Happily Divorced And After

Starbucks Union Organizers Take Aim At Company’s New CEO: ‘I’d Prefer It If He Stayed Out Of Our Way’


By Bibhu Pattnaik

Although Starbucks Corporation’s new CEO Laxman Narasimhan recently laid out his plans while at the company, which includes working in Starbucks stores as a barista once a month, union organizers aren’t on board. 

CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz backstage with soon to be Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan at Starbucks Headquarters during Investor Day in Seattle, Washington Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Narasimhan is looking to continue the reinvention plan that Schultz had planned for improvements to the company and the store. MELINA MARA/BENZINGA

Last week, Narasimhan assumed the CEO role, taking the reins from Howard Schultz two weeks ahead of schedule. The former Pepsi executive has spent the last two months learning about Starbucks, including earning his barista certification. 

“I felt it was very important to start as a barista. I wanted to really understand what they do and how they do it,” he explained to the Associated Press in an email. “I’ve loved and learned so much about the retail experience from working in our stores, and can now make an excellent French press if I do say so myself.”

Narasimhan’s latest move follows in the footsteps of DoorDash Inc CEO Tony Xu, who, along with members of his executive team, famously makes DoorDash deliveries once a month. 

Union organizers, however, are not entirely happy with Narasimhan’s decision to work at the stores.

“I’d really prefer it if he stayed out of our way and instead spent 40hrs learning about worker’s rights and how NOT to commit thousands of unfair labor practice violations in a year,” Starbucks union organizer Michelle Eisen tweeted on Friday. 

One of Eisen’s followers responded, wondering why Narasimhan opted to work as barista and whether he would live on a barista’s salary.   

“How heroic for the new @starbucks CEO to work as a barista once a month,” said Kraig Peck in response to the CEO’s plans. “Will he live on a barista’s salary?”

Customers wait for their coffee at a Starbucks store on March 19, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. Unions and Starbucks had not come agreement on a new contract. I RYU/BENZINGA

During last week’s annual Starbucks shareholder meeting, Starbucks Workers United announced seven new stores had filed for union elections.

“If Howard Schultz or Laxman Narasimhan think this movement is limited to college towns and coastal cities, they’ve got another thing coming,” Lizzy Prichard, a Starbucks organizer in Ohio, said in a release. “Union Starbucks partners are here to stay.”

Meanwhile, Narasimhan said he would like to see Starbucks evolve into a more global company, be less wasteful, and move faster.

“My immersion exposed me to every aspect of Starbucks business, culture, and brand,” AP quoted him saying. “Together, we have acknowledged the opportunity for a refounding of Starbucks.”

The new CEO is planning to continue his predecessor’s reinvention plan on updating training, improving equipment, and increase wages as Starbucks made over $1 billion towards these plans. These works in the making left by former CEO, Howard Schultz. 

Narasimhan will be hosting the first shareholders meeting on Thursday during a time since corporate is trying to fight off unionization during a tense time.

“With our reinvention plan introduced last year, we will continue our focus on improving the store, customer, and of course, the partner experience,” Narasimhan said in a written statement. He stated he respects union’s right to organize, but Starbucks can function best without a union.

Produced in association with Benzinga

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The post Starbucks Union Organizers Take Aim At Company’s New CEO: ‘I’d Prefer It If He Stayed Out Of Our Way’ appeared first on Zenger News.

Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship to Present Second Annual State of Entrepreneurship Report

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at California State University, San Bernardino is holding an event to release the findings of the second annual Inland Empire State of Entrepreneurship Report. The event will take place on March 30 at TopGolf in Ontario and an array of refreshments will be provided along with an overview of the report.

IECE’s goal in producing the State of Entrepreneurship report is to continue to provide current data on the trends in startup activity for the region and bring the voice of local entrepreneurs to those who need to hear it most – local and state policymakers, community organizations, lenders, and other resource providers. The Voice of the Entrepreneur survey sends powerful feedback on the challenges that entrepreneurs and business owners of the Inland Southern California region face. The survey is drawn from more than 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners representing diverse industries.

“Entrepreneurship is vital for the economic success of the Inland Empire,” said Mike Stull, Director of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship. “The area is lacking in professional career opportunities in the higher income ranges seen more prevalently in our neighbors to the South and West in San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties.”

