WSSN Stories

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has introduced two bills in the State Senate that could lower prescription drug prices for California residents.

Senate Bill (SB) 40, or the Insulin Affordability Act — and accompanying legislation, SB 41, or Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Reform — comprise Wiener’s Prescription Drug Affordability (PDA) Package.

Together, the bills would cap monthly co-pays for insulin at $35 (SB 40) and create regulations for pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) whose negotiation practices, critics say, have resulted in steep price increases for prescription drugs (SB 41).

“It makes no sense that people with diabetes in states like West Virginia can access affordable insulin while Californians are stuck with higher prices,” said Wiener in a statement.

“When basic life necessities like medication become unaffordable in Blue States, working people pay the price. As Democrats, we should be leading on making people’s lives better and more affordable,” continued Weiner. It is past time California caught up with other states and put basic protections in place to contain the astronomical cost of basic medications.”

SB 40’s proposed $35 monthly co-pay was written, in part, in response to the price of insulin tripling over the past decade, Wiener’s office says. As a result of the increase, one in four people using insulin has reported insulin underuse because they can’t afford the full dose. Four in five Americans in need of insulin have incurred thousands of dollars in credit card debt to pay for the medication, according to a recent survey conducted by CharityRx.

About 4,037,000 adult Californians have diabetes, with an additional 263,000 cases of Type 1diabetes diagnosed each year. This rate in new cases disproportionately affects the elderly, men, and low-income patients, Wiener’s office reports.

Christine Fallabel, regional director of state government affairs and advocacy with the American Diabetes Association (ADA), a sponsor of SB 40, said, “The ADA has long led the fight to make insulin more affordable, and there has been significant progress. We look forward to building on the momentum across the country to extend the $35 per month insulin cap to include people with state-regulated health plans in California. No one should have to skip their lifesaving insulin due to costs alone.”

According to Wiener, SB 41 is his follow-up to similar legislation he introduced last year, SB 966, which was vetoed by Gov. Newsom.

Middlemen in the pharmaceutical industry, PBMs buy prescription drugs from manufacturers and then sell them to pharmacies and health plans. Their position as intermediaries allows them to charge high administrative fees and significantly higher prices for drugs to pharmacies than they paid originally. This practice results in higher costs for patients seeking the prescriptions they need.

“On behalf of the Californians we serve who live with chronic and rare diseases, we are grateful to Sen. Wiener for his commitment and attempt to hold pharmacy middlemen accountable for their anti-patient and anti-pharmacy practices,” stated Liz Helms, California Chronic Care Coalition President & CEO.  “Health care costs continue to rise when patients cannot afford medically necessary medications. We are committed to bringing transparency and oversight to PBMs, and look forward to continuing our work with Senator Wiener, our advocacy partners, and welcome others to join us in this fight.”

SB 41 proposes that all PBMs be licensed and that they disclose basic information regarding their business practices to the licensing entity. It also calls for a number of other requirements and prohibitions, including limiting how fees may be charged and requiring transparency related to all fees assessed.

“This bill addresses some of the worst abuses by pharmacy benefit managers: lack of transparency, unfair business practices, steering, and price gouging,” said Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog. “Increasingly what is best for PBMs is not best for patients or the health care system.”

In 2022, drug spending in California grew by 12%, while total health premiums rose by just 4%. Last year, more than half of Californians either skipped or postponed mental and physical healthcare due to cost, putting their safety and well-being at risk. One in three reported holding medical debt, including half of low-income Californians.

So far, there is no organized opposition to the Prescription Drug Affordability package.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

Two former members of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans shared some of their experiences developing a 1,075-page report that detailed injustices suffered by African Americans during and after chattel slavery.

Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist Dr. Cheryl Grills and Bay Area-based attorney Don Tamaki, who were part of the nine-member reparations panel spoke at the “Justice Through Action: Black Reparations-Reparative Justice” event hosted by local chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in Sacramento on Feb. 8.

The event was held at the California Museum.

“The first impact that the overall report had on me is that it gave me a panoramic view and it was a panoramic view of the elephant in the room,” Grills, who attended the event virtually, told the audience.

“The way America teaches about our history, American history, gives us little snippets and little pieces. It’s definitely watered down,” Grills added.

However, Grills said the report the task force compiled presented a version of the Black experience in America that was not diluted.

