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By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

Join the committee for the upcoming San Bernardino MLK Day Parade and Extravaganza. The next meeting is this on Thursday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m. at 555 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino. We hope you can make it. Parade details can be located on the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce website at Blackchamberofcommerce.org.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

California’s health insurance marketplace, known as the Covered California Health Exchange, launched its 10th open enrollment period on Nov.1.

Covered California is the government agency that offers subsidized Obamacare plans for Californians. Those who qualify receive financial assistance on a sliding scale for their health coverage in compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Depending on income, some consumers may qualify for another state-provided health insurance option, Medi-Cal, at a lower or no cost.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra joined Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37), Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other Covered California leaders at Union Station in Los Angeles to kick off open enrollment

“We saw from COVID how many gaps there are in our health public health care system. First and foremost, we’ve got to get people covered. They know they have that peace of mind if they can walk into any doctor’s door, into any hospital. It gives them the confidence to do it the right way,” said Becerra. “That’s why we’re going to continue to expand. When you can offer an American health insurance plan for 10 dollars or less a month; you can’t go see a movie today, not in LA, for 10 dollars… 10 dollars or less a month for peace of mind. That’s what we’re selling.”

Since Covered California’s first open enrollment campaign in 2013, federal data shows that California’s uninsured rate fell from 17.2% to a record low of 7.0%, the greatest percentage decrease for any state in that period, and below the national average of 8.6%.

Publicly funded Certified Enrollment Counselors, or “navigators,” provide consumers with free, unbiased advice as they look for health insurance options available on the marketplace. They help complete eligibility and enrollment forms and they assist with outreach, education, and renewal support services.

“We just came out with a report that showed that in the past year, because we went out to where you were to try to get to you, especially with our navigators, we saw a rise in the number of African American enrollees by 49%. And we saw a rise in the number of Latino enrollees by 53%,” said Becerra.

Still, according to estimates from Covered California, 1 million people are uninsured and eligible to get insured with low-cost or no-cost plans.“Regardless of your income, if you need health insurance or if you’re covered directly through a health insurance company, come to Covered California to see if you can get financial help to make your insurance more affordable,” said Jessica Altman, Executive Director of Covered California. “The increased and expanded help that was extended by the Inflation Reduction Act is changing lives by helping more Californians get covered and stay covered.”

Getting and maintaining coverage is a critical first step that cannot be overstated, some health advocates say, but the healthcare system still has opportunities to better serve Black Californians. A recent California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) survey found that 90% of Black Californians have health insurance coverage, but nearly one in three reported being treated unfairly by a healthcare provider because of their race or ethnicity.

“Just because Black folks are covered, doesn’t mean they are getting quality care,” said Congresswoman Bass, a former physician’s assistant. “That has nothing to do with Covered California per se. It has to do with the inequities in the healthcare system. And having worked in the healthcare for a long time, I know that those inequities exist, and its across class.  So, when Beyoncé and Serena Williams almost lose their life after a normal childbirth, it’s indicative of problems that are related specifically to race.”

The best remedy at this time is engagement. According to the CHCF survey, two thirds of Black Californians report researching a health condition or concern before meeting with a healthcare provider to mitigate potential negative experiences, an observation Congresswoman Bass agrees with.

“The main thing that people can do is make sure that they are well educated. In other words, when you go to a doctor, don’t just leave it 100% up to the doctor, study up on what they are saying,” Bass said. “We need to have advocates inside of healthcare who are trained – sometimes there are medical social workers who do that.”

Californians can explore their options at CoveredCA.com or by calling Covered California at (800)300-1506.  They can easily find out if they qualify for financial help and see what coverage options are available.

The open enrollment period will continue until Jan. 31, 2023.

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUDA BAY, Greece—Angela Buenrostro, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is a program assistant for the Fleet & Family Support Center at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece. . Prior to joining Team Souda in January 2021, Buenrostro was a developmental specialist where she worked with children, aged newborn to 3 years old, and supervised a team of other developmental specialists. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.

What do you do at NSA Souda Bay? 

At NSA Souda Bay I am the Program Assistant for Fleet & Family Support Center. In this role I work alongside the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocate where I provide training to our Sailors and base community and assist with scheduling appointments for counseling.