Stull continued “Opening one’s own business is a way that residents of this region can reach the higher-income levels and autonomy that upper-level professional careers offer.  Achieving an overall higher average income in the region would have positive affects in job creation and economic opportunity.”

Register online for the second annual State of Entrepreneurship Address – to learn more about entrepreneurship in the region.

 

 

Five California Cities Sign Equal Pay Pledge

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Last week, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced five cities — Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and Fresno — have signed the California Equal Pay Pledge.

“The pledge is a The California Equal Pay Pledge is a partnership between the Office of the First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency to turn the strongest equal pay laws in the nation into the smallest pay gap in the nation,” according to the governor’s office.

Kimberly Ellis, Director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, said closing the gender gap is something California “must do.”

“From building credit to building wealth, we know that the wage gap has greatly hindered progress toward actualizing women’s equality,” says Ellis. “The City and County of San Francisco is proud to support the First Partner’s initiative and look forward to doing our part to making pay equity a reality for all women in the Golden State.”

Siebel Newsom said public and private partnerships are essential to closing the gender gap.

“Pay inequity stems from a patriarchal system that was not built with gender equity in mind, but instead built to keep money and power in the hands of few men in control,” she said.

California Black Media is following up with a report on gender and employment that focuses on data specific to Black women.

State Invests $1 Billion in New Homelessness Funding 

Last week, Gov. Newsom announced $1 billion in new funding for local communities to address homelessness and take emergency action to construct new homes to move unhoused Californians off the street.

Homelessness remains one of the state’s most stubborn problems as California’s homeless population keeps mushrooming, growing to approximately 160,000 people (about half the population of homeless people in the United States). Per every 100k people, California’s homeless population ranks third after New York and Hawaii.

“In California, we are using every tool in our toolbox – including the largest-ever deployment of small homes in the state – to move people out of encampments and into housing,” said Newsom. “The crisis of homelessness will never be solved without first solving the crisis of housing – the two issues are inextricably linked. We are tackling this issue at the root of the problem by addressing the need to create more housing, faster in California.”

Under his new plan, Newsom has deployed the California National Guard to assist in the preparation and delivery of approximately 1,200 small houses free of charge to four local communities:  Los Angeles (500 units); San Diego County (150 units); San Jose (200 units) and Sacramento (350 units).

Former Black Caucus Member Jim Cooper Appointed to State Commission

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed former Assemblymember and current Sacramento County Sherriff Jim Cooper, a Democrat, to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

The California Legislature created POST in 1959 to “set minimum selection and training standards for all law enforcement in the state,” according to the office’s website.

Cooper was elected to the Assembly in 2014 and served until last year representing the 9th Assembly District in Sacramento County.

Uber and Lyft Drivers Can Be Contractors, State Court of Appeals Rules

Last week, the California Court of Appeals ruled that Uber and Lyft drivers and other freelancers can be classified as independent contractors. The court’s decision came after a long fight dating back to 2019 when AB 5, the law that first reclassified contractors as employers, passed. The next year, AB 5 was challenged and overturned when voters approved Prop 22 – a ballot measure that gave rideshare companies the greenlight to hire freelancers.

San Diego Based Civil Rights Activist Shane Harris Appears on the Dr. Phil Show

The Rev. Shane Harris, a national Civil rights activist who is based in San Diego, appeared on the Dr. Phil show last week titled “How Safe Are Our Streets?”

The episode focused on victims of random violent crimes who were attacked by repeat offenders.

“The news and the media are running a lot of stories about these reoffenders and these folks who have committed violent offenses consistently, but they are not telling you about the youth who turn their lives around, people who went through diversion programs that actually work,” said Harris, who is President of the Peoples Association of Justice Advocates, speaking up for criminal justice reforms that rehabilitate criminals.

Harris was on the panel making his argument against the positions of law enforcement advocacy groups calling for a tougher penalty for crimes.

“Tough on crime didn’t works for us,” says Harris. “There is a balance we need to strike in the middle of this.”

California Turns San Quentin Prison Into “Rehabilitation and Education” Center

Last week, Gov. Newsom announced that the state is transforming California’s most notorious maximum-security prison San Quentin, — known for having the largest Death Row in the United States — into the country’s largest rehabilitation and education center.

The prison renamed “San Quentin Rehabilitation Center,” will operate under the direction of an advisory group comprised of public safety and rehabilitation experts.