“You could see the totality of the elephant,” she said. “The report gives you the fullness and density of the elephant, which was, at the same time, validating, overwhelming, and painful.”

The final reparations report was submitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the legislature on June 29, 2023, after the task force completed a two-year study that proposed a comprehensive reparations plan.

Assembly Bill (AB) 3121 authored by then-Assemblymember Shirley Weber and enacted on Sep. 30, 2020, established the state’s reparations task force.

“California has historically led the country on civil rights, yet we have not come to terms with our state’s ugly past that allowed slaveholding within our borders and returned escaped slaves to their masters,” stated Weber, who is now Secretary of State.

The JACL is the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American-Pacific Islander Civil Rights Organization. It is focused on securing and safeguarding the civil and human rights of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (AAPI) and all communities who are affected by injustice and bigotry.

The JACL presentation was hosted to observe the 83rd anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

That panel was part of the Northern California Time of Remembrance (NCTOR) committee’s Annual Day of Remembrance program organized in partnership with the California Museum.

Tamaki, who is Japanese American and the only non-Black member of the task force, said the Black and Japanese experiences in America have some parallels but there are significant differences as well.

“When you look at reparations, and this was the eye opener to me, it’s actually a unifying concept,” Tamaki said. “There’s no equivalence between four years in a concentration camp that our community experienced and 400 years of oppression.”

Tamaki explained, “We do have some things in common. Japanese know something about mass incarceration and profiling and the consequences. In that respect, there is a reason for all of us, whatever our background, to start looking at (reparations). We have to cure the body and not just put a band-aid on it.”

Grills is a clinical psychologist whose work focuses on community psychology. A Professor of Psychology at Loyola Marymount University, she us also a past president of the Association of Black Psychologists.

Tamaki is a senior counsel at Minami Tamaki LLP.  He has spent decades working with AAPI legal services programs. In the 1980s, he participated in the Japanese American reparations movement and served on the pro bono legal team that reopened the landmark 1944 Supreme Court case of Fred Korematsu.

The case resulted in overturning Korematsu’s criminal conviction for violating the incarceration order that led to the imprisonment of 125,000 Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Tamaki was the lone non-Black member of the nine-member Reparations Task Force.

At the 2025 NCTOR event, presented by local chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), several Japanese, Jewish and other non-Black groups in California conveyed their support for reparations for Black American residents of the state who are descendants of enslaved people.

Earnest Uwazie, a Sacramento State University criminal justice professor and director of the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution, was one of more than 100 persons who listened to the two-hour discussion.

“I thought the event was great,” said Uwazie. “It’s always great to hear from the people involved in the study of reparations and it is good to get a comparative with the Japanese experience. This was extremely informative.”

 

By Kellie Todd Griffin | Special to California Black Media?? 

We are standing at a crossroads –where our history meets our future. And in this moment, we must ask ourselves: What would our ancestors do?

Over the last six months, we’ve watched companies quietly step away from their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). And that has left many of us with a hard choice to make because — let’s be real –letting go of our conveniences isn’t easy. But we have never been a people who choose what’s easy over what’s right. Our legacy is built on struggle, on sacrifice, on knowing that real progress doesn’t come without real work.

Almost 70 years ago, the Montgomery Bus Boycott showed us exactly what that work looks like. It wasn’t just about Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat. It was about an entire community coming together — pastors, first ladies, labor leaders, business owners, everyday folks — who said, “Enough.” For 13 months, they walked instead of riding the bus. They organized carpools. They sacrificed their safety, their comfort, and their livelihoods to take a stand. And they won.

That boycott didn’t just desegregate buses. It showed the world the power of Black economic resistance. It hit the city’s transit system where it hurt, forcing real change. And when insurance companies tried to shut them down, they found a way. When taxi drivers were threatened for supporting the movement, they kept going. When the world told them no, they answered with action.

And we’ve seen that same power time and again. In the 1980s, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH took on Coca-Cola, demanding that the company invest in Black businesses and communities. After just one month of organized pressure, Coca-Cola agreed to funnel millions of dollars into Black-owned enterprises, expand diversity in its workforce, and increase Black representation at the decision-making table.

In the 1990s, Jackson and Glenda Gill did it again — this time with the auto industry. They pushed Japanese car manufacturers to invest in Black suppliers, dealers, and employees, securing $7.2 billion in diversity initiatives from Toyota alone.

