WSSN Stories

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- On June 22, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the outcome of a settlement with Equifax, one of the three major credit monitoring firms in the United States. 

The settlement requires Equifax to pay somewhere between $500 and $700 million in restitution for a 2017 data breach that affected about 147 million people across the United States, according to Jacqueline Connor, a privacy attorney with the FTC. The amount of the settlement is the highest in U.S. history for a data breach and the number of people impacted represents almost half the United States’ population.  That’s nearly every adult in the country who has credit. 

In California alone, Hackers were able to access and expose the personal information of about 15 million people.

 “Our credit status impacts nearly every aspect of our lives – from purchasing a home or a car to finding a job,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “The same Americans who had to immediately protect themselves from fraudsters or identify thieves will have to be vigilant for the rest of their lives. We encourage every eligible person to apply for the relief they are entitled to as part of our settlement.”

About $300 million of the settlement amount will go to making payments to Americans affected by the breach. Equifax will pay another $275 million in fines to close the investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and to end legal action by states who filed lawsuits against the company.

The hackers, who have not yet been identified, penetrated Equifax’s data files and were able to steal social security numbers, credit card numbers, addresses and other personal data. The breach affected all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. 

To compensate victims, Equifax has set up a website (EquifaxBreachSettlement.com) where you can first check to see if you were affected by the breach. Then, you can apply for a check payment of “up to” $125, or you can choose free credit monitoring with all three major credit bureaus for up to four years, a value of a little over $950. When that period is over, you can choose to opt in for free credit monitoring by Equifax for another six years. 

Because “millions of people” affected have filed claims for the $125 payment option since the settlement announcement, the FTC, which is responsible for consumer protection across the country, says applying for a cash payment is not the best way to go. So, as an alternative, Equifax is primarily now offering free credit monitoring to its customers affected by the data breach. If you’re already signed up for a free credit monitoring service and intend to keep it for the next six months, then you can apply for the $125 payment.

“The pot of money that pays for that part of the settlement is $31 million,” the FTC said in a statement. “A large number of claims for cash instead of credit monitoring means only one thing: Each person who takes the money option will wind up only getting a small amount of money. Nowhere near the $125 they could have gotten if there hadn’t been such an enormous number of claims filed.”

For Equifax to have paid out the full $125 to each person affected, a number of no more than 248,000 people would have needed to apply. If all 147 million  people end up filing a claim, individual payouts would shrivel down to around .22 cents per person.

The cost for Equifax’s  credit monitoring service is $19.99 a month, according to the company’s website. If every victim of the breach signs up, it could cost Equifax up to $2 billion to cover the costs.

Victims of identity theft or other fraud resulting directly from the breach who have documentation to back up their claim, will receive compensation of $25 an hour (for up to 20 hours) of the time they took to resolve the problem. They will be eligible for up to another 10 hours of $25-an-hour payments for the time they took to research or purchase protection services, including freezing their credit, after the fraud happened. 

Those who incurred legal expenses or spent money on credit monitoring, notaries and other approved fines as a result of the hack, are eligible for up to $20,000 per person in reimbursements. They will also be required to show proof that their claims are valid. 

The deadline to file all claims is Jan. 22, 2020.

For people who have already requested a $125 payment and would now like to opt for free credit monitoring instead, look out for an email from Equifax. The company will allow you to change your choice. 

Some consumer advocates and legislators around the country say the settlement didn’t go far enough. 

“Equifax’s data breach put over 100 million Americans at risk by exposing their Social Security numbers and other personal information,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey), chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee, in a press release. “This settlement does not come close to making consumers whole and, once again, shows the limitations on the FTC’s ability to seek strong penalties and effective redress for consumers.”

News of data breaches of financial institutions and credit monitoring agencies is becoming an increasingly common occurrence. 

Paige Thompson, a Seattle-based hacker, was arrested by the FBI last Monday after she bragged on social media about hacking Capital One and leaking 100 million consumers’ data. 

Thompson, who previously worked for Amazon Web Services, bragged about her hacking exploits on Twitter under the username “Erratic.” 

The Joint Center released groundbreaking survey data on the future of work and race, hosted a future of work convening in Chicago, and continued our monthly jobs analysis. Details below.

