Vol. 64 No.12 Thursday, March 21, 2024

Supervisors Approve Further Aid for Flood Victims, But Still no Long Term Plan

By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER

Amid hours of public testimony, most of which consisted of concerned residents pleading for basic humanitarian support, San Diego Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to extend hotel vouchers for impacted flood victims, and allocate funding to provide displaced victims three meals a day, instead of one.

Allocated from the counties general fund reserves, $6.6 million will go towards lodging

Supervisors approve Hotel Extension & Three Meals per day for flood victims until May 11 Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision

extensions and $3 million for food services till May 11th. This adds to the prior $10 million allocation board members approved on Jan. 30th just days after the storm. However, the main thing that was made clear by victims at the March 12th board meeting is this; the first allocation was not enough, and the execution lacked dignity; getting constituents to trust that their county leaders will take care of them for the second round is looking like a pipedream.

See FLOOD page 6

California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators Host Annual Summit in San Diego

By Macy Meinhardt

VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER

More than 700 educators and education stakeholders convened in San Diego last week to participate in sessions and workshops dedicated to discussions on the educational suc-

cess of African American and other students of color–anchored by the theme: “Brown v. Board of Education: 70 Years Later addressing our history, successes, and where we go from here”

See SUMMIT page 8

“WHAT IS NOT MEASURED CANNOT BE IMPROVED.”

By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER

San Diego is home to one of the largest populations for Middle Eastern and North African communities (MENA) in the state, but the government’s record of their data is entirely “inadequate”, lawmakers say. In fact, in 2024, official census records still categorize this community as white.

Despite bolstering a wealth of culture and nuance, data for MENA identifying citizens, which locally is about 40,000, is severely underreported due to the lack of their own distinct demographic category. This means, any faceted data that comes up in regards to this community’s health, education, and socioeconomics, has historically been commingled with

white identified individuals — making it difficult to numerically address any evidence of disparity and discrimination.

See MENA page 6

Amanda Seitz ASSOCIATED PRESS

More than a quarter of female Black voters describe abortion as their top issue in this year’s presidential election, a poll out Thursday from

health policy research firm KFF reveals.

The findings signal a significant shift from previous election years, when white, conservative evangelicals were more likely to peg abortion as their biggest priority when voting. Those voters were highly motivated in recent presidential elections to cast ballots for Donald Trump, who promised to appoint U.S. Supreme Court judges who would take away the constitutional right to an abortion.

But just months ahead of the first presidential election since the court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, that voting dynamic is drastically changing, KFF’s poll suggests.

“It’s a complete shift,” said Ashley Kirzinger, a KFF pollster. “Abortion voters are young, Black women — and not white evangelicals.”

See ABORTION page 6

McKenzie Jackson CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA

The California vs. Hate Resource Line, established to assist victims of hate crimes and hate incidents in the

Golden State, received 823 calls from 79% of California’s 58 counties during its first nine months of operation. The telephone line’s first anniversary is in May.

Since its launch, callers have dialed the hotline at 833-8-NO-HATE to report

See HATE page 6

Dr. Tyrone Howard, keynote speaker at the annual CAAASA summit. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint

Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022, after the Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years.

PHOTO:Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Arab-American Civic Council infographic. IMAGE: Courtesy of AACC

Taking all the hardest classes to challenge yourself at every turn. Believing in your abilities, uniqueness and strength. Inspiring those around you with your determination, faith and hope. Following your heart, and leading the way with passion and perseverance. Offering support, and accepting it, too, from your family, friends and community. Striving to make the world better. And knowing that your dreams will soon be within reach at UCLA.

Congratulations on being accepted to the #1 public university in the nation and doing San Diego proud. Out of more than 170,000 applicants, the most in the country, you stood out. You’re a Bruin through and through. And we can’t wait for you to join us on our mission to give our community — and the world — a brighter future.

THE DEMOCRATS, PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE BLACK VOTE

By Dr. John E. Warren PUBLISHER, THE SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT

While President Biden appears to be the only hope for America. As we know this nation, it does not follow that many who understand this crisis could and will engage in not voting this November out of the feeling that there is no real choice given Biden and Trump on the ballot. The sad truth is that a Third Party candidate on the Democratic side could almost for certain guarantee that former President Trump would be elected. A Third Party candidate on the Republican side would certainly guarantee that President Biden would be re-elected. Likewise, a stay at home vote on the Democratic side could also guarantee that Trump would be re-elected.

Let us not forget that it was the Black vote that put Biden in office. With all he has done to bring the country back from the brink of collapse, including having a Black Vice President, he has still failed the Black vote. He has not used the power of his office to break the filibuster in the Senate so that the George Floyd and John Lewis proposed laws could have a fighting chance to become a reality.

How is it that a man who spent 36 years in the Senate and 8 years as Vice President has failed to learn how to use the power of those positions, as such men as the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson did, to get the Voting Rights and Civil Rights laws enacted? President Biden was more worked up over the Supreme Court’s Decision on Roe vs. Wade than the voting rights and civil rights legislation mentioned above. The President and the Democratic Party should understand that Black people can and will live with Donald Trump if necessary, because our fight for equality and inclusion has never ended.

The Black vote, just like all other votes in an election, needs more than the waving of the flag and promises, many of which have been made before. Dollars must be invested in our Black communities the same way they are being, and will be, invested in other communities to get out the vote. It should be remembered that Black faces in the White House do not mean Black faces at the voting booths.

BLACK VOTERS should also remember that in addition to re-electing President Biden, the Democrats need four more seats in the House of Representatives to RESTORE A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY and to make Hakeem Jefferies the first Black Speaker of the House of Representatives. It takes money to educate a public to save democracy, as we know it, rather than endure the browning of America.

At the end of the day, Donald Trump is not the problem but the instrument of an old idea that says America has to be ‘white in order to be right’. This idea only sees “We the People” as White. Fortunately, there are still people in this nation Black, White, Brown, Yellow and Red, immigrants and citizens by birth who believe that America is all of us, even when we disagree with each other.

The Black vote is still strong enough to once again make the difference. The question is, will WE get the support necessary to make that vote once again, go to the polls and re-elect this President who must do more. The issue is not his age, but his commitment to getting our vote. People are not as concerned about “saving democracy” or the number of jobs recovered as much as they are concerned about the value of our dollars, food, rent, housing and gas. If the Democrats reach us where we live on these issues, the salvation of democracy will follow.

CONGRESS IS RIGHT: FEDERAL RESERVE’S REG II WILL HURT MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN AMERICA

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA PRESIDENT AND CEO

I am pleased to congratulate Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) who led a coalition of lawmakers who wrote to the Federal Reserve urging the central bank to withdraw Regulation II — its new proposal to reduce the cap on the debit card swipe fees merchants must pay to debit card processors — out of concern that it will hurt minority communities’ credit access.

While lowering the current cap on debit card swipe fees may appear like a reasonable measure to take in what has proven to be a lackluster economy for many merchants, my experiences — from coordinating youth activities with Rev. Martin Luther King to serving on the national board of directors for the NAACP — have underscored the importance of scrutinizing policies for their broader implications. When doing so with Regulation II, I — like the congressional coalition — concluded that lowering the swipe fees would hurt the same small financial institu-

tions that minority communities depend on for credit access, which would thus widen the nationwide racial wealth gap and banking disparities.

Although large corporations benefited from not having to pay as much in swipe fees, this price control hit the small financial institutions that had to subsidize this giveaway for them hard. It gave many of them no choice but to reduce feefree checking from 75 percent to 40 percent.

The Federal Reserve now estimates that six million Americans are “unbanked,” and many more are “underbanked” — meaning they must use alternative financial products like check cashing services instead of traditional checking and savings accounts to make ends meet. The debit card cap has contributed significantly to this crisis.

Many financial institutions have also raised customer fees in response to interchange fee caps, with Rule II poised to intensify these challenges. Regulation II will increase them even

further. According to Nick Bourke, former Director of Consumer Finance at The Pew Charitable Trusts, it may bring up to $2 billion in additional consumer costs. This escalation of fees threatens to sideline even more minority communities from the banking system, impeding their access to essential credit services required for entrepreneurship and homeownership.

