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The Heisman Trophy winner is celebrated with a parade, received a Key to the City and Cajon High School Football Stadium named in his Honor.

By Angela M. Coggs

SAN BERNARDINO — The cold temperature and rain did not stop the residents of San Bernardino from celebrating Cajon High School graduate Jayden Daniels with a parade on Saturday, January 20, 2024.

Jayden Daniels, affectionally known as, “That Kid Jayden” received a hometown welcome fit for the Legend he is destined to become. The Heisman Trophy winner returned to San Bernardino with a parade, presented with a key to the city by Mayor Helen Tran and a stadium renamed in his honor.

Daniels returned to his hometown as a 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, college football’s most prestigious award, after a record-setting season at Louisiana State University (LSU). Winning this honor has been a dream of his since he was 10 years old. Daniels had the support of the community as evinced by everyone taking to social media to encourage everyone to cast their vote daily for him to be the Heisman trophy winner.

His quiet demeaner and bright smile broke through the clouds and rain as he presided over the very football field he once dominated. “I’m happy to see all the kids out here,” Daniels said. “I hope I give you all hope and inspiration. I love everyone from San Bernardino and I’m happy to be from San Bernardino.”

Family, friends, and fans defied the downpour as they waited on the crowded Cajon football field for the LSU quarterback’s Mardi Gras-themed float starting at California State University, San Bernardino and ending at Cajon High Schools football field.

Once Daniels appeared on stage, he was showered with kind remarks and honors from various local dignitaries. San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran presented Daniels with a key to the city before proclaiming Jan. 20th as “Jayden Daniels Day” in San Bernardino. “May this honor reflect our gratitude for the pride and joy Jayden has brought to us and may his success continue to inspire generations to come,” Tran said. “Your achievements resonate with us all.”

Daniels became the city’s first Heisman Trophy winner, after completing 236 of 327 passes for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns for LSU this past season. The senior also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He became the school’s third Heisman Trophy winner, joining quarterback Joe Burrow (2019) and halfback Billy Cannon (1959).

Daniels’ 2023 season was acknowledged with several other annual college football awards, including the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Associated Press Player of the Year. He also earned consensus All-American status.

While in high school, Daniels spent four years as a varsity quarterback, leading coach Nick Rogers’ Cajon Cowboys to a CIF-SS Division 4 Championship in 2017. He used his dual-threat ability to compile 12,482 total yards and 153 total touchdowns in his high school career and established himself as a four-star prospect in the 24/7sports composite rankings. His on-field prowess earned him a scholarship to Arizona State University to play for head coach Herman Edwards and associate head coach Antonio Pierce, now head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Daniels is the third Heisman Trophy winner from LSU. The other two to receive the honor, Billy Cannon and Joe Burrow. Daniels racked up 50 total touchdowns in the Purple and Gold during the 2023 season.

Despite his high school success, Daniels never owned a Cajon letterman’s jacket until when the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education presented him with one Saturday.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Daniels said. “I’m just blessed for everyone supporting me. …  I appreciate everyone who came out here who’s supported me since I was a kid and they watched me grow up.”

The crowd was asked to turn its attention to the Cajon football stadium press box as a banner dropped and read “Jayden Daniels Stadium.” This was an emotional moment in time as the crowd exploded with cheers and tears.

“Just to have a stadium named after me is dope and something I never could have dreamed of. I’m proud to be from San Bernardino,” he said.

The driving force behind any successful person is typically the love and support of family. For Daniels, his cup surely ‘runneth over’. Family gives the roots to stand tall and strong, without “them” we would all fall. Not only does his mother and father stand in support, both sides of his family have always loved and supported him from day one. However, some important, key family members were not there, and it was felt by all. “Our immediate and entire family from coast to coast is beyond proud of our nephew Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy Winner. As well as our brother, Javon Daniels and our father, the late Danny Daniels, who both played a major part in supporting Jayden and always being available to him during this long process,” said his paternal aunts Feledier “Let” Thrower and Yolanda “Angel” Cohill. “We were overwhelmed with tears of joy. Although our parents are no longer with us, they would be proud. Our daddy’s name (Daniels) will be a legacy with the Jayden Daniels Football Stadium as well as throughout San Bernardino and the nation,” exclaimed the sisters with tears in their eyes. “We are forever grateful to God be the glory.”

