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By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The legacy of Black firefighters in California is built on stories of bravery and perseverance in the face of social and legalized discrimination.

As Black History Month comes to a close, California Black Media (CBM) honors the courage and service of Black firefighters in the state who were pioneers and torchbearers for future generations.

Sam Haskins became California’s first documented Black firefighter in 1892. Born a slave in Virginia, he migrated to Los Angeles around 1880, seeking a better life for his family. Haskins worked as a “Call Fireman,” filling in for sick or injured firefighters. Well-liked throughout the city, Haskins tragically lost his life in an accident in route to a distress call.

To honor his service, Councilman James Ashman directed the Fire Commission to organize an engine company of all Black men. This paved the way for Lieutenant George W. Bright to become the first Black member of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1897.

Arnett Hartsfield also played a key role in the history of Black firefighters in California. After serving in the army, he joined the LAFD in the 1940s while earning degrees from both USC and UCLA. Despite his qualifications, Hartsfield was denied promotions and forced to work in segregated firehouses. At the time, Black firefighters could only be promoted within the city’s two African American fire companies, with opportunities opening only when someone left a position.

To challenge these injustices, Hartsfield and 30 others formed the Stentorians, a fraternal organization for Black firefighters, to fight for desegregation. With the legal precedent set by Brown v. Board of Education, they successfully integrated the department. Hartsfield later retired to become an attorney and professor of Black Studies at Cal State Long Beach, also serving as historian for the African American Firefighter Museum, founded in 1997.

Retired Captain Brent Burton, a former Stentorian president, credits Hartsfield’s mentorship as instrumental in his decision to become a firefighter in the 1980s.

“I went down to his house, I’m 16, and he invites me in. He has a slide carousel going in his living room against the wall and he’s showing me all these old images of the Black firemen at the turn of the century, the early 20s and 30s. And I’m looking at this like, wow,” said Burton.  “So, my mind was just totally open and that’s when I fell in love with the history. I hung out with Mr. Hartsfield for 32 years before he passed away.”

Burton’s passion for the service helped him ascend quickly to the rank of Captain within the LAFD by age 28. However, he still faced racial prejudice from White colleagues.

“As a probationary firefighter, you know, going places and these guys are straight out saying, ‘you know, my son can’t get on the job because we’re hiring all these minorities.’ And I said, he must be talking about me,” Burton remembered.

During his 10-year presidency of the Stentorians, Burton helped report and fight cases of discrimination within the department.

“I remember all the cases that we would help guys with. Letters we would write. Meetings with the fire chief. Bringing up racial incidents. And then, of course, the hiring,” he said.  “There has always been problems hiring. It seems like our best people don’t get hired.”

Captain Robert Hawkins, the current Stentorian president with 22 years in the LAFD, has seen firsthand the discrimination Black firefighters still face.

“You hear things like low representation of Black firefighters, the racial treatment that they endured. Although it was horrific back then, we still have a lot of the systems involved that are meant to hold us back. A lot of the racial slurs that are being said in the fire service and low representation of Black firefighters,” Hawkins stated.

Despite the numerous accounts of racial discrimination within the LAFD, there have been two African American fire chiefs. Millage Peaks was appointed the first African American Fire Chief in 2009 and Brian Cummings followed Chief Peaks’ 2011.  In 2011, Daryl Osby was appointed as the Fire Chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, marking the first time an African American held this position in the department’s history.

“I find it interesting that, in 1954, they used terms describing Black firefighters as having a retention problem, being unsafe for themselves and for the fire companies. And we hear those same things today when describing our new firefighters,” he continued.

Hawkins believes that understanding the rich history of Black firefighters who excelled and fought injustice will help current servicemen achieve equality. Despite ongoing challenges, he remains proud of his profession and hopeful for the future.

“I’ve tried to work, in my same community, to serve the people that look like me and don’t look like me, to make sure I could treat everybody as if they were millionaires despite their living circumstance. Whether they are homeless or living in a $10 million mansion. That’s the greatest joy I get. Especially when I can see a young person that looks like me, that looks at this profession and is inspired to do the same thing,” Hawkins said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA — The City of San Bernardino in partnership with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) have begun an $9.8 million project that will relieve congestion and improve traffic safety at the 210 Freeway and Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino.