These movements teach us something critical: Boycotts work. Economic action drives systemic change. But let’s be clear: change requires sacrifice. There will be Black- owned businesses caught in the crossfire. Some will lose shelf space. Some may struggle. And that is a real and difficult truth. But history shows us that without real commitments to equity, they’ll be left behind anyway.

Montgomery wasn’t just about civil rights. It was an economic battle. And for a moment, we built something incredible — a fully functioning Black-owned transit system. But when the buses were integrated, that system disappeared. And that should make us think.

Many Black entrepreneurs today are building businesses out of necessity. They see a need in the market, and they fill it — not just for profit, but for us. And if they can trust us to support them, then we have to demand more from the places that only see us as consumers.

Last fall, Walmart announced it would no longer focus on DEI, choosing instead to talk about “belonging.” And yet, just weeks later, they rolled out holiday commercials featuring Lorenz Tate, Nia Long and Busta Rhymes –images carefully designed to speak to us, to our culture, to our spending power.

And our spending power is undeniable. Black consumers make up 10% of Walmart’s sales, 8.9% of Target’s. Our economic clout reached $1.6 trillion in 2020. And it’s only growing.

Our dollar matters. But this moment isn’t about money. It’s about power. It’s about whether we’re willing to step outside our comfort zones, to punch above our weight class just like our ancestors did. Because our fight has never been about today. It has always been about tomorrow.

So, the question is: What kind of future are we willing to build? And what are we willing to sacrifice to get there?

Let’s make this happen.

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About the Author

Kellie Todd Griffin is the President & CEO of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute. With a deep commitment to equity and justice, she champions initiatives that amplify the voices and influence of Black women across California. Known for her strategic insight and passion for community empowerment, Kellie is a driving force in fostering systemic change and collective progress.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The firestorms that ravaged Southern California have drawn attention to historically Black communities like Altadena, one of the first areas in Los Angeles County where Black families could buy homes during the Great Migration.

Before the fire, Altadena’s Black population was 18% with a Black homeownership rate of nearly 81% — more than the double the state rate of about 36.6%.

For Black History Month, California Black Media explores 14 other historically Black neighborhoods that thrived in the Golden State despite numerous challenges.

Note: This is not a comprehensive list.

