Vol. 61 No. 28 Thursday, July 15, 2021

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Vol. 61 No. 28

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Thursday, July 15, 2021

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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 61 Years

New Strain of Covid Will Your Family Get

Proving Fatal to

Unvaccinated People By Manny Otiko California Black Media Don’t put away that mask. While the American public might be celebrating the lifting of the tightest COVID-19 restrictions in most parts of the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. According to medical doc-

$300 Monthly

Child Tax Payments?

African Americans

PUBLIC H E A LT H O& Covid-19 R DUpdates ER

and the Vaccine in San Diego County

see page 3

see pg. 7 4,630

7,514

7,531

7,608

6,095

3,656

SOURCE: County of San Diego a/o 7/6/21

tors, the United States is currently dealing with a new strain of the virus, the Delta variant, which is more lethal and virulent than previous strains. The Delta variant originated in India towards the end of last year and was first identified in America in March.

Spotlight on

San Diegans see page 9

Jamar Taylor’s

Skills & Drills Academy

see page 10

Local Events to Celebrate

See FATAL page 2

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

By Melissa Montalvo CALMATTERS Monthly $300 payments are in the works for California families struggling to make ends meet. The IRS will begin the roll-out of the Child Tax Credit on July 15 as part of the American Rescue Plan. Qualifying households will receive up to $3,600 annually per child, which will benefit families across the state. Last week, Fresno area leaders from Faith in the Valley, Fresno

(Courtesy of CBM)

LATEST COUNTY

Economic Opportunities Commission, and First 5 Fresno County were joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Costa at a news conference touting the payments. “We all benefit when families in our community have access to their basic needs,” said Amber Crowell, a Fresno State sociology professor and regional housing coordinator with Faith in the Valley. But that’s not all.

National Black

Agricultural

Awareness Week

See PAYMENTS page 2

CALIFORNIA’S

mask rule

for schools

(credit: Project New Village)

Voice & Viewpoint Newswire

prompts

controversy By Adam Beam AP California announced new coronavirus rules for public schools on Monday that let students and teachers sit as close to each other as they want while making sure no one will miss class time even if they are exposed to someone with the virus. But those changes from the last school year were overshadowed by news the state would continue to require all students and staff to wear masks while indoors, reigniting criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall election in September.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The federal government last week said teachers and students who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus don’t have to wear masks indoors. But that guidance, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also recommended students and staff stay at least 3 feet (0.9 meters) apart to reduce the spread of a disease that is primarily transmitted through the air. Elsewhere in the U.S., schools and state officials

have adopted a patchwork of rules for students and teachers. In California, state officials said they worried that imposing social distancing would make it harder for some schools to accommodate all students who return to classrooms. So, they made a choice: The state will not require physical distancing in exchange for everyone wearing a mask. “Masks best promote both safety and in-person learning by reducing the need

for physical distancing,” the new rules state. State officials promised to review these rules, and possibly change them, by Nov. 1. Newsom faced heavy criticism for not moving more quickly to return students to classrooms during the last school year. Many districts, including Los Angeles with more than 550,000 K-12 students, only See MASK page 2

In San Diego, Project New Village (PNV), a food justice organization, is working to bring awareness of Black farmers to a neighborhood level. The organization is hosting two upcoming activities Saturday, July 17 and Saturday, July 24 in recognition of National Black Agricultural Awareness Week, which is in observance from July 10 to July 16 this year. Since last Saturday, events across the country have focused on the recognition and celebration of Black agriculture, while bringing awareness to the needs and the decline of Black Agricultural Producers. The week focuses attention on the African American community regarding food and food choices. Racial discrimination has long contributed to the steady

decline of Black-owned farms in America, but a movement is afoot to reconnect to growing food as a means to build our own wealth and contribute to own health using existing assets in our urban foodscapes, such as backyards, empty lots, and public spaces. Locally, Project New Village is working to bring awareness of Black farmers to a neighborhood level. In a geographic space encompassing Southeastern San Diego, National City and Lemon Grove, PNV is addressing the needs of our food-insecure neighborhoods. When the pandemic forced most of the nation to lock down, it became very clear that access to healthy See AGRICULTURAL page 2

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