WSSN Stories

By Manny Otiko and Tanu Henry California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— At least three local branches of the NAACP in southern California – Riverside County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County – have broken ranks with the state chapter and the national organization, distancing themselves from the organization’s support of a moratorium on charter schools in California and across the country.

The three NAACP chapters are calling into question the official NAACP position on a charter moratorium. The branches are located in counties that are home to some of the largest populations of African Americans according to census data.

There are over 30 NAACP branches in California according to the NAACP web site.

This week, the San Bernardino chapter rushed to submit a pro-charter school resolution to the Baltimore national office of the NAACP ahead of a May 1 deadline.  Although organizational rules prevent a local branch from building programs or campaigns around a resolution until it is approved by the national office, John Futch, who was elected president of the San Bernardino branch late last year, says he is ready to begin working on the issue.

“I support charter schools,” he said. “It is important for us to recognize the work they are doing to improve education for children in our communities. It is not looking good right now in terms of kids performing poorly and dropping out.”

In its resolution, the San Bernardino branch of the NAACP did not directly state that it had a difference of opinion with the California state chapter or national body. Instead, the branch officers pointed out their own reasons for supporting school choice in the state and pushing for “quality education for all African-American children.”

“The academic performance of African-American students must be the sole determinant of school district decision making rather than the financial benefit that a school district derives from public school funding generated by African-American students,” the statement read.

The resolution also pointed out that there is a “severe and persistent African-American achievement gap throughout the state of California” in both English language arts and Math. And that 8 out of 10 African-American students in California attend district-run public schools that continue to underperform on statewide tests.

In an email obtained by CBM, Thursday evening, Alice Huffman, a member of the national board and the President of NAACP California Hawaii Conference, sent an email to the dissenting branch officers asking them to walk back their statements.

“This is to advise you all regarding your charter school counter resolution,” her email read.  “The state has already taken a position of opposition and would appreciate it if you all would rescind your positions.

The difference of opinion on school choice within the ranks of the NAACP reflects a growing divide among Californians on the issue as well.

Four charter school bills – three in the Assembly and one in the Senate – are making their way through the legislative process. The Senate Education Committee voted for last week to pass the most recent charter school bill, SB 756, which calls for a 5-year moratorium on certifying new charter schools in the state. Then, last month, the Assembly education committee cleared three other charter school bills – AB 1505, 1506 and 1507. Together, the package of bills would put a cap on the growth of the independently-run public schools, take away their appeal rights and empower local school boards, which are frequently unsupportive of charter schools, to approve or deny their applications for certification and renewal.

“The local branches are out of step with the state and national organization,” a spokesperson for the California Chapter of the NAACP told CBM.

The California state chapter of the NAACP supported all four charter school bills, arguing that charter schools promote segregation and undermine the historical fight to desegregate public education in the United States.

“The California NAACP and other community-based activists have called upon education reforms to refocus on inequities rather than privatization and private control of education. They are seeking to move the discourse concretely from choice to equity,” said Julian Vasquez-Heilig, Education chair of the California NAACP.

Christina Laster is a charter school mom and grandma – and a former district-run public school employee who now serves as Education Chair of the South Riverside branch of the NAACP. She says she also opposes the NAACP national organization’s decision to support a moratorium on charter schools.

“There is a lot of misinformation out there about charter schools,” said Laster. It is important to look at how this issue is impacting Black families based on the data. We need to move in a direction that supports Black families and what is best for Black children.”

Laster says she is ready defend her oppositional stance to the national body of her organization. She says many of the issues she experienced with racism, feeling unsupported and unwelcome, still persist today in public high schools in Riverside County, where her children go to school.

In 2016, the national board of the NAACP voted to ratify a national moratorium on charter schools. All 12 members of California’s Black Legislative Caucus (CLBC), at the time, wrote a letter to the NAACP asking them to reconsider that decision.

