WSSN Stories

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

In less than one month, the State Bar of California has been roiled in high-level personnel snafus involving two prominent Black California women. 

In July, the California State Bar offered Fredericka McGee, a respected California legislative attorney, the position of executive director. Then, in August, the organization which serves as an administrative arm of the State Supreme Court and is charged with protecting the public interest, reportedly rescinded that offer without an explanation. McGee has been a licensed attorney with the Bar for almost 30 years.? 

Then, last week, Debbie Manning, a member of State Bar’s 13-member board — the only African American serving on the governing body — abruptly resigned midway through her term. Manning was appointed to a four-year term by the state Senate in 2018.? 

Manning, a “non-attorney” member, was appointed to a four-year term by the State Senate in 2018. Previously, Manning was not only the first Black woman to join the Legislature’s?Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms in 1977, she was also the first woman to serve as Senate Chief Sergeant-at-Arms. She held that position from 2014 until 2017.  

Manning’s resignation came just one week after the Bar met to discuss the hiring of the next executive director with extended public comment in support of McGee after which the board went into closed session but did not report any decision or action. Manning did not give a reason for leaving. 

Powerful Support: State Leaders Defend McGee at Board Meeting 

At the Friday, September 4 State Bar public board meeting, supporters urged the body to reconsider its decision and renegotiate with McGee for the executive director position. That meeting was delayed when an individual wrote the “n” word several times and other profanity directed toward Black people in the Zoom meeting chat box, which caused the meeting to be delayed for almost an hour. 

Despite the delay, a diverse group of people spoke at the meeting in support McGee — supporters say a testament to her rapport with lawmakers; attorneys of all colors and backgrounds; business leaders; members of the African American community; leaders in major service organizations, and more.??Among them were representatives of the California Association of Black Lawyers, SEIU, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.? 

Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), speaking on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), was the first speaker to address the board of trustees. 

Weber said, speaking on accounts of published reports, that McGee’s situation is one of the reasons the CLBC talks about the “increase of representation of people of color, particularly African Americans in all aspects.”  

Weber said the Bar’s alleged withdrawal “brought tremendous concern” to members of the CLBC. 

“(McGee) had accepted the position, was making efforts to move, change her residency, and basically move around for this position, and then all of sudden the position was withdrawn,” Weber said. “We stand united in requesting that you provide the state bar the best leader as possible, as we’ve always found that to be of the character and qualifications of Ms. Fredericka McGee.” 

In closing, Weber referenced the constitutional relationship between the Legislature and the State Bar. The Legislature annually authorizes a “fee bill” to allow the Bar to assess lawyers’s licensing fees, according to Ed Howard, a Sacramento public interest lobbyist and long-time State Bar watcher. 

A History of Turmoil and Mismanagement

Over the years, the State Bar has been under scrutiny for some of its practices and the way its leaders have managed the organization. In 1998, then Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed a bill that would’ve authorized the agency to charge lawyers in the state annual licensing fees to fund the Bar.? 

A layoff of two-thirds of the Bar’s staff members was hanging in the balance and the group’s attorney discipline system temporarily shut down for lack of funds. Those issues were only resolved in 1998 after the state’s Supreme Court intervened. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration vetoed another fee authorization bill, Senate Bill 641, in 2009. Schwarzenegger justified his action by basing it on a state audit that discovered irregularities in enforcing attorney discipline, embezzlement of $675,000 by a former employee, and prohibited disclosure of the rating of a potential candidate for the appellate bench. 

In a written message, the governor said the Bar’s scandals “cannot continue with business as usual,”  

“As the organization charged with regulating the professional conduct of its members, the conduct of the State Bar itself must be above reproach,”?Schwarzenegger stated. “Regrettably, it is not.” 

In 2016, after the California Legislature did not pass a Bar dues bill, and the state’s Supreme Court had to step in to authorize the agency to collect interim dues. The American Bar Association reported on Nov. 16, 2016, that both Legislative houses were at odds about the bar’s “reform measures,” introduced by the Assembly. The issue was about a study of whether the bar should break into two parts, splitting the Bar’s attorney discipline abilities from its trade organization tasks. 

Last month, the Assembly and the Senate passed Assembly Bill (AB) 3362, a bill that would again authorize the Bar to collect fees from California attorneys and restrict its board of trustees from discussing issues about the Bar’s exams administration in seclusion. At the moment, Gov. Gavin Newsom is reviewing the bill. 

At the September 4th board meeting, Fabian Núñez, a former Assemblymember, who represented the 46^th District in Los Angeles County and served as speaker of the Assembly from 2004 to 2008, highlighted McGee’s professionalism and praised her “level of dignity,”? depth of knowledge,” ability to “build relationships,” and “certainty of purpose.”?? 

Núñez said that within his nearly five-year tenure, McGee was his general counsel and he watched her juggle and manage legal matters of the Assembly, the rules committee, and judiciary issues.? 

