WSSN Stories

Wave of key endorsements follow recent polling showing strong support for Schools & Communities First

With a wave of critical new endorsements for the Schools and Communities First initiative, momentum continues to build behind the most important measure on the ballot this cycle. These key endorsements follow recent polling conducted with the new Title and Summary showing 58 percent support amongst likely voters, further emphasizing that Californians are ready to reclaim $12 billion every year for schools and local communities by closing corporate property tax loopholes while protecting residential property and small businesses.

The initiative has already garnered key endorsements from many of California’s most important leaders and organizations. These endorsements include state leaders such as Speaker Anthony Rendon and a large number of legislators; mayors Eric Garcetti, Michael Tubbs, and Libby Schaaf; presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg; and many of the most powerful community and labor groups across the state. 

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors, joined by the San Francisco Board of Education, City College Board of Trustees, and a coalition of community and labor groups, endorsed the Schools and Communities First initiative today, showing incredible unity in San Francisco: 

“As someone who went to public school in San Francisco and grew up relying on our libraries, our Rec and Park programs, and Muni, I understand how important it is for local governments to have the funding necessary to provide the support that the community needs. The Schools & Communities First ballot measure will make sure that our schools are strong and our young people have the opportunity to succeed, and will support our efforts here in San Francisco to create a City that is equitable and thriving. I’m committed to supporting this measure and working to get it passed this November, because our City is stronger when we put students and communities first.” – San Francisco Mayor London Breed

“Schools and Communities First will close commercial property tax loopholes on wealthy corporations and investors and reclaim $800 million for SFUSD, City College, and San Francisco public services without affecting residential property. This influx in revenue will help retain our public school teachers, librarians, and school staff in San Francisco. It will also help us address our city’s affordable housing and mental health needs. That’s why I am so proud to pass my resolution today that puts the City and County of San Francisco on record endorsing Schools and Communities First along with our School Board and College Board.” – Supervisor Gordon Mar

“Everyone at City College is dedicated to helping our students learn new skills and build a brighter future for themselves. But budget challenges and 100+ vacant positions make it hard for many students to access critical services like priority course registration, meal vouchers, the supplemental textbook assistance program, and more. Programs serving our most vulnerable students, like the Homeless At-Risk Transitional (HART) program, are badly understaffed, while over 2,000 student veterans of the Armed Forces have only two clerical staff to serve them. That’s why it’s critical for California’s students and communities that wealthy corporations start paying their fair share.” – Maria Salazar-Colon, President of City College of San Francisco

“Working people in SF know how important it is to pass Schools and Communities First and make the biggest corporations across California pay their fair share. Whether it is our partners pushing for full funding for black and brown students, or members fighting to guarantee muni access for all San Franciscans, these resources belong in our communities and we are proud to join elected officials, organized labor, and community organizations in supporting SCF.” – Emily Lee, Director of San Francisco Rising

“I am an accountant for the City and County of San Francisco for more than 11 years. My job is to make sure that our public dollars are spent fairly. This initiative will do that.” – Tina Cen-Camarao (???), IFPTE Local 21 Member and Accountant at San Francisco Recreation and Parks

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond endorsed the Schools & Communities First initiative today in Sacramento, and was joined by the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), California Teachers Association (CTA), and California Parent Teachers Association (PTA):

“As the head of California’s educational system, it is my top priority to champion policies which give our students more opportunities to succeed. That’s why I’m endorsing the Schools & Communities First initiative. Right now, our schools and local communities face structural roadblocks to delivering on the promise of a world-class education and safe, healthy neighborhoods – corporations have avoided paying their fair share for years while school funding has fallen farther and farther behind. The Schools & Communities First initiative would reclaim $12 billion every year for our schools and local communities by closing corporate property tax loopholes. If we’re serious about addressing the historic inequities within California’s educational system and delivering results for our students, we all need to step up and pass this initiative.” – Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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“As the state’s foremost education leader, and a decades long advocate for our students, Tony understands the power and promise of what a quality public education means for every student and community in California. And that is why we are here today. Because the Schools and Communities First initiative will reclaim $12 billion every year for schools and local communities to fund classrooms and critical local services that our students and their families rely on.” – Jeff Freitas, President of the California Federation of Teachers

