WSSN Stories

Award-winning actor Omari Hardwick was feeling festive recently at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Hardwick and Mickey Mouse put on their best holiday sweaters for a photo in front of the Christmas tree at the American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT on November 23, 2022. Hardwick was visiting the theme park with his family to kick off the holiday season.

PASADENA, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and his family joined Union Station Homeless Services at Pasadena’s Dinner in the Park 2022 to distribute prepared Thanksgiving meals to adults and families experiencing homelessness and poverty, senior citizens, and those who are alone at the holidays and unable to afford a holiday meal. For over 50 years, Dinner in the Park has been a beloved holiday tradition run by Union Station Homeless Services to ensure that all who are hungry have access to a Thanksgiving meal.

“As we cherish the times spent around the table with our loved ones this holiday season, it is encouraging to see our communities come together to support those in need during this season and year-round,” said Senator Padilla. “My family was grateful for the opportunity to join Union Station Homeless Services and their volunteers today to distribute meals to those in our community who otherwise may not have had a Thanksgiving meal to enjoy.”

“We were thrilled to welcome Senator Padilla and his family to our annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park and grateful to them for volunteering to ensure those less fortunate have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner,” stated Anne Miskey, Union Station Homeless Services CEO.  “We know that hunger and homelessness do not end after the holidays, and we truly appreciate the Senator’s ongoing commitment to helping the most vulnerable. We look forward to continuing to work with him to ensure all people in our communities have healthy food, and a safe and welcoming place to call home.”

Senator Padilla has been a strong advocate for addressing food insecurity and supporting community organizations that provide food to those in need. Last Thanksgiving, Padilla volunteered at a grocery giveaway at Santa Monica College. Padilla introduced the Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act and the Student Food Security Act of 2021. These bicameral pieces of legislation address food insecurity on college campuses by ensuring that basic needs are being met while students pursue their education through grants and increase access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Padilla is also a cosponsor of the Military Hunger Prevention Act and the Military Family Nutrition Access Act, which are bipartisan bills that would combat food insecurity among members of the Armed Forces and their families.

TORRANCE, CA – Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), in partnership with El Camino College, with title sponsor Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, distributed over twelve hundred turkeys and pork roasts, over eight hundred grocery boxes, and one hundred Ralphs gift cards to families in need this holiday season. Senator Bradford continued this tradition, which he started as a member of Gardena’s City Council and then as a State Assemblymember.

“This event is one that I look forward to every year,” said Senator Bradford. “It is my hope that these turkeys will not only feed our community, but act as the centerpiece of families gathering to give thanks for each other’s support, faith and love. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to represent you in our state’s capitol and the Turkey Giveaway is just one way for me to show my appreciation. A big thank you to all our sponsors and volunteers. An event of this scale is only possible because of them.”

This drive-thru event was made a reality by volunteers from Senate District 35 and the surrounding area such as Black Wall Street, Republic Services, AAA, NAHSE SoCal Chapter, Crystal Stairs, LAC Probation Department, and the AMAAD Institute.

Senator Bradford’s Turkey Giveaway was sponsored by many organizations including, Torrance Refinery, Phillips 66, AAA, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Republic Services, Watson Land Company, SA Recycling, Los Angeles World Airports, Stiiizy, the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, Golden State Water, SpaceX, AltaMed, the LA Rams, Western States Petroleum Association, PepsiCo, Intuit Dome, King’s Hawaiian Bakery & Restaurant, Frogs Organic Bakery, El Camino College’s Warrior Pantry and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

“Thanksgiving is an opportunity to do something that we ought to do more often,” continued Bradford. “It can be difficult to find time to sit and reflect on the things we are most grateful for in life. Thank you again to all the participants that stopped by and to El Camino College for hosting our event this year.”

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

The signs are everywhere. Signs in the sun, in the moon, in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring [Luke 21:25; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-26; Revelation 6:12-17]]. Just take a look around you. What do you see? War and the nations gathering for more war. Economic woes, massive inflation, crime on all sides, wickedness everywhere, natural disasters, famine, etc., etc., etc. I tell you; we are living in a time like no other before us, and yet just as in the days of Noah and Lot, people continue to ‘eat and drink’ and live as if nothing is going to happen. But I tell you, great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones. Despite all the talk about things getting better and better, the contrary is true…things are getting worse and worse. There is a great deception taking place in this world that many people, are not seeing. It is an extremely dangerous deception, one that is perpetrated on a massive scale. So much so, that [Mark 13:22] tells us that it will be so strong and so powerful and so convincing that even Christians will be tempted to be deceived by it. Do not be complacent. Be alert! Be ready!  Because now unfolding before our eyes, certain signs hint that the enactment of Antichrist’s plan is imminent. Satan has been planning this world takeover for millenniums now. He has cunningly formulated his plans and will, and at the right moment, he would put them into play. Be alert! Be ready! Because I tell you, the last piece of the End-Time puzzle is being put together.

