WSSN Stories

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Kornisha McGill Brown has been elected as the 27th National President of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. 

With more than 245 chapters nationwide, representing more than 40,000 family members, Jack and Jill of America is the nation’s oldest African American family organization. Founded in 1938, Jack and Jill boast the specific mission of nurturing future African American leaders. 

Newly elected National President Brown has served as a member of the organization for more than 13 years, fulfilling roles and responsibilities that include 2017-2019 Regional Director of the Southeastern Region, 2015-2017 Southeastern Regional Secretary, Regional Nominating Committee member for 2 terms, and Regional Chair of Rules and Regulations. In 2015, Brown was recognized as “Chapter President of the Year” by the Southeastern Region during her term as President of the Columbus, GA Chapter. 

“As mothers, we unite together in Jack and Jill with the primary purpose of seeing our children and all children succeed in every way,” Brown said. “Together, we are committed to ensuring Jack and Jill remains revered and prepared for the future.  I am committed to keeping our children as a top priority.” 

A native of Thomaston, GA, Brown resides with her family in Columbus, GA. She is married to Dr. Darius K. Brown, Sr., and they are the very proud parents of two children —Jordan Janay Brown and Darius Brown, Jr.

Brown is an educator, servant leader, small business managing partner, and philanthropist. She is a member of The Links, Incorporated-Columbus, GA Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Spelman College and a Master of Education Degree in Social Science Education from the University of Georgia.

By Lou Yeboah

“After all I’ve done for you. I have loved you, with an everlasting love [Malachi 1:2], but instead of receiving Me with delight, you receive Me not. [John 1:11]. You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart people. I have spread out my hands all day unto a rebellious people; A people that provoketh Me to anger continually to My face’. [Isaiah 1:4-6; Jeremiah 7:17-20 Jeremiah 25:7-11; Ezekiel 8:17-19; Deuteronomy 31:29; 2 Kings 22:16-17 Hebrews 3:7-9, 12, 15].

You Ingrates! Don’t you know, that My grace is love which you do not deserve, but yet are given? Don’t you know, that it is My grace that is keeping you alive? [Ephesians 2:1-2]. Prostituting My grace. Taking My goodness for granted. [Romans 6:23]. Listen, and listen good. I WILL NOT allow you to become complacent or neglectful concerning Me. I WILL NOT allow you to take Me for granted. Think lightly of the riches of My kindness, tolerance, and patience, and repent quickly, before I bring My wrath upon you, for my patience is at its limit!” [Romans 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:8-10].

I want you to know that when God learned of how Israel had betrayed His love and taken His grace for granted, God became furious, and brought His wrath upon Israel. [2 Kings 17:18]. And before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. [Psalms 78:31]. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid! [Romans 6:2,15] Know that God’s long-suffering will eventually ends. It ended in the days of Noah [Genesis 6:8]. It ended for Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham. [Genesis 19:1-5]. And, it eventually will end for all of us. [2 Peter 3:10]. “One final appeal, and this is it! This is the final call, says the Lord. Repent before I bring My wrath upon you!”

I admonish you to receive Him while you are able. He is a gracious and compassionate God, [Romans 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:8-10], but He has His limits. For the Lord said in [Genesis 6:3] “My Spirit will not always strive with man. I will proceed no longer in this way, but pass and execute the sentence of condemnation on you…” No one is excluded from Jesus’ demand to repent..” All is included.  Don’t delay! The need is urgent! [Acts 17:30]. For Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” [Luke 13:3]. “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here” [Matthew 12:41].

Jesus, is warning us of the judgment to come, and offering escape if we will repent. If we will not repent, Jesus has one word, “Woe unto you.” “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin” [Ezekiel 18:30; Acts 3:19]. The Bible commands it, our wickedness demands it, justice requires it, Christ preached it and God expects it. Don’t let the verdict be for you as it was for Israel. They saw all the evidence. They heard all the teaching. They saw the miracles. But they refused to repent.

Know that, “If you do not obey Me [take Me for granted and treat Me neglectfully], and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me [if you still take Me for granted and if you still neglect Me], then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit. ‘Then, if you [still take Me for granted] and walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate. ‘And if by these things you [still take Me for granted] are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied. ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me [if you still are complacent and you continue to neglect Me and take Me for granted], but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. But, “If you turn your heart around; if you accept your guilt and change [repent], I will remember My covenant. [Leviticus 4-29; Deuteronomy 28].