“It should be noted that California’s Charter Schools serve many African American, Latino, Pacific Islanders and low income students,” the letter stated. The CLBC letter also pointed out that African-American charter school students in California have a higher  rate of acceptance (19 percent) to the University of California system than traditional public schools (11 percent).

In the state legislature as well as in communities across the state, the school choice debate seems to be shaping up as one of the biggest battles that will play out in California over the next few months. On one side, there is the California Teachers Association (CTA), one of the largest unions in the state and large civil rights organizations like the NAACP officially supporting the proposed restrictions of charter schools. On the other, there is a growing group of charter school advocates, including parents, community groups, churches and grassroots organizations like the National Action Network coming out in strong and vocal support of California families’ option to choose where they want their children to go to school.

Charter school operators and school choice advocates are concerned the set of proposals in the legislature would, eventually, lead to the complete elimination of charter schools in the state and undo all the progress they have made since California signed its charter school law in 1992. 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Shirley Ann Shirrells, daughter of the late Anne E. Shirrells, civic leader in San Bernardino, died peacefully after a long illness at her home in Pasadena, CA, on April 8th, 2019, at the age of 83 with her were her son and daughter. 

Shirley moved to San Bernardino as a child with her mother and sister, the late Marguerette Howard. After marriage, Shirley moved from the city to live overseas for several years, eventually settling in central California for many years.

Shirley was retired from Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California where she was the director of the Job Placement and Career Center for 30 years. She had a successful career there and had been recognized by the community for her innovative leadership in service to over 20,000 community college students during her tenure.

She also delighted people singing jazz in many local venues in and around Santa Maria and performing in musical productions at the college. 

After retirement, Shirley lived for a while in Palm Desert and then moved to Pasadena to live near her family.

Shirley is survived by her daughter, Cecile Anderson; her son, Maurece Chesse; her son-in-law, George Anderson; and her cherished granddaughter, Perry Anderson. 

Shirley was a free spirit, a jazzy humanist and charming nurturer to those who she was drawn to support and cultivate.

Her remains will rest near her mother and sister at Green Acres Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, California.

A reception is planned outdoors at the Anne Shirrells park in San Bernardino, CA, at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

By Mark T. Harris

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— “Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier n’ puttin’ it back in.”—-Will Rogers

Shocking. Shameful. Unconscionable. Intolerable. These are just a few of the terms used by those in reaction to word that a 12 year-old child was restrained by Sacramento police officers who then placed a white plastic bag over his head and shoulders. Let’s review recent events in the City of Sacramento, who many are now referring to as “SacraSelma” in reference to the civil rights struggles that emanated from Selma, Alabama during the civil rights battles of the turbulent 1960’s.

First, Sacramento police mysteriously apprehended an unarmed Mr. Daizon Flenaugh, who was detained without any legal basis. He wound up dead within 30 minutes of being detained by sacramento police officers. Next, was the late Mr. Joseph Mann, who was guilty of nothing more than screaming at police officers and throwing a plastic water bottle at them prior to his being gunned down on the streets of Sacramento. Following that was an unarmed Mr. Nandi Cain, Jr. who was beaten by a Sacramento police officer for ostensibly “jaywalking” when it turned out Mr. Cain appropriately crossed the street from one corner to another. Finally, and most dramatically came the assassination of Mr. Stephon Clark, who was the victim of a barrage of Sacramento police gunfire while being guilty of nothing more than entering his grandmother’s home with a cellphone in his hands.

Now Sacramento residents are dismayed by word that a 12 year-old child, who stands four feet ten inches tall and weighs fewer than one hundred pounds, was inappropriately constrained by police officers and had a bag placed over his head to “shut him up,” according to witnesses on the scene during the incident. At the time this occurred, the child was pleading for officers to “call (his) mom” and telling officers that he “could not breathe!” The young victim was born with significant upper respiratory complications and according to his mother and grandmother, suffered from breathing difficulties particularly when anxious. It did not help the child’s respiratory condition that officers grasped his neck; placed him on the ground; handcuffed him with his hands behind his back; placed a knee in his back and forced his face into the asphalt.