“California is transforming San Quentin into the nation’s most innovative rehabilitation facility focused on building a brighter and safer future,” said Newsom, standing with legislators, civil rights leaders and victim advocates.  “Today, we take the next step in our pursuit of true rehabilitation, justice, and safer communities through this evidence-backed investment, creating a new model for safety and justice — the California Mode — that will lead the nation.”

Request for Proposals: Resilience Promotion in African American Children

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is seeking proposals from interested and qualified organizations and agencies to provide a proposed plan for an initiative to serve African American/Black children and youth.

Funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), the Resilience Promotion in African American Children program will provide services in culturally appropriate settings, incorporating African American/Black philosophies and traditions as a platform to offer mental health education programs with the intention of promoting resiliency in African American/Black children.

The program focuses on the strengths of the African American/Black community and assists the community in feeling comfortable seeking services from staff that are knowledgeable and capable of identifying needs and solutions for African American/Black families and individuals.

San Bernardino County will release a request for proposals (RFP) on March 17 seeking Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) services for African American/Black Children within San Bernardino County.

A bidders conference will be held on Thursday, March 23 and the deadline for the submission of proposals is Monday, April 24. Questions regarding this RFP can be answered by visiting https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/ or emailing procurement@dbh.sbcounty.gov.

 

Western Municipal Water District Director Gracie Torres announces bid for Riverside County Supervisor during Women’s History Month

RIVERSIDE, CA— Fresh off a landmark victory for Western Municipal Water District, Division 2, Gracie Torres has announced she will enter the race for Riverside County Supervisor, District 1, which includes Jurupa Valley, Highgrove, Riverside, Mead Valley, Good Hope, Perris, and Meadowbrook.

“It has been my absolute honor to serve and to now be re-elected to Western Municipal Water District, Division 2,” stated Torres. “Following this last election, voters clearly indicated they want bold action and a representative willing to work. My community encouraged me to take this next step to be their voice and stand for county employees, address homelessness, keep our communities and families safe, invest vigorously in our infrastructure, support small businesses, and create good paying jobs.”

Torres, a rising star in Riverside politics, enters this race as the only declared woman. Torres’s announcement comes on the heels of securing over 50 endorsements and raising more than fifty thousand dollars in the span of two weeks.

Torres was first elected in 2018 and won with a 25% margin and secured her re-election in 2022 in a highly competitive race, receiving nearly 60% of the vote among five candidates. Through redistricting, Torres’s Division 2 now has significant overlap with the first supervisorial district.

“Gracie Torres has dedicated her work towards understanding and delivering for Riverside County residents. As a working professional and elected official, she has a unique lens into families and their needs which is why she is the most qualified to address them”, stated Assemblymember Corey Jackson, “I look forward to working alongside her as a Riverside County Supervisor who’s ready to work for our community”.

Torres also co-founded IEWorks and was instrumental in bringing over $1.5 million for water/wastewater workforce development within the region. She also serves on the board of directors of the Inland SoCal United Way, Operation New Hope, Hispanic Coalition for Small Businesses, and the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. Torres is the benefactor of Beca Angelita, a scholarship named after her abuelita aimed to help students interested in STEM.

Torres has received over 50 endorsements with notable support from:

  • Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson
  • San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr.
  • Riverside County Board of Education Jaime Azpeitia-Sachs
  • Perris Mayor Pro Tem Marisela Nava
  • Perris Councilmember Malcolm Corona
  • Perris Councilmember David Starr Rabb
  • Riverside Unified School District Trustee Noemi Hernandez Alexander

About Gracie Torres
Gracie Torres currently serves as a member of Western Municipal Water District and works for Riverside County’s Flood Control and Conservation District. She earned her bachelor’s in chemistry and master’s in environmental science from California State University, San Bernardino. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in public administration from California Baptist University. Torres and her husband, Eric, are longtime residents of Riverside County and raising their three children in the community.

For more information you can visit https://gracietorres.com.

Scammers Took Consumers for $8.8 Billion in 2022

$3.8 billion in investment scams and $2.6 billion in impersonator scams topped the list. Most money lost through bank transfers and crypto currencies.