They continue in their foolishness. [Proverbs 26:11].

Yet you have not listened to Me, declares the Lord, in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. [Jeremiah 25:7].

Hear, O earth: behold, I am bring disaster on this people, the fruit of their plans, because they have not listed to My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it also. [Jeremiah 6:19].

By Jacqui Lyons, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Seafood and Seasonal Meat, Walmart

When it comes to grocery, the weekend before Thanksgiving is typically a busy one as shoppers across the country begin to prepare the holiday meal. This year has brought rapid and constant change in every facet of our daily lives, and we know Thanksgiving celebrations will be no exception. The sprint to Thanksgiving is likely going to be spread over a greater number of days, and the largest turkey in the freezer is less likely to be the star.

In fact, demand for turkey will undoubtedly look different this year, and at Walmart, we made early shifts to ensure our customers would find the items they want for the Thanksgiving meal.

Here’s how we’re preparing for ‘center of plate’ this Thanksgiving.

COVID-19 continues to reshape how people shop, and in turn, it’s sure to reshape traditions this holiday season. In fact, according to Butterball, the number of consumers who plan to host extended family and friends for Thanksgiving has dropped from 30% during a typical year to 26% this year while those who plan to celebrate only with immediate family has risen from 21% in a typical year, to 31%.

With more customers planning for smaller groups, we anticipate a higher preference for smaller turkeys. As always, we’ll have plenty of whole turkeys, but this year, we’ve increased our assortment of bone-in and boneless turkey breasts by 20-30% in stores across the country.

We also learned a lot from our customers this past Easter. To avoid crowds, shoppers stocked up earlier than ever. That’s going to continue this holiday season. It’s no longer about catering to a single peak the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year, Walmart customers can take advantage of everyday low prices on a range of turkeys beginning earlier in the season on November 2.

Following Easter, ham sales continued to peak even into summer as people were inspired to cook differently at home. We expect that trend to continue right into Thanksgiving dinner. With Walmart customers planning smaller gatherings and prioritizing convenience, ham will be in the spotlight and we’ve increased our inventory accordingly.

We know this year has been difficult for our customers and their families. We know they’re busy and burdened, and we know they want to make the holiday special. Regardless of how they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving, we’re committed to ensuring our customers can find what they want earlier in the season, all at affordable prices. From turkey and ham to all the sides, our merchants have been busy preparing for a season unlike any other so that our customers can take comfort in knowing the items will be here in our stores and available for online pickup and delivery, ready when they are.

By Charles Ellison, b|e note

At some point, the leftovers conversation about Black male voters was bound to catch up with us. A week of apoplexy over the self-absorbed political leanings of Big Chain rap icons Ice Cube then 50 Cent led to widespread social media and pop Black discourse condemnation about the electoral behavior of Black men overall. Once again, an entire classroom of the well-behaved was punished for the “spit balling” antics of the very few in the back of the classroom. 

Many people, particularly those in the Black academic, political and media space, carried on a careless, angry exchange since 2016 focused on the contemptible Black male voter. According to exit polls, a small, yet noticeable, collection of activated Black male voters (13 percent) supported Donald Trump for president. That led to a bizarre, irresponsible and very knee-jerkish rejection of Black men voters as a whole and conveniently aligned with a Trump Era-timed celebration of Black women voters as the only known hope to restore any semblance of Black political power. Ignored was the fact that the overwhelming majority of Black men voting had sense enough to support Hillary Clinton, 82 percent. Still, Black women voters scrambled to save the world that ill-fated night four years ago (I wrote the headline). But, Black male voters, on the other hand, felt wiped from the electoral map after 2016: disgraced, dishonored and alienated even as the majority of them did the right thing.

