Local

Obituary: Amos Isaac

April 28, 1934-January 20, 2021

Dr. Amos Isaac, a retired educator and lifelong community leader, passed away at the age of 86. Final arrangements are entrusted to the care of Tillman Riverside Mortuary. Visitation will be at Tillman Riverside Mortuary on Thursday, February 11, 2021 from 10 am to 11 am. Due to COVID gathering restrictions, no more than 25 individuals may attend. Private graveside services will be held on February 11, 2021, at Riverside National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to New Hope Missionary Baptist Church’s Scholarship Fund at 1575 West 17th St, San Bernardino, CA 92411. Tillman Riverside Mortuary 2874 Tenth St, Riverside, CA 92507. For more information, please call 951-682-6433.

Majority Leader Reyes Introduces Bill to Establish California Commission on Human Rights

Sacramento – AssemblyMajority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D -San Bernardino) introduced AB 412 which establishes a new commission to oversee the status of human rights within the state of California. The California Commission on Human Rights would provide oversight and policy recommendations aimed to protect the human rights of all Californians.   

“California has been a long time leader in the advancement of social justice thus making the establishment of this commission consistent with the ideals that have made California home to people from all over the United States and across the world.   California has often led the nation in establishing legal protections that safeguard the dignity and human rights of the state’s population.”  Majority Leader Reyes continued “AB 412 will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable as a state to meet the ideals that are so important to all of us.”

“The Council on American Islamic Relations – California (CAIR-CA) is excited to co-sponsor, and are grateful for Majority Leader Reyes’s leadership, on this monumental legislation.  The creation of the California Commission on Human Rights will ensure that California is constantly prioritizing the human rights of Californians across the state.  The advisory body is one big step to ensuring California’s most vulnerable continue to be prioritized.” – Hussam Ayloush, CEO

“The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is proud to stand as a co-sponsor on AB 412 which will create the California Commission on Human Rights – a commission that will uplift the voices and needs of California’s diverse communities.  The advisory body will go a long way in ensuring that California can lead the way in promoting and protecting everyone’s human rights.” – Joseph Villela, Director of Policy & Advocacy

AB 412 would create the first statewide effort to review the status of human rights in the state of California on an ongoing basis.   The Commission would be tasked with creating regular reports, identifying human rights abuses and concerns, developing policy recommendations and advocate for them accordingly. This commission is crucial to protect and ensure human rights for all.

Obituary: Sidney Frederick Herndon

When Sidney and Essie Herndon welcomed their firstborn child in the spring before America entered World War II, they gave the glory to God and began pouring their love and attention into raising little Sidney in the small town they called home.

What the young couple may not have realized is that their son would usher in an extraordinary family legacy. That he would make history and distinguish himself as an outstanding leader and advocate, remarkable innovator, fount of soft-spoken wisdom, and exemplar of Black dignity and achievement before it was commonly recognized and celebrated.

Sidney Frederick Herndon was born March 30, 1941 in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. He was known as a precocious child who was always ready to accept the most adult responsibilities — a standing in life that was encapsulated in his parents’ decision to move west while Sidney was a student at Bing High School in Ada, Oklahoma: hardly old enough to possess a license, the teenager drove what had become a very large family most of the way to California.

The Herndons put down roots in San Bernardino, where Sidney — the eldest of 11 children — graduated from San Bernardino High School in 1957. He began studying to become a psychiatric technician immediately following high school, starting a lifelong career in mental health that began at Patton State Hospital and led to a decade at Camarillo State Hospital, where he became nursing coordinator; and then spent five years as program director, and then spent five years as program director for acute psychiatric patients at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk. Along the way, he earned degrees from Antioch University and the University of the Pacific.

In the summer of 1980, at the age of 39, Sidney became the first African-American in California history named executive director of a state mental hospital — when he assumed the post on an acting basis at Metropolitan. On December 22 of that year, he was named executive director of Atascadero State Hospital, a 1,263-bed facility in San Luis Obispo County. Each hospital he led achieved accreditation.

After retiring from the State of California, Sidney moved to the Midwest and served as deputy director of hospital services in the State of Ohio.

Sidney’s approach to serving people with mental illness and supporting their caregivers was captured in remarks he gave to the San Bernardino Sun newspaper in 1980 — as he advocated for more community-based psychiatric clinics to treat mental illness at earlier stages and possibly prevent hospitalizations.

“State hospitals have a stigma about them,” he said, “and what I would like to do is take it (treatment) into the community and normalize it.”

Outside of his historic career and phenomenal record of professional and community leadership, Sidney never lost sight of what always meant most to him: family. While he was living in Oxnard, his parents entrusted him with caring for two teenage siblings — Willie and Ruben — eager to learn the ways of the world from their older brother.

Fatherhood came naturally to him, and his 1962 marriage to Gayle Cole was blessed with two children, Tina and Eric. He married Caroline Rotherman in [YEAR], a union that brought Timothy, Catherine and Elizabeth into their loving family.

