WSSN Stories

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

In November, former California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty was elected Mayor of Sacramento.

He was sworn into this new role on December 10.

Before becoming Mayor, McCarty represented the 6th Assembly District for 10 years. This district includes most of Sacramento and parts of Sacramento County.

During his time in the Assembly, McCarty authored over 90 measures that became law including the Universal Preschool Act, the American River Parkway Conservancy Act, Independent Investigations in Police Shootings, among others.

McCarty and his wife Leticia have twin daughters, Victoria and Barbara.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with McCarty as he concludes his term in the Legislature to reflect on his accomplishments this year as he enters his new role as Mayor.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

I had a bill that was an urgency measure that was signed in June. It creates a new class for high school students to learn about financial literacy; to learn about dollars and cents and what it means to be a young person today as far as credit cards, student debt, buying a house and all the things that

come that come with being an adult. I’m excited that my bill became law.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

Black Californians are certainly a part of my legislative agenda. My Assembly district was very similar to California, way less than 10% Black population. But the issue is that education and health care and housing and poverty loom large — how they impact Black Californians.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

We are in a downturn in our economy with our state budget. So, I wasn’t able to score some final victories on some of my top priorities like the middle-class scholarship to make college debt-free.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

There’s so much work to be done and this was my final year in the Legislature. So, looking at all of our successes and trying to be able to make a difference and help change people’s lives throughout California.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

It takes time. This work is not easy. Look at this firestorm we’re in right now about reparations and what we did and didn’t do. This work is not easy. If it was easy, we would have done it a long time ago.

But it’s our job to continue to fight, push forward and keep at it.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Patience.

You know, we want some of these reparations policies to happen now. So, it’s hard to be patient. We want to see change now and so we just have to keep plugging along.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I won the race for Mayor here in my hometown, Sacramento.

So, I will continue work in public service, serving people and making a difference in people’s lives. Just a different vantage point being a Mayor versus an Assemblymember. But it’s always the same thing. It’s helping people, public service, making a difference, and remembering those who don’t always have government on their side.

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

Blessed, to see a New Year– 2025.

Oh, bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. [Psalm 103:1-5]. [2 Corinthians 9:15].

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is [his] faithfulness. [Lamentations 3:22-23].

Lord, I just wanna praise you forever and ever for all you’ve done for me Lord. Blessings and glory and honor they all belong to you. Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me. [ I Just Want to Praise You – Maurette Brown Clark].

I tell you; Grace gives us a lot to celebrate! It is a gift from God! It changes everything! Grace makes all things new! So, as you step into this New Year, know that God is inviting you to experience His renewal. Release the burdens of the past and walk forward with hope, knowing that His plans are good, and His mercies are new every morning. Let this year be one of transformation, renewal, and abundant faith in the God who makes all things new. Receive the new things He wants to do in your life this year. For as [Ecclesiastes 3:1] says: To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

The old year ends, a new begins with pages clean and new; and what is written on each page will now depend on you. You can’t relive the year that’s past, erasing every wrong; For once a year – or day – is spent, it is forever gone. But don’t give up in dark despair if you have failed some test; Seek God’s forgiveness and resolve henceforth to do your best. Resolve each precious day to do things good and kind and pure; though days and years may pass away, these things shall still endure. You know not where your path may lead nor what’s beyond the hill. But know that God walks at your side, if you will do His will. All things are possible with God, though days be bright or dim; so, do your best and know that you can leave the rest to Him. [Author Unknown].

Give this whole year to God, let God set the agenda, let God decide what you need to do and when to do it, where you need to be, who you need to talk to, and what to say. For the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. [Psalm 37:23]. For Jesus declares in [Jeremiah 29:11] – I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. [Psalms 32:8]. Commit your way to Me; trust Me and I will do this. [Psalm 37:5; Proverbs 16:3; Proverbs 16:9; Matthew 6:33]. Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” [Revelation 21:5].

O Lord, the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee. [Andrae Crouch – To God Be The Glory].

Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!  The chance to wake up to a new day, a new year.

