Local

Celebrating 30 Years of Empowerment with our Presidential Gala, we, the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce, mark a milestone anniversary, awarding local community leaders on November 18, 2023, at the Embassy Suites Ontario, Ontario, California.

The SCBCOC proudly commemorates three decades of unwavering commitment of advocacy for economic growth for over 200,000 businesses and entrepreneurs. Established in 1993, the organization has been a driving force in fostering a vibrant and resilient business community, making significant strides in the pursuit of economic equality and social progress.

Our 30th Anniversary, Presidential Gala will be celebrated on November 18, 2023, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM, at the Embassy Suites Ontario, Ontario, California. From humble beginnings, we have grown into a formidable organization. The SCBCOC stands at the forefront of economic empowerment by fostering opportunities for businesses across the nation.

Throughout the years, with 15 chapters, SCBCOC has provided invaluable resources: mentorship programs, workshops, networking, as well as funding opportunities. Additionally, our organization has actively engaged in policy advocacy, ensuring that the voices of businesses are heard, and acknowledged at local, state, and federal levels.

“We are immensely proud to reach this milestone,” said Richard Wallace President of the SCBCOC. “Over the past three decades, we have witnessed the transformative impact of our efforts in the lives of countless entrepreneurs, fostering an environment of growth and prosperity. As we move forward, we remain committed to breaking barriers, and building a future where opportunities are boundless for every business owner. We invite all stakeholders, partners, and supporters to join us in celebrating this momentous occasion on November 18, 2023, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM, at the Embassy Suites Ontario, Ontario, California.”

To learn more about the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce and our Presidential Gala, please visit www.blackchamberofcommerce.org/30-years-of-service.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- For the first time, at the San Bernardino County Government Center, Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. hosted another successful College and Career Day. The event gathered over 200 students from the Colton Joint Unified, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, and San Bernardino City Unified, school districts.

Supervisor Baca, Jr. stated, “The significance of this event reaches far beyond today. It’s about planting seeds for our community’s future. Offering pathways for our youth to explore diverse career and educational possibilities enriches not just individual lives but fortifies our community’s backbone.”

This enriching event featured interactive workshops, panel discussions, and opportunities for direct networking, empowering students to connect with San Bernardino County Departments, San Bernardino County Fire, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s, and other professionals in their fields of interest. The initiative has seen consistent growth and serves as a valuable asset for students from Bloomington, Rialto, Colton, and San Bernardino.

“In hosting this event at the Government Center, we’re not only providing educational and career guidance but also issuing an invitation for civic participation. Our youth, in particular, are given a firsthand look at public service as a viable career path, to provide for their families” elaborated Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

The Office of Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. is committed to providing our young people with the resources necessary for them to succeed in their academic and career goals.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, Lila Brown and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

California State University student workers announced on Oct. 4 that the California Public Employment Relations Board (CPERB) has decided that they have enough support to initiate a union vote.

The process puts the student workers in the position to unionize after more than 8,500 union cards were certified by CPERB. The group filed a petition for a unionized election in April.

Many Student workers in the CSU system make low wages without benefits like sick leave, health insurance, and they are limited to weekly 20-hour shifts.

If the student workers’ effort to unionize is successful, they would be represented by the California State University Employee Union

(CSUEU). Over 20,000 student assistants across the CSU system will vote on whether to join the existing union.

CSUEU serves staff members who support the California State University’s 23 campuses as well as the Office of the Chancellor. The union represents 16,000 CSU support staff – working in six distinct bargaining units – covering the academics and operations of the CSU, including information technology, healthcare, clerical, administrative and academic support, campus operations, grounds and custodial.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, Lila Brown and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

On October 6, US District Judge Dale Fischer approved former L.A. Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas’ request to remain free while he appeals his conviction in front of the 9th Circuit of Appeals.

Mark Ridley-Thomas filed the motion on October 2.

The veteran Los Angeles politician was found guilty of seven felony counts, including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, honest services mail fraud in a quid pro quo scheme in which his son received substantial benefits from the University of Southern California (USC). On Aug. 28, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in federal prison.

Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) before her appointment wrote a letter on the behalf of Ridley-Thomas, asking for the judge for leniency in the sentencing of her “friend, mentor and community leader.”

“As you make your consideration for the next phase of this process, I only ask that you consider the totality of who and what Mr. Ridley-Thomas has been, the work he has done, and the leadership he showed so many of us in times of difficulty,” Butler wrote in a letter dated May 25, 2023.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, Lila Brown and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference is hosting its 36th State Convention Oct. 26 – 29, at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront.