The question for all who are still unsaved is: Will you be delivered by Christ, or will you be deceived by the Antichrist and his puppets? Who will use all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be save [Matthew 24:23-24; 2Thessalonians 2:9-11].

As I see it, it is only the mercy of God that He has not sent His Son to rapture us out of this world before now. If I were you, and was not prepared for eternity, believe me, I would run to Jesus to get saved, because end time prophecies is fast being fulfilled. Watch the sun and moon and the stars of the Heavens. When they appear to be unduly disturbed and restless, know that the day is not far away. The time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand, even at the door [Matthew 24:33]. You have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment. “The hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try us that dwell upon the earth” [Revelation 3:10] will soon be upon us, and all who are not firmly established upon God’s Word and the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be deceived and overcome. Run to Jesus before it is too late!

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” [Revelation 1:3, see also 22:7].

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Yvonne Wheeler was elected the new President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, (LA Fed) Nov. 21. The historic unanimous vote by her peers makes Wheeler the first Black woman to hold the title and makes her one of the most influential people in Los Angeles politics.

The LA Fed, the second largest central labor body in the nation, is a federation of over 300 affiliated union and labor organizations that represent more than 800,000 members. LA Fed is known for fighting for better wages, establishing respect in the workplace and the vast political influence their endorsements hold.

“Yvonne is the best selection and most informed Union leader in the state,” said Danny Bakewell, Executive Publisher, LA Sentinel and the Chairman/CEO of Bakewell Media.

She has integrity, understands union leadership and she is one is those rare leaders that the community and the people trust,” Bakewell continued. “She is the perfect person at the perfect time for this role.”

Wheeler’s election comes in the wake of a political scandal involving former LA Fed President Ron Herrera and three City Council Members – Council President Nury Martinez, Kevin de León, and Gil Cedillo.

A secret recording of Herrera and the City Council members was released in October that featured a conversation involving crude and racist remarks directed towards African Americans, Jews, Armenians, and other ethnic groups. They also were plotting ways they could use the council’s redistricting power and influence to their advantage.

Herrera stepped down from his position as president the day after the LA Times released their initial report on the recording. Massive protests and demonstrations followed the release of the report and the audio of the conversation.

The LA Fed’s decision to elect Wheeler shifts attention from the scandal and directs focus on its mission of representation and inclusivity for the diverse workers they represent.

“I am honored to be elected to lead during such a critical time for workers,” said Wheeler. “In a post-COVID reality, we have to rebound, restabilize and reimagine from the perspective of workers to ensure we are on the right path, and that has to be our priority.”

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Wheeler was serving as the LA Fed’s vice president at the time of her election. Her years of experience as a labor worker, union representative, and activist earned her a reputation as a steward of speaking up for the voiceless and demanding fair treatment from employers.

Wheeler emerged as a labor leader in the late 90s when her advocacy for Black operators at South Central Bell (SBC) prompted her co-workers to elect her to lead the local union. She became president of the Los Angeles Chapter and President of the California State A. Philip Randolph Institute, an AFL-CIO-sponsored group bridging the gap between the African American community and the labor movement through civil rights campaigns, voter registration, and job training.

“Yvonne and I grew up in the labor movement. She is the right person to lead the LA Labor council. She has integrity and she is a true leader who understands how to bring people together from diverse backgrounds. She is fearless and at the same time very humble. She is a natural organizer and a natural leader. She will bring those skills to the labor council and the labor movement will thrive,” said Doug Moore, Executive Director, UDW/AFSCME, and AFSCME International Vice President.

In 2002, she was recruited by the AFL-CIO as a national field representative. Wheeler also co-chair of the L.A. Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride in 2003, championing the plight of immigrant workers. Her credits include pivotal L.A.-area campaigns such as the longshore union lockout, supermarket strike/lockout, and helping to defeat Gov. Schwarzenegger’s 2005 special election initiatives.

