WSSN Stories

By Rob Falkenberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of California

Open enrollment season is here, a time when more than 18.3 million people in California and millions of Americans across the country will have the opportunity to select or switch their health insurance plan for 2020.  

To help guide you during this important time, here are some tips that may help lead you to better health and cost savings.

Tip 1: Know your open enrollment dates

• For the more than 178 million Americans with employer-provided coverage, many employers set aside a two-week period between September and December when employees can select health benefits for the following year.
• For the more than 64 million people enrolled in Medicare, Medicare Annual Enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year.

For most people, changes made during this time will take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Tip 2: Understand your options. When it comes to selecting a plan, one size does not fit all. Take the time to understand your options so you can find what will work best for you. A good first step is to make sure you understand health insurance lingo, such as premium, deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum. If you need a refresher, check out UnitedHealth Group’s Just Plain Clear Glossary (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) to learn and understand health care terms. And if you’re eligible for Medicare, make sure you’re familiar with the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage as you weigh your options.

Tip 3: Anticipate next year’s health expenses.  When reviewing your options, plan ahead. Maybe you are expecting a significant health event next year, such as a surgery or having a baby. If so, then it’s even more important to compare the “total cost” of your plan, not just your monthly premium. Plan designs vary, so also compare deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.

Tip 4: Check to make sure your medications are covered

Even if you don’t expect to change plans, it’s important to make sure your prescription drugs will still be covered next year. Costs can change from year to year, and how much you pay for generics vs. brands may differ among health plans.

Tip 5: Ask about well-being programs. Many health plans now offer financial incentives that reward you for taking healthier actions, such as completing a health survey, walking, going to the gym or not using nicotine. Also, many Medicare Advantage plans offer gym memberships and wellness programs for members at no additional costs.

Tip 6: Don’t forget about specialty benefits

Additional benefits, such as dental, vision, hearing, disability or critical illness insurance, are often cost-effective coverage options that can help protect you and your family from head to toe. For Medicare beneficiaries, some may be surprised that Original Medicare doesn’t cover prescription drugs and most dental, vision and hearing services, but many Medicare Advantage plans do.

Tip 7: Try the convenience of virtual visits. If you are busy juggling kids’ schedules or work travel, or simply prefer to connect with a doctor from the comfort of your own home,  consider choosing a plan that includes 24/7 virtual visits. It may be a convenient, lower-cost way to talk to a doctor about minor health issues, and all you need is a smartphone, tablet or computer. Often, telehealth is available to members of employer-sponsored, individual and Medicare Advantage plans.

For more helpful articles and videos about open enrollment and health care, visit UHCOpenEnrollment.com.

A celebration of global culture and community

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA—- On September 28, 2019 from 11am to 6pm nearly four thousand women congregated at Grand Park in Downtown, Los Angeles for the fourth annual Head Wraps in the Park Festival made possible by Red Bay Coffee Roasters.  The event is a celebration of culture and the brainchild of Fatima Dodson, a local business owner in Los Angeles. The concept for the festival originated from the desire and need to create a safe space for women of all ethnicities to celebrate wearing head wraps. Head wraps, also known as “goddess wraps”, are a garment of choice associated with the natural hair movement in the African-American community. Goddess head wrapping is a global tradition ranging from South Asia to Africa. It is an art form that bridges cultures and also wonderfully displays creativity in textile arts & crafts. Originating in Sub-Saharan Africa, head wraps are an African beauty statement. Worn on the head and symbolizing a crown, the head wrap either covers hair completely or ties as a headband around the forehead to reveal the hair. There are many ways that someone can tie a head wrap, making it versatile enough to fit most personal styles.

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The annual event draws women from around the world. “The event is appreciated by the community and provides the opportunity to celebrate African culture and beauty,” says Fatima Dodson. 

Red Bay Coffee, the black-owned sustainable specialty coffee company with headquarters in Oakland, California, is a proud sponsor of the Head Wraps in the Park festival. Since its founding in 2014, Red Bay has been at the forefront of the fourth wave of coffee—a firm commitment to ensure coffee production is not only high quality and sustainable, but also a vehicle for social unity and economic empowerment. Red Bay Coffee’s Public Roasteries serve as hubs for building community and bringing Beautiful Coffee to the People.

“People are in need of a sense of courage and positivity. When Fatima invited us to support Head Wraps In The Park, we were happy to help. We source our coffee beans directly from countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mexico, and Colombia–all with a rich history of creativity and expression. Celebrating culture truly resonates with us,” says Keba Konte Founder and CEO at Red Bay Coffee.