This year’s NAACP CA/HI State Convention theme is “This Is How We Thrive.” The convention will bring together elected officials, activists, organizers, faith leaders, and entertainers for workshops and discussions to promote solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Black communities within California and Hawaii.

Topics on the agenda include Next-Gen Leadership, environmental justice, housing, veterans’ affairs, labor, education, and more.

“Branch members and civil rights leaders from across the state of California and Hawaii come together every year to discuss our most pressing priorities together to find solutions to the issues impacting our communities the most,” said NAACP CA/HI President Rick Callender. “We are excited to come together and thrive together in San Francisco, home to the NAACP San Francisco Branch, the first to initiate and inaugurate reparations in the state.”

Guest speakers at this year’s Convention include Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, NAACP Board of Directors and NAACP New York President; Rob Bonta, California Attorney General; Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus;  Los Angeles Attorney Kamilah Moore, chair of the California Reparations Task Force; Willie Brown, former Assembly Speaker and former San Francisco mayor; and Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward).

For tickets and more information please visit: bit.ly/3qM4kcD.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, Lila Brown and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

On October 7, Gov. Newsom’s office announced that he has signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1, legislation that permits legislative staff to unionize and collectively bargain.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus authored the bill, which was co-sponsored by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) and 41 other Members.

“@CAgovernor signed #AB1, #CALeg staff finally have the same right to form a union as all other workers,” California Labor Federation posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter after the Governor signed AB 1.

McKinnor, who is a former legislative staffer, called the bill’s passage an “incredible win” on X.

“Today is a huge victory for the nearly 2,000 legislative and district staff that have dedicated their careers to public service and have long deserved the right to be represented by a union,” said McKinnor in a statement.

“We are taking action to make sure that current and future legislative staff, regardless of their Member’s political affiliation, are afforded a safe, equitable and fair opportunity to build a noble career in public service,” added McKinnor.

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media

The California Latino Legislative Caucus (CLLC) celebrated its 50^th anniversary with a black-tie event at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles last Friday. The event was a retrospective awards ceremony, honoring the achievements of the caucus over the past five decades.

Initially known as the Chicano Legislative Caucus, the CLLC was made up of five male Latino members: Alex Garcia, Peter Chacon, Joseph Montoya, Ray Gonzales and Richard Alatorre, according to their history page. Today, under the leadership of Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), the first LGBTQ+ leader and chair of the CLLC, the caucus boasts 38 members, with a majority of 21 Latinas. Cervantes recognized the significant expansion of the caucus over the past 50 years.

“The issues that are bringing us together as Latinos are California issues, whether it’s housing insecurity and affordability, looking at just the economic disparities that exist,” said Cervantes. “These are all issues that have continued to be a priority for our caucus and issues that many of our members fight on.”

Martha Escutia, the first woman to chair the CLLC and a former member of the California senate and assembly with over 16 years in politics was featured in a short film played at the celebration. The film, narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer and star of Hamilton, traced the fifty-year history of the caucus.

Escutia considered the 1980 reapportionment which allowed for greater representation of the Latino community, as a key turning point. While she takes pride in the caucus’ accomplishments, she believes there is still more to be achieved.

“The problems are still the same: lack of housing, lack of economic sustainability for families, just even building a safety net for families,” said Escutia. “It’s still an issue that bedevils, frankly, all caucuses because I think, the Black Caucus also has the same concerns, as well as even the Asian American Asian Pacific Islander caucus.”

Hilda Solis, who is supervisor for the 1st district, Los Angeles County, was one of the first to present an award. She presented a congratulatory document from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at the red-carpet event to Cervantes and the caucus’ vice chair, California State Senator Lena Gonzalez. Solis, a former member of the California Assembly and Senate, is the first Latina to serve in a presidential cabinet as United States Secretary of Labor.

The evening’s speakers were some of the most accomplished artists, actors, politicians and public servants in the Latino community.

The Masters of Ceremonies for the event were Tony Plana, an activist, director and actor known for his role in “Ugly Betty” and Justina Mochado, an actor and producer, known for her performance in the series, “The Horrors of Delores Roach,” and “One Day at a Time.”

Xavier Becerra, the 25th Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, was the keynote speaker. His rise through the ranks of the California legislative system has been a testament to overcoming obstacles. He began his political career in the California state assembly, progressed to the U.S. House of Representatives, and then served as the 33rd Attorney General of California, before assuming his current position as the Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. He talked about how far the state, and the caucus, have come saying “so goes the caucus, so goes the state of California.”