Thank you, Lord, for your love, grace, and mercy. Into Your hands, O Lord, I commit this New Year to you. I surrender all to you Lord, my plans, dreams, possessions, relationships, everything, even my life itself. [Matthew 6:24-25]. I surrender it all to your plans and purposes. [Proverbs 16:3]. Total surrender Lord, letting go of my wants, rights, and expectations and fully embracing Your perfect plan for my life. Laying it all down at the feet of the One who gave it all for me. Knowing that your plans for my life are much better than anything I could come up with myself. [Isaiah 55: 9]. Father, not my will, but Yours be done. [Luke 22:42].

I give myself away. Here I am, here I stand Lord, my life is in your hands Lord, I’m longing to see Your desires revealed in me. I give myself away. Take my heart, take my life as a living sacrifice. All my dreams, all my plans Lord, I place them in your hands. [I Give Myself Away – William McDowell Lyrics].

May the Lord bless?you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. [Numbers 6:24-26].

Happy New Year!

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Former California Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer represented the 57^th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, and downtown Los Angeles, including Skid Row.

Elected to the State Legislature in 2012, Jones-Sawyer served for 14 years, earning a reputation for being a progressive reformer and champion of second chances.

Jones-Sawyer focused on reforming judicial, criminal justice, and police policies to ensure greater public safety and equal treatment under the law. His P.E.A.C.E. Act (AB 89) transformed the recruiting process for law enforcement by raising the age limit to 21 and introducing new college curriculum requirements for cadets.

He also worked to improve living standards for socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Jones-Sawyer as he concluded his term. He reflected on his accomplishments this year and shared his goals moving forward.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

The things we did on reparations because it is the beginning of reversing the river of racism that’s been permeating our community. And if we’re successful at over 100 recommendations, we will have generational success that will go well beyond what people are expecting now and into the lives of your children, your grandchildren, your great-great-grandchildren, and so forth. I think the first step is the apology — the letter that formally says that California is extremely sorry for what they did and how they were complicit in perpetuating a lot of the same policies and procedures that were perpetrated against African Americans in slave states, even though we were officially not a slave state, we still apprehended escaped slaves.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

Since I first got to the Assembly, I’ve always worked on public safety issues. And this year it’s really been the fruition of all that I worked on. When I got elected, I told my staff: before I leave the Assembly, marijuana would be legal, and we would close a prison. Right now, we’re closing three prisons. And as you know, I worked on making sure that cannabis was legal here in California, because it was being used to lock up African Americans.

We had 136,000 brothers and sisters locked up in our prison system. That number is now down to 96,000.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

This thing called fear. Fear is probably the most powerful emotion that’s out there. And so there are people who would like to have us go back to those days of three strikes, go back to the days where punishment was more important than rehabilitation, go back to the days where we didn’t have second chances. And a lot of this. It’s because of fear.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

The number of people who have the courage of their convictions. The courage to stand up against all of these individuals who want to turn us back.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Stay true to who you really are. Don’t try to be someone else to appease others and do what other people want you to do even though that is not where your heart is, where your soul is, or who you really are. Not only does that create stress, not only does that create problems for you, you lose your soul.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Complacency.

We’ve got to get out and vote like our lives depended on it – vote like, people who fought for us to vote for the first time, we got to look at it like it’s not a right and a privilege, but it’s our legacy, our heritage.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I have legislative and administrative expertise, which I think could be helpful for some organizations, some governmental agency. I’m also in the doctoral program at USC. And so, I think Dr. Jones-Sawyer really would like to use all his skill sets for African Americans, and not have to worry about the confines of being an elected official and really be able to do things that I couldn’t do.

NATIONWIDE — Actor Geoffrey Owens, known for The Cosby Show, recently opened up about the ongoing challenges he faces as a working actor, despite receiving support and landing new roles. Owens gained media attention in 2018 after photos of him working at Trader Joe’s went viral.

In a recent interview on V-103 Atlanta’s Big Tigger Morning Show, Owens shared, “Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make my ends meet.”

Despite being seen in popular shows like CBS’s Poppa’s House and films like Mr. Santa, Owens said that people often misunderstand how actors earn a living.