The arts and culture festival will included experiences for all ages. Event highlights included panel discussions, heading wrapping bars, live DJ, food and beverage trucks, photo and art exhibits and so much more. Red Bay Coffee and Head Wraps in the Park also supported a social media head wrap contest with cash prizes given to winners. A special moment was captured when attendees gathered and organized for a photos in the shape of the continent of Africa.

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ABOUT RED BAY COFFEE ROASTERS

Since 2014 Red Bay Coffee Roasters has been building a global community through a commitment to bringing Beautiful Coffee to the People and ensuring economic opportunity with a team that values diversity and inclusion. Red Bay Coffee envisions a world in which specialty coffee is a vehicle for social restoration and environmental sustainability.  Red Bay Coffee’s commitment to producing the best and most beautiful coffee starts by building and maintaining real relationships with the farmers and cooperatives that harvest, process, and prepare some of the best green coffee in the world. Red Bay Coffee believes in fair relations and prides itself on creating value streams that emphasize experience and ethics, not just supply and demand.  

In 2016, Red Bay Coffee established its first public roastery and production headquarters in the Fruitvale District of Oakland, California. Since then, Red Bay Coffee continues to spread its footprint throughout the United States through several locations and directly to customer’s doorsteps nationwide. Red Bay Coffee Roasters was founded by Keba Konte, a renowned local artist and successful food entrepreneur with deep roots in the San Francisco Bay area’s specialty coffee and hospitality industry. Konte continues to foster his vision of using Red Bay Coffee as a platform to create a culture of equity, where all people are celebrated, in addition to bringing greater opportunities for those historically marginalized and/or left out of the specialty coffee industry, particularly people of color, the formerly incarcerated, women and people with disabilities. www.redbaycoffee.com

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SACRAMENTO, CA—- Today, Assemblymember Holden’s College Athlete Civil Rights Act of 2019 was signed into law. The legislation, Assembly Bill 1573, gives college athletes more tools and protection to address the challenges or abuses they may face on campus. The bill also allows colleges to create a degree completion fund.

“Many college athletes are putting everything on the line and risking their bodies, and for some, one injury away from losing everything. Others are at risk of losing it all for speaking out for their team or any abuses they are experiencing as college coaches have the power to keep you on or off the team,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “This bill is personal for me – before I started my journey in public service, I played college basketball for San Diego State University.”

Abuses and unfair policies against college athletes have made headlines and raised questions about the way college sports programs are run. Assembly Bill 1573 requires schools to inform students of their rights with documentation and public signage and prohibits retaliation by schools if a student reports violations of abuse or violation of rights.

“In addition to providing protection, laying out a path for universities to create a degree completion is a big step towards creating an equitable system for college athletes,” said Holden. “I hope to see universities across California establish degree completion funds in the near future – whether to help students complete their academic program should they lose their eligibility, or to provide a savings account to collect money earned through sponsorships that would be available upon graduation.”

Nielsen’s Latest Report Reveals How Technology and Culture Drive Black Buying

African Americans want more for themselves and from corporate America, and they express it with their dollars as they move through the consumer journey, from brand awareness to purchase, as revealed today in Nielsen’s 2019 Diverse Intelligence Series (DIS) Report on African Americans.

It’s in the Bag: Black Consumers’ Path to Purchase explores the non-linear and uniquely technologically driven road that African Americans follow to make purchasing decisions, which ultimately maximizes both online and in-person shopping options. This path highlights several differences in shopping behavior and purchasing when compared to the total U.S. population. The report also includes deeper insights into how culture, socio-economics and business influences how, why and what motivates African American spending in a special co-authored section by advocate and media commentator Angela Rye, CEO and Principal of Impact Strategies.

“At 47.8 million strong and a buying power that’s on par with many countries’ gross domestic products, African Americans continue to outpace spending nationally,” said Cheryl Grace, Nielsen’s Senior Vice President of Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement and co-creator of the DIS Report. “This year, we wanted to help brands and marketers understand the multi-faceted process that Blacks take to buy the products they buy. There are several drivers, but culture is at the center of them all. Further, with their love for technology, they are much more savvy and conscious consumers. They are as we say, ‘woke.’ They pay attention to how companies are speaking to them. As they spend more, they want more for themselves and from the brands they support.”