“It’s something unmatched in California,” Núñez said of McGee’s skill set. “Quite frankly, it’s unique because she also possesses the skills that are so important when you are managing a large organization such as the State Bar.”? 

Gov. Newsom’s former Legislative Affairs Secretary, Anthony Williams also said in support of McGee, “When I heard that she was a candidate for the executive director for the State Bar, I was pleased and proud not only as a lawyer but also as a Californian who knows the important role that the State Bar plays in public protection and administration of justice. Fredericka understands that. I hope that you reconsider it, such a sensitive, personnel decision,” Williams said.? 

The board of trustees’s duties includes developing the guiding policies and principles of the Bar. It comprises of five lawyers appointed by the California Supreme Court, two lawyers appointed the by legislature, and six non-attorney members (four named by the governor).? 

The State Bar’s Board of Trustees Responds

The governing body’s chairperson Alan Steinbrecher pointed out that the makeup of the state bar is one of diversity and inclusion and at the end of the meeting sought to provide examples of two prior African American State Bar executive directors.? 

“In my work with the state bar’s leadership team and with staff, I know that the commitment to diversity and inclusion is widely shared throughout the organization,” Steinbrecher said. “As our former executive director said, ‘We want diversity and inclusion to be built in and not built on.’ I also want to note that contrary to some comments we’ve received, the state bar has been previously led by two capable and talented African American women that served as executive directors.” 

Leah T. Wilson, another African American woman, served as executive director for two years before she surprised some when she left the role on Jan. 17 of this year. 

The Hon. Judy Johnson, also a Black woman, was the State Bar’s executive director from May 2000 to January 2011. Johnson is now a Superior Court Judge for Contra Costa County, first appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2012. 

Before entering a closed session, the Bar’s board of trustees addressed the concerns of McGee’s supporters. ? 

“There has been some speculation about a particular candidate who has been considered for the executive director’s position,” Steinbrecher said. “We are not in the position to respond to specifics reported in the press because the executive director’s selection process is a confidential, personnel matter.”? 

The executive director of the Bar leads the senior management team responsible for various programs. The position requires the executive director to answer to the board of trustees and advance its policies. 

McGee was in the process of transitioning out of her role as vice president of California government affairs and operations for the American Beverage Association (ABA). She worked out of ABA’s office in Sacramento. 

In addition, McGee is also the founding president of the Black Youth Leadership Project, Inc., a non-profit organization that offers interactive legislative and debate programs to African American high school students throughout California. 

Alice Huffman, the President of the California State National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said in a written statement dated Sept. 3 that McGee “has been recognized for her exemplary service by a multitude of organizations throughout the state and has a stellar reputation in the legislative and legal community.” 

“The California NAACP remains ready to stand with the California State Bar as we ensure a fair and transparent legal system at this pivotal time in our country as we address issues of social justice,” Huffman said in a statement? “Again, I wholeheartedly support the California State Bar in its efforts to complete the contractual process that started with Ms. McGee.” 

By Lou Yeboah

“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come…: And there followed him another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

Such, my, friends, is God’s message for this generation. I want you to know that this judgment of God is now in session. You and I are in a world emergency. The financial crisis, racial conflicts, and violent weather should make us realize that God wants to get our attention. He is shaking everything that can be shaken. We are already feeling the ’birth pangs’ Jesus said would proceed the end times. This world’s contractions are close together, the earth is dilated to 10 and could deliver at any time! The New Testament tells us that the day of his return is not far away: “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” [Romans 13:12). “The Lord is at hand” [Philippians 4:5]. “The Lord’s coming is near” [James 5:8]. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” [Revelation 22:20].  Jesus said, “Learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things [signs of the end of the age], know that He [Jesus] is near, even at the doors.” [Matthew 24:32–33]. Jesus adds this important exhortation: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” [Luke 21:36].

I tell you, BE PREPARED because we are living in a day and age unlike any other time in the history of mankind; and if we become complacent, we could suffer loss. So watch and consider the following “buds of the fig tree.” There is the proverbial “handwriting on the wall.” It is vitally IMPORTANT that we do not underestimate the perilous times we’re living in!

Consider there are conditions that could easily erupt into a rapid progression of circumstances igniting the world into catastrophic chaos. The book of Revelation explains that “power was given unto them [the four horsemen] OVER THE FOURTH PART of the earth, to kill with the sword [second horseman], and with hunger [third horseman], and with death [fourth horseman], and with the beasts of the earth” [Revelation 6:8].

The apostle John warned us that 25 percent of the population of the world will be destroyed by the effects of these four horsemen contained in the FIRST FOUR SEALS [Revelation 6:8]! Then following right on the heels of these first four seals, is the fifth seal describing a horrific Christian martyrdom. Quickly following is the sixth seal, describing heavenly signs in the sky, with the seventh seal opening up thereafter to announce the “seven trumpets,” outlining the great day of God’s wrath [Revelation 6:17].

The point is, we are living in volatile times that are unlike any time before. Beware, and WATCH [Luke 21:29–36]! A storm is brewing! Indeed, the “fig tree” is putting forth “buds”!