The Fed is taking every effort to promote income equality and workplace diversity and inclusion, but Regulation II would undercut its great work in this respect and cause potential harm to millions of minority families. Now that a congressional coalition has drawn the Fed’s attention to this concern, the central bank should respond by taking a closer, harder look at its Regulation II proposal. It is the only right and just thing to do.

By Rev. Norman Franklin COLUMNIST

America has a proclivity for scapegoating African Americans. Ronald Reagan’s fictitious Cadillac Welfare Queen pictured Blacks as milking the Welfare System. When in fact, Whites were the greater number on the welfare rolls.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is the latest boogeyman. DEI is about promoting awareness of our differences, addressing structural inequalities, and creating an environment of community and respect for human differences and social identities.

More than 20 states have a combined 50 bills pending or signed into law that restrict or eliminate DEI programs. They purport to protect First Amendment free speech and shield potential employees and students from coercive practices. They are forced to align with divisive, discriminatory policies of DEI initiatives, they assert.

Legislators take the floor and pontificate destruction to our democratic system of government. Some draw analogies to Marxism and Communism. There is no mention of the centuries long system of chattel slavery or the decades of codified discrimination that fostered the inequities that must be righted.

The genesis of the opposition is that Whites should not experience guilt when learning about history. That’s a misappropriation of guilt. Knowledge of the past bears no guilt; it could lead to shame, and shame spurs corrective action to ensure that mistakes are not repeated.

Erasure of African American and Native American history justifies the opposition to DEI initiatives. It denies the need to correct the imbalance resulting from generations of a privileged/marginalized social construct. If there is no cause, there is no effect, there is no need to take institutional corrective measures.

The African American could feel a sense of betrayal; but we felt the sting of ingratitude when we returned from the battlefields in Europe and the Pacific Theater. Our red blood soaked into foreign soils, but many were denied access to the GI benefits that fueled postwar prosperity.

Those who govern are the descendants of those who enslaved us; they deny the inhumanity of this immoral and unjust system.

Those who govern are the generations of those who codified Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws into a social construct that devalued Black life and castrated their dignity.

These are the progeny, the sons and daughters of those who have benefited from systemic injustice but deny that inequality permeates every fiber of the social construct of America. It’s all they have known; it feels so normal. They can feel justified in the unjust laws they legislate; they can feel comfortable in the rollback of corrective measures. They can see no wrong in ending DEI initiatives.

As the Ronald Reagan, the quintessential Republican, said during a presidential debate. “There you go again.”

This commentary first appeared in The Cincinnati Herald.

PHOTO: Courtesy of NNPA

Betty Jean

Lofton

SUNRISE 05/08/1930

SUNSET 02/01/2024

ARRANGEMENTS BY PREFERRED CREMATION & BURIAL

Betty Jean Lofton was born on May 8, 1930, in Abilene, Texas. She was the first child and only daughter born to William and Ola White. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior and was baptized at an early age. She received her primary education through the Abilene School District.

She met and married Herman Jones II in Texas and in 1947, and with one child in tow they moved to San Diego, California, to be near family, where they had three more children. She spent many years in San Diego where she worked as a seamstress. One of her goals was to go back to school and she was very proud when she completed her GED in 1974.

In the 1980’s, she remarried and moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she lived for ten years. She made many new friends there and enjoyed her time in Detroit, where she worked in retail.

After Betty’s retirement from the retail industry, she returned to San Diego to be near her family. She was an avid learner, eagerly pursuing a diverse variety of continuing education classes throughout her life, such as electronics, soldering, Spanish, music, and computer classes. She also participated in different dance classes, as she loved to dance and exercise.

She was known as a woman who couldn’t pass up a store without buying something. She loved to collect knickknacks, keepsakes, and had a love for African art, as you could see by all of the items she had in her home.

Later in life she joined The Eagles Nest Christian Center, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. John E. Warren, where she was affectionately known as Mother Lofton. She made many lifelong friends and regularly attended services until her health began to decline.

Mother Lofton was called home to be with the Lord on February 21, 2024. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers; Hurley (Lardell), William (Sonny), and James (Toulum).

Having been blessed to live 93 years, she leaves to celebrate her life and cher ish her memory her children; Julia Lofton (Albert-deceased), Herman Jones III (Lucille), Melvin Jones Sr. (Diana) and Vickey Jones, 8 grandchildren, a host of great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, many friends and the Eagles Nest church family.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

John Arthur

Jones

SUNRISE 12/11/1946

SUNSET 02/01/2024

ARRANGEMENTS BY ANDERSON RAGSDALE MORTUARY

May Time Soften Your Pain

In times of darkness, love sees…

In times of silence, love hears...

In times of doubt, love hopes…

John Arthur Jones was born in Nashville, Arkansas, on December 11, 1946. In 1955, his family settled in Linda Vista, CA.

John was drafted into the Army, and served in the Vietnam War. In 1987, John retired from the San Diego Transit where he met the love of his life Linda Carter. They were together for 38 years; she was by his side until his death. After his retirement, he became a breeder of Birmingham Roller Pigeons.

John passed away on February 1, 2024.

John was preceded in death by his mother Julia Gilbert, father Lucious Jones, and his brothers; Marquin and Eric Hendrix.

He will be missed by his brothers; Stanley Hendrix, Douglas Hendrix, and Lorse Gilbert, nephews; Julian Hendrix and Marquin De Guzman, and all of his nieces, nephews, and cousins.

John lived a wonderful life, and will be missed by all who knew him.

In times of sorrow, love heals... And in all times, love remembers. May time soften the pain

Until all that remains Is the warmth of the memories And the love.

Memories Build a Special Bridge

Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part to help us feel we’re with them still and sooth a grieving heart. Our memories span the years we shared, preserving ties that bind, They build a special bridge of love and bring us peace of mind.

Emily Matthews

Janice Burgess, Nickelodeon Executive Who Created The Backyardigans’, dies at 72

Ja nice Burgess, Nickelodeon Executive of shows such as “Blue’s Clues” and “The Backyardigans’ died of breast cancer in hospice care in Manhattan, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times

As told to The New York Times by her former Nickelodeon colleague Brown

Johnson, Burgess was a major force in children’s television, impacting children’s creativity and imagination. According to NBC News, Nickelodeon made a statement in regards to Burgess, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the great architects of Nick Jr. and creator of the globally beloved series, ‘The Backyardigans. Janice was one of the greats–inherently creative and kind, and dedicated to the preschool audience everywhere.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter , Burgess once said, “Making The Backyardigans has become sort of like an adventure that I go on with my friends.” In an interview with Investor’s Business Daily in 2009 about the meaning and the reason behind The Backyardians, Burgess said, “Uniqua, is me. Or at least who I was as a kid. She’s a ringleader.” Uniqua is the main character of Burgess’ show.

nized my magic before I did and made sure I was in the room and under consideration for many of the shows that came my way including ‘Little Bill’ and ‘Taina.’”

Born in Pittsburgh, Burgess graduated from Brandeis University in 1973 with an art history degree. She then decided to try a new career path in television, starting out at craft services for Pittsburgh’s WQED TV station. Burgess then worked her way up to positions at Children’s Television Workshop, working on “3-2-1 Contact” and “Ghostwriter.”

Joining Nickelodeon as an executive in charge of production for Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. channel, she oversaw shows such as “Blue’s Clues,” “Allegra’s Window” and “Gullah Gullah Island.” She then turned to the creative side of the business, creating a pilot for a live-action full body puppet show called “Me and My Friends” in 1998. Though the series did not move forward, she was encouraged to re-tool the concept for animation and eventually created “The Backyardigans.” Burgess was well loved and respected by her peers and was a joy to be around, according to The New York Times Burgess truly embodied the persona of “Uniqua” all the way until the end.

Animation writer Fracaswell Hyman, who met Burgess while both were working on “Gullah Gullah Island,” wrote on Instagram, “Janice swept in with her acid-tongued wit, flowing Hermes scarves and omnipresent cigarettes. Instead of an overseer, she became a friend. She recog -

ARTICLE CONTINUATION

FLOOD

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“We have children, they are not getting their meals in, they are hardly eating anything because there is no stovetop in the Ramada, and when we do ask for the basic things; toiletries, towels, they treat us like we are a burden and that we have no dignity,” said Yama St. resident, Cristal Ramirez.