Dating back to 2011, this is Nielsen’s ninth report highlighting the media consumption, purchasing habits, lifestyle interests and economic advancements of African Americans. It is the third in a theme, released by Nielsen this year following the comprehensive purchasing processes of Asian American and Latinx consumers. Key takeaways from It’s in the Bag: Black Consumers Path to Purchase include:

African Americans are welcoming recipients of advertising across all channels. However, while the trends of the Black buying power and over-indexing in spending continue to increase, companies’ investments to advertise to them have decreased.

• African Americans are more likely than the total population to agree that advertising provides meaningful information on most platforms, including mobile (42% higher), television (23% higher), radio (21% higher) and the internet (18% higher).
• Advertising spend designed to reach Black consumers declined 5% between 2017 and 2018.

Physical appearance reflects a sense of cultural pride and self-expression in the Black community. This is evidenced by the top spending priorities for African Americans from everyday soap to luxury handbags.

• African Americans outspend the total market on personal soap and bath needs by nearly 19% ($573.6 million).
• Men are making an impact with grooming habits, outpacing the total market by 20% on toiletry items.
• Blacks are 20% more likely than the total population to say they will “pay extra for a product that is consistent with the image I want to convey.”
• They are also more likely to say they shop at high-end stores including Saks Fifth Avenue (63%), Neiman Marcus (45%) and Bloomingdales (24%).

While online shopping grows, African Americans continue to head to physical stores for the personal touch and feel experience—but with more discerning eyes.

• More than half (52%) of African Americans find in-store shopping relaxing, compared with 26% of the total population.
• 55% of Black consumers say they enjoy wandering the store looking for new, interesting products.
• When shopping, African Americans are more influenced than the total population by store staff (34% more likely), in-store advertising (28% more likely) and merchandising (27% more likely).

The “for us by us” trend of Black-owned brands is profoundly impacting the African American path to purchase and consumer marketplace. Black consumers support brands that align with their lifestyles and values.

• African Americans dominate the ethnic hair and beauty aids category, accounting for almost 90% of the overall spend.
• 42% of Black adults expect brands they purchase to support social causes (16% higher than the total population).
• 35% of African American shoppers are more likely to agree, “when a celebrity designs a product, I am more likely to buy it.”
• Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the largest advertiser in African American media, spending more than a half-billion dollars ($544.3 million). Five of the top 20 baby care category products come from P&G’s Pampers and Luvs brands.

Soul food drives African American consumers’ top grocery purchases. These consumers are also passionate about the environment, wanting to buy safe, locally sourced food items.

• African Americans outpace the general market on: Quaker grits ($19 million); Louisiana Fish Fry ($11 million); Glory Greens (frozen and fresh, $9.5 million combined) and Jay’s Potato Chips (nearly $2.7 million).
• 61% say produce is the most important category to buy local, followed by bakery and prepared foods (56%), eggs (55%) and dairy (52%).
• Blacks over-index the total population concerned about food safety issues: antibiotic use in animal production (by 20%); artificial ingredients (by 19%) and GMO crop development due to climate change. The biggest worry is rising prices due to trade tariffs (68% Blacks vs. 56% total population).

“Nielsen continues to unearth undeniable data and insights that highlight both the agency and power of Black consumers, and the plethora of opportunities that exist for companies that are focused on nurturing and empowering how they move through the world,” said Jonathan Jackson, former 2019 Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellow in Journalism Innovation at The Nieman Foundation for Journalism and member of Nielsen’s African American External Advisory Council.

Nielsen uses U.S. Census data to determine population estimates that inform its U.S. panels and its understanding of consumer behavior. Given the rapid diversification of the U.S. population, an accurate census has never been more important. That’s why Nielsen has signed on as a 2020 Census Official Partner with the U.S. Census Bureau and utilized census data to show the economic and demographic impact of African American consumers. This is the second time the company has leveraged this partnership for the Diverse Intelligence Series, after the 2019 Latinx consumer report, released in August.

For more data and insights, download It’s In the Bag: Black Consumers Path to Purchase at Nielsen’s African American community site. Nielsen invites consumers to weigh in on the discussion using the hashtag #TruthBeTold on social media. Follow Nielsen on Facebook (NielsenCommunity) and Twitter (@NielsenKnows).

By Lou Yeboah

For thus saith the Lord, “My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. LET IT GO – NOW!  “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” [Isaiah 43:19]. “For I am the LORD your God, the one who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.” [Isaiah 41:13]. LET IT GO – NOW!