Will you repent of your sins and turn to God? Or will you be just like the people in Noah’s day, ignoring the warning messages and rejecting God’s righteous ways [Matthew 24:37-39, 44].

Just like Noah, the prophet of God, was very likely mocked and ridiculed for preaching “righteousness” [2 Peter 2:5]. The Bible reveals that in the end times, prior to Christ’s return, people will also ignore warnings to repent. As Peter notes, “Scoffers will come in the last days, … saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4). But Jesus added, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” [Luke 21:34-36].

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media  

The California Democratic Party African American Caucus (CDPAAC) is calling on all elected officials in California at the local, state and national levels to take a firm stand against racism.   

By signing the Emmett Till Anti-Racism Pledge, the CDPAAC says politicians, who are the most important decision makers in California, can demonstrate in a public and symbolic way that they denounce racism and support a society for all Californians that is fair, just and safe.  

“The Democratic party and the people of California?must never forget about the murder of Emmett Till. It ignited the first civil rights movement. He was that generation’s George Floyd and Breonna Taylor,” said Taisha Brown, chair of the CDPAAC.   

Brown, who lives in San Diego and was elected last year to lead the statewide group that represents Black registered Democrats across California, said standing up against Racism in all of its forms is one of the top priorities of the caucus.   

“The Black Caucus continues to serve in its historic role?as the conscious of the California Democratic Party,” Brown told California Black Media. “Many in this country and around the state of California are trying to find out what they can do to contribute to this historic time in our nation’s history. The caucus wanted to assist individuals and elected officials in doing their part to fight against racism. It is a public health crisis.”  

In California, about 73% of all likely Black Voters are registered Democrats, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.   

Named for the 14-year-old African American boy who was brutally lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a White woman, the Emmitt Till Pledge calls on elected officials to direct their “energies to combat bigotry and hate in our great state.”  

“We are committed to standing up for equality, safety, and justice for ALL of the citizens of California,” the pledge continues, before asking the politicos to sign. “We pledge to take the bold and aggressive steps to combat bigotry and racism throughout our state to ensure that every individual is able to claim their ‘unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’ as our Declaration of Independence states.”   

“The cruelness, barbarism, and brutality of his murder were heartbreaking,” a statement the CDPAAC released said of Till’s murder.   

In 2017, Till’s accuser, Carolyn Bryant Donham, told Timothy B. Tyson, an author and Duke University professor, that she lied when she reported that Till of assaulted her 65 years ago.   

After a five-day trial, a jury in Sumner, Miss., acquitted Till’s killers.   

The CDPAAC pledge asks elected officials to make seven affirmations, which include not allowing racist conversation in their presence; protecting all people who face discrimination; contracting with Black-owned businesses and vendors for campaign and government-related events; enacting policies that promote all Californians; among other positive actions.   

“The Black Caucus will work with the Democratic party to email the petition to elected officials and encourage our members to request that their elected representatives at all levels sign it,” said Brown.

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media

California’s overall 2020 Census response rate is a few points higher than the national response rate. But advocates pushing for an accurate and complete count in the state say in many of the counties where African Americans and other minorities live, the response rates remain a few points lower than the state average.  

On Sept. 3, Los Angeles County held a briefing where county administrators from across the state stressed the importance of the census for communities of color and warned residents about the new deadline to complete their census form.  

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Director Steven Dillingham announced Aug. 3 that the agency would end all counting efforts, including door-knocking and collecting responses online, over the phone and by mail, on Sept. 30, a month earlier than the previous deadline. 

As of Sept. 7, 67.6 % of Californians had self-responded to the census either online, by phone or by mail. In census tracts in L.A. County with an African American population of 33.3 % or higher, an average of 59.6% of households have self-responded to the census. 

“The accelerated timeline to complete the census has the potential to harm low-income individuals and people of color. We know they are traditionally harder to reach and would benefit most from door-to-door outreach, which began just last month. The concern is that this administration is trying to undercount those who would most benefit from funding that is determined by census data,” said Judith Vasquez, Senior Advisor to L.A. County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, 1st District. 

The National Urban League, the League of Women Voters and multiple advocacy groups and local governments, including the City of Los Angeles, filed a lawsuit opposing the federal government’s decision to shorten the timeframe of the 2020 Census, arguing that ending the count early would result in an inaccurate tally. On Sept. 6, a federal judge ordered the Census Bureau to resume its full-scale population count through Sept. 17, when the lawsuit will be considered. 

The population count compiled by the census is used to allocate political representation and federal funding for numerous programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the national school lunch program, housing assistance and COVID-19 aid. If communities of color are counted inaccurately, they would lose millions of federal dollars and adequate political representation. 

“The more people that are counted means more resources for the programs and services that so many county residents rely on. Not filing out your census literally means that you are throwing away money for your neighborhood and for your community,” said Acting Los Angeles County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport. 