1. Allensworth (Tulare County) – Founded in 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other Black settlers, Allensworth was California’s first and only town established and governed by African However, Allensworth’s livelihood depended on a railroad company and water supply company. Eventually, the railroad company stopped service to the town and the water company cut off the town’s water supply, leading most residents to relocate. Many of the town’s original buildings have been restored.
2. North Richmond (Contra Costa County) – Developed during World War II, North Richmond attracted Black workers to Kaiser Shipyards. One of the first downtown Black owned businesses was O.B. Freeman’s Shoeshine on Macdonald Avenue which became a popular gathering place for Black motor-bikers.
3. Oak Park (Sacramento County) – One of Sacramento’s oldest Black neighborhoods, Oak Park grew due to the lack of racial covenants that restricted Black land ownership during the Great Depression. It became a hub of Black culture and entrepreneurship. For example, renowned culinary artist George Dunlap opened a string of restaurants in the area, including Dunlap’s Dining Room, known for its Southern cooking.
4. West Oakland (Alameda County) – A major center for Black migration during WWII, known for its jazz scene and civil rights activism. The neighborhood was home to the Black Panther Party headquarters and a center of Black commerce and entertainment in the 1940s and 1950s. Seventh Street served as the cultural hub of the area and was lined with Black-owned businesses, including Slim Jenkin’s Place, one of the most popular jazz clubs in the area attracting big names like B.B King, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington.
5. South Berkeley (Alameda County) –Black families moved to South Berkeley during the Great Migration for jobs at shipyards and railroad companies. In 1948, William Byron Rumford Sr. became the first African American elected to a state public office when he won an Assembly seat. Rumford owned a pharmacy on Sacramento Street, which was a hub for the Black community.
6. Bayview-Hunters Point (San Francisco County) – During WWII, the establishment of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard attracted an influx of African American workers. Around that time, 59% of the neighborhood’s population was The area, which has a rich history of activism, remains the neighborhood with the highest concentration of Black San Franciscans.
7. Seaside (Monterey County) – The presence of the Black community in this area grew significantly due to the presence of Fort Ord, a U.S. Army base. By the 1960’s, Seaside had the largest concentration of American Americans between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over a quarter of Seaside’s population was Black at the time.
8. Watts (Los Angeles County) – Famous for the Watts Towers, the city became a significant hub for Black cultural and political movements. Watts became predominantly Black in the 1940s. War industries were a primary source of employment for new workers coming into Watts. The neighborhood is also known for the Watts Uprising, a series of protests in 1965 mainly opposing police
9. Ladera Heights, View Park and Baldwin Hills (Los Angeles County) – These adjacent neighborhoods are considered some of the wealthiest historically Black communities in the S. African Americans were not allowed to live in the area until 1948 when the Supreme Court ruled against racial restrictive covenants. By 1970, residents of the area were 75% Black. Celebrities including Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Nancy Wilson, Michael Cooper, Regina King and Issa Rae have called the area home. Ladera Heights, View Park and Baldwin Hills are often referred to the “Black Beverly Hills.”
10. Leimert Park (Los Angeles County) – A cultural and artistic center for African Americans, Leimert Park is known for its jazz heritage and Black-owned businesses. The area is home to one of the largest and oldest Juneteenth celebrations in the country.
11. Inglewood (Los Angeles County) – In 1960, only 29 of Inglewood’s population of 63,390 were Black. But by 1980, 56% of the city’s population was Black. “White Flight” from the area during the 1970s sparked the influx of Black residents. In 1983, Edward Vincent Jr. Became Inglewood’s first Black mayor. Inglewood has become a sports and entertainment hub under current mayor James Butts.
12. Southeast San Diego (San Diego County County) – The area is home to Bethel AME Church, the oldest Black church in San Diego, founded in 1887. Before gentrification and redevelopment began to intensify — beginning in the 1970s through the 2000s — the Imperial Avenue Corridor was known as a mini “Black Wall Street.”
13. The Fillmore District (San Francisco County) – Known as the “Harlem of the West,” the Fillmore community in San Francisco became a hub for Black businesses and art after World War II. Many Blacks migrated to the area because it was one of the areas in the city without a racist housing covenant. The Fillmore was renowned for its jazz scene, with famous clubs like Jimbo’s Bop city.
14. Compton (Los Angeles County) – In 1960, Compton’s Black population was 40%, a figure that was around 5% ten years prior. The rise in the area’s Black population was due, in part, to a real estate tactic called “Blockbusting” where real estate agents would induce White homeowners to sell their properties at reduced prices by suggesting Black families were moving into the neighborhood. Then, those agents would sell those homes to Black families at higher prices. In 1969, Compton elected Douglas Dollarhide, the first Black mayor of a major California city.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL— Talk show host Tamron Hall kicked off Black History Month at Walt Disney World Resort on Saturday by leading her family on a festive day of Disney fun along with “Celebrate Soulfully” offerings, culminated by a jubilant parade at Magic Kingdom Park.

Hall, known for her work as a TV talk show host, journalist and author, served as the grand marshal in the parade down Main Street, U.S.A., that featured Disney characters, energetic music and cheering guests.

Hall and her family also experienced the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction, met Princess Tiana and posed for photos with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto, as well as Disney cast members.

The parade marked the start of Black History Month celebrations at Walt Disney World, where guests can “Celebrate Soulfully” with a vibrant mix of music, art, entertainment and food throughout February and beyond.

• Four Black artists are showcasing their work this month at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, a celebration of artistic expression. The artists appear on various days through mid-February. Also, several Black artists are performing onstage at America Gardens Theatre during the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series on select nights during the festival.
• The Disney Springs Art Walk features colorful murals by Black artists that celebrate Black culture and expression, including a new mural by Washington D.C. – based artist Brandon Hill that debuts this month.
• Throughout Walt Disney World, there are food and beverage items from Walt Disney World’s “Celebrate Soulfully” menu, which feature classic comfort foods prepared by a diverse group of Walt Disney World chefs, such as blackened salmon and peach cobbler.
• And guests can always interact with a variety of popular and diverse Disney characters, such as Princess Tiana at Magic Kingdom, Ariel from the live-action story “The Little Mermaid” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Asha at EPCOT.

Like Hall, guests can “Celebrate Soulfully” throughout the month and all year long through a wide variety of ticket, dining, and hotel options as well as promotional offers for families. More information is available at www.DisneyWorld.com/offers.

