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The Mayor and City Council Have Appointed Rochelle Clayton as Acting City Manager on a Temporary Basis

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— In a special closed session meeting held on May 22, the San

Bernardino Mayor and City Council voted to exercise the severance provision in City Manager Charles Montoya’s employment agreement.

The City Attorney gave the closed session report at the end of the meeting saying, “By unanimous vote of the City Council the City has terminated Charles Montoya’s employment contract pursuant to Section 11.7 which is termination without cause. The council also voted to appoint Rochelle Clayton temporary acting city manager until the council takes further action. This action was taken by a 5-3 vote with Council Member Sanchez, Ibarra, and Alexander voting no.”

Montoya served the city for seven months.

Rochelle Clayton was hired in April 2024 as Deputy City Manager, overseeing the Public Works; Community Development and Housing; and the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Departments.

Clayton is very familiar with San Bernardino as she grew up and raised her family in the City. Clayton also spent seventeen years with the County of San Bernardino in various finance administration roles, including as Deputy Chief.

For the past five years, Clayton served as Assistant City Manager of Menifee, overseeing the Police, Fire, Community Services, Information Technology, Finance, Human Resources, and City Clerk departments.

In other past roles, she served as Deputy City Manager and Administrative Services Director for the City of Banning, the Chief Financial Officer for the West Valley Water District in Rialto, and the Finance Director for the City of La Habra Heights.

By Bo Tefu, Lila Brown and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the nation’s largest labor unions, elected its first Black president, April Verrett.

The union represents nearly two million members in the public sector, healthcare, and property services.

“By joining together, organizing, and — in many cases — striking, working people are taking power back from corporate interests and using that power to lift up their families and communities.”

Verrett is recognized for spearheading the union’s strategic planning process as the SEIU’s Secretary-Treasurer and she served as president of the SEIU California local chapter in 2015.

Verrett was sworn into her new role on May 20, at a ceremony held during the SEIU convention in Philadelphia. Vice President Kamala Harris gave the keynote address.

Harris and Verrett have known each other for years and worked together during their time as public servants in California.

“April is a leader who is always guided by an uncompromising focus on worker empowerment and their rights,” Harris said.

“What some people need to understand is that care work is physical work,” Harris continues. “It is emotional work. It is a job, and it is a calling, and care workers deserve to be paid fairly and fully for that work.”

The healthcare industry is one of several industries that has been impacted by national strikes following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Make no mistake: working people are under attack and the stakes have never been higher; but the real challenge and opportunity of leading our union in this moment is meeting the momentum of workers across the country — especially the young people of color who are showing us what’s possible,” Verrett said.

REDLANDS, CA — Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) will see nearly 1,700 graduates cross the stage over the course of six ceremonies from June 3 through June 7, 2024.

All graduations for RUSD schools will take place at the Redlands Bowl, located at 25 Grant St. in Redlands and will be streamed live on YouTube.

Upcoming Graduation Ceremonies and Livestream Links:

• E-Academy: June 3 @ 9 a.m. – https://youtube.com/live/G-JYAFsfXCY?feature=share
• Orangewood: June 3 @ 6 p.m. – https://youtube.com/live/yx7b5IbNvmk?feature=share
• Redlands High School: June 4 @ 6:45 p.m. –  https://youtube.com/live/MW9kzYmvYbM?feature=share
• Citrus Valley High School: June 5 @ 6:30 p.m. –  https://youtube.com/live/qDwMvB3rXVE?feature=share
• Redlands East Valley High School: June 6 @ 7 p.m. – https://youtube.com/live/Ed7WCvs4Fk4?feature=share
• Redlands Adult School: June 7 @ 6 p.m. – https://youtube.com/live/QXHfE9e_Ujg?feature=share

This cohort of graduates will be the final graduating class for which the initial COVID-19 State of Emergency and subsequent lockdowns were part of their high school experience. Schools reopened for in-person learning in April during their freshman year of high school.

Graduation photos taken by the RUSD communications department will be available through the RUSD online photo gallery at www.redlandsusd.smugmug.com

For more news and notifications about Redlands Unified School District, visit our website at www.redlandsusd.net and follow @RedlandsUSD on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

YUCAIPA, CA– – Crafton Hills College (CHC) announces its summer class schedule, providing an opportunity for prospective and current students to get started or get ahead in their education at an affordable cost.