Ramirez, like many other San Diegans flood victims, is currently staying at the Ramada Inn, which is one of the appointed shelter locations within the County’s temporary lodging program launched February 12. Funding for these hotel stays, along with the administrative costs, and meal services made up the majority of the initial $10 million allocation the county originally agreed to.

“We can’t spend public tax dollars here without a vote, but it is not my intention for you to come here and have to beg for necessities,” said Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe; in regards to the new projected total of recovery assistance spent by the county being $16.6 million. Beyond this providing only the “bare minimum” of one hot meal a day, residents complain that the counties subcontracted emergency housing provider, Equus, has exacerbated the trauma brought on by the flood and its aftermath— saying that their taxpayer money is going to a company that has treated them with “disrespect” and “zero dignity”.

Impact by the numbers:

Since January 22, data San Diego County has collected is the following:

• The storms impacted 2,400 households, affecting a total of 7, 750 people

• 1,225 of those households are displaced

• 91% of households have indicated they have no flood insurance

• 47% impacted households include children

MENA

Continued from cover

But now there is a bill seeking to correct that.

AB 2763–The California MENA Inclusion Act— will require a MENA category to be included in all future collections of demographic data concerning ethnic background across all California state departments. Introduced last month by Lebanese Assemblymember Bill Essayli, the following ethnicities are slated to have their own identity legitimized by US documents if the bill goes through.

• Middle Eastern: Afghan, Bahraini, Emirati,Iranian, Iraqi, Israeli, Jordanian, Kuwaiti,Lebanese, Omani, Palestinian, Qatari, Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Turkish, and Yemeni.

• North African: Algerian, Djiboutian, Egyptian, Libyan, Mauritanian, Moroccan, Sudanese, and Tunisian.

• Transnational Middle Eastern and North

• African: Amazigh or Berber, Armenian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Circassian, & Kurdish

In addition, “It is important to know that the

ABORTION

Continued from cover

Overall, 12% of voters surveyed said abortion was the most important issue in this year’s election.

Certain female voters, however, were more likely to identify the issue as top of mind. They include 28% of Black women, 19% of women living in states where abortion is banned, and 17% of women who are under age 50.

Of voters who said that abortion was their most important issue, two-thirds said they believe

HATE

Continued from cover

instances of prejudice motivated by a range of factors. Additionally, they have received help connecting with groups that provide support to individuals and communities targeted by hate.

“There is support, when you report,” said James Williams Jr., a community-based organization manager with the California Civil Rights

• 54% of impacted households have pets

• 31% of households include seniors

• 35% of households include individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs.

According to the county’s contract for Equus services, the San Diego County contracts Equus to identify, negotiate, and obtain service agreements and lodging providers for rooms to be made available on an as needed basis to displaced or evacuated during regional, and sub-regional emergencies. Unless staying with family or friends, Equus has been contracted to provide housing for the 1,225 households displaced by the storms.

Yet, based on testimony provided by the over 61 people who showed up in person to speak at the board meeting, communication between Equus officials and community members has been poor; residents say that Equus doesn't call them back to confirm their voucher extensions, causing perpetual anxiety on where they will live day to day.

MENA Category is an ethnic category, not a racial category, as people from the MENA region can identify with any racial group and represent numerous diverse populations; according to the Arab American Civic Council.

Why This Matters

“WHAT IS NOT MEASURED CANNOT BE IMPROVED,” the AACC says.

For example, there has been robust research outlining disparities between white and Black students in public education spheres; including research on disparities in San Diego public schools. As a result, this informed data has been put into action through the establishment of culturally sensitive resources and opportunities for Black children in order to help them succeed; from behavioral health services to scholarships. However since there is no data for MENA identifying students, they frequently aren't afforded similar opportunities.

Furthermore, in terms of hate crimes, Rachel Evans, youth programs manager at San Diegobased Somali Family Services worries that “If children in our community experience a hate crime at their school, currently, there’s no way to record it. Subsequently, they will not have access to culturally appropriate mental health services who can address the trauma they have experienced.”

abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

For decades, white evangelicals eager to see abortion banned have turned out to vote on the issue, Kirzinger said. Trump, a Republican, has spent nearly a decade courting those voters with promises to support conservative judges and with a cohort of religious surrogates who warned evangelicals that his Democratic rivals would dramatically expand abortion access in the U.S. Trump received overwhelming support from white evangelicals in the previous presidential elections.

But as states continue to clamp down on abortion access and Trump braces for a rematch

Department (CRD).

Recently, a Zoom meeting organized by Ethnic Media Services highlighted CRD’s non-emergency hate reporting system and efforts to combat discrimination in the state. State officials and community partners participated in the discussion.

Williams said the initial year has been successful.

“In year two, we plan to increase outreach and engagement, and we’re looking to data experts to

“I had to call them fifteen times on a Sunday to get approved for my extension…they (Equus) are playing with our minds,” said Southcrest resident Moises Godinez.

“We are already going through a extremely difficult stressful situation, trying to figure things out what is our next step, how we are going to survive, and Equus and has just been making us anxious as to where we are going to be staying, having to check out and not knowing if we are going to be moving rooms and having to pack everything up just for them to tell us we are going to be staying in the same room,” said Ramirez.

“Equus is a horrible company, they don’t have their stuff together, we keep getting phone calls saying that we are going to get extensions but then we don’t have the extensions at the hotels,” said Lisa Sheffield, a third generation Veteran. In addition to these complaints, residents also pressed County leaders to instead fund local nonprofits to coordinate emergency housing–saying groups such as the YMCA and Harvey

“Organizations and leadership that work closely with the MENA population cannot provide crucial interventions to improve the quality of life for their population without recognition of the MENA population and effective data,” Essayli states.

Community specific health concerns are also underreported. But, based on a study published in the American Public Health Association, a growing body of research shows that ARAB/ MENA Americans have both health and social patterns distinct from those of Whites. For example, studies that have been performed indicate that Arab/MENA Americans have a higher prevalence of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, as well as low birth weight and depressive symptoms.

“Arab Americans are in an unusual position in the American health care system — they are a group that both exists in the public consciousness, but is also un-counted, and hence has not been a part of a national reckoning with its needs and particularities,” according to a literature review about the health of Arab Americans in the U.S.

Another area that makes census records vital is within the distribution of federal funds. Census results dictate the annual distribution of more than $675 billion through government programs. For historically marginalized commu-

against Democrat Joe Biden, the demographics of the abortion voter have shifted, Kirzinger said. Biden has vowed to protect abortion access since the court overturned the right.

“Abortion — it’s clearly resonating with this group,” Kirzinger said. “When we think about abortion access and who is disadvantaged, it’s Black women.”

Women — and Black women, in particular — were crucial to Biden’s win over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Last week, Biden’s campaign announced that first lady Jill Biden would lead a nationwide effort to mobilize that

assist us with data collection reporting efforts to provide transparency and public-facing reports,” he announced.

California vs. Hate Resource Line Senior Manager Chantel Bermudez said between the hotline’s launch in May 2023 and the end of last month, 42% of the calls received reported discrimination motivated by race, ethnicity, or country of origin. Callers also reported hate actions aggravated by religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, she added. Bermudez said the three main goals of the resource line

Family Foundation have consistently had boots on the ground and built relationships with the community, as opposed to Equus.

“You need to give the money to the YMCA, the Harvey family foundation; they treat us right, they give us stress free comfort to know where we are going to stay,” said Michael Rios.

“The county has a duty to provide oversight, and when it is not working out, we expect you to do better,” said Erin Tsurumoto Grassi, Associate Director at Alliance San Diego.

After testimony wrapped, Supervisor Chair Nora Vargas confirmed that they have put Equus on notice about the challenges the community has brought forward, telling residents that the board as a whole “takes this very seriously.”

Meanwhile at the meeting, board members called up Equus Representative, Mark Douglass, to give an explanation to the concerns residents had expressed at the meeting.