 I tell you, the joy of leaving everything in the Lord’s hands is seeing the Lord’s hand in everything. Listen, God will never take something away from you without the intention of replacing it with something much better! The crucial thing for us to remember is that all that God does for us as his children is for our good. He is blessed in both the giving and the taking away because both are for the sake of our joy. [Ephesians 3:20] tells us that He wants to do abundantly above and beyond ALL that we could ever ask or think. And if we trust Him enough to take Him at His Word, we will find ourselves on a journey toward the fulfillment of whatever we need. Therefore, humble yourself and seek to understand what the Lord is doing around you.  For God has written a destiny over your lilfe, and if you trust Him enough to take Him at His Word, you will find yourself on a journey toward the fulfillment of that destiny. Take your hands off the wheel and let God have His way in your life. LET IT GO! Total surrender everything to Him. For now is the time to release all control of your destination over to Jesus -whether you understand or not. Because as long as you hold on and try making sense of everything and of where He is leading you His will can’t prevail. LET IT GO – NOW!

You see, when you finally put your complete trust in Him -blinded by faith- Jesus will bring you beyond the troublesome and cumbersome same old same old and thrust you into a bright new place. So close your eyes and release it all into the hands of God. Get out of the driver’s seat and stop trying to find your own way. Stop trying to understand the path that He’s taking you. He will restore what has been lost. He will resurrect what has died. He will give beauty for ashes. Just give up and let Him take over. LET IT GO – NOW! And let Jesus take the wheel.

“In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.  [Proverbs 3:6]

“We need to take the stigma away from mental health issues in the Black family.”

There is a tradition in Black families that says mental health problems are really a “demon” inside the person and all you need is prayer to get better.  “You don’t have demon, you need help,” says Cathedral of Praise International Ministries, Bishop Craig W. Johnson last Sunday as he introduced mental health day with the Broken Crayons Still Color Project created by the Healthy Heritage Movement.

Bishop Johnson’s comments introduced one of the nation’s leading clinical psychologists Dr. Gloria Morrow and the Broken Crayons Still Color Project to the Cathedral of Praise congregation in two services discussing the need for professional mental health in the Black Community.

Broken Crayons Still Color Project is an eight-week program created and presented by the non-profit Healthy Heritage Movement at churches in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.  It is taught by Dr. Gloria Morrow and Dr. Candance Walters.  

“This program is designed for African American women to learn effective strategies to cope with and identify signs of depression, stress, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, and other mental strains,” said Dr. Morrow.

“Broken Crayons Still Color Project is important to implement in the faith community because churches are one of the central institutions for African Americans; and when they are able to integrate spirituality with some of the psychological concepts that are important for them to learn, it really makes a difference,” said Dr. Morrow.

“Our Mission is to decrease health disparities and increase health equity in the African American Community”, said Healthy Heritage Movement founder Phyllis Clark.

“Some people in church don’t just need prayer, they need a pill, or they need therapy, or pastoral guidance.  We do our best to distinguish between them,” said Bishop Johnson.  “We need to take the stigma away from mental health issues in the Black family.”

Bishop Johnson understands the need for mental health support.  Before becoming a pastor, he served as a Peer Group Counselor, Probation Group Counselor, Employment Services Counselor, Social Service Worker, Independent Living Skills Program Coordinator, Service Program Specialist, and Social Services Supervisor.

For a list of Black mental health professionals in the Inland Empire, for a class near you or more information visit BrokenCrayons.org or call (951) 682-1717 or email: pyclark@healthyheritage.org

The Broken Crayons Still Color Project is made possible by the California Reducing Disparities Project – Office of Health Equity.

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About Healthy Heritage

Healthy Heritage Movement, Inc. was founded in 2007 by Phyllis Y. Clark in Southern California. Created to target and address health disparities within the African American community, Healthy Heritage Movement focuses on the wellbeing of African Americans through health education, policy change, and community outreach. For more information on Healthy Heritage go to: www.HealthyHeratige.org.

About Bishop Johnson
Bishop Johnson is a graduate of California Baptist University with a BA in Religion and a BA in Behavioral Science, he studied Social Work and Public Administration at Cal State San Bernardino and a Doctor of Theology from Pentecostal Bible College. For more information on Cathedral of Praise church and Bishop Johnson go to: http://copim.org

About Dr. Gloria Morrow

Dr. Morrow has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University, and a BS degree in Psychology from the University of La Verne.  For more information on Dr. Morrow go to: http://www.gloriamorrow.com/bio.html

By Tanu Henry| California Black Media

North Carolina passed a law prohibiting Black slaves from reading and writing during the state’s 1830-31 legislative session.