“People have a false impression of what the average what I call ‘middle-class actor’ makes and their ability to make a living in the industry,” he said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average hourly wage for actors is $41, with a median of $20, according to Today.

After his Trader Joe’s photos went viral, Owens had to quit the job due to privacy concerns. He recalled, “For two weeks or more, I was like one of the most famous people in the world. Everywhere I went, people recognized me.”

This newfound fame led to new opportunities, including a role in Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots and appearances in shows like Power Book II: Ghost and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Owens also received support from celebrities, including a $25,000 gift from Nicki Minaj, which he chose to donate at the time.

Despite these opportunities, Owens emphasized the continuing challenge of sustaining a career in acting. He remains grateful for the support and opportunities that have come his way.

NATIONWIDE — Richard Parsons, the former CEO of Time Warner and Chairman of Citigroup, has died at the age of 76 at his Manhattan home, following a long battle with multiple myeloma. Parsons was a highly respected African American business leader known for guiding major companies through turbulent times.

“Dick was the leader to whom other leaders turned for advice and a steady, sure set of hands during their most consequential moments,” Lazard said in a statement, according to CBS News.

Throughout his career, Parsons held significant roles. At Time Warner, he stabilized the company and restored its reputation after its troubled merger with AOL. As Citigroup’s chairman in 2009, he helped the bank recover from the subprime mortgage crisis, steering it back to profitability.

Parsons, a Brooklyn native, began college at 16 and later earned a law degree. He played basketball at the University of Hawaii and worked for political leaders like Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford.

In 2014, Parsons briefly served as interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers. He also held board positions at Estée Lauder, the Smithsonian, and the Apollo Theater. Beyond his corporate achievements, Parsons, who is a passionate jazz enthusiast, co-owned a Harlem jazz club and supported cultural institutions throughout his life.

“Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Parsons was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and had to reduce his work commitments in recent years due to health complications. Parsons retired from several high-profile roles, including his positions at Lazard and Estée Lauder, in December 2023.

Parsons is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family.

NATIONWIDE—- Denzel Washington was recently baptized in a ceremony at a New York church a few days before he turns 70 years old. He was also granted a minister’s license, allowing him to officiate at religious services and pursue ordination in the future.

The Oscar-winning actor, currently starring in Gladiator II, was baptized on Saturday at Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, according to EURweb. The service, streamed on Facebook, showed Washington in a white robe being immersed in the church’s ritual pool, where he received his baptism certificate.

Washington’s early life was shaped by his strong Christian upbringing, with his father serving as a Pentecostal minister. Though he attended church as a child, Washington’s personal faith grew later in life. He now attends the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.

Washington called the baptism his “greatest accomplishment,” and shared an emotional message about faith during the service.

“It took a while, but I’m finally here… If [God] can do this for me, there’s nothing He can’t do for you. The sky literally is the limit,” Washington said.

Meanwhile, the event gained attention on social media. Many praised his decision to hold the ceremony in a modest church, while some questioned the speed at which celebrity ministers are granted such responsibilities.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The Equal Justice Society (EJS) aims to transform the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. Their legal strategy aims to broaden conceptions of present-day discrimination to include unconscious and structural bias by using social science, structural analysis, and real-life experience.

Currently, EJS focuses its advocacy efforts on school discipline, special education, the school-to-prison pipeline, race-conscious remedies, and inequities in the criminal justice system.

The Oakland-based nonprofit also engages the arts and artists to create work and performances that allow wider audiences to understand social justice issues and struggles.

California Black Media spoke with Keith Kamisugi, Director of Communications at EJS, on the organization’s successes, disappointments and plans moving forward to the new year.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why?  

The Equal Justice Society’s most important achievement so far in 2024 is the substantive advancement of reparations in California as one of the leaders of ARRT (the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation and Truth) with eight reparations measures passing the state legislature and signed by the Governor and one ballot measure presented to the voters in the general election, (Prop. 6). The cumulative outcome of reparations legislation is a small step for reparations advocates but a giant leap for Black Californians.