Many Sacramento residents are wondering when this madness is going to end. We were told that our “new” African-American Chief of Police would be the one to put an end to the oppressive and at times, deadly behavior patterns of what we were told were merely a few rogue “bad apples” in an otherwise fine police department.

Let me say this. Our police chief is “blue” and not black. In addition, it appears to many of us that when you have as many incidents of questionable police conduct directed towards one singular demographic group, within an entire community, the “cat needs to

be let out of the bag.” The Sacramento police department appears to be representative of a “bad orchard” as opposed to merely comprised of a few “bad apples.”

Let there be no mistake. Shooting and killing an unarmed Black woman, who professed to be pregnant in Houston, Texas or “bagging” a small in stature, 12 year-old in Sacramento, must be called out for what it is. These actions are more reflective of the practices of “slave catchers” and “Jim Crow” era law enforcers than of proper urban policing techniques focused on de-escalation and by governments truly committed to empower police officers to “protect and to serve” our entire community.

---

Mark T. Harris is a tenured lecturer and Director of Pre-Law Studies at the University California, Merced. Additionally, Professor Harris heads the Sacramento and Central Valley office of Ben Crump Law and his specialty is civil rights law.

Professor Harris can be reached at: mark@bencrump.com 

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Black civil rights groups in California are knuckled up in a battle of principles as the state Assembly and Senate prepare to vote on a set of three charter school bills this week.

The state chapters of the National Urban League (NUL) and the National Action Network (NAN) have teamed up to oppose the bills. They say the proposals amount to a “step backward” for African-American charter school parents and their children.

While the California chapter of the NAACP has publicly expressed its support for all three pieces of legislation; two of them in the Assembly – AB 1505 and AB 1506 – and one in the Senate, SB 756.

Members of the California chapter of the NAACP, the  nation’s oldest civil rights organization, came to the State Capitol Monday to lobby the legislature on several issues, including the charter school bills.

If passed, the laws would put a moratorium on authorizing any new charter schools in the state for the next five years. Critics of the law say they would also significantly restrict the operations and roll back some legal rights the taxpayer-funded independent public schools currently have.

“I ask my friends at the NAACP, ‘did you see the numbers?’” Dr. Tecoy Porter, president of the Sacramento chapter of the NAN, told California Black Media.

For both the NUL and the NAN, they say, their difference of opinion with the NAACP boils down to one fact: Black students across California are failing in the state’s district public schools at rates that should cause national concern.

Advocates say many of the schools on the frontline that have begun to help Black students improve their literacy, score higher on state standardized tests, and prepare for college and jobs, are charter schools.

“African-American children are not doing well in California public schools. There is a severe and persistent Black achievement gap throughout the state of California in both English Language arts and math,” the NAN and the NUL wrote in an open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, which the organizations shared with California Black Media.

“Seven out of eight African-American public school students are enrolled in district run schools,” the letter to the governor continued. “Many African-American parents respond to this failure by choosing to send their kids to public charter schools.”

This week, local leaders of both the NAN and the NUL are requesting a meeting with Gov. Newsom to share their concerns about the bills.

In California, about 80 percent of Black students score below the state standard in math and 68 percent fail to meet the English Language Arts requirement. African-American children are also next to the lowest performing sub-group in the state, scoring only above students with disabilities.

Last week, the Assembly passed another charter school bill, AB 1507. It required charter schools to be physically located in the boundaries of the school district that licenses it. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who is African American and a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), sponsored that bill, along with the other two bills his colleagues will hear this week.

Other sponsors of the charter school bills are Assemblymembers Patrick O’Donnell (D-Los Angeles) and Christy Smith (D-Santa Clarita).

Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) sponsored the Senate bill.

O’Donnell, who is chair of the Assembly Education committee, shelved another bill Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), chair of the CLBC, introduced. That bill would have designated lowest performing subgroup students a high risk category under California’s Local Control Funding Formula.