Family support is number one, however teachers are privy to having a front row seat to greatness in the making. “As a teacher you often talk to your students about their future, their goals and their dreams. To be able to watch one of your former students be able to realize part of that dream is amazing,” stated Mrs. Singer, Daniels former middle school English teacher. “In my class we had two mantras: ‘Believe it, Achieve it’ and ‘Show up and Show out’. Jayden had the belief in himself and now he is on his way to achieving all he has dreamed of. He has proven to show up and show out time after time and I am excited to see all the great things he will do in the future,” Singer said proudly. I know today will be the first of many honors as Jayden continues to change the narrative of San Bernardino.”

Daniels will take the next step in his football career as he pursues a career in the National Football League. He’s been projected by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. to go as high as a top-five pick in the NFL draft in April. The draft will take place in Detroit, starting on Apr. 25, 2024.

The quarterback signed fans’ memorabilia which included tiny footballs, Cajon and LSU hats and a Raiders jersey.

Mattison, who starred at San Bernardino High School and Boise State University, participated in the parade and spoke on stage after embracing Daniels.

“I remember back in the day when he was running for the TJ Striders,” the Vikings running back said. “He was a quiet, humble and fast kid blazing it on the track, but now you’re blazing a new path that brings hope for a kid who was told he couldn’t and breeds confidence for a kid who’s never seen it before.”

In addition to the local community coming out to support Daniels, one of his friends and former classmates proudly watched the live stream from Japan even though it was 3am. He did not want to miss witnessing the momentous event. “I am proud and excited for my friend Jayden to be living the dream we all knew he was capable of. It shows that his hard work, dedication, and determination paid off,” remarked Yonathan Habtemariam. “All though he has made it this far, I know this is just the beginning for him. He’s an inspiration of character and will continue to be for the younger generation especially for the youth in San Bernardino.” Habtemariam and Daniels met in the sixth grade and have been friends since they attended Richardson Prep High Middle School and graduated from Cajon High School in 2019.

Another person that was very instrumental during Daniels formative years was Ernie Burries, former football coach and current teach at Arroyo Valley High School. “Jayden has always been a star and one of if not the best player on the team every year he played football. Jayden has always been humble like his dad Javon yet on the field ready to take care of business like his mother Regina off the field.”

Burries unapologetically declared, “Jayden would be one of a few players that would get up and ride with me to the gym at 5am work out and still get to school on time and excel in the classroom.” When asked about Daniels work ethic on the field and football IQ, without hesitation his former coach stated, “Jayden was and has always been a student of the game and because of that, he is and was smarter than a lot of us coaches. Jayden made all of those who have ever coached him look good and better than we were and we all definitely appreciate him for that.” Burries has been very supportive to all his former players. “Personally, I try to always support any and all of the kids I have coached and or mentored. I’ve seen him play in Arizona, in Washington verses his former teammate Jeremiah Martin, and at Death Valley. He along with other former collegiate players are just as excited seeing us come out as we are seeing them play.” That kind of support is priceless. “Jayden has a solid foundation around him and even if not for the football success he is/was destined to be great.”

Although it was an accomplishment to leave San Bernardino in pursuit of an education, whilst achieving his lifelong dreams and goals…. Having a key to the City will ensure and remind Daniels that San Bernardino is his forever home and he is welcomed home anytime. He is the holder of the key to San Bernardino and his future. San Bernardino believes in you, Jayden. This writer will continue to pray for and will always believe in you. Stay the course and keep your eye on the prize. This is your HOME.

By Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds

Not another King dying far too soon. This was the immediate reaction of many at the news that Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King had died from prostate cancer at age 62. In 2007 his sister Yolanda died at age 52.

At the time of his death, Dexter had served as both chairman of The King Center and President of the King Estate. In that capacity he engaged in legal intellectual property fights with corporations, federal agencies, and court suits with family members to protect his parents’ legacy. His strongest crusade, however, was his battle to bring to justice those responsible for his father’s murder.

Born in Atlanta on Jan. 30, 1961, he was named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served in his first pastorate and helped launch the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott. He was the second-born son of Dr. King and Mrs. King and was only 7 years old when his father was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

For years, Dexter King—who has an amazing resemblance to his globally acclaimed father, confessed that when he “looked in the mirror he saw his father’s face trapped in mine.” In his memoir “Growing Up King,” he spoke of gazing upon the writing on his father’s crypt, “Free At Last,” and feeling that same sense of freedom. Yet he was freed in a different way- not in death – but in the resolution of living his best life on his own terms and not becoming a prisoner of the King name.

As a journalist and later biographer of Coretta Scott King, I was in and out of the King household since the seventies watching their becoming years. As a teenager Dexter used to love talking about one day becoming a businessman and he started his first enterprise, a music company where he hired himself out as a disk jockey for weddings. In later years, his zest for business skills took root at the King Center, where he sometimes took the reins of the King Center with his siblings helping it to become a Beloved world house of peace and non-violence.