Economic Studies: Future of Work

On July 24, the Joint Center releasedRacial Differences on the Future of Work: A Survey of the American Workforce. The report highlights the findings of a Joint Center survey of over 2,000 Black, Latino, White, and Asian Americans on their perspectives on the changing economy. Key findings include:

• People of color have a significant interest in education and training. Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latinos were all more likely than Whites to be interested in obtaining education or training from all the provided options, including an in-person college degree program, online college, community college, a trade union, and a GED.

• All four groups cited financial constraints as the biggest barrier to obtaining additional training. The least cited barrier was feeling personally incapable of acquiring new skills.

• A significant majority of Americans support free education or training as a response to job displacement (see graph above). 

• With regard to the most impactful steps schools can take to prepare children for the future economy, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans were much more likely than Whites to prioritize teaching computer programming. 

?Read the report here.

The report was covered in Bloomberg,Communications of the ACM, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education,EdWeek,GW Hatchet,Inside Higher Ed, Political Hispanic, and #RolandMartinUnfiltered. 

Joint Center President Spencer Overton wrote an op-ed for The Hill calling for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to focus on the future of work priorities identified by people of color in the survey.

Spencer also presented the Joint Center’s findings from the report during a panel at the 2019 National Urban League Annual Conference in Indianapolis, IN.

The Joint Center held a future of work convening in Chicago in partnership with Comcast-NBCUniversal Foundation.The event brought together practitioners, community leaders, workforce groups, the business community, and policy students from the University of Chicago to discuss the implications of the changing nature of work on African Americans in Chicago. More details here.

Taking Action for Low-Income Workers: Spencer and Joint Center Workforce Policy Director Harin Contractor partnered with the National Skills Coalition to co-author an essay in a new compendium entitled Taking Action: Positioning Low-Income Workers to Succeed in a Changing Economy. The publication offers strategies to address disparities and equip low-income individuals with the education and skills needed to succeed in the changing workforce, and was funded by Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Joyce Foundation. Read it here. 

Joint Center Economic Policy Director Jessica Fulton participated in a convening focused on the unique challenges women will face in the future of work. Harin attended the Center for American Progress’s Workforce Equity Conversation Series, an invite-only workshop with over 20 representatives from think tanks and foundations. 

The Future of Work & the Black Rural South: Spencer shared findings and obtained feedback on the Joint Center’s research on the future of work and the Black Rural South at a USDA session at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s Mississippi Policy Conference in Tunica, MS. He also shared and obtained feedback on the research as a keynote speaker to over 25 local elected and emerging leaders at the One Voice Mississippi Black Leadership Institute. For a 4-page summary of the research (including graphs), click here.

At the Black Economic Alliance’s Future of Work session on Martha’s Vineyard, Spencer was the opening speaker and provided an overview of the impact of automation, upskilling, and geography on Black workers. Later that same week, Spencer spoke at the Black Economic Forum and discussed steps Black private sector executives should take to help Black workers transition to better jobs in the new economy.

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Jobs Analysis

Employment Situation Report: Harin hosted analysis on the Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report. Our latest chats included:

May 2019: Howard University’s Assistant Professor of Economics Jevay Grooms and Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s Senior Policy Analyst Alex Camardelle, and Harin discussed that while Black unemployment continues to decrease, many Black workers continue to lack access to health benefits.

June 2019: CLASP Policy Analyst Parker Gilkesson and Alabama A&M University Visiting Professor Dr. Kristen E. Broady, and Harin discussed the importance of SNAP benefits.

July 2019: Harin conducted a solo-session due to the July 4 holiday. He shared that education plays a stronger role for African Americans’ attachment to the labor force than for Whites. However, African Americans have higher unemployment rates at every educational attainment level compared to their White counterparts.

August 2019: Omidyar Network Senior Manager of Reimagining Capitalism Joelle Gamble, Groundwork Collaborative Policy & Research Director Janelle Jones, and Harin discussed how African Americans are underrepresented in industries that tend to pay higher than average wages.
Find their conversations here.

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In Case You Missed It

Comcast-NBCUniversal announced an expansion of its Internet Essentials program, which will provide high-speed internet to qualified households at an affordable rate. The step is significant because access to high-speed broadband is critical for the future of work in Black communities (e.g., work, education, and skill building), but currently almost 28 percent of African Americans lack access to broadband at home. 