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

If you haven’t already done so, get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW to keep yourself safe from the impact of what is about to happen. Maximum readiness and an immediate response is required. Be vigilant. Dangerous times are imminent and inevitable. Follow the advice of the Almighty God. Repent NOW before it is TOO LATE!

The Bible makes it very clear that there is a time coming when you won’t be able to be saved. [Hebrews 12:17]. Do not to take for granted the grace of God. These are the End Times, the Time of Great Tribulation, when God will pour out His wrath and judgment on an unbelieving world. The Bible says God will give them up. They will curse God as they are being scorched with hailstones. [Revelation 16:9-11]. They will try to hide from His wrath in vain, they will seek death, but death will flee from them. [Revelation 9:6]. This is GSWS – the Official God Severe Warning Service. Follow the advice of the Almighty God. Repent NOW before it’s TOO LATE! Don’t gamble with your soul. God hand is outstretched, find grace in the eyes of the Lord today.

For thus saith the Lord, If you do not repent, when you spread out your hands in prayer, pleading for My help because of your rebelliousness and stubbornness, I will hide My eyes from you; I will not be listening. It will be too late! [Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 8].

Don’t be like Belshazzar. [Daniel 5]. When Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall, he realized that judgement had been declared. It was TOO LATE! That night Babylon fell, and Belshazzar was slain. The Bible records his trembling, his fear, his knees smote together in terror. He found no place of repentance, he found no mercy, he found no grace. God was done with him forever. You think you have all the time in the world to decide. Not so! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. [James 4:14]. The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. [Mark 1:15]. Repent NOW!

In Genesis, when the angels came to Sodom, judgment had already been declared. Their fate was sealed. The angels came to save Lot and destroy the city. All the inhabitants were dead men walking even before the angels arrived in Sodom.

The longsuffering of God in Genesis with the old story of Noah. The invitation to be saved and avoid judgement was extended for many, many years. But one day, the offer was withdrawn. It was over, even before the raindrops began to fall, before the fountains of the deep were broken up, before there was any sign of the impending deluge. One can only imagine the icy hand of terror which took hold of their hearts as the rain fell and the water exploded up from underneath. Pleading to be let in. Noah, Noah, let us in! Noah, Noah, we believe you now! The door was shut forever. They took God’s grace and longsuffering for granted.

The sheer terror of realizing one having refused God one too many times. Listen, if God did not spare the angels, nor Sodom, God will not spare this current world. [2 Peter 2:45; Genesis 18:16-33; Romans 11:21]. God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. [2 Peter 3:9]. Don’t delay coming to Christ. Satan whispers “some other time”—but the Bible says, “NOW is the time of God’s favor, NOW is the day of salvation.” [2 Corinthians 6:2].

Jesus says of those who refuse to be saved, “These shall go away into everlasting punishment and be lost forever.” [Matthew 25:26].

God has commanded you to repent. [Acts 17:30]. Surrender your life to Jesus immediately and be saved. [Revelation 3:19]. If you do not, know that He has bent His bow and made it ready. [Psalms 7:12] and you shall go away into everlasting punishment and be lost forever. [Matthew 25:26].

This is GSWS ? The Official God Severe Warning Service – State of Alert! Defcon 2! God’s Army is ready and prepared.

Like the boy who cried “wolf,” the people dismiss God’s warnings. They say, “Time passes on, but these threats never happen.” They felt quite justified in ignoring the Word of God because they thought it would be no downside for disobedience.

To this God says “Enough.” He will withhold their punishment no longer and will fulfill all that He said. There will be no more delays. [Ezekiel 12:21-28; Revelation 10:6; Jeremiah 30:24].

Defcon 1 – War is imminent!

Though “they sought for it with tears”, they discovered that no matter how “sorry” they were, like Esau, “there was no place for repentance” — it was too late. [Hebrews 12:17].

By Good Black News

Born in 1875 in Virginia to formerly enslaved parents who were never taught to read and write, Carter G. Woodson often had to forgo school for farm or mining work to make ends meet, but was encouraged to learn independently and eventually earned advanced degrees from the University of Chicago and Harvard.

It was at these lauded institutions of higher education where Dr. Woodson began to realize these new educational opportunities for Negroes were potentially as damaging as they were helpful, if not more so, as much of the curriculum was biased and steeped in white supremacy.

In 1916, Dr. Woodson helped found the Journal of Negro History with Jesse E. Moreland, intent on providing scholarly records and analysis of all aspects of the African-American experience that were lacking in his collegiate studies.