“Historically, the NAACP has been in strong support of public education and has denounced movements toward privatization,” the California chapter of the NAACP wrote in that statement. “Considering this, we are concerned that charter schools in California are increasingly causing the underfunding of neighborhood schools.”

Julian Heilig-Vasquez, Education Chair of the California NAACP, argues that increased independent and private control of charter schools will lead to the resegregation of America’s public schools and

“The California NAACP and other community-based activists have called upon education reforms to refocus on inequities rather than privatization and private control of education,” he says.

Porter says he understands that the NAACP stated its opposition to charter schools long before these bills became an issue in California. But the arguments they are using to support their stance, have not evolved and are mostly out-of-touch with the needs of the majority of African-American families across the state.

“How are they promoting segregation when they make up less than 5 percent of all public schools in the state?” Asked Porter. “Also, by law, charter schools have to be judged on their performance every five years. District-run public schools can go on failing forever.”

He said since Gov. Newsom signed SB 126 earlier this year, the state now requires charter schools to be more accountable and transparent in their operations.

On Wednesday, May 22, the California Teachers Association (CTA), one of the largest unions in the state, is holding a rally in Sacramento on the steps of the State Capitol in support of the bills. They say, the event is being held “to fix the broken laws that govern charter schools.”

But NAN and the NUL disagree with the NAACP and the CTA. Porter says many Black families who live in communities where traditional public schools have failed their children for decades don’t have the means to get up and move to a better school district or enroll their kids in private schools.

Porter says he is thankful that he had a choice. His son, who attended a mix of private, public charter and traditional public schools is graduating from high school this year. He has accepted a full ride to Harvey Mudd college in Claremont.

“I had a choice. I want all parents in California to have choices of where they can send their children to school for the best education for them,” he says. “I know there are some bad apples who have abused the charter school system, but its Black and Brown kids that end up getting the short end of the stick. They deserve better.” 

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— “… I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I wish thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” [Revelation 3:14-22]

Yes, this message is a warning from God’s Word for everyone to repent of their sins and begin to live Godly lives in the light of the scriptures and to begin to seek God with great intensity, honesty, sincerity and urgency. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return [TURN] unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him and He will abundantly pardon.” [Isaiah 55:7]. 

I beg you, don’t be like Felix and miss it! Be like Paul and seize the day for God’s glory. Life is so uncertain. There is no opportunity for obedience after death.[Hebrew 9:27].  I don’t know who I’m talking too, but God says, “NOW – TODAY – NOT TOMORROW” Time is not on your side! Whoever you are, you have heard the Gospel many, many times in the past, and you’ve been spoken to by the Holy Spirit, but you have not heeded the warnings.” I beg you today, please, do not trifle with your soul’s salvation, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” [James 4:14]. The Urgency of Today. The Insistence of God. Know that ‘TODAY’ may be the very last time you may be exposed to the Gospel of the grace of God. Don’t blow it! Don’t delay!  “NOW,” “TODAY,” repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior. For the Bible declares, “Behold, “NOW” is the acceptable time; behold, “NOW” is the day of salvation.” “NOW” is Mercy’s offer. “NOW” is the invitation from God, reaching down from Heaven. Know that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance [2 Peter 3:9].

Three passages in the [Book of Proverbs- Chapter 1:24-28; Chapter 27:1; and Chapter 29:1] warns us that we are not to wait too late about making our decision of commitment to trust Christ as our Savior and Lord and to receive forgiveness for our sins. Don’t take a chance and think that you will have time to get saved or repent later on in life. “For Hell is filling up fast with people who thought that they would repent later on in their life. Some of them, like you, had heard the Gospel; were convicted by the Holy Spirit and Word of God, and had expected to get saved ‘SOMEDAY.” Unfortunately, for them, their “SOMEDAY” never came.”

For truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent [Acts 17:30]. Hear what the God of the Bible says about waiting to call out for salvation: “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call up me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” [Proverbs 1:24-31].

‘See then that you walk circumspectly (carefully) not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.’  [Ephesians 5:15

“No one knows the day or hour of his appointed time. And no man knows the day or hour of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  [Mark 13:32; Matthew 25:13]; Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not…” [Luke 12:40]

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that “I have set before you life and death; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live, that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him for He is your life and the length of your days. [Deuteronomy 30:19-20]

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— You know, there have been many definitions of love. There have been many people who have written books about love. There are songs about love. There are poems about love. There are discussions about love. But when you’ve said it all and you’ve read it all and you’ve sung it all, you just might wonder “What Love Got to Do with It,” because the things they talk about, sing about and write about really aren’t about love at all, but rather about affection, longing, goose-bumps types of emotional thrills. The love they talk about runs hot, it runs cold, and it runs lukewarm. It brings tears of joy, tears of depression, and screams of excitement and hollers of disappointment. However, the Bible addresses a “Greater Love” that uses an entirely different term than “philo.” That term is “Agape.” A love characterized by commitment. A love, that takes captive and cleaves and unites and cherishes and defends.  A love that last, that is not fickle, or uncertain, or capricious, but durable, constant, and stable. A love, that bleeds into every fabric and fiber of our lives. A love, that is beyond comprehension. Nothing, no calling or circumstance, no adversity or advancement, no pain or promotion, no status or station, escapes the brush strokes of this type of love – A Mother’s Love – Unconditional Love, Eternal Love!

As God describes His love for us, He says in (Isaiah 66:13) look at the love a mother has for her children, her family; it is nurturing, faithful, protective, and sacrificial. “…. She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:10-29)

I encourage you, if your mother is still a live; appreciate her because she is irreplaceable. If she is no longer here, a leave you with a love letter from God ……“You may not know me, but I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise. I am familiar with all your ways. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. For you were made in my image. In me you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived. I chose you when I planned creation. You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. It is my desire to lavish my love on you. Simply because you are my child and I am your father. My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. And I rejoice over you with singing. I will never stop doing good to you. You are my treasured possession. I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. And I want to show you great and marvelous things. If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. I am your greatest encourager. I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.  I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.  Will you be my child?  I am waiting for you.  Love your Father, Almighty God.

Oh, May God gives us the power to comprehend what is the height and depth and length and breadth, and to know the love of Christ through our mothers which passes knowledge that we might be filled with all the fullness of Him.

To the only wise God my Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

By Manny Otiko and Tanu Henry | California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Black women voters across the state have begun to organize themselves to express dissatisfaction with the California Democratic Party (CDP) and some of its members for overlooking issues that are important to them and taking recent actions that do not advance their interests.

They plan to share those grievances with fellow Democrats and officials of the party at the state CPD annual convention May 29 – June 2 in San Francisco. Activists have also organized a number of other events, including a rally and march on the State Capitol on June 22 to speak about some of their concerns and celebrate Black womanhood as they consolidate their political presence and power in the state.

This Wednesday, another group of African-American women Democrats, Black Woman Organized for Political Action – Political Action Committee (BWOPA-PAC), the oldest and largest Black political fundraising and advocacy organization in the state, will hold a “Legislative Learning Day” in Sacramento. That event is designed to teach Black women to lobby their legislators on issues that are relevant to them.

“When someone takes you for granted over and over again, it’s time to seriously reevaluate the relationship,” says Elika Bernard, the executive director of the Sacramento-based non-profit Black Women United. Bernard made the statement in an editorial she shared with California Black Media.

“In the case of the California Democratic Party,” Bernard continued, “ it’s time for Black women to rethink our loyalty and commitment.”

The view Bernard is expressing is not new. It articulates a widespread sense among Black women Democrats – who are becoming one of the most powerful voting blocs in the country – that the Democratic party relies on their support during elections but rarely rewards or reciprocates it.