By Peter White

Ever get an email about an extended car warranty or a free gift from Home Depot? What about online service to flush out malware from your computer? It’s hard to avoid these unsolicited offers. Fraudsters send texts, they call you on your phone, and sometimes use AI to mimic a relative’s voice who says they have an emergency and please send money.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says what you don’t know can be expensive. They received 2.4 million complaints last year compared to 2.9 million in 2021 but the total amount lost in 2022 was $2.6 billion more than in 2021.

“The dollar loss reported was staggering. Consumers reported that they lost more than $8.8 billion to fraudsters, the most ever reported,” say Maria Mayo, Associate Director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC maintains a database of consumer fraud reports. Report a scam here.

“We know that fraud affects every community and that scammers are running their scam in the languages that people speak at home. And that’s why the FTC now has information in a dozen languages to help people spot and avoid these scams,” says Cristina Miranda, Consumer Education Specialist with the FTC’s Education Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Scammers targeting ethnic communities

During an March 10 Ethnic Media Services briefing Miranda briefed reporters about how to protect against fraudsters. She said that recent refugees and immigrants are frequent marks for scammers who use their native language to steal their money.

“We have a downloadable publication called Spotting, Avoiding and Reporting Scams: a Fraud Handbook. It helps people learn to spot some of the scams related to looking for a job, going through the immigration process, or just trying to figure out how things work in this country,” she said.

Scammers are targeting ethnic communities and they speak your language. They target ethnic communities in unique ways,” says Rosario Mendez, an attorney with FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education Bureau of Consumer Protection.

The Latino community filed a higher percentage of reports relating to problems with banks and lenders, related to debt collection, auto issues, and also business opportunities.

“And we’ve had several cases related to bogus business opportunities, bogus work at home, specifically targeting Latinos. We know from our data analysis and from also our casework that business opportunity, moneymaking schemes, are also something that is impacting the Latino community.

In terms of the black community, the largest number of reports were about payday loan applications, and also student debt relief programs,” Mendez said.

An October 2021 FTC report, Serving Communities of Color, detailed the extent of fraud affecting ethnic communities and the FTC’s efforts to combat it.

Scams vary widely

Mayo said a lot of people fell prey to get-rich-quick schemes last year and the average median loss per consumer was $5,000.

“Consumers reported losing money to investment scams more than any other type of scam, and the amount lost in 2022 more than doubled what was lost in 2021. Consumers reported losing $3.8 billion in investment scams, most of which were lost to crypto currency scams.

These scams often started on social media where consumers were enticed to invest in crypto currency in an attempt to make money. Consumers invested, and the scammers were so savvy that they often presented websites that actually showed how the consumer’s money had grown. But it was all fake,” Mayo said.

Con artists have not given up on romance scams, a staple in the field of fraud. These scams are aimed at older Americans who lost $139 million in 2020 up from $84 million in 2019. For the most part, scammers operate with impunity and many of them are based overseas. That makes it hard for them to be prosecuted. But sometimes they get caught.

One case involved an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who was swindled out of his life savings by a Florida woman, Peaches Stergo. She was arrested January 25, 2023.

The FTC stopped a large-scale fraud of students enrolled at the University of Phoenix (UOP) and made them pay. The FTC is sending nearly $50 million in payments to more than 147,000 UOP students who may have been lured by allegedly deceptive advertisements.

The 2019 settlement also required UOP and its parent company, Apollo Education Group, to cancel $141 in student debt.

The FTC alleged UOP falsely touted its relationships and job opportunities with companies such as AT&T, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter, and the American Red Cross. The FTC also alleged that UOP’s advertising gave the false impression that the online school worked with those companies to create job opportunities for its students and tailor its curriculum for such jobs.

Consumers can get email alerts from the FTC regarding the latest imposter, real estate, and investment scams. Sign up here.

 

 

CSUSB site of 12th annual César E. Chávez Memorial Breakfast

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The event on April 1 will celebrate the legacy of the late labor leader and activist, and will feature a keynote address from Ron Estrada, CEO of Washington, D.C.,-based Farmworker Justice, and a presentation by Flor Martinez, founder and president of The Celebration Nation Foundation.

César Chávez speaking in an undated photo from Wikimedia Commons.

The life and legacy of the late labor leader and activist César E. Chávez will be celebrated when the Chicano Latino Caucus of San Bernardino County and the Latino Education & Advocacy Days at Cal State San Bernardino present the 12th annual César E. Chávez Memorial Breakfast, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the university’s Santos Manuel Student Union South.