Sidney enjoyed traveling with his family, especially trips to campgrounds with his children. He was a master of the motor home, and once took his parents on a memorable road trip to their Oklahoma hometown to visit relatives and reminisce.

After retiring from the State of Ohio, Sidney and his wife of 15 years, Hazel Simonette Herndon, lived in Trinidad before moving to Corona, California at the end of 2019.

Throughout his life, Sidney modeled a quiet strength and generous spirit that influenced, motivated, and sustained countless people and touched generations of lives.

After his father’s passing, Sidney took his role as family patriarch to heart: he was known to never miss a major function or moment in the lives of his loved ones. He took every occasion as an opportunity to exemplify the values he held dear: Put family at the center. Act with kindness. Be present for one another’s sake. Thoughtfully show what it really means to take care of each other. Lead quietly and confidently with intelligence and grace. Never lose sight of how valuable your mere presence can be for the people you love and who love you.

He was preceded in death by his beloved parents Sidney and Essie; and brothers Brent Astaire Herndon, Freddie Lee Herndon, Willie Cullen Herndon, Ruben Coleman Herndon, and Jerry Lyn Herndon.

Beyond his children and wife Hazel, Sidney is survived by his brothers Myles Edward Herndon and Byron Duryea Herndon (Regina); sisters Beverly Ann Martin, Evelyn Margie Tahiru, and Ida Ruth Martin (George). He will be remembered by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who looked to Sidney as a role model, mentor, and style icon — and his memory will be loved and treasured forever.

Public Premiere of Berdoo Will Captivate Audiences

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Berdoo is a powerful new film that follows the challenging lives of students in the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD). It is a film that shares the stories of multiple students and their moving struggles surrounding school.

Berdoo ’s official, virtual premiere is Friday, January 29 at 5:30 p.m. The online watch party will include a live question-and-answer session and will include a special message from both SBCUSD and the creator of Berdoo.

Whether you live in San Bernardino or not, we invite everyone to view this documentary that paints a moving picture of struggle, perseverance, and hope. And, most importantly, Berdoo will give you a closer glimpse at some of the special people in SBCUSD who have dedicated their careers to education and their lives to making Berdoo, as we lovingly know this city, a better place for children.

The film was available for viewing on YouTube over the holidays and was viewed over 7,000 times. It has received an incredible response from the community and local organizations.

About Berdoo

Named for the moniker that locals use to refer to their city, Berdoo was inspired by research conducted at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. The creator of the film, Nishita Matangi, and her team collaborated with the San Bernardino City Unified School District to look into the barriers to attendance among high school students in the school district. While gathering data, through interviews and focus groups, they heard the stories of resilience in both the students and the community as a whole. These stories weren’t reflected by the data and headlines they saw while conducting background research on San Bernardino. They knew the stories needed to be shared and conversations about a film began.

Matangi pitched Berdoo for a project in a program she was attending at Harvard Medical School called Media and Medicine. She then continued the production as part of the practicum requirements for her master’s degree in Public Health at LLUSPH. It was important to her to create a space for the community to share their own stories, so she made sure everyone involved in the project (from the crew to the interviewees) were from San Bernardino.

The film seeks to highlight some of the struggles students face while growing up in San Bernardino, but showcase the programs and people from the school district that are trying to address those struggles. It also highlights the resilience of the community and the people that are a part of it. Throughout the years, and no matter the economic situation, the San Bernardino City Unified School District has continued to be a resource for the community. Approximately two thirds of the San Bernardino population is impacted by the school district in one way or another.

Why Berdoo :

“I was inspired by the people and their intriguing experiences and realized my initial negative introduction through data and articles didn’t reflect the true sense of the community. It was important to me that this story be told by people from Berdoo, from the crew to the interviewees,” said Matangi.

Every person has a story that deals with barriers within this community. Take the story of Minessotta Vikings running back Alexander Mattison, whose family didn’t always have a place to call home, and who saw friends struggle to keep up with school while working and helping raise their siblings. He found hope through his family, friends, and the teachers that invested in him; teachers like Mr. Hinkleman, who invested in Alex on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.

Watch the premiere at https://www.facebook.com/BerdooFilm/

What you can do to help:

The most impactful way anyone can help out Berdoo is by sharing the content and supporting the Patreon.

Producer Bio:

Nishita Matangi has her Masters in Public Health and runs her own health communications consulting business She takes on projects like Berdoo to create platforms for community voices and to make public health information accessible and relatable. While researching chronic absenteeism among San Bernardino City Unified School District high school students, the stories she and her team heard during focus groups and interviews inspired her to share the stories of resilience in the community. She pitched the idea for Berdoo for a post-graduate program, “Media and Medicine” at Harvard Medical School. Over a year later, she hopes the film will shed a positive light on the resilient community.

Board opens COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to residents ages 65 and over

The Board of Supervisors today announced that all San Bernardino County residents ages 65 and over are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  

“We know that our seniors are the most vulnerable to serious illness and death if they contract COVID-19 and we want to get them vaccinated as quickly as possible,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman
Curt Hagman. “We ask the community for patience as we continue to receive doses from the State of California to serve our senior population and as we continue to vaccinate health care workers.”

