WSSN Stories

By California Black Media

Now is the time to start checking in with your city council and county board to inquire how they will allocate millions of dollars in emergency homelessness aid Gov. Newsom has released to counties and cities across the state.

Gov. Newsom said to funnel the $650 million aid package to counties and cities, he had to bypass roadblocks set up by the Trump administration to delay the funding. President Trump has been a vocal critic of California’s homelessness crisis.

The governor announced the unprecedented $1 billion investment in fighting homelessness when he released his budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year earlier this year. The $650 million emergency spending is a part of it.

“California is doing more than ever before to tackle the homelessness crisis but every level of government, including the federal government, must step up and put real skin in the game,” said Gov. Newsom. “California is making historic investments now to help our communities fight homelessness. But we have work to do and we need the federal government to do its part.”

California law requires local allocation of funding to be based on federally approved 2019 Point in Time homelessness data. Although local governments and Continuums of Care have requested this data from the feds, they have not yet received it.

The governor said counties and cities can begin applying for and spending 75 percent of the money ($500 million) while they wait on the numbers from the feds.

The governor has appointed Matthew Doherty, who has over 25 years of experience working on federal solutions to homelessness under the Obama and Trump administrations, as an expert advisor to his office and state agencies.  

“I am excited to work with Gov. Newsom, who has demonstrated national leadership addressing homelessness throughout his career and be part of California’s efforts to tackle the issue head on.”

Together, San Bernardino, Kern and Riverside counties, for example, are expected to receive a total of approximately $36 million.

By Naomi K. Bonman

When perseverance, patience and faith work together, they all pay off for good! The highest paid woman football player, Santia Deck, just signed a multi-million-dollar contract with the Women’s Football League of America (WFLA).

She announced the good news via LinkedIn on Wednesday, December 11.

“I signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the WFLA!” she explains. “This still doesn’t feel real to me. I was told a few months ago that I wasn’t going to make the Olympic team for rugby because I wasn’t “developed” enough because I put my body and mind through the ringer in preparation for a USA tryout. I was so exhausted and burnt out by the time I finally got a chance to compete in front of the USA coach I had nothing left; It was the worst performance of my life!”

After that ordeal, Deck stated that she started questioning her worth, her abilities and even God. It took her awhile to pull herself out of the slump, but to her dismay, He was preparing her for something BIGGER. And that something bigger was to make history and to solidify her family and future kids’ futures. 

“I didn’t understand at the time what God was doing, all I could see was I had failed, again, and I was broken. I’m so glad I got on my knees that night and told God ‘I surrender, I don’t know what is happening, but I trust you and I give you the reigns over my life’“ because when I did, my life changed forever. Thank you, Lord, for never leaving,” Deck explained.

This story is a true testament to never give up on your ultimate goal. When they try to tell you that you are not “experienced” enough (when you actually are) or that you lack something, just remember that something much bigger is stirring in the pot that you just can’t see yet. What is not for you at the current time is not for you, but what IS for you right now IS for you. Keep striving. What one doesn’t see in you, the next one does.

8TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MINI TOUR STOPS IN ATLANTA, HOUSTON, NEW YORK, NASHVILLE AND MOREDECEMBER 14-23 2019

Los Angeles, Calif.– Grammy® Award Winner and Global Recording Artist Kirk Whalum8^th Annual Gospel According To Jazz Christmas tour is in selected markets now. Whalum will perform his biggest hits, holiday favorites, and songs from his latest album, Humanite’ The dates will feature John Stoddart and Kevin Whalum, along with this year’s special guests, vocalist Maysa and guitarist Adam Hawley.

Kirk’s new music, Humanite was produced by his longtime friend, producer, British jazz trumpeter and session musician, James McMillan. Over a period of three months in 2018, Kirk and James recorded the soul-drenched, emotional and highly melodic tracks in locations ranging from studios in Jakarta, Tokyo, Paris, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Hastings, to hotel rooms, office buildings and even Kirk’s living room in his hometown, Memphis, Tenn.