“At a time when so many of our communities are feeling short-changed, and the need for federal resources more than ever, filing out the census form is more than just sharing information, it’s actually a way of taking action to claim the resources that we are entitled to, and that the county needs to improve lives through caring, effective and equitable services in every community,” said Davenport. 

Official census takers going door-to-door wear census ID badges with a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date, and they may also carry a bag or other equipment bearing the U.S. Census Bureau logo. They are also required to wear masks in compliance with Centers of Disease Control regulations. 

The census can be completed online, by phone or by mail. The online form and general information in 59 languages are available at my2020census.gov, and the phone number is 844-330-2020. 

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Many people have experienced violence and abuse yet live in silence. Fear, shame, rejection and the thought of further abuse has kept secrets locked away from even our closest family and friends.

Voices of Truth project is an opportunity for those who have experienced violence or abuse to empower themselves, by telling their truth and as a result, help prevent someone else from a similar experience. Your truth can be anonymous if you prefer!

The Positive Results Center is looking for Black/ African (Americans) and their Descents of all ages and genders that are interested in sharing their truth for an upcoming handbook. This project will create awareness, helping to prevent violence and abuse, and assist people in healing.

Research shows that even brief autobiographical storytelling exercises can have substantial impacts on psychological and physical health even months after the storytelling. Resilience is strengthened by recognizing that we are all experts in our own lives, and we all have something to share with others.

“Silence allows the violence to grow“, says Kandee Lewis, Executive Director of The Positive Results Center. “We are seeking truth to the experiences of those who have been victimized, including: Signs of abuse; what others (parents, guardians & the general public) may not see, which is hidden in plain sight; concerning behavior to be aware of; and strategies for prevention that can help further victimization”.

We are seeking information on all types of violence including dating, domestic & intimate partner violence, gun violence, sexual assault, stalking, sex trafficking, survival sex and sex industry, financial and spiritual abuse to name a few.

To submit your Truth go to https://bit.ly/VoicesofTruth

If your submission is selected you will receive a $50 Gift Card

Not all submissions will be published.

Deadline is September 22, 2020.

ABOUT THE POSITIVE RESULTS CENTER

Positive Results Center address trauma from a cultural and age perspective; specializing in healthy relationships, dating & intimate partner violence, sexual assault, bullying & suicide awareness.

Their workshops include Understanding How Trauma is Manifested; QPR Gatekeeper Suicide Awareness; Youth Peer Advocacy Training; Healthy Relationships; Positive Family Dynamics; Leadership Development; College and Career Readiness, and Self Esteem. Learn more at http://prc123.org .

By Hazel Trice Edney

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on a digital and educational divide that has already severely impacted African American and other children of color, yet another situation on the horizon could further increase disparities by hindering access to crucial technological tools, according to experts.

Two cases pending before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) are being watched by educators and lawmakers who describe them as deeply troubling. Many big names in technology are under attack – including Amazon, Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony – and tech experts say the outcomes of these cases are absolutely realistic threats to the ability to obtain certain mobile communication devices – an outcome that would increase the digital divide even further during this unprecedented time of online learning.

In a nutshell, Neodron, a company just recently created in Ireland, is seeking to block the import of more than 90 percent of mobile touchscreen devices, like smartphones, tablets and touchscreen laptops, that come into the United States. Neodron doesn’t design or manufacture products within the U.S. Its business plan is to acquire patents and then sue for infringement.

The cases have caught the attention of members of Congress, and those in the tech world express major concern.

“When we talk about digital divide, you’re talking primarily about the availability of high-speed internet and its distribution across our nation. The big problem with this patent infringement claim is that the vast majority of inner-city schools still have barely sufficient internet connection,” says Michael Russell, the lead instructor for information technology, security and forensics at the Pittsburgh Technical College since 2002.

Russell points out that “the majority of young people who access the internet today access the internet from their smartphones.” Particularly low-income children often use their smartphones in order to get on the Internet.

He believes the Neodron case could impact their educational lives.

Russell used the term “patent pirate” when describing the activities of companies like Neodron which acquires patents for the purpose of financial gain. Neodron recently obtained patents from Microchip Technologies, possibly with the motive of filing petitions asking the ITC to investigate and close the U.S. market to nearly all smartphones, tablets, and laptops. In short, Neodron is putting the devices that people rely on at risk amidst a season when they need them most.

According to a statement by the ITC, the complaint “alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain touch-controlled mobile devices, computers, and components thereof that infringe patents asserted by the complainant. The complainant requests that the USITC issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders.”

Restricting the import of these devices into the United States would cause educational and personal hardships for people largely dependent on their smartphones and other affected devices.

The issue is so dire that two members of Congress formed a bipartisan partnership to deal with it. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) introduced the Advancing America’s Interests Act to stop patent abuse through the ITC and to assure that the agency adheres to a high standard of public interest.