During the last election, 94 percent of Black Women voted for Hilary Clinton. Black women are also largely credited for electing Democrat Doug Jones over his Republican rival in a special election for the US Senate last year in Alabama, one of the reddest Red states in terms of its GOP majority and tendency to consistently vote for Republicans.  According to APVoteCast, a political polling service, Black women votes were responsible for the majority of the Democratic Party wins during the last national midterm elections.

“While the Democratic Party has talked a good game about making space for Black women in leadership, we’ve seen time and time again that these words ring hollow,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, a Democratic party activist, former vice mayor of Oakland and state president of BWOPA-PAC.

Critiquing her party, Bernard cites the way some California Democrats are treating Kimberly Ellis, an African-American woman and progressive Democrat from Richmond, California. She is on the verge of becoming chair of the CDP if she wins the election at the state convention later this month.

In 2017, Ellis lost the election for chair by a thin margin to now embattled former chair Eric Baumann, who resigned last year after allegations of sexual harassment by two staffers.

Ellis has picked up key endorsements from a wide range of progressive and moderate groups, including the Silicon Valley Democratic Club and BWOPA-PAC. California US Reps. Jackie Speier (D-CA 14^th District), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA 11^th District) and Ro Khanna (D -CA 17^th District) have all thrown their support behind her.

But when the executive board of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to endorse Ellis at their April meeting, Bernard says, that decision was rejected and overturned by its membership.

“Immediately questions of the approval threshold were brought up and the rules changed from a simple majority to ? majority vote,” Bernard told CBM.

Then, there’s the case of Tina McKinnor, another African-American Democrat and former operations director of the CDP. Late last year, the acting chair of the CDP Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker, who took over after Bauman resigned, fired her. McKinnor has now filed a lawsuit against the CDP alleging discrimination because she is Black and retaliation because she helped another colleague file a sexual harassment compliant against Bauman.

In the filing papers obtained by CBM, McKinnor accuses Bauman of taking job responsibilities from her, including chairing staff meetings, fundraising and meeting with party officials and donors, because her style was “too urban.” She says the former chair of the CDP also used racial slurs like “Schwarze,” a disparaging Yiddish slang for African Americans, to describe her and Ellis. The lawsuit also claims Bauman made statements stereotyping all Black people as poor.

Another time, Bauman asked McKinnor, according to the lawsuit, to chair a meeting and sit up front “for the benefit of the Black folks.”

Mckinnor alleges that Bauman hired her as a token after winning with a slight margin against Ellis. The suit quotes Bauman allegedly saying he needed a “strong Black woman” on his staff to keep Ellis quiet.

As for Ellis, she remains focused on winning the election and bringing her vision to the leadership of the CDP.

“Consistently on the campaign trail I hear from our longest-serving activists that they want new blood and are welcoming the new energy with open arms,” she said.  “It’s clear that there is no longer a place in the California Democratic Party for elitist attitudes. We’re expanding the tent and adding new voices to our ranks – and we’re a better party for it.”

The Black women in California who support her are fired up, too, calling on party members to stand with them in their support of Ellis.

Tonya Burke, a lifelong Democrat, political consultant and former mayor pro-temp of Perris in Riverside County, said Black women in California should stop giving their money to the Democratic Party and donate directly to candidates they support. She says they should also run for political office and recruit others to do the same on the state, local and national levels.

“All we seem to keep getting from the Democratic Party are superficial luncheons, tea parties, BBQ’s fish frys and social media apologies,” she said. “If the Democratic Party was a living and breathing human being, Black women would be its brain, heart and soul.”

By Naomi K. Bonman

This has been an active year for the African-American community, as far as street dedications are concerned. From Nipsey Hussle Square to ‘Ruby Dee Place’ and ‘Ossie Davis Way’, and now Obama Boulevard, this is a positive vibe that appears to be gaining momentum as Los Angeles named a 3.5-mile stretch of road after former President Barack Obama.