“We are here because we all agree that California’s schools and communities are severely underfunded, with limited resources while wealthy corporations make millions by abusing loopholes that shortchange our students. We are also here because we want similar things: good schools for our children, a healthy family, and safe neighborhoods. To achieve these goals, it will take all of us to work together.” – Mike Patterson, California Teachers Association Board of Directors

“Due to lack of funds, California schools have difficulty providing students a full curriculum including robust arts, PE, and science programs.  Schools and Communities First will support students to be better prepared for the future.” – Celia Jaffe, President of California State PTA

Equality California, the state’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, announced their endorsement Monday: 

“Equality California is proud to support Schools & Communities First because we believe it is a critical first step toward providing every child with a safe and supportive school and every family with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. California has led the nation in the fight for LGBTQ civil rights and social justice. But the reality is too many LGBTQ students and families across our state — especially LGBTQ immigrants, people of color and people living with HIV — still face persistent disparities in health and wellbeing. Four in 10 California youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ. Sixty-four percent of LGBTQ students report being bullied and harassed in school. Behind each of these statistics are real people with futures we simply cannot afford to sacrifice. Equality California is committed to creating a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people, and that starts with investing in educating all of our kids and in the vital services necessary to support our families and communities.” – Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California

By Terry Turner

As legalization spreads across the U.S. and the world, there is much discussion of its use for medicinal and recreational purposes but often forgotten is its use as a guide to spirituality and enlightenment.  

At the February 1, 2020 meeting of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, Terry Turner, an ordained Minister of Religious Science with a Master’s Degree in Consciousness Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, will present a talk on Cannabis as Spiritual Practice.

Tracing its use back to 2000 B.C.E. in the ancient Hindu Vedas where cannabis was revered as a sacred plant used for health, pleasure and meditation, Rev. Turner asks the question is it morally acceptable to get high? Rev. Turner challenges our reliance on materialist science and technology for solutions to life’s various challenges and our tendency to consider ancient spirit-based cultures as primitive and superstitious.

The U.S. government enforces this belief by continuing to deny the protection of the 1^st amendment which prevents government from “prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” to any group which uses cannabis as a sacrament.

Rev. Turner points out that the cannabis plant, being a mild psychedelic or entheogen, was seen by ancient cultures and remains today as a powerful and sacred tool that deserves to be treated with care and respect. He notes the states of consciousness available through cannabis use can be even deeper than those achieved by seasoned meditators without the years of discipline and training. Used reverentially and with proper intention, it is capable of ushering its initiates into the realm of savikalpa samadhi, the portal of mystical or unitive consciousness.

Rev. Turner will explore the uses of cannabis in the practice of spirituality by exploring the intent of its use, how to create a safe and sacred space for its use, the importance of set and setting, understanding the proper ingestion and dose and concluding with a guided session of meditative techniques which can be practiced for spiritual benefit either with or without cannabis.”

Rev. Turner will make his presentations in both Palm Springs and Joshua Tree on Saturday, Feb. 1. Everyone is invited to attend and there is no charge for admission.

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 12 noon at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA 92262.

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252.

Background information on Rev. Terry Turner

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Terry Turner is an ordained Minister of Religious Science. He holds a Master’s Degree in Consciousness Studies from Holmes Institute as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology.  He has been a sojourner on the spiritual path for almost 50 years and has been using cannabis  for recreational medicinal and mostly spiritual purposes for about 50 years as well. He is also an informal student of such diverse disciplines as evangelical Christianity, kundalini yoga, I Ching, holotropic breathwork, entheobotany, and shamanic studies. He currently makes his home in Desert Hot Springs, CA

By Ronda Racha Penrice, Urban News Service

Crystal Fox is no stranger to fans of Tyler Perry’s “The Have and the Have Nots.” Since the show premiered in 2013, it has remained one of the Oprah Winfrey Network’s most popular series and Fox’s character, Hanna Young, the prayer warrior mother of Candace (Tika Sumpter) and Benny (Tyler Lepley), is one of the show’s most popular and recognizable characters. So much so that Fox shared, during an exclusive phone interview with Urban News Service, that “people who meet me on the street love Hanna so much that [they] ask me to pray for them.”