“The ITC was established to protect U.S. companies and consumers from unfair foreign competition, but in recent years, patent licensing entities have abused the ITC process for financial gain,” said DelBene in a joint release. “This legislation addresses this problem and helps protect American businesses from unfair and unjustified claims.”

Schweikert called the legislation “an important step in the right direction towards reforming the ITC’s unfair imports process to ensure that American businesses have equitable access to protection for their ideas.”

This potential impact of this case cannot be overlooked as African-Americans and other racial minorities have been so disproportionally impacted by COVID-19. As lives have become almost totally dependent upon access to the internet and remote services, the impact of an ITC exclusion order would have a broad reach.

Instead of rushing to get children out the door to catch the school bus and then driving into work, many parents now struggle to manage their children’s education as schools have shifted to remote learning and parents work from home. Government services of all types are now online, from job applications to business licenses to unemployment claims. And then there’s access to health care.  

Throughout the pandemic, it has become clear that telehealth is surging and is a crucial resource that allows people to protect both their community as a whole and the healthcare workers providing their critical services.

According to a recent study, up to 42 million people may not have access to broadband, a figure that is disproportionately made up of African-Americans and other people of color. But without the devices necessary to even access the internet, the problem becomes worse and communities of color are at a great disadvantage.

A key concern is that since the COVID-19 pandemic, an already serious struggle for low income students of color, has been exacerbated.

The Greenlining Institute, a 27-year-old multi-racial organization in Oakland, Calif. that aims to end economic discrimination such as redlining, conducted a survey of Oakland and Fresno, Calif. residents before COVID-19. The findings were as gloomy as expected. But all of the common themes were “made more urgent by the pandemic”, the Institute reports on its website.

Those common themes include “Internet access is not a luxury; Lack of access creates significant hurdles for everyday life; Smartphone access is insufficient; Internet plans designed for low-income families are inadequate; Lack of access is a barrier to academic success.”

Russell says if Neodron prevails, these issues could expand and get even worse for more people across the nation.

“I’m not only talking about just young people,” he said. “I’m talking about the elderly needing to monitor their health care, making appointments with the doctor and things of that nature. All of those things could be adversely impacted. Mostly inner city; mostly Black and Latino families would continue to have the largest impact.”

As the issue spirals, even more considerations will come into play.

“The educational, financial and personal need for the internet could lead to an even greater conflict than the inability to get online,” says Russell, who also teaches regulatory compliance. “I do believe that technology has a potential of being another form of warfare,” he says. “I’m really concerned about that. Like economic warfare. We have a company located in another country filing a claim against American corporations that could adversely impact the way we live and do business. That’s a real deal.”

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media

Inmate firefighting crews, made up of more than 2,000 inmate firefighters per year, have helped extinguish many of the biggest wildfires in California.  

However, once they’re released, they cannot serve in that profession under current law because of their criminal records.  

Now, AB 2147, a law that would lift that restriction, has been sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign after passing both the State Senate and Assembly on Aug. 30. The bill allows nonviolent offenders who’ve participated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations’ fire camps to have their records expunged after release. 

In California, previously incarcerated persons are often turned away from fire departments because of their conviction records and state licensing rules, even if they fought fires while incarcerated. Currently, it takes years to get their records expunged, which would allow them to obtain Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification. 

“AB 2147 ensures that formerly incarcerated people who have successfully participated as incarcerated firefighters have a pathway to meaningful employment,” said Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes (D – Grand Terrace), the bill’s author. “These individuals have received valuable training and placed themselves in danger to defend the life and property of Californians. Due to their service to the state of California protecting lives and property, those individuals that successfully complete their service in the fire camps should be granted special consideration relating to their underlying criminal conviction.” 

The bill comes to Gov. Newsom during a particularly strong wildfire season, which has collectively burned 1.48 million acres and has seen multiple lightning complex fires — all complicated by unprecedented heatwaves across the state.  

Because of the intensity and scale of the fires, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency on Aug. 18. The next day, he announced that the state’s resources to fight wildfires were stretched thin. 

Allowing previously incarcerated persons to be firefighters also gives them the chance to get well-paying jobs, Reyes has argued, pointing out that steady and meaningful employment would lower recidivism rates. Inmate crews are paid between $2 and $5 a day, with a $1 per hour increase while fighting a fire. 

“Those that have served on the fire lines deserve a second chance,” tweeted Reyes on August 30. 

By By Troy Schulz, Zenger News

White carved out a pioneering career path that stretched from the Pentagon’s head office to Hyundai headquarters

As Hyundai North America’s first chief communications officer, Dana W. White knows what it is like to have two feet in two worlds.

“Growing up I always knew about the power of communication, the power of words,” she said, talking about her childhood in Charlottesville, Virginia. “My grandfather, who was born in 1896, founded the oldest black newspaper in the state. I used to cut ad sheets every month and write copy and process black-and-white photos [at the paper]. The entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in me and my family.”

While the weekly black newspaper, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Tribune, is gone, the family’s entrepreneurial spirit lives on. “The environment I grew up in, my family, was that there was never just a pot of gold waiting for me at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “It’s in my DNA – to make it happen for yourself.”