As Dr. Woodson researched and chronicled civilizations in Africa and their historical advancements in mathematics, science, language and literature that were rarely discussed in academic circles, he also criticized the systematic ways Black people post-Civil War were being “educated” into subjugation and self-oppression:

“The same educational process which inspires and stimulates the oppressor with the thought that he is everything and has accomplished everything worthwhile, depresses and crushes at the same time the spark of genius in the Negro by making him feel that his race does not amount to much and never will measure up to the standards of other peoples. The Negro thus educated is a hopeless liability of the race.”

In 1926, Dr. Woodson began promoting the second week of February as Negro History Week. He chose this week in February intentionally, as it overlapped the birthdays of abolitionist activist Frederick Douglass (February 14) and President Abraham Lincoln (February 12) aka “The Great Emancipator.”

Supported and cross-promoted by several African American newspapers in the U.S., recognition and celebration of Negro (or African-American) History Week was slowly adopted through state departments of education (eg. Delaware, North Carolina, West Virginia) and in city schools (eg. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City).

Dr. Woodson spent decades advocating for excellence in the education of Black students and demanding school systems across the U.S. eliminate curricula designed deliberately to “mis-educate” Black children while promoting the fallacy of white superiority.

In 1933 he published a collection of his articles and speeches titled The Mis-Education of the Negro (available to read for free in the public domain), spreading his message and mission for unbiased and expansive education even further.

“When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it.”

By the time Dr. Woodson died in 1950, a significant amount of mayors across the U.S. supported and acknowledged Negro History Week.

By February 1969, more than a decade into the Civil Rights Movement and less than a year after the assassination of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., students and educators at Kent State University proposed the first Black History Month — then celebrated it in February 1970.

Six years later, after meeting with civil rights leaders Vernon Jordan, Bayard Rustin, Dorothy Height and Jesse Jackson, as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebrations, it was President Gerald Ford (a Republican!) who officially acknowledged and co-signed the significance of Black History Month for all U.S. citizens:

“In celebrating Black History Month, we can take satisfaction from this recent progress in the realization of the ideal envisioned by our founding fathers. But, even more than this, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

So, even though this year the current administration has dusted up a pause on the celebration of Black History Month within federal agencies (don’t let the doublespeak of a Proclamation fool ya), Dr. Woodson’s good and lasting work of a lifetime will continue to be acknowledged, shared and celebrated this year, on its official centennial next year, and for all time — for the people, by the people.

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Sources:

• https://goodblacknews.org/2022/02/02/gbn-daily-drop-podcast-carter-g-woodson-the-father-of-black-history-listen/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/us/politics/trump-holiday-mlk-black-history-dei.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/history-of-black-history-month.html

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media?? 

In May of 2023, California launched an anti-hate hotline and resource network, California vs Hate, to address a sharp rise in reported hate crimes targeting racial and ethnic minority populations. While data has shown reported incidents nearly doubled since 2019, rural areas of California continue to be underreported.

Kevin Kish, Director of the California Civil Rights Department, recently spoke at an Ethnic Media Services webinar offering his observations and highlighting the importance of spreading the word about California vs. Hate’s resources.

“That lack of reporting out of rural areas is not a good thing. And that lack of reporting out of rural areas of our state is also reflected in the Attorney General’s hate crime report,” Kish said.

“Many of these counties are reporting zero or very few hate crimes. We know that when people are afraid, when they feel isolated, it is unlikely for them to turn to government, at least not without a trusted intermediary, a trusted person or organization who helps them do that,” he added.

The issue is particularly concerning for Black Californians as increasing numbers of Black individuals and families have moved from coastal cities and suburbs to exurbs rural areas over the last 40 years in counties and inland areas, including Riverside, San Bernardino, and Kern counties in Southern California and Solano County, San Joaquin and Kings counties in Northern California.

In fact, some rural cities now have higher percentages of Blacks per capital than urban areas. For example, Rio Vista, a rural area in Solano County has a Black population of over 10% and Weed, a town in Siskiyou County, has a Black population of around 8%.

Some barriers to reporting, Kish shared, were language limitations, mistrust of local government and lack of knowledge of what qualifies as a hate crime.

“California versus hate was designed to overcome these barriers specifically. It is designed to help everyone who experiences hate, no matter who they are, no matter where they are in our state, and no matter whether what they experienced was in fact a crime.”