“Madam chair, supervisors, I want to apologize. The weight of all of the pain I heard today, I sit with that and I own it. To the community behind me I hear you and I am sorry,” said Douglass.

Additionally Douglass noted: “My staff stands behind me today, they have worked with what they have, and that wasn’t good enough, but we will make it right.”

“I stand with county partners, I stand with the community, I will do whatever we can; and if the decision is to partner with more community based organizations, I fully support that.”

After hearing testimony for Douglass, the board made a motion for staff to look into incorporating community based organizations, such as the YMCA, and Harvey Family Foundation into their emergency contracting.

Voice & Viewpoint will continue to keep the community updated whenever a more long term plan comes to fruition for flood displaced victims.

nities, funding derived from census records are supportive “lifelines"; but because they have been classified as White in the U.S. Census, residents who trace their ancestry to the Middle East and North Africa region rarely benefit from government assistance.

Therefore, through this proposed bill, “California’s recognition of the community is an essential step to repair decades of disenfranchisement and erasure on an administrative level,” said Abed Ayoub, Executive Director of American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

“For far too long, MENA-Americans have been invisibilized, marginalized, and misrepresented. With this bill, we, as MENA-Americans in California, are speaking for ourselves and declaring boldly that we must be represented too,” said Sophia Armen, Executive Director, Armenian-American Action Network.

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org//

voting bloc again.

More than half of Black Americans live in Southern states, most of which swiftly introduced strict abortion laws once the Supreme Court’s ruling was announced. As of last year, roughly 25 million women were living in states that had enacted new restrictions following the court’s decision, an Associated Press analysis found.

Nearly two-thirds of voters polled by KFF oppose a national abortion ban beginning at 16 weeks of pregnancy. Trump has not publicly backed such a ban, but reports have circulated that he privately has told people he supports one.

are to identify options and next steps for callers, connect them with culturally competent resources, and improve hate crime and hate incident reporting and data to enhance prevention and response.

Notably, officials did not disclose any numbers related to the racial or ethnic background of the callers during the meeting but said more statistics will be available closer to the telephone line’s anniversary date.

See HATE page 15

Ramada Inn off Midway Dr.

PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint

Free Services Available to SD County Flood and Storm Survivors

Me ntal health, language, and ASL services are available online and by phone to help survivors of the Jan. 21-23, 2024, San Diego County severe storm and flooding.

The US Department of Health and Human Services and FEMA have activated a Disaster Distress Helpline you can call or text 800985-5990. This free support service is available all day every day for San Diego residents experiencing emotional distress or mental health problems caused or aggravated by the Jan. 21-23, 2024, San Diego County severe storm and flooding and its aftermath.

The helpline staff may provide confidential counseling and other needed support services, or immediately connect callers to trained professionals from the nearest participating mental health center.

When calling, Spanish-speakers can press “2” for bilingual support. Callers can connect with counselors in more than 100 other languages via third-party interpretation services by indicating their preferred language to the responding counselor.

Survivors may also call the San Diego Access and Crisis Line (ACL) at 1-888-724-7240 for emergency crisis support.

Multilingual and ASL Assistance

To apply for FEMA assistance, survivors who live in San Diego County can visit Disas-

terAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., PT. Multilingual operators are available when registering for assistance by phone. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.

For people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) and for whom American Sign Language (ASL) is your primary or preferred language, use your videophone-enabled device to call 1-800-985-5990 or click on “ASL Now” at https://www.samhsa.gov/findhelp/disaster-distress-helpline to be connected with a DDH crisis worker fluent in ASL.

For the latest information on the Jan 21-23, 2024, San Diego County severe storm and flooding, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4758.

FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, or economic status.

If you believe your civil rights are being violated, you can call the Civil Rights Resource line at 833-285-7448 (TTY 800-462- 7585).

Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should update FEMA with their specific number assigned to that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).

Historic Obesity Bill of Rights Unveiled Amidst Surging Obesity Rates Nationwide

By Stacy Brown NNPA Newswire Sr. National Correspondent

In response to a relentless surge in obesity rates nationwide, a powerful alliance of leading consumer advocates, aging experts, and public health groups have introduced the groundbreaking Obesity Bill of Rights for Americans. The initiative, with the National Consumers League (NCL) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) at its forefront, aims to transform obesity care by enacting significant changes in federal, state, and employer policies.

The Obesity Bill of Rights is the culmination of a yearlong, meticulous fact-finding effort involving experts and communities, marking a crucial turning point in the battle against the United States’ most pervasive and expensive chronic disease. Shockingly, even a decade after the American Medical Association (AMA) classified obesity as a severe disease requiring comprehensive care, it continues to be largely overlooked and untreated.

“We need to ensure our health care system treats it as a disease, so that Americans with obesity can access holistic, high-quality care that meets the full spectrum of their needs. ”

–Gwen Moore

with obesity have reliable, accurate information about their disease, respectful and nondiscriminatory care from medical professionals, and insurance that provides access to all treatments deemed appropriate by their health providers,” stated Ramsey Alwin, NCOA President and CEO.

NCL and NCOA have started the Right2ObesityCare grassroots movement to drive the radical change that the Obesity Bill of Rights envisions. Officials said the movement aims to engage individuals with obesity, caregivers, health professionals, community leaders, employers, and a network of obesity and chronic disease organizations to foster the adoption of the Obesity Bill of Rights in clinical settings.

The online hub, www.right2obesitycare.org, will serve as the epicenter for mobilizing stakeholders, focusing on national and state policy efforts. Right2ObesityCare will develop national “obesity goals” for fully implementing the Obesity Bill of Rights by December 31, 2029. Plans include regional town halls, workshops, advocacy forums, and meetings with federal and state legislators and regulators.

San Diego State’s Mission Valley River Park, located at River Park Road, San Diego, CA 92108, is now open to the public for recreation. The community got a first look at the completed 34-acre river park at the official ribbon-cutting held Wednesday, March 6th. The park features multi-use recreational fields, more than four miles of walking and biking trails, a children’s play area, a fitness area and more. Beyond the recreational facilities, the park

is expected to become a hub for community engagement, a sense of connection and community well-being with restored native habitats that invite local flora and fauna back into the ecosystem.

The park’s completion fulfilled the university’s promise to develop a river park before beginning vertical development. The park is currently available for casual recreation and not for scheduled events, practices or games. For more information visit missionvalley. sdsu.edu/explore/riverpark.

“Our aim with the Obesity Bill of Rights is to designate quality obesity care as the inherent right of all adults, empowering those with the disease to demand unbiased treatment, regardless of their size or weight,” Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League, said in a news release.

Developed in collaboration with leading obesity specialists and backed by nearly 40 national obesity and chronic disease organizations, the Obesity Bill of Rights establishes eight fundamental rights. These rights are designed to ensure that individuals with obesity undergo screening, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment according to medical guidelines, eradicating pervasive weight bias and ageism within the healthcare system. The staggering statistics surrounding obesity underscore the critical need for this initiative. Presently, only 30 million out of an estimated 108 million adults living with obesity have been diagnosed, and a mere 2% of those eligible for anti-obesity medications have received these treatments. Officials noted in a news release that the consequences of untreated obesity include worsening outcomes for over 230 obesity-related chronic diseases, approximately 400,000 premature deaths annually, and an estimated $1.72 trillion in direct and indirect costs to the U.S. economy.

“These rights collectively ensure that adults

Additionally, the American Psychological Association (APA) said the health crisis in Black communities are intricately linked to a myriad of societal elements, including but not limited to disparities in stable and affordable housing, income inequality, and limited access to quality education. Each of these factors, individually or collectively, can significantly influence an individual’s chances of leading a longer and healthier life. A complete picture of the obesity epidemic emerges when access to affordable, wholesome food and secure spaces for physical activity is unequal, APA officials noted. Statistics show nearly 48 percent of African American adults are clinically obese, with a detailed breakdown exposing 37.1 percent of affected men and 56.6 percent of women, in contrast to 32.6 percent of whites.

Meanwhile, the Obesity Bill of Rights has garnered initial endorsements from 36 prominent organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Nurses Association, and the Obesity Action Coalition. The coalition’s efforts have also received support from influential policymakers such as Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), who are championing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) to expand access to obesity treatments.