In “A Fall From Grace,” Tyler Perry’s first film for Netflix, Fox gives those fans a brand-new look. She plays Grace, a lonely divorcée who falls for a much younger man who isn’t who he seems. The fallout of that relationship lands her in prison where the young, inexperienced lawyer Jasmine Bryant (Bresha Webb) leads her defense. Phylicia Rashad plays her good friend Sarah. Tyler Perry and Cicely Tyson also have roles.

At age 56, this is the first starring film role for Fox, whose career has largely been on TV and in theatre. Prior to “The Haves and the Have Nots,” the Tryon, North Carolina native’s longest-running series was a six-year (1989-1995) stint as LuAnn Corbin, who rose from police officer to corporal, on “In the Heat of the Night.”

More recently, she played a memorable role as Elizabeth, mom to Zoe Kravitz’s Bonnie, on HBO’s hit limited series, “Big Little Lies.” Because “A Fall From Grace” is a huge first for her, Fox admitted to experiencing self-doubt.

“The thing that was intimidating to me was whether I could be a strong enough leading lady,” she said.

For Fox and many other Black actresses over 50, there have been few Hollywood opportunities to star in films featuring a strong storyline where they are not just playing someone’s mother or grandmother. In “A Fall From Grace,” she is so much more.

Reflecting on her three-decade-plus-long career as a professional actor, Fox, speaking via phone in New York City, told Urban News Service, “I feel like I’ve been unseen more than anything. The people who have the vision didn’t envision me; they didn’t have a placement for me. But, at the same time, I’m not trying to fault anybody, but they weren’t trying to get to know me either, or people like me.” 

That’s why Fox looks forward to seeing more films like “A Fall From Grace” with interesting storylines starring women of color in the prime of their lives.

“I hope there will be another chance to do more with women like [Grace] so that you can see how multifaceted we are, especially as we’re aging.”

In the film, Fox and Rashad, who have primarily worked together on stage and are friends in real life, enjoy an easy chemistry as Grace and Sarah. But the relationship between Grace and her much-younger, untested lawyer Jasmine, who convinces her to forego her initial plea deal to stand trial, is one of the most interesting dynamics in the film.

“Her objective is hers and [Grace’s is separate from that]. So, when they come together and you see these opposing objectives, it creates some genuineness [in] discovering what [that] relationship is going to be,” Fox explained.

Fox believes that the relationship Grace and Jasmine develop makes an important statement.

“It says a big thing about women supporting women, in allowing another woman to fight for you.”

One of the most challenging parts of her role, Fox admitted, was the romantic scenes between her character and the younger photographer Shannon, played by 39-year-old Mehcad Brooks. “Oh my gosh, can I just tell you, I can do serious, I can do dramatic, left, right, top, center and I’m not nervous. When I had to do that love scene, I felt like I was two years old,” she laughed. Brooks, she shared, couldn’t have been nicer.

Fox, who was blown away by the enthusiastic applause following the private Atlanta screening she and Perry hosted on January 9, said she is grateful that the entertainment mogul and friend cast her in this role, even if she is not sure exactly why.

“I don’t know what he saw in me,” she said. “If he believes you when he watches you, that draws him in. So, whatever he saw me do, he believed in me.”

What she doesn’t doubt is that “A Fall From Grace” is a huge opportunity for her. “For me, it can be a big career shifter or something that will propel me forward, so it means a lot.”

“A Fall From Grace” Debuted on Netflix January 17.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Diocese of San Bernardino held their Migrant Mass at our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral this past Sunday. Bishop Barnes celebrated the mass with priest and practitioners from all over the diocese. During the homily Bishop Barnes emphasized the importance of the census and our role as people of faith.

“This year we are going to have the census, and, in the census, everybody counts, everybody!” Bishop Barnes explains. “So that the benefits can come to everyone, so we are going to help promote the census.”