Those sentiments had consequences, particularly for the next Generation Z of young Black men who should have spent much of the past several years looking forward to participating in their first election. Instead, they’ve been hearing commentary on their electoral worthlessness. Their presence was mad invisible in key election cycles since then. Now, as 2020 looms, the political world needs them – but, just how psychologically battered and bruised are they? Stressed Democrats looking for a convincing leg-room margin for Joe Biden-Kamala Harris against incumbent Donald Trump-Mike Pence are now begging for Black male votes. Democratic Party leaders fret privately and publicly that much of the Black male electorate has tapped out. But, where was all this clamoring for brothers over the past several years? Much of the sudden focus seems a day late and a dollar short. As a result, we’re seeing troubling pro-Trump and “not voting” Black voter numbers like these …

This is compared to overall Black voter breakdowns in 2016 … 

During the Alabama U.S. Senate race concerns arose that the Black male vote either did not exist or would not show up – because of, once again, that knuckleheaded 13 percent in the back of the classroom. Yet, the Black male vote did show up. It certainly took a back seat to Black female voter performance in terms of pure numbers, representing 11 percent of the overall state electorate while the “sister vote” represented 18 percent of it. But, Black male presence at the polls was equally significant and decisive.

In 2018, Black male voters once again, voted mostly in their community’s best interest: 88 percent voting for Democrats to retake the House versue 12 percent voting for Republicans. Granted, that didn’t match the support shown by Black women (92 percent), but it was still a significant majority …

It’s a delicate conversation. Observers tiptoe gently around the subject out of fear that it will be misinterpreted as an act of political chauvinism. It’s a cautious assessment, but a real and valid one: no conversation on Black vote behavior should be divisive, least of all from the perspective of Black people engaged on the topic. Any analysis should be thoughtful and respectful, with great care not to diminish the verypowerful, essential and decisive role Black women played in that race and many others before it — as they will continue to do.

Indeed, when it comes to Black voting trends and Black political efficacy, Black women do indeed lead. That has been the case for quite some time.

However, any discussion on Black voter behavior and patterns should be holistic and unifying; in the case of Alabama (U.S. Senate) and Virginia (Governor) in 2017 and the 2018 Congressional midterms, there is a sense that mainstream discussion on that Black vote has not been as complete as it should be. It would be difficult to ponder Black Electorate effectiveness if the zeitgeist and Democratic Party planning focused disproportionately on one half of the equation. No Black voting bloc — no voting bloc for that matter — is totally effective without coordination of all parts. For example, registered Black African and Caribbean migrant communities, which are mainly clustered alongside Black American communities, must be taken into account when mobilizing modern Black voting blocs. The same must, naturally, occur with the Black vote in its entirety; there is no whole or pluralistic Black vote without both Black women and men factored in.

While the commentary on Black female voter power is welcome, aspects of it are being presented by mainstream media discourse as something that existed alone, by itself, in the context of overall Black voter participation.

Black thought leaders should have approached and assessed that conversation with caution. Many did not … and are still getting trapped in it. 

Both Black women and men have experienced brutal oppression over several hundred years, with white supremacist male-dominated constructs also placing great emphasis on the emasculation and destruction of Black men. Is the exclusion of mainstream media conversation on Black male voter presence and effectiveness in these election cycles deliberate? What we do know is that mainstream media institutions have long been extensions of white supremacist thought and action – and that same thought and action puts heavy focus on eliminating Black men. 

Back to Alabama: Black male voters were not as numerically superior (11 percent) as Black female voters (18 percent). However, with all ballots counted, Black male presence was double digits and support for Democratic nominee and now Senator Doug Jones was 93 percent. That’s a sharp 5 percentage points less than Black women’s support for Jones, but it is nevertheless impressive and well above the 90th percentile range. It should have been recognized and factored in for future planning on Black voter mobilization efforts. That should have been a story.

Interestingly enough, during the 2008 election, Black Alabama male voter support for then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama actually surpassed Black Alabama female voter support for Obama by 4 percentage points — 100 percent of Black men voters in Alabama supported Obama compared to 96 percent of Black women. Still, Black Alabama men only accounted for 11 percent of the state electorate.

In 2012, that turnout dropped by 1 percentage point. But, they voted to re-elect President Obama at 96 percent compared to Black women voters in the state at 95 percent.

Black male voters have not yet been forgiven (by some) for increased support of Democratic nominee Bernie Sanders during the caustic 2016 Democratic primary and what was considered, later on in the general, an unusually higher number of Black male voters who voted for Republican candidate Donald Trump. Observers have pointed to sexism as the culprit influencing the decisions of some Black male voters.

In contrast, Black women voters were fairly focused and unified in their opposition to Trump in 2016. While accounting for 7 percent of the overall U.S. electorate, they voted 94 percent for Clinton versus only 4 percent for Trump and 2 percent “other.” 

