewhere, but they are willing to sacrifice higher earnings because they believe deeply in the work that we do to uplift better health and wellness for Black women, girls, families, and communities.

As the CEO of this

How

organization, this lack of sufficient resources is a major source of stress.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

2023 presents a great opportunity for expanded power building in the Black community in California to advocate for health equity, reparations, and continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

At California Black Women's Health Project, collaboration is a guiding value and is absolutely necessary for our work to address health disparities, build community capacity, and empower our Sisters statewide to guard their health and wellness.

What’s the biggest challenge Black Californians will face next year?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the health and wellness of Black Californians. We consistently worry about the ongoing mental and emotional strain, what we refer to as "Post-COVID-StressDisorder".

The fallout of the pandemic and ongoing challenges in securing recovery funding and support will challenge us and require organizations like ours to work harder, go deeper, and fight harder to fill gaps and advocate for mental health and other services.

What’s your wish for this holiday season?

Black culture, the loving spirit of Christmas, and the New Year transition give me so much joy during the Holiday season. This year my Holiday wish is for a period of respite and peace, especially for those of us who work in community service. I also wish for a COVID-free Holiday season for us all.

To Detox Your Armpit To Prevent

Breast Cancer...continued from page 7

bowl or glass. Add the essential oils. It should look like sour cream. You can also use Thieves oil or oregano oil.

Spread a layer on your armpit and leave let rest for a few minutes.

If you aren’t in a hurry, you can leave it there for a longer duration so that it can really soak up the toxins.

Rinse the mixture from under your arms thoroughly and repeat the process at least once a week.

Another option to detox is to switch out your current deodorant all together. But here’s the 4-step process to do it:

After you stop using your current deodorant, use a loofah when showering to remove dead skin and toxins from under your armpit.

Apply aluminum-free baking soda to armpits when wet, then apply your natural deodorant. If you are sensitive to baking soda,

as some people are, you can mix bentonite clay with apple cider vinegar and water to create a yogurt type of consistency. This is what I recommend for people who have sensitive skin.

When you smell an odor coming from your armpits, wash them and then apply aluminumfree baking soda. After that, apply the natural deodorant again. Or if you are sensitive to baking soda, use the bentonite clay mixture.

Repeat this process for up to two weeks or until your natural deodorant works for up to 6 hours.

Note that the first day you start, you may be repeating these steps 5-10 times, but each day that number goes down.

Leah’s own cleanse ended after the 4th day, and the average person takes 4-7 days to complete this cleanse.

An Open Letter to Bill Gates on Food, Farming, and Africa

We, 50 organizations focused on food sovereignty and justice worldwide, want you to know there is no shortage of practical solutions and innovations by African farmers and organizations. We invite you to step back and learn from those on the ground.

by COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE/AGRA WATCH ALLIANCE FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN AFRICA (AFSA)

Nov 10, 2022

Common Dreams

Dear Bill Gates:

You were recently featured commenting on the global state of agriculture and food insecurity, in a recent New York Times op-ed by David Wallace-Wells and also in an Associated Press article.

It is your preferred high-tech solutions, including genetic engineering, new breeding technologies, and now digital agriculture, that have in fact consistently failed to reduce hunger or increase food access as promised

In both articles, you make a number of claims that are inaccurate and need to be challenged. Both pieces admit that the world currently produces enough food to adequately feed all the earth's inhabitants, yet you continue to fundamentally misdiagnose the problem as relating to low productivity; we do not need to increase production as much as to assure more equitable access to food. In addition, there are four specific distortions in these pieces which should be addressed, namely: 1) the supposed need for "credit for fertilizer, cheap fertilizer" to ensure agricultural productivity, 2) the idea that the Green Revolution of the mid-20th century needs to be replicated now to address hunger, 3) the idea that "better" seeds, often produced by large corporations, are required to cope with climate change, and 4) your suggestion that if people have solutions that "aren't singing Kumbaya," you'll put money behind them.

First, synthetic fertilizers contribute 2% of overall greenhouse gas emissions and are the primary source of nitrous oxide emissions. Producing nitrogen fertilizers requires 3-5% of the world's fossil gas. They also make farmers and importing nations dependent on volatile prices on international markets, and are a major cause of rising food prices globally. Yet you claim that even more fertilizer is needed to increase agricultural productivity and address hunger. Toxic and damaging synthetic fertilizers are not a feasible way forward. Already, companies, organizations, and farmers in Africa and elsewhere have been developing biofertilizers made from compost, manure, and ash, and biopesticides made from botanical compounds, such as neem tree oil or garlic. These products can be manufactured locally (thereby avoiding dependency and price volatility), and can be increasingly scaled up and commercialized.

Second, the Green Revolution was far from a resounding success. While it did play some role in increasing the yields of cereal crops in Mexico, India, and elsewhere from the 1940s to the 1960s, it did very little to reduce the number of hungry people in the world or to ensure equitable and sufficient access to food. It also came with a host of other problems, from ecological issues like long-term soil degradation to socioeconomic ones like increased inequality and indebtedness (whxich has been a major contributor to the epidemic of farmer suicides in India). Your unquestioning support for a "new" Green Revolution demonstrates willful ignorance about history and about the root causes of hunger (which are by and large about political and economic arrangements, and what the economist Amartya Sen famously referred to as entitlements, not about a global lack of food).

