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By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Former California Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer represented the 57^th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, and downtown Los Angeles, including Skid Row.

Elected to the State Legislature in 2012, Jones-Sawyer served for 14 years, earning a reputation for being a progressive reformer and champion of second chances.

Jones-Sawyer focused on reforming judicial, criminal justice, and police policies to ensure greater public safety and equal treatment under the law. His P.E.A.C.E. Act (AB 89) transformed the recruiting process for law enforcement by raising the age limit to 21 and introducing new college curriculum requirements for cadets.

He also worked to improve living standards for socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Jones-Sawyer as he concluded his term. He reflected on his accomplishments this year and shared his goals moving forward.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

The things we did on reparations because it is the beginning of reversing the river of racism that’s been permeating our community. And if we’re successful at over 100 recommendations, we will have generational success that will go well beyond what people are expecting now and into the lives of your children, your grandchildren, your great-great-grandchildren, and so forth. I think the first step is the apology — the letter that formally says that California is extremely sorry for what they did and how they were complicit in perpetuating a lot of the same policies and procedures that were perpetrated against African Americans in slave states, even though we were officially not a slave state, we still apprehended escaped slaves.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

Since I first got to the Assembly, I’ve always worked on public safety issues. And this year it’s really been the fruition of all that I worked on. When I got elected, I told my staff: before I leave the Assembly, marijuana would be legal, and we would close a prison. Right now, we’re closing three prisons. And as you know, I worked on making sure that cannabis was legal here in California, because it was being used to lock up African Americans.

We had 136,000 brothers and sisters locked up in our prison system. That number is now down to 96,000.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

This thing called fear. Fear is probably the most powerful emotion that’s out there. And so there are people who would like to have us go back to those days of three strikes, go back to the days where punishment was more important than rehabilitation, go back to the days where we didn’t have second chances. And a lot of this. It’s because of fear.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

The number of people who have the courage of their convictions. The courage to stand up against all of these individuals who want to turn us back.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Stay true to who you really are. Don’t try to be someone else to appease others and do what other people want you to do even though that is not where your heart is, where your soul is, or who you really are. Not only does that create stress, not only does that create problems for you, you lose your soul.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Complacency.

We’ve got to get out and vote like our lives depended on it – vote like, people who fought for us to vote for the first time, we got to look at it like it’s not a right and a privilege, but it’s our legacy, our heritage.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I have legislative and administrative expertise, which I think could be helpful for some organizations, some governmental agency. I’m also in the doctoral program at USC. And so, I think Dr. Jones-Sawyer really would like to use all his skill sets for African Americans, and not have to worry about the confines of being an elected official and really be able to do things that I couldn’t do.

NATIONWIDE — Actor Geoffrey Owens, known for The Cosby Show, recently opened up about the ongoing challenges he faces as a working actor, despite receiving support and landing new roles. Owens gained media attention in 2018 after photos of him working at Trader Joe’s went viral.

In a recent interview on V-103 Atlanta’s Big Tigger Morning Show, Owens shared, “Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make my ends meet.”

Despite being seen in popular shows like CBS’s Poppa’s House and films like Mr. Santa, Owens said that people often misunderstand how actors earn a living.

“People have a false impression of what the average what I call ‘middle-class actor’ makes and their ability to make a living in the industry,” he said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average hourly wage for actors is $41, with a median of $20, according to Today.

After his Trader Joe’s photos went viral, Owens had to quit the job due to privacy concerns. He recalled, “For two weeks or more, I was like one of the most famous people in the world. Everywhere I went, people recognized me.”

This newfound fame led to new opportunities, including a role in Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots and appearances in shows like Power Book II: Ghost and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Owens also received support from celebrities, including a $25,000 gift from Nicki Minaj, which he chose to donate at the time.

