WSSN Stories

By Christina Laster | NAACP Education Chair | #BlackEdChat

Black teacher presence in the classroom may be showing some signs of progress, but not nearly enough

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— The historic Brown vs Board of Education (1954) case not only “desegregated” the nation’s public schools, but it also opened up desegregation of lunch counters in North Carolina, public transportation in Alabama, and public spaces across the entire nation. 

Still, desegregation had its costs – especially within the public education system.  While the doors to Whites-only schools were opening for Black students, the doors to classrooms and offices were being closed to Black teachers and principals. 

In the period immediately following Brown, for example, then number of Black principals in Alabama decreased from 210 to 57. In Virginia that number plummeted from 170 to 16.  Recent studies show that, currently, only 20 percent of principals across the country are non-White, and of those only 10 percent are Black.

Black teachers didn’t fare much better back then and, unfortunately, they’re not faring much better now. 

In segregated schools, Black teachers served as more than gatekeepers to information and degrees.  They were culturally relevant advocates, allies, friends, and family. They were sharing a common purpose in prevalent conditions of struggle, using shared cultural knowledge and forms of interaction to navigate.  In White schools, Black teachers were seen as invaders and access was only granted to those that could show the highest levels of proficiency in the performance of “Whiteness.”  Most frequently, these measures of performance took the form of graduate school programs, degrees and certifications that Black educators were unable to access or not allowed to complete. 

Today, while approximately half of students in the public school system are Black, Latino, Indigenous, or otherwise not White, over 80 percent of teachers identify as Caucasian. Furthermore, only 7 percent of public teachers are Black while 16 percent of the student population is Black.  Black teacher presence in the classroom may be showing some signs of progress, but it’s not proportional to the overall national Black student population and it’s not growing at a rate that’s fast enough to keep up with current demographic trends.

Lack of access to certification, discrimination on the part of many White administrators, and a lack of culturally relevant representatives to bridge the gap between students and teachers are among the primary reasons Black teachers are having trouble accessing Black classrooms.  Non-traditional and tailored public schools, however, have become a unique bubble of protection for Black educators and administrators to reenter the public education system. The results have been promising. 

Non-traditional, non-profit public schools are bucking the trend of lost Black educators.

A recent study examining non-profit public schools in North Carolina showed that while the proportion of Black students in those non-traditional and traditional public schools are similar, the non-traditional alternatives have approximately 35 percent more Black teachers.  Further, Black students in tailored public schools are 50 percent more likely to have at least one Black teacher than their peers attending traditional public schools.

Having Black teachers in classrooms with Black students is paying off.

Studies, such as one recently from Johns Hopkins University, have shown that Black elementary school students perform better in math and reading when they have a Black teacher.  Just one Black teacher “reduced their probability of dropping out by 29 percent for low-income black students – and 39 percent for very low-income Black boys.” They are more likely to find themselves placed in gifted programs, and Black students are also more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college with exposure to just one Black teacher in their schools.  

Reinserting Black representation into the classroom also serves to protect students form the harsh and asymmetrical punishments they experience, on average, at the hands of mostly White instructors. That’s not saying or proving all White teachers are bad for Black students; but there are major disparities needing more analysis, policy redress and improvement. But, in the meantime, we do see success when Black students are either with Black teachers or interfacing in the same spaces with them: they are less likely to face expulsion, suspension or detention.  They are also less likely to face the low expectations often set for them by many White teachers stemming from implicit and explicit bias.

This can be fixed. There is a way to achieve balance, proportionality and, ultimately, high-achievement outcomes by recognizing the need for more Black teachers. By offering Black students the types of teachers they can look up to as culturally relevant representatives, non-profit public schools – such as the highly successful network of Learn4Life personalized or tailored learning public schools in California – are not only undoing the damage left in the wake of the desegregation movement, but they are rebuilding the bonds of confidence and support that reach full equity in society as a whole.

Rather than taking resources away from public schools, they are actually expanding the original spirit of public education while restoring hope to non-traditional students. These uniquely designed and transformative educational institutions are providing a vital space of universal inclusion for teachers and principals, as well.  And they are better serving Black students in the process.

By Lou Yeboah

Listen, only God can satisfy our inner hunger. God put a longing in our hearts that was intended to lead us back to Him. The problem is that instead of turning to God and letting Him fill our souls, we turn to other things — alcohol, drugs, sex, money, pleasure, work; knowing doggone well that the satisfaction they bring is ony temporary. Now I know some of you may say, well something is better than nothing. But why settle for sometime love when you can have everlasting love. The love of God. A love that is eternal, unconditional, incomprehensible, and immeasurable! Trying to fill a void that only God can!  Until God’s love and acceptance is enough, NOTHING EVER will satisfy. You better know that you know! God is the source of our satisfation.

Think about King Solomon and his quest to find satisfaction for the deep longings of his heart. King Solomon had eveything.  He wrote in [Ecclesiastes 2:10], “And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure.” He had it all.  But listen to what he eventually confessed—”Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” [Ecclesiastes 2:11]. Meaningless! Meaningless!  Utterly meaningless! Everything  was meaningless!  “So I hated life.” Kiing Solomon, the guy who had everything, ends up hating life. Why? Because nothing in this life can satsify our inner hunger but God. The deepest thirst of our souls can only be quenched by Him.

“Nothing can satisfy but Jesus. “For He satsifies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” [Psalms 107:9].

What was true for King Solomon is true for us. When we try to make things in this life fill the void we sense, we end up hating those things that we poured all our hopes into, because they ultimately fall short of satisfying us. Why? Because only God can fill the void.