“Obesity is a chronic condition – not a personal or moral failing,” Moore asserted. “We need to ensure our health care system treats it as a disease, so that Americans with obesity can access holistic, high-quality care that meets the full spectrum of their needs. I am proud to be a co-lead of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, which puts us on a path toward effectively treating obesity, helping create healthier outcomes for Americans and supporting enhanced quality of life for Medicare beneficiaries who need comprehensive care.”

California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators

Host Annual Summit in San Diego

Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision

By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER

Throughout the three day conference held at Town and Country resort in Mission Hills, the 6 plenary sessions and 100 concurrent workshops hosted highlighted research, evidence-based strategies, and solutions aimed to accelerate the education growth for students of color.

For the many individuals in attendance—including policy makers, teachers, researchers, families, and students—the President of the CAAASA, Dr. Michele Bowers writes that the summit brings the “information and the tools needed to shift theory from practice, and from promise to reality, to impact change and improvement in education for African American students.”

Founded in 1993, CAAASA is an education equity and advocacy organization that works through collaboration, network-building and direct community engagement to promote the success of African American, Latinx and other underserved California K-12 public school students and families.

CAAASA’s members include school superintendents, administrators, teachers and other educational professionals from throughout California. Although equality in education has come a long way since Brown V Board of Education, research from the Legislative’s Analyst’s Office provides

evidence as to why more work and awareness needs to be done. One of the ways this can be measured is through what's known as the achievement gap.

Achievement gaps occur when there’s a notable statistical contrast in average performance between different groups of students, such as those categorized by race or gender. This discrepancy highlights instances where one group consistently outperforms another.

“CAAASA is particularly concerned that our African American and Latino students, as well as our underserved students, continue to fall below national norms of student achievement and performance measures,” said the organization in their 2024 program book.

According to the LAO’s report across the state of California:

“On average, across all grade levels, African American students had the lowest scores on state standardized tests in spring 2018. African American

students also had the lowest graduation rates and were the least likely to be prepared for college/career at graduation. On average, African American students missed much more school than other students, with a chronic absenteeism rate about double that of Latino and white students in 2017-18.

“Similarly, they were suspended at nearly double the rate of Latino and white students. Racial/ethnic achievement gaps held even after taking family income into account. For example, low-income African American students as a group performed worse across a range of outcome measures relative to other low-income students,” the report reads.

Furthermore, additional research presented at the conference reveals that this pattern begins as early as pre-school.

Factors such as those above are what make the achievement gap and disparities, and also served at the forefront of the summit’s solution-based approach over the three days.

One of the discussions on how to bridge such disparities was the importance of teachers establishing cultural competency as well as the importance of representa-

tion. Kesha Gordon, with San Diego Unified School District, was one of the speakers featured on the “Highly Effective Teachers, Schools, and Strategies for Success for Students of Color” panel.

“Believe Black students. Place faith and believe in their struggles, stories and pain,” Gordon says.

Moreso, according to a report released by the RAND corporation, Black teachers were more than twice as likely as other teachers in the winter of 2021 to say they planned to leave their jobs at the end of the 2020-21 school year.

“One of the most important things we have to do is to have more Black teachers in classrooms. Because we see the promise, we see the potential,” said Dr. Tyrone Howard, Friday morning’s keynote speaker.

Events such as the recent summit organized by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators remain pivotal in driving forward the legacy of Brown vs. Board of Education and serve as a continuance for change in equality here in 2024.

For more information on the annual CAAASA summit, as well as their membership opportunities feel free to visit their webpage: https://www.caaasa.org/

Statistics presented at Friday's meeting by keynote speaker Dr.Tyrone Howard over “disparities in school discipline”. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint

COURTSIDE WITH

AT THE OLD GLOBE

By Barbara Smith

While LeBron James never makes an appearance in the play, King James, onstage at the Old Globe Theatre, his presence is felt throughout. Basketball is referenced in the story, and fans of the hoop will have an inside track on some of the narrative, but at its heart, playwright Rajiv Joseph’s King James is a thoughtfully and lovingly woven portrait of friendship and family, of dreams dashed and fulfilled, and ultimately about the threads that hold us together.

The setting is Cleveland Heights, Ohio with action taking place in four scenes, akin to the four quarters of a basketball game. The Old Globe’s Shiley Stage with its in-the-round set, suggestive of a basketball arena, is masterfully designed by Lawrence E. Moten III.

The play opens in 2004 in the wine bar where aspiring entrepreneur Matt (Caleb Foote) is the proprietor and Shawn (Joshua Echebiri) has come to hopefully score season tickets to the Cavaliers that Matt is reluctantly selling. Shawn is black and Matt is white. They come from different backgrounds but connect in their shared passion for basketball and espe cially their hometown team.

The play’s construction is smart with each scene marked by a progression in James’ meteoric career. In 2010 LeBron deserts Cleveland for Miami, his arrogance a source of disgust for many in his nationally televised spectacle “The Decision;” in 2014, the native son returns to his Ohio roots to mixed reaction; and in 2016, the Cavs triumph over Golden State, their first NBA championship in 52 years. Basketball forms a relatable motif to the larger themes of friendship and loyalty.

philosophy in hilariously misguided logic but sometimes gets it right on. Both have excellent comic timing, and some fun and cleverly staged antics with nods to basketball—a shoot-around where the two buddies vie to dunk paper wads into the trash can, increasingly elaborate fist bumps involving arms and legs, and a “chalk up,” one of James’ crowd-pleasing rituals—make for engaging entertainment.

Growing up going to the games with his father was a big part of Matt’s childhood, but his father’s health issues called an end to those experiences. Shawn works three jobs, one of which is a writer. We learn of his aspirations to make a career of writing although he admits to some insecurities of venturing beyond his modest beginnings.

Directed by Justin Emeka, the acting in this 2-character play is superb. Echebiri’s Shawn has a cool kind of swag, nuanced with a sensitive side, his idealism narrowing as he pursues his education in New York and career opportunities in Los Angeles. Once outside his Cleveland roots, we see his naivete crumble with the realization that, as the only Black in the writer’s room for an absurdly premised TV series, his voice got smaller and smaller to the tone-deaf creators.

Foote’s Matt is endearing with sometimes childlike humor. He frequently broadcasts his

Race is not an overt issue in the play, that is not until the second act when what could be an angry offhand remark of Matt ignites a heated exchange between the two friends. Even among the audience was heard a collective gasp and then silence. Careless comment? Unconscious bias? The scene is well scripted and powerfully acted.

Theatre has the power to entertain and transport, and this it does in Rajiv Joseph’s honest

piece of writing. Whether you are a Cavs fan, or any team for that matter, King James is a good bet to win your heart. Timed nicely with March Madness this month, King James runs through March 31.

Both have undivided loyalty to then rookie/ star LeBron James. As the scenes progress, an unlikely bromance blossoms between the two. They talk about sports, women, family, and careers. They kibbutz with each other, get drunk with each other, all the while working through their individual trials in pursuing their dreams.

Caleb

Caleb Foote and Joshua Echebiri

HEALTHY LIVING COVID-19 UPDATES

Looking to Feel Better? Consider Adding an Iron Supplement

Anyone looking to dramatically and easily improve their overall health and wellness would be wise to consider adding an iron supplement to their diet.

A Common Problem

Although few people ever think about their iron intake, assuming eating enough leafy greens or taking a multivitamin will suffice, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional shortfall globally, including in the United States, where it is estimated that 1 in 5 people need more iron to function properly. This holds true across all age ranges and physical conditions, from senior citizens to infants to performance athletes, but most notably this is the case for women of childbearing age.

Why Your Iron Levels Matter

Without sufficient iron, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin – the substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen to tissues and organs, which can impact nearly every system in the body, even leading to death in the cases of extreme anemia. Iron deficiency can also exacerbate many health conditions, especially cardiac, pulmonary and circulatory problems, and it plays a critical role in conditions like restless leg syndrome, ADD/ADHD, celiac disease, and Crohn's disease.