The African American Mayors Association released a white paper on the future of work’s effect on Black and Latino workers in three cities: Gary, IN, Columbia, SC, and Long Beach, CA. Read it here.

McKinsey Global Institute released a report on the future of work in America including analysis on its impact on places, people, and companies. The report finds that 23.1 percent of Black workers could be displaced by 2030 (4.6 million workers). Learn more about McKinsey’s take on Black worker displacement on pages 60-64 here.

Marcus Casey and Sarah Nzau of the Brookings Institution wrote about how artificial intelligence will disrupt the future of work, and how automation will affect the middle class. 

Opportunity@Work CEO and Co-Founder Byron Auguste wrote an op-ed offering guidance on how to build a lifelong learning strategy in the wake of automation. Read it here.

Current CEO of San Francisco Conservation Corps Will Be 1^st Woman of Color President in Organization’s 26 Year History

OAKLAND,CA— The Greenlining Institute has chosen Debra Gore-Mann to be the racial equity organization’s new president – the third leader in Greenlining’s 26-year history and the first woman to lead the organization.

Gore-Mann has led the San Francisco Conservation Corps – America’s first urban municipal youth corps – for the past four years. Chosen from a large field of outstanding candidates considered over the course of the search, she brings a wealth of nonprofit and business experience to her new position at Greenlining, with a resume that includes experience in investment banking, an engineering degree and an M.B.A. from Stanford. She will assume the post Oct. 1.

Gore-Mann brings a multi-dimensional perspective to the role, having been raised in a low-income, biracial family (African American & Japanese), being the first generation in her family to go to college and part of the first generation to receive a basketball scholarship for women student athletes at Stanford University under Title IX, the federal law requiring gender equity in federally funded college sports. She studied engineering and then joined the Graduate School of Business at Stanford to earn her M.B.A., where she was the only African American woman in a class of 400 graduate students. Her experiences give her a depth of understanding of what it takes to serve historically underserved and underrepresented people.

“We were impressed by Debra’s vision and dynamism,” said Greenlining Board Co-Chair Ortensia Lopez. “She is intimately familiar with seeing change, being change and building community. Greenlining has grown remarkably over the last decade, and the challenges our nation faces are complex. With her wide variety of experience, we believe Debra is the right person to take us to the next level and to bring new energy and excitement to the fight for racial equity in these challenging times.”

“Debra is the right person with the right experience at an important time in the life of our organization,” said Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Transition Committee Co-Chair. “She brings an important intersectional perspective and experience working with the very communities we serve.”
 

“I think I speak for everyone at The Greenlining Institute in thanking Orson Aguilar for his leadership and tireless dedication to the organization,” Gore-Mann said. “I am humbled to be able to follow such a legacy leader who worked for over 20 years to help build Greenlining into the strong and vibrant organization it is. I am incredibly excited to assume this role, and know that if we stand together, learn together, and educate each other, we will prosper together.”

Begun as an informal, multiethnic coalition of civil rights groups in the 1980s and formally incorporated as an organization in 1993, Greenlining has emerged as a leading advocate for racial equity in a variety of fields, from banking to tech and the fight against climate change. Its Leadership Academy has trained over 1,000 young leaders, and its graduates have taken on leadership positions as elected officials, heads of nonprofit organizations, a sitting California Supreme Court Justice and other influential roles. The Greenlining 360 Center in downtown Oakland has become a hub for grassroots community organizing, regularly hosting a variety of community meetings and events. 

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Well, I tell you why? Sin! You going around doing everything from A-Z and you want to know why God hasn’t answered your prayers. Don’t you know unconfessed sin separates you from God causing God not to even hear your prayers! He says in [Ezekiel 14:3] “Should I let them inquire of me at all?”  It’s not that the Lord’s hand is shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; and yours sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear.” You see, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” [Psalm 34:15; 1 Peter 3:12]  Wondering why God has not answered your prayers! Ain’t No need of Wondering!

What makes it even worst, not only do you have sin in your life, “When you ask, you ask amiss?  “You ask wrongly… You adulterous people, says the Lord! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us?  Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [James 4:3-10]. Wondering why God has not answered your prayers! Ain’t No need of Wondering!