Wheeler served as an AFL-CIO Senior Field Representative covering all of Southern California. She also served as the California Area Director for AFSCME Western Region prior to serving in Washington, DC as the Special Assistant to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Secretary-Treasurer. She transferred back to California to reunite with her family in 2014.

“Change is never easy,” Wheeler said. “But it is what we need right now. Our members, our communities rely on us, so we will fight to uplift their voices and build their power to make sure they are never put in this position again. My term as President will not be about what I can do, or what my staff can do, but what we will all do together.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Corionsa “Khorry” Ramey, the 19-year-old daughter of Kevin Johnson, is asking a federal court to allow her to be present for her father’s execution.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency motion on behalf of Ms. Ramey today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

A Missouri law bars people under the age of 21 from being present at an execution. Mr. Johnson, whose execution is scheduled for November 29, has put his adult daughter on this witness list, and Ms. Ramey wants to attend.

The filing argues that the state law violates Ms. Ramey’s right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment and her First Amendment right of association, and that the age threshold is not reasonable and not supported by any safety or penological purpose. The federal Bureau of Prisons and the overwhelming majority of death penalty states either have no age requirement for family of the condemned person to witness an execution, or the minimum age is 18. Ms. Ramey is asking the court to find the Missouri law violates her constitutional rights, and to permit her to attend her father’s execution.

Mr. Johnson was 19 when he committed the crime that resulted in a death sentence, the same age as his daughter is now.

“My father has been the only parent for almost all of my life, and he is the most important person in my life,” Ms. Ramey stated in her declaration to the court. “If my father were dying in the hospital, I would sit by his bed holding his hand and praying for him until his death, both as a source of support for him, and as a support for me as a necessary part of my grieving process and for my peace of mind.”

She continued, “The harm that I will suffer because Missouri officials bar me from attending my father’s execution for no other reason than my current age is deep and cannot be fixed.”

Mr. Johnson, who is 37, has been an involved and active parent since his daughter was a small child — despite his incarceration. They built their bond through years of consistent prison visits, phone calls, emails, and letters. Mr. Johnson even set up an academic liaison from prison with his daughter’s school so that he could be involved in her educational progress. Ms. Ramey graduated from high school in 2020 and is pursuing a career in nursing. Last month, Ms. Ramey brought her newborn son to meet his grandfather (photograph attached).

The following statements can be attributed as noted: 

Michelle Smith, co-director, Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty: 

“Khorry has and is experiencing unimaginable suffering in dealing with the impending loss of her dad, the only parent she has left. Denying her access to attend the execution of her beloved father is but a further piling on of the trauma and unfairness she endures. Logic escapes me in trying to understand how a person can receive the death penalty at 19, a person can receive a life sentence in prison at 19, and a person can even be hired as a prison guard with the Missouri Department of Correction at 19; yet a person cannot witness an execution at 19. The institutional injustices and systemic inequities continue to plague this family and Khorry continues to be most harmed. She, more than anyone, has the right to be a witness when the state executes her father.”

Corene Kendrick, deputy director, ACLU National Prison Project, attorney for Ms. Ramey: 

“The Missouri law barring Ms. Ramey from attending her father’s execution is illogical and irrational. If the State of Missouri thinks that her father’s actions when he was 19 make him mature enough to warrant execution, then a 19-year-old should be mature enough to witness that execution. There is no dignity when a state kills its residents. The State of Missouri can refrain from needlessly inflicting even more profound and grievous pain on Ms. Ramey — a loving daughter with a simple wish to be with and say goodbye to her only living parent when the state takes him away from her.”

Anthony Rothert, director for integrated advocacy, ACLU of Missouri: 

“Ms. Ramey has built a strong relationship with her father over many years — despite his incarceration — through personal visits, letters, emails, phone calls, and even introducing her son to his grandfather. Kevin Johnson is Ms. Ramey’s only living parent — and as she says, the most important person in her life. It will not hurt the state or harm the state’s interest if it permits Ms. Ramey to witness her father’s execution. On the other hand, if the state continues to deny Ms. Ramey’s request — it will cause her irreparable harm.”