On the international front, EJS President Lisa Holder delivered remarks in April 2024 at the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

In addition to our work with the reparations movement, EJS has directly impacted Black school children and Black women through our lawsuits against several California school districts and against manufacturers of hair relaxers, which caused women to develop uterine and ovarian cancers. In September 2024, EJS’s clients, the Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) and individual families, finalized a five-year plan that improves policies to ensure that students with disabilities, and particularly Black students with disabilities, are no longer subjected to unnecessary exclusion from integrated environments, among other resource and discipline inequities, within Sacramento City Unified School District.

The lawsuit against manufacturers of hair relaxer products led to a June 2024 expose in The New York Times Magazine questioning why hair relaxer products are still being aggressively marketed to Black women when the products have been linked to reproductive disorders and cancers.

What frustrated you the most over the last year? 

We have been troubled by the misinformation resulting from some media outlets about reparations developments, such as wrongly equating reparations solely with financial compensation and characterizing stalled reparations legislation as structural defeats for reparations. While financial compensation is part of any comprehensive reparations, it is not the totality of how we repair the harm. Of the 115 recommendations from the California Reparations Task Force Final Report, only one was focused on how to calculate financial compensation. The vast majority of reparations legislation invokes the UN principle of systemic and institutional repair that ensures that the harm of antiblack discrimination ceases and never happens again.  Moreover, in terms of characterizing the progress of reparations in California, when we look at 400 years of oppression through White supremacy, one legislative session is not enough time to judge success or failure.

What inspired you the most over the last year? 

EJS was inspired by the 630-plus organizations and businesses – majority non-Black – that endorsed the California Reparations Task Force final report or the study of reparations. These endorsements exemplify the broad-based support for the reparations movement from entities that recognize the social imperative to repair the harm caused by 400 years of White supremacy and who seek to support reparations in all its forms — compensation, apology, satisfaction, rehabilitation and guarantees of non-repetition.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year? 

Although not a new lesson, something we re-learned in 2024 was the incredible lengths to which the Right Wing will devote resources towards destroying race conscious remedies and truthful narratives that seek to simply level the playing field, afford equal opportunity, provide a factual historical accounting, and repair the harm four centuries of terror and oppression, specifically race-forward harm repair policies such as affirmative action, reparations, critical race theory and DEI. Since 2023, 86 anti-DEI bills have been introduced in 28 states and in Congress. Fourteen of those bills have become law and more than half the states have passed so-called “anti-woke” laws that prohibit narratives that tell the truth about the history of racial oppression in America.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?  

Racism.

 What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?  

We would like to establish reparations and harm repair as the dominant American civil rights issue for the next 25 years.  Also, we would like to draw national attention to healthcare inequality and the data points that establish the need for health equity for Black women. Black birthing mothers are 3 times more likely to die during childbirth and from post-partum complications, irrespective of income, due to implicit and explicit bias in healthcare.

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

Through all the circumstances and trials of life; Failures, loss, disappointments, health problems, difficulties, God has never once failed us. [Psalm 73:26].  For He has been our dwelling place throughout all generations [Psalms 90:1]. He has given us grace and mercy and walked with us through some of the darkest moments of our lives. [Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 2:10]. He has guarded and protected us from harm and evil. [Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 54:17]. He has given us strength when we were weak and sick. [Psalm 46:1]. He comforted and helped us when we were in trouble and facing challenges. [2 Corinthians 1:4]. He brought us to the banqueting house, and His banner over us was love. [Song of Solomon 2:4].

While the journey may not have been easy, God has been good to us. So today, spend time in prayer, thanking Him for all His goodness, mercy, and grace. None of us deserved the goodness of God that we received, but He loves us, cares for us, and has blessed us all. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving, not just today but every day!  So, make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him; Sing Praise to Him in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. Praise Him through the Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. Praise Him through the passing days and encircling months. Tell of all His wonderful acts. [Psalm 105:1-2; Psalms 107:8].

For as Jeremiah declared, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning… [Lamentations 3:21-23].

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee: Thou changes not, Thy compassions, they fail not: As Thou has been, Thou forever will be. All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. [Thomas Chisholm].

Banner Praise. [Exodus 17:15]. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. With my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. [Psalm 89:1; Isaiah 63:7-9].