The law read in part, “That any free person, who shall hereafter teach, or attempt to teach, any slave within the State to read or write, … or shall give or sell to such slave or slaves any books or pamphlets, shall be liable to indictment in any court of record in this State…not exceeding thirty nine lashes, nor less than twenty lashes.”   

When the emancipation proclamation freed African-American slaves some 32 years later, slave-holding states like North Carolina did not automatically throw out the harsh anti-literacy legislation they had been using to oppress slaves. Those laws, the Jim Crow ones that followed, segregated schools, under-funded school districts – as well as other economic, political and social factors – all played a role in erecting barriers to a quality education for African Americans over the decades that followed.

Now almost 150 years later, Black students, especially African-American boys, are failing in the American education system at alarming rates. Social scholars are saying it’s an epidemic in need of a remedy now.

“Since we entered this country, there has been a system in place with the explicit expectation that our humanity will be robbed from us,” said Steve Perry, an African-American educator, school choice advocate and head of Capital Preparatory Schools in Connecticut and New York.

Perry was participating in a panel discussion on charter schools and school choice that took place during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference, held in Washington, D.C., September 11-15 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Journalist Roland Martin leads a traveling town hall called “School Choice is the Black Choice.” This month, he brought the town hall to the Black caucus convention with a panel of educators. On stage, Perry joined Elizabeth Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union; Shawn Hardnett, founder and executive director of Statesman Preparatory Academy for Boys in Washington, D.C.; and Margaret Fortune, President and CEO of Fortune School, a network of California charter schools based in Sacramento.

More than 100 guests showed up for the talk focused on discussing ways to improve African American educational outcomes.

“To keep Black children in a failing school system is absurd, and should be illegal,” said Fortune, who shared personal accounts with the audience about her experience going through the authorization process to open a charter school and running her system of K-12 college prep schools.

She also recounted highlights of her grueling fight this year against three bills in California – supported by the NAACP – that would have restricted the operations and growth of the taxpayer-funded independent schools in her state. Most of them operate in poor minority communities.

“I challenge Black education leaders to come together for the benefit of Black children,” urged Fortune, who also shared data with the audience about the progress her school has made since first opening in 1989.

She said students at Fortune schools in Sacramento – mostly poor, Black and Latino – are excelling above state averages. Three of them are among the top 10 achieving schools in all of California

“In my flagship school,” she said,”66 percent are reading and doing math at grade level.”

Across the United States, African-American students are performing at 24 percentage points below their White counterparts in math. In English and language arts, they are trailing White students by almost 30 percentage points. 

In California, 68 percent of all African American students perform below their grade level in English and language arts. In math, about 80 percent of Black students fail to meet the state’s proficiency mark.

According to an EdSource report, only 73 percent of African-American high school seniors in California earned a diploma in 2017, compared to 93 percent of Asian students, 81 percent of Hispanics and 87 percent of White students.

The only sub-group Black public school students outperform in California is students with disabilities.

Many teachers unions across the country, including the National Education Association (NEA) and the California Teacher’s Association (CTA), say they are concerned about dwindling financial resources to provide a quality education to all students. They say charter schools siphon away the limited funding for public education that governments allot to school districts, especially in low-income neighborhoods across the United States. 

“I was a supporter of charters,” said Davis. “We’ve had some bad public charter and (non-charter) public schools and they should be closed if they aren’t up to speed, but I’ve noticed there is a pattern of systematically starving public schools in certain parts of the city.”

Davis argued that charter public schools, particularly in Washington, D.C., where she is based, need more oversight as well; that they need to be more transparent about how they spend taxpayer dollars.

The group agreed that it is a mistake to look at the charter-school-verses-traditional-public-school debate as a national issue because education policy is decided at the state, county or municipal level. 

“Education in America is a local issue,” said Martin. “You have different rules in different states.”

In California, Gov. Newsom signed SB 126 into law in March. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) and Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), holds the more-than 1,300 charter schools in the state to the same rules around open meetings, public records and conflict of interests that govern traditional public schools.