And, most importantly, you must belong to God before you can communicate with Him. Jesus said, “He who belongs to the Father hear what God says [John 8:47]. The bottom line: As Christians, we need to put God first in our lives to have an effective prayer life. If you’re doing that, God does hear your prayers, and he answers them. You just have to trust God that He’s giving you the best answer for you- for your life- and for all eternity. As [Proverbs 3: 5-6] says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

I want you to know that you are not the first person to have your prayers go unanswered. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of men and women who prayed to God in the moment of crisis, and God for reasons sometimes explained and more often not explained – why He didn’t answer their prayers. Habakkuk struggled with the unanswered pray. He cried out, “O Lord, how long shall I cry and you will not hear?” Job struggled with unanswered pray. In Job 31:35 he says, “Oh, that I had one to hear me! Oh, that the Almighty would answer me!” King David struggled with unanswered pray. In Psalm 13, he said, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me, forever? How long will you hide your face from me”? Habakkuk, Job, David, all echo the frustrations that many of us have had at one time or another when it seems as if God is not answering our prayers. “Three times God told Paul “No.”  Paul prayed for God to remove the thorn in his flesh” so that he could get on with his ministry. And each time God said No! Can you image that? The apostle Paul probably the greatest Christian who ever lived, prayed about this need in his life, found that God did not, would not, answer his prayers until he continued to persist, then God finally gave him an explanation. “… “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Listen, though we may rebel against this idea, God doesn’t always work the way we want Him to. Just because we don’t see Him immediately answer our prayers in the way we expect, doesn’t mean He isn’t working in our lives. Often, we want things that will ultimately be bad for us. And we like to use God to get what we want, the way we want it, and when we want it. But time and time again in Scripture we see that God is not in a hurry. For 400 years, the Israelites prayed for the deliverance that God gave them through Moses. God is the master of time and therefore the master of timing. Even Jesus knew this.  Periodically, we’ll hear Jesus say, “His hour had not come,” and the Scriptures often mention events happening “in the fullness of time.” As the saying goes, “Anything worth having is worth waiting for.” So if God is silent, pray for His peace. Pray for His will to be done. And pray that He gives you the kind of faith that will wait.

As Job said, “I don’t understand this at all, but I’m hanging on to you, Lord, and I’m not going to let go.” [Job 13:15]. That’s the place to which God wants to bring us and sometimes unanswered prayer is the only way to get us there.

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…. Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” [Colossians 1:9-11].

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” [Ephesians 3:20-21].

Nearly 21,000 Californians Apply for 14 Seats

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SACRAMENTO,CA— Today, the California State Auditor announced that nearly 21,000 Californians applied to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission, of which more than 17,600 are tentatively eligible. The initial application period for the 14 seats closed on Monday, August 19, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. 

“We’ve said since the beginning that we were working to form a deep and broad pool of applicants for California’s second Citizens Redistricting Commission,” said California State Auditor Elaine M. Howle, whose office is charged with creating the new Commission. “We are thrilled to report that we met that goal with thousands of diverse applicants—race/ethnicity, geographic, gender, and economic backgrounds. We received nearly 21,000 applicants who are reflective of California’s talent and diversity.”

The application process was open to registered California voters who voted in at least two of the last three general elections and had consistent party affiliation for five years.

Howle continued, “The work of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission safeguards the integrity of California’s elections by giving the power to the people and making sure voters have a voice in selecting their representatives. Now, the tentatively eligible applicants from the initial pool will continue through to the next round of review and fill out the supplemental application. With so many applicants, our Applicant Review Panel has a big job ahead, but we’re up for it.”

Eligible applicants must now complete the supplemental application, which is online atshapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov. The supplemental application period begins August 21, 2019 and runs through September 20, 2019. The supplemental application is only available to applicants who submitted an online application during the initial application period and were found eligible. The State Auditor has provided a training video to assist all applicants in completing their supplemental application and providing all information required.

“I thank every single Californian who participated in this process and took the time to apply,” said Howle. “We highly encourage all members of the public to continue participating in this important process over the next several months by checking the Shape California’s Future website for updates and providing online public comment on these applicants so that your voice is heard.”

More information about the supplemental application and the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission selection process is available at shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov or by calling (833) 421–7550. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @ShapeCAFuture for recent updates.