Leaders from Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) were in attendance to collect pledge cards from churchgoers as they left mass. Collecting over 80 pledges. The census is important because it gives everyone a voice no matter their immigration status. Parent and youth organizers with ICUC helped organize the collection of census pledge cards.

“We are all a part of this community and we all belong, we all deserve to be counted,” Miguel Rivera, ICUC Organizer, states. “Let’s bring in the resources that we need for our communities. Having the bishop pledge to do the census is an honor and it shows just how important it is.”

If you would like to learn more about the census, please visit censusie.org.

By Joseph Hammond, Urban News Service (A Division Zenger News)

Claressa Shields made boxing history in Atlantic City on January 10th when she earned a third world title becoming the quickest fighter ever in the sport to win world titles in three different weight classes in just 10 fights. The Michigan pugilist is set to have a breakout year with a Hollywood biopic and cross-over fights in the UFC set to take place.

Recently, Shields earned a dominate win over Croatia’s Ivana Habazin to earn the WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles. Shields had promised to knockout Habazin but, had to settle for an unanimous decision victory. Earlier she won the middleweight and super-middleweight titles.

“Congratulations to Clarissa Shields, the 2019 Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year, and now the quickest fighter, male or female, to win world titles in 3 different divisions,” tweeted Tennis icon Billie Jean King.

The Urban News Service caught up with Shields in London earlier this month, where she was doing her final training for the the Habazin fight.

London has been good to Shields where she became the youngest Olympic boxing champion since 1924 when she won a gold-medal there in 2012 at the age of 17. In 2016, she won a second Olympic gold medal at the Rio Olympics becoming the only American boxer to win multiple gold medals in the sport.

During an interview at a fight card held at York Hall, a historic venue dating to the 1929, which is the heart of the London boxing scene, Shields acknowledged her close ties to the United Kingdom.

“I love the fans – the York Hall fans, the British fans, I would love to fight here in the United Kingdom,” said Shields. “I love the atmosphere here. Maybe in 2020 or the year after she said.”

Many female boxers come to the sport from comfortable middle-class backgrounds. Shields’s life hasn’t been easy. Her life story is one of turning to tragedy to triumph. Born in Flint, Michigan, a town full of poverty, despair and though it was not known at the time, poisoned water. Her father spent time in prison for dealing drugs and she didn’t start speaking until the age of five. That same year she was molested by one of her alcoholic mother’s boyfriends.

She was picked-on at school and started boxing at age 11. She chooses the sport after overhearing her father lament he had never pursued his passion for the sport – though he initially objected to her boxing dreams. Despite that she soon joined a gym where she was the only female fighter. In boxing she found personal resilience and found further strength when at 13 she was baptized into a local church.

Not surprisingly her rise through adversity to world champion has attracted the interest of Hollywood filmmakers who are looking to turn the life of the 24-year-old into a major feature film. It was announced last year that Ryan Destiny, perhaps best known for her role in Fox’s television show “Star,” will play Claressa Shields in Universal’s biopic “Flint Strong” which is currently in production.

The fight most British fans would like to see is a rematch between Shields and the United Kingdom’s Savannah Marshal. Marshal defeated Shields in the amateurs. By chance the two crossed paths at the York Hall event and posed for a promotional stare down.

The leading boxing promotional agency MTK Global released a press-release after the encounter in which Marshal described being “amused” by the face-off with Shields, “our rematch could 100% be the biggest fight in women’s boxing,” she said.

As a professional, Marshal, like Shields, is undefeated. While Shields has accomplished more in her brief boxing career, Marshall at least according to their professional records, could be the harder puncher. Shields has 10 wins with two coming via knockout.  Six of Marshall’s eight wins have come by  knockout.

Another potential blockbuster fight in her future could be with UFC star Amanda Nunes. Shields is training for a mixed-martial arts debut later this year. If all goes well, she would like to fight a series of fights – one in the boxing ring and one in the UFC octagon against the Nunes. Shields believes such fights could have a cross-over appeal similar to the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Connor MacGregor fight in 2017.

 “My [MMA] debut is going to happen, and that fight is most likely going to be in September and October,” she told Urban News Service. Shields will most likely take a tune-up fight in the octagon before challenging Nunes.