During the back-and-forth, several of the school choice advocates on the panel pointed out that the national conversations that relate adequate funding to student performance are misleading. That thinking, they argued, leads charter school educators to believe that their traditional public school peers are only concerned about their salaries, pensions and contracts – rather than the academic achievement of the children they educate. 

Assembly Bill 1505 in California initially required authorizers to evaluate the financial impact a charter school would have on a school district in order for its license to be renewed. For many charter school proponents in California, they won a victory by convincing the author of the bill to add academic performance as a factor.

Gov Newsom is expected to sign the bill into law.

Davis, the only educator on the panel defending traditional public schools, was outgunned 3-1 by the other panelists and Martin, who was the moderator. Martin admitted he uses his voice and platform to “elevate the issue” of school choice and spell out to African Americans around the country how it benefits poor Black children and create job opportunities in their neighborhoods.

Fortune chimed in, too.

“I don’t want to have to apologize for the fact that I’m starting schools to close the Black achievement gap. I do that without apology,” she said.

View the entire panel discussion here: 

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Last week, Gov. Newsom signed AB 5, the “Employee Misclassification Bill,” into law. The legislation changes the classification of more than one million jobs in California from “contractor” to “employee.” 

The week before, the California Senate voted 29-11 to pass the bill. For the last 10 months, various industries across the state have been pressing legislators, begging for an exemption to AB 5. 

On Friday, before AB 5 made its way to Gov. Newsom’s desk for his signature, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers stood up to defend the newspaper industry in California, which includes more than 20 African American-owned publications.

“It has to do with the hundreds in my district – and other Senators’ as well –  weeklies and small papers, the ethnic press,” said Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), explaining why she supported AB 170 in a Senate Labor committee hearing last week. “The various weeklies that many mono-lingual constituents of mine rely on for information. The information we rely on, too, as public servants.”

Senate Republicans pushed 12 amendments to AB 5 last week, including the one that provides temporary exemption for newspaper carriers and distributors. After bitter fights, passionate speeches – and even a few tears – a majority of Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly pressured Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), who authored AB 5, to introduce AB 170 as a condition for their votes. 

Finally, the Senate approved AB 170 with a 38-1vote count. The Assembly voted 66-6 in favor of it.

Newspapers across California now have until January 2021, a year after the law takes effect, to hire the drivers who deliver their papers as W-2 employees. Or else, they would have to create a new model for distributing papers that complies with the restrictions in AB 5.

“Thanks to the lawmakers who understand the crushing impact the internet has had on our bottom lines. Those legislators who value the role the press plays, particularly the ethnic media, in strengthening our democracy here in California,” said Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media. “AB 170 now buys us time to figure out a solution for delivering our papers that, hopefully, the couriers can embrace, Labor Unions can accept and that the newspapers can implement without going bankrupt.”

At a Senate committee hearing for AB 5 last week, Gonzalez expressed her disappointment.

“This is the first time I’ve carried a bill that I’m vehemently opposed to,” said Gonzalez. “But in the spirit of good faith I will bring it forward.”

 Although Gonzalez introduced AB 170, she voted against it during the Assembly floor vote.

“This is going to give some breathing space to newspapers to find a way, within their means, to provide systems that comport with the values of the author and proponents of AB 5,” said Jim Ewert, general counsel of the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

 Republicans in the Senate and Assembly opposed AB 5 since it was introduced in December last year.

“Over two million Californians choose to work as independent contractors and AB 5 only protects certain industries,” said Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield).

Exempted categories include architects, engineers, veterinarians, private investigators, psychologists, commercial fisherman, dentists, podiatrists, travel agents, editors, marketing professionals photographers, cartoonists and more.

“I am proud to have stood with my Republican colleagues in offering better solutions to protect workers in industries such as healthcare, transportation, and newspapers carriers and distributors,” Grove continued. “If the governor truly believes in supporting a California for all, then he needs to do the right thing and veto AB 5.”

In her closing statement, Gonzales took a shot at newspapers.

“The entire news service in California weaponized their editorial pages against this bill based only on newspaper carriers. Its hypocritical,” she said. 

After the bill passed, Grove issued a statement on behalf of Republicans in the legislature.

“Democrats rejected Senate Republicans’ amendments to AB 5 which would have leveled the playing field for all independent contractors and helped industries that were excluded,” she said. “Democrats, labor unions, and Governor Newsom, picked winners and losers with AB 5.”

AB 170 is still waiting the governor’s signature as of press time.