Standout tracks that showcase the album’s harmonious mix of American jazz, blues, funk and pop, along with global indigenous musical forms, abound on Humanité and include the high velocity fusion track, “Korogocho,” featuring jazz master bass player Marcus Miller in a death-defying duel with young Indonesian bass sharp-shooter Barry Likumahuwa; a silky ballad about the power of education and enlightenment, “Wake Up Everybody,” featuring Indonesian superstar, Afgan; and the uplifting, gorgeous contemporary jazz/R&B track and debut single, “Get Your Wings Up,” featuring guitarist/vocalist Andréa Lisa.

“Music is the language that communicates across borders. Music can break and enter into a person’s soul,” said Kirk. “The difference is that she is not there to take, she’s there to give, to leave something when she goes.”

KIRK WHALUM Humanité TRAILER

(Click photo below to watch trailer)

Again, this year local children will have a brighter Christmas, thanks to the Phyllis-Queen Foundation.

The Phyllis-Queen Foundation is a family run foundation led by Art, and Fredda Davis, Don, Clarisa Howard, Troy Davis (son) assisted by other friends C. Reed A. Brown.

The Foundation’s family members grew up in the City of San Bernardino. Better known as the “Valley Truck Farm.”  They believe in the importance of giving back to the community to help improve the lives of economically challenged youth.

The organization work with several churches in the community to vet the children for eligibility who would benefit most from the shopping experience.

The children are given a stipend or gift card valued at 125.00 and can choose some of those favorite toys, that they only dreamed of having.

For the past 12 years they have held this event at the Target store on Orange show road, and Arrowhead, but unfortunately this year, due to some logistical challenges, the children will take their early morning stroll down the aisles of Walmart, Rialto Ca., selecting their toys before the crowds arrive.

In recognition of the foundation’s work the pastors and members of Temple Missionary Baptist, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, Black Rose, and the word of God Church. Presented Phyllis/Queen Foundation with a plaque in appreciation for over a decade of giving back to our community.

Mr., and Mrs. Davis surprised these Pastors and leaders with a collective Donations of $25,000.00 thousand dollars to be distributed as a gift to their prospective organizations.

The Davis’ believes that we must weather the storm together, before we can enjoy the sunshine, we must work together, regardless of Race, Religion, or Political belief; we are all one race under God.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

About two years ago, Calvin Dubois, Executive Director of First Step Group Homes (FSGH) in San Bernardino County, says he made the right call when he subdued and held down an enraged child in his care.

The 17-year-old boy was armed with  a six-inch knife outside of the home, according to Dubois.

Video of the June 5, 2017 incident details how Dubois, who is African American, overpowered and held the child down in the front yard of the Rialto home that houses high risk, hard-to-place boys.

Dubois, 33, says his move “saved the child’s life.”

“Calm down, calm down,” Dubois repeated to the boy, who is also Black, in a measured voice after pinning the teen’s wrists to the ground as he held him down, the video footage shows.

But the state of California sees it differently.

The Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) argues that  Dubois “verbally taunted” and  engaged in  behavior that “violated the personal rights of the child.” Last month, CDSS revoked FSGH’s license and dismantled the group home, leading to the displacement of 12 foster children in Dubois’ care.

“The state doesn’t understand the importance of intervening in these situations with Black and Brown kids before the police get involved,” Dubois said. “As if Black kids aren’t being killed everyday.”

Dubois was referencing the scores of recent shootings of Black boys and men by police officers around the country and in California. In many of those cases, the officers suspected the victims were armed and dangerous, as in the case of Joseph Mann, a 51-year-old Black Sacramento man who two police officers shot more than a dozen times and killed. Mann was wielding a 4-inch knife.

Now, the African American-owned-and-operated FSGH has filed a discrimination lawsuit against CDSS.

“I was told that I should have closed the door and left him outside, but if he kills himself or gets killed by police, that’s on me,” Dubois said, noting his disagreement with the action the CDSS told him he should have taken.

Neither Dubois nor the child suffered any serious injury during the confrontation.

George Jones, the attorney representing Dubois, said his client’s case reflects a broader pattern of discrimination against Black men working with the state social services system. He also praised FSGH and Dubois’ relationship with the foster youth.

“He’s like their big brother. They think he walks on water,” Jones said.