Waterman Avenue is a key mobility corridor in San Bernardino, and it serves as an important access point to communities in the San Bernardino Mountains. Increased traffic volumes at the 210 Freeway exit have resulted in heavy congestion and backups for motorists.

The project will add a second left turn lane in each direction of Waterman Avenue and expand the eastbound on-ramp to the 210 freeway from one to two lanes.

“The 210 Freeway – Waterman Avenue Interchange Project represents progress and opportunity for San Bernardino,” said San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran, who represents the City on the SBCTA Board. “By improving traffic efficiency, enhancing safety, and supporting economic development, this project is a vital step toward creating a more accessible and thriving city.”

During construction, Waterman Avenue will remain open at all times. However, there will be periodic lane closures to accommodate work on the improvements. Occasional closures will also be required on the eastbound on-ramp to the 210 Freeway, with planned detours routing drivers to Del Rosa Avenue.

The project, which started in mid-January, is expected to be completed in November 2025. $7.9 million from the voter approved Measure I and $1.9 from the City of San Bernardino are funding the $9.8 million project.

For more information, please visit https://www.gosbcta.com/project/sr-210- waterman avenue/contact  or  contact  SBCTA  at  877-55-SBCTA  or info@goSBCTA.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The City of San Bernardino is moving forward with the process to select its next city manager, starting with the appointment of former Brea City Manager William “Bill” Gallardo to the post of interim City Manager.

In a special meeting held on Friday, February 21, the Mayor and Council unanimously approved a resolution appointing Gallardo, who resides in San Bernardino, to serve in the post while they conduct a recruitment to fill the permanent position.

“Bringing Bill Gallardo on board will ensure a smooth transition while the Council and I take the next steps to find our next City Manager,” said Mayor Helen Tran.

Gallardo is expected to assume his new role next week. As a recently retired employee under the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS), Gallardo must receive approval from the retirement system before working for another Cal Pers agency.

Current Acting City Manager Tanya Romo will return to the role of Deputy City Manager. when CalPERS approves Gallardo’s return to work.

“I am honored and excited to take on the role of Interim City Manager,” said Gallardo. “I will work diligently to become a valuable resource for the Mayor, City Council and staff and, just as importantly, maintain crucial relationships between City Hall, the community, and agency partners during this time of transition as we search for a permanent city manager.”

Bill Gallardo retired in December 2024 after a 35-year career with the City of Brea, including serving as City Manager since 2015. Gallardo also held the positions of Assistant City Manager/Administrative Services Director, Finance Manager,  and Revenue Manager for the Orange County city.

He holds a degree in business from Cal Poly Pomona.

The San Bernardino Mayor and City Council have also announced that they have retained the executive search firm Ralph Anderson to assist them in the recruitment process for their next City Manager.

The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation (BMCF) is proud to announce the opening of its annual scholarship application for current and former foster youth in Los Angeles. With awards ranging from $450 to $3,000, the scholarship offers financial support for higher education or vocational training.

Studies show that only 3–4% of foster youth earn a four-year college degree, and students of color face additional systemic barriers that make accessing higher education even more difficult. Dr. Cynthia Hudley, chair of the BMCF Scholarship Committee, emphasized the importance of expanding scholarship aid to help these individuals harness the transformative power of education.

“For foster youth, education is more than a degree or certificate—it’s a path to healing, empowerment, and breaking cycles of hardship,” she said. “Although foster youth often feel defined or restrained by their past, our scholarship is designed to propel them beyond those narratives.”

Named in honor of Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who became one of LAs first Black entrepreneurs and philanthropists, the BMCF is deeply committed to elevating LA’s foster care community. This scholarship upholds that mission by investing in those who have faced significant adversity so they can build lasting legacies of their own.

Applications are open now through May 16, 2025 at biddymason.com/scholarships. For more information on applying or to make a gift to the scholarship fund, contact BMCF at scholarshipinfo@biddymason.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – San Bernardino Police Department arrested 2 drivers on suspicion of DUI while conducting DUI patrols on February 15, 2025. 77 drivers were cited, and 17 were arrested for driving with no license or a suspended license. 9 were arrested for other crimes.

“We are committed to taking impaired drivers off the road,” Sergeant Siems said. “Driving under the influence is not only dangerous, but also has major consequences.”