In the hotline’s first year of existence, it received over 1,000 reports. The most commonly cited form of hate was based on race and ethnicity. 560 of those reports were confirmed incidents and race and ethnicity made up 35% of the reports. Of those, anti-Black bias was the most common, followed by anti-Latino and anti-Asian bias.

After race and ethnicity, the most common frequently cited basis was gender identity and sexual orientation.

Marlene Thomas, Executive Director of the Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee, also spoke at the webinar to shed light on what it is like to offer services in a rural county of California that experiences incidents of hate yet experiences low numbers of reporting.

“We had a Stop the Hate conference and the chief of police and the sheriff who were there and presented. They went through the whole reporting process that you have to, to do, but they had only two complaints. And I feel, and I know that they had to have more than that, but they didn’t. But why? The reason is lack of awareness of what the people can really do. And then believe it or not, as small as rural communities are, we are not getting information. And we have to increase public awareness to that fact.”

Thomas shared that the most common incidents of hate in her county are directed towards the trans community.

The hotline operates as a tool to connect people who experience hate with culturally competent resources in the communities where they live to the resources they need. If the reported incident requires police assistance, the hotline can provide this. Grassroots organizations across the states have also partnered with the hotline offering legal services, counseling, financial assistance and more.

If you, or someone you know, has been the target of hate or witnessed an act of hate, you can call the hotline at 833-866-4283. It is open Monday to Friday from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. You can also leave a message, or you can report online at any time by visiting CaliforniaVsHate.org. You can report in 15 different written languages and operators can talk to you in over 200 languages.

 

 

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

You know, there is a story told of a vessel that was wrecked and was going down at sea. There were not enough lifeboats to take all on board. When the vessel went down, some of the lifeboats were near the vessel. A man swam from the wreck to one of the boats, but they had no room to take him on. When they refused, he seized hold of the boat with his right hand, but they took a sword and cut off his fingers. When he had lost the fingers of his right hand, the man was so earnest to save his life that he seized the boat with his left hand. They cut off the fingers of that hand too. Then the man swam up and seized the boat with his teeth. Now they had compassion on him and relented. They could not cut off his head, so they took him in, and the man’s life was saved. Why? Because he was in earnest.

Why not seek your soul’s salvation as that man sought to save his life? Don’t wait until it’s too late! Time is running out for our world. Consider today with some urgency your eternal life. For as Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his I have a dream speech in August 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C, “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW.” What a phrase that is. “The FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW.” Some things simply can’t be put off forever. Sometimes we must RESPOND NOW, we must ANSWER NOW, we must ACT NOW, we must NOT WAIT or DELAY or put things off.

Run to the only refuge there is, the refuge of Jesus Christ. If you go there, you are going to be safe from the coming judgment and the coming wrath. But, if you go outside of it, you’re going to be killed. You’re going to perish. [2 Thessalonians 3:3].

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 5:9]. Run – Run for your life! There is no time to waste! For the Bible speaks of a time at the end of the present age in the books of Daniel, Revelation, and Matthew, among others — when there will be seven years of tribulation culminating in the battle of Armageddon in Israel and the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, in which right now, the stage is being set by Satan and his puppets. [Revelation 13].

Remember the Bible spoke of the Antichrist – a man who will appear on the world scene in the Last Days just before the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Described in both the Old and New Testaments, he will be the very incarnation of evil cleverly disguised as a dynamic, charismatic, visionary leader. He will astound the world with his solutions to human problems. His empire will span every continent, and his rule will be the most demonic individual the world has ever experienced. He will rise to world domination by declaring himself a Man of Peace [Daniel 8:23-25; Daniel 9:26-27; Daniel 11:36-39; Revelation Chapter 6; Ezekiel 38; 2Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:2,4,5; Matthew 24:15].

But will later plunge the world into global war. Eventually his true character will be revealed. He will be opposed to Jesus Christ and will offer himself to the world as the savior of humanity. Together with his False Prophet, he will control the global economy and force his followers to receive a mark on their hands or their foreheads which most of the world will willingly follow him. [Revelation 13:16-17]. But after 3.5 years of his reign, all Hell will break loose. Talking about a fierce urgency, I tell you, NOW is the time run for safety. Repent before it is too late and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God. He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge. [Psalms 91:4]. Don’t wait any longer but put your life in God’s hands TODAY!