As a child, Shields was teased over her skinny arms and called “T-Rex” after the proportions of that extinct dinosaur. Shields has embraced the name as ring moniker, but her recent ring victories have led her to start using a new nickname “GWOAT” the acronym for “Greatest Woman of All Time.”

By California Black Media

Next year, expect big fights among state government officials and your representatives in the state legislature about how the huge windfall of cash in the state’s savings account should be spent.

California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) recently predicted that the state will have a $7 billion surplus by the end of this fiscal year. The following year, California’s savings account is projected to grow to more than $18 billion.

“As Washington soaks Americans with a trillion dollars in debt to pay for tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and destroys the social safety net, our state is now doing more than ever before to provide opportunity for all California families, especially those who are not equally sharing in our nation’s prosperity,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, responding to the news.

 “We are taking important steps so that growth is broadly shared, doing it all while saving record amounts for a rainy day,” he added.

The LAO is recommending that legislators commit no more than $1 billion of the “estimated $7 billion surplus to ongoing purposes in 2020?21.”

Last fiscal year, California had a record-breaking $21.5 billion surplus of which the state spent about half on paying down the debt and bolstering reserves. It invested about $4 billion on ongoing projects and used to rest to fund one-time programs, including initiatives to solve the state’s homelessness crisis.

By state law, the governor has until January 10, 2020, to present his initial budget to the legislature.

By Lou Yeboah

“… I’m not after the blessings ¬ I’m not after things ¬ I’m after Your presence.  My hands are raised because¬ I surrender¬ After coming to grips with the reality¬ that You love me so much so¬ that You thought I was worth saving¬ You thought I was worth keeping¬ You thought I was worth dying for¬ that You sacrificed Your life¬ so that I can be free ¬ so that I can be whole ¬ so that I can tell everyone I know ¬ Love lifted me when nothing else could have¬  Lord, I tell you, all I want is You¬ You are my God and my hallelujah belongs to You, and You only. So withholding nothing – I Surrender ¬ Everything I give to You¬ I give myself away so that You can use me¬ My life doesn’t belong to me¬ My life is not my own¬ To You I belong¬ Fill me up Lord¬ until I overflow¬ I’m hungry¬ I’m thirsty¬ I’m desperate for You¬ take my heart¬ take my life¬ as a living sacrifice¬ all my dreams¬ all my plans¬ Lord I place them in Your hands¬  Here I am to worship¬ here I am to bow down¬ here I am to say that You’re my God – For You are altogether lovely¬ altogether worthy¬ altogether wonderful to me¬ and all of my days I’m gonna serve you. Wherever you want me to go Jesus, I’m gonna go¬ Whatever you tell me to say, I’m gonna say it¬ I’m gonna move when you tell me to move¬  Have Thine own way Oh Lord¬ Thou art the Potter¬ I am the clay¬ mold me and make me after Thy will¬ while I am waiting yielded and still.”

Oh, I tell you, when I think about the goodness of God, my soul cries Abba Father. Sometimes, I can feel overwhelmed when I realize how much sin and wrong I have done in my life. I think of the time when I rejected what God wanted me to do. I rebelled against His authority. But then I remembered, that “where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more” [Romans 5:20]. Only God has been able to make payment for my sin. Only God has been able to put me in a right relationship with Him. God did this through the death of His Son Jesus on the cross. So when I say My hallelujah belongs to Him ¬ My hallelujah belongs to Him! He is the reason for my being, and He deserves all my love ¬ all my adoration ¬ all my devotion ¬ all my praise ¬ all my worship ¬ all my obedience ¬ my everything. Ultimately, I owe my life to Him.

Tell me, have you every thought of God as generous towards you? Can you believe that when He looks at you with all your baggage, all your junk, all your hang-ups, He says, “I want to be generous to you. I can’t wait to pour out on you that which will make you happy – not because you deserve it, but because there’s something about Who I am that loves to overflow in extravagant ways upon you. He gives us grace – [what we don’t deserve] and extends mercy – [not giving us what we do deserve] – We are indeed blessed by God. How majestic He is – how loving patient, and kind He is. How gracious He is – How he puts up with us and blesses us in spite of ourselves.