Tickets for the breakfast are sold out. Table sponsorships, ranging from $500 to $1,500, also are available. For information regarding sponsorships or other questions, contact Ana Gonzales at (909) 275-9812 or ChicanoLatinoCaucusSBC@gmail.com.

This will mark the first time since 2019 that the breakfast will take place. Traditionally scheduled to commemorate Chávez’s birthday (March 31) and held as part of LEAD Week – a week-long series of events including the LEAD Summit that focused on Latino educational issues – it was cancelled in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the LEAD Summit has been rescheduled to take place in the fall.

Set to take place the day after the state holiday honoring the life and work of Chávez, the breakfast will be emceed by Eloise Gómez Reyes, a member of the California Assembly majority leader who represents southwest San Bernardino County.

Ron Estrada, CEO of Washington, D.C.,-based Farmworker Justice, will be the keynote speaker. Estrada, a longtime voice in support of underserved people and communities of color in the U.S., has invested decades in issues related to racial and social justice. Prior to joining Farmworker Justice in March 2022, he was the head of government relations at Univision Communications, and also led the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Empowerment initiatives.

Also scheduled to speak is Flor Martinez, founder and president of The Celebration Nation Foundation, a San Jose-based nonprofit organization focused on helping the indigenous and Latino community. A former farmworker with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, Martinez is also now an entrepreneur and social media influencer.

In addition, the breakfast will feature the installation of Chicano Latino Caucus of San Bernardino County’s new officers, a video by artist Juan Solis, a performance by Ballet Folklorico de Gary Ferrer and presentation of the Muñoz Legacy and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Former California Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation in 2002 making Chávez’s birthday a state holiday to promote service to the communities of California in honor of the late labor leader’s life and work.

 

“Listen!”

By Lou K Coleman

Regardless of what the wolves in the pulpits, the TV preachers, and the workers of iniquity in the churches claim, the Bible is clear; when it comes to the things that we have to know, believe, and obey in order to be saved and live according to the will of God. So don’t be fool by the wolves in sheep clothing. It will cost you dearly. I didn’t say it, Jesus did!

Know the truth and the whole truth. Your survival and salvation depend on your understanding of such. Know that God is the one Source and sole Author of truth. Sin is whatever God says it is. Judgment is whatever God says it is. Salvation is what God says it is. Heaven and hell are what God says they are. It matters not what man says but simply what God says.

Truth has the final word in all matters, telling us how to worship and how to walk. It tells us how to follow Christ. It is the final arbitrator on any subject. It is the final judge of every life. All people are measured by the truth. Every life is weighed in the balances by the truth. Every destiny is marked by the truth. And truth will have the final say in every life. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, which will enable you to know truth, live by truth, and not be destroyed in your soul by lies that make it into your heart. [Ephesians 6:14].

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. [2 Timothy 4:3-4]. To their own detriment.

Sad!

 

President Biden Appoints SoCal “Activist Entrepreneur” Kerman Maddox to Trade Advisory Body

By McKenzie Jackson |California Black Media

Last summer, the White House offered Southern California small business owner Kerman Maddox a unique opportunity to serve on a national committee set up to advise President Joe Biden’s administration on educational matters.

The Los Angeles resident declined.

Maddox, who is also a communications specialist — most recently a member of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s transition team — felt he did not have enough expertise in the educational space.

Then, this month, the right opportunity came for Maddox to take his expertise, passion and ambition to Washington. The White House appointed Maddox, along with 14 others, to serve on the United States Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.

“I’m an African American male. I’m a small business owner. There is nothing in my background that ever would have indicated this was even in the realm of possibilities,” he stated. “I am going to do the best to represent other African American small business owners. When you get an opportunity like this, you want to do a good job — not embarrass folks.”

Maddox, president and majority owner of K&R Hospitality and managing partner of Dakota Communications, told the official he would be interested in serving on any commission that dealt with United States’ commerce, small business, trade, or other related fields if a position became available.

Maddox, who President Barack Obama once appointed to serve on the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee, says he is excited about his new role.

The other new advisory body appointees are Revathi Advaithi, Manish Bapna, Timothy Michael Broas, Thomas M. Conway, Erica R.H. Fuchs, Marlon E. Kimpson, Ryan LeGrand, Sean M. O’Brien, Javier Saade, Shonda Yvette Scott, Elizabeth Shuler, Nina Szlosberg-Landis, and Wendell P. Weeks.