Third, climate-resilient seeds are already in existence and being developed by farmers and traded through informal seed markets. Sorghum, which you tout in your interview as a so-called "orphan crop", is among these already established climate-adapted crops. You note that most investments have been in maize and rice, rather than in locally-adapted and nutritious cereals like sorghum. Yet AGRA (the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), which your foundation (the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) created and financed, has been among those institutions that have disproportionately focused on maize and rice. In other words, you are part of creating the very problem you name. The AGRA initiative, which your foundation continues to fund, has also pushed restrictive seed legislation that limits and restricts crop innovation to well-resourced labs and companies. These initiatives don't increase widespread innovation, but rather contribute to the privatization and consolidation of corporate monopolies over seed development and seed markets.

Finally, your assertion that critics of your approach are simply "singing Kumbaya," rather than developing meaningful (and fundable) solutions, is extremely disrespectful and dismissive. There are already many tangible, ongoing proposals and projects that work to boost productivity and food security-from biofertilizer and biopesticide manufacturing facilities, to agroecological farmer training programs, to experimentation with new water and soil management techniques, low-input farming systems, and pest-deterring plant species. What you are doing here is gaslightingpresenting practical, ongoing, farmer-led solutions as somehow fanciful or ridiculous, while presenting your own preferred approaches as pragmatic. Yet it is your preferred high-tech solutions, including genetic engineering, new breeding technologies, and now digital agriculture, that have, in fact, consistently failed to reduce hunger or increase food access as promised. And in some cases, the "solutions" you expound as fixes for climate change actually contribute to the biophysical processes driving the problem (e.g. more fossil-fuel based fertilizers, and more fossil-fuel dependent infrastructure to transport them) or exacerbate the political conditions that lead to inequality in food access (e.g. policies and seed breeding initiatives that benefit large corporations and labs, rather than farmers themselves).

In both articles, you radically simplify complex issues in ways that justify your own approach and interventions. You note in the New York Times op-ed that Africa, with the lowest costs of labor and land, should be a net exporter of agricultural products. You explain that the reason it is not is because "their productivity is much lower than in rich countries and you just don't have the infrastructure." However, costs of land and labor, as well as infrastructures, are socially and politically produced. Africa is in fact highly productive - it's just that the profits are realized elsewhere. Through colonization, neoliberalism, debt traps, and other forms of legalized pillaging, African lives, environments, and bodies have been devalued and made into commodities for the benefit and profit of others. Infrastructures have been designed to channel these commodities outside of the continent itself. Africa is not self-sufficient in cereals because its agricultural, mining, and other resource-intensive sectors have been structured in ways that are geared toward serving colonial and then international markets, rather than African peoples themselves. Although you are certainly not responsible for all of this, you and your foundation are exacerbating some of these problems through a very privatized, profit-based, and corporate approach to agriculture.

There is no shortage of practical solutions and innovations by African farmers and organizations. We invite you to step back and learn from those on the ground. At the same time, we invite high profile news outlets to be more cautious about lending credibility to one wealthy white man's flawed assumptions, hubris, and ignorance, at the expense of people and communities who are living and adapting to these realities as we speak.

Lawsuit Alleges U.S. Government Discriminated Against Black Veterans for Decades

Lawsuit Alleges U.S. Government Discriminated Against Black Veterans for Decades

A new lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) alleges that the U.S. government discriminated against Black veterans for decades.

On Monday (November 28), the suit was filed by Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic (VLSC) on behalf of Vietnam War veteran Conley Monk Jr, whose applications for education, housing, and disability benefits have been denied since he returned home from the war, per The Hill.

According to the suit, discrimination by the VA has left Black veterans without benefits more frequently than their white counterparts.

Yale’s VLSC said the lawsuit could “provide a legal pathway for Black veterans to seek reparations from the VA.”

“This lawsuit seeks to hold the VA accountable for years of discriminatory conduct,” Adam Henderson, a law student working with the VLSC on the case, said in a statement, per the Hill.

“VA leaders knew, or should have known, that they were administering benefits in a

discriminatory manner, yet they failed to address this unlawful bias,” Henderson added. “Mr. Monk — and thousands of Black veterans like him — deserve redress for the harms caused by these negligently administered programs.”

According to internal VA data obtained by the Washington Post, Black applicants seeking disability benefits were denied 30 percent of the time from 2002 to 2020. White applicants were denied 24 percent of the time.

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said the agency is working to combat “institutional racism.”

“Throughout history, there have been unacceptable disparities in both VA benefits decisions and military discharge status due to racism, which have wrongly left Black veterans without access to VA care and benefits,” Hayes said. “We are actively working to right these wrongs.”

The post U.S. Government Discriminated Against Black Veterans For Decades: Lawsuit appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Black Information Network | Atlanta Daily World

Aadam is Chief Executive Officer of California Black Women’s Health Project.