I tell you as the Jews were so moved by what the Lord had done in them and for them that they could not contain their praise for Him, I’m too awestruck for what the Lord has done for me. I praise Him because of one reason: He is worthy! You see, God moved in grace and power to deliver my soul from the torment and bondage of my sins. He delivered me from an eternity in Hell and He adopted me into his family when He saved me out of the shame, sentence, and sorrow of my sins.

I tell you, He is worthy. He is worthy of our love. He is worthy of our devotion. He is worthy of our obedience. He is worthy of everything we can offer to Him. Therefore, I challenge you to praise the Lord and to magnify His name. When we praise Him we acknowledge that we are nothing without Him. – we give Him homage, respect, reverence for loving us when we are so undeserving of that love. David said I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. David understood clearly his shortcoming – He knew he was messed up – He knew he was wretched before a Holy God and that his righteousness was filthy – but He blessed God because he recognized that God loved Him in spite of his way.

I tell you, there is no reason in us that he should bless us. He has every reason to justly destroy us. Yet he chooses to bless us and put his name on us and claim us as his own. We ought to praise God for being God… merciful, just, righteous, holy, omnipotent, immutable. It is a prayer of nothing but praise to God. There is no supplication, no request, no petition or plea in this prayer. It is pure unadulterated praise to God. We need to give great consideration to this because He deserves it! 

If you believe that He deserves it, “…Lift your hands wherever you are, and tell the Lord Yes¬ Tell Him, you won’t be afraid¬ You’ll step out on His Word and declare His glory¬ Open up your heart and tell the Lord Yes¬ Say Yes¬ Say I’ll obey Jesus¬ I won’t stray Jesus. This time I’ve made up my mind¬ I’ll say Yes¬ My soul says Yes¬ My mind says Yes¬ My heart says Yes¬ Yes, I’ll do what you want me to do¬ I’ll say what you want me to say¬ I’ll go, if you lead me¬ Yes I will¬ I wanna do your will Jesus¬ I wanna do your will¬ My soul says, Yes!

“…Flowing from my heart are the issues of my heart is¬ Gratefulness…” All I want is You Lord!

Excepts: [You Deserve It – J. J. Hairston & Youthful Praise] … [Worth – Anthony Brown & group therAPY]…[Tasha Cobbs Leonard – You Know My Name ft. Jim Cravity]… [Tasha Cobbs – Fill Me Up Until I Overflow]…  [I Give Myself Away/Here I Am to Worship – William McDowell]…  [Withholding Nothing Medley] [Yes – Shekinah Glory Ministry][Truth in You – Anthony Brown & group therAPY][Grateful (Reprise) – Hezekiah Walker & LFC]

By Lou Yeboah

Talk about starting the New Year off right…..Go back and remember. Go back to the moment when you first met Jesus. Remember the love you felt, the stirring in your heart, the adoration you had for Him? Remember how grateful you were for the forgiveness of sins? Remember, at that time when nothing else mattered only Him? Well, today, God wants you to go back and remember that moment in time. And having that in your memory, He wants you to come back to Him; come back to your First Love, to the place and time in your life to where He was your everything.

For He says, “After all the things that you’ve been through, you should understand Him like He understand you. To love and be loved in return, it’s the only thing that His heart desires. What more can I do? I gave My heart, soul and Spirit to you didn’t I… didn’t I do it. I gave you the love you never knew. I thought that your heart was true. Silly of Me to think that I could ever have you for myself; silly of Me to think that you could ever know the things I do are all done for you.” It’s obvious you don’t love Me as you did at first, look how far you have fallen. You have abandoned the love you had at first – the love that caused you to drop everything to follow Me into the desert. This is the love that captures My heart. So remember, then repent and turn back to Me…[Revelation 2:4-5].

You know, David told himself to never forget the good things God had done. We also must make up our minds to never forget God’s goodness in our lives. Because as [Psalms 107] says, when we forget, it “tests God’s patience, frustrates Him, and makes His anger rise.” I don’t know about you, but that got my attention!  I am convinced that forgetting God’s goodness is a sin. So like David who found he had drifted away from God we too must repent and fervently pray, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit [Psalms 51:12].