If you are reading this, then I know that grace and mercy has called your name today, so remember God’s faithfulness. Thank Him for His blessings, His mercy, and His love. [Psalm 107:1].

How did I make it all these years? How did I make it this far? Through the valleys and over the hills, I know it had to be God. How did I make it through the storm? How did I make it through the rain? If you want to know, just how I got here, it’s so easy to explain. It was God’s grace, His amazing grace, that I made it this far… Some people said, I wouldn’t make it. Some people said I wouldn’t be here today. But look at me, I made it this far – Yes, by the grace of God. When I sit down and look back, down through the years, I have to shed so many tears. But I made it, I made it this far, by the grace of God. [God’s Grace – Luther Lee Barnes, Derrick L Luther Barnes Lyrics].

Yes, Lord, I recall all You have done, O, Lord; I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them [Psalm 77:11-12] For this I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to Your name. [Psalm 18:49].

I am grateful for the things that you have done. Yes, I’m grateful for the victories we’ve won. I could go on and on and on about your works because I’m grateful, so grateful just to praise You Lord. Flowing from my heart are the issues of my heart, it’s gratefulness. [Grateful -Hezekiah Walker].

Looking Back Over the years. To God be all the Glory! Yes, and Amen!

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

The Black Equity Collective (BEC) is a community-focused, public-private partnership with Black equity as its central, driving force.

BEC’s focus is to strengthen the long-term capacity and infrastructure of Black-led social justice organizations in Southern California.

Born out of two organizations – the Social Good Solutions Firm and the Black Equity Initiative — BEC’s mission is centered on the belief that progress on Black equity and racial justice must be part of any credible social justice movement in the United States. Additionally, the collective believes equity is only achieved when philanthropic investments, public policies, and institutional practices converge to boldly confront racial injustice.

Kaci Peterson, the founder and Chief Architect of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective, has over 18 years of experience in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors, managing several multi-million-dollar grant-making portfolios.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Peterson recently. She discussed the organization’s successes, disappointments, and lessons from 2024 as they continue their initiatives into the new year.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

This year, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary as a firm. Since the firm’ s inception we are proud to announce that cumulatively we’ve been able to raise and leverage over $55.5 million for Black-led organizations in California.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

We launched a survey involving 200 Black-led organizations to study the economic impact of Black-led organizations on California’ s GDP. The results of that survey will be released in early 2025. One of the reasons that survey is important is that it develops a narrative around why there is severe underinvestment in Black-led organizations.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

The decline in philanthropic investment after the height of commitments following the murder of George Floyd, following COVID. There was really this opportunity for philanthropy to permanently shift course and take a different approach when it comes to Black-led organizations.

While some have, for the most part, philanthropy has retreated to a place of familiarity, which is pulling back on their funding.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

I am always inspired by the leaders on the ground who just continue to do monumental work. The fact that here in Los Angeles, we’ve been able to stand up a doula hub in response to the policy advocacy work that so many of our leaders, our Black women in particular, really pushed and got state legislation passed a couple of years ago so that doulas can be an approved and reimbursable expense through Medi-Cal. There has been a real push to make the implementation of that law real.

I’m proud of the collaboration that we’ve been able to do with other Black-led networks across the state.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

I started an 11-week sabbatical on Nov. 1. I think oftentimes as Black leaders, we are burning the candle at both ends. And I don’ t think Black people are even aware of the social, emotional, and physical toll that taken on us — even subconsciously. We must really see, rest, retreat and take respite as part of our journey to justice.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Erasure.

We’ve really leaned into a narrative of Black permanence and what it means to preserve our community, our culture, our contributions, our language, our history, our leaders, our institutions. There is so much effort to erase us through burnout and fatigue, through underfunding of our organizations. To erase our history by banning books and not allowing certain things to be talked about.

We must have a counter battle.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I really want to start up an endowment for the collective. I think it’s really important to be able to preserve all of the things that the collective has contributed to the ecosystem so far — the philanthropic ecosystem in particular. To be able to create and establish an endowment for the collective that allows that work to happen in perpetuity is really important.