[Echoing]: US President Donald Trump on Monday cast himself as a peacemaker in his second inaugural address, pointing to the hostage release-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that went into effect on Sunday. “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be — a peacemaker and a unifier,” he said after being sworn in inside the US Capitol.
In parroting, let me say this. “The Bible predicts that the Antichrist will come to power as a peacemaker. He will be firmly committed to globalism, the belief that the massive problems in the world can only be solved by bringing all nations under one banner. Through economic, political, and religious reform.

While we don’t know who the Antichrist is or will be, Scripture provides a few explanations of his characteristics and actions. We should always ask God for revelation and wisdom to be able to discern correctly. May we be those that can hear and then respond accordingly. [Revelation 13:9].

For terrible are the days which lie ahead. The rumblings of the coming judgment can be heard in the distance. The clouds are gathering. There is only one way out, and that is through Christ, who is the door to absolute safety. Those who receive Him and enter through the door by faith are safe. They are described as those whose names ‘are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.’ Is your name written there? Are you ready for His coming? If not, will you turn to him [Christ] and be saved now?” [M.R. DeHaan].

Will you?

This is critical for this day as we see the mystery of lawlessness at work and we see the chess pieces fall into place.

Even then, they would still not believe. [2 Timothy 4:3-4].

So, Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the DOOR. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. [John 10:9].

Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.” [Jeremiah 17:23].

These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! [Jeremiah13:10].

 

 

By Jasmyne Cannick

What do Snoop Dogg and Caitlyn Jenner have in common? No, this isn’t the setup for a bad joke—it’s a tragic reality. They’ve become poster children for the misguided belief that cozying up to power structures that openly despise them will somehow buy them a permanent seat at the table—or at least a pat on the head from the same people pulling the strings. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

Take Caitlyn Jenner, for example, who’s stanned for Trump who continues to actively work to push legislation that threatens her very existence. While she’s off applauding his presidential win, the ink is barely dry on his executive orders mandating she be referred to by her birth name, Bruce.

Rather than taking a stand against these policies, she’s leaned into her wealth and privilege, banking on it to shield her from the harm those same policies inflict on the trans community. Why? Because she’s rich and insulated from the struggles and discrimination most trans people face. She can retreat to her Malibu mansion and comfortably tune out everyone else’s reality. Because as long as Trump is coming up with ways to keep her rich–that’s all that really matters. Newsflash: privilege isn’t bulletproof, and proximity to power doesn’t erase the hate aimed in her direction.

Then there’s Snoop Dogg and his ilk, rappers who once stood as cultural titans now bending over backward to cozy up to the Trump tax bracket. After years of using the community to build their stacks, they are perfectly content to throw the same people who put them in their comfy tax bracket under the bus for a front-row seat at a table that was never built for them. They’ve swapped authenticity and influence for the illusion of inclusion, all while pretending the check is worth it. It’s not–they know it, we know it. It’s the reason at the domino table we say, “All ain’t good money.”

What they don’t seem to realize—or flat-out refuse to—is that their proximity to whiteness (in the case of Snoop and company) or wealth and privilege (in Caitlyn’s case) doesn’t shield them from
the systems they claim to have transcended. Those systems will gladly facilitate (and celebrate) their selling out while continuing to dehumanize and disenfranchise the very communities they come from and should be fighting for. It’s not respect they’re earning—it’s betrayal.

It’s not just disappointing—it’s dangerous when public figures like Snoop Dogg or Caitlyn Jenner trade their influence for proximity to power, they’re not just letting down their communities–they’re actively legitimizing the systems that harm them. They’re showing the next generation that progress is negotiable, everyone can be bought, and that fighting for equity can take a back seat to personal gain.

There’s a gut-punch of disappointment we feel after building up people like Snoop, only to watch them back systems that harm their own. And the pity for someone like Caitlyn, who thinks her money outweighs her self-respect. We need to hold folks accountable—mark this date on your
calendar. So when these celebs inevitably flip-flop and come crawling back for the community’s support–be it a new album, reality television series, film–whatever–we remember, decline the call, and leave them on read.

Selling out isn’t just a choice for them—it’s become their brand.

Singing the hook to Chris Brown’s “Loyal,” “Aww, these h–s ain’t loyal.”

A member of hip-hop generation, Jasmyne Cannick is based in Los Angeles and is an award-winning journalist and political commentator who speaks and writes to challenge, critique, and hold the culture accountable.