Despite these opportunities, Owens emphasized the continuing challenge of sustaining a career in acting. He remains grateful for the support and opportunities that have come his way.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Shay Franco-Clausen is Political Director for Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

A resident of the Bay Area, Franco-Clausen is an award-winning public advocate, speaker, political strategist and former elected official. She has contributed her thought leadership to drafting seventeen pieces of legislation in California. Notable among these accomplishments is her role in extending the statute of limitations for felony domestic violence survivors, advocating for the rights of foster youth, preserving endangered open spaces, and championing the restoration of voting rights for individuals on parole.

Shay has spent the last 14 years serving on many local, county and state boards, political action committees and commissions, centered on criminal justice, LGBTQ and reproductive rights, gender-based violence and environmental protections.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Franco-Clausen about her successes, frustrations and future plans heading into 2025.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

In the role that I sit in as the political director for Equality California, we endorsed 216 candidates. I think the one achievement after this election that I’m proud of is that we overturned Prop 8 to protect same-sex marriages here because they’re about to attack our rights on the federal level, come 2025.

I’m glad at least we changed our California constitution to reflect and protect my marriage.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

I contribute through my lived experience. I may have achieved a lot, but I come from those same communities that are marginalized, East Oakland, East San Jose, Watts. It gives me a different perspective. I am a formerly incarcerated youth who was in foster care. I think I contribute that bit of understanding, and I operate from an equity lens. I’m willing to push people to make them recognize that hey, you cannot forget about Black people. We are the most marginalized.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

What frustrates me is our inability to recognize that we forget people. I was tapped to work on the Harris campaign from Equality California. And through that, being at that table, I was frustrated that they weren’t listening to Americans and not looking at the data.

The reason Trump won is because he had consistent messaging, and we didn’t debunk it. I think I’m more frustrated that we don’t fully listen to people all the time when they’re critiquing us.

So, I’m frustrated that people at the top don’t always know what’s happening to people at the bottom and their messaging doesn’t reflect our issues.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

All those people that came out to support Kamala Harris. I was really proud that people came out. I was pretty proud that my son voted for the first time for a Black woman for President.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Be fearless. Sometimes I second-guess myself. I push back, but I could push more because I’m qualified. I have the education, I have the experience, and I know what I’m talking about in all the rooms that I go in. And I must be confident in that.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Prioritization.

We’re still not seen as a priority, but everyone likes to add us to their talking points. Even though we have Black people in office, it doesn’t matter if we are not part of the budget. A budget is a statement of our values. If we’re not a part of the budget, but we’re a part of the talking points, there’s something missing.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

Writing a book. I think it’s important for us to tell our stories, not let other people tell them. And as I look forward to all the things that I’ve achieved, knowing where I came from, I think it’s important and powerful to tell those stories so other people can see themselves in not only the pain, but the power.

I am also kicking off my campaign for Hayward City Council.

NATIONWIDE — Richard Parsons, the former CEO of Time Warner and Chairman of Citigroup, has died at the age of 76 at his Manhattan home, following a long battle with multiple myeloma. Parsons was a highly respected African American business leader known for guiding major companies through turbulent times.

“Dick was the leader to whom other leaders turned for advice and a steady, sure set of hands during their most consequential moments,” Lazard said in a statement, according to CBS News.

Throughout his career, Parsons held significant roles. At Time Warner, he stabilized the company and restored its reputation after its troubled merger with AOL. As Citigroup’s chairman in 2009, he helped the bank recover from the subprime mortgage crisis, steering it back to profitability.

Parsons, a Brooklyn native, began college at 16 and later earned a law degree. He played basketball at the University of Hawaii and worked for political leaders like Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford.

In 2014, Parsons briefly served as interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers. He also held board positions at Estée Lauder, the Smithsonian, and the Apollo Theater. Beyond his corporate achievements, Parsons, who is a passionate jazz enthusiast, co-owned a Harlem jazz club and supported cultural institutions throughout his life.

“Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Parsons was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and had to reduce his work commitments in recent years due to health complications. Parsons retired from several high-profile roles, including his positions at Lazard and Estée Lauder, in December 2023.