Still, 2016 aside, Black male voters prominently figure in any race without question. Commentators, particularly those in the Black thought leadership space, would be wise not to completely discount or casually dismiss the Black male voter, especially at a time when conversation must encourage greater turnout from them in 2020. Yet, they still are. Is it too late? With Black male voters so invisible from the conversation during all those key moments of Black electoral enthusiasm and reflection, there was always a high risk of psycho-social alienation that would show itself in reduced Black male voter turnout in future elections. At this stage, Black people will need all the voter turnout they can get – from both Black women and Black men. You can’t half-step a Black vote. 

The Biden for President Victory Fund invites the public to join Senator Kamala Harris, Maya Harris, Andrew Young, and special guests for “A Celebration” on Saturday, October 24, 2020. The time will be announced upon registration. 

Special guests include Margaret Cho, Connie Chung, David Henry Hwang, Padma Lakshmi, Lucy Liu, Aasif Mandvi, Kumail Nanjiani, Ravi Patel, Lou Diamond Philips, Maggie Q, Lea Salonga, and George Takei. 

Video calls will also be provided to all confirmed guests 24 hours prior to the event. To register, please visit https://secure.joebiden.com/a/aapi-celebration?attr=103876375.

For more information, please contact Sreyashe Dhar at sdhar@joebiden.com.  RSVP is REQIRED. 

By Lou Yeboah

“For I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot, but because you are lukewarm, I’m about to spit you out of My mouth. And because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked, be zealous and repent, so that you may live and not die, [Galatians 5:19-21] and pray that you are found worthy to escape the tribulation that is coming upon the whole world. [Galatians 5:19-21]. I tell you, the night is fading away, the sun is peeking over the Eastern horizon, and I am coming soon!” [Romans 13:11]. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. [Revelation 3:15-22].

God’s message to each of us is as it was to Hezekiah, “SET THINE HOUSE IN ORDER FOR THOU SHALT DIE AND NOT LIVE.”  Just as Isaiah did not have anything else to say, neither do I. Isaiah delivered his message and left. Why? Because the message was plain enough that it did not need to be explained.  

Getting “our house in order” MUST become a priority in all of our lives. The Bible declares that there will be a 2nd coming of Christ. When? We do not know. But when He do come, He will be coming as Judge this time.

I can only hope and pray that today is the day that you put into action, the steps needed in getting your house in order. This is our finest hour!  The present shaking that we are experiencing is proof positive that God’s Kingdom is advancing on the earth and the hour of His return is near.  Be vigilant.  Be focused.  The present world as we watch it is undergoing shaking. Governments who are previously unmovable are trembling. Kings and Rulers who are untouchable in the past are being removed from their glorious palaces. [Haggai 2:6-7, 21-22] Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” [1Thessalonians 5:6].

“A watchman stood on the city wall and warned the people… [Ezekiel 3:17].

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices …y. [Colossians 3:5-10].

“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” [Revelation 22:20].

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

California voters will decide whether or not to go tougher on crime through a November ballot initiative that makes changes to previous propositions and bills designed to reduce the state’s prison population.  

California’s Proposition 20 proposes expanding the list of offenses that disqualify incarcerated persons for parole. It also calls for upgrading several theft-related fines from misdemeanors to felonies. It would also require law enforcement to collect the DNA of people who commit certain misdemeanors. 

If Prop 20 passes, vehicle theft, firearm theft, unlawful use of a credit card and other specific types of theft and fraud crimes will be chargeable as “wobblers,” which means the prosecutor will decide whether to charge them as misdemeanors or felonies. Under the current criminal code, these crimes are considered misdemeanors.  

Prop 20 would establish two new types of crimes: serial crime and organized retail crime, and it would increase penalties for repeat shoplifters.  

Changing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) parole review program, Prop 20 would reclassify 51 crimes and sentence enhancements as violent in order to exclude them from the program, which is only available to nonviolent offenders. It would also require that an incarcerated person’s entire criminal record is taken into account before becoming eligible for parole, instead of only looking at that individual’s most recent offense. It would also allow prosecutors to request a review of the parole review board’s final decision. 

The initiative makes critical adjustments to 2011’s AB 109, 2014’s Proposition 47, and 2016’s Proposition 57, all of which were California legislative responses to the 2011 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared overcrowding in California’s prisons violated the Eight Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Together, those measures changed several crimes from wobblers to misdemeanors, increased parole chances for incarcerated people convicted of nonviolent crimes and shifted the imprisonment of non-violent and non-sexual offenders from state prisons to local jails. 