Summer class tuition averages $150 and includes free textbook rentals. The sessions begin on May 28, June 10, and July 1 and feature five, eight and ten-week courses.

CHC provides a wide range of courses catering to different interests and career paths. Noteworthy class offerings for summer include:

• Counseling-110: An introduction to career planning for the first-time career seeker. This course explores academic, personal and career goals through assessment and self-exploration.
• Child Development-105: Examines physical, cognitive, social and emotional development from conception through adolescence.
• Multimedia-100: Introduction to multimedia technologies, covering principles of design and media production, including digital media for print, screen, animation, interactivity and 3D design.
• Business Administration-103: This course focuses on human resource management, highlighting the impact and accountability of human resources activities in organizations.

Additionally, students can get ahead on general education requirements essential for transfer with classes such as:

• English-101: Freshman Composition
• Biology-100: General Biology
• CommStudies-100: Public Speaking

Classes are expected to fill up quickly. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to secure their spots.

For more information and to apply, visit craftonhills.edu/Summer24 or call CHC Student Services at 909-389-3372.

By Bo Tefu, Lila Brown and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, the California State Senate voted to advance three landmark reparations bills authored by Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood). The bills aim to redress the economic and social injustices stemming from chattel slavery in the American South and more than a century of state-sectioned discriminatory practices that followed the Civil War.

The package of legislation now moves to the State Assembly for consideration.

The historic vote on Senate Bill (SB) 1403, SB 1050, and SB 1331 was held on the Senate floor late in the afternoon on May 21, while supporters representing several reparations advocacy groups observed from the gallery.

“l appreciate my Legislative colleagues who have directly faced this important issue and shown great courage by passing these historic pieces of legislation,” said Bradford. “I look forward to working with the members of the Assembly to similarly pass these bills so we can present them to Governor Newsom for his signature.”

SB 1403 establishes the framework for the establishment of the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency (CAFAA), a state-level department that would administer all reparations activities. It passed with a 30-7 vote.

SB 1050 would offer compensation to Black Californians who lost homes or had their land taken without fair compensation as a result of the racially motivated misuse of eminent domain. It passed with a 32-4 vote.

With a vote of 30-7 on the Senate floor, SB 1331 also passed. It proposes the establishment of an account in the state treasury for the purpose of funding reparations policies approved by the Legislature and the Governor.

Darlene Crumedy, a Bay Area resident and member of the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC), is one of the reparations supporters who has shown up at every Senate hearing for Bradford’s compensation bills.

She called passage of the bills “historic and special.”

“Now the work begins in the Assembly, and they are going to pass there, too,” Crumedy said expressing optimism about the bills’ future.

By Bo Tefu, Lila Brown and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) shared the results of its California vs Hate campaign, including its online reporting tool and telephone hotline, one year after their launch.

The California Vs Hate digital platform is the state’s first-ever multilingual resource to tackle the surge in hate incidents.

Approximately 1,020 acts of hate crimes were reported through the online tool and hotline, according to data provided by the University of California Berkeley’s Possibility Lab to CRD.

CRD Director Kevin Kish, state officials, media outlets, and community partners from across the state came together to mark the initiative’s first anniversary at a news conference held at the California Secretary of State Office in Sacramento on May 20.

“??This work is only just beginning, but it would not be possible without the advocacy of our community partners and the foresight of our state’s Administration and Legislature,” Kish stated. “With CA vs Hate, we’re doing our part to ensure that when people report they get support.”

CA vs Hate was launched in May 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to offer a safe, anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate acts. The initiative was a response to a nationwide increase in hate crimes.

In its first year, CA vs Hate had 2,118 inquiries from members of the public seeking assistance and directed people to resources, regardless of whether a report was tied to an act of hate.

The most frequently reported reasons cited were discriminatory treatment (18.4%), verbal harassment (16.7%), and derogatory names or slurs (16.7%). Additionally, most of the hate incidents were reported as residential (29.9%), workplace (9.7%), and in public facilities (9.1%).

Ca vs Hate received 1,020 actual hate incident reports based on the information provided by the individual reporting the act. Of those reports, about four out of six people agreed to follow up for care coordination services, including direct and ongoing support accessing legal aid or counseling.