Parsons is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family.

Ubuntu Project Spotlights Artistic Expression as a Pathway to Community Healing

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with 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 CA vs Hate.

VICTORVILLE, CA – On Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 1 PM to 4 PM, the Cultural Arts Center of the High Desert will come alive with the creativity and talent of High Desert youth at the 2025 Youth Art Collective Showcase. This free event, organized by the Ubuntu Project, aims to celebrate the power of artistic expression in fostering community healing, resilience, and unity.

The showcase will feature a diverse array of artistic mediums, including music, painting, drawing, fashion, and more. By centering the voices and talents of youth, the event seeks to inspire meaningful dialogue and promote healing through shared cultural experiences.

“We are excited to provide a platform for our youth to express themselves and connect with their community,” says Nichole Williams-Artry, Program Coordinator for the Ubuntu Project. “This showcase is about celebrating the spirit of ‘I Am Because We Are,’ where we recognize our shared humanity and collective strength.”

The Ubuntu Project, funded by the California Department of Social Services, is a Stop the Hate grantee program committed to aiding victims and families affected by hate crimes. Through healing circles, art initiatives, and leadership development, the project works to promote resilience and social-emotional wellness in the High Desert’s African American community.

This historic initiative, named after the African proverb “I am because we are,” represents the first state allocation of funding dedicated to addressing hate and its consequences.

The event is free to attend with RSVP and welcomes families, community members, and art enthusiasts. Youth artists under 18 who attend school in the High Desert are encouraged to submit their art for consideration, provided it aligns with content guidelines.

How to Participate:

• As a Service Recipient: Youth can submit their art or participate in workshops leading up to the event.
• As a Volunteer: Community members can support the event by assisting with logistics, mentoring youth, or helping with outreach efforts.

For more information, submissions, or to RSVP, contact Nichole Williams-Artry at 760-229-6175 or email NWilliams-Artry@healthcollaborative.org. Follow the Ubuntu Project on Instagram and Facebook @Ubuntuprojectchc for updates and details.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Grammy Award winning singer and record label executive, Jay King, was elected CEO/President of the California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) in June of 2019.

The CBCC is the largest African American non-profit business organization, representing thousands of small and emerging businesses, affiliates and chambers of commerce throughout California.

King is also a member of the popular 1980s R&B group Club Nouveau. In his role as an artist and activist, he has stood up for issues affecting underrepresented Californians for over three decades.

As the President of the CBCC, King says he is determined to put his mark on developing and expanding the capacity of African American businessmen and women.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with King recently. He reflected on the Chamber’s accomplishments, disappointments, lessons learned this year and goals moving forward.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

Making the voice of micro and mini-micro businesses loud, forcing policymakers and other decision makers across the state to start paying attention to them. With legislation in place now — AB 1574 and AB 2019 – that mandates that the state and agencies affiliated with the state extend opportunities to micro and mini business owners and give them a chance to participate in government contracting in a real way.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

I really want to contribute to the world and the state of Black businesses because of the systemic inequities in the past.

Small business, micro businesses and mini businesses are too often overlooked.

I think it would be egotistical to believe that I make any significant impact on my own. Whether it’ s the Asian Chamber, Hispanic Chamber and other organizations that are fighting the same fight. I think it’ s a collective, so I’ m proud to be part of the collective.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

We say we want to give access to capital to small businesses, and yet we continue to create barriers that deny them access to capital.

And even if we get them access to capital, we don’ t create pathways for that success — whether it’ s through education or resources, or through language – providing support in a language that they understand because, maybe, they’ re from another country Or, we don’t even provide cultural-specific resources for people who are from this country.