That said, the symptoms of less severe iron deficiency can be harder to pinpoint. They include:

• Tiredness or lethargy

• Weakness

• Ir regular heartbeat or shortness of breath

• Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness

• Unusual food cravings and appetite changes

• Appearance issues like thinning hair, pallor, dark circles, or brittle nails

• Behavioral issues like excitability, inability to focus, or irritability, especially in children

Choose Wisely

Adding an iron supplement is an easy way to address a host of pressing issues, but buyer beware – not all iron supplements are created equal.

So how can you find the best supplement for you and your family?

The short answer is to ignore the marketing hype and trust medicine. Follow your doctors’ advice and look for an iron supplement that has been clinically proven to be safe, effective and well-tolerated in all age groups.

From enhancing your appearance and providing an immune system boost to giving you the stamina and focus you need to complete tasks with confidence, adding an iron supplement is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Statepoint

What You Need to Know About Long

Covid

1. It is a real illness that can include a wide range of ongoing health problems lasting weeks, months, or years. There are resources available.

2. I t occurs more often in people who had severe COVID-19 illness, but anyone who has been infected with the COVID-19 virus can experience it.

3. P eople who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and become infected may have a higher risk of developing Long COVID compared to people who have been vaccinated.

4. P eople can be reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, multiple times. Each time, they have a risk of developing Long COVID.

5. W hile most people with Lon g COVID have evidence of infection or COVID-19 illness, in some cases, a person may not have tested positive for the virus or know they were infected.

6. CDC and partners are working to understand more about who experiences Long COVID and why, including whether groups disproportionately impacted by COVID19 are at higher risk.

General symptoms (Not a Comprehensive List)

• Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life

• S ymptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort

• Fever

• Stomach Pain(diarrhea)

• Joint or muscle pain

• Rash

• Changes in menstrual cycles

Respiratory and heart symptoms

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Cough

• Chest pain

• Fast-beating or pounding heart

Neurological symptoms

• D ifficulty thinking or concentrating (“brain fog”)

• Headache

• Sleep problems

• D izziness when you stand up (lightheadedness)

• Pins-and-needles feelings

• Change in smell or taste

• Depression or anxiety

People More Likely to Develop Long COVID

• People who have experienced more severe COVID-19 illness, especially those who were hospitalized or needed intensive care.

• P eople who had underlying health conditions prior to COVID-19.

• People who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Preventing Long COVID

CDC recommends to protect yourself and others from being infected by:

• S taying up to date on COVID-19 vaccination

• Improving ventilation

• Getting tested for COVID-19

• Seeking treatment for COVID-19 if eligible

• A void close contact with people who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 illness and washing hands or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Research suggests that people who get a COVID-19 infection after vaccination are less likely to report Long COVID, compared to people who are unvaccinated.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY COVID-19 STATUS

TEST POSITIVITY 3.7%

TOTAL HOSPITALIZED 78

7-day average daily census; 2.4 (per 100k)

TOTAL DEATHS 301

fiscal year-to-date; 13.0 (4-week average); 4.0 (per million)

SOURCE: County of San Diego, Last updated 3/14/2024

PHOTO:

More Kidnappings of Nigerian Children, Fueled by Hefty Ransoms

By Lisa Vives Global Information Network

Nigeria is weeping again.

Close to 300 schoolchildren in a quiet agrarian village have disappeared in a new round of kidnappings by armed bandits, despite campaign promises by President Bola Tinubu to tighten security and stop the kidnappings. Nigerian security forces say they’ve been searching forests and setting up roadblocks in an attempt to find the kidnapped children, but combing the woodland expanses could take weeks, observers say. Another 15 children were taken following the first raid on March 7. These latest kidnappings are considered the largest mass abduction in the state.

Abubakar, 18, a secondary school pupil, was among the children herded into the forest as they were beaten with horsewhips, but he managed to escape. “We trekked for hours in the scorching heat until we were all exhausted,” Abubakar told the AFP news wire. He said the kidnappers separated girls from boys. “There were more girls than boys.”

“Sadly, it now seems the country has become trapped in a difficult cycle of kidnappings for ransom...”

–Joe Parkinson

Lawan Yaro, a villager whose five grandchildren were among those abducted, said his hopes were fading. He said people were used to the region’s insecurity, “but it has never been in this manner”. “We were crying, looking for help from the government and God, but it is the gunmen that will decide to bring the children back.”

While a few of these shocking incursions on rather remote schools have received worldwide attention,

the actual number of abductions, according to the Wisconsin-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, is over 3,500 people just in the last year.

This latest abduction has awakened bitter memories of the kidnapping of 276 girls from the town of Chibok in 2014 that launched a global #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign bringing attention to the crisis, with the participation of Michele Obama. In the book “Bring Back our Girls: The Untold Story of the Global Search for Nigeria’s Missing Schoolgirls”, some 20 of the rescued students have their say in lengthy interviews with foreign journalists based in Africa at the time.

The students tell of brutal beatings, repeated death threats, near-starvation conditions and ongoing coercion to convert to Islam and enter into forced marriages with fighters of Boko Haram.

Reporter Joe Parkinson commented: "Sadly, it now seems the country has become trapped in a difficult cycle of kidnappings for ransom that encourages more kidnappings for ransom. It’s now one of the fastest growing sectors of Nigeria's economy."

When the Twitter hashtag "Bring

Back Our Girls" caught fire, celebrities, officials, everyone began asking: “What if they were my daughters? What are the human rights of these girls?” recalled author Drew Hinshaw.

“This was one of the first moments that the power of social media was recognized,” Parkinson said, “and the Bring Back Our Girls campaign spread all over the world.” “Several of the girls took the risk of keeping secret diaries. One of them, Naomi, kept four diaries tied to her, hidden under her clothes, for three years just so she could show them to the world.” (The kidnapped girls) would also sing and recite Bible verses. At first, they just mouthed the words silently or recited a verse while drinking from a cup with their mouth hidden. One of the girls also saved a Bible and they would pass it around copying passages and verses.

“All were offered scholarships to Nigeria's American University on their release. Some have done well and one of the girls we interviewed is now an A student. But it is a long mental and interpersonal transition.”

After three years in captivity, a $3 million ransom was paid and 103 girls were able to return to their parents.

Ugandan legislator Sarah Achieng Opendi, who called for gays to be castrated, has been denied a visa to attend a major UN meeting in New York next week.

Opendi said she was “shocked” after the US embassy in Kampala rejected her application to travel to the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment that takes place this year from March 11-22. “Ninety-six percent of MPs voted in favor of the (anti-gay) bill and I am aware of a number of MPs that have gotten visas to the US yet they supported the bill,” Opendi, chair of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, complained.

In December, the US imposed visa restrictions on hundreds of Ugandan lawmakers and their families over their involvement in the legislation, signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni, which imposes the death penalty or life imprisonment for certain same-sex acts and sentences of up to 20 years for “recruitment, promotion and funding” of same-sex “activities”.

Last year, the US and UK denied

visas to the parliamentary speaker, Anita Among. Activists in Uganda have welcomed the actions.

“In the process of discussing the sweeping and repressive anti-gay law, many Ugandan legislators said they don’t care about the concerns of development partners as they do not need to travel to their jurisdictions. It’s the case of the chicken coming home to roost,” said human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo.“The denial of a visa is a strong statement against those spreading hatred. I hope it sends a firm message that such individuals have no place in civilized societies,” he added.

In a related development, the home of the program officer of Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko, an LGBT+ advocacy group in Bukavu, South Kivu, was attacked by a mob in the DRC on March 6. About 15 people forced their way in, rushing at the officer with punches, kicks, slaps…

“There is no doubt that the motive was homophobic and not criminal, as nothing was stolen from our colleague’s home,” reported Jérémie Safari, the organization’s executive director. “The assailants cited the activities of Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko to explain their actions.”

African Women Spur Fight For Gender Equality, Seeking Economic And Legal Rights

By Lisa Vives Global Information

At the recent “Africa Disrupt“ conference of pan-African feminists, economic justice activists and community leaders, among others, one thing was certain: the time for gender equality for African working women had arrived.