About the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission

Every ten years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts. 

In 2008, California voters passed the Voters FIRST Act authorizing the creation of an independent Commission comprised of 14 members. The 2020 Commission will include five Democrats, five Republicans, and four who are either registered without, or “independent” of, any political party (decline-to-state or no party preference) or with another party. The Commission is responsible for drawing the lines of each district. The supplemental application period for new Commission members runs from August 21, 2019, through September 20, 2019, and is open to qualifying applicants who submitted an online application during the initial application period.

The California State Auditor’s Office is a state entity that is independent of the executive branch and legislative control. The purpose of the California State Auditor’s Office is to improve California government by assuring the performance, accountability, and transparency that its citizens deserve. For more information on the State Auditor’s Office, please visit www.Auditor.ca.gov.

John M. Futch, Jr. was born June 15, 1950 in Merced, California. He was the oldest of four children; born into an Air Force family with parents who lovingly instilled in him a sense of structure and a strong work ethic.

He was a natural leader as the big brother in a traveling family. He kept the siblings unified as they traveled around the world – imparting in them an unbreakable alliance.

Through all the transitions John, Terry, Lois and Stan relied on each other. They relied on the solid foundation of a loving family. And the kids relied on John’s innate leadership.

John was always in charge. He was the oldest and carried the most responsibility. Mature. Articulate. Brilliant. Confident. These are words that described John at an early age.

It was no shock that John finished high school at the age of 16 without sacrificing extracurricular activities. He played football, wrestled and ran track. He was accomplished at a young age – willing to tackle any challenge. John exemplified a sense of fearlessness and strength that only grew as he did.

John moved across the country to Washington DC to start a position at the FBI at the age of 17. There, he worked as a fingerprint examiner and met his beautiful wife Liz.

On a sweltering day, he stumbled into a police trailer looking for air conditioning and found an employment opportunity. He became a Metro DC Police Officer, who helped ensure safety following the peak of the Civil Rights movement.

He was a peace keeper, a husband and a father who worked diligently to provide for his children; Marcus and Adrienne.

John retired from the police force due to injury and drove his young family back to California with a license plate that read, “Broke.” He continuously played Elton John’s song “Bennie and the Jets” on the eight-track.

John, Liz, Marcus and Adrienne made their home in Southern California, close to his siblings and parents. When John Futch Sr. was on his death bed, he lit a renewed fire in John Jr. He challenged John to further his education.
John pursued his academic goals. His intelligence combined with his boldness created a synergy that forged an esteemed community leader.

John enrolled at the California State University of San Bernardino. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science; and his master’s degree in Social Sciences at CSUSB. John continued with his passion for education as an administrator at CSUSB. He dedicated his work to honoring culture and diversity.

John was instrumental in providing a platform for Native American educators, artists and performers. He played a vital role in bringing San Manuel’s California Native American Day Children’s Program to CSUSB. The San Manuel Pow Wow, the Tribe’s largest event of the year, is hosted at CSUSB thanks in large part to John.

His service in education continued when he was elected as a Trustee with the San Bernardino Community College District. The “Friends of John Futch Textbook Scholarship” was launched in 2007 to help provide book scholarships for students, with a preference for students with community service involvement, first generation college students and historically underserved students.

John M. Futch was a name in the community that was synonymous with action, advancement and assurance. He worked as a trusted Chief of Staff to his close friend and, then, Board of Supervisor James Ramos.

Most recently, John was elected as the President of the San Bernardino Branch of the NAACP. He led the group with a focus on communication and service to the community.

John was dedicated to helping others and pursued various avenues of civic engagement, awareness and advocacy.

He served as a liaison to law enforcement as a trusted member of the Sheriff’s Information Exchange Committee. In his role, John fostered in meaningful conversations about community engagement and cultural diversity education.

John provided exemplary motivation for his son and grandson. Marcus Futch Sr. serves as a peace officer with Desert Hot Springs Police; and Marcus Futch Jr. is attending the Fullerton Police Academy. They continue the family legacy of selflessness, service and sacrifice.

John M. Futch passed away on August 11, 2019. He imparted on all of us a duty to participate, to advocate and to communicate. We honor his legacy by serving others and being our brothers’ keepers.

His celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 24 from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM at CSUSB Santos San Manuel Student Union, located at 5500 University Parkway in San Bernardino.