Court filings: 

Complaint: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ramey-v-parson-complaint

Brief in Support of Motion for TRO/Preliminary Injunction: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ramey-v-parson-brief-support-plaintiffs-motion-tro-and-preliminary-injunction

Affidavit of Corionsa “Khorry” Ramey: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ramey-v-parson-affidavit-corionsa-ramey

Photograph of Corionsa Ramey and her baby son with her father, Kevin Johnson, Jr.: photo of Khorry Ramey, Kevin Johnson and baby Kaius.jpeg

This press release is available online: https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/daughter-seeks-emergency-order-attend-her-fathers-execution-despite-missouri-law

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

A webinar hosted by ChangeLawyers, American Constitution Society (ACS) Bay Area, and Equal Justice Society was held on November 15 to discuss the possible outcomes of the United States Supreme Court’s pending decision in the case Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard.

The online event titled, “The End of Affirmative Action: How SCOTUS Is Coming After BIPOC Students” delved into the impact of banning the consideration of race as a factor during the college admission process.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students would be affected by such a ruling, said panelist Lisa Holder, an attorney and president of Equal Justice Society (EJS). EJS is an Oakland-based nonprofit and civil rights organization that does work geared toward transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social sciences, and the arts.

“(Ending Affirmative Action) essentially, completely upends our ability to level the playing field and remediate for centuries of discrimination and marginalization,” said Holder said. “If you do not have intervention and take affirmative steps to counteract continued systemic racism it’s going to take hundreds of years to repair those gaps. It will not happen by itself.”

Holder is also a member of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, a nine-member panel established after Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3121, authored by then-Assemblymember Shirley Weber. The task force is investigating the history and costs of slavery in California and is charged with recommending an appropriate remedy for the state to implement.

Also participating on the End of Affirmative Action panel were Sally Chen, education equity program manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Sarah C. Zearfoss, Senior Assistant Dean for the University of Michigan Law School.

Shilpa Ram — Senior Staff Attorney for Education Equity, Public Advocates and a board member of the ACS Bay Area Lawyer Chapter — was the moderator.

On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) listened to oral arguments in two cases challenging race-conscious student admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) to promote creating diverse student populations at their schools.

The case emerged in 2014, when SFFA, a nonprofit advocacy organization opposed to affirmative action, brought an action alleging Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (Title VI).

SFFA argues that Harvard instituted a race-conscious admissions program that discriminated against Asian-American applicants.  SFFA also alleges that UNC is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, by unfairly using race to provide preference to underrepresented minority applicants to the detriment of White and Asian-American applicants.

Chen is a first-generation college graduate from a working-class immigrant family. She is an alumna of Harvard College. She was one of eight students and alumni that gave oral testimony in support of affirmative action in the 2018 federal lawsuit Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard.

“Particularly as these cases were taking advantage of a claim that Asian American students don’t benefit from Affirmative Action or are harmed; we really saw how this was a misrepresentation of our community needs,” Chen said of hers and seven other students’ testimonies. “My testimony really spoke to that direct experience and making clear that Asian American students and communities are in support of affirmative action.”

In 1965, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, requiring all government contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action to expand job opportunities for minorities.

Fifty-seven years later, a decision by SCOTUS could be reached at the end of the current term in late June or early July 2023 banning affirmative action. The decision would dismantle race-conscious admission policies that overwhelmingly help BIPOC students create a better future for themselves, members of the panel stated.

“Schools take race into account as a factor in admission because that is the single best, most effective way to create a racially diverse class,” Zearfoss said.

Zearfoss directs the University of Michigan Law School Jurist Doctorate (JD) and Master of Law (LLM) admissions and supervises the Office of Financial Aid.

California ended affirmative action policies in 1996 with the passage of Proposition 209.

Prop 209 states that the government and public institutions cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons based on race in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

Proposition 16 was a constitutional amendment designed to repeal Prop 209, but the initiative was defeated by voters in 2020. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber introduced the legislation that was the basis for Prop 16 when she was a state Assemblymember for the 79th District.

“When we no longer live in a White supremacist society then we can start thinking about ending these interventions that are necessary to counteract preferences for White people that exist and continue to exist,” Holder said.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and with that comes greens, beans, candied yams, turkey (roasted and deep-fried), dressing, mac n’ cheese, sweet potato pie and all the other soul food “fixins” that make the holiday meal arguably the tastiest meal of the year for many African Americans. We can choose from a diverse menu of food options that we prepare at home, or we can try to enjoy those options dining out.

The city of Inglewood, for example, is hosting a drive-thru turkey giveaway on Nov. 23 with special guest Snoop Dogg.