On Dec. 2, community members and activists assembled at the San Bernardino County Counsel building to support Dubois and FSGH, holding up signs that read “Protect Foster Care Youth” and “Keep People in Power Accountable.”

The Rev. Shane Harris, a social justice activist, spoke in strong support of Dubois at the event, saying, “African Americans have to go through harsher processes with licenses for childcare services. This is where California has failed.”

“The bottom line is that Calvin was trying to protect that child and he’s being punished for it,” Harris said. “He saved this boy’s life and that is exactly the kind of leadership we need.”

Dubois’ main focus is bringing the displaced boys back home, as many of them had become settled into the San Bernardino County neighborhood, he says.

“They tried to hurt me, and they did. But they also hurt 12 boys who weren’t at fault. Boys who had girlfriends, jobs and lives here who now have no choice where they’re moved to,” Dubois said. “How inhumane is that?”

In an email to California Black Media, Scott Murray, Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Outreach Programs at the CDSS, said “the department cannot comment on litigation.”

However, Murray shared the court order and decision which states, “Constraint is only to be used as a last resort,” according to the “Program Plan.”

“Manual restraints are never approved for use for the purpose of punishment or discipline; harassment or humiliation, or to prevent an individual from leaving the facility, except when the individual is running away and this poses an immediate danger to the individual, among other things,” the document reads.

Since the incident, Dubois’ has been engaged in a battle with the CDSS. According to his timeline of events, his removal came after the CCLD cleared him of his “deficiency” in August of 2018.

But CDSS is defending its right to revoke Dubois’ license.

“The fact that a deficiency has been cleared, however, does not eliminate the authority of the department to seek revocation or suspension of a license, or to seek exclusion of a person, under applicable law,” CDSS states.

Jones expressed dissatisfaction with the process CDSS used to shut down FSGH and revoke Dubois’ license, referring to the agency’s administrative hearings as “kangaroo courts.”

“There were two days of testimonies but [CDSS] won’t give us the transcripts, which means we can’t appeal their decision,” said Jones.

In October, Gov. Newsom signed AB 175, also known as the Foster Care Rights Act, into law. The bill introduced by California Legislative Black Caucus member Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson), revises the rights of children in the care of the state. It makes provisions for foster kids to receive culturally competent care and takes other measures to reduce police intervention, which have led to high rates of kids in foster care crossing over into the juvenile delinquency system.

In an open letter to members of the San Bernardino County community, Dubois claimed that CDSS did not take issue with the way FSGH operates but instead with him being at the helm.

“Seeing that the issue was with me, I even offered to step down as executive director so that the boys wouldn’t be disrupted. CCLD denied my offer,” Dubois said.

At the rally, Harris called on Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino) and Gov. Gavin Newsom to investigate the state’s handling of FSGH and Dubois.

As for Dubois, he remains committed to seeing the case through and changing the way, he says, the system operates, especially when it comes to African-American caregivers.

“My team and I will continue to fight until things are turned around, First Step Group Homes’ name is cleared, and all 12 of our boys are back home,” Dubois said. “We are demanding that the State of California look at the systemic way people are being destroyed without due process.”

By Lou Yeboah

God is sounding the alarm for His people: ‘Wake up, Wake up! Look what’s happening! Look what’s going on in the nation! Look what’s happening in families – look what’s happening to the next generation. Wake up church! I’ve called you to do something! I’ve called you to make a difference. Wake up out of this slumber and get back into a life flow of God. The church is in pitiful shape. Leaders are not leading, servants aren’t serving, worshippers aren’t worshipping. Some aren’t giving, others aren’t attending, many aren’t growing, and the majority aren’t evangelizing. Wake up! Wake up from your slumber!

The Christian life is an active life, it is a life of service…it is a life that requires attentiveness, alertness and labor! But some of you have gone to sleep! Your work for the Lord is idle, your support for the church is waning, your love for others has grown cold, your heart has grown hard, your Christian progress is stagnant, and your adversary is planning an attack. And you are sleeping through it all! Your home is being destroyed, your children are rebellious, your family is falling apart, and you are asleep! Communities are crumbling, neighbors are hurting, friends are suffering, and the church is asleep! Society is in a deplorable condition and getting worse. Wickedness abounds, sin is accepted, Jesus is rejected, evil is celebrated, and God is blasphemed. All because the church has been asleep for too long. Wake up! Wake up from your slumber!