By John Coleman

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— You missed it.  No one kept count, but, probably more than 100 people, including family and friends of Grand-ma Emma Shaw! They celebrated her 107th birthday with her at the Shirrells Park Community Center in San Bernardino. The party took place on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

The person of honor, Mrs. Emma Shaw, was born on August 9,1912,  in rural Louisiana. In her childhood, she often missed school to help her family pick cotton. In her adult years, she gave birth to 13 children (including two who died being born).

Mrs. Shaw worked  into her 60s at whatever jobs she could get. She has lived and worked in  Louisiana,  Las Vegas,  Palm Springs and San Bernardino. She also raised six generations of church and community leaders. She is a SHERO!

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Throughout the celebration, Mrs. Shaw sat quietly and attentively, responsive to the constant flow of people wanting to photo-record this moment in history. Her ‘throne’, her wheel-chair at a  decorated table soon overflowing with cards and flowers and love.   

Many magic moments! You missed it.  I’m grateful that I didn’t!

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan (“Blue Shield Promise”) collaborates with community organizations and local artist to create “Promise” mural that will be unveiled in the Boys & Girls Clubs Challengers Clubhouse

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CA— “Speak Life,” “Share Life,” and “Take Flight,” are some of the positive messages on a new colorful mural painted by South Los Angeles at-risk middle school and high school students and community artist Moses Ball.

The 8-week Blue Shield Promise Community Art Therapy program was held in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles, Challengers Clubhouse and Wellnest (formerly Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic). The project helps local youth deal with everyday trauma they face by using their creativity to help design a mural based on their hopes and aspirations.

Each week, social workers and behavioral health specialists from Blue Shield Promise and Wellnest joined accomplished artist Ball who encouraged youth aged 11 to 17 to lend their creativity as they participated in the program. Art was used as a tool to help the program participants share their feelings and talk about difficult issues in a safe, nurturing space. As part of the program, a “Promise” theme mural was painted on the 20-foot by 60-foot wall outside the playground of the Boys and Girls Challengers Clubhouse.

The design is a brightly colored blue wall representing the faces of the children and showcasing their dreams about future occupations. For example, a young girl inspired by aviator Bessie Coleman is dressed like a pilot with an image of a plane taking flight behind her. Another shows a young girl rapper inspired by Nipsey Hussle’s music as well as his community work.

“The vision that inspired the mural is to repair the hurt from the challenges the youth face and in turn foster the dreams that still live inside them,” Ball said.

“It gives me great satisfaction to mentor youth both artistically and in life,” said Ball. “I hope to inspire the next generation to become Los Angeles muralists and beautify the community. With the support of Blue Shield Promise that provided resources and staff, I was able to focus on the artistic instruction and guidance of kids who played a key role in creating the mural.”

“It’s exciting to think that every time I come to the center, the mural gives me a sense of pride  knowing that I helped paint it,” said Brailyn (12 years old), Boys & Girls Clubs Challenger Clubhouse member.  

The mural is part of the Community Art Therapy Program, which includes guidance from trained behavioral health professionals. The goal is to help at-risk youth express their emotions in an invisible form, and assist them in building relationships with others. This program enables kids who are undergoing physical, emotional or mental crisis to increase their ability to explore, discover and interpret reality in a safe space.

“Blue Shield Promise is committed to investing in the communities where our members live to ensure they have every opportunity to have healthy and vibrant lives,” said Dr. Greg Buchert, President and CEO of Blue Shield Promise. “We are thrilled to have the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles and Wellnest joining our effort to create community programming like the youth art therapy that focuses on addressing the health needs of youth using art and engagement.”

“This was a great program for our youth because it provided them with an opportunity that they will be able to experience for years to come with the creating of this colorful new mural at the Challengers Club,” said Calvin Lyons, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles. “We’re delighted to work with Blue Shield Promise and Wellnest who understand the needs of healthy communities and offer their time and resources to boost children’s self-esteem and confidence through art therapy.”

“Commenting on the power of art, Charlene Dimas-Peinado, President and CEO of Wellnest added, “We know that art can be used to engage, educate, express powerful emotions, and develop creative thinking and problem solving that can contribute to their future success. We are honored to be a partner on this program to give these young people those tools.”