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

San Bernardino Police Department will be holding a series of DUI enforcement patrols throughout the year to keep our roadways safe.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Inland Empire Waterkeeper, a nonprofit protecting local water quality, will guide over 50 students, alumni, faculty, and staff from CSU San Bernardino on a trash cleanup in honor of Coyote Cares Day, the university’s annual community service event. The goal of the cleanup is to remove debris and pollution from Rutland Park, Hole Lake, and the Santa Ana River Trail to restore the health of the Santa Ana River watershed. The City of Riverside will assist Waterkeeper in hosting the event.

Schedule:
9:00 – Volunteers check in at Rutland Park
9:30 – Waterkeeper staff provides environmental lesson and safety information
9:45 – Attendees are split into 3 groups and sent to 3 cleanup locations
11:30 – Weigh-in of collected trash begins
11:45 – Volunteers return to Rutland Park
12:00 – Final trash weight reveal and closing remarks

WHERE: Rutland Park – 7000 Rutland Ave, Riverside, CA 92503

By Bo Tefu | California Black Media 

Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) and a coalition of California Senators have unveiled the Golden State Commitment, a sweeping legislative package designed to strengthen California’s wildfire response and improve recovery efforts.

The package addresses wildfire prevention, recovery, and insurance issues, aiming to make communities safer from future wildfires.

Following the recent firestorms in Los Angeles County, the Senate has introduced 13 bills aimed at accelerating wildfire recovery and enhancing fire resilience statewide. Key measures include speeding up residential rebuilds, providing property tax relief, protecting consumers from price gouging, and expanding insurance protections for homeowners, tenants, and small businesses. The plan also includes support for rebuilding health facilities and school districts affected by wildfires.

In addition to recovery efforts, the Golden State Commitment focuses on long-term fire prevention. Notable provisions include transitioning 3,000 CAL FIRE seasonal workers to permanent positions, establishing a community hardening insurance commission and implementing stricter fire-safety regulations for landscaping and construction in high-risk areas.

McGuire emphasized the urgency of addressing the year-round fire season.

 “These bills are essential to helping communities stabilize in the aftermath of a wildfire and ensuring California is more fire-ready and resilient for decades to come,” said McGuire.

Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) highlighted tax relief measures for fire victims, while Sen. Angelique Ashby (D- Sacramento) pushed for protections against fraudulent contractors preying on disaster victims. Other provisions focus on criminal penalties for looting and ensuring defensible space around properties.

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

California Republican leaders are pushing back against state and local initiatives across the Golden State aimed at preventing Californians from buying or installing gas appliances in their homes.

On February 10, they asked the administration of President Donald Trump to intervene.

In a letter, the 28 Republican members of the State Assembly and State Senate urged U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Christopher Wright to evaluate the policies and stop gas appliance restrictions wherever possible.

“As executive orders issued by the new Trump/Vance administration recognize, America’s prosperity and national security depend on an affordable, reliable, and sufficient energy supply,” the letter reads. “Recent efforts to restrict natural gas use limit consumer choice and deny vulnerable communities access to an affordable and reliable energy source. Such efforts have created a difficult-to-navigate patchwork of local rules and impose costs on consumers, manufacturers, workers, and businesses, contributing to California’s affordability crisis.”

In a statement Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said energy policies initiated by Democrats are hurting family budgets and escalating the state’s cost-of-living crisis.

“Working Californians already face some of the highest electric rates in the country – they can’t afford to have out-of-touch bureaucrats ban more affordable energy sources,” Gallagher said. “If California’s leaders won’t stand up for consumers, the federal government should.”

There has been an ongoing effort to decrease the use of natural gas appliances in California in recent years to improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board approved a plan three years ago requiring homes and businesses to transition to zero-emission alternatives like electric heat pumps instead of gas-powered water and space heaters by 2023.

According to the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group focused on eliminating fossil fuels in buildings to improve health and make communities more resilient to the climate change, 74 California jurisdictions have policies that seek to end the use of natural gas in new buildings.

However, many of these efforts are facing resistance and legal challenges from homebuilders, restaurants, and the gas industry.

The National Association of Home Builders and other housing groups and businesses filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in December against the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s ban on certain gas appliances.