We can’t blame these problems on the world, we can’t blame the government, we can’t even blame the devil! The problem is that too many Christians are asleep. And God is calling us to wake from our slumber! Wake up!  The hour is late the night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Therefore. I tell you, it’s imperative that we awake from our slumber.

For life is short, eternity is too long, souls are too precious, and proclaiming the Gospel is too important for us to sleep through it all. Jesus is coming soon. What we are going to do for Him we better do quickly. Paul said in Romans 13:11 ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now, is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” …Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is…Ephesians 4:14-18. Wake up! Wake up!

By California Black Media Staff

On January 1, 2020, California will enact a new law, the CROWN Act or Senate Bill 188, that protects Black women and men from discrimination in the workplace for wearing natural hairstyles.

 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law, the first of its kind in the nation, in July. 

Authored by state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), who is African American, the bill expands the definition of racial discrimination to include hair. 

“We believe this is just the beginning of the end to hair discrimination. It’s another chink in the armor of racial discrimination in this country and I’m just proud to be part of the movement,” Mitchell said when the governor signed her bill. 

Just weeks before the law takes effect, news broke that SAG-AFTRA, the Los Angeles-based labor union representing more than 160,000 television and film industry professionals, is investigating the circumstances of popular actress Gabrielle Union’s dismissal from her job as a judge on the NBC television series “America’s Got Talent,” partly because of her rotating natural hairstyles. 

Four sources who claim to have insider information about the way decision makers at the television competition series treated Union say the actress received more than six notes describing her hairstyles as “too black.”  

Union, known for her roles in more than 25 films and as the star of the long-running BET series “Being Mary Jane,” has not made public comment about the incident. But her husband, NBA star Dwayne Wade, has tweeted about her firing. 

If Union decides to sue NBC or the show’s producers for hair discrimination, she will not be able to stand on the CROWN act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, because of the timing of her case. 

But the show producers have confirmed that they are speaking with Union’s representatives to resolve their differences. 

Some Twitter users are calling for a boycott of the show. 

By California Black Media

Keeping up with the high cost of pensions in California is hurting public sector employers, city budgets and leading to the firing of some minority money managers at CalPERS, the California Public Employee Retirement System, which is valued at $387 billion, according to Bloomberg News. 

In its annual report, released in November, CalPERS confirmed that it risks falling into “low funding levels.” If this happens, the agency responsible for managing the health and pension benefits of more than a million public employees in California may not able to pay its bills or pay out its commitments. 

The League of California Cities, which represents more than 400 municipalities across the state, is alarmed by the growing mandatory payments they have to cough up to CalPERS for employee pensions and benefits, too, according to CalMatters. Between fiscal years 2016 and 2017, that number skyrocketed by more 8 billion. 

In an effort to streamline its own costs, CalPERS announced last week that it is scaling back on its “Emerging” equity fund program. Launched in 1991 to increase diversity among its portfolio managers, the program contracts external money mangers, mostly women and minority-owned firms managing assets worth less than $2 billion who are charged with investing on behalf of the largest public pension system in the United States. 

The returns those “emerging” managers were bringing in fell below the agency’s targets by 126 “basis points,” according to an agency spokesperson. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network, said CalPERS’ decision to cut the minority money mangers is “unacceptable” and comes as a surprise to him. 

“Last year, the National Action Network and I met with Marci Frost and Ted Eliopoulis from CalPERS in Sacramento, both of whom committed to increasing the utilization of diverse asset managers across all asset classes by creating a level playing field,” Sharpton told California Black Media. “It is clear that Ted is gone and the board has inoculated the new CIO, Ben Meng, from finding and utilizing high performing talented diverse managers that reflect the diversity of the pensioners.

In an October memo, CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost said the agency is “restructuring” its emerging manager program, “reducing” the number of managers, and cutting the assets those investors manage from $3.6 billion to $500 million. 