We ignore and negate the systemic racism, bigotry, prejudice, and bias that African American and other ethnic businesspeople and communities have experienced.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

Watching some of the small business owners that we worked with — these micro businesses — and seeing the potential and the power that is in front of us. If we equip them the right way, if we train them the right way, if we develop them the right way, they can not only flourish, but they can scale and start hiring people in their communities.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

We have to fight for Black businessowners, but they also have to be prepared. Just because we want to push them through, because we want them to have a contract, we have to be very careful about who we get in the game, and make sure that they’ re ready. Because if they’ re not, it affects us all down the line.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Self-belief. I think we have been conditioned on victimization and victimhood. We think that if we don’ t get the help we need that we will falter.

We must have real belief that we have made it this far despite every barrier, every obstacle, every disillusionment that has ever come our way. And we are still standing.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I want to change the trajectory of micro and mini business owners.

NATIONWIDE—- Denzel Washington was recently baptized in a ceremony at a New York church a few days before he turns 70 years old. He was also granted a minister’s license, allowing him to officiate at religious services and pursue ordination in the future.

The Oscar-winning actor, currently starring in Gladiator II, was baptized on Saturday at Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, according to EURweb. The service, streamed on Facebook, showed Washington in a white robe being immersed in the church’s ritual pool, where he received his baptism certificate.

Washington’s early life was shaped by his strong Christian upbringing, with his father serving as a Pentecostal minister. Though he attended church as a child, Washington’s personal faith grew later in life. He now attends the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.

Washington called the baptism his “greatest accomplishment,” and shared an emotional message about faith during the service.

“It took a while, but I’m finally here… If [God] can do this for me, there’s nothing He can’t do for you. The sky literally is the limit,” Washington said.

Meanwhile, the event gained attention on social media. Many praised his decision to hold the ceremony in a modest church, while some questioned the speed at which celebrity ministers are granted such responsibilities.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) is a group of educational leaders from across the state. The organization is committed to identifying critical issues in public education related to the performance of African American students and addressing them through education reform initiatives.

Its membership includes school superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors, and administrators. CAAASA has a long-standing history of hosting institutes, meetings, conferences, and various special events focused on education.

Serving as an informational resource to the California Department of Education (CDE), CAAASA makes recommendations on several of the department’s priorities, including curriculum and instruction, staff development, parent involvement, funding, and gender specific issues.

CAAASA has submitted testimony to the Speaker of the Assembly aimed at improving the status of African American males relative to their over-representation in the penal system and underrepresentation in the nation’s colleges and universities.

?Additionally, CAAASA has worked in partnership with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) to sponsor events and programs that have been successful in addressing the needs of African American students.

This year, the organization sponsored a statewide conference in Sacramento titled, “Education is a Civil Right.”

Recently, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Dr. Adam Clark, the President of CAAASA, about the organization’s successes, disappointments, lessons learned and future plans heading into the new year.

Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

What was your most important achievement in 2024 and why?

The most important achievement was organizing our statewide professional development summit to mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. We focused on research and strategies to improve education for African American and other students of color. Afterward, we partnered with the National Coalition of Educational Equity to host a convening in Washington D.C., continuing our efforts to drive progress.

How did your leadership and investments improve the lives of Black Californians?

We launched two new Leadership Academies for aspiring administrators and superintendents. These programs help build a pipeline of future administrators committed to improving education for all students, especially students of color. By focusing on closing opportunity gaps, we’re ensuring Black Californians have the support and resources they need to succeed in the education system.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

The ongoing inequities Black students face are the most frustrating. Despite our progress, challenges still exist. 

What inspired you the most over the last year?

I was inspired by the collaboration and energy at our national conference in Washington D.C., where leaders from across the country united to focus on educational equity. Seeing so many passionate advocates gave me hope that real, lasting change is possible when we work together.

What lesson did you learn in 2024 that will guide your decisions next year?

I learned the importance of collective action. Building coalitions of educators, lawmakers, and civil rights leaders is essential to addressing the root causes of inequity in our schools.

CBM: What is the biggest challenge Black Californians face in one word?

Inequity. 

CBM: What is your main goal for 2025?