Because of all the things we need in the coming days, none is more precious and more essential than the leadership of God upon our lives. So with that in mind, let us as Moses said, recommit ourselves to obedience to the Word of God. Let us refocus ourselves in our relationship with the Spirit of God. And, let us rededicate ourselves to living in the fullness of the Spirit of God. For the greatest investment we can make in this life is a wholehearted pursuit of a deep personal relationship with God. And understanding that it is not enough to just seek God, but to seek Him “First.” Let us not forget God’s goodness!

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. [Matthew 22: 37-40].

ByDianne Anderson

Social justice activist Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II is coming to town to talk about the dark side of the American dream – the poverty crisis that has barely budged since the last time the rich-poor gap was this wide in America.

Over 50 years ago, Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign in conjunction with SCLC hoped to galvanize the 35 percent of the nation mired in destitution. Just four months from first announcing the plans, Dr. King was assassinated.

Today, Rev. Barber is reawakening that campaign to give voice at this critical point in history, and continuing Dr. King’s quest for economic justice.

On January 18, Pastor Emory James is excited to welcome Dr. Barber as the featured guest speaker at a free Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration sponsored by Ephesians New Testament Church and the city of Fontana to be held at 3:00 p.m. at Westside Baptist Church, located at 15006 Randall Ave. Seating is limited, call (909) 823-2319 for tickets.

“He is a very brilliant man. He’s addressing the systemic elements of people’s living in poverty, and poverty concerns that he has with this country,” said Senior Pastor Emory James of Ephesians New Testament Church of Fontana.

Over the past three decades, James said Ephesians Church has led the charge to bring inspiring speakers to the community. He said it’s urgent the community understand the deeper meaning behind current issues, and to promote Dr. King’s legacy.

James has featured Dr. Cornel West. They also hosted Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., one of the top preachers in the nation.

They’ve held jazz events, as well as the distinguished gospel quartet, Mighty Clouds of Joy. Several years ago, they hosted the Emmy award-winning playwright Jeff Stetson of the plays, Blood on the Leaves and The Meeting, a fictional play about a meeting between Dr. King and Malcolm X.

James said that Barber’s message ties in tightly with the life and goals of Dr. King, and addresses the ramifications of systemic poverty not only in California, but nationwide. Rev. Barber is the president of the NAACP North Carolina state chapter, and originator of the Forward Together Moral Mondays Movement.

“He’s become part of the leg moving with people to march on Washington. He’s coming here to speak about poverty, the homeless and veterans,” James said.

Last year, James held a conference on homelessness to help bring the local problem to the forefront. Various agencies spoke about what they are doing in the Inland Empire, especially in the Fontana area, to tackle homelessness.

“A lot of people like to stick their heads in the sand when it comes to poor people and the homeless, with children outdoors and hungry,” he said.

But for churches, he believes the situation has been a burden because the demand has increased dramatically over the years.

“We seem to be the ears and voices for people that can’t speak for themselves, and do things that call attention to the needs of the community,” he said.

This time of year, everyone is thinking of Dr. King, and how far society has come from his initial fight for the people.

Nationally, the Census Bureau reports there were 38.1 million people in poverty in 2018. Of those, The poverty rate for non-Hispanic whites was 8.1% in 2018, down from 8.5% in 2017. The poverty rate for Blacks was 20.8%, while the poverty rate for Asians was 10.1%. The poverty rate for Hispanics was 17.6%.

Locally, James said one area of increased poverty he sees is that families had bought homes, but some lost their jobs, and renting costs today are more than an actual house payment.

He has seen entire families displaced.

“It’s not just one or two people,” he said. “Kids live and sleep in their cars with their parents. It’s sad,” he said.

Fontana is not as hard hit by poverty as some other cities in San Bernardino County, but James said African Americans are disproportionately represented.

“My whole goal is as a bishop and pastor in the community is to call attention to that. I can’t solve the problem, but I can keep you from sticking your head in the sand, and saying that it ain’t my problem,” he said.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr | California Black Media

On January 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his record $222 Billion state budget for 2020-21. The $84 billion he allocated in it for K-12 schools and community colleges represents a historic high level of funding for education in California.