Nearly 80% of California’s counties were represented in the data, including all 10 of the state’s most populated counties.

The CA vs Hate staff reviewed 560 reports, revealing the primary motivations for bias were race and ethnicity (35.1%), gender identity (15.1%), and sexual orientation (10.8%).

Anti-Black (26.8%), anti-Latino (15.4%), and anti-Asian (14.3%) bias were the most cited reasons for reports related to race and ethnicity, CRD states.

As reported hate crimes have risen in recent years, California has led the charge in responding through increased grant funding, innovative programs, and expansive outreach efforts across state government in collaboration with community-based organizations.

These partnerships — whether through the Stop the Hate Program or Ethnic Media Outreach Grants — are critical to CA vs Hate’s success, according to CRD. As CA vs Hate continues to grow, the program is launching new initiatives and building on existing efforts aimed at enhancing the hotline and online platform’s statewide support network and improving access for all of California’s diverse communities.

A year ago, CRD released preliminary data of a total of 180 acts of hate reported through the resource one month after CA vs Hate was launched. Out of the incidents, 102 were reported over the phone, while 78 were made via the online portal.

“I’m going to highlight that this program is new, and the data should not be treated as representative of all acts of hate in our state,” Kish said. “We have more work to do to reach Californians that might be targeted to earn the trust necessary for people to feel they can pick up the phone and contact the government. We’re not resting on our laurels.”

Kish also announced that CRD is kicking off CA vs Hate’s first-ever billboard campaign to raise awareness about the hotline and a partnership with UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab to enhance data collection and analysis.

In addition, CRD has recently formed a partnership with California Black Media (CBM). This collaboration aims to bolster engagement within communities that are most often the targets of hate, utilizing the federal Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act grant to ensure these communities have access to resources.

“The support from the California Department of Civil Rights coupled with the California State Library Ethnic Media Grants have strategic, and what I like to say, smart use of federal and state resources that have helped us advance our common goal of reporting and reducing hate crimes in our communities,” said CBM Executive Director Regina Brown-Wilson.

California has increased its grant funding, created innovative programs, and expanded outreach efforts across state government, working in collaboration with community-based organizations.

The partnerships — whether through the Stop the Hate Program or Ethnic Media Outreach Grants — are “crucial and important parts of California’s comprehensive approach to combating hating,” Kish said.

Ethnic media platforms have also been a key component of strengthening the hotline’s statewide support network and improving access to resources for all of California’s diverse communities. CRD Deputy Director Becky Monroe added that ethnic media’s role of communicating with communities through radio, print, and online technology is essential because underserved communities see them as “trusted messengers.”

“We are proud to work with ethnic media because we know that in the past, we have not done justice to those stories. You all do justice to those stories,” Monroe said. “Through this partnership, we are able to effectively reach the communities we want to reach.”

How To Report A Hate Crime:
CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.

Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline. For individuals who want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or who are in imminent danger, please call 911.

For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jerry Jimenez, Navy Office of Community Outreach
YOKOSUKA, Japan – Petty Officer 2nd Class Angela Zarate, a native of San Bernardino, California, serves the U.S. Navy in Japan.

Zarate graduated from San Bernardino High School in 2016.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in San Bernardino.

“I learned to not judge a book by its cover,” said Zarate. “Sometimes what people look like on the outside does not tell you what their heart and mind are. You should give people a chance.”

Zarate joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Zarate serves as a master-at-arms.

“I joined the Navy as a first-generation American,” said Zarate. ”The Navy provided great financial and educational opportunities.”

According to Navy officials, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka empowers forward-deployed U.S. and Allied Forces while providing superior support to military members and their families.

Zarate serves in Japan as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Zarate has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

Zarate has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am most proud of a time when one of my sailors told me I inspired them and that I am someone they would like to emulate and use as an example,” said Zarate. “That made me feel like this is worth it. This is my ‘why.’”

Zarate can take pride in serving America through military service.

“Serving in the Navy is a representation of the hard work of my parents and my ancestors,” said Zarate. “It makes their struggles and challenges all worth it.”

Zarate is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my sister, Maria Hernandez,” added Zarate. “She has always been my rock. Before the Navy, through the Navy, and whatever comes in the future, I know she will always be there. Words can’t even describe the gratitude I have for her.”

