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Vol. 61 No. 39 | Thursday, September 30, 2021
www.sdvoice.info
Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 61 Years
Congress Passes EQUAL Act Bill seeks to eliminate sentencing disparities harshly doled out to African Americans votes, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine weighed in on H.R. 1693 — the EQUAL Act.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Two minutes before members of the U.S. House of Representatives cast their
“Congress should pass the EQUAL Act to
finally end the unfair sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine,” Racine demanded. “By eliminating the disparity entirely, the bill
would address longstanding racial discrimination in our criminal justice policy. This reform is overdue.” See ACT page 2
Local Project
PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER &
Covid-19 Updates
Educates and Enriches
see pg. 4
Covid-19 cases in 8,843 92115 southeast 92105
Black Parents, Students
7,289 9,086
5,594 8,803
92102 92113
SOURCE: County of San Diego a/o 9/22/21
SD BOLTS
92114
Martin Milton, an SDUSD education administrator, presented information for parents at the “Asking The Right Questions To Get The Right Answers” forum on September 25, 2021. The forum was hosted by the Alkebulan Educational Institute. Photo Courtesy of Alkebulan Educational Institute
see page 8
4,373 92139
Dr. Monica Hinton, President of the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, moderated the September 25, 2021 forum. Photo: Courtesy of Sharp
Born in Jamaica, Afflalo came to Los Angeles at age 7. She credits her mother, Esmie Afflalo, as a primary influence in her decision to pursue medicine. A single mother who raised five children, worked two jobs and earned
A new project by the San Diego Chapter of The Association of Black Psychologists, the Alkebulan Educational Institute was born in 2020 to help the educational and men-
the Alkebulan Educational Institute is offering training and informational sessions to parents, guardians, caretakers, and other education stakeholders. The goal is to help the community understand and activate their rights for educational equity. See PROJECT page 2
Still on the Search
DR. SUZANNE AFFLALO LEADS WAY TO POSITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire It’s been 13 years since Natalie Wilson and her sister-in-law Derrica Wilson founded the Black and Missing Foundation to help bring attention and closure to the ever-growing number of cases in minority communities.
an RN degree, Mrs. Afflalo’s example of faith, grit and compassion planted a seed in her young daughter to use her talents and skills to help those most in need. After earning her medical degree from George Washington University, Afflalo completed her residency at Kaiser Medical Center in Los Angeles. Relocating to San Diego, she began a 26-year career at Kaiser, earning her way to Chief, Family Medicine Dept., garnering numerous accolades, among them Kaiser San Diego “Family
Education rights are imperative for equity. September 25th was the first in a series of information sessions hosted by the Alkebulan Educational Institute focused on questions parents or guardians should ask to ensure their children are receiving equitable treatment, assistance, and access in their education.
tal development of local Black youth. Beginning in Summer of 2022, the Institute will offer Saturday enrichment programs focused on everything from in-depth Black history to Common Core catch-up classes. For the remainder of 2021 and into 2022,
Black and Missing Foundation
see page 8
Dr. Suzanne Afflalo’s passion for medicine and serving her community has provided a beacon of hope for best health outcomes for thousands of San Diego African Americans and people of color.
By A.L. Haynes Contributing Writer
AFTER 13 YEARS,
Hallelujah Any How Concert
By Barbara Smith Contributing Writer
Alkebulan Educational Institute to launch Black History enrichment program in Summer 2022
Photo courtesy of S. Afflalo
Physician of the Year” and “One of San Diego’s Top 100 Doctors.” She considers her work at Kaiser an important training ground where she honed her medical abilities while developing leadership and advocacy skills that have been key in her successful community outreach. See page 9
As incomplete and cringe- worthy, the number of the missing — one count suggests that of the more than 600,000 individuals currently reported missing, more than 200,000 are individuals of color — Wilson forges ahead. She does so, even 13 years and some success stories later, emotionally. “We’ve come a long way,” Wilson declared during a
recent visit to the new, state-of-the-art National Newspaper Publishers Assoc i ation’s (NNPA) television studios in Washington, D.C. During a conversation with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Wilson punctuated the need for the Black and Missing Foundation with the story of Phoenix Colden, a young African American woman who went in 2011 missing near St. Louis, Missouri. “I called every media outlet, and no one covered that story,” Wilson recalled. “Finally, an assignment editor got tired of me calling and asked me to send Colden’s profile.” In her interview with Dr.
Leslie-Marva-Adams. Photo: NNPA
Chavis, which will air on PBS-TV and PBS-World as a special on The Chavis Chronicles, Wilson reflected on how the news media and even law enforcement fail to highlight missing people of color — notably missing Black girls. “I’m so grateful for the Black Press,” Wilson remarked. See MISSING page 2
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