The well-known Hilton Hotels attract guests of all ethnicities and cultures due to their 4-star rating, rave reviews, amenities, and luxury ambiance. These qualities also attracted Heather M. Bassett. After carefully researching her many Hotel options in the area, Heather decided this Hotel was where her and 7-year old daughter would stay, as they visited Disneyland for her daughter’s first time. To their dismay, Heather’s decision wasn’t filled with “fond memories” as Kathrine S. (Hilton Hotel’s Corporate Guest Relations Specialist) states:

“We strive to make sure that each guest has an excellent stay with fond memories”, but rather, Heather and her daughter’s stay resulted in memories of inconveniences and great stresses; as they experienced unethical practices from the Hotel staff.

Heather explains her story: Heather’s decision to stay at the Hilton Hotel – Anaheim was influenced by a couple amenities; such as the water playground area for her daughter, a refrigerator in the room, and the most important factor, a restaurant in the Hotel which offered vegetarian food. As a vegetarian and borderline vegan, Heather completed her due diligence as traveling requires extra research on menu options and hours of food preparation for the days not eating out. On the day of travel, she carried two small ice chests filled with pre-made food, including: smoothies, non-dairy yogurt, beans, and vegetable dishes, which quickly went into the room refrigerator, upon their arrival. Heather planned their first night to dine at The Mix, and already knew the menu options they would order. After driving 9 hours, restless, and hungry, Heather and her daughter arrived at the Mix around 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. eagerly anticipating the food options. To their utter disbelief, the waitress expressed, the Hotel couldn’t accommodate their vegetarian requests because the “chief wasn’t there,” apologized, and said “there was nothing they could do.” Heather immediately spoke with one of the Hotel Managers, but he too just apologized and assisted them with looking at a map of the other restaurants in the area.  

The next morning Heather and her daughter awoke in total excitement, dressed, and went to the refrigerator to find there was no cooling coming from the inside, at all. The refrigerator didn’t work and all their food for the next two days, was ruined. Heather contacted Hilton customer service late that night, but all that was offered was $100 off the bill.

                                    Vegetarian Challenges

If you are not a vegetarian/border line vegan one cannot possibly imagine how these issues impacts someone’s life; especially on vacation. You see, Heather and her daughter refrain from eating sugars, processed foods, gluten, dairy, meat, and eggs so without their prepared food, their health was affected, they experienced uncomfortable symptoms, and were incredibly inconvenienced with making trips to the grocery store, but couldn’t prepare meals, or put food in the refrigerator because the Hotel didn’t offer to come fix or replace it.  

Over a year later, November 2019, Heather emailed her thorough complaint to two of Hilton Hotel customer service representatives, CEO – Christopher Nassetta and finally mailed a certified letter to Jonathan Witter – Chief Customer Officer, requesting small compensation and the Hotel policies for vegetarian options being made available to the guests. The only thing Heather received were apologies from 3 representatives and this statement from Executive Ambassador Colleen Rosales who wrote;

“In the future should you have a problem at a hotel please bring your concerns to the management team so that they can investigate it and make it right while you are the hotel.”
And customer service representative Marielle O who stated:

“Anything below our Brand Standards is immediately addressed. We regret to inform you we are only able to go back as far as 12 months to address any issues. We sincerely apologize.”

Clearly, the actions communicated from these representatives were not executed at the time of Heather’s stay, complaint instructions were not provided to Heather, and most importantly, the Hotel is now neglecting the main issue of discrimination against a vegetarian’s lifestyle.

Hilton Hotel may be one of the largest brands in the World but fails greatly in Hotel guest accommodation.

Freweini Mebrahtu has dedicated her life to keeping girls in school by designing a reusable menstrual pad and trying to end the cultural stigma around the issue — and because of her work, she has been named the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Mebrahtu said when receiving the award. “I am so humbled and grateful for CNN … this is for all the girls and women everywhere. Dignity for all.”

Online voters selected Mebrahtu as the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year award from among the Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists. Mebrahtu — who is from Ethiopia and studied chemical engineering in the US — designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad in 2005.

She and her team produce 750,000 reusable pads a year at her factory in Ethiopia. Nearly 800,000 girls and women have benefited from her work. More than 80 percent of the pads she manufactures are sold to non-governmental organizations that distribute them for free.