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jerry Jimenez, Navy Office of Community Outreach
YOKOSUKA, JAPAN – Petty Officer 3rd Class Marisol Arreola, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, serves the U.S. Navy in Japan.

Arreola graduated from Rancho Cucamonga High School in 2007.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are like those found in Rancho Cucamonga.

“My hometown has a small-town feel, and I learned the importance of being good to people,” said Arreola. “This has helped me in the Navy because the Navy’s values reflect small-town America. It’s very family minded.”

Arreola joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Arreola serves as a musician.

“During COVID times, I was teaching music online and working on my master’s degree in voice pedagogy online,” said Arreola. “I joined the Navy because I was motivated to get out there and travel and perform outside the U.S.”

According to Navy officials, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka empowers forward-deployed U.S. and Allied Forces while providing superior support to military members and their families.

Arreola serves in Japan as part of the forward-deployed naval forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Arreola has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am proud of being selected as Blue Jacket of the Year,” said Arreola.

Arreola can take pride in serving America through military service.

“Serving in the Navy means performing the same show as I would for a vice admiral as I would for a kid in Thailand,” said Arreola. “It’s giving the best American show we can give because they deserve the best equally.”

Arreola is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my sister who is a dentist in the Navy,” added Arreola. “She was also stationed in Japan and she encouraged me to explore the option of being a Navy musician.”

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

California is moving towards officially apologizing for the horrors African Americans endured during chattel slavery after the State Assembly voted unanimously to approve Assembly Bill (AB) 3089 on May 16.

Authored by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), the “California Apology Act for the Perpetration of Gross Human Rights Violations” sailed through the Assembly with a 64-0 floor vote.

AB 3089 is one of 14 reparations bills supported by the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) this legislative session.

“Not only is the apology letter important, but it’s also what we do after it becomes law,” Jones-Sawyer said of AB 3089 after the legislation passed.

“It’s whether or not we go ahead and fulfill the dream of what my ancestors wanted, which is fully to make us part of the American dream. And most importantly, get rid of the river of racism that has been running through our communities for so many decades and centuries.”

Assemblymembers Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa), Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), and Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) – all members of the CLBC — spoke on the Assembly floor before the historic vote.

Former Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) spoke in support of the legislation.

“This is a statement of our values, this is a statement of who we are and what we think at this moment and that’s why it is so important to all of us,” Rendon said of the legislation.

Current Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas shared his thoughts about the historical bill. Rivas invoked the words of Dr. Martin Luther King from a letter he wrote commending the sacrifice and success of Cesar Chavez after he staged a 300-mile walk from Delano to the State Capitol in 1966.

“As we know that it is undeniable that our systems of government have been complicit in the oppression of African Americans,” Rivas said. “Our courts, our schools (and) even this Legislature, California history is tarnished by the subjugation of Black people.”

AB 3089 mandates California to recognize and accept responsibility for “all of the harms and atrocities committed by the state, its representatives thereof, and entities under its jurisdiction who promoted, facilitated, enforced, and permitted the institution of chattel slavery,” as stated in the bill’s language. It also addresses the enduring legacy of “ongoing badges and incidents from which the systemic structures of discrimination.”

AB 3089 would require a plaque memorializing the apology and “publicly and conspicuously installed and maintained” in the confines of State Capitol.

“AB 3089 recognizes the harm that slavery had and continues to have on Black Californians and takes the important step of acknowledging and formally apologizing for the state’s role in harming the descendants of enslaved people slavery,” McKinnor said.

On the Senate side, three of Sen. Steven Bradford’s reparations bills were approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee last week and are expected to get a full vote on the Senate floor.

SB 1403 (formerly SB 490) passed with a 5-2 vote. It would create a new state agency called the California American Freedman Affairs Agency. The agency would oversee the administration of reparations as determined by the Legislature and Governor.

“This bill was a recommendation of the California Reparations Task Force, which I spent two years of my life being a part of,” Bradford said. “It’s one of the most essential of the (task force) report’s 115 recommendations.”

Another bill, SB 1050 – Reparations: Restitution for Property Taking – was approved with a 5-2 vote. It establishes a process for the state to review and investigate public complaints from individuals who claim their property was taken without just compensation or as an outcome of racially motivated eminent domain procedure. SB 1050 establishes a process for providing compensation to the rightful owner of the property.