Vaccine supplies from the State are scarce, so appointments are limited. County residents 65 and over can make appointments through https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/. Seniors can also sign up for email and text notifications to receive alerts about vaccination opportunities and other vaccination news through the “65+ Vaccine Notification Sign Up” link at https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/.

Those who need assistance with appointments or signing up for notifications can call the COVID-19 hotline from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911.

Also coming soon to accommodate all vaccination tiers, especially those individuals 65 and older, are a variety of new options for county residents to receive the vaccine to compliment the sites already in place.  These include mobile vaccination units to serve residents with travel challenges, including seniors and residents in the most remote areas of the 20,000-square-mile county, community-based vaccination sites similar to the many county testing sites, through partnerships with local clinics and healthcare providers. In addition, a super-site for vaccinations will be announced soon.

Vaccinations for County residents 65 and over are available within Phase 1A of the Vaccination Roadmap, which includes all front-line health care workers. Appointments are available with equal priority to both populations.

Young Visionaries Host Virtual Talent Search; Win up to $450 Cash Prizes

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—-On Friday, January 22 the Young Visionaries will be hosting a Virtual Talent Search. The show will begin at 6 p.m. and is open to youth ages 14 to 17. There will be cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places ranging from $50 to $250.

The event will be hosted by I AM VanSwan, Miss Teen California US Alana Morgan, NFK Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader Tamia Casey, and Gabriel Cannon.

The deadline to submit is January 8. If you miss the deadline, you may still be able to submit by sending your videos to iamvanswan@yvyla-ie.org.

The event will be hosted on Zoom via US02WEB.ZOOM.US/J/81117334150.

IECAAC Hosts 41st Annual Dr. MartinLuther King Jr., Prayer Breakfast Virtually

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Monday, January 18 at 9 a.m. the Inland Empire African American Churches –IECAAC will celebrate the 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Prayer Breakfast. This year they will continue the tradition of the dreamer, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a virtual celebration. This year’s theme is “Embracing the Dream” found in Ecclesiastes 3:5.

The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Bishop Kenneth Ulmer. The event will be hosted by inspirational comedian, Lester Barrie. There will be a special performance by Stellar and Grammy Award Nominee, Brent Jones, and other guest performances. There will also be an award presentation for those individuals that excelled and showed concern and commitment helping to others.

To register for the event and receive access information, please visit: bit.ly/mlkcelebration2021. Or visit IECAAC website at www.iecaac.org.

The Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches thank you in advance for the prayers and support. If you have any questions, please call at 909-494-7036. At the conclusion of the event the MLK prayer breakfast committee will proceed to the MLK Jr. statue to lay the honorary wreath. It’s a day on, not a day off.  Please wear a mask, and social distance. Amen!

San Bernardino Sailor Plots on a Maneuvering Board Aboard U.S. Navy Warship

TAIWAN STRAIT—- Ensign Elijah Jones, from San Bernardino, California, plots on a maneuvering board in the combat information center as the guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) conducts routine operations. Curtis Wilbur is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Ride with us! Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Youth Build Inland Empire will be hosting a COVID friendly SB MLK Day Celebration Parade on Monday, January 18. There will be no getting out of vehicles as people follow each other along the route. The meeting time will be between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the ride out time will start at 1:15 p.m. Everyone will meet at Ann Shirrell Park located at 1367 N California Street in San Bernardino.

The Route is as follows:

1.         Right on 15th street

2.         Right on Pennsylvania Street

3.         Left on Magnolia Street

4.         Left on Western Street

5.         Right on Evans Street

6.         Left on Western Street

7.         Right on 16th Street

8.         Right on Arrowhead Street

9.         Right on 3rd Street

Ending – San Bernardino Civic Center (parking on Court Street)

Cars park in parking structure! Awards will be handed out in front of the Martin Luther King Statue.

Monday, January 18: Virtual MLK Day Extravaganza Celebration

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce will be hosting their virtual MLK Extravaganza Celebration on Monday, January 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The event will consist of storytellers, performers, and panels. This year’s theme is, “Facing Adversity During the Storm”.

Storytellers include: Author Margaret Hill; Mr. Empire Talks Back, Wallace Allen; and Community Activist, Rikkie Van Johnson. The performers and entertainment of the event are Maurice Howard, Rev. Broncia Martindale, JD Musgrove, Valerie Green, Lil Reggie, Lue Dowdy, Dunamis L1019, Aisha and Stephen, the San Bernardino Pacesetters and Deeveatva and Company. The panelists include Gwen Rodgers-Dowdy, President for San Bernardino City Unified District Board of Education; Dann Tillman, Board Member or San Bernardino City Unified District Board of Education; Pastor Joshua Beckley, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship; Councilwoman Kimberly Calvin-Johnson 6th Ward; Councilman Damon Alexander 7th Ward; Councilman Ben Reynoso 5th Ward.

There will be a special performance by Actor Leonard Thomas. You can catch the festivities live on Facebook at: https://fb.watch/2Ui4mbMtBg/