My main goal is to speed up the implementation of evidence-based strategies that improve Black student achievement. Through partnerships, policy work, and professional development, I want to ensure our schools are equipped to meet the needs of Black students and help every learner succeed.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The Equal Justice Society (EJS) aims to transform the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. Their legal strategy aims to broaden conceptions of present-day discrimination to include unconscious and structural bias by using social science, structural analysis, and real-life experience.

Currently, EJS focuses its advocacy efforts on school discipline, special education, the school-to-prison pipeline, race-conscious remedies, and inequities in the criminal justice system.

The Oakland-based nonprofit also engages the arts and artists to create work and performances that allow wider audiences to understand social justice issues and struggles.

California Black Media spoke with Keith Kamisugi, Director of Communications at EJS, on the organization’s successes, disappointments and plans moving forward to the new year.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why?  

The Equal Justice Society’s most important achievement so far in 2024 is the substantive advancement of reparations in California as one of the leaders of ARRT (the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation and Truth) with eight reparations measures passing the state legislature and signed by the Governor and one ballot measure presented to the voters in the general election, (Prop. 6). The cumulative outcome of reparations legislation is a small step for reparations advocates but a giant leap for Black Californians.

On the international front, EJS President Lisa Holder delivered remarks in April 2024 at the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

In addition to our work with the reparations movement, EJS has directly impacted Black school children and Black women through our lawsuits against several California school districts and against manufacturers of hair relaxers, which caused women to develop uterine and ovarian cancers. In September 2024, EJS’s clients, the Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) and individual families, finalized a five-year plan that improves policies to ensure that students with disabilities, and particularly Black students with disabilities, are no longer subjected to unnecessary exclusion from integrated environments, among other resource and discipline inequities, within Sacramento City Unified School District.

The lawsuit against manufacturers of hair relaxer products led to a June 2024 expose in The New York Times Magazine questioning why hair relaxer products are still being aggressively marketed to Black women when the products have been linked to reproductive disorders and cancers.

What frustrated you the most over the last year? 

We have been troubled by the misinformation resulting from some media outlets about reparations developments, such as wrongly equating reparations solely with financial compensation and characterizing stalled reparations legislation as structural defeats for reparations. While financial compensation is part of any comprehensive reparations, it is not the totality of how we repair the harm. Of the 115 recommendations from the California Reparations Task Force Final Report, only one was focused on how to calculate financial compensation. The vast majority of reparations legislation invokes the UN principle of systemic and institutional repair that ensures that the harm of antiblack discrimination ceases and never happens again.  Moreover, in terms of characterizing the progress of reparations in California, when we look at 400 years of oppression through White supremacy, one legislative session is not enough time to judge success or failure.

What inspired you the most over the last year? 

EJS was inspired by the 630-plus organizations and businesses – majority non-Black – that endorsed the California Reparations Task Force final report or the study of reparations. These endorsements exemplify the broad-based support for the reparations movement from entities that recognize the social imperative to repair the harm caused by 400 years of White supremacy and who seek to support reparations in all its forms — compensation, apology, satisfaction, rehabilitation and guarantees of non-repetition.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year? 

Although not a new lesson, something we re-learned in 2024 was the incredible lengths to which the Right Wing will devote resources towards destroying race conscious remedies and truthful narratives that seek to simply level the playing field, afford equal opportunity, provide a factual historical accounting, and repair the harm four centuries of terror and oppression, specifically race-forward harm repair policies such as affirmative action, reparations, critical race theory and DEI. Since 2023, 86 anti-DEI bills have been introduced in 28 states and in Congress. Fourteen of those bills have become law and more than half the states have passed so-called “anti-woke” laws that prohibit narratives that tell the truth about the history of racial oppression in America.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?  

Racism.

 What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?  

We would like to establish reparations and harm repair as the dominant American civil rights issue for the next 25 years.  Also, we would like to draw national attention to healthcare inequality and the data points that establish the need for health equity for Black women. Black birthing mothers are 3 times more likely to die during childbirth and from post-partum complications, irrespective of income, due to implicit and explicit bias in healthcare.