Dr. Ben Chavis runs the trade group for African American newspaper publishers. “The National Newspapers Publishers Association salutes Hyundai for its decision to elevate an African-American woman leader to the position of Chief Communications Officer. In this year where the focus is on the empowerment of all women, Dana White represents and embodies the best of Black America,” he told Zenger News of White.

Dana White is no relation to the Ultimate Fighting Championship president with the same name.

She studied hard in college, taking the toughest courses on purpose even if they were scheduled early in the morning and required long walks across Chicago wind-chilled campus. Those courses included learning to read, write and speak Mandarin, the mostly widely used of the Chinese-language dialects. She majored in Chinese history at the University of Chicago.

White thought hard about her choices in what to study; she didn’t just take the most popular courses or the easiest ones to earn a top grade. Of course, she said there are no “easy” courses at the University of Chicago, which competes with the Ivy League for students. “At the time, nobody was thinking about China,” she said. “Everyone was terrified that Japan was taking over the world, but no one was thinking about this country of one billion people that was just sitting there, very quiet. I wanted to make sure I’d be employable for the next 50 years, find something that was valuable for the future. So, I decided to study Mandarin.”

She applied for scholarships to study in China’s capital, Beijing, and later in South Korea’s capital, Seoul. This on-the-ground experience would later prove pivotal in her career.

“I think it’s fascinating, working as a Black American within different cultures. In fact, sometimes I think it’s an advantage as I experience my home culture differently and therefore, I think I’m much more observant and intrigued by people, their language and traditions. It’s helpful in translating best practices and communications,” she said. “Communication isn’t just about the literal words themselves, it’s about the feeling, impressions and the image you convey or defy.”

After college, she moved to Washington, DC without a job and worked as an intern and a temp to pay the bills while she applied for jobs on Capitol Hill.

The Republican committee for all GOP lawmakers, then chaired by Rep. J.C. Watts, the only Black Republican serving in Congress, was the first to call her back. She went on to take a series of jobs in government and in media, often working as the only black woman in the room. She accepted a job as deputy press secretary for the House Republican Conference, where she worked for two years until 2000.

Then she joined the public relations team at Fox News for a year in 2000. Later she worked at the Heritage Foundation, a think tank on Capitol Hill that is influential among Republicans.

“I was director of the Heritage Foundation’s roundtable for Asia-Pacific journalists, which was comprised of foreign correspondents from outlets such as The Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun and Chosun Ilbo.” she said. “I was working with more than 400 different journalists from across Asia.” Her study in Chinese language and Asian culture had made her stand out. Her careful preparation was paying off in unexpected ways. “At Heritage, I met some wonderful reporters from Taiwan, Japan and Korea. It was so beneficial when I did my first stint at the Pentagon on the China Desk, then at Nissan and now Hyundai.”

Her studies and experience soon took her back to the federal government. President George W. Bush named her Taiwan Country Director at the Defense department.

She returned to the private sector as an editor in the arts and culture section of The Wall Street Journal, the nation’s most widely read newspaper, and lived in Hong Kong.

Next, she was tapped as director of policy and strategic communications for the Renault–Nissan Alliance, a joint venture of the French and Japanese auto makers. They needed someone who understood both media and Asia, and she was one of the few that fit the bill. She soon became fluent in French and worked from Renault’s Paris headquarters. Still, she never forgot her roots, often phoning her mother—who was born and raised in a small black enclave in north Philadelphia—and then living in northern Virginia’s ever-spreading suburbs.

She returned from Paris in 2015 and started her own public relations firm 1055 Grady, named in honor of her grandfather’s address in Charlottesville, where she was first inspired to be an entrepreneur. Back in Washington, DC, she was tapped by the Trump campaign to help with their strategic communications. Shortly after Donald J. Trump was sworn in, she was asked about taking a high-profile spot back at the Pentagon. Her earlier stint at the Defense Department along with her knowledge and contacts in U.S. and foreign media perfectly positioned her to take the top spot as head of public affairs for the Defense Department. She was sworn in as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesperson on April 7, 2017.

It was also the same day the U.S. sent cruise missiles to strike Syria in response to its chemical-weapons attacks. Nearly one year to the day, she would go before the world to brief the U.S. strikes on Syria in response to another chemical attack. She became the first black person to hold that prestigious post.

She reported directly to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis. When he resigned in 2018, she followed the same day. “I left DoD alongside Mattis because I believe in his integrity,” she said.

Mattis differed with President Trump on matters ranging from pulling troops out of Syria and Afghanistan to withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

Now Dana White runs North American communications for Hyundai Motor Company, a South Korean car maker that builds more than half of its vehicles at its plant in Alabama and employs some 25,000 people in the United States. She joined the Zenger News advisory board in 2019.