Just like the woman at the well, God put a longing in our hearts that was intended to lead us back to Him. Only His unconditional acceptance, approval, and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts-the deepest thirst of our souls.

Run to Jesus and ask Him to fill the void with His saving love and eternal life. That’s the only thing that will satisfy your greatest need. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels – everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.”  [Colossians 1:16-17]

You are invited to the Banquet…. Will you go?

Hollywood Power Broker Koshie Mills is the creator and executive producer of “The Diaspora Dialogues” talk show and docuseries. A live taping is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 1, 2019 at the California African American Museum, 600 State Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037 at 6:30 pm.

Born in Ghana, West Africa and curated in Los Angeles, California, Koshie Mills initial experience in the entertainment industry came from managing the careers of her three successful sons who are all actors. Kwame Boateng (Everybody Hates Chris, The Plug), Kofi Siriboe (Queen Sugar, Girls Trip) Kwesi Boakye (Claws, Colony).

An African woman at the core, Koshie says “I created the Diaspora Dialogues movement and platform to mend the divide between Africans from the continent and African Descendents within the Diaspora. The Dialogues will ignite the long overdue conversations needed to create a better understanding of our different experiences but shared identity”.

2019 has been declared “The Year Of Return”, In commemoration and celebration of the resilience of the African people 400 years post transatlantic slavery. Ghana’s President Nana Akufo Addo has decreed an official welcome to African Americans to come back home to Africa.

This season, The Diaspora Dialogues will lend its important cultural voice, by coming into the community Live and curate conversations addressing our internal racism, identity crisis and cultural disconnect. The focus will be on “the journey to healing” and what the 21st century African Renaissance has the potential to look like for all its descendants.

Celebrity and influential who have shown support of the movement and have joined this important and powerful platform include Kofi Siriboe, Tiffany Haddish, Rosario Dawson, Isaiah Washington, Ryan Destiny, Estelle, Monique Coleman, Jodie Smith, Suede, Chike Okonkwo and many more.

Tickets for this event are available now at Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/koshie-mills-presents-the-diaspora-dialogues-live-tour-los-angeles-tickets-74738156839?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

SACRAMENTO, CA— Governor Newsom signed Assemblymember Chris Holden’s legislation, Assembly Bill 30, that ensures dual enrollment opportunities remain available to students. 

“With the rising cost of higher education that widens the achievement gap, we need to find more ways to make college more affordable and accessible,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden.

“Dual enrollment is a proven strategy that creates pathways to college and gives opportunities to students who might never have thought it would be possible to go to college.” 

Assembly Bill 30 extends the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP), first established by Assemblymember Holden’s legislation in 2015, past its current expiration at the end of 2021, and ensures dual enrollment opportunities remain available to students who are not already college bound or are underrepresented in higher education. The new legislation also streamlines the process for developing CCAP agreements between community colleges and K-12 districts. 

Dual and concurrent enrollment provides high school students access to college-level coursework. In some cases, students earn both high school and college credit for the same course depending on approval from local school and community college governing boards. 

“Dual enrollment helps increase the number of college graduates, reduce time and money spent for college, and help close the achievement gap,” said Holden. “Today’s signature is a win for students and their families.” 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SACRAMENTO, CA— Recently, Assemblymember Chris Holden joined Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing ceremony for legislation aimed at improving California’s wildfire prevention, mitigation and response efforts. As chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy, Holden had a significant role in developing a comprehensive legislative package this year to address the threat of wildfires and the resulting impact on communities and ratepayers.

“It’s been a privilege and a great responsibility to work with Governor Newsom and my colleagues in the Legislature to find the right response to the devastating wildfires that have ravaged our state,” said Holden. “Our work is not done yet but we’re in a much better place this year than we were only a year ago.”

The bills signed by Governor Newsom today included Holden’s Assembly Bill 1513 which refined provisions of legislation signed earlier this year to prevent and respond to fires caused by electric utility infrastructure.  The Governor also signed several bills for which Holden played a key role in crafting as Chair of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.  The bills will result in the refinement of programs impacting the deenergization of electric lines (Public Safety Power Shutoffs) to prevent ignition of fires during extreme weather events and enhance vegetation management to prevent fire ignition by electric lines.  The full list of bills signed by Governor Newsom can be found here.

Climate change has created a new wildfire reality for California. The state’s fire season is now almost year round. More than 25 million acres of California wildlands are classified as under very high or extreme fire threat with approximately 25 percent of the state’s population – 11 million people – living in those high-risk areas.  At the same time the state is experiencing an increase in weather patterns with high wind and temperature coupled with low humidity.  The events, along with deficiencies in utility vegetation management practices, have caused the ignition of several fires as a result of contact between the electric lines and vegetation.

“Our goal in the last year has remained constant – protect ratepayers and wildfire victims, improve the safety of electric infrastructure, and ensure that we have fiscally stable electric utilities to serve customers,” said Holden.

Holden’s legislation was a follow up bill to Assembly Bill 1054 signed earlier this summer, that increased safety requirements for utilities and protected customers and taxpayers from wholly bearing the costs of devastating wildfires.

By Rob Falkenberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of California

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

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

Tip 1: Know your open enrollment dates

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

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

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

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

Tip 4: Check to make sure your medications are covered

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

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

Tip 6: Don’t forget about specialty benefits

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

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

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

A celebration of global culture and community

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

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

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

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

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

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ABOUT RED BAY COFFEE ROASTERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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