The evening’s celebrations were not just about the caucus’s legislative achievements. The awards also acknowledged the efforts made by and for the Hispanic community. Poets Yesika Salgado and Yosimar Reyes

performed a poem that encapsulated the experiences of young Latino immigrants.

The event also featured a segment dedicated to giving back. Sixty-one students from across the state took to the stage to express their gratitude to the caucus for their support of higher education. The California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation gave $5,000 to each student who represented different regions across the state.

The evening concluded with the presentation of the Legacy Award to multiple organizations. The recipients included the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, accepted by Thomas Saenz, the United Farm Workers, received by Teresa Romero, and the California Rural Legal Assistance, accepted by Jessica Jewell.

Musical and special performances were spread throughout the show. The band Quitapenas, Jesse Garcia, and others celebrated and performed. The evening ended with a musical performance by music legend Andy Vargas and his band. Vargas is a beloved member of Santana and a giant in the Latin music scene.

According to CLLC vice chair, Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), the future of the CLLC hinges on its capacity to advance legislation and advocate for an inclusive agenda.

“We’ll continue to fight to make sure that our voices are heard along with our brothers and sisters in the Black Caucus. API caucus and LGBTQ caucus,” said Gonzalez. “It’s a collective for all of us to be a part of, and when we push together, I think we’re more unified. Looking at next year to think about how we can partner up with our other ethnic caucus’.”

By Lila Brown | California Black Media

On October 8, Gov. Newsom vetoed Assembly (AB) Bill 374.

This legislation would have allowed businesspeople to operate cannabis cafés in California, like those in Amsterdam, where non-marijuana food products can be served and consumed. This is despite the existing federal ban on the entire industry.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would have also allowed café owners to host and sell tickets to live events.

In his veto message, Newsom said he appreciates the author’s intention to support cannabis retailers, many of them struggling to make a profit. However, he is concerned that the legislation “could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.”

“Protecting the health and safety of workers is paramount. I encourage the author to address this concern in subsequent legislation,” wrote the Governor.

Responding to Newsom’s decision to return AB 374 unsigned, Haney drew parallels to California’s wine industry in a statement released Sunday.

“Californians are proud of our state’s wine culture, and we do everything we can to make sure that our winemakers receive the support they need – – we need to be doing the exact same thing for cannabis,” he wrote. “If we don’t start better supporting these businesses, we are going to lose decades of being at the forefront of the cannabis movement and other states will be ready to swoop in and take it from us.”

Throughout the legislative process the bill has attracted both praise and criticism with some applauding it for the business opportunities it presents and others expressing strong disapproval because of health concerns such as second-hand smoke.

“Lots of people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of others,” said Haney. “And many people want to do that while sipping coffee, eating a scone, or listening to music.”

For owners of cannabis product stores, AB 374 presented opportunities to scale their businesses.

Nina Parks is a co-founder of Equity Trade Network which is a non-profit collective that provides small businesses with supply chain business resources within the cannabis industry in California. She also served on the Cannabis Oversight Committee in San Francisco where she advocated for more equity as regulation was being developed. She said her cannabis lifestyle brand, Gift of Doja was set to resume hosting live, curated events that promote safe social spaces.

Parks told California Black Media (CBM) that AB 374 is a step in the right direction.

“The ability to at least have non-cannabis foods being able to be sold at dispensaries also gives dispensary owners an opportunity to put another revenue stream in their business. Being able to have non-cannabis related sales in your establishment really allows for another revenue stream for store owners. It is also an opportunity for cannabis businesses to remove the stigma and normalize consumption,” says Parks.

In cities like Los Angeles where programs are in place to help people affected by the War on Drugs, and other low-income entrepreneurs, launch cannabis-related businesses, the legislation was seen as offering hope.

LA Mayor Karen Bass is working to expand business licensing and compliance for Social Equity applicants and licensees to receive guidance from marijuana industry experts. A Social Equity Social Equity Individual Applicant is defined as an individual who fulfills at least two of the following three criteria: (1) Low-Income; (2) a prior California Cannabis Arrest or Conviction; (3) ten years’ cumulative residency in a Disproportionately Impacted Area.

While consuming cannabis on-site at cannabis retailers is technically legal in California, selling non-cannabis-infused products is not permitted. Supporters of AB 374 said the bill would have allowed cannabis retailers to diversify their operations and transition away from the limited dispensary model by selling non-cannabis-infused foods.

“It should have happened a long time ago. We let Colorado and other states go before us and California should’ve been the state to have already perfected this, says Brian Johnson, 51, an entrepreneur in Orange County.