White sees herself as a cross-cultural bridge.  At Hyundai Motor North America, she is the Chief Communications Officer—a first for Korean automaker in the U.S. She oversees communications for Hyundai Motor North America headquarters and all of Hyundai’s North America Affiliates including Canada and Mexico, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Glovis (Hyundai’s Logistics Operations), Mobis (Hyundai Parts Operations), Hyundai Capital and the Washington, DC Office. White also has strategic oversight of Hyundai’s luxury automotive brand Genesis, the first SUV for the industry’s newest luxury brand.

“When I joined Hyundai a year ago, I knew I needed someone who understood decision making at the highest levels, storytelling and how to work across cultures seamlessly to deliver results. So, I called Dana,” said Jose Munoz, Global COO of Hyundai Motor Company and Pres. & CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “It’s rare to find one person with all the skills, talents and experiences that she has. And she has proven track record of success. In few short months, Dana has already made a big difference in how we operate, communicate and tell the Hyundai story.”

Ultimately for White, she said her passions are education, excellence and empowerment. “I can still hear my grandfather’s gruff voice saying, ‘Mouse, I want you to be a smart little girl. Learn everything you can.’ I think about everything he survived, all the limits placed on his life and how if he could see me now—a man who proud to put pictures of my nursery school graduation in the paper—I know he’d say…’So, Mouse…what’s next?’”

Her father, Sherman R. White, graduated from Charlottesville’s segregated schools was also plaintiff in the desegregation of Charlottesville schools.  He attended Howard University at 16 years-old and later pledged the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.  At Howard, he met her and married her mother Agnes Cross, who was from Philadelphia. Her father was an AME minister and her mother one the first blacks to secure a civil service job in the state of Pennsylvania.

Her cousin Cheryl was the President of the local Williamsburg chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. In high school, Dana was awarded a merit scholarship from the University of Virginia Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. And her older brother is a graduate of Hampton University

“The thing about me is that I’m propelled by history and obsessed with the future. I’m passionate about ideas and a mission. I want to see people move forward—know their past and explore their future,” she said. “It’s in my family—this spirit of perseverance. I feel like they handed me a baton. They ran hard and ran fast. They carried the baton as far as they could go. Now, it’s my turn to run faster and farther and pass the baton to the next generation. I say, ‘When you stand on the shoulders of slaves, there’s no slouching.’”

By Lou Yeboah

The noon whistle has been sounding since Christ came to earth. Don’t ignore the sound of the siren. It is significant.   Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand! Don’t be another Agrippa who said to Paul, “You almost persuaded me to become a Christian” [Acts 26:28]; or Felix who after hearing Paul reason of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, trembled and answered, go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” [Acts 24:24-25]. Don’t you do it! Don’t let death come knocking on your door before you realize what time of day it is? How will you escape if you ignore God’s salvation? [Hebrews 2:3].  How will you escape His wrath? [John 3:36]; His condemnation? [John 3:18] His word of banishment? [Matthew 26:41]. The answer: You will not!

I want you to know that in the days just prior to the Babylonian Captivity; the Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah pleaded with Judah to repent. [Jeremiah 6:16]. But they said…No! What tragedy became their portion because of it.  Don’t wait until it is too late! The Lord’s people in ancient times reached a point where it was too late! The Lord had been warning Judah, through the prophets, for years that they needed to repent and amend their ways; but they arrogantly ignored God. God’s long-suffering finally ran out; the Lord had done all He could for them. “He sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.” Don’t wait until its too late! God brought a terrible judgment against Judah for their obstinate: [2 Chronicles 36:15-20]. 

God extended them an opportunity for salvation. They stubbornly refused and kept up their idolatry. God sent judgment—Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem. Still they thought they would be rescued. They thought Jerusalem will never be destroyed. They were told by false prophets that deliverance would come by summertime, and certainly in time for Fall harvest. Boy was they wrong. Repentance did not come. Rescue did not come. They finally realized too late that they had been wrong. What a grief it was to realize their punishment was set and there would be no salvation now.  Don’t make the same mistake! Don’t wait until it’s too late! For as [2 Peter 3:9] reminds us, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  Because unless the Lord comes first, what is said of Adam will be said of us, “…and he died” [Genesis 5:5].

Are you listening?! Don’t wait until it is too late. When the door is shut, you won’t have another opportunity! [Revelation 22:17]: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him that hearth say, ‘Come.’ And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

I tell you, there are some of you who are on the verge of being one day too late with God. You are acting like Israel and putting off repentance. You can’t wait until after death to repent of your sins. The day after Death is one day too late! The day after the Rapture is one day too late. The Rapture is a true event and a soon event. The day after the Holy Spirit stops dealing with you is one day too late. “Wherefore as the Holy Spirit saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” [Hebrew 3:15.  “For My spirit shall not always strive with man, says the Lord!” [Genesis 6:3].

“Harvest is past, summer is ended, and you are not saved.” [Jeremiah 8:20].  May the Lord have mercy on your soul!

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media  

About 41 weeks into her pregnancy now, California Board of Equalization (BOE) memberMalia Cohen, who is the state’s only African American woman constitutional officer, is preparing to give birth on September 3.   