Halfway around the world, a new report by the World Bank gave fuel to the fire. Currently, women enjoy only two-thirds of the legal rights as men and the gender gap is wider than laws on the books might suggest due to insufficient legal implementation.

“Women have the power to turbocharge the sputtering global economy,” said Indermit Gill, the Bank’s chief economist. “Yet, all over the world, discriminatory laws and practices prevent women from working or starting businesses on an equal footing with men.” Globally, women’s legal rights have improved since 1970, but progress in many critical areas appears to have been over-estimated.

Gill, an Indian economist who has worked on economic growth, poverty, institutions, conflict, and climate change, and Tea Trumbic, the World Bank’s senior advisor for gender equality, released their report, Women,

Business and the Law, 10th edition, this month.

For the first time, the bank investigated the impact of childcare and safety policies on women’s participation in the labor market. When these two factors were taken into account, women on average receive just 64% of the legal protections that men do, down from the previous estimate of 77%.

Among the success stories was Togo with one of the lowest rates of maternal mortality and less tolerance of violence against women

between 15 and 49 than in peer countries. On the down side, Togolese women participate in the labor market to a much lower extent than men, and most female employment is informal and vulnerable.

Togolese women also appear to be disadvantaged in terms of access to and ownership of land, productive assets, and finance. Although girls outnumber boys in primary school, the gender gap in enrollment favors boys in each subsequent educational level, and the chances of girls to complete secondary school are much lower than those of boys.

Moreover, the rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy, though lower than in most neighboring countries, continue to be very high.

South Africa, by comparison, has the highest income inequality in the world, with large numbers unemployed or with very low incomes. Gender-based violence is a profound and widespread problem, impacting almost every aspect of life. It is systemic and deeply entrenched in institutions, cultures, and traditions in South Africa.

Meanwhile, the U.S., despite being the wealthiest country in the world by GDP according to the International Monetary Fund, still has a sizable gender pay and equity gap, and is one of just a few wealthy countries, including Japan and China, that does not mandate pay equality.

The world loses US$160 trillion in human capital wealth due to gender wage inequality every year. Inequality is not just an issue of fairness. It is also undesirable because it hampers poverty reduction strategies and leads to suboptimal allocation of resources.

A copy of the World Bankreport can be obtained by downloading it from wbl.worldbank.org.

CU-PT-CTL

Petitioner or Attorney: Jiordyn Leret Thornton

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Jiordyn Leret Thornton filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Jiordyn Leret Thornton

PROPOSED NAME: Jiordyn Leret Booker

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: April 29, 2024 Time: 8:30 A.M.

Dept. C-61

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of

(JC

#NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To

the court.

The address of the court is:

330 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA

330 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 Hall of Justice

37-2024-00011523-

CU-PT-CTL

Petitioner or Attorney:

Ezra Eunice Delloro Detal

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner

Ezra Eunice Delloro Detal filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME:

Ezra Eunice Delloro Detal

PROPOSED NAME:

Ezra Eunice Ingham

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: April 25, 2024

Time: 8:30 A.M. Dept. 61

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One copy of the Order Granting the Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, driver license, passport, and other identification, a certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issue the legal document that needs to be changed, to determine if a certified copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained from the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for the information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If a timely objection is filed, the court will set a hearing date and contact

Fuentes

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner Samantha Arianna ArceFuentes filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME:

Samantha Arianna ArceFuentes

PROPOSED NAME: Samantha Arianna Sanchez

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: April 16, 2024 Time: 8:30 A.M.

Dept. C-61

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE MUST FILE A WRITTEN

OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date

Any Petition for the name change of a minor that is signed by only one parent must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other non-

The address of the court is: 330 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA 330 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 Hall of Justice Courthouse 37-2024-00006899CU-PT-CTL

Petitioner or Attorney:

Gregorie Kay Hedgley-Garber

To All Interested Persons: Petitioner

Gregorie Kay Hedgley-Garber filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME:

Gregorie Kay Hedgley-Garber

PROPOSED NAME:

Angela Kay Hedgley-Garber

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: April 2, 2024 Time: 8:30 A.M.

Dept. 61

(To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the court's website. To find your court's website go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-mycourt.htm)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change

The court may appoint counsel to represent the minor whether or not the minor is able to afford counsel. If any parent appears and is unable to afford counsel, the court shall appoint counsel to represent each parent who appears unless such representation is knowingly and intelligently waived.

Someone over the age of 18 - not the petitioner - must serve the other party with all the forms and complete a proof of service form, such as Proof of Service of Citation (Adoptions) (SDSC Form #JUV-300), telling when and how the other party was served and file that with the court.

If you wish to seek the advice of an attorney in this matter, you should do so promptly so that your pleading, if any, may be filed on time.

DATE 03/07/2024

3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11

SUMMONS (Citacion Judicial)

NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO)

Ma Del Rosario Renteria Garcia

YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (Lo Esta Demandando El Demandante):

Vu Hoang Nguyen

Case Number: 37-2023-00036547-CL-PANC

NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www. courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de

leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www. sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales.

AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): San Diego Superior Court 325 S. Melrose Drive Vista, CA 92081

The name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff 's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): John P. Le Phong Esq. 7711 Summer Day Dr. Corona, CA 92883; T: (626) 536-0368

Date: (Fecha): 08/29/2023

Clerk, by (Secretario) I. Ledesma 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA 92101 Central Court

LETTERS OF TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP OR PERSON

Temporary Guardianship of Nehemiah Dennison & Messiah Dennison (MINOR)

Case Number: 37-2023-00027686-PR-GPCTL

Letters (Name): Cheree Becerra is appointed temporary guardian of the person Nehemiah Dennison & Messiah Dennison

These Letters shall expire on (date): 04/17/2024 or upon earlier issuance of Letters to a general guardian or conservator.

NOTICE TO INSTITUTIONS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (Probate Code sections 2890-2893)

When these Letters of

BY

PLAINTIFF:

(Lo Esta Demandando El Demandante): Luis Edgardo Hurtado Majano

Case Number: 23PSCV00678

NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR

DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www. courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos

grupos

Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www. sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales.

AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The

91766

The name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff 's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es):

Marc Katzman Law 15250 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1010 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; T: (818) 670-8408

Date: (Fecha): 03/07/2023 David W. Slayton, Executive Officer/ Clerk of Court Clerk, by (Secretario) J. Gonzalez 3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28

for Petitioner: Samuel G. Lockhart 41856 Ivy Street Suite 201 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)-461-8878 3/21, 3/28, 4/4

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Joan Estelle Malone Case Number: 37-2023-00053309-PR-PWCTL

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Joan Estelle Malone

A Petition for Probate has been filed by James Irving Malone, III in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego

The Petition for Probate requests that James Irving Malone, III be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests the decedent's will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act.

(This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval.

Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows:

on May 14, 2024, at 10:30 AM in Dept. 504 located at the Superior Court of California County of San Diego 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA 92101 Central Probate Division

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

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He was the man behind the man. Martin Luther King’s chief lieutenant. Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) was gay at a time in the ‘60s when he was shunned by MLK’s other associates. He regained his stature in the civil rights leader’s camp when he imagined, developed and completed a March on Washington. Rustin: “Do this Dr. King. Own your power.”

That assembly of like minds became the largest civil rights gathering ever. On August 28th, 1963, 250,000 people, who had a heightened sense of social consciousness, descended on D.C. and changed the course of history. Rustin: “A demonstration made up of angelic troublemakers.”

The most stirring drama is featured in scenes played by veteran actors who embody strong-willed civil rights icons in the heat of verbal battles: Glynn Turman (A. Phillip Randolph), CCH Pounder (Dr. Anna Hedgeman), Maxwell Whittington-Cooper (John Lewis), Aml Ameen (MLK). Jeffrey Wright as the vindictive Adam Clayton Powell commands the screen and steers the proceedings to high-pitch levels. Chris Rock as the condescending NAACP leader Roy Wilkinson seems woefully miscast: “The hell with Bayard Rustin. His attention-grabbing antics make him an easy target. And let’s not mention the unmentionable.”

Director George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) gets many things right. The assemblage of historical

figures is as magical as the one in One Night in Miami, when Sam Cooke, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali and Malcom X gathered. He makes Rustin’s coalition building feat (black activists, college kids, union members) seem miraculous. And Wolfe builds the tension and preparation to an exhilarating peak, getting solid performances from the very talented cast. Yet nothing distinguishes Rustin from other bio/history films, minus the milestone crowd shots at the Washington Monument. Some will wish the film had steered towards authenticity and wasn’t so polished. Tobias A. Schliessler’s cinematography glistens. Toni-Leslie James’ costumes look like they were just bought at SAKS. It’s hard to believe you’ve gone back in time when everything looks so neat and tidy. That’s the rub. Fortunately, the sheer gravitas of this historical accounting outweighs any imperfections. Domingo, the screenwriters and supporting cast finally give the enigmatic Bayard Rustin his props, in the most respectful way. He’s no longer the man behind the scenes. He’s the man.

WNBA Posts A Grades in Racial and Gender Hiring in Diversity Report Card

By AP Newswire

The WNBA continues to post top-tier grades in an annual report studying diversity hir-

ing throughout the league, though there was a dip when it came to the racial score for head-coach hiring.

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida issued an A for the league’s overall, racial and gender grades for the 2023 season. Wednesday’s report card marked the 19th straight year that the league earned at least an A in all three categories.

In the study, TIDES director and lead report author Adrien Bouchet said the WNBA “continues to be a leader with their inclusive racial and gender hir-

Alexander-Boaitey stated that documented hate behaviors against Blacks increased 27% from 2021 to 2022, which includes a 29% increase in discriminatory crimes and incidents against members of the Black LGBTQ community.

Alexander-Boaitey said despite Black students only making up 6% of California’s public-school population, they experience the highest rate of prejudiced bullying and harassment.

“That picture looks like the N-word being constantly said and even physical violence,” she explained. “If you talk to NAACP leaders around the state, we will tell you that this is the highest thing reported to our NAACP units — the school violence specifically targeted at Black students. The hurtful part — where we are really struggling — is what happens between communities. Unfortunately, this hate and violence, the majority of it is happening from Latinx students toward Black students. We aren’t talking about it, but it’s happening every day.”

Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and a Civil Rights Department commissioner, said hate against various groups is rising in America, but also stated that most reported prejudiced actions are against Blacks.

“People are in distress,” she explained. “Oftentimes there is conflict, incidents that occur that can be racialized, especially in an environment that has been hostile toward immigrants, people of color, people who are trans or gender nonconforming. Hate begets hate. The more we work together to address this, the better off we will be in California.”

Choi said California has the most robust response to hate.

ing practices across all professional leagues.”

The league earned A+ grades in multiple areas, including gender hiring for head coaches going from women holding 58.3% of those jobs in the 2022 study to 75% for 2023. The racial hiring grade was an A- with people of color filling 33.3% of roles, down from an A+ last year at 50%.

The league also posted an A in racial hiring and an A+ in gender hiring for roles in the WNBA headquarters, along with an A+ for diversity-hiring initiatives.

The lowest grade in the report was a C- for racial hiring with team presidents and general managers, both at 16.7%.

“Not only when it happens, but with a real focus and investment on critical intervention and preventative measures,” she said. “The California vs. Hate hotline is an incredible response. What it is really signaling is that we are creating systems of care. That we want to respond and be a resource to individuals. Everyone is treated with care.”

The California vs. Hate Resource Line is not a law enforcement platform. It is staffed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday by care coordinators, who are individuals trained in responding to trauma. If an individual calls outside of the phone lines’ working hours, they can leave a message, and someone will call them back within 24 hours or the next business day.

Californians can file a report by phone in 200 languages or online at CAvsHate.org in 15 languages. All calls are confidential, and victims can remain anonymous. Immigration status is not a factor.

Care coordinators have helped 66% of callers connect with community action and social advocacy groups, general counsel, and consumer complaint assistance.

Operators with the 211 LA nonprofit, community assistance line are among the care coordinators. 211LA Program Director Yolie Anguiano said the hotline is a safe place.

“Our call specialists will guide you through the conversation, so you can explain what you experienced in a very empathetic manner,” she noted.

Bermudez said the resource line is equipped to help.

“Individuals don’t have to know if it’s a hate crime or hate incident,” she explained. “They can call us, and we can help them through the process. A lot of times, they are not sure and are afraid to call, but we can help them with that.

BLACK HISTORY

1894

DEATH OF BENJAMIN STERLING TURNER

In 1870, Benjamin Sterling Turner became the first African American Representative in Alabama history to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives during the Reconstruction period. Raised as a slave, Turner managed a hotel and stable in Selma and later saved his slave earnings to purchase the property. The U.S. Census of 1870 reported Turner owned $2,500 in real estate and $10,000 in personal property, making him one of the wealthiest freedmen in Alabama. He became a teacher in 1865, establishing the first school for African American children. He ran for a second term in 1872 but was challenged in the Republican primary by another African American candidate. The Black vote was divided and a white Republican won the primary. Turner returned to Selma but was never able to revive his political career. He later passed away on March 21, 1894.

1973

LARRY HOLMES’ FIRST MATCH

Larry Holmes, American heavyweight boxing champion of the late 1970s and early ’80s, was known for his solid defense throughout his professional boxing career. Holmes, a street fighter in his youth, entered organized boxing at a youth center in Easton, Pennsylvania. He won 19 of his 22 fights and several titles before turning professional at age 24. His first professional match was against Rodell Dupree resulting in a four-round decision win on March 21st, 1973. This was the start of his career. He went on to win against formidable boxers such as Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Gerry Cooney and Ken Norton that landed him the WBC Heavyweight Champion title from 1978 to 1983.

Holmes was also the Ring Heavyweight Champion from 1980 to 1985, and the IBF Heavyweight Champion from 1980 to 1985. He was later inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008 before his death on July 28, 2022.

Whether you own or rent the place you call home, ensuring that it’s energy efficient can help you save money, increase your comfort and contribute to improved indoor air quality. It’s also better for the planet.

To help you make choices that will trim your monthly expenses and reduce your carbon footprint, Freddie Mac is offering the following tips:

Home-Searching Tips

When house hunting, your realtor can help you learn about the current energy usage of the homes you’re interested in purchasing.

If you’re explicitly looking for green housing, it’s helpful to work with a professional with specific expertise or credentials in this area.

Whether you’re in the market to buy or rent, basic energy- and water-saving features to check for when visiting properties include good insulation, properly sealed doors and windows, smart thermostats, lowflow or dual-flush toilets, high-efficiency or tankless hot water heaters, and front-loading washing machines. The ENERGY STAR and WaterSense labels are good indicators that the property, and the appliances within it, are designed with efficiency in mind. You should also consider which direction the building faces and whether it’s shaded. The amount of direct sunlight your potential home receives can have a large impact on your HVAC needs.

Making Updates

There are many steps you can take to improve your home’s energy and water efficiency. If you’re unsure where to start, consider referencing the Department of Energy’s data-driven tools and calculators. You could also hire a professional to perform an energy audit. This will pinpoint where you’re losing energy and what renovations will save you money. Some quick DIY updates to make right now include caulking window casings, weatherstripping doors, replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs, and installing low-flow faucets

and showerheads. Additional money-saving updates include installing a smart, programmable thermostat, replacing older appliances and installing a tankless hot water heater.

Renting? Reach out to your landlord to determine what updates they’re willing to make. You may not be allowed to make permanent changes, or interested in making investments in someone else’s property, but energy-saving habits, such as washing clothes in cold water and adjusting the thermostat when leaving town, can help.

The Return

You may be asking yourself whether all this effort is worth it. The answer? Up-to-date, energy- and water-efficient technologies can save you 20% to 30% on your bills. And because today’s savvy buyers are looking for a home that will be kind to both their wallet and the environment, efficiency improvements can also boost resale value. In fact, Freddie Mac research found that homes with high energy-efficiency ratings sold for 2.7% more on average than unrated homes. There are no doubt long-term savings and gains to be reaped from greening your home. And thanks to new programs, paying for these updates is easier for more American families.

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