Prop 20 is supported by the Republican Party of California, the California Grocers Association, police and peace officer associations, Crime Victims United and Crime Survivors, Inc. Supporters argue that the previous criminal justice reforms were misguided and caused significant public safety problems, and that Prop 20 would close loopholes that let out violent offenders. 

They also say that the proposition would rightfully reclassify crimes as violent that are currently considered nonviolent, including felony assault with a deadly weapon, human trafficking of a child and rape of an unconscious person. 

“Prop. 57 was misleading because it promised that only nonviolent inmates would be released from prison early,” said Citrus Heights Police Chief Ron Lawrence, former president of the California Police Chiefs Association. “But under California law, a number of violent crimes are classified nonviolent.” 

Opponents of Prop 20 argue that tough-on-crime stances do not reduce crime, and that Prop 20 would only increase the state’s spending on prisons and tear families apart. They also highlight that the criminal justice system disproportionately incarcerates Black and Brown people, and that the proposition would only deepen the devastation mass incarceration has caused in Black and Brown communities. 

Groups that oppose Prop 20 include the ACLU of California, the California Labor Federation, the California Teachers Association, Equality California, the Public Defenders Association, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and the National Center for Crime Victims.  

Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown also oppose it.  

Brown, who signed AB 109 and developed Proposition 57, said, “Proposition 20 is supported by a very narrow group of people who don’t accept even the modest prison reforms that I was able to achieve. It’s driven by ideology and, in some cases, by a total lack of understanding of human nature and no sense of redemption or allowing people to put their lives on track.” 

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

Ahead of the November election, a group of dialysis nurses and patients have come out in strong opposition to Proposition 23.  

If passed, Proposition 23 would require all kidney dialysis clinics to have a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant on site during dialysis treatment. It would also prohibit clinics from reducing their services without state approval and make it illegal for them to refuse treatment for patients based on their insurance or payment source. 

Although the proposition’s supporters say passing it would improve clinics across the board, opponents argue that requiring the presence of a physician at each clinic would force many clinics to shut down and increase healthcare costs for 80,000 California dialysis patients. Opponents also point out that the ballot measure would not require the physician to be a nephrologist or kidney specialist. 

Dialysis is an important medical procedure for patients with kidney failure, with risk of death increasing by 30 % after one missed appointment. Patients need to attend a regular clinic to avoid complications in treatment that may arise if patients were forced to visit emergency rooms.  

Opponents of Prop 23 argue that many smaller clinics would not be able to afford the new staffing requirements and would be forced to shut down, leaving dialysis patients without a regular clinic. 

“They’re not going to be able to operate because they’re not going to be able to afford the additional expense of paying this doctor when some of these expenses could be utilized to improve the equipment we have and which basically impacts the improvement in the care of a patient. It’s a waste of money,” said Kim Bailey, an Inglewood-based dialysis nurse. 

African Americans make up the majority of dialysis patients. According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 35 percent of all patients receiving dialysis for kidney failure in the U.S. are Black, even though Black people make up only 13.2 percent of the U.S. population. 

Bailey spoke about her staff, using tasks her employees perform as examples of the services that dialysis clinics already provide without Prop 23 in place. She emphasized that the patients, who come three times a week, are treated by nurses who match their shifts. This allows the nurses to bond with their patients and understand their conditions through familiarity. 

“This clinic is one of the largest ones in Southern California. I have 58 chairs, I have about 350 in-center patients, and then I have a home program as well. I have a medical director and associate medical director that are very accessible to us at any given time. Each patient has an assigned nephrologist. My physicians frequent the clinic. There is always someone in this clinic,” said Bailey. 

Los Angeles-based dialysis patient DeWayne Cox spoke about his own experience with dialysis, including what happened when he missed treatment, as an example of what might happen to other dialysis patients if the proposition passes. 

“I missed a shift for work on a Friday. I ended up in the emergency room that Saturday, and the physicians there did not know how to treat me. I received kidney failure because of high blood pressure, but I am not diabetic, but the physician there treated me like I was a diabetic and gave me insulin. I’d never had insulin before in my life, and I nearly died. And other patients do because of something like that, because they end up in the emergency room, because they miss a session,” said Cox. 