Why do you feel your work is important to the mission?

Fleet & Family Support Center is essential for mission readiness to assist and meet the obligations and challenges of our Navy Sailors, families and civilians. Our services help with family readiness that may affect job satisfaction, job performance and personnel retention.

Why did you want to work at NSA Souda Bay? 

My husband and I moved to Greece when he got a job as a base firefighter. In doing so, I’ve had to put my own career on hold in support of his. When the opportunity arose, however, I wanted to challenge myself by working with a different type of community. Even though I’m not prior military I enjoy helping people, and I wanted to learn about the military lifestyle and assist in helping our active-duty military and their families with my skills.

When not at work, what are you doing? 

On my off days, I enjoy hanging out with my husband and two dogs. I have a Golden Retriever named Ollie who is obsessed with the ball and all he wants to do is play fetch. I also have a Dalmatian named Halligan, who loves to play tug-o-war. In addition, I enjoy crocheting blankets, outfits and stuffed animals. Lastly, I spend my free time exploring the island and reading books.

What is something you have enjoyed about living in Greece? 

Something I enjoy about living in Greece is the friendly culture of Crete, the nature and the amazing food the island has to offer. It is my first time living overseas and the people I have met have made me feel welcomed and part of the community.

What is something you have found interesting about Greece since living here? 

Something I have found surprising about Greece is that their language has some similarities to my Mexican culture. Certain words and pronunciations are alike. Another interesting thing is that on Sundays it is family day and most of the stores are closed to honor that.

What would you like Team Souda to know about your work?

I am the first face you will encounter when walking in to Fleet & Family Support Center and I am always willing to help in any way that I can. Everyone is welcomed to come in, we are never the wrong door. We currently a two-team crew, but we try our hardest to ensure every Team Souda member who requires our services receives the best support for mission readiness. We are located on the ground floor of Building 11 and you can also reach us at 314-266-1688. We always have our doors open for you and your family.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA—A little more than a year ago, in August 2021, 11 United States Marines, a Fleet Marine Force Navy corpsman and a United States Army soldier, and more than 90 Afghans lost their lives during a suicide bombing attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan as people tried to flee the Taliban takeover. One of the U.S. troops who lost their lives in performance of their duty was 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Merola, who grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and attended Los Osos High School. Reports of his burial stated that speakers remembered him as “larger than life, a man who was mature beyond his years” and a young man with a huge smile.

On Friday, October 28, family members, friends, and Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) gathered together to remember the young Marine’s life and celebrate passage of ACR 139 which will honor his sacrifice by renaming the Haven Avenue overcrossing on Interstate 210 in San Bernardino County in his memory. It is an overcrossing his family frequently travels.

Merola joined the Marines after graduation in 2019 although he officially committed to joining the service branch in 2018. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton. Merola was deployed in Kabul for less than two weeks before the tragic attack that took his life at the Hamid Karazai International Airport. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

On Monday, October 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the COVID-19 emergency in California will end Feb. 28, 2023

The governor’s powers to suspend constitutional laws and procedures in the event of eminent danger – authority that has been criticized as overreaching by critics – will come to an end.

The pandemic highlighted racial disparities in the health care delivery system for Black people and the lack of representation in health care occupations – considering Black people only made up about 3% of California’s active patient care physicians in 2020 despite making up roughly 6.5% of the state’s overall population.

The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) has taken a huge step toward a remedy for this issue by launching an independent, 4-year medical degree (MD) program.

This is the first and only program of its kind in a historically Black institution west of the Mississippi. It is one of four U.S. historically Black medical colleges.

CDU is in South Los Angeles. It was founded on the heels of the Watts Rebellion in the mid-60s. LA’s Black population is about 9% of its residents, totaling about 1 million people.

“Our community, and in fact the entire Western United States, has for too long been deprived of an MD program built from the ground up with diversity, equity, and inclusion fused into its very bones. No more,” said David M. Carlisle, CDU President and CEO, in an address to the campus. “It is a great honor and achievement to announce to you today that CDU will finally remedy this once and for all.”