The proposed investment in K-14 education is 3.03 percent or $3.8 billion more than last year. Total K-12 expenditures from all sources in the budget are projected to be $17,964 per pupil.

While state spending on education is at its highest level numerically, Governor Newsom expressed that “none of us is spiking the ball” because education outcomes for many students are not where it should be or can be.

According to Newsom, “We are making progress, but it is stubborn and slow. We have disparities that are being closed and disparities that are persistent.”

The achievement gap is being closed for Latinx students, students with disabilities, low income students, and African-American students in some metrics. Latinx students narrowed their gap in English language arts scores and high school graduation rates. Students with disabilities made the greatest gains in math and English language arts. African-American students showed the largest graduation rate gain among student groups.

Where progress has been slow has been with students with disabilities, youth in foster care, homeless youth, and African-American students continuing to score below the state standard on English language arts and math tests.

Newsom was very candid in pointing out that 23 low-performing, high-poverty school districts have an over-representation of African-American students.

 “It seems self evident that we should focus and concentrate our efforts in those areas in order to address ….the substance of the vexing issue as it relates to academic achievement for African-American students.”  

 “We have to start getting serious and do something about it. We believe the biggest achievement boost is fully prepared teachers,” Newsom said.

The governor is proposing $900.1 million to be invested in workforce investment grants, professional development grants for existing teachers, and teacher recruitment strategies.

“The plan is to build a diverse teaching workforce of stable, prepared professional teachers, including more teachers that look like their students. That’s incredibly important as related particularly to African-American achievement,” Newsom said.

The budget includes $100 million to fund $20,000 stipends for new teachers who choose to teach in high-need schools. This addresses the stubborn fact that high-poverty schools have three times as many unprepared teachers.

$300 million in grants is being made available to close the academic achievement in the lowest-performing districts.

Another $300 million is proposed to expand community schools to address students’ physical and mental health needs by establishing public-private partnerships with community services.  The funds will also be used to promote parent engagement.

“Special Education in the state of California is in a crisis,” according to Newsom. About $900 million dollars is being allocated to increase base funding for Special Ed students, support specific teacher training, fund early diagnosing and intervention and pay for studies on how districts are delivering services to respond to the learning needs of those students.

The budget calls for establishing a new Department of Early Childhood Development to consolidate under one roof the various efforts to implement the governor’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, a policy initiative he announced last year.

Newsom is committed to adding 10,000 full-time preschool slots this year and providing universal preschool for all low-income 4-year-olds by the end of next year.

Education leaders’ reactions to the governor’s 2020-21 state budget presentation has been mixed.

“The Governor mentioned that students should have teachers that look more like them, and we couldn’t agree more. We look forward to having the opportunity to invest in our teacher workforce and the pipeline of future teachers coming into the profession, specifically teachers of color and in the fields of science, math, and special education,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said.

State Board of Education President Linda Darling Hammond said, “Some students spend the year in classrooms staffed by highly trained, highly prepared teachers. But many others do not. These disparities are particularly grievous for low-income students of color. The 2020-21 budget investments in educator recruitment and professional development will help place California on solid footing moving forward as we work to build, train and support the kind of high-quality educator workforce all our students need and deserve.”

California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd expresses some cynicism.

“Despite California’s economy consistently expanding – now being ranked fifth-largest in the entire world – we have some of the most underfunded schools in the country,” he said. “We rank 39th in the nation in per-pupil funding. We boast the most overcrowded classrooms in the entire country.”

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner said, “California’s public schools will remain woefully underfunded, especially when compared with the rest of the nation.”

“This budget proposal does not go far enough in funding supports for our most vulnerable students,” Beutner added. “Including students whose families are experiencing homelessness and students with special needs.”

The governor’s presentation begins the formal state budget process. Over the next several months, the California legislature will hold hearings on the budget and special interest groups and the public will have an opportunity to comment on various budget proposals. In mid-May the Governor will release a revised budget plan reflecting changes to spending. The budget will be finalized by the end of  June 2020.