Kathy Fairbanks, the No on Prop 23 spokesperson who hosted the presentation, also spoke about the political backstory behind the ballot measure.  

Prop 23, she said, is a predecessor of 2018’s Proposition 8, which was voted down. Both the previous proposition and this year’s are supported by the SEIU-UHW West, a labor union for healthcare workers. Opponents of Prop 23 argue that Prop 23 is the union’s latest attempt to unionize dialysis clinic workers, 

“I think this is all part of a plan to put these initiatives on the ballot every two years, and essentially use it as a lever to force the dialysis provider to allow a union. If that were to happen, these initiatives every two years would cease to exist. We’d never seen another one on the ballot,” Fairbanks said. 

“I don’t like the fact that it is involving patient care. They need to continue to address the teammates that work in the dialysis facilities in terms of their union and not involve the patients in this,” Bailey said. 

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media  

Two years after California lawmakers passed the first consumer data privacy act in the country, voters have a chance to expand the law or leave it as it is.  

Proposition 24 on the November ballot would update the California Consumer Privacy Act to add new provisions and create an agency to enforce the laws. 

California’s consumer data privacy laws were established by the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), which requires that large tech companies disclose the kind of data that they collect from people who use their apps and websites. It also allows users, referred to as consumers in the legislation’s language, to opt out of having their data sold to third parties, including advertisers. 

If passed, Prop 24 would give consumers an opt-out option so businesses would not be able to use their sensitive personal information, such as their race, Social Security number or exact location, for advertising or marketing. It also requires businesses to obtain permission before collecting data from consumers who are younger than 16. For children younger than 13, businesses need permission from a parent or guardian to collect data. 

The initiative would also establish the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which would enforce the consumer privacy laws. This new office would be separate from the California attorney general’s office, which currently handles privacy concerns, and the office would receive at least $10 million in funding annually.  

The initiative would also triple fines for violations concerning customers under age 16. 

Prop 24 was filed by San Francisco real estate developer Alaistair Mactaggart, who was a proponent of the CCPA in 2018. The measure is endorsed by the California NAACP, Consumer Watchdog, and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.  

Opponents of Prop 24 include the ACLU of California, Color of Change, League of Women Voters of California and Consumer Federation of California. 

Those in favor of the law argue that consumer privacy laws need to be stronger, especially now that so much of life has been moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sean Dugar, social activist and Yes on Prop 24 supporter, spoke with California Black Media about the need for more data privacy to stop targeted ads and discrimination. 

“You hear the horror stories every day. You hear about women who were at Planned Parenthood clinics being targeted by anti-abortion groups, kids who are logging into their classrooms being targeted by pornographic ads, folks who are on dating apps having their sexual preferences sold to the highest bidder. All that is happening now, in addition to legalized redlining and being able, as a financial institution or as a developer or real estate agent, to opt out of certain communities, especially Black folks, limiting people who see their properties and their services,” said Sean Dugar, social activist and Yes of Prop 24 supporter. 

The Yes on Prop 24 campaign also issued a statement highlighting concerns regarding Black consumers’ data privacy, after recent reports found that the Trump campaign used sensitive personal information to suppress the African American vote in the 2016 presidential election. Prop 24 would stop businesses for compiling racial data. 

“Everything you can imagine is online and available to be sold, or even worse hacked, about you. And so, we need not just strong laws, but an enforcement agency that will be able to ensure that our privacy and our data are protected, and that we as Black folks specifically are no longer targeted and no longer racially profiled online,” said Dugar. 

Opponents of the ballot initiative argue that Prop 24 actually weakens consumer rights by including an Internet “pay for privacy” scheme, where those who don’t pay get inferior service and more pop-up ads. Also, they argue that Prop 24 would force consumers to notify each website and app they use individually to protect their data. 

Opponents also emphasize that the ballot measure was written with input from giant tech corporations, and that the measure’s sponsor rejected input from privacy and consumer rights groups. 

“No one reads the thousands of words of legal fine print that you have to accept before you can use an app or visit a website. The fine print is where you sacrifice your privacy. The same is true of Proposition 24. Its 52 pages are full of privacy reductions and giveaways to Facebook, social media platforms and big tech companies that misuse our personal information,” said?Richard Holober, President of the Consumer Federation of?California. “Advocacy groups that fight for the rights of Californians have read Prop 24’s fine print and that is why they oppose it.”