After a turbulent couple of years, California now has a 7-day average of 562 for COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people and a 7-day average death rate of 29.

Up until recently, the Black community was more likely to suffer more severe symptoms due to COVID.

CDU – a nonprofit institution committed to cultivating future health professionals and leaders “who are dedicated to social justice and health equity” – is partnering with UCLA by educating medical students through a joint MD program.

Funds for the program came from the University’s five year, $75 million CDU Rising Campaign.

According to the Dean of CDU’s College of Medicine, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, the MD program is designed to aid underserved communities.

“The benefits of having more doctors of color in the mix are abundantly clear and supported by research. Doctors of color are more likely to practice in underserved communities, and patients of color have better health outcomes when attended to by a physician of the same ethnicity,” said Prothrow-Stith.

Prothrow-Stith noted that because the program encourages more doctor of color to practice in communities of need, it could help solve the “root cause of many inequities in healthcare” across California that were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the end of the pandemic emergency status has an expiration date, officials with California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) assure citizens that this does not mean the State will be abandoning them.

“California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has prepared us for whatever comes next. As we move into this next phase, the infrastructure and processes we’ve invested in and built up will provide us the tools to manage any ups and downs in the future,” said Secretary of CalHHS Dr. Mark Ghaly in a statement. “While the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation.”

As state officials and community members tackle these issues, they hope that the state will have the infrastructure and personnel to provide an adequate response should another public health crisis arise.

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media

There are four Black candidates running for statewide office in California. Three are contenders to win as they fight it out with their opponents in the final days of the election.

Dr. Shirley Nash Weber (D), the incumbent Secretary of State (SOS), is the front-runner in her race against Robert Bernosky (R). Weber was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in December 2020. She is California’s first Black Secretary of State and only the fifth African American to serve as a state constitutional officer in California’s 170-year history.

Since her appointment, Weber has led successful public information campaigns resulting in more Californians going to go to the polls. She conducted a tour of state schools and local communities as part of an ongoing initiative by her office. SOS is the third highest office in California and is responsible for establishing and implementing voting rules as well as the logistics of bringing the vote to a little 20 million voters.

In Weber’s race, she has a lengthy list of supporters and endorsements including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Controller Betty Yee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Attorney Gen. Rob Bonta, and Chair of the California State Board of Equalization Malia Cohen. In addition, several papers like the Los Angeles Sentinel, San Diego Voice and Viewpoint, the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union Tribune have also endorsed her candidacy.

Her opponent has a bit of a different opinion on the vote, as per his platform which lists “cleaning up” California’s voter rolls as number three on his to-do list. Many claimed that illegal immigrants were scattered throughout the voting rolls of Western states, all of which has been debunked by fact checkers like PolitiFact.

Tony Thurmond, a student of the public education system and a graduate of the foster youth system, is running for a second term as Superintendent for Public Instruction (SPI). Thurmond attributes the lag in the performance of Californian students to insufficient funding, an opinion which the teachers’ unions support.

“I’m honored to be supported by teachers. I’m in a race where I am supported by teachers and my opponent is supported by billionaires,” Thurmond said.

Although Thurmond is a favorite to retain his office, he has gotten some criticisms about how he handled public schools during the pandemic. Those angry about the school closures blame Thurmond and some studies show that children may have been held back academically by the shutdowns, particularly children of color.

Thurmond’s opponent, Lance Christensen, works for a California Policy Center, a right-leaning think tank. Christensen’s push for more control for parents and local communities is in line with Republican policies. SPI is a non-partisan elected position.

Christensen has called out teachers for “indoctrinating” children and has endorsed many right-wing views. “I’m a religious person, I’m a conservative, I don’t make any bones about that,” he said. “I don’t try to excuse it. I don’t hide it.”

Thurmond says that he wants to invest more in education, at least an amount that is commensurate with California’s standing as the fifth wealthiest economy in the world. His opponent is focused on removing bad teachers and giving parents more control.

Although Thurmond is the favorite and garnered a larger share of the vote during the June primary, Christensen appeals to some parents and his right-leaning language about school choice could make Thurmond’s race more difficult in some conservative areas.