The event will go from 9 am to 12 pm and is located at Hollywood Park.

The goal is to serve 2,500 Inglewood residents with free turkeys provided by Don Lee Farms.

While many people enjoy preparing and eating that turkey dinner at home, some people prefer to outsource their feast.

For those folks, here’s a small sampling of some soul food restaurants around the state that will be open on or around Thanksgiving

StreetCar (San Diego)

First up is StreetCar in San Diego. On Nov. 24, they will be hosting a Thanksgiving Feast Event.

“Bring your friends and family on Thanksgiving Day for a celebratory feast,” it reads on their flier.

The event is located at 4002 30th St. and will go from 11:00am to 10:00pm.

Founded by Ron Suel and RaVae Smith in 2014, StreetCar specializes in southern cuisine and features an all-day brunch menu.

“You will find classic southern dishes and Louisiana favorites,” their website reads.

ComfortLA (Los Angeles)

In Downtown Los Angeles, ComfortLA is an option for those who want to eat out this holiday as it’s open on Thanksgiving Day.

Located on 1110 E. 7th St., ComfortLA was once a pop-up restaurant founded by Jeremy McBryde and Mark E. Walker.

ComfortLA focuses on taking a clean approach to their menu, sporting a variety of all-natural soul food options.

“We use locally sourced, fresh and organic ingredients and healthier cooking methods to create top-notch, Southern cuisine including ‘Cousin Kina’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese,’ ‘Clean Mean Greens’ and our signature ‘Organic Not Your Average Fried Chicken’ with ‘That Sauce,'” it reads on their website.

They also have an Inglewood location, though that restaurant is not open on Thanksgiving.

Minnie Bell’s (Emeryville)

Minnie Bell’s – a soul food truck in Emeryville up north – may not be open the day of Thanksgiving, it will be open on the 23rd for those who want to celebrate a little early.

Founded by Fernay McPherson in 2013, “Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement” is born out of legacy.

“Fernay learned to cook from her great aunt Minnie and late grandmother Lillie Bell,” the website reads. “Fernay’s family arrived in San Francisco during the Great Migration as part of the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and West.”

Minnie Bell’s is located in the Emeryville Public Market at 5959 Shellmound St.

Hotville Chicken (Los Angeles)

The last establishment on this list is Hotville Chicken in Los Angeles.

This restaurant is not open the day of Thanksgiving but patrons can order ahead of time and pick their food up on the 24th.

Hotville, then known as the BBQ Hot Chicken Shack, was founded by Thornton Prince in 1936 in a segregated part of town.

Thorton’s great-great niece Kim Prince now runs the family business.

Their website boasts about how spicy their chicken is, as Thorton’s original recipe focused heavily on a fiery flavor.

“If you’ve never heard about Nashville-style hot chicken, it’s certainly time to get familiar,” it reads.

Prince’s focus is on community, as Thorton’s original chicken recipe “brought people together” even in a divided town.

Hotville is located at 4070 Marlton Ave.

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

When hip hop icon and fashion designer Kanye West wore a black, long-sleeved shirt with “WHITE LIVES MATTER” emblazoned on the backside in white block letters at his Yeezy fashion show in Paris on Oct. 3, it started a national conversation on racism that intensified four days later when West broadcast on Twitter that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” in a since deleted tweet.

Then, on Oct. 27, NBA player Kyrie Irving posted a link on Twitter to the 2018 film “Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” and shared a screenshot on Instagram of the film’s rental page on Amazon. The film, directed by Ronald Dalton Jr., who also wrote a 2014 book under the same name, contains antisemitic tropes disparaging Jewish people.  The film also claims the Holocaust never happened.

Irving was suspended for several games by the Brooklyn Nets for refusing to say he has no antisemitic beliefs and Nike suspended his shoe contract. Irving has apologized for his social media actions, and discussions on biased hate in the U.S. have been heightened.

Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James said on Nov. 6 that Irving was in the wrong.

“Me, personally, I don’t condone any hate of any kind,” James told the media. “To any race. To Jewish communities, to Black communities, to Asian communities.”

According to the FBI, over 10,000 people nationally reported to law enforcement in 2021 that they were victims of hate crimes because of their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion or disability.

Hate is on the rise in California. For example, there was a 6% increase in hate crimes and hate incidents in Orange County from 2020 to last year.