SB 1331 received a 5-2 vote as well. Titled “Fund for Reparations,” the bill creates a specific fund for Reparations and Restorative Justice in the state treasury for the purpose of funding compensation to eligible Black Californians. The bill would authorize the fund to receive moneys from any other federal, state, or local grant, or from any private donation or grant.

Two other Bradford bills, SB 1013 and SB 1007, died in committee.

SB 1013 proposed the creation of a program designed to make grants available to individuals who currently live in formerly redlined neighborhoods in the state and are descendants of a person enslaved in the United States. SB 1007 calls for providing grants to descendants of enslaved persons to own a home.

SB 1050 was the only reparations bill Bradford authored that was included as part of the CLBC’s 2024 Reparations Priority Bill Package. According to the CLBC, the bills in the package are the first step of a multi-year effort to implement the legislative recommendations in the California Reparation Task Force report.

“This is sacred work,” CLBC member Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights) said of the Black caucus’s efforts. “I see reparations as a way of repairing the foundation which makes us stronger and lifts all of us in the process. I’m grateful to be in the Legislature at this time when we are positioning our state for a different and brighter future for the next generation.”

By Edward Henderson ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

As the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) continues to transform Medi-Cal, the state is expanding coverage to include behavioral health needs, like mental health care and substance use disorder services.

Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, provides coverage for one in three — or 15 million — Californians. About 40% of California youth is also covered by the program.

Paula Wilhelm, Interim Deputy Director of Behavioral Health Services at DHCS recently spoke at a digital press conference hosted by Ethnic Media Services to discuss some of the expanded services.

“As a department, we know that mental health is just as important as physical health, and all of our health outcomes are intertwined. DHCS has been working hard to partner with our medical managed care plans and care providers to transform the way behavioral health services are delivered to Medi-Cal members.”

Some expanded services include prevention and wellness, screening and assessment, outpatient and community-based treatment, and group/family therapy. More intensive services are covered as well: crisis care, residential treatment, inpatient, mental health, and substance use medication.

Individuals dealing with postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress due to school or work, drug or alcohol addiction can also receive services.

“We want to improve the quality of care that we offer in Medi-Cal and create a more person-centered delivery system,” said Wilhelm. “Our overarching goal is to make it easier for Medi-Cal members to access behavioral healthcare and all the services they need to live healthier lives.”

Recent changes to the Behavioral Health Services Act, which voters approved as Proposition 1 in March, will reform behavioral healthcare funding and prioritize care for people with serious conditions. The new law also focuses on adding diversity to the behavioral healthcare workforce to promote equity. Culturally responsive services and a workforce that reflects the diverse communities served under the plan will be prioritized.

Wilhelm also mentioned the state’s “No Wrong Door Approach” to mental health care in her briefing. This initiative focuses on behavioral health payment reform that aligns payment models that reward quality. This allows more providers to get into the Medi-Care system and increases the diversity of providers to make patients feel seen.

Medi-Cal is also expanding services for children and youth in California. Gov. Newsom’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative is a $4 billion investment into strengthening existing mental health services.

Autumn Boylan, Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships for DHCS also spoke at the digital conference. She focused on the expansion of services to meet the growing mental health needs of youth.

“Half of all lifetime cases of diagnosable mental illnesses emerge for our young people by the age of 14 and 75% of diagnosable mental illnesses begin by the age of 24. Focusing on children and youth from ages 0-25 is critically important to ensure that we are providing preventative services and intervening early when symptoms of mental health/substance abuse conditions begin to emerge as our young people are developing.”

In California, almost 300,000 youth are coping with major depression and 66% of those young people do not get treatment access in the way they should.

To combat this, the act focuses on strengthening the network of support for youth through county offices of education, and school districts throughout the state to increase care at school settings. Funding will bring more school counselors, psychologists, well-being and mindfulness programs, social and emotional learning, and support.

Community-based services known to benefit and achieve better outcomes for young people of color will also be prioritized.

Two free mental health apps have been created to increase mental health access for youth and their parents in California despite their coverage status.

The BrightLife Kids App (0-12), and Soluna App (13-25) provide free mental health support.

If you or a loved one could benefit from Medi-Cal’s services, you can access the DHS 24-hour access line to get connected to care.