Coretta King said all four siblings—Martin III, Yolanda, Dexter, and Bernice had inherited specific qualities from her and their father. Yolanda had a love for the performing arts and became an actress. Martin III, a social justice activist; Bernice, a Call to ministry and pastoral and organizational leadership; and Dexter, a drive to master the complexities of life by pushing forward, overcoming the most difficult problems, even when at the very root he had to overcome himself.

Confronted with the fear of death, instead of running from it, he freed himself by running into it. At age 16, he started working at a funeral home, the same one that buried his father. The experiences in the mortuary he attributed to his quest to come to terms with death and dying. To understand the intricacies of the criminal justice system, in 1982, for a short spell, he became a police officer in Atlanta. His stance to wear a uniform with a sidearm shocked the principled non-violent, anti-gun workers at the King Center. But he was determined to understand the system from the inside out.

Dexter also wanted to test his acting abilities. With his uncanny resemblance to his father, he portrayed him in the 2002 television movie “The Rosa Parks Story.” His love for the creative arts drew him to relocate to California but he also continued his work with the King Center and commitment to the King family legacy,

As deftly as he helped free himself from fear and tradition, he also took responsibility for freeing his family, especially his mother, from digging their graves with their forks.  He became a strict vegetarian, giving up sugars and starches until his body craved natural foods. He said he was bothered that his grandfather, Daddy King, might have lived a longer life had he eaten differently. At her son’s insistence, Coretta, who had mastered the art of rich Southern style cooking, became a vegetarian. Once when I traveled with her to a Florida spa, I was dismayed that for a week, they served nothing but raw vegetables and veggie smoothies. Yet, she also believed her strict regimen eased her pain from gout and other discomforts prolonging her life. She died at the age of 78.

Both mother and son shared an intense determination to prove to the nation that James Earl Ray did not kill Martin Luther King Jr, that his murder was the result of a conspiracy involving the U.S. government and the assassins should be held accountable.

In the early 1990’s I picked Dexter up at the DC airport and took him to the National Press Club where I had helped arrange a briefing on the assassination. He spoke about his plans to meet with Ray and that he believed Ray’s claim of innocence and, based on other evidence, felt along with other family members that Ray was not the lone assassin.

On December 8, 1999, Dexter and Mrs. King, on behalf of the family, pursued a civil suit in Memphis. A jury of six Whites and six Blacks unanimously implicated U.S. government agencies in the wrongful death of Dr. King. The shocking evidence convinced the jury that Dr. King had been the victim of assassination by a conspiracy involving the Memphis Police Department as well as local, state, and federal government agencies, and the Mafia. The Jury also concluded, just as Dexter had argued all along, that Ray was not the shooter, but had been set up as a patsy to take the blame.

This news, where both Dexter and Mrs. King testified, should have rocked the world, but unfortunately it landed like the noise of a feather hitting the ground. The verdict and shocking testimony were virtually ignored by the media – as it is today.

Dexter was often criticized for his insistence on following up on details ignored by the press, but he argued that it was hard for him to believe looking into his father’s murder was somehow illogical.

Yet, even in this failure, Dexter believed as his mother did, that they had both freed themselves of the guilt of not pushing for the truth. So many times, they had heard their father and husband say, “Truth crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again.”

And they left this world believing that one day it would.

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds is co-author of the memoir, Coretta Scott King: My Life, My Love, My Legacy. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – On February 4th, 2024, Omnitrans will join neighboring transit agencies in celebrating Transit Equity Day by providing FREE rides on all fixed-route bus services in San Bernardino County! Transit Equity Day is a collaborative effort of several organizations to promote public transit as a civil right and a strategy to combat climate change. Transit Equity Day is celebrated on February 4th each year in honor of Rosa Parks’ birthday. Parks, a civil rights pioneer in Montgomery, Alabama, is an iconic figure who famously refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person in December 1955.  Her courageous actions ultimately led to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public transit was unconstitutional.

Sacramento Steps Up…

To further honor the legacy of Rosa Parks, SacRT will be installing a “reserved for Rosa Parks” sign to one seat at the front of every bus. This symbolic gesture serves as a reminder of the courage and determination that fueled this fight for transit equity.

“We are proud to celebrate Transit Equity Day by offering free rides and paying tribute to Rosa Parks, whose bravery and commitment to justice continues to inspire us,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “By providing free access to our transit services, we hope to underscore our dedication to fostering an inclusive and accessible public transit system for all.”