The lawsuit came seven months after the city of Berkeley agreed to roll back a landmark climate rule that would have prohibited natural gas hookups in new homes. The 2019 gas ban was challenged by the California Restaurant Association and struck down in 2023 by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In the letter, Republicans said the gas bans and all-electric mandates have a negative impact because the state’s electricity rates are 92% higher than the national average and natural gas prices are 30% higher.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-Santee) called the energy policies “government overreach” and said Californians don’t need to be dictated to regarding what appliances they can purchase.

“Electricity rates in California are the highest in the nation, and we barely have enough supply to keep the lights on,” he said. “Now, Democrats want to push consumers away from the only more affordable alternative.”

Jones, who represents most of inland San Diego County, told California Black Media (CBM) in an email that the cities of San Diego and Encinitas have passed natural gas bans. He hopes the U.S. Department of Energy will “step in where appropriate and overturn these overreaching policies.”

“The new administration has committed to recognizing that America’s prosperity and national security depend on an affordable, reliable, and sufficient energy supply,” he said. “That starts with ensuring all energy options remain available to consumers.”

Last month, in Grand Terrace, a city in San Bernardino County, over 100 residents in a senior living facility were left in the dark for nine days when Southern California Edison implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff.

Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), whose district includes Grand Terrace, said the power outage made it clear that Californians need energy options.

“Families relying solely on electric heating face severe hardships. Until the state strengthens its power grid, eliminating natural gas appliances is both irresponsible and out of touch with the needs of everyday people,” she said.

Republican legislators wrote in the five-page letter that gas bans hurt economic development and that a variety of domestic energy is needed to avoid dependence on foreign energy sources and to protect against vulnerabilities.

The efforts to reduce or eliminate natural gas use have taken several forms and raise legal and political concerns, the GOP lawmakers added.

After listing some of the anti-natural gas efforts, Republicans asked the Department of Energy to legally challenge any California authority that violates the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, which establishes nationally uniform energy conservation standards for many commercial and residential appliances. They said the department should query the lawfulness of the initiatives in the wake of the California Restaurant Association’s win in Berkeley’s recent Supreme Court rulings — such as the overruling of the Chevron deference — and the Trump administration’s executive orders.

At press time, Jim Stanley, a spokesperson for Gallagher, said the California Republicans had not yet received a response from the Department of Energy.

“We’ve seen in recent years that California has enough trouble as it is keeping the lights on in the summer,” he said. “Forcing people to go all electric would be a challenge and strain the grid. Its economics and it is choice. If someone decides electric is the way to go for them, they are certainly welcome to. But we don’t want to mandate that.”

Ever heard the saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” That’s why the Department of Waste Resources created the Found It Again Reuse Store! Many items that come to the landfill are unwanted but still useful to resourceful residents. Creative staff had a great idea – to save good, working, and valuable items from the waste stream and make them available for purchase at a bargain rate. Come see for yourself this Saturday, Feb. 22 at Lamb Canyon Landfill (Beaumont) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

While inventory varies from month to month, you may find bicycles, tools, lawn equipment, exercise machines, and other household goods. You get a great price, and we preserve valuable landfill space for future generations.

The Found It Again Reuse Store is open every last non-holiday Saturday of the month, with December closed. Purchases can only be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover accepted). Cash is not accepted. The store is located at Lamb Canyon Landfill (16411 Lamb Canyon Road).

All shoppers must:

• Check in and out at the Gate Fee Booth/Scale House before entering the landfill.
• Wear a high-visibility safety vest and closed-toe shoes while visiting the landfill.
• Load any materials purchased at the Found It Again Reuse Store.
• Secure or cover their load in a manner which will prevent items from falling, spilling, or blowing out while the vehicle is in motion.
• Supervise their children.
• Note: All prices are non-negotiable, and items in dispute between shoppers will not be sold.

For more information, visit https://rcwaste.org/found-it-again-reuse-store or contact the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources at 951-486-3200.

The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship is honored to empower Active-Duty Service Members, Veterans, and Military Spouses through our FREE Veterans Entrepreneurship Program!

Ready to launch or grow your business? Join us for an action-packed 5-month program featuring hands-on training, dynamic peer workshops, and expert consulting—all tailored to your success!

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Location: Greater Riverside Chamber – 3985 University Ave

Fully funded by Riverside County Economic Development

Phase One

MARCH 15 – APRIL 5, 2025

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Week 1: Laying the Groundwork

Week 2: One-on-one Consulting

Week 3: Customer Discovery

Week 4: One-on-one Consulting

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