Of the 398 bias-motived activities, Black people were the target of 25 incidents and 16 crimes, according to the “2021 Orange County Hate Crimes Report” released by Orange County Human Relations Council on Sept. 15.

Don Han, the Council’s director of operations, said the trend is concerning.

“Orange County has 2% African Americans in the demographic, so a very small percentage, but in terms of hate crimes they are within the top three,” Han said. “That speaks volumes for us, and that is something very intentional for us in how we support the community here in Orange County, so that people can feel that they belong.”

A hate incident is an action or behavior motivated by hate but legally protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. A hate crime is an illegal action committed against an individual, group, or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived protected social group.

Overall, there were 97 documented hate crimes in Orange County and 301 reported hate incidents a year ago. A large swath of the incidents in 2021 — 153, a 164% increase from 2020 — were against Asian/Pacific Islanders. Sixteen crimes were committed against gay men, while 26 of the crimes had an unknown bias.

The rise in hate crimes and incidents in the Southern California county is part of a broader pattern around the Golden State.

A report released by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in June revealed hate crimes inspired by racism and homophobia resulted in a 33% uptick in reported incidents in the state in 2021.

Hate crimes against Blacks were the most prevalent, according to the state report. There were 513 crimes committed against Blacks in 2021, 13% more than the 456 in 2020. Overall, there were 1,763 crimes reported in 2021. Crimes spurred by sexual orientation bias jumped from 205 in 2020 to 303 in 2021.

Crimes involving religion bias increased from 180 in 2020 to 218 last year. Crimes involving a gender bias decreased to 54 in 2021 from 62 in 2020.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2282, meant to crack down on hate crimes and protect minority communities in California, on Sept. 18. The bill equalizes and strengthens penalties for using hate symbols and bolsters security for targeted religious and community-based nonprofits.

“California will not tolerate violence terrorizing any of our communities, and this measure updates state law to punish the use of universally recognized symbols of hate equally and to the fullest extent of the law,” Newsom said. “California will continue to lead the fight to stamp out hate and defend those under attack for who they are, how they identify, or what they believe in.”

The legislation brings parity to penalties for burning crosses and using swastikas and nooses. Using a noose as a hate symbol currently has the lightest penalty of the three while cross burning is the most highly penalized. People who use any of the three symbols of hate will be subject to the strongest of these criminal penalties under the signed bill.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), AB 2282’s author, said hate symbols are violent and terrifying.

“With hate crimes increasing across the state, it is critical to recognize the power and destructiveness of these symbols, and restrict their use equally,” she said.

On Aug. 21 Krishnan Jayaraman, who is Indian was in a Taco Bell in Fremont when Singh Tejinder hurled anti-Hindu comments and racists slurs at him. Tejinder used the N-word several times, called Jayaraman a “dirty Hindu,” and seemingly twice spit at Jayaraman.

Tejinder, who is Asian/Indian, was charged by Fremont police with a hate crime in violation of civil rights, assault and disturbing the peace by offensive language.

Han of the OC Human Relations Council said his group attempts to prevent hate activities in the county by organizing educational programs with schools and other organizations.

“We work with different communities on hate crime prevention and on how to report a hate crime and hate incidents,” he said. “We work with law enforcement. If they are responding to a hate crime, and the victim speaks a language other than English, we are able to connect them with organizations that we partner with to make communication possible.”

Reena Hajat Carroll, executive director of the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) in Long Beach, said racism and bigotry are big problems in California.

CCEJ battles prejudice via workshops and trainings in schools, and with its restorative youth diversion program, meant to be an alternative to the juvenile justice system.

“CCEJ’s work with young people is key,” said Carroll. “It creates a generation of people who know how important it is for us all to fight bias, bigotry, and racism. No matter what age, no matter what race, etc. We have to all be in this together because the problem is too pervasive.”

Han said the best way to prevent hate activities is education and for to people get to know each other.

“We have created a safe space to have conversations, so hopefully those conversations will create common ground,” he said. “If you know someone as a person or another human being, when you truly know me and we know each other, it’s harder to have bias-motivated feelings.”

For more information on hate crimes and resources victims, visit https://oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes.

This report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

By Cheryl Morrow | Special to California Black Media

A major study by the National Institute of Health (NHI) found that women who received hair relaxer treatments at least four times a year had a 3x greater risk of uterine cancer. A previous study found a 30% increased risk of breast cancer.