The race for state controller is a bit more complicated. The previous occupant of the position, Betty Yee, a Democrat has termed out of her position. Malia Cohen is the Democratic choice to replace Yee. Cohen has dedicated her career in public service focused on making public dollars work for all Californians, her campaign says.

Her opponent Lanhee Chen (R) is a self-described “conservative in the vein of Mitt Romney.”

In the primary, Cohen placed second, behind Republican Yee, 36.9% to 26.8%. However, the electorate favors Cohen in November. 46.8% of voters are registered Democrats while just 23.9 % of voters are registered Republican.The LA Times refers to this as the only open race this year.

Chen has been an aggressive underdog in the race attacking Cohen on several issues. To date, Cohen has yet to directly debate Chen, who taunted her on Twitter with images of herself, alone, on the debate stage.

Angela Underwood Jacobs is vying to be the first Black woman to serve as Lt. Gov of California.  She is a Republican.

Underwood’s experience includes service as deputy mayor of Lancaster where she was the first Black woman on the city council. Jacobs received 19.9% of the vote in the primaries, a distant second to incumbent Eleni Kounalakis’ 52.7%. Her platform includes many of the conventional Republican issues like smaller government and less regulation, but there are also some differences.

Her brother Dave Patrick Underwood, a federal security officer in Oakland, was shot and killed by a member of a far-right extremist group called the Bugaloo Bois — some members of the organization reportedly participated in the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Jacobs sued Facebook for promoting and facilitating the activities of these types of groups.

Jacobs’ “Make California Gold Again” motto, is emblematic of her mildly Trumpian platform.

INDIO, CA— California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday joined Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and officials from College of the Desert and FIND Food Bank for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Indio campus student food pantry and a check presentation to College of the Desert for the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program.

“Meeting community needs through the invaluable service of #CaliforniansForAll College Corps Fellows, who are earning scholarships to help pay for school, is a win for all of us,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “We are thrilled to see the benefits of this program already coming to life.”

The #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program is a new opportunity for thousands of California college students to serve their communities in critical issue areas such as climate action, education, and food insecurity.

“College of the Desert is doing an excellent job engaging students, expanding partnerships, and being at the forefront of innovative opportunities to provide financial support for students. We are grateful to California Volunteers, the Office of the Governor and the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps for this $1.8 million investment in our Coachella Valley,” said Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia. “Together with local partners, this program will build a new generation of young leaders willing to step up and serve the community, alleviate food insecurity, and help make the dream of a college education more attainable for our students.”

Fellows in College Corps at College of the Desert will work with community leaders to address food insecurities in the Coachella Valley while achieving their college goals.

“Food insecurities are a real problem for many college students. College of the Desert is grateful to collaborate with community partners to help students struggling with food insecurity on a local level. Students participating in the program will also learn skills that relate to the working world.” said Dr. Martha Garcia, College of the Desert Superintendent/President.

Students who complete a year of service will be eligible to receive up to $10,000. College of the Desert’s year-long service opportunity will be with FIND Food Bank. Fellows will learn about the efforts to address food insecurity in the Coachella Valley as well as take part in direct service activities.

“This program is an opportunity to engage students with the issues affecting our community that also teaches transferrable leadership skills from working in warehouse logistics, retail, and programmatic development,” said Debbie Espinosa, Food Bank President & CEO.

“Food insecurity impacts college students too. By having this pathway to lessen the burden of student debt while giving a platform for students to share their voices and address local problems, we’re cultivating our future leaders to make a lifetime of impact.”

Students can learn more by visiting www.cacollegecorps.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble will be performing This Sunday, November 6th at 2 p.m. at San Bernardino Valley College North Hall.

Themed “INNOVATE”, the repertoire will include Fanfare to the Stars by Chandler Wilson, a transcription of African Dance by our own Dr. Nicholas Bratcher and Kevin Day, and Southern Hymn by Sam Hazo, among other works.

Now in its second season, the ensemble is an auditioned group of students ages 14-21 from schools throughout the Inland Empire. The San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble is conducted by Dr. Nicholas Bratcher, associate professor, and director of bands at California State University, San Bernardino.

The San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble is a music education initiative from the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra providing a nurturing and creative environment where young musicians can grow musically and holistically through performance spotlighting the work of traditionally underrepresented composers.