As a shop owner and cannabis advocate, Johnson is eagerly waiting for his vision to become a reality. He blames red tape and excessively high taxes as obstacles to progress. However, like most cannabis entrepreneurs, he remains enthusiastic.

“Those who were criminalized and got their record expunged can get back to their entrepreneurial spirit,” says Johnson.

The strongest opposition to AB 374 came from advocates who argued that the legislation would erase decades of health safeguards put in place for businesses to protect employees by maintaining smoke-free work environments.

“Workers should not have to choose between their health and a good job. California has fought hard to protect workers and ensure a safe, healthy, smoke-free work environment,” the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association wrote in a letter of opposition to the legislation.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD) Sierra High School has been recognized as one of America’s Healthiest Schools.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a Clinton Foundation-funded organization that is dedicated to health and wellness in public schools. It has awarded the distinction to Sierra this week for its dedication to supporting the health and well-being of students, staff, and families. Sierra is one of 781 schools across 36 states in the U.S. honored this school year.

As a continuation high school, Sierra serves students who are behind in high school credits or who may need a flexible educational environment because they are employed or fulfilling family obligations, making it even more vital that the campus meet most of the needs of its 470 students, according to Principal Hector Murrieta.

“Being honored as one of America’s healthiest schools is a testament to our unwavering dedication to promoting the well-being of all our students,” said Murrieta. “We believe in nurturing the whole student in a customized, personal way.”

Murrieta expressed pride and gratitude for Sierra’s recognition, emphasizing that this achievement is the result of collective efforts made by teachers, staff, students, families, and the entire community.

Sierra High School prioritizes student mental and emotional well-being. The school takes a proactive approach to address mental health concerns, implementing programs that focus on stress reduction, mindfulness, and coping strategies. With help from key partners like Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, the school offers on-campus counseling services and support groups, creating a nurturing environment where the emotional well-being of students is as important as their academic success.

America’s Healthiest Schools is an annual recognition program that celebrates schools for implementing policies and practices to promote health and well-being. Sierra was recognized for demonstrating remarkable efforts to prioritize the essential health needs of its school community and exceeding best practice standards in three of the nine evaluation topics.

The three topics Sierra excelled in were:

• Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning—Supporting the social-emotional, mental, and behavioral health of students
• Improving Nutrition & Food Access—Promoting and increasing healthy eating and food access through school nutrition programs and nutrition education
• Implementing Local School Wellness Policy—Advancing health-promoting practices through implementation of the district’s wellness policy

Healthier Generation’s list of America’s Healthiest Schools remains one of the country’s longest-running, nationwide recognition programs honoring schools for achievements in supporting the whole health of students, teachers, and staff.

“This year, Healthier Generation continues to meet districts, schools, and educators where they are, recognizing it takes a considerable degree of effort to serve as a model of best practice in whole child health for students, teachers, staff, and community,” said Kathy Higgins, Chief Executive Officer at Healthier Generation. “We commend America’s Healthiest Schools for demonstrating resilience and adaptability amid challenging times for our nation’s schools.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- League of Women Voters, San Bernardino celebrated their 48th annual Citizens of Achievement and Civic Engagement Ceremony honoring community leaders and organizations on a beautiful Sunday, October 8, 2023, at the Sterling Natural Resource Center in Highland, CA.

Honorees included Francine Cepeda Blacksher in recognition for being the founder of Pacific Islander Graduate Recognition Program; Dr. Jenna Cortez-Aguirre for her work with St. Mary’s Ballet Folklorico of Redlands; Kristin Malaby for starting So Cal Trash Army clearing trash from the mountain recreation areas; Dr. Enrique Murillo, Jr., founder of Latino Education & Advocacy Days (LEAD) and appointment by President Joe Biden to the United States Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics of all age groups; Ratibu Shadidi (William “Bill” Henry Jacocks) posthumously for his community activities, civic engagement, social activism, and advocate of “Kwanzaa Consciousness;” High Desert Pearls for advocating social justice including campaigning in the high desert local schools to increase voter participation, registration, and education; Inland Empire Children’s Book Project main focus of volunteer work includes giving books to children ages 0-18 (donations and volunteers are always welcome); and Westside Action Group, unofficially known as WAG to reduce racial inequities in employment, education, government, etc. in the City of San Bernardino.

At the conclusion of the program, the League was honored with recognition from Mayor Helen Tran & Council members along with community leaders.

To make a difference in elections and public policy, consider joining the League of Women Voters at: https://my.lwv.org/california/san-bernardino-area/join-lvwsb