After a successful fundraising campaign by Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard co-founder, Thandiwe Abdullah, Obama Boulevard finally became reality on Saturday, May 4 during a block party festival in the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw neighborhood. During the festival the renaming of Rodeo Road to Obama Boulevard took place.

TO CONTINUE READING, PLEASE CLICK HERE

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— African-American children are California’s lowest performing group of students, only above students with special needs. Only 2 percent of Black kids in the state attend schools that are considered “high performing.” And only 10 majority African-American schools, located mostly in hard-to-count, high-poverty census tracts around the Bay Area and Los Angeles, score, on average, above the state math and language arts requirements. 

On top of that, nearly 68 percent of all African-American students in California 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. 

Black children are also three times more likely than Whites to be suspended for similar behaviors, according to a report by San Diego State University’s Community College Equity Lab and UCLA’s Black Male Institute.

When it comes to getting admitted to a California State University or University of California school, only 22 percent of Black high school seniors graduate from schools where a majority of their racial group passes the required courses.

“The critical question is not being asked: ‘what is best for our children?,’” said Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), a member of the  Assembly Education committee. She was speaking at a hearing held earlier this month on three charter school bills – AB 1505, AB 1506 and AB 1507 – before her colleagues voted to move them out of committee.  The package of legislation would place significant restrictions on charter schools, if the full legislature passes them and Gov. Gavin Newsom signs them. 

Then, last week, the Senate Education Committee voted in favor of another charter school bill. This one, SB 756, would place a five-year ban on certifying any new charters. The language in the bill, introduced by Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), states that it is designed to ensure public charter schools do not “replace or undermine” the state’s public school system.

In California, roughly 52,800 Black students attend charter schools. Although the independent taxpayer-funded schools only account for about 10 percent of public schools, they enroll 3 percent more Black students than the traditional district schools.

Because such a high percentage of African Americans attend charters, opponents of the bills see the package of proposals as a direct attack on Black students.

“Charter schools have been a way within the public school system for African-American and all families to have choice,” says Margaret Fortune, an African-American educator who founded and runs Fortune School, a network of seven charter schools in Sacramento and San Bernardino that focuses on closing the African-American achievement gap and preparing students for college beginning in Kindergarten. 

She says, under current California law, the number one consideration for a charter school to be approved is the academic performance of students. Under the new proposals, one of the criteria would be money – if the applying charter impacts the finances of the local school district. 

The legislators who authored the bills and their supporters say they introduced them to bring about more accountability and that charter school reform is long overdue.

“School board members have a fiduciary duty to ensure the fiscal health of their district. They know the needs of their schools the best and should be able to consider the fiscal impact on their students and district when considering whether to approve a new charter school,” said Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland).

Critics of the legislation have said nowhere in the language of the new bills or public statements about them, have the bills’ legislative sponsors taken a critical look at why Black students are underperforming across the state. 

Last week, nationally recognized television journalist and commentator Roland Martin moderated a town hall in Sacramento focused on school choice.

Martin said charter schools are the only option for African-American families who don’t have the means to move to a better performing school district. 

During the town hall, Martin stated reasons he supports charter schools and has launched a national initiative to explore the issue called, “Is School Choice the Black Choice?” 

“You control the resources,” he told the audience. “You control who gets the janitorial contracts, textbook contracts, IT contracts. So you do not only control the education of our children, you control the economics of our neighborhoods.” 

Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego)| recently proposed making Black students a high-risk group under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) because of low scores on statewide exams. Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Los Angeles), the Chair of the Assembly Education committee, has pulled the bill. 

The education chair’s staff said that this was not the only bill O’Donnell has withdrawn and that he is waiting for a state auditors report before hearing legislation that would tinker with LCFF funding.

 During the town hall, several of the panelists called out Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who is African American and in whose district has three high performing charter schools that are performing above traditional district schools, two of those are Fortune schools. 