Motherhood will be a new role for Cohen, a veteran leader and elected official, who served two terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and now administers California’s $70 billion property tax system as a member of the BOE, representing 10 million people in 23 counties. 

Although Cohen could not host the fancy themed baby shower she had once imagined because of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Father’s Day Cohen hosted a “gender” reveal on Zoom instead.   

Before that virtual event, Cohen and her best friend mailed party poppers to her close friends and family members, including her mother, mother-in-law and sister. On the video call, her loved ones chanted a countdown with Cohen and her husband before the couple announced that they are having a girl to a Zoom room of cheering loved ones and streaming popper confetti.   She has assembled a “birth team” for her delivery, too. It is scheduled to happen at the San Francisco Birth Center.  

“The birth center allows me to deliver with a team of trained midwives, a Black pediatrician and my birth team, who are my mother, my husband, my sister and my doula,” said Cohen. It’s a professional emotional support system. They will all be around me when I’m laboring.”  

Cohen says being allowed to have other close relatives in the delivery room besides her husband was one reason for choosing a birth center over a traditional hospital.  Another was safety. An uptick in coronavirus cases in California over the summer sealed that decision.  

In addition to planning her birth, working out to stay in shape, and meditating to keep her stress low, Cohen has managed to balance her BOE responsibilities with keeping public speaking commitments and staying involved in state policymaking. She has worked with the governor’s office to get several executive orders in place to provide relief for taxpayers.  

She also watches and has called into legislative committee hearings to testify on various issues, and she has written letters to support or oppose a number of bills.  Cohen lent her voice in support of ACA 5, authored by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), that would repeal Proposition 209, and bring affirmative action back to California’s public agencies.  ACA 5 is now on the November ballot as Proposition 16, and Cohen is campaigning hard for its passage. 

“I’ve had to rely on technology to get things done,” says Cohen whose home office, she says, has been upgraded with a ring light for Zoom or Microsoft Team calls, two laptops, a scanner-slash-printer and the “fastest internet speed possible” to make her telecommuting seamless.  

“These coronavirus times are sure different,” says Cohen, recalling the rush to jump on the train to Sacramento and attend government meetings in person. 

“I really miss reaching out and working to solve problems face to face,” she says, citing another impact of the pandemic. Cohen says, overall, she has managed to keep her life and responsibilities in order.   But there are times when those cravings hit, Cohen says. “They are not so manageable.” 

“For the most part – I’ll say 85-90% of the time – I’ve been conscious and healthy. But there is that 10 or 15 % when I have to have Doritos or Oreo Cookies. My mom makes the Rice Krispies treats for me,” Cohen laughed.  “Yes, my mom is my enabler.”  

At work, Cohen says right now one of her main priorities at the BOE is working on providing safe remote hearing for the Assessment Appeals Boards. That body resolves property value disputes between taxpayers and assessors who appraise properties.  

“How do we take things we use to do in-person and bring them online?” She asked. “That way, we are protecting due process. We are protecting the integrity of sensitive documents. We are protecting the health and safety of the petitioner and of our staff.” 

Because of the pandemic, Cohen says the BOE has had to make major adjustments. “To use the expression,” she explains, “we are building the plane while we’re flying.” 

Away from work, Cohen says watching George Floyd’s murder on TV and seeing reports about Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery murders, as well as following the protests across America and the world, have taken a toll on her.  

“You begin to wonder: What kind of world am I bringing a baby girl into?  There are days when I watched the protests and I just sat on the couch crying, just weeping,” says Cohen, who was able to get out to speak at one Black Lives Matter protest in San Francisco. “I wanted to march, too, but I realize that I had to protect myself and my baby.”  

Cohen says a source of stress that has always been in the back of her mind is looking honestly at how the country cares for Black women.  

“There is a disparity between Black women and White Women. Less Black women carry their babies full term,” Cohen pointed out.  Through it all, Cohen says she stays positive and remembers all the things she can be thankful for like being able to take naps when she gets overwhelmed by sleepiness or not having to commute from her home in San Francisco to weekly meetings in Sacramento.  

Then there’s the inspiration of Kamala Harris. Cohen says she been a supporter of the former California Attorney General since she was a DA in San Francisco. Cohen served on the city’s Board of Supervisors and worked with Harris on more than one occasion. Cohen says that Harris’ selection to run as Vice President “Is but one more step in a long road towards justice and representation for African Americans.” 

For now, Cohen says she is preparing to go into labor and for all the joys and challenges that are bound to follow.  

“I can’t wait to pour into her everything that I’ve learned, my understanding of the world,” says Cohen.

“Pouring into her curiosity; a respect for other people and cultures; a desire to travel; and resiliency. Our daughter will inherit the world we will make better through our struggles and our commitment to justice.” 

As we ended our interview, Cohen added, “Every day I have a smile on my face and joy in my heart when I think of her.  I can’t wait for her to be born!”