“Public transportation is interwoven in our nation’s pursuit of equity and social justice,” said SacRT Board Chair and Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy. “As we reflect on the impacts of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts and the courage and leadership of Rosa Parks, we must acknowledge the important role of public transportation by ensuring equity and accessibility to all of our communities.”

By Tanu Henry and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

On Jan. 16, a day after America celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, California Attorney General Rob Bonta hosted a conversation with a diverse group of state leaders to commemorate the National Day of Racial Healing.

“The National Day of Racial Healing is typically observed each year in January, and it is intended to be a time to reflect on our shared values – what brings us together and what unites us,” said Bonta.

“It is also an opportunity to discuss the real lasting and present harms of racism in our society,” continued Bonta. “But more importantly, it is about healing. That takes acknowledgement of the pain and harm. It takes accountability, and it takes justice-oriented solutions.”

The panel’s participants were Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell; California reparations task force members Don Tamaki and Cheryl Grills; Orange County Human Relations Commission Chair Jo-Anne Matsuba; and Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center Executive Director Jennifer Wang.

Mitchell thanked Bonta for not shying away from difficult conversations on anti-racism initiatives, especially as “we acknowledge the role government has played and will continue to play – unless we stand in the gap – in promoting racially biased policies,” she said.

Mitchell, who served in the State Legislature as an Assemblymember and Senator from 2010 to 2020, is also the founder of the created the Second District Racial Justice Learning Exchange.

Grills and Tamaki shared their experiences serving on the on the California Task Force to Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans.

“The number of those taking up the cause of reparations is growing, and I believe our efforts in California has contributed to that. While this has been a painful and necessary journey, I appreciate the allies who have stepped up from various racial and ethnic groups, standing up in solidarity, rolling up their sleeves to educate their communities,” said Grills.

Bonta thanked the Department of Justice and its Racial Justice Bureau for the work it does to confront hate that affects all Californians.

“Whether it is tackling the ongoing effects of systemic discrimination and the legacy of slavery or confronting our state and nation’s history of prosecution of Native Americans — the destruction of their homes or confronting the recent rises of pandemic-fueled hate and bias, we all have work to do,” said Bonta. “There’s no single solution, but what I do know is we can solve these challenges together.”

LOS ANGELES, CA– Cynthia Mitchell Heard, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, (LAUL) and the LAUL Board of Directors, is pleased to announce the appointment of David P. Anderson, MSSE as its new Chief Operating Officer effective immediately.

In this key leadership position, Mr. Anderson will play a pivotal role in LAUL’s strategic direction and operational management. With a background in youth workforce development and public-private partnerships, he brings a wealth of experience that will contribute to LAUL’s continued growth and success.

Commenting on the appointment, Cynthia Mitchell Heard said, “We are delighted that David P. Anderson has joined the Los Angeles Urban League team. His commitment to systemic change is inspiring. He will play an important role in ushering in a new era for the Los Angeles Urban League as we build for tomorrow.” Prior to her appointment to the President and CEO position, Miss Heard was the Chief Operating Officer.

“I am honored to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Urban League and continue their rich legacy of advocacy and advancement for all people in underserved communities so they may achieve success and fulfillment in their professional and personal lives,” said  David P. Anderson, Chief Operating Officer of LAUL. “Growing up in Los Angeles, I’ve had the honor and privilege to engage with thought leaders of our community from different races, cultures, and religions: this is the diverse identity of Los Angeles. These dynamic and inspiring change makers are with me now and motivate me daily in all that I do.”

David P. Anderson has a proven history of over 20 years in education and philanthropy. He developed a keen understanding of the fundraising and non-profit industries while supporting the advancement of over 100,000 students through afterschool programs in 293 schools across six (6) school districts. Anderson’s prior experience includes serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of LA’s BEST where he oversaw afterschool experiential learning to 197 Los Angeles Unified School District schools.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, David attended Santa Monica College and later transferred to the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He went on to achieve a Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship degree from the USC Marshall School of Business, where he was awarded Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

“David impressed us with his depth, professionalism and commitment to spreading opportunities to Black and other underserved communities in Los Angeles,” said Elliot Hinds, Chairman of the Los Angeles Urban League. “I think he will be a great fit to propel the LA Urban League forward and to work with our new CEO Cynthia Heard to guide our strategic planning process and its implementation.”

Mr. Anderson’s passion and purpose to create change by raising the trajectory of the community align with the Los Angeles Urban League, a premier civil rights organization, move into its second century of service to the underserved community in Los Angeles.