“To see Black state legislators, Black city council members, Black county commissioners – who are some of the most ardent opponents of charter schools. Yet, they are representing constituents who have some of the worst academic records,” Martin said. “That to me is an abomination.” 

In McCarty’s legislative area, which covers two school districts, Natomas Unified and Sacramento City Unified, Black students are performing below the state’s African-American averages in both math and English. About 87 percent of students are scoring below their grade level in math and about 78 percent are not meeting the English requirement.

---

This article is the first in a series of stories on African-American students and public education in California.

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— African-American churches, mosques and other religious organizations are among vulnerable non-profits in California eligible to apply for security grants after Gov. Gavin Newsom approved $15 million in emergency funds this week to help religious and community based groups protect themselves against hate crimes.  

The governor made the announcement two days after a violent mass shooting at a synagogue just north of San Diego shocked Californians and people around the world. 

On Saturday, John Earnest, 19, a White supremacist allegedly entered the Chabad of Poway Synagogue carrying an assault-style rifle and opened fire. Police said he killed one woman, Lori Kaye, 60, and injured three others, including a Rabbi and an 8-year-old girl.  Authorities are investigating the case as a hate crime and possibly a federal civil rights violation. 

“We all must call out hate – against any and all communities – and act to defend those targeted for their religious beliefs, who they love or how they identify,” said Governor Newsom. “An attack against any community is an attack against our entire state – who we are and what we stand for.”

Earnest, the accused gunman and a nursing student at California State University San Marcos, has been arrested and charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder. 

“Just weeks ago, African-American churches were burned in the South and these were confirmed as hate crimes,” said Shane Harris, an African-American pastor and President of the People’s Alliance of Justice, a national civil rights organization based in San Diego.

“I have worked closely with the Jewish community for many years on interfaith efforts to take on social justice issues surrounding hate in our country against any faith. It hurts my heart to hear that one person has been killed in this shooting and our prayers go out to the others who have been injured.”

For the African-American religious community in California, the synagogue shooting brings with it echoes of a painful past familiar with centuries of fire bombings, arson, shootings and other acts of domestic terrorism perpetrated against predominantly Black church congregations and places of worship. This year, in a 10-day span between late March and early April, arsonists burned down three historic African-American churches in Louisiana. And between 1995 and 1996 alone, more than 30 African-American churches were burned in the United. States, spurring Congress to pass the Church Arson Prevention Act. Since the 1950s, there have been close to 100 hate crimes committed at African-American places of worship.

The most heinous attack in recent history against a Black church was a hate-fueled mass murder that happened on June 17, 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina. Dylan Roof, a then-20-year-old White supremacist and Neo-Nazi,stormed into the historic Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church during a Bible study in the sanctuary and killed nine African-American parishioners, including a South Carolina state senator, Clementa Pinckney.

In California, there are more hate groups than in any other state. Hate crimes are also on the rise in the state, increasing by 17.4 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to the California Attorney General’s office. The sharpest upturn in the state has been Anti-Jewish attacks which rose from 82 too 104 between 2016 and 2017.

Several lawmakers, community activists and religious leaders have already stepped forward to thank the governor for his timely decision and his willingness to address a pressing safety concern in the state.

“We appreciate Governor Newsom commitment to the faith community. These resources will be helpful to protect our residents and communities that rely on our churches. I look forward to assisting Black churches in taking advantage of these resources,” said K.W. Tulloss, president of The Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California.

The funding, which will be administered through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, will be awarded through a competitive grant process. The grants will help Non-profits that are targets for hate-motivated violence bolster security at their facilities. Criteria identifying those groups may include, religious affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, immigration status and more.

Since 2015, California has allocated $4.5 million for the State Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Because more non-profits than anticipated have applied for grants, the governor’s office said he made the decision to add an additional $15m to the fund in the wake of the Poway shootings. The governor will also work with the Commission on Peace Officer Standards to ensure training modules are up to date as new applicants become a part of the ongoing state program.