Along with the other appointees, Maddox will provide policy advice to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who spearheads American trade policy across the globe.

The new committee members were recommended by Tai’s office and appointed by Biden. They make up one of several advisory committees established by Congress to ensure U.S. trade policy and trade negotiating objectives adequately reflect American public and private sector interests.

In a March 10 statement announcing the appointees, Tai said she looked forward to working with the new appointees.

“Developing a worker-centered trade agenda means bringing together a range of perspectives and backgrounds to design and implement our policies,” she stated. “The Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations is an important forum to guide USTR’s work and ensure that the benefits of trade are equitably distributed across our economy and to all people. President Biden has nominated a diverse group of men and women that will help us carry out his vision for sustainable, inclusive and durable trade policy in 2023 and beyond.”

Maddox wants to align with the trade agenda set by the Biden administration. He also has his own objectives he aims to rally for.

“Number one, I’m really going to play a space as a small business guy to see if we can get small businesspeople to export products overseas — whether it is technology or manufacturing or retail or professional services,” he noted. “Number two, figure out a way to rein in climate change. What can we do to get people to understand that it is real and what should we be doing by the way of trade polices to combat the escalation of global warming and climate change?”

Maddox received a call from the White House late last year inquiring whether he would be interested in joining the committee. He jumped at the opportunity. In January, he learned his position on the panel was finalized.

Maddox now has a lot of homework to do on trade policy before the group meets in April. Tai’s office is introducing the new committee members to trade experts.

“I’m trying to quickly study to get up on this,” Maddox noted.

Maddox founded Dakota Communications, the marketing, public relations, and public affairs consulting firm, in 1996. In 2010, he started K&R Hospitality, a food and beverage concession business. He had a role in Obama’s historic 2008 campaign and was part of Biden’s presidential campaign 12 years later. Maddox worked as an aide and advisor to past L.A. mayors Tom Bradley and Antonio Villaraigosa and for Bass when she was in Congress. He was also an adjunct professor of Political Science at USC and a full-time Political Science professor for the L.A. Community College District. Maddox has several honors from community service organizations and radio and television awards under his belt.

Maddox described himself as an “activist entrepreneur.”

“I do a lot of community stuff,” he said. “I’m very active in my church, but I’m also a businessman. I’m interested in making money, but I’m also interested in hiring as many people that look like me as possible. I’m interested in growing my business and bringing people along at the same time.”

Due to his business experience, Maddox brings a breadth of viewpoints to the commission.

“I have a unique perspective to talk about professional service businesses and how that works and discuss retail, food, and beverage concussion-oriented businesses,” he explained. “One is people, food, merchandising, quality standards, and more. The other is professional services — you are brainstorming and creating.”

Maddox will meet with other committee members via video conference, but expects to also assemble with the group in Washington, D.C.

He said being involved with Obama’s initial presidential run was his greatest professional experience. However, having the chance to pitch Biden, who Maddox has met before, trade policy insights is a close second.

“There is nothing in my background that would indicate I would be talking to the president, let alone advising the president,” Maddox declared. “If I can make it, anyone can make it. I’m a pretty regular guy that worked his way up.

Riverside’s Community Leader, Civil Rights Icon, Dell Roberts, Honored with the 2022 Citizen of the Year Award

By Prince James | Black Voice News

It’s Prince James again, bringing you up to date on one of my key reporting assignments for this week.

On Thursday, March 15 I, along with my teammate Aryana Noroozi, covered the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce event where they honored community leader and civil rights icon, Dell Roberts, with the 2022 Citizen of the Year award.

Roberts has a long history of service in the inland region. In 1968, he co-founded the Black Students Union at local high schools. In 1979, he co-founded the Riverside Black History Month Committee, and in 1980, he co-created the Black History Parade, just to name a few of his contributions.
Over the years, Roberts has received multiple awards for his service to the community, including the Chuck Kane Award, the YWCA Achievement Award, the 2007 Bank of America Local Hero Award, and the Roy Hord Volunteer of the Year Award.

Last year, Roberts was awarded the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award for 2022. The award is given to individuals, couples or groups who have made significant contributions to the city and community of Riverside.

Roberts retired from Riverside Union School District in 2003 after 38 years of service.