When Will More Than $2.7 Billion The State Has Invested  in Fighting Homelessness and Building Affordable Housing Reach the People Who Need it?

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

When Coleen Sykes Ray started an organization with her daughter in 2015 to help homeless women, the Stockton, California resident had no idea she, too, would be homeless four years later. 

Now, she, her husband and two children live in an Extended Stay America hotel in Stockton. The family pays a costly $610 hotel bill every week as they struggle to find a place to live.

“When you tell landlords you have a Section 8 voucher, its like saying a dirty word,” says Ray who is African American and works as a Community Outreach Specialist for a local public health organization. “It’s heartbreaking because we’re good people. I’m working and I’m college-educated.”

Ray says she gets why landlords refuse to rent their properties to her family. Some of them explain that they have been burnt many times by people who pay them with vouchers. Other property owners, she says, tell her that it is a hassle to have to deal with the Section 8 administration.

But understanding the landlords’ reluctance  – after going great lengths to impress them, only to be rejected in the end – doesn’t make life easier for Ray and her family. They live cramped in a single hotel room, preparing almost every meal in a microwave, with no sign in sight that they will have a new home soon.

From 2017 to 2019, the number of homeless people in San Joaquin County, where Stockton is the largest city and the county seat, tripled, increasing from 567 to more than 1,500. During that same period in the city of Stockton itself, the homeless population skyrocketed, too, reaching 921 from 311 people two years prior, according to a 2018 “point-in-time” census report compiled by San Joaquin County.  

“While we certainly understand that the number of homeless people have tripled in the county, that number might not be a true reflection of what has happened over the last two years,” says Adam Cheshire, Program Administrator for Homeless Initiatives in San Joaquin County.

Cheshire says in 2017, there were only 35 volunteers who signed up to help count San Joaquin’s homeless population. In 2019, there were 400 volunteers, which helped his organization achieve a more accurate count, including the unsheltered homeless population.

Homelessness is not just a problem for San Joaquin county. It’s a statewide issue. Every major city in California has been hit by the crisis. Across California, the homeless population jumped by 16 percent between 2018 to 2019. With a total of about 130,000 people without a permanent place to live, California has the largest homeless population in the United States.

The high number of people in California without stable housing or a permanent address poses a serious problem for the state as it takes steps to avoid an undercount in the 2020 Census. 

For African Americans, California’s homelessness crisis is even more severe.

“Black Californians make up nearly 7 percent of the state’s general population yet are nearly 30 percent of the homeless population,” wrote Mark Ridley-Thomas, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in an open letter to Gov. Newsom in June. Ridley-Thomas was reaching out to the governor asking him to address some of the problems specific to African Americans in the state.

As the homeless problem started to become more noticeable in Stockton, Ray says she and her daughter would see women, some of them mentally ill, walking around “free-bleeding” during their menstrual cycles. Disturbed by what they saw, they decided to package bags of women’s sanitary hygiene products – washes, wipes, tampons and napkins, etc. –  and hand them out to homeless women.

Soon, what they began as a one-time goodwill gesture grew into a non-profit they started and still run called Bags of Hope. In their first year, Ray and her daughter handed out 30 bags of the feminine products every month. Between 2017 and 2018, as the homelessness crisis spiraled in their city, they donated about 65 bags every month to homeless women in Stockton. This year, Ray says they have been fortunate to reach about 100 women living in shelters and on the streets every month.

Most of the funding they use to buy the products comes from donations from local businesses and individuals and a gala they hold once a year. The biggest gift  their organization has received so  far came from the Black Employee Network at Proctor and Gamble.

“Doing the work of Bags of Hope is a kind of ministry,” says Ray. “Helping other homeless people, gives me and my family hope now that we find ourselves in the same situation. There is no reason to be ashamed. We are not homeless because we are bad people, bad parents or we are lazy. There are investors, buying up properties in neighborhoods, raising the cost of housing, and pushing people out of places where they have been living for years.”

Ray, her husband, daughter and son, who is autistic, became homeless in May of this year. It was about eight months after Blue Shield of California laid her off last September along with about 400 other employees. 

Ray’s husband is a diabetic who became permanently disabled seven years ago after doctors amputated one of his feet following an injury. After her layoff last year, the couple scraped up money together to continue paying their $1,200 monthly rent – until January.