Manufacturers are currently facing lawsuits across the country, because, according to the plaintiffs, they failed to warn them about the cancer risks associated with exposure to toxic chemicals in products.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump says manufacturers have “aggressively misled Black women to increase their profits.” He recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client who contracted uterine cancer after using chemical hair straightening products sold by L’Oréal USA.

Cheryl Morrow, daughter of Black haircare legend Dr. Willie L. Morrow delivered this letter to attorney Crump and his co-counsel, and it reads:

I am the daughter of the greatest textured beauty scientist in the history of the world, and a legatee of the only industrial revolution for American-born Africans. It is my opinion, American born Africans represent the greatest human ascent in the modern civilized world as well as in human history.

“Enough is enough.” The exploitation of Black health for profit is ENOUGH!

The latest study of relaxers being linked and making Black women four times more susceptible to uterine cancer is simple junk research. This is an attack. I am taking the NIH study as an attack on our legacy.

What researchers seem to be missing, is that out of all the so-called corrosive salon treatments all races of women receive, relaxers are the one that carry the least amount of processing time. This simply means that researchers have not taken this into consideration, the time exposure factor.

Ben Crump and attorney Diandra Zimmerman, along with their client Jenny Mitchell, blindly filed this lawsuit while being grossly ill-informed.

If you, Attorney Crump want to chase a lawsuit because you think L’Oréal has deep pockets and money to blow just to save its face, I will push to encourage them not to do so. This will cast a stain on an ethical industry and will be an atrocity for an industry that has built enormous wealth and power for Black America.

I will not allow the propaganda machine’s random research to destroy and wither our industrial juggernaut with false concern and hidden agendas. This is fake news and junk research at its best.

I am all for research as my late father Willie Morrow, the greatest scientific mind in the history of beauty science, we’ve had always blazed the trail toward safe innovation for the Black haircare industry. The language attorney Crump and his co-counsel are using is reckless and feckless.

Black hair care is not predatory, and it sickens me to receive countless calls from my peers having to defend our profession from layperson idiocy and blood thirsty lawyers.

Having spent 19 years in New York City, I have also devoted expertise in this area. This is not about me defending the giant beauty conglomerate L’Oréal, “lord knows I have had my issues with corporate run beauty companies, but food for thought here; the lack of state governed cosmetology boards addressing the scientific aspects of hair and scalps of texted hair Americans and the distinct way it grows and thrives, it just goes to show that all hair (textures) aren’t the same after all.

The apathetic way in which state boards and state policy makers focus on minor issues like cultural styling, which falls under the First Amendment freedom of expression clause, doesn’t deter discrimination from occurring. However, junk research is more sinister. It is about affecting economic bottom lines.

I will not have this happen!

Hair straighter (relaxer), or better known as lye, is a plantation concoction and was originally a Black man’s thing called the Konkaline aka “The Conk” trend. This was formulated, mixed in the kitchens on planation slave camps of America. This was created by Africans on plantations due to our native-born styling implements not accompanying us to the Western world.

Having served as an expert witness in many Black haircare litigations for defendants, relaxers fall under the FDA’s category of depilatories. This means it is a dissolver and not a penetrator. The nature of high alkaline pH treatments doesn’t interact with skin as you would like them to, nor do they work like most industry professionals, state board officials and chemists have educated us to believe they do.

This is the ignorance my father Willie L. Morrow tried to combat in 1982, but his efforts fell on deaf ears. Correcting this malfeasance is most urgent.

Every state board in the United States should also be sued if you want to go the lawsuit route. To be frank, because the consumer also has a home-based version and buys it at their own discretion, like tap faucet water, your eagerness to pick up on the NIH’s study that is not conclusive is beneath the oath you took when you became an attorney, my dear sir.

I have, and am willing, to educate all Americans and all adjacent professional industries that will join me in making beauty safer. We are a proud industry, with high ethics and I do not appreciate this assassination of Black haircare.

My father would be a soldier in this attack. We have worked countless years and have amassed the most extensive and invaluable texture enhancement scientific data in the industry to date. Black haircare is leading in this regard. Our research is rooted in Afro-textured science, these findings are sound research that show a different picture on the overall health risks for Black women who relax.

We do have a lot of work to do, however. My legacy will be to return Black haircare to its glory era, the one that I grew up in, the industry that has and should continue to make Black America economically sovereign to create its own version of the American dream.