The event will be held on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College in the North Hall.

For more information about the San Bernardino Symphony’s music education programs, including the Youth Wind Ensemble, please visit the Symphony website at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org. Tickets are $10 per person and may be purchased at the door

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Thousands of students participated in the annual Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) conference, referred to this year as STEPCon22.

This conference focused on exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) with various exhibits that sparked students’ interest.

“STEM-based education provides our students with connections to grasp difficult concepts,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “STEPCon22 is giving students the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning with real-world applications that will strengthen our region’s workforce for the future.”

This annual event is designed to ignite student interest in STEM related career fields.

Through this conference, students became familiar with how STEM can be leveraged in careers such as first responders, law enforcement, military, engineering, manufacturing, environmental and healthcare sectors.

“There are not a lot of women in the STEM area,” said Nia Hoghs, a Yucaipa High School student. “I think it would make a big impact on people if we can get more women in this field because then they will see if she can do it, then maybe I can, too.”

Students had the opportunity to engage with college educators and industry professionals one-on-one. They also participated in hands-on science experiments, interactive technology exhibits, presentations, breakout discussions and a science showcase.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

The California Hawaii Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hosted elected officials, activists, organizers, faith leaders, and entertainers at its 35th Annual State Convention held in Los Angeles from Oct. 21 through Oct. 23.

Workshops and discussions were held that covered pressing issues confronting African American and other communities of color in California and Hawaii.

Activities included “Stop the Hate” and discrimination training, a Health Forum, a Reparations Townhall, an economic development panel discussion, workshops for youth and college-aged members, an environmental justice workshop and the Annual Gwen Moore Utilities Workshop.

The convention highlight was a fireside chat featuring Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin, NAACP California Hawaii President Rick Callender Esq., and the Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University Los Angeles, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, on Saturday night.

For the last two weeks, the LA city council has been embroiled in a scandal centered around the release of a recorded conversation involving former City Council President, Nury Martinez, and City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo and former LA County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera made disparaging comments about several groups including Blacks, Mexicans, LGPTQIA+, as well as several individuals, including Bonin, who is White, and his adopted son Jacob, who is Black

“The attitude that they had of contempt and racism did not surprise me,” Bonin said.  “This was about the three of them holding power…They said, because I voted with Marqueece [Harris-Dawson], Curren [Price Jr.] and my other colleagues, I was the fourth Black member… They went after the organization that Karen Bass founded, The Community Coalition, which is based on a Black-Brown coalition. They went after KIWA, the Korean Immigrant Worker Association, which is based on multiracial collaboration. They were against the idea of people working together, their whole thing was about divide. Their whole thing was for them to win. Somebody else had to lose.”

Martinez and Herrera resigned within days after the meeting tape was leaked, but despite public outrage and pressure from across the political spectrum, including Pres. Joe Biden, Cedillo and De León are refusing to step down.

“One of the things that I think we should be actually calling for is the official censure of these offending council members, and we need to take away their pay,” said Callender.  “If they want to sit there, if they want to do something, they should do it without receiving any money… They refused to resign, refused to pay them… They took Mark Ridley-Thomas’ pay the exact same way.”

“We’re literally looking at every possible thing,” said Bonin. “There is no one on the council who wants them there.”

The President awards dinner honored the activism and achievements of high preforming members and NAACP branches. Honorees included D’Adrea Davie of Stockton, a real estate agent and advocate for building generational wealth, and Yusef Miller of San Diego, a leader of Racial Justice Coalition. Jeanette Ellis-Royston of Pomona, an appointee of the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, was also honored for her volunteer work. The Butte County, Hayward and San Francisco NAACP branches were honored for their advocacy and programming.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump gave the keynote address at a youth-focuseddinner Friday night. Crump has a national reputation as an advocate for social justice and is known for his representation of clients like the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Jacob Blake, and Daunte Wright. The Rev. Al Sharpton calls him “Black America’s Attorney General.”

The NAACP was founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country. The NAACP is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. There are over 2,200 units and branches across the nation with over 2 million activists. Its mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

More information about the NAACP California State Conference is available at www.CAHINAACP.org.