That’s when the landlord increased their rent to $1340, which Ray says they “simply could not afford.” After getting help from her church and making payment arrangements with the landlord for the next couple of months, the family fell behind on rent payments and agreed to move out.

Because every apartment or house they looked at before they left their rented home cost between $1,500 and $1,700 a month, the family decided to move into the hotel where they currently live. 

Fortunately for Ray, she landed her current job on June 24, this year.

But with the high weekly hotel cost, almost “every dime we earn,” says Ray, from her salary and her husband’s disability payment, goes toward their hotel bill. 

Around the time Ray and her family moved into the hotel in May, Gov. Newsom presented his revised 2019-20 budget to the legislature with unprecedented spending in it to take on the state’s homelessness crisis. The state plans to invest approximately $2.7 billion on shelters, prevention, support services, and more, as well as funding new affordable housing initiatives, according to Christopher Martin, Legislative Advocate for Housing California, a Sacramento-based organization focused on helping to solve California’s homelessness problem.

The budget took effect July 1.

Then, two weeks ago, Gov. Newsom signed into law AB 101, a trailer bill detailing budget dollars and issuing guidelines on how the monies allocated to fight homelessness will be spent. A provision tucked into the bill now prevents local governments from blocking the building of homeless shelters and navigation centers in communities across the state.

A few of the budget items in AB 101 are: a $45.9 million allocation to support Census outreach to hard-to-count communities; $25 million to support housing and benefits for homeless people who are disabled; and $16.4 million in rental assistance for former prisoners .  

About $250 million in the state budget will be funneled to counties across the state to fund homeless initiatives.

Together, California’s counties and  cities will receive a total of $650 million from the state over the next year for homeless housing, assistance and prevention programs. 

Cheshire told California Black Media that his team is coming up with ideas for the most effective ways to spend the new state funding in San Joaquin County so they can help families like Ray’s. But it is still too early, he says, to share those plans because they are not yet finalized and the state has not yet released the money.

Most of the money will start to kick in after April of 2020, says Martin.

As Ray balances adjusting to her new day job with the difficulties of being homeless, and helping other homeless women through  the work of Bags of Hope, she remains upbeat and optimistic.

“I can’t go out and preach love, light and strength and have a negative spirit,” she says. “No matter what I’m facing.”

Californians Urged to Apply by August 19

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— The California State Auditor recently reminded Californians that there are only five days left to submit an initial application for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. With less than a week left before the August 19 deadline, to date 17,791 people have applied to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission, of which 15,110 are tentatively eligible.

“Now is the time to apply,” said California State Auditor Elaine M. Howle. “The deadline for the initial application period is Monday, August 19, and we are asking eligible applicants not to delay any longer. I urge you to take up this once in a decade opportunity to be part of one of California’s most important processes – redrawing the lines of California’s congressional and state electoral districts.”

The initial application takes about ten minutes to complete. Applicants must submit an application online at shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov during the initial application period, which ends this Monday, August 19 at 5:00 p.m. 

Information requested through the initial application is used to determine tentative eligibility and is a required first step in the application and selection process for becoming a member of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. A supplementary application will be made available at the end of the initial application period to the applicants who are tentatively eligible. The supplemental application period begins Wednesday, August 21, and runs through

September 20, 2019.

For information about eligibility requirements and to apply, please visit shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov or call (833) 421–7550. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @ShapeCAFuture.

About the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission

Every ten years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts.

In 2008, California voters passed the Voters FIRST Act authorizing the creation of an independent Commission comprised of 14 members. The 2020 Commission will include five Democrats, five Republicans, and four who are either registered without, or “independent” of, any political party (decline-to-state or no party preference) or with another party. The Commission is responsible for drawing the lines of each district. The open application period for new Commission members began June 10, 2019, and will run through August 19, 2019. 

The California State Auditor’s Office is a state entity that is independent of the executive branch and legislative control. The purpose of the California State Auditor’s Office is to improve California government by assuring the performance, accountability, and transparency that its citizens deserve. For more information on the State Auditor’s Office, please visit www.Auditor.ca.gov.

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The California State Auditor is tracking applicant demographic data on a daily basis and it is available to the public at https://applications.shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov/.