On Wednesday, September 18, 2019, at the age of 107 years old the Lord called Emma Shaw home. She’s had her bags pack since she was 90, so 17 years later the matriarch of the Shaw family has finally moved to her eternal address.

Emma was the second born to James and Gertrude Armstrong on August 9, 1912 in Tallulah, Louisiana. Emma was raised by her aunt and uncle and attended Madison Parish Training School. Emma was not able to complete school because the family needed her to help in the cotton fields. At the tender age of 15 she met the love of her life, George Bernard Shaw.

Emma and George were married on February 6, 1929 and to this union God blessed them with 13 children; six sons, five daughters and two children who died at birth. Six of their children; Cleveland, Luretha, Johnny B, Joyce, Wiley and Mary were born in Tallulah. Emma and George were married for 62 years until he passed away.

In 1942 George saw potential for advancement by moving his family from Louisiana to Las Vegas, Nevada. While in Las Vegas, Emma was an employee at the El Rancho and Frontier hotels. Emma gave birth to Donell and Ronell before leaving Nevada in 1944.

As times began to change, George had the foresight again to relocate his family to San Bernardino, California in 1944. Emma began working in private homes as a maid. She then found new employment at Norton Air Force Base. After leaving Norton, Emma began doing seasonal work at the National Orange Show. Once the seasonal work was done, Emma found employment in Palm Springs where she worked for 16 years. While in California Barbara, Vernon and Valerie were born.

Though their resources were limited, that did not prevent Emma from sharing with those who were even less fortunate whenever they stopped by. She was an amazing cook and was known for her homemade biscuits, fried chicken and her peach cobbler.

Emma joined New Hope Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend David Campbell. After the passing of Reverend Campbell, Mother Shaw changed her membership to Greater New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ, which was then under the leadership of Elder Herbert C. Pugh. Mother Shaw grew spiritually at Greater New Jerusalem where she became the Church Mother. She served as Church Mother for over 40 years and in recognition for this service Mother Shaw was appointed Church Mother Emeritus.

Everyone who knew Mother Shaw has heard her testimony and can repeat it verbatim as she starts to say…”Early one Saturday morning I was in my bathroom when I heard a loud voice saying, ‘Be ready, I’m on My way back’…” and from that time until she went home, Mother Emma told everyone that she would encounter to be ready, the Lord is on His way back.

Emma Shaw was a local legend, living to celebrate her 107^th year of life here on this earth. She was still so full of wisdom, discernment, encouragement and honesty. She had a no nonsense attitude when ‘stuff ain’t right’, and she would speak her mind and let you know. When you heard ‘now looka here’, you know something of importance was about to follow.    

Emma was preceded in passing by her husband, George; Sons, Cleveland, Johnny B, and Ronell and Daughter, Luretha Johnson. The matriarch of six generations Emma leaves to cherish her memory; Joyce, Wiley (Alexis), Mary (Charles), Donell, Barbara and Valerie. Granma Emma also leaves well over 300 grand; great; great great; great great great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Mother Shaw’s Wake will be held at New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ, 1424 W. 21^st Street, San Bernardino, CA on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. Her Homegoing Celebration Service will be held at Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, 1314 E. Date Street, San Bernardino, CA on Friday, October 4, 2019 with the viewing at 10:00 a.m and the Service at 11:00 a.m. Hallelujah for the time He blessed us with her presence.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA—- The publisher of LA Focus, Lisa Collins, hosted its 22nd First Ladies High Tea on September 14 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The afternoon tea attracted over 1000 patrons where they were served with a traditional Afternoon Tea Menu.

Sponsors of the event included: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, 2nd District, Prudential, Walmart, BLACC and AHF. The First Ladies High Tea awarded scholarships to at-risk girls.

Legendary Actress Marla Gibbs received the Legacy Award at this year’s event. Other honorees included: LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Erica Campbell, Grammy-winner of Mary Mary, R&B music artist and radio host, Actress Essence Atkins, starring in OWN’s Ambitions, and renowned Dr. Kristi Funk, MD, breast cancer surgeon, First ladies honorees Melinda Campbell from First AME Pasadena, Junita Edwards from Pasadena Community Christian Fellowship and Barbara

 Hendricks from Church of the Living God. Performance by multi Award-winning Anthony Brown & Group therAPy.

This year co-hosts included Actress Wendy Raquel Williams starring in ABC’s Grand Hotel and Apostle Beverly “BAM” Crawford, Pastor, Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church.

Photo Credit: Melissa Diaz Photography

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