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Vol. 64 No. 1 | Thursday, January 4, 2024
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SEC. OF STATE CERTIFIES CANDIDATES FOR MARCH
Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 64 Years
INSIDE THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
WORLDBEAT CULTURAL CENTER’S
43 ANNUAL KWANZAA RD
CELEBRATION
PRIMARY, INCLUDING TRUMP
In celebration of four of the seven days of Kwanzaa
By Antonio Ray Harvey CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA Dr. Shirley N. Weber, the California Secretary of State, has certified a list of 20 candidates, including former Pres. Donald Trump, for the state’s presidential primary election scheduled for March 5, 2024.
KWANZAA CELEBRATIONS SEE PAGES 8-9
Weber made the decision on Dec. 28 to certify Trump despite calls from a number of prominent Democrats, including California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, to disqualify him. They cite the former president’s actions and inactions during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as a violation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which should disqualify him from public office. PHOTO: Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber
See PRIMARY page 2
OUTREACH MINISTRIES’ HOLIDAY CHEER SEE PAGE 8
NAVIGATING THE COMPLEX LANDSCAPE OF
The 43rd Annual Celebration of Kwanzaa was held at the WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. The center provided a free family event (with food/beverages) for all religions and cultural backgrounds to celebrate. Four of the seven days of Kwanzaa were hosted by Makeda “Dread” Cheatom, an entrepreneur, restauranter, and civil rights activist in San Diego’s African American community in conjunction with Starla Lewis, an educator of Black Studies in San Diego Mesa Community College, CEO of C.E.L.L (Celebration of Everlasting Life & Love) and Johnnierenee Nia Nelson, poet/educator with San Diego’s Border Voices Project.
BLAC R.A.C. FASHION SHOW
See KWANZAA page 2
SEE PAGE 10
PHOTO: Courtesy of CyberSmile
In a digital age marked by connectivity and information sharing, the rise of online hate speech and cyberbullying has become a pressing concern, notably in the diverse landscape of California. As the digital realm continues to evolve, so too does the variety of online threats, with instances of hate speech and cyberbullying permeating our virtual spaces. Cybercrime has emerged as a formidable adversary, infiltrating our interconnected lives with its diverse manifestations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines cybercrime as any criminal activity that involves a computer, network, or digital device. Their focus encompasses crimes committed over the internet,
African-Brazilian Capoeira performance by Os Malandros De Mestre Touro PHOTO: Arsema Habte
Habari Gani! “What is the News?” in Swahili.
CYBER HATE CRIMES IN CALIFORNIA By Shawn Smith-Hill CONTRIBUTING WRITER
By Arsema Habte CONTRIBUTING WRITER
through online platforms, or by leveraging technology. The FBI's definition of cybercrime is broad, covering a range of illicit activities conducted in the digital realm. Some key aspects of the FBI's definition include: Cyberbullying, targeted harassment, intimidation, or threats delivered through digital channels that cause emotional distress to individuals. Hate speech and online harassment/ expressions of prejudice, bigotry, or harassment targeting individuals or groups based on attributes such as race, religion, or ethnicity. Online terrorism and extremism, the utilization of the internet for planning, coordinating, or carrying out terrorist activities, as well as promoting extremist ideologies. See CYBER page 2
‘WE ARE ALL ALONE’ — RISING ANTI SEMITISM LEAVES JEWISH AMERICANS FEELING ABANDONED Jewish Americans say many progressive groups once seen as allies have turned toward anti semitism since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza By Peter Schurmann ETHNIC MEDIA SERVICES Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel opened deep wounds in the collective Jewish psyche, raising once again the specter of the Holocaust and anti-Jewish pogroms. Israel’s subsequent response — with more than 17,000 Palestinians killed and much of Gaza now in ruins — is fueling divisions globally and in the US, even
among erstwhile political allies. Jo Ellen Green Kaiser, CEO of J Jewish News of Northern California, says rising antisemitism among those on the left here is “new and shocking” and leaving many Jews in America feeling shaken and abandoned.
Chabad of Oakland's menorah at Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California on Dec. 10, before it was vandalized (right) and graffiti left where the menorah stood before it was pulled down. PHOTO: Courtesy Chabad of Oakland
See ABANDONED page 2
ADVOCATES WANT MORE BLACK CALIFORNIANS INVOLVED IN STATE’S TRANSITION TO EVs By Maxim Elramsisy CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA When Los Angeles hosted its annual car show a little over a month ago at the LA Convention Center, it not only showcased the latest in automotive technology, but the event also transformed into a policy forum on clean energy, previewing what lies ahead for California’s electric vehicle (EV) future.
attendance, several concerns emerged. Among them were the impact of the transition to zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) on Black Californians and how the state will equip low-income neighborhoods with the infrastructure needed when California bans the sale of all gas-powered vehicles in 2035.
Battery-powered cars took center stage. They accounted for the majority of the over 1000 vehicles on display, ranging from cars and trucks to motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and semi-trucks.
“It’s not enough to build the infrastructure in low-income neighborhoods, the people in those neighborhoods need to have access to the jobs installing and maintaining that infrastructure,” said Charles Dorsey of The Dorsey Group, a Black-owned-and-operated Long Beachbased consulting firm.
